Disclaimer: I don't own The Promised Neverland
You Keep Me Strong
Norman sighed in relief after finally finishing the last bits of paperwork.
Leaning backwards with a groan he dully noted that it was already past midnight.
He should go to bed.
Getting up he winced as his joints popped from sitting still for so long before making his to the door.
The cool evening air felt nice so he took his time to walk to where his bedroom was.
Then he something out of the corner of his eye.
Emma.
There stood Emma with her back turned towards him as she stared at... something.
"Emma?" he called out to her, faintly amused by the way she jumped.
"Ah! Norman?" she turned to him with wide doe-like eyes.
She was still so cute.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." he apologized as he walked.
"What? Scare me? Don't worry, I'm fine!" Emma grinned cheerfully before suddenly frowning.
"Hey, why are you still up?" she asked, making him raise an eyebrow.
"I was just finishing up some last work. What about you, Emma? Why are you still up?" he asked, crossing his arms as he noticed her shifting from foot to foot, a nervous tic she had ever since they were little.
Emma blinked at her question being returned before smiling again, though he could tell it was forced.
"Some of the others are snoring. I thought maybe I'd just take a walk and hope they'd maybe have stopped when I get back." she lied, making him sigh.
"Emma..." he groaned as he pinched the space between his eyes.
When she looked at her feet, knowing he was onto her he sighed again before smiling himself.
"I was thinking of maybe getting some tea before bed. Care to join me?" he offered, glad to see her perk up and nod.
"Here you go. Sorry for the wait." Norman apologized as he walked into his office with a tray.
"It's no problem, really!" Emma answered from the couch.
"Is this chamomile tea?" she asked as she accepted a cup, sniffing and enjoying the smell.
"Yes, it's your favorite after all, right?" he asked hopefully, relieved when she nodded.
Some may think remembering someone's favorite tea shouldn't matter but to Norman it did.
Especially considering it was Emma.
"I also got us cookies." he said, chuckling at her excited squeal.
"It's been forever since I've had cookies!" she cried as she happily grabbed one and stuffing it in her mouth, humming in delight.
"Is it good? I'm sorry I could only find plain ones." he apologized and she shook her head.
"Don't feel bad! This is great! Thanks a lot, Norman." she said before handing him a cookie too.
"I'm glad you like it." he said as he accepted it.
They sat in comfortable silence, occasionally sipping their tea or biting into a cookie before Norman cleared his throat.
"You know, Emma," he started to gather her attention, "You don't have to answer me if you really don't want to but I still wanna ask you something."
"Alright?" Emma blinked at him.
"Why were you really still up?" he finally asked, noticing right away how Emma tensed.
"I..." she trailed off, unable to answer but Norman already had an idea.
"Nightmares?" he asked, knowing he as right when she sighed and nodded.
"That and even before that, anxiety makes it hard to even fall asleep the first time." she admitted.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know. I can't even begin to imagine the things you've seen. The things that happened to you. You're spending so much time constantly on guard due to all the possible dangers that you are used to." Norman looked down too, frustrated how he wasn't with her and the rest of their family to support them.
"Hey, it's not like you were living in the lap of luxury! I heard what kind of place Lambda was!" Emma protested.
"But that doesn't mean much. You're still suffering." Norman stated before getting slugged in the shoulder.
"Ow! Hey!" he cried as he rubbed his aching arm.
Geez, that girl was strong!
"Don't you go acting like you're not doing anything, Norman! You saved us! We'd be dead without you!" Emma yelled as she leaned in his face, making him lean back with wide eyes.
"You sacrificed yourself to die so we could escape! You made the whole plan for us to do so! You figured out how we could get to the shelter! You had us all brought here! Here where we're safe and together again!" she spoke passionately, taking his face in her hands and forcing him to look her.
Norman stared back in shock for a moment before giving a wobbly smile, gently prying her hands away.
"You're giving me too much credit. The only reason I even managed to escape from Lambda is because of you." he told her, watching as Emma's determination was replaced by confusion.
"Huh? What did I do?" she asked with a tilted head and Norman sighed.
"More so, what didn't you do?" he responded.
"All our lives you've inspired me. You were always so bright, sweet and cheerful but most of all, determined to the point where you were plain stubborn." he chuckled at the small pout she gave him for that before continuing.
