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Getting out of the elevator, Emma already had a hand firmly on Ray’s back just in case, not touching him yet. The time they both had been in the elevator until it stopped on the third floor hadn’t been very pleasant; much less when Emma glanced at Ray closing his eyes and pressing his eyelids, probably trying to mitigate the pain. Or simply the fact of being inside four moving walls that made him dizzy.
Emma didn’t hesitate to press her hand to his back once she heard him search for the keys to his apartment. This time she had touched him, and it had been like a reflex act—Ray had leaned back more than normal. Ray had apparently felt her hand because he stopped. He looked at her, rolling his eyes slightly, and held the exact key between his fingers when he found it.
“I can walk, Emma. I’m not going to fall.”
Emma frowned, pressing her lips in a straight line. Ray tried not to roll his eyes again.
“Well, it seemed so.” She murmured.
Emma looked away, and Ray fitted the key into the lock, opening the door.
Once inside, he exhaled slowly, forgetting for a moment his headache. He was welcomed by the pleasant feeling of being at home, with the familiar scent in the air that made it unique and own, its familiar points where the sun’s rays filtered through the most perfect spaces in the most ideal places in the apartment. He was welcomed by its familiar dimension, and just being there after a busy morning settled into his heart like a warm embrace.
All that was needed was for someone else to be by his side so that his day would light up.
Ray left the keys in the bowl he and Norman had placed right in front of the entrance, on top of a shelf. Emma closed the door behind them, and Ray decided not to lock it. Norman would come from his classes later.
He sighed in a smile, shooting Emma an amused look at what she said.
“Me being drunk is one thing, which you and Norman always tend to be, unfortunately for me. Me having a clearly headache is another. And just so you know, it’s the latter.” Ray clarified, turning his head to look at Emma. “You don’t need to be so overprotective with me.”
At the amusement in Ray’s voice, Emma felt the heat rise to her face.
“Wait, what? That’s not—I mean, no! I’m not being like that, Ray!”
Ray laughed as best he could, taking off his sneakers and putting on his slippers. He ignored Emma’s murmurs calling him an idiot.
Shaking his head gently without increasing the pain in his temples, he slipped down the leather jacket off his shoulders and headed to the living room. He hung the garment on one of the chairs that surrounded the table where he and Norman used to sit to study or snack, and on top of it he left the two folders he had carried in his arms. Ray went straight to the couch without thinking twice, lay on his back and pulled a pillow behind his head, sighing tiredly and happily. Immediately his body relaxed at the softness and he sank onto the couch. Ray allowed himself to relax.
His head had started to hurt in the middle of a group presentation by his classmates about a work, and when the final hour of class finally came, Ray left and Emma intercepted him in the middle of the campus, about to return to the apartment he shared with Norman near the university. Most of the classes were over, so Emma, who was going to be passing by their apartment to leave some stuff, had accompanied him with clear concern on her features.
Ray smiled at the memory of a few minutes ago. He still felt his head buzzing, his temples throbbing, and his eyelids heavy. But at least it was just a headache and nothing else. The pain would disappear with a pill, food and a little rest. After all, Ray didn’t have classes again until the evening, in four hours. He had more than enough time.
Emma left her document briefcase on the table as well, approaching Ray. Emma sighed as they crossed gazes, placing her hands on her hips.
“Would you bring me a pill or something? You know where the medicines are.” Ray spoke. Emma nodded.
“In your bedroom closet drawer.” She said remembering it, grinning. Then she paused, raising an eyebrow at Ray. “I’m not going to find anything weird there, am I?”
Ray pinched the bridge of his nose with his index and middle fingers and glared at Emma, patiently. She just laughed and disappeared behind the living room door, heading straight to Ray and Norman’s room down the corridor. Despite not living there with them, Emma knew the apartment like the back of her hand after many visits.
She returned to the living room in less than a minute with a box of pills that dissolved in water. But instead of giving it to Ray to take, she left the box on the table. Emma pointed a finger at him, placing her other hand on her hip.
