My Muse || READER X RAY || The Promised Neverland

⭐️ My Muse || Chapter Ninety Six

Norman seemed to have forgotten about that day. The creepy threat, the... weird kiss. He's acting really, really normal, like we were still in Grace Field. 

"Hey, y/n. How about we spar?" Norman squeezed my shoulders as I took the last bite of my lunch. I glanced at Emma, who shrugged. I gulped nervously, replying, "Sure, it's always good to keep in shape." Did that sound weird? I feel like that sounded weird. Ugh, I don't want him to be suspicious... But he probably already was. 

I followed him through the massive underground tree cave. "Hey, Norman, was this base created in that weird vine snake pit thing?" He chuckled, scratching his chin. "You mean The Snakes of Alvar Pinera?" I nodded. Yeah, that weird fancy name. "You're right. We're right in the stomach of one of those dead creatures. Dangerous alive, but a good hiding place dead, right?" "Yeah," I muttered, examining the stone walls covered in dormant green roots. Many small homes were carved into the cave, hundreds if not thousands of small children residing in Minerva's paradise. A group kids ran up to us, hugging Norman's leg. "Mr. Minerva! Good afternoon!" He chuckled, patting the child's head. "And a good afternoon to you too, Daniel." A girl in the group pulled the boy off, yelling at him. "You have to call Mr. Minerva your majesty!" The kids started to argue, running off. "Your majesty?" I raised an eyebrow, glancing at his sad expression. "Another name. The king of Paradise." 

Wasn't this suffocating? The titles, the responsibility, the literal weight of the world rested on Norman's shoulders. "Do you know anything about William Minerva?" I asked, trying to make small talk. The boy chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "James Ratri... Had many secrets." I gulped. He knew? "A shocker, right? The Ratri clan who had created The Promise hundreds and hundreds of years ago are the same people who had tried to break it." We stopped in front of a large gray building. "This is the gym." He said, opening the door for me. I stepped inside, noticing four very strange looking people chatting. "y/n, meet Barbara." The only girl in the group winked at me, her long black haired pulled into a tight ponytail. A familiar emblem was tattooed on the left side of her chest. All of them had that crest. "Yeah, we're all Lambda." The tanned one with glasses said. A scar in the shape of an X marked his bald head. "Vincent," He said, extending his hand. I shook it, smiling. Next was Cislo, a friendly man with bulky muscles and black hair, white streaks in the shape of an X highlighting his physique. Barbara pushed me forward, pulling out my arm. "This is Zazie." The... man, I think, was wearing a brown paper bag over his head, two crudely cut holes left open for his eyes. He was wearing a striped shirt, a small tiger plushie hanging from his belt. "That's very cute." I said, shaking his hand. He grumbled something incoherent, Barbara slapping me on the back. "I think he likes you!" We said our goodbyes, leaving Norman and I in the vast gym. The center of the room was empty, a large foam square softening the wooden floor. Norman pulled off his shirt, stepping onto the ring. "C'mon, y/n."

I unzipped my sweater, throwing it onto the floor. "You've grown." He whispered, shyly. I was only wearing a sports bra. "You too," I replied, averting my gaze. "For the better?" He smirked, stepping closer to me. His slender fingers traced my cheeks, stopping underneath my chin, angling my face upwards. My breasts brushed past his chest, making the both of turn bright red. "You're beautiful." He said, leaning forwards. I closed my eyes, allowing him to kiss me. "I'll give you another one if you win," I giggled, pushing him away. He was still blushing, stretching his arms and legs. "Challenge accepted, y/n. Just be prepared to lose."