Jeremy yawns and whimpers as he wakes up. A beam of sunlight blinds him as soon as he opens his eyes. He takes a deep inhale through his nose, sits up and rubs them. As soon as he's comfortably sitting, a stomachache lets itself be known, making Jeremy groan and wrap his arms around himself. He looks up to the doorway and smiles at Mike and Vincent, who look like they've been having another fight. They whisper too quietly at each other for Jeremy to hear, but they're glaring at each other intensely. Jeremy lets out a yawn, silencing the two men. Vincent turns to him first. Through sleep hazy eyes, he can see Vincent has his hair out for once. For brief moment, he compares it to his mother's, with the same tuft of hair on his shoulder and everything.

"Well good morning, my little troublemaker. Doll made breakfast. Why don't you come eat with us, hm?" Vincent asks and smiles brightly. Same morning attitude too. Jeremy nods. He stretches and runs his hands through his untamed bangs. Vincent pats Jeremy's tiny shoulder then leaves the room. Mike stays in his spot, staring at Jeremy. The teen stares back. After a few awkward moments, he gives a shy little wave, not really sure how else to handle the unbroken gaze.

"U-Um, Mike?" Jeremy asks and starts turning his head away. Mike stops staring. He mutters an apology and resorts to glances every few seconds.

"I-Is there someth-thing on my face?" Jeremy asks, patting his cheeks and the bags under his eyes. Mike shakes his head a little slowly.

"Uh no. Just um. Well, I can actually see your eye. It's uh... nice." Mike says. "Like Doll's." He adds a little too quickly. Jeremy blushes hard when he finally realizes his vision is obscured. He slams a pillow into his face, whips his body around and hurriedly brushes out his bangs with his fingers. He slowly lets the pillow fall, much to Mike's very obvious disappointment. Jeremy nervously combs through hair, now feeling a little upset with himself. He inwardly curses himself for smothering Mike's amusement and fascination so quickly.

Wanting to just remove himself from the growing uncomfortable situation, Jeremy tries to stand, but winces and falls back to the bed. Before he can try again, Mike walks to him and holds out a hand. After another moment of silence, Jeremy takes it and helps himself up. His legs ache and throb and his back feels sore and sensitive, probably covered in bruises too. The stronger man helps Jeremy though the door and to the kitchen.

Doll hums happily as Jeremy sits down at the table. Mike takes a seat across from him as Doll sets down two plates stacked with a delicious breakfast. Jeremy quickly shovels down the perfectly cooked pancakes and bacon without hesitation. The warmth feel so good in his stomach. Doll giggles and pats Jeremy's head. She returns to the stove to finish pile the rest of breakfast on plates. Jeremy starts slowing down once half of his plate is cleared and gives Mike a few glances, grateful for his veil of hair. He's staring right back at him out of the corner of his eye, directly in the eye. Jeremy assumes he's trying to get another look at his hidden eyes again. He can't help but tilt his head downward, letting more hair hide his his nose and cheeks.

Jeremy begins working on his second serving, savoring it more, as Violet walks into the kitchen followed by Vincent. Violet glares at her father as she takes a piece of bacon and walks to the front door. Vincent follows close behind his daughter's footsteps.

"Violet, please text me back this time!" Vincent tells Violet, who rolls her eyes.

"Yeah. Sure. Whatever." She says quick with a tone and walks out the door. She makes sure to slam it shut. Vincent growls under his breath before his shoulders slacken sighing deeply. He runs a hand through his untied hair. Jeremy glances back and forth between Vincent and the front door, and can't help but feel a little offended. He scolds himself for having such selfish, hateful thoughts. With guilt and some sort of dull anger swirling inside him, Jeremy quietly stands and glances at Mike and Doll, who thankfully have their attention elsewhere. Jeremy silently walks to Vincent. He slowly envelops the taller in an embrace. He feels Vincent tense and twist to try to look at him. The teen buries his head into back of the man's loose blue shirt.

"Hey Jere? What are you doing?" Vincent chuckles and tries to look at Jeremy again. Jeremy gathers all of his courage and looks up.

"Th-thanks for worrying a-about me, Vin." Jeremy mutters feeling the sort of anger fade away. Vincent's smile fade as he looks at Jeremy with wide eyes, instantly making Jeremy regret his words. Vincent cracks a smirk and pats the smaller's fluffy, tangled hair.

"Hm? Where's this coming from?" Vincent asks as he turns to give the boy a proper hug. Jeremy stays quiet, too embarrassed to say anything, and lets Vincent pull away. The man rustles Jeremy's hair before leaving for the living room. He turns around halfway to give a warm smile with a small thank you before continuing to the living room. Doll giggles and pokes Jeremy's side.

