They're Only Photos || Norman x Ray

13

RAY

"Why is it that a man values his life more than the true ability to thrive?"

~°~
He couldn't stop staring at the photos. It had been hours. Hours were passing as seconds pass to a normal man. Ray wasn't normal. There was no way he was normal. If so, what was the purpose of staring at Norman for so long?

Well, not Norman. Photos of Norman, more specifically. They were what he was staring at. The original Norman was long gone. In fact, he was at home and work had ended an hour ago. Yes, he had been staring at the photos throughout work. Krone had been giving him weird looks.

Ray was about to go to sleep early when he remembered - the apartment! He was moving there today. He smiled at the thought of his new home. But then immediately his face turned red as the scenario of meeting Norman there popped into his head. Ray groaned, but begrudgingly picked up his suitcases - there were three in total.

Ray could manage, though. He didn't have skinny arms like some people.

As he skidded out the door and locked it firmly behind him, he glanced at his watch. 17:01 the time read. Ray sighed with relief. He still had thirty minutes to get there, and the traffic wasn't as bad in the evenings.

He got into his grey Hyundai and searched the location on his GPS. Ray would be there in the nick of time, no bother. Unless there was an accident of course, but these roads were particularly safe.

~°~

"Mr. Ratri," Ray greeted the man standing before him. "I didn't know you'd be here personally."

Mr. Ratri nodded rather coldly in his direction. "Yes," he confirmed. "It is quite... odd, to say the least. I would usually get some heathen from the studios to do it for me, but they all have more important things to do." He spat out the word 'important' with despise, like he didn't truly believe it.

"Follow me," Mr. Ratri continued and turned with a dramatic flourish. Ray held in a snicker. What a narcissist.

Ray followed after the more than middle-aged man and as he was passing gawked at his surroundings. Even the main hall was beautiful. Delicate porcelain vases decorated mantelpieces and oversized stools (although why put a vase on top of a stool that was purposely made for sitting, Ray didn't know). There was something about the place that just radiated cleanliness. Ray liked that.

They entered an elevator and hippie music from the 60s started to play in the background.

DING

At last, Mr. Ratri declared, "We're here. Welcome to your new rooms, Mr. Grace." They had stopped outside of number sixty-four. A brass knob protruded from the mint green color of the door. Ray spotted a keyhole slot on the underside of the knob.

Mr. Ratri handed him the supposed keys to his room. "That one is for the bathroom," the man explained. "The other one - that one there, yes - is for your room." Ray nodded along to what Mr. Ratri was saying as he described the purposes of all the keys. Honestly, why not have 'one key for all'?

"Well." Mr. Ratri cleared his throat. "I better leave you to get settled. Feel free to visit your friend next door. He's number sixty-three."

"Okay," Ray agreed, as the man disappeared down the hallway, presumably to pester someone else. He turned to his door. Then, Ray hesitated and glanced at number sixty-three. Norman's room. Shouldn't he go there first? He imagined how whiney Norman would get if he entered sixty-four without him.

Ray sighed as he concluded what to do. He took a few steps to the left.

THUMP THUMP

Went the wood as he knocked on the door. There was silence for a moment, then Ray could make out the scuttling of frantic feet on floorboards. "Give me a minute!" Norman shouted from his room.

After a while, there was the clanging and jangling of keys as the door was unlocked. It swung open. "Ah.... Ray! What a pleasant surprise."

Norman was standing in the doorway. Ray stared at him. "Are those....?"

Norman sighed, looking embarrassed. "Adventure Time pajamas. Yes, they are."

"Huh. Can I come in?" Ray tried to peek under Norman's armpit to look into the room, but to no avail. Norman eyed the suitcases in his hands. "What are those for?"

"My moving in," Ray replied. "I thought you'd get annoyed if I started without you, so I came here to say 'hello'."

His face immediately lit up. "Wow, thanks! Well, uhm, there's no point in seeing my room. We should just go straight to yours." Ray pouted.

"Ah, come on. Are you scared I'll see your Adventure Time boxsets?" Norman groaned. "Stop it!"

Ray grinned. He loved annoying people. He hated people that were annoying.

Norman stepped out on to the carpeted floor of the hallway and shut the door to sixty-three behind him. Ray led him to his new suite.

After some time jangling keys, Ray managed to open the door. "Come on in." He held the door open for Norman. At the last second he shut it in the dude's face. "Hey!" came his cry from behind the door. "Let me in!" Ray sniggered.

"Needy bastard." He finally opened the door. "Thank you," Norman huffed.

Ray looked around, ignoring the way Norman was glaring at him. "Nice place!" He commented.