The delicious smell of scrambled eggs and reheated bread drenched the house, and Remi couldn't help but drink every last drop of it. He subconsciously licked his lips as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and his stomach grumbled. The sound almost went unheard by Ezra. A soft chuckle rumbled in his throat, and cerise stained Remi's cheeks.

Ezra placed a full plate of egg and two slices of bread on the kitchen table and sat down. Remi sat in front of him, his eyes scanning the deliciousness before him. Almost immediately, he dug in, allowing silence to coat the house.

Erza's eyes glued to the mug of joe in front of him, his eyes drinking the sable liquid before his tongue could taste it. Unfolding his arms, he wrapped his long fingers around the mug and brought it to his lips.

Remi glanced up at the man with a mouth stuffed with food. His chewing ceased when his eyes landed on the man's bare chest before making their way down his stomach. Realizing that he was staring, Remi tore his eyes away from the man and swallowed his food. It wasn't long after he found himself glancing up once again.

"Is there something on my face?" Ezra asked, shutting his eyes as he placed the mug down.

Remi's face flushed, and he shook his head, playing with the eggs on his plate. His chest tightened, and he subconsciously began tapping his foot against the floor.

"Why did you save me?" He asked, suddenly finding interest in the utensil.

"Why did you try to kill yourself?" Ezra grilled, taking another gulp from his mug. Anger seared through Remi as he gripped the fork, accidentally scratching the surface of the plate with it.

"You can't just ask people that!" Remi yelled, gritting his teeth. His every muscle tensed, and he could feel his rage seep through his pore, making itself known in the room.

Not a drop of emotion leaked from Ezra as the next sentence of words flew from his mouth. "I will if I was the one who saved that person."

Words seem to escape Remi's vocabulary as he struggled to keep himself discreet. His eyes began to sting, and he could almost hear the blossoming tears screaming at him to let them go.

"What would your friends think?" Ezra spoke up.

Remi's shoulders slumped, and he released the utensil forgetting about his breakfast. A tear danced down his cheek.

"I don't have any friends." The boy said, his response barely audible. Ezra leaned into his seat and folded his arms, looking at the boy's lowered head.

"What about your family?"

Remi's heart cracked immediately at just the mention of the thing he did not have. Sadness tore at his chest as another tear slipped from his eye, and all he wanted was to disappear at that very moment.

"I only have my brother." The boy breathed out, his voice shaking with every word.

"What about the rest?" Ezra perked an eyebrow.

"That's none of your business," Remi replied softly.

"Your life is now my business since I saved you," Ezra said, irritation oozing off his tongue.

"Just because you saved me doesn't mean you have the right to know about my life!" Remi shot back as he lifted his head and allowed Ezra to see the desolation etched on his face.

Ezra's face softened at the sight of the boy, but as soon as it did, he exchanged it with a blank expression.

"And nobody asked you to save me!" Remi balled his fists.

"I couldn't just let you die." Deadpan, empty, Ezra's voice sliced at Remi's throat, and the boy's wrists began to sting.

"And why not?!"

"To me, that's like witnessing a murder."

"You should have fucking closed your eyes then!" Remi shot from his seat, Ezra following behind him.

Before he could move away, Ezra grabbed his wrists, his eyes narrowing as he pulled Remi to him so that the boy was leaning over the table. Their faces drew closer as Ezra clenched his teeth and pressed his palm against the table to balance himself.

"Don't you dare leave this house," he said lowly, his voice dripping with venom. Remi's eyes widened, and his jaw slackened at the man's action.

"L-Let go," Remi whispered, and his breath shook. Ezra tightened his grip, his body locked with rage.

"You're a spoiled little brat, you know that? Why would you want to throw your life away so quickly? How old are you? I bet you're no older than seventeen." Ezra spat between clenched teeth. The boy's throat thickened with sobs as he tried to tear his hand away from Ezra but to no avail.

"Let go," Remi repeated. A hammer pounded at his head as he squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed Ezra's wrist.

Ezra couldn't help but allow a sickening smirk to form on his face at the boy's timidity. Somewhere deep down, he knew he shouldn't be doing this, but he was too consumed by anger to realize. His hold on the boy tightened, and Remi shrunk back, feeling his knees turn to water.

"It hurts, doesn't it. Imagine how painful it would be to suffocate. Imagine how hurt your loved ones would feel," Ezra growled, his temples throbbing and his eyes burning with vexation.

Using the remaining strength within him, Remi tore his hand away from Ezra and bolted for the door. Rivers leaked from his eyes as he rushed out of the house. When the door slammed behind him, Ezra's body slumped, and his face fell, the anger within him receding.

"Shit," he swore beneath his breath. A sigh left his lips as he pushed himself up. His eyes sunk, and he shoved his hands in the pockets of his sweats.

"I need a smoke."

⊱⋅ ──────────── ⋅⊰

A cup/mug of joe = A cup/mug of coffee.

This chapter wasn't supposed to be this long, pfft.

Anyway, how was it? Thoughts?