The 7 Nights of Halloween

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

       Ray wrapped his arms around me, resting his forehead on my back. "I still feel like you're mad at me for the prank," he said. "Don't be mad! It was fun!"

       "I'm not mad," I muttered, but I should have known that Ray knew me well enough to know that I was lying.

       Ray huffed and if I could see his face, I probably would have seen him pouting. "You are mad. Is it because it was my idea for everyone to wear those costumes? Do you really hate costumes that much? And I let you keep the promise about you taking my costume off."

       "It's not that," I said.

       "Then what is it?"

       I hesitated before I sighed heavily. "I don't like keeping secrets from each other. You could have trusted me with keeping the prank a secret from everyone else."

       Ray moved so he was sitting in front of me on the bed. "That's rich coming from you. Do you need me to remind you why we broke up a few months ago?"

       I rubbed my forehead. "No, you don't have to remind me. But that's exactly why I don't want any secrets to be between us. I know it's hypocritical but... The secrets messed up our relationship the last time. I don't want us to break up again."

       Ray reached forward until he felt his hands on the sides of my face. "Hey, we're not going to break up again. And you know it was only your secrets that messed it up, right?"

       I lowered my head in shame. "I know..."

       Ray laughed and moved to sit on my lap, pulling me into a hug. I nuzzled my face his neck. "I'm just teasing you. I mean, it's true, but I know you won't do it again. You apologized so many times. I think you even cried."

       "I don't cry."

       Ray snorted. "Okay, Archie. I've seen you cry before, you know. You're so cute when you cry. Like a sad, grumpy cat."

       "Stop calling me a grumpy cat."

       "But you are a grumpy cat. So cute and grumpy. But you really shouldn't scowl so much. Your wrinkles are going to permanently stay on your forehead from scowling all the time."

       "Not true. I don't scowl when I sleep."

       "I'm sure you probably do. Hey..." He lifted my head so I was looking at him, despite him not being able to quite see me. "I love you. Moody, grumpy, scowling, and all."

       "I love you, too. Sporadic, loud, smiling, and all."

       Ray smiled brightly as I leaned in, pressing my lips on his. He welcomed it, kissing me back as his hands twine in my hair. I pulled him as close to me as possible.

       And then the bedroom door opened. "Reiji."

       Ray pulled away and got off my lap, sighing heavily. "Okasan, can you please knock? You know I share a room with my boyfriend."

       Hifumi didn't even pay any attention to the fact that she just walked in on her son making out with his boyfriend. Honestly, she was probably used to it.

       Oops.

       "I got a phone call from the hospital," Hifumi said.

       That never really seemed to be a good thing, but Hifumi didn't seem worried about it. She didn't even sound worried. In fact, it was the complete opposite. She kind of looked happy about whatever the call was about.

       Wait a second...

       Ray didn't seem to notice his mom's somewhat happy tone when she announced the hospital called. "Uh oh. Who's in there? Is it Otosan? As he should be."

       Hifumi sighed. "You shouldn't wish that someone is in the hospital. Even that baka."

       "So... Who's in the hospital?"

       "No one, Reiji. They called for you."

       "Did I get injured or something?"

       Why was my boyfriend the biggest dumbass on earth? 

       "Reiji, they called about your surgery. You're going in next week."

       Ray was silent for a bit as he tried to process what his mother just said. "S-Surgery? As in... eye surgery? As in I might be able to see again if it goes well?"

       Hifumi smiled. "Yes."

       "S-So... I will be able to pitch again without having someone on the mound with me? I can watch movies and videos and read books? I can see what Kotaro looks like? I can see Archer again? I haven't seen him since we broke up."

       "Yes. All of that. You will also be able to bat and run bases again. I know how much you miss that."

       I can see tears starting to form in Ray's eyes. "Okasan, you better not be pranking me. I will cry a lot if you are."

       "You're going to cry either way," I said. "You're already crying."

       Ray rubbed his eyes, wiping the tears away. "Sh-shut up."

       Hifumi laughed as she walked over, sitting beside Ray on the bed. "I am serious. I would never lie about this, Reiji. I know how impatient you've been waiting to get in the surgery. We can finally afford it, too."

       Ray hugged Hifumi. "Thank you for working so hard so you can afford it."

       Hifumi hugged him back. "Of course." She then looked at me and gestured towards me. "Come join the hug, Archer."

       I scooted closer to Ray, wrapping my arms tightly around him. I knew Ray wouldn't have minded if he could never get into surgery; he was already so accustomed to being blind. But his life revolved so much around baseball. He was only able to pitch for the team. He couldn't bat anymore, and we used to have such strong plays with him being a baserunner because of his speed.

       Soon enough, he would actually be able to fully get back into baseball.

       "How about you choose what we're going to have for dinner?" Hifumi said. "To celebrate the news."

       "I'm craving udon," Ray said.

       "Udon it is," Hifumi said before she got up from the bed. 

       After she left, Ray asked, "Want to pull a prank with me?"

       I sighed. "Another prank?"

       "This one will be funny, I swear," Ray said. "How about we don't tell the rest of the team about my surgery? And then all of a sudden when we meet up again, it will be like whoa, I can see again? It's a miracle. That's, you know, if the surgery is a success."

       "It will be," I said, kissing his forehead.

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okay so should i end it here or should i write one (maybe two) bonus chapters in ray's POV despite halloween being over in the book?

also ray and archer are, OOPS, tied with jerlan for my first favourite ship. i kept saying no one will top jerlan and i don't think anyone will but raycher has been so close at taking the title so many times.