Reborn into The Promised Neverland//RayxReader//

//Norman's Burden//

"Don't come any closer." Norman suddenly spoke, his gaze darkening as he raised up his hand, his will wavering despite his steady words and stance. "I've come this far. I have no intention of turning back now."

"No way!" Emma refused hilariously blatantly, running straight up to Norman and gripping his hands. "You're stronger and more kind than anyone else! But you're just as cowardly and arrogant! You're not alone anymore. Don't be afraid to believe in us. Let us share the tough things, and the painful things, and the scary things. Let us carry them with you."

Ray, who had finished walking up to Norman, sighed. "Yeah, stop trying to show off by shouldering It yourself."

"Spill it all!" Emma exclaimed, her throat catching. "You don't need to protect me!! I want to walk alongside you!!"

"Your family and your siblings are  your friends. Don't be so reserved." Ray spoke seriously. "We don't want a future where you end up suffering. No matter what that results in. And you? What do you want." The ravenette asked, inclining his eyebrow. "What do you want to do, Norman?"

"It's no good..." Norman murmured after a long pause. "You're already too late... I'm at a place where I cant go back." He choked, raising his hand out as if to keep from infecting them with his poison. "You can't walk alongside me."

"We know." I huffed, rolling my eyes. "About the forbidden cocktail you're distributing outside the castle-"

"Poison." Ray translated, his eyebrow raising, wondering where I was going to go with this.

"-Rude, by the way, not even thinking to offer me any. Moving on, we also know about the casual murder you planned on committing behind our backs," I continued, pausing for a moment as Ray spoke once again,

"What you planned on doing to Sonju and Mujika,"

I looked up to the ceiling in thought, crossing my arms. "The kinky sh*t you were doing in the basement-"

Ray's lips pursed while he blinked before continuing his 'translation'. "I'm not sure I want to know what that word means, but the experiments in the basement-"

I spun to Norman with a grin. "So we're not 'too late!' Because I know people who plan all of those things in person! I'm friends with them, even! Maybe I'm even one myself!"

Ray pinched the bridge of his nose with a pained groan. "... Context is important, Y/N. And time and place."

"Anyhowww..." I hummed, turning back to the albino boy. "What I'm trying to say is, it's okay to be a b*tch *ss. Hell, Ray's a b*tch *ss," The ravenhead raised an unimpressed eyebrow."Emma's a... well, she's not a b*tch *ss," Emma grinned, as if proud of her accomplishment, "-but football head over there for sure is," Vincent nearly popped a blood vessel for the 9th time since meeting me, "and I am..." I sighed, tapping my chin as if greatly considering what my title would be. "A complete bad*ss," Ray snorted and I shot him a look that read 'Your days are numbered' before continuing my speech. "...And I may be completely ruining this sweet family moment with my rambling, but, Norman," I swallowed dryly, trying to keep the emotional part of me- the one that wants to hug the albino and the one that wants to punch both him and Ray, down. "I want a chance to laugh with you again. I would be down to struggle with you, if it meant that one day, everyone around me could live without guilt or burdens. So every cattle child- young and old, can laugh lightly every day, without any worry!" I grinned, my heart welling in emotion. "Let's live on together, Norman! This time!"

Norman's bottom lip trembled before he suddenly grasped the three of us in a tight hug, his voice beginning to shake to match his quivering lip. "But really... it's pointless... Because of the drugs we were forced to take at Lambda..." His arms fell from our backs and dropped to his sides in dismay as tears spilled from his eyes. "We don't have much longer left to live... We can't live on."