"Whenever you set your mind to something you wouldn't stop till you got it, no matter how hard it was or what anyone else thought. You were determined to take everyone with you to escape from Grace Field, even when Ray yelled at you for it. I suppose that stubbornness rubbed off on me a little. When I was in Lambda I wanted to get out of there. I wanted to see our family again. I wanted to see you." he tenderly brushed some hair out her face as he spoke the last part.
"Norman..." Emma breathed.
"Emma, you were the reason I managed to break out. Even when you're not with me, you give me strength. Strength that kept me going and helped me pull all this off." he finished.
Emma was silent as she looked at him with wide eyes.
Figuring she wasn't gonna say anything Norman went to stand up and leave when she suddenly grabbed his wrist and kept him in place.
"Emma?"
"Ditto!" "Huh?" he asked, dumbfounded.
Emma blushed at realizing what she said and waved her hands.
"Ah, hang on! That sounded really lame!" she cried before breathing in deeply and letting it our to calm herself down and looking at him again, if a little shy.
"I-I meant it's the same way the other way around, Norman." she explained and this time Norman was the one tilting his head.
"When you... When you got shipped out..." they both grimaced, remembering how he'd been forced to walk to his supposed death all while smiling cheerfully and pretending he was going to be fine, living with some new people and he'd stay in contact with them.
"Norman, I honestly felt like dying too." he looked up sharply at her words.
He opened his mouth to say something but Emma cut him off.
"But I knew I couldn't! Not after what you did for us! Not after what you told me, to not give up!" her eyes shone as she spoke passionately, almost as if she was yelling at her younger self to pull herself together.
Soon she calmed down and spoke quieter again. "I couldn't allows myself to think like that, knowing that out of all of us, you would have wanted to see the outside world the most. I had to live so I could see and do the things you would have wanted to do."
Norman smiled sadly and nodded.
It really was just like Emma to think of his sake, even when she thought he was dead.
"And you..." he frowned when she hesitated on what she was gonna say next.
"You dragged me back to life when he really was dying." she said and Norman swore his heart stopped.
"What?" he asked sharply and Emma smiled guiltily.
"I got stabbed by a demon. Right here." she pointed to the spots where she had been impaled.
"You-!" Norman's hand shook as he hovered it near one of the spots she pointed out.
He jumped when Emma took his hand in both her own and smiled sweetly.
"It was really scary. One moment there was a fight, then I suddenly felt a sharp pain and then I was falling. I could see my own body as I fell into a darkness but the you appeared." "I appeared?" Norman repeated.
"Yes, you appeared and pulled me back up. You helped me stay alive, Norman. All this time you kept me going! You gave me strength too!" and suddenly Emma was crying as she spoke, though her smile never left.
Acting on instinct Norman reached out with his free hand to wipe her tears away.
"Emma..."
"All this time we were able to keep going because we had each other even when we weren't together. We were each other's strength while we were apart but now we're together again." she hiccuped.
"Right." he nodded along.
"I don't want to reply on an image anymore! Let's promise to keep giving each other strength but this time personally! Let's be there for each other, Norman!" she grinned brightly and Norman felt his heart soar.
"Alright." he agreed, placing his hand free hand on top of her's.
The tender moment was broken when Emma suddenly yawned, making Norman chuckle.
"It's late. We should do to bed." he suggested to which she agreed sheepishly.
Holding hands they walked out of his office into the hallway.
"Do you think you wil be able to sleep alright?" Norman asked worriedly.
"I'll be fine! In fact, I think I'm tired enough to sleep right here on the ground!" Emma joked, earning a laugh from Norman as he shook his head.
"Please try to make it to the bed!" he joked before sobering up.
"But seriously, though. Come find me if something is bothering you. I'm here for you, literally this time." he said and this time Emma laughed.
"I will. Thanks." she said.
Then it was time to part ways.
They held hands as long as possible as they slowly shifted away from each other until they were forced to let go.
"Good night, Norman."
"Good night, Emma."
They were their separate ways.
The End
Thanks for reading! This has been the fourth fic for NoremmaMonth2020, "Day 4: Strength"! I hope you liked it! Please review, fav and read my other work too!