RayEmma Oneshots

The Love that Kept Him Going

"Valentine's Day? What's that?" Emma asked in curiosity, the breeze ruffling her hair. Ray glanced back down at his book, rereading the passage about the holiday. "It seems to be a day where you celebrate your loved ones..."

Emma's eyes lit up at that, her already wide smile enlarging. "Woahhhh, I wanna do that!" She stood up from the shady spot she'd been laying down in and started jumping in excitement. "I wanna celebrate loved ones!!!"

"You seem energized," came Norman's voice from behind them, chuckling at Emma's antics. "She's always energized," Ray grumbled. Emma, hearing Norman's voice, swiveled toward him, eyes shining like orbs of stars. "Ray was just telling me about a holiday called Valentine's Day!! You celebrate your loved ones!! It's tomorrow!!!!" She went back to jumping excitedly. How does she get so excited over every little thing, he wondered, shaking his head. Though it filled him with warmth seeing his friends lively and happy, not burdened with the knowledge that he bears.

As Emma spread the news, the rest of the kids all wanted to make things for each other in celebration. Anna, Nat, and Gilda were making flower crowns for some of the smaller kids, while a lot of the youngest ones, aided by Emma, Norman, and Don, were making Valentine's cards for each other out on the lawn. That left the inside of Grace Field House depopulated as Ray walked down the halls toward the kitchen. He decided that he wanted to bake something for Emma and Norman, probably cookies. He told himself that it was beneficial to learn this skill, that maybe if he picked up cooking then he could prepare food for Emma and Norman to have during their hopeful escape within the next year. Though deep down he knew he just wanted to give them something too, to express his love towards them, the love that kept him going.

Clutching a cookbook he found in the House's library, he walked into the kitchen and started prepping the ingredients to make simple chocolate chip cookies. Simple, but delicious. As he was mixing the ingredients together to form the dough, he heard footsteps from behind him, someone joining him in the kitchen. He recognized those footsteps, from countless days in fear of the watchful gaze of the one they belonged to.

"Mother," he greeted without turning around. "Ray, what are you doing?" Isabella's voice drifted toward him, as if the answer wasn't obvious enough. He frowned. "Making cookies. For Valentine's Day. Obviously."

Approaching his side, Isabella let out a little laugh - it lacked any warmth. "You never seemed the type to care about such a holiday."

"Just thought it would be interesting. Making the cookies, that is. I've never baked," Ray mumbled. Isabella hummed, "All right, but I'll be watching so you don't burn accidentally start a fire and burn down the House from misuse of the oven."

Ray bristled from the unexpected comment which hit a little too close to home. "I'm not five, I can make a few cookies without supervision."

"Can't be too careful," Isabella responded, and drifted toward a nearby window that faced the lawn, so she could watch the children. This continued for a while, Ray creating the Valentine's Day cookies while Isabella partially watched nearby, until he had a batch of delicious looking chocolate chip cookies.

He split the batch in half and made two bags of cookies, then hid the bags under his bed

The next day, while the younger ones were exchanging Valentine's Day cards, Ray gruffly handed Emma and Norman their bags of cookies under their usual tree.

"What..." the pair seemed a little confused about what he was doing, until he added "Happy Valentine's Day... I made these for you."

Emma immediately brightened up at that, launching herself at him for a hug while Norman just stood to the side and laughed at their antics, giving Ray a warm smile in thanks. Emma's rambling of "cute little Ray" while trapping him in a hug annoyed him to no end... but being able to give the two he loved with all his heart at least some happiness with his remaining time here on Earth was the only thing important to him at the moment.