“You cannot take the pill without first having eaten something. So I’ll cook for you right now, since you haven’t had anything for lunch.” Emma commented, proudly. She lifted her chin and smiled, fixing her gaze on Ray’s eyes. “I’m improving my cooking techniques and I think it will be very good.”
Emma was sure she wasn’t going to get her blouse and skirt very dirty, but just in case, she would borrow Ray and Norman the apron that they had hanging on a hanger behind the kitchen door. She was already determined and ignored the long sigh Ray let out.
Honestly, Ray would rather wait patiently for Norman and eat something edible and supposedly not poisoned.
He raised an eyebrow at what Emma had said. “Sorry to say this, but, you cook like shit.”
“Oh my God.” Emma groaned, covering her face with her hands. She waited a few seconds to control herself, either to avoid slapping Ray on the back of his head or simply to avoid—yeah, slapping Ray on the back of his head. She looked at him through her fingers, pouting. “I’m not dealing with you. That’s Norman’s job.”
Ray gave her a strange look, but he exhaled through his nose in a laugh. “It’s the truth. Sometimes your cooking attempts taste like—”
“You’re so mean!” Emma cut him off, instantly earning her a please don’t shout from Ray. She clenched her fists at her sides. Her shoulders slumped, but quickly rose with determination, clapping her hands together. “Okay, Emma, calm down. Don’t listen to him. He’s such an idiot. A chaotic idiot.”
“I’m still here, you know.” Ray said. His tone of voice wasn’t as usual, it sounded dragged, but somehow it still represented Ray himself in his entirety.
Emma walked over to Ray, leaned forward and grabbed his cheeks, pinching them.
“Shut up already.” She pursed her lips.
When Emma released him, Ray rubbed his cheeks, growling. Emma closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him, moving away from him to go to the kitchen.
She put on the apron she would borrow from Norman and Ray, tied the ribbons around her neck and the others around her waist, ready to get down to business. Emma opened one of the cabinet doors above the counter, analyzing the casseroles and pulling out two—one medium and one large. Thinking, she went to the closet where they had the envelopes of the soup broth and the jars of pasta, taking out both. She left everything on the counter, opening a drawer to take the cutlery.
Emma had to make food before going to the library, so she would do it quickly, but well. She wouldn’t allow Ray to complain again. She was going to make them a delicious soup with pasta, and if she had time, she would cut sausage pieces for a second dish with tomato.
Was it enough?
Emma’s head poked through the kitchen door, and even though she didn’t see Ray, she asked out loud, carefully leveling her voice:
“Do you have class in the evening, Ray?”
“Yeah.” Ray answered from the living room, seconds later. His tone of voice was still a lazy mess. “Norman will have it, too. In three hours.”
Emma nodded to herself and went back to the things she left on the counter. All she needed—
Some sounds were heard outside before the apartment door opened, making the figure of Norman entering visible. In a second there was curiosity in his gaze.
“It’s not locked…” He murmured, before closed the door behind him. Norman took off the backpack from his back and dropped it to the floor, exhaling deeply. He rolled his shoulders and separated his lips, “I’m home!”
“Norman!” Emma greeted with joy, rushing out of the kitchen to hug her best friend at the entrance.
Norman blinked at the unexpected hug, but smiled broadly as Emma pulled away from him. Somehow he didn’t expect her to be here, but that made him happy. Norman placed his hands on her shoulders, dazzled by Emma’s bright grin.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were going to go to the library with Anna after classes.” Before Emma could respond to his verbal scrutiny, Norman noticed the apron she was wearing and frowned slightly, looking her back in the eyes. “What are you doing with…?”
Emma looked towards the kitchen when Norman dropped his hands from her shoulders.
“I was starting to cook something.” She said, looking at him again. “Ray isn’t feeling very well and I thought about preparing something.”
“Ray?” Norman asked, a small concern growing in his voice. He looked away from Emma and looked at the corridor. “Where is he? In the bedroom?”
