"You can't just let yourself die!" Ray shouted, slamming his fist against the wall. Norman stood calmly, a small grin on his face. Ray knew this face well, Norman had been making this face for as long as he could remember. It was the face he made when he was trying to hide his fear, his stress. How dare he hide his feelings from he! Ray thought angrily, tears stinging his eyes and threatening to spill.

"Ray, it'll be okay. You and Emma can still escape with everyone. Trust me, I planned this out," Norman told him, tapping his finger to his temple. Ray had had no doubt that Norman thought this all out. Norman always thought things out. He was so intelligent, and Ray has always admired him for it. It had always drawn Ray towards him.

But he didn't get it. They wouldn't be able to get away with everyone if he was gone. I can't let him die, not Norman, Ray thought, glaring across the room at his best friend. "Now is not the time to play the hero!" Ray yelled. "Shh, you have to stop yelling. We have to make sure no one hears us," Norman reminded him, pressing a finger to his own lips. Ray followed the finger with his eyes, gazing at Norman's lips a moment too long, and snapped his eyes back to Norman's.

Ray held Norman's gaze for a second, then closed his eyes and looked away. He's right. Ray took a shaky breath and exhaled slowly, raising his edges back up to meet Norman's. His gaze had not moved, his bright blue eyes looking gently at Ray. Ray, who normally would savor this sort of attention from Norman, narrowed his eyes further.

"Norman, you can't. Listen, we have everything we need, you can escape tonight. The rest of us will follow," Ray said, trying his best to keep his voice even. Norman blinked, obviously contemplating what to say. He took a breath and smiled at Ray. "Alright, I'll escape tonight."

Ray was too overjoyed to notice the pain in the smile.

~~~

"What do you mean it's just a cliff?!" Ray exclaimed. Norman, as usual, stayed calm and kept his thoughts and feelings together. Ray had always envied that skill. "Exactly what I said. A cliff," Norman replies. He kept his calm demeanor, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings; he was just as stressed as Ray was.

"Damn it," Ray sighed, closing his eyes to think for a moment. Okay, so the wall is out...the only other way out is the gate. That's dangerous...but it might be all we have. "We'll have to go through the gate," Ray said. "Seems so," Norman agreed. "You and Emma will make it work, I'm sure of it." Ray glared at him again.

"We, Norman. The three of us will do it. We're not letting you go. We can figure something out quickly, we can save you," Ray rambled, gazing intensely at Norman. Norman shook his head again. "Ray, we cannot. I've accepted this already, I just need you to as well," he said with a small smile. Ray growled, anger boiling up inside him. He rushed forward and grabbed Norman's shoulders, taking him by surprise. "I can't lose you!" Ray exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes. Norman stared at him in surprise. Ray never acted like this, he never had emotional outbursts, Norman wasn't sure what to do. "Ray, you have to let me go," Norman said slowly, not sure if this was what he should be saying.

Tears ran down Ray's face as his arms began to shake. "I can't," Ray said shakily, trying his best to stay quiet. "Norman, everything I did was for you. This whole plan...I planned it for you." Norman's eyes widened as he processes this. "What about Emma?" He asked. Norman gave a hesitant laugh. "Yeah, it's for Emma now as well. But originally, when I first started, it was for you. I always admired you, Norman. You were everything I wasn't. Smarter, calmer, nicer...I was enamored with you," Ray confessed, his face beginning to turn red. "I still am."

"Ray, what do you mean?" Norman asked after a short pause. Ray looked up at him, into his bright blue eyes, and gave in to what he's wanted for a while. Ray pulled Norman close and kissed him, slowly, savoring the feeling of Norman here with him, savoring the taste of Norman's lips, savoring the feeling of Norman's heartbeat against his own. Ray could feel it, Norman's thundering heartbeat against his own wild rhythm. Ray felt filled with relief, like his stresses have finally left his body. It was amazing.

And it was over all too soon. The stresses returned just as quickly as it had left. What am I doing?! Ray thought, and he hastily, roughly, pushed Norman away from him. "Ray-," Norman started, but Ray was already running out of the door, tears stinging his pink face as they ran down and hit the wooden floor.

~~~
Ray watched Mother lead Norman away from the house through the window in the library, feeling empty. This is it. I will die in this house.