"Aww does someone have a little crush? Oh and on a man so much older than you! How scandalous!" Doll says with a dramatic tone and devious smirk. Jeremy blushes hard and playfully pushes her.

"I-It's not like th-that! He's m-my second dad! Th-that's just creepy, y-you know?" Jeremy says and looks to the side. Doll nods and pokes his side again.

"I'm just teasing." She says and walks to the sink. Doll turns the faucet on and begins working on the pile of dishes stacked haphazardly in the sink. Mike stands, gives her a small kiss then takes his leave to the living room. Doll looks at over her shoulder and nods her head toward a broom leaning against a wall. Jeremy smiles and takes it. The two always did chores when they were younger. Doll would always wash and dry the dishes while Jeremy swept and vacuumed. It had become their ritual, oddly enough.

"So, Jere, in all seriousness, who do you like?" Doll asks. "You said you hadn't dated anyone yet right? Are there any boys catching your eye?" Jeremy blushes lightly and smiles. He looks down at the floor and focuses on sweeping.

"W-Well, um th-there is this really cute b-boy I've been trying t-to get with. I-I think he might b-be straight though. He i-isn't dating anyone, b-but he doesn't r-return any of my affections a-and I saw him h-holding hands with a g-girl a little while a-ago." Jeremy says with a sigh. Doll a sympathetic nod and frown.

"I've been in pretty much the same spot. Actually me and Mike and only just started dating." She says as she begins scrubbing a particularly stubborn syrup-covered dish. Jeremy glances up for a second.

"H-How exactly did you t-two meet? He i-isn't exactly you t-type." Jeremy says as he sweeps up and dumps the dirt into the trash can. She giggles and nods. Jeremy sits on the counter next to Doll and smiles. She flicks some water at him.

"Same way I met you. I was in the tutoring program and he was struggling with algebra so I helped him out. He acted just as cold to me back then, but over time, he warmed up. Slowly, but he did. We ended up doing things together, but didn't become official until a few months ago. Under all that muscle and glare, he's such a sweetie." She explains. Doll turns off the faucet and dries her hands. Like always, she finishes the dishes much faster than he ever could. Jeremy gently touches the top of his spine. Mike is certainly strong enough to slam him into a tank and give him a few bruises. Doll giggles and adds, "I ended up finding him at an animal shelter a couple months before we started dating. He was cursing out a man while feeding a newborn kitten." Jeremy stifles a laugh a the image of scary, cold Mike feeding a sleeping kitty while a slew of curses pour from him.

"I-I was wondering, i-is he opening up w-with me? He d-didn't glare at me o-or anything this m-morning. It was kinda w-weird ya'know? I thought h-he hated me." Jeremy asks. Doll nods and pokes his hidden forehead.

"Yeah, he is. He's a sucker for weaklings after all." She says. Doll pats down her long skirt which had become bunched up at her waist. Jeremy raises his eyebrow with a smirk.

"I-I think you just c-called yourself a w-weakling too, Wise O-One." He says and returns the poke on her forehead. She shakes her head and flexes her thin arms. She makes a few poses before brushing some nonexistent dirt off her shoulder.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm like Saitama, Puny One." She says and makes another pose. "And you, my friend, are my Mumen Rider, only he doesn't have your messy mop of bed head." Jeremy rolls his eyes. She grabs Jeremy's wrists and tugs him off the counter. Jeremy slides off and follows behind Doll as she drags him to her bedroom. Once in, Doll makes a clicking sound with her tongue. Her dog slowly crawls out from under the bed and begins jumping around her feet. She pats it and smiles.

"Hey Jack! Are you finally going to leave the bedroom? Hm?" Doll asks in a baby voice. The dog pants and circles Doll's legs. Jeremy chuckles. He looks around the room and sees everything the dog would need to stay in only one room. His attention is pulled back to Doll as she throws a brush in his direction. He flinches and lets it hit him. As soon as it clatters to the floor, Jeremy relaxes and picks it up. He sees Doll's and shocked and apologetic expression. He smiles and brightly then sticks his tongue out as he begins to brush out his knots. He gently brushes down his hair to a reasonable amount of unkempt.

