neverland no more || tpn shots (2)

summer paradise • ray

Summer is soon to reach its end.

Y/n, Ray, Emma, and Norman were all friends since preschool. They're currently in their last year of middle school, which meant, to them, that this was also the last summer of their childhood. Soon to enter high school, the four friends might end up separating to achieve a better education for their future. With this in mind, Ray keeps at bay his lingering fear that he may never see Y/n again.

They lived in a quaint town, a simple community where everyone knew each other. This town had a beautiful, bustling port and a lighthouse on a hill that served as a guide for sea farers and a summer getaway for some of the children in town. The lighthouse was being cleaned and taken care of by a kind old man. His wife and grown daughter live in the nice house right at the bottom of the hill. The said daughter is the teacher of Y/n's class, and today, she once again drove her best students up to their little summer paradise.

Once more, the children laughed and played under the sun. They would run with the wind and to their hearts' content. Often they would run up and about the lighthouse, looking out at the ocean's horizon. After playing all afternoon, the tight-knit friends took a break. Emma and Norman sat under a tree, taking a short nap under the cool shade. Y/n and Ray stayed up at the top deck, basking in the gorgeous view.

"I wish I could get to see this view everyday." Y/n sighed dreamily.

Ray glances over to the girl, sighing internally. Admittedly, the view is beautiful, but not as beautiful as her. If only summer didn't end, Ray thought, she could stay just a bit longer. Eventually, once the week ends, it'll all be over. Tomorrow is the last day. In the back of Ray's mind, it nearly felt like the end of the world. Indeed, it'd be scary to think if the world ended on a Saturday, but Ray knows better. It's going to be fine.

"Hey, Y/n," he gets her attention. "What are you gonna do after summer ends?"

The girl blinks, processing the question in her mind. She pursed her lips in thought, trying to think of a good answer.

"To be honest, I wanna stay. It's not everyday I can get a view like this. Though, I might go over to the next town for high school. How about you?"

"I'm not sure yet."

It's moments like these that Ray wishes time would freeze, even for just an hour, just to spend more time in Y/n's company. Although they don't always talk, a bit of silence is enough between the two friends. Time spent between the two always remains precious to Ray, and to Y/n as well. It may be fleeting but it's worthwhile. Unfortunately, time moves on. It always does, whether you realize it or not. Ray gets caught up in the moment, figuring this would be a good time to tell her something that he's been keeping secret for a while now.

"Listen, Y/n, I have something to say."

"What is it?"

The boy's words get stuck in the back of his throat. For a split second, he was too afraid to say them and ruin the friendship they had. His heart began to beat faster, his hands clenched together to stop shaking. Y/n raises a brow. As Ray's mouth finally moved, two voices called out from the ground below.

"Y/n! Ray! Come down!" Emma was wide awake again.

Norman calls for the two. "It's time to go!"

Y/n gives a thumbs up and pulls Ray along to head downstairs. Ray mentally curses the existence of bad timing. He had lost track of time, now getting back to reality where he and his friends walk back to town to get ice cream and snacks. It'd been a ritual in their group to do this in the summer, and then they would go to the arcade and watch the sunset before going home.

On the way to the convenience store, Norman walks alongside Ray whilst eating popsicles. Emma and Y/n stride ahead of them, talking about who knows what.

"I feel as though I interrupted something important earlier. Sorry about that, Ray."

Ray gives a side glance at his fair-haired friend, a semi-pissed off look that said "Yeah, you did interrupt." The obsidian-haired boy looked back forward, ignoring Norman who flashed a grin.

After a trip to the arcade, which was unbelievably embarrassing for Ray since he kept losing to Y/n- of course it's because his mind was preoccupied by her, the group is now at the pier. Nearly on the other side of town, the group of friends sat together at their favorite spot as they watch the sunset. Much later, right before Emma and Norman got up and went off to another part of the pier, Ray sees Emma wiggle her eyebrows at him and Norman gives a good thumbs up.

Y/n, silently relieved, now had the chance to scoot closer to Ray. The boy's face turns pink at the sudden contact. The girl shyly looks away. Neither of the pair said much, but Ray had to speak now before it was too late.

"Y/n, please listen."

"Something you've been meaning to tell me, Ray?"

The sun watches as Ray quickly gathered some courage to confess. The wind stops by, catching a glimpse of the moment. Ray paid no mind to his surroundings, he wanted to words to escape his throat already. He opened his mouth to speak, and yet he is unfortunately cut off by the ringing of a phone. Y/n's mom was calling her home.

"Before you leave," he takes her hand in his. "I wanted you to know that I like you a lot."

Y/n falls speechless. The breeze blows by, glad that Ray finally managed to bring out those words. As the sun continued to decline, Ray waited for a response. She smiled.

"I like you too, Ray."

She wraps her arms around him in a tight embrace. She whispers something at his ear, he nods. Y/n releases, smiles once more and goes home. Ray makes his way back to his house as well, satisfied but curious as to why Y/n wanted to meet back at the lighthouse tomorrow.

And then tomorrow was the day that the group would go their separate ways. Emma, Norman, and Ray had their own plans. They moved on, Ray stayed behind for a while, running as fast as he could up the hill and up the lighthouse. There, he sees Y/n. She looked as stunning as ever.

"Y/n? Why'd you ask to meet me here?"

"I wanted to tell you something too."

Ray was nervous, he wondered if she'd changed her plans. Maybe she was moving somewhere far away, somewhere away from Ray. But her face said the opposite. What could she have wanted to tell him?

"Change of plans. I'm going to the city with you!"

"What? But I thought you were staying?"

"As much as I hate to give up the view and leave the town I grew up in, I thought of staying with you. I like you a lot, and I'd rather have a summer paradise anywhere as long as it's with you."

Ray was taken aback. He had been planning to stay if she did the same, seeing as they both like each other and would be willing to make sacrifices. For Y/n, it wasn't just the view. She loved the town and it's where her heart is. But now, she'll be giving her heart to Ray. A piece of it can stay in her hometown. For Ray, it wasn't just the fear of Y/n separating from him. He'd planned to go to the city in the beginning, but had doubts because he wanted to stay with the one he loves. He loved the town and the lighthouse too. But now, he loved Y/n much more.

The two packed their luggage and said goodbye to their other friends and family. They sat on the bus together, ready to start a new life. They'd be entering a boarding school together, and they'd promised to be at each other's side. Y/n leans on Ray's shoulder. Her eyes trail to the lighthouse in the distance. Under her breath, she whispered,

"Farewell, my paradise."

the end.

a/n:
Hi, I hope you enjoyed that!
I'm sorry if that wasn't fluffy enough, I just wish I haven't lost my magic writing touch yet. Maybe my writing will get better as I get through this.