PRIDE YOUR IGNORANCE ( THE PROMISED NEVERLAND )

THREE-POINT-FIVE: COMFORT

Ray was just barely four years old when he started having 'nightmares' (memories, to be exact). He would thrash around in his bed and then violently wake up to [First Name], recently turned six years old, standing beside him before sitting down on his bed. She had a soft look in her eyes, one no one else had seen before. He had stared up at her in a mixture of fear and curiosity before she picked him up onto her lap, running her fingers through his long hair. Ray didn't know why this side of her came out, but he wasn't complaining-- he was young and in need of comfort.

She seemed much older than merely six years old, humming the same song he vaguely recognizes from when he was warm and safe. Clutching [First Name]'s shirt, he let himself bury his head in her stomach, falling back asleep. He didn't have any more nightmares that night, even though he woke up to [First Name] gone.

When Ray was six, he made the deal with Mama. As soon as he stepped out of the room after his first report, he lost his composure, stumbling over to [First Name]'s room, opening the door in tears. She was sitting on the floor playing a game of cards with herself, quickly standing up when he came in. He didn't exactly know why he always went to her for comfort, but he did and she gave it to him, which also confused him. He had always told Emma and Norman that he didn't like [First Name], yet for some reason, he found comfort in her more than anyone else-- like there was some sort of force drawing him to her.

[First Name] knew why she was so soft with Ray. She knew very well. Not that she was going to ever share it with him-- that was between her and Mama. Bringing him into a hug and closing her door, she sat them on her bed, hugging him close.

"What's wrong, Ray?" She asked, cupping his tiny six-year-old face and wiping away his tears. He hiccuped and sobbed about Mama and monsters, making her fingers twitch with slight fear. Clutching him closer to her, she shushed him, rubbing the top of his head.

"It's okay, Ray. They can't get to you here. I'll protect you." She whispered, laying her cheek on the top of his head. 

He sniffed, clutching her shirt. "You will?"

"Of course I will, Ray. They won't get to you while I'm here, I promise." She whispered, watching him fall asleep, exhausted from crying.

She wondered how he knew, but no matter. She knows how traumatizing it is to know about the truth at such a young age. She wasn't going to let anything happen to him.

Following Ray's deal with Mama, he kept coming to [First Name] for comfort. He knew she knew about the truth behind the house and he knew she was also working with Mama, but he didn't think about it. As long as Emma and Norman were safe, he didn't care about her own deal with Mama. Every few days, he would end up in [First Name]'s room in tears in the middle of the night after a nightmare, sleeping in her bed for the rest of the night. 

Slowly, he stopped going to her, growing desensitized, but he still found comfort in presence. Even now, at eleven years old, he found himself comfortable around her cold, hard aura when he was around her. He still didn't understand why she was so soft around him or why she was somewhat kind to him, but he let it go for the time being. Even after six years, she was still keeping her promise and that was all that mattered.

.•° ✿ °•.

early update for a reason : ^ P. this is just a filler which is why it's so short LMAO. next chapter should be up this friday or so. also ik this is just a filler but its also like EXTREMELY important to the plot too LMFAO. it's like 1am rn tho so i gotta get to sleep. i just finished last week's schoolwork a few hours ago and got straight 2 writing before the Writer Juice left. anyway yeah next actual chapter up soon

wc: 709