Jack suddenly starts whining and jumps up on the bed, slightly shaking. Confused, Jeremy looks to Doll for an explanation for the sudden change of behavior, but she looks just as dumbfounded. Her face then lights up with grim realization. She bolts, but only makes it to the doorway before the sound of glass shattering and yells erupt for the living room. Jeremy feels a cold stab shoot through his heart when it skips a beat. He feels his entire body tense with a numb feeling before an unpleasant, tingling heat envelopes his nerves. Before he knows it, Jeremy's legs slowly give out no matter how hard he tries to tense his muscles to stay up. He tries to stand back up, but his legs are just too weak. Even just trying to prop himself on his shaking arms seem to be too difficult. His lungs feel like they can't get enough oxygen, no matter how deeply he tries inhaling. Jeremy feels like he's suffocating. His vision being blurring with tears starting to streaming down his cheeks. 'Dear God, why here? Why now?' he asks himself, helpless and pathetic on the ground. A fear take a hold of his thoughts. They become frantic and push his immobile body to stand. He can only focus on trying to stand against the sudden heavy gravity before anyone sees him.

Doll's hands are suddenly placed on his shaking ribs. Jeremy hadn't noticed her coming back to hold him. She tugs him into a sitting position, leaning him against herself, and intertwines their fingers. She babbles into Jeremy's ear, but he couldn't make out exactly what she's saying over his own sobs and gasps. He closes his eyes and tries to force the tears away. He tries to keep his breath from coming out in short pants. He can't stop it. His lungs and tears work on their own accord. Jeremy can't stop. And it's so humiliating. He wishes Doll would toss him aside and kick his body somewhere. Anywhere that isn't here. Everyone would hate him for attention seeking again. This is wrong! His hurting heart and dazed thoughts don't leave him any choice but to believe this as the truth. They're all probably thinking what a pathetic bug he is or becoming so annoyed with this crybaby scene. He can't move away or hide. He welcomes the stinging words of hate swirling his head as Doll hugs him closes, still speaking those garbled words.

His tears decide to stop falling and his chest begins following his commands. How long it had been, Jeremy has no clue. It just felt so long. He takes in deep, even breaths with the occasional pant and slides away from Doll, using her shoulders for leverage. His arms don't stop shaking. He wipes his wet, stinging cheeks and notices a an extra smarting sensation on his left cheek. He wonders if Doll pulled him hard enough to get rug burn. He looks upwards as he brushes down the back of head, which had somehow gotten knotty again.

Blinking away the blurry tears that remain trapped in his eyes, Jeremy realizes everyone else standing in the hallway, staring at him. Jeremy feels a burning hot heat engulf his face and his chest tighten as he can only stare back at them. Second instinct takes over. Jeremy snaps his torso to the floor, his head an inch from it as he begins apologizing over and over. His voice becomes more frantic after each sorry that slips from his lips. Shame washes over him at the thought of being watch in such a pathetic state. He stops when a hand is pressed against his head. For a split second, he honestly doesn't know if his cheek will get a another mark or if he'll be hugged. He feels someone slowly press into his side and gently take a hold of his trembling shoulders.

"S-Stay away!" Jeremy shouts without thinking. He bolts through the door, pushing his way through the men into his own room. He swings around and slams the door shut. Panting with his hands pressing hard into the wood, he slides down to the floor and stares at his hands, not knowing what else to do. This is new. This is terrifying. He curls up, leaning on the door, listening to the others shuffle around the hallway. They stop at his door sooner or later, but none of them knock. Jeremy is both relieved and hurt by this. It's confusing. He'd been beyond ashamed and scared if someone were to ask him to come out, but for some reason, it hurts to have no one check up on him. How do two opposite options hurt the same way? That doesn't make any sense. It's so weird! Ye then again, maybe it's a punishment for ruining the other's good moods. He couldn't have left everyone happy could he? No. Because everything has to be always about him, him, HIM. Jeremy growls and grabs a handful of skin stretched over his ribs and twists. It hurt certainly, but it didn't leave any marks.

Sighing, Jeremy's hand slips away and curls up to hold his chest. He hopes the pain will go away soon, but at the same time, he wants it to stay and keep hurting him. Jeremy stills and begins rubbing his wrists. The empty or tugging pain he's accustomed to is different, weaker to this, but this new feeling is similar enough. Sting of his beloved razor would end the pain. Whether the physical pain cured the emotional one or just distracted Jeremy until it ebbed away, he wasn't sure, but by the end of cutting, he felt a little better. That's all that matters for now. He stands and rummages through on the of the bedside drawers. In the bottom drawer of a table he doesn't use, there's the shattered remains of a vase. The glass is thick and colored a blotchy maroon. He hesitates before taking the largest piece of glass, too impatient to keep searching for his blade. Jeremy flops onto the bed and yanks up his sleeves. He presses the shard into his wrist, only drawing a drop of blood, before lifting the the shard. Doll would surely looks at his arms sometime later today. Cutting his wrists is very stupid idea. His thighs then. He'll just have to sit carefully and wear black pants.

