Return to Camelot
Ray sighed heavily and stared deep into his gluten-free beer bottle. This was... what, number five? He wasn't sure, but he had a sneaking suspicion that Gideon had started omitting the alcohol from his replicated beers, because he definitely wasn't drunk enough yet.
His door chimed, and Ray sighed again. "Not feeling like company right now," he called out - the Ray Palmer equivalent of "GO AWAY!"
"Ray?" Nate's voice was hesitant, and Ray immediately regretted his harshness. "Buddy, can I come in? We don't have to talk if you don't want to, but- " Ray opened the door, and Nate jumped. "Oh."
"Sorry, Nate," Ray said, voice hoarse. "You're always welcome, come on in. I'm... sorry about the mess."
"Don't mention it." They took a seat at Ray's small table, and Ray noticed Nate looking with concern at the empty beer bottles. "So... Nora?"
Ray nodded, lowering his head. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. "You... you were r-right. It was rushed. She s-said no. She... she said she cares about me, but she realized she doesn't want to attach herself to anyone right now."
"Oh, Ray, I'm so sorry. So... she said 'right now', does that mean-"
Ray shook his head. "N-no, she... I.... I'm-" Ray's face crumpled and he burst into tears, hiding his face with both hands.
"Oh, nooo." Nate's arms were around him in an instant. "I'm so sorry, buddy. So sorry." Ray struggled to stop crying, but Nate squeezed him tight. "It's okay to let it out."
That was all the invitation Ray needed. He stopped trying to hold in the tears. He clutched Nate's shirt and cried into his chest, feeling like a small child. After several minutes, he calmed down enough to stammer out through sobs, "What's... w-wrong with me, Nate?"
"Nothing, Ray, nothing," Nate said, squeezing him hard.
"But... I c-can't... every t-time I fall in love with someone, they.... they either leave or they... they get taken away from me! Anna was murdered right in front of me! Felicity ran from me, Kendra ran, and now Nora... she-" His voice broke and he cried in his friend's arms a few minutes more. Finally, when he could speak again, he said, "I think I'm cursed, Nate."
"No."
"Yes. I'm cursed. The universe doesn't want me to be happy in love." Nate gasped, and his arms tightened around him. "What is it?" Ray asked.
"I... nothing. I just... felt like I've heard that somewhere before."
Ray sighed. "Probably from some dramatic movie. I'm sorry, Nate. I'm being melodramatic and stupid."
"No! Dammit, Ray, now listen to me!" He squeezed his arms around Ray so tight it hurt. "You are not cursed. You are the sweetest, smartest, most lovable man I've ever known, and someone is going to recognize that one day, and they're not going to get murdered or run away when they do. I promise you that. And you are not being melodramatic and stupid. You're hurting, and you have every right to be upset and cry and stomp your feet - whatever you need to do. Now, I don't want to hear you talking about my best friend like that again, okay?"
Ray laughed, though the tears were still flowing. An hour ago, he'd felt like he would never laugh again, and in fifteen minutes Nate had him smiling. "Okay," he said, looking up at Nate's face. Nate's eyes were red, and there were tears trailing down his cheeks, too. "Oh, Nate, I-"
"Hey," Nate said, putting a hand on Ray's shoulder. "I'm okay. I just hate to see you hurting, that's all."
Ray nodded. "Thanks for being here, Nate. It means a lot to me."
"Of course, buddy. I love you so big, remember?"
Ray grinned the face-splitting way he always did when Nate said "I love you" in that way. "I love you so big, too," he said.
"Come on." Nate pulled him in for another hug, and they both sighed as they embraced. "Want to have about six more of those funny tasting beers and pass out like they do in the movies?"
Ray laughed again. "You're on."