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Ray flinched when he heard a knock on his door.
“Ray?” he heard Nate call. “Ray, unless you tell me not to right now, I’m coming in.”
Ray didn’t answer, so Nate opened the door and walked in.
“Hey, are you okay, Ray?” he asked walking towards him.
Ray scrambled backward, mumbling apologies through his tears.
“Ray, what?”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to, I didn’t want to hurt you, I’m sorry-”
“Ray, that wasn’t you.”
“I should have done better, I almost killed you, oh my god, I almost killed you-”
Ray managed to back himself into a corner and Nate crouched in front of him.
“Ray, it wasn’t you. It was Neron.”
He reached out and cupped Ray’s face in his hands, wiping away some of the tears staining his cheeks even though there were still more falling.
Ray was still rambling on about how sorry he was and he wasn’t really breathing.
“Hey, breathe, Ray. Take a breath,” Nate encouraged. “Breathe. You don’t need to apologize, it’s alright.”
"Oh god, I almost killed you."
“Ray,” he said sternly, surprising the other man enough for him to look him in the eye and stop talking for a moment. “Breathe.”
“I- I can’t- I hurt you…”
Nate reached out and pulled Ray against him.
“C’mon, Ray. Breathe.”
Ray finally stopped talking, mostly because he was crying too hard.
“Oh Ray,” Nate murmured. “Alright, c’mon.”
He picked him up, startling him into flailing for something to grab onto.
“Hey, you’re alright, I’ve got you,” he said, tightening his grip.
He sat down on Ray’s bed and leaned against the headboard. He pulled Ray as close to him as possible, tucking his head under Nate’s chin and into the crook of his neck. Nate could feel his shirt getting wet with tears, but he didn’t care.
“‘M sorry,” he mumbled as soon as he was able to speak through his tears. “I’m so sorry.”
“I get why you’re upset, Neron used you to hurt me and that’s awful, but what did you mean when you said that you almost killed me?” Nate questioned softly.
“When- when he took over, the deal- I made him promise not to kill you. He- He raised the knife anyway, aimed it at your face. I- I couldn't do anything. I thought I was going to have to watch myself kill you,” Ray managed, his breathing becoming shallow and ragged once again.
“Hey, hey hey. Breathe, Ray. Breathe. I’m alright, you’re alright. Neron is gone and we’re both safe,” he reminded him.
Ray managed a few deep breaths, closing his eyes.
“It wasn’t your fault. I need you to know that. It was Neron’s fault, not yours. None of this is your fault.”
“I-”
“Ray.”
“Okay.”