He slides down his blue jeans and presses the glass into the back of his thigh. Jeremy gasps and almost jerks his thigh away. It's so much more sensitive than his arms. He keeps pressing the shard down until he can feel a little drop of something wet on his fingers. He takes a deep breath and quickly lashes the shard across the backs of his thighs. Jeremy only feels a little initial sting before fire spreads through his thighs seconds later. He holds back a little hiss. Holding the shard tighter, he lashes the back of his thighs, not stopping despite the pain until he nearly reaches his knees. He stands up, legs trembling, and puts back the shard into the drawer with the rest of the vase. He moves to dresser and pulls his only pair of black pants. Their crisp and have deep wrinkles where they'd been folded for so long. He runs his fingers down the length of his thigh, feeling bumps and setting off stinging sensations, but not feeling anything too wet. He slides on his pants on, hissing and pulling his pants from his more open wounds.

The realization that Jeremy had just committed an unforgivable crime slowly comes into his view. He'd just cut himself. He had just sliced open his skin. In his friend's house. The friend who had always tried to help him stop. His now shaking hands cover his mouth. He had acted so selfishly. This house is not his, yet he bawled, whined and acted like a child. He should know better. He should have known better! No wonder he was afraid everyone who find him annoying and unworthy! He really was! The horror and anger clashing inside him is cold. Like a blizzard crashing against an erupting volcano. It made his entire body shake. Whether from hatred or shame, he couldn't tell. He wanted a deeper punishment for what he'd done. For what he'd shown and what he'd force other to watch. His despicable, putrid performance. It leaves a sour taste his mouth. They will deliver it just fine. They probably want the same things as he does anyway. It is perfect justice. They'd gang up on him, beat him, then throw him out. It's perfect. Then he wouldn't bother else. Whether he meant to or not, all he does it draw negative attention to himself make a huge mistake.

Jeremy checks himself in the mirror before walking slowly and quietly into the hallway. His legs shaking calm a little, but not much. He still feels a little scared of facing everyone again, but still pushes his legs to move forward. He halts at the corner before the living, hearing breathy, barely audible whispers. Jeremy takes a deep breath and slowly inches his way from behind the wall and stops once again when the hushed whispers stop. He only gives small glances to Doll. He looks down and begins fidgeting with his fingers, trying to regain his crumbling courage. 'If they hate you, they hate you. That's ok. I'll just start from scratch again. Easy and simple.' Jeremy tells himself before lifting his eyes to reach Doll's.

Jeremy stands waiting for the curses and glares to start. The looks back and forth to see who will strike first. For some reason though, everyone is deathly still. They aren't glaring or getting ready to pounce on his small frame. They stare with unblinking eyes. They look strange, but Jeremy isn't going to be the one to comment on it. He is here for punishment. Doll is the first to move. Jeremy wills his body to stay still and not run. She turns her body completely to him. Then slowly, she lifts her arms to him. Her expression looks sad? Why sad? Jeremy isn't aware of doing anything wrong by standing still. Maybe the mere sight of him makes her want to pity herself for thinking he was worth of accepting her kindness. She beckons Jeremy closer with a gentle movements of her petite hands. She flashes her warm smile through sorrowful eyes. She looks just as nonthreatening as she always does. He'd seen that expression only a few time before, but he knows the relaxation of her cheek muscles and the watery look in her eyes mean it's genuine. She is sad that Jeremy is hurting. Jeremy lets out a deep sigh before quickly walking up to her. He gently sits next to her, still fiddling his fingers. He opens his arms and snake them cozily around Doll's body, bringing up his legs to cuddle closer and burying his head into her wild tangle of orange hair. She slowly moves to hug him closer.

"I-I'm s-so sorry," Jeremy mutters close to Doll's ear. She nods and gently rubs Jeremy's shoulders. If his eyes still had any tears left, he's sure he'd cry again. The exhaustion of his long sobbing session is beginning to catch up to him. His eyes still feel a little puffy. They're probably still red and irritated too. He feels Vincent's hand give a soft pat on Jeremy's shoulder. He jumps on reflex and feels his hand quickly retract, like Jeremy's shaking little body had scorched his hand. He wants to apologize, but his voice feels too hard to manage. He'd rather just stay still and apologize later. Maybe buy a few presents for everyone. That'd be really nice.

He feels his phone vibrate in his back pocket, but Jeremy chooses not to answer it. Whatever it is, it can definitely wait. Doll gently kisses the top of Jeremy's head before shifting to reach a small book from the table. She opens to her dog eared page and quietly whispers to him the text. It's surprisingly soothing. Had she done this before with him? He doesn't remember her reading to him. Jeremy wonders if Doll had done this with another friend with high anxiety like his. He wouldn't be surprised. Her quiet whispering and warm embrace, it's a sweet heaven compared to the stinging and torturous hell he'd