“Nope. He’s in there.” Emma pointed with her thumb to the living room.
Norman didn’t even bother taking off his shoes. He entered the living room and soon found Ray’s silhouette with his gaze. He easily saw him lying on the couch, the back of his hand covering his eyes, until he heard Norman approach. Ray moved down his hand and smiled awkwardly at Norman’s worried expression, trying not to give it much thought.
“Ray, what’s wrong?” Norman sat carefully beside Ray’s hip. He meticulously stared down for any signs of illness in his face, but as soon as he did, he stopped when he felt Ray taking his hand gently. Norman looked down at him. “Are you okay?”
“Don’t worry, that idiot has exaggerated it.” Ray smirked, giving his hand a short squeeze. Their gazes remained connected. “It’s just a headache. I’m fine.”
The layer of concern that had wrapped Norman slowly fell away, softening his features. Norman nodded in understanding and leaned down, meeting Ray’s lips in a tender kiss. Somehow he felt the two of them instinctively relax at the touch, caressed by Ray’s smile when Norman moved away.
“Welcome home.” Ray murmured.
Norman smiled fondly.
“Guys, please.” Emma chuckled.
When they both looked at her, she smiled in amusement, raising an eyebrow. It made Ray roll his eyes and a pink color settled on Norman’s cheeks without being able to avoid it. Emma had been watching them from a distance, leaning against the door frame of the living room.
Finally Norman got up from the couch and walked away from Ray, calmer than when he arrived.
“Since you’re here, Norman…” Emma picked up her document briefcase and started looking for the pile of papers she had to give to both of them. She took it out and scattered it across the table without messing it up. “Here, the information you asked me for each of your projects.”
Norman’s eyes lit up and he smiled enormously at his best friend.
“Emma, I don’t know how to thank you. This is incredible, really.”
Emma crossed her arms, “Thank me by taking good care of Ray.”
“I’m not dying, Emma.” Ray spoke from the couch, biting back a groan.
Norman laughed in a smile. “Yup, I’ll take care of him. You can go now, you still have to go to the library, right?”
“But—”
“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to deal with me?” Ray said, constant heaviness in his voice. Emma turned and saw his stupid smirk.
“Ugh. Stop it.” Emma stuck her tongue out at him, puffing out her cheeks. She removed the apron and hung it quickly where she picked it up, returning to the living room to hang the briefcase on her shoulder. She hugged Norman and looked at Ray one last time. “Don’t forget to take the pill once you eat properly. Be in good shape for this evening!”
“Yeah, yeah.” Ray smiled, watching from the couch as Emma opened the door to their apartment. But just as she was about to leave, he opened his lips, “Hey, Emma?”
Emma stopped in her tracks halfway, blinking at him.
“Thanks for everything.” Ray said sincerely.
She blinked again, smiled tenderly, and shook her head. “Idiot,” she whispered.
When the door closed with one last noise, quiet silence settled in the apartment for the first time since everyone arrived. The peace in the atmosphere made Ray smile even more, who allowed himself to close his eyes so as not to think about the throbbing in his temples. Norman sighed and walked over to Ray again, dropping into a squatting position next to the couch.
“Well, I’m going to prepare some food.” Norman commented, grabbing Ray’s hand to press a short kiss on the back. That made Ray slowly open his eyes, easily meeting the ocean looking back at him.
“Change your clothes before, Norman. Later, when you’re cooking it will smell.”
“I don’t mind. I wash it and ready.” Norman hummed, caressing Ray’s hand with his thumb. “You haven’t changed your clothes either.”
“I couldn’t.” Ray frowned slightly, the hint of a small smirk gleaming on his lips. “I refused for Emma to do the same mess with my clothes that she was about to do in the kitchen.”
Norman chuckled softly, “Hm, I see.”
He reached out and gently brushed a few locks of hair from Ray’s forehead. Norman rested his hand there, gently stroking him with his thumb, slowly and carefully. When Ray closed his eyes and breathed out calmly, Norman relaxed, too. He slid his hand over his skin and caressed with his fingertips over Ray’s temple, feeling the familiar softness of his hair under his touch.
“How are you feeling?” Norman asked quietly, feeling drawn in by the quiet little moment between them.
Ray’s breathing was calm when he answered.
“My head doesn’t hurt like before… It will disappear.” Ray reassured him, tilting his head toward Norman’s hand. “I take it for granted that Emma wanted to throw me out the window.”
“Now who’s exaggerating things?” Norman chuckled.
Ray smiled and melted into Norman’s caress. It always made his chest lighten with the warmth of his love and affection, and always sent him into a state of tranquility that only Norman could give him at times like those. He had no idea how something so small could make him feel so big.
Without warning, Ray’s stomach rumbled through the quiet, suddenly breaking the rule of the opportune time. Ray opened his eyes and Norman blinked at him.
“You didn’t have lunch?” Norman asked in confusion, to which Ray shook his head. Norman’s eyes widened. “Oh damn—why didn’t you tell me before?”
Ray laughed. Norman moved away from Ray for the third time since he arrived and got up, heading to the kitchen to start making them a quick meal. They had three hours of rest before returning to their classes. It had to be something that filled their stomachs and made room for dinner.
From the living room, Ray could already smell the meat and the delicious aromas of the sauces in a matter of minutes. He let the tasty scent wrap him and fill his lungs with anticipation. Ray put a hand on his abdomen. He was even hungrier now, but he was distracted by the thought of what Emma had wanted to prepare for him back then. What culinary idea she had had locked in her mind and if she was going to carry it out exactly as she said she would.
Ray got up from the couch, took the box of pills, and entered the kitchen with dreamy, lazy eyes. As soon as he entered he watched Norman put the dishes on the table, ready to eat. It was yakitori. A delicious yakitori with spices and sauces around it. The scent made Ray dizzy in a good way as he sat in the chair, Norman beside him.
Ray ate slowly, savoring each piece. He kept telling Norman how delicious it tasted. Norman bit the inside of his cheek and tried not to sigh at the flattery, but he was infinitely happy to hear it. Later, halfway through finishing his plate, he placed a hand on Ray’s forehead.
“At least you don’t have a fever.” Norman murmured.
“No, just the effect of hours of stress and planning.” Ray said, making Norman smile. “I’m fine. Later we can rest together.”
“Please.”
Ray exhaled through his nose in a laugh, kissing the top of Norman’s head as he got up to fill the glass with water. He dropped one of the pills into the glass, and waited for it to dissolve before drinking it.
Once Norman decided that he would tidy the kitchen up, Ray took advantage of that time to shower and change clothes to more comfortable ones. Norman didn’t take long to do the same when he finished in the kitchen. They both made their way to the living room soon after, and Ray locked the apartment door, going back to Norman’s side on the couch. They were going to take advantage of those hours at least to rest their minds and take a nap.
Norman sat down and slumped against the back of the couch, allowing Ray to lie down and rest his head on his lap, humming in pure peace.
“Are you going to be able to sleep like this?” Norman asked in a low voice, placing his right hand once more on Ray’s head, caressing his forehead.
“I don’t mind if I don’t fall asleep.” He looked up into his eyes, Ray’s dark, lazy, warm eyes mixing with Norman’s bubbly clarity. “Being like this is enough for me.”
Norman smiled at that and stroked with the back of his fingers the side of his forehead, tenderly sliding down on the soft skin. Ray, at a moment when Norman’s hand went down his cheek, grabbed it and pressed a kiss on the palm of his hand, smiling against his skin. What was fair was fair. Norman blushed slightly.
Ray rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms around Norman’s waist, gently nuzzling his abdomen. The fabric of the shirt that got in the way between skin and skin tickled him, but even with his eyes closed, Ray could feel Norman’s loving smile and hear his beautiful laugh.
Now that Norman was at his side, his day finally lit up brightly. All of him settled in Ray’s heart as a warm embrace, welcomed by the pleasant feeling of being at home.