[MANGA READERS ONLY! Everything in this book is a continuation of Chapter 181. A few details have been altered to suit the story.]
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Ray never expected something as trivial as romance to completely ruin him. Finally in the human world, he should'v...
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Norman
It was another warm Summer day in the town of Tulip Valley, Featherlight City.
A slight breeze had picked up and Norman hummed to himself as he felt it tousle his hair playfully. Facing him on all sides were long, lush strands of grass and a plentiful amount of wild flowers so that he was standing quite literally knee-deep in grass and flowers.
"I'm going to catch you this time, I swear!" Gilda cried energetically as she took off after a grinning Don. Norman watched the pair run up and down the vast field, warm happiness spreading in his heart. They'd done it. They had finally found home and peace.
"Hey, you guys! The laundry isn't going to hang itself. Come on, we've gotta prepare everything for tomorrow," Ray called out, cupping his hands to his mouth. Norman turned. The familiar ebony-haired, onyx-eyed boy he had come to call his best friend was standing just behind him.
Norman smiled.
"I can help," he offered. Ray turned to face him and smiled. "Great! Now, let's get going."
The wind kissed their hair playfully as they walked away from the field in the direction of their campground, which was littered with multiple wooden huts. His friends' cries of mirth was music to Norman's ears. The family's happiness meant a lot to him. He would do everything in his power to keep them happy. In reality though, there was one person he was willing to risk everything for, including the sake of his family members...
"We're here," Ray announced, breaking Norman's train of thought. He was gesturing at a massive basket laden with sodden fabric (which were, upon a closer look, clothes). The grass wasn't nearly as tall outside of the field's vicinity, and there were no flowers. But that was alright; flat ground was better working condition anyway.
Norman hummed once more as he adjusted the laundry ropes and began to hang up their clothes. The view was stunning from his position: he could see the lush green grass sprawled out far ahead, the impossibly-blue sky, the wool-like clouds among the blue, and finally, the sight of his beloved family members running through the tall grass, clearly enjoying themselves.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he mused, halfway through pinning a shirt to the rope.
Ray muttered a "yup" in response.
The two hung up the rest of the clothes in a dreamy silence. Tulip Valley had been their home for roughly six weeks now. And Norman couldn't be happier.
"I'm going in," Norman called over his shoulder as he hung up the last of the clothes, "I need to prepare for tomorrow."
As Norman pushed open the wooden door that led to his hut and disappeared through the doorway, silent tears dripped down Ray's cheeks.
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Ray
He should've been happy. He should be celebrating with the others by the campfire.
He should be satisfied.
Emma was going to visit for the first time tomorrow. So why wasn't he excited? Emma was one of his dearest friends. She had saved him countless times, and they had persevered through countless difficulties.
He really should be satisfied.
But he wasn't. Why else would he be curled up in bed while everyone else was roasting marshmallows by the fire and telling stories?
Ray sighed and buried his face deeper into his linen pillow. He knew it wasn't right, but something about Norman's overenthusiastic behaviour ticked him off. Was it jealousy? And if so, why was he feeling jealous? It made no sense whatsoever.
Trying desperately to drown out the sudden burst of ecstatic voices from outside, Ray crossed the room to his cupboard, which was where he kept his tuxedos. I should probably wear something nice and formal, he thought to himself.
"It's no use," he said aloud as he filed through his small collection of tuxedos. Black, black, black and more black. He didn't feel like wearing something so gloomy on such a joyous occasion.
"I'll just ask Norman for one of his," he muttered to himself once more. Ray froze as he felt his pulse quicken at the thought. He shook his head angrily and dove back into the large bed he shared with Don. What was happening to him? There was nothing wrong with borrowing a best friend's clothes. Why did his chest feel all fluttery and heavy at the thought?
Lack of sleep, he reassured himself. I should get some sleep now. You're just in a bad way because you got no sleep last night.
Trying to get the image of Norman's expression at the news that Emma would be visiting out of his mind, Ray screwed his eyes shut and curled into a tight ball. Sleep came to him naturally as he had gotten none of it the night before, and Ray soon found himself drifting into unconsciousness.
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I decided to keep the first chapter nice and short so you have an idea of what kind of story this is. It certainly isn't a love-at-first-sight book, as you could obviously tell. I have many, many twists and turns planned for both Ray and Norman, so stay tuned! xD
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