Warnings: Ex-boyfriend mention, drunk mention, abuse mention, yelling, swearing, breakup mention, a knife (just for chopping up vegetables), slight name-calling, death mention, slight crying (only a few tears).

~~~~~~~~~~

The clock ticked as the door to the house opened, Virgil scrambling inside with his bags and stuff from work.

"I'm home!" He called to his cousin, looking around.

"Jeez, don't yell... can't you see that I'm trying to get some actual sleep?" A voice groaned from the couch. Virgil huffed, shoving his stuff into a recliner and turning towards the couch.

"Uh, yeah, I can. What the fuck have you been doing all day?" Virgil started to raise his voice, placing his hands on his hips.

"Texting my friends, duh... what else could I have been doing?" Remy rolled his eyes from under his sunglasses.

"You could've been doing what I asked for you to do, which is clean... the fucking... house!" Virgil yelled, "I can't have you barging up in here, looking for a place to live just because your ex-boyfriend was an asshole and kicked you out of his house because he broke up with you and was drunk. You have to do more stuff other than slouching around and sulking all week."

"I'm not sulking..." Remy muttered, "It's hard to get over a breakup, you know..."

"Yes, I know... Remy, just please, when I ask you something... just do as you're told. You're my cousin and I know you're afraid to face things happening in the world, but you have to stand up and fight back for things you like."

Remy was silent, the clock ticking on the wall. Remy looked at Virgil and heaved a sigh.

"Y-You're right... I can't sit around and do nothing... I'll clean tomorrow, okay?" Remy looked up at his cousin.

"You better..." Virgil playfully threatened as he ruffled Remy's hair and took his bags to his room.

Remy smiled a bit, knowing that his cousin was always going to be there for him even through his emotional moments.

"You also better get a job soon!" Virgil called from his bedroom. He walked out of his bedroom and to the kitchen, getting out some vegetables and a knife.

"Yeah, yeah... I know." Remy rolled his eyes once more as he got up from the couch. He walked to the kitchen, "Whatcha making?"

"Stir fry, now get the peppers out, I need them as well," Virgil said, chopping up the onion.

"The green ones?" Remy questioned as he opened the fridge.

"What else?" Virgil answered sarcastically.

"Jeez... okay, here they are," Remy said, putting the peppers on the table, "Wait... you got three peppers..."

"Yeah, so what?" Virgil asked.

"Is there someone coming over for dinner?"

"Yeah, just Roman, Logan, Patton, and Emile," Virgil said.

"Emile...? I haven't met them before... do I know them?"

"Nope, I just wanted him to meet you." Virgil started to chop up the peppers.

"Why me?"

"I dunno... I just figured you guys were complete opposites, so why not have you two meet each other?"

"Oh..."

"Is that a problem?"

"Nope." Remy shook his head.

"Alright then. Get the chicken, oil, and a pan out."

~~~~~

As Virgil set the stir fry on the table, the doorbell rang.

"Can you get that?" Virgil asked.

"Sure." Remy shrugged and walked into the living room to the door. He looked through the peephole and saw four people standing there. Remy opened the door, knowing who three of the people were, "Hey, everyone."

"Hi, Remy!" Patton smiled.

Remy let them through. He looked at the person who he hadn't seen before. As the person walked passed, Remy smelled the faint aroma of peppermint. He was almost entranced by it if not for Virgil yelling his name.

"Remy, get your ass in here!" Virgil yelled from the kitchen.

Remy shook his head and slowly closed the door, the peppermint scent still lingering.

"Language, kiddo!" Patton scolded and sat down on the couch. Logan also sat down. Remy wandered into the kitchen and saw Roman and the new person.

'I'm guessing that's Emile... he smells of peppermint...' Remy thought, gazing at Emile.

"Remy, you gonna help me with the plates or not?" Virgil asked.

"O-Oh...! Uh, yeah..." Remy muttered, grabbing a plate.

~~~~~

Remy sat down in the living room with everyone else. Virgil sat next to Roman. Patton sat next to Logan. That left Remy to sit next to Emile.

Remy and Emile hadn't spoken to each other at all, just eating their stir fry silently. Virgil stared at them, looking at Remy expectantly.

Remy glanced back at Virgil. Virgil just glanced at Emile and back at Remy. Remy glanced at Emile and back at Virgil and shrugged his shoulders.

Virgil softly sighed and rubbed his temple.

"Emile," Virgil spoke up, causing Emile to look up at him, "That is Remy. Remy, that is Emile. Will you two talk to each other or what?"

Everyone started to get into their conversations while Remy and Emile just stared at their plates of food.

"So... Remy, what do you do?" Emile asked, looking over at Remy.

"As like a job?" Remy asked. Emile nodded. Remy sighed, "I don't have one, but I'm hoping to get one soon."

"Awesome. I'm a therapist." Emile smiled.

"Well, you're too adorable to be one..." Remy muttered. Emile blushed, looking at Remy in shock. Remy must have said what he thought and sighed, "S-Sorry... that was supposed to stay in my head..."

"I-It's fine." Emile giggled a bit, "Your turn to ask a question."

"Alright... do you have any pets?" Remy asked.

Emile's eyes sparkled, "Yep! Two Border Collies. They're named Ruby and Sapphire."

"Hah, just like Steven Universe," Remy smirked.

"You know of that show...?" Emile questioned.

"I've only seen a couple of seasons of it... only like three seasons." Remy put his plate on the coffee table along with Emile's.

Emile gasped and grasped Remy's hands, "You need to see the rest of it!"

Everyone had turned to look at them after Emile's little outburst.

Emile glanced around and laughed a bit, "Sorry..."

Virgil only dismissed it with a wave of his hand. Then he glanced at Remy, smirking slightly before returning to his conversation with Roman.

"U-Uh... here's my number." Emile handed Remy a slip of paper, "If you need anything, don't be afraid to call."

"Alright, babe." Remy smiled and took it.

~~~~~

"So... you and Emile..." Virgil smirked as he sat down after escorting his friends out of the house.

"So... you and Roman..." Remy mocked, also with a smirk.

"...Goodnight, asshole." Virgil frowned, shoving a blanket towards Remy and walking away. Remy caught the blanket and moved a hand through his black messy hair, sighing softly.

"Goodnight, bitch." Remy muttered, knowing that Virgil couldn't hear him since he had walked to his room. He smiled to himself and laid down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

He thought about Emile for a while, his mind drifting to the way Emile smiled, laughed, and the way he smelled of peppermint...

Remy loved the smell of peppermint since his mother had also smelled of peppermint.

It brought back memories...

'I miss you, mom... but I just know you're in a better place...' Remy thought and he pulled the blanket over himself and turned onto his side, closing his eyes and letting a few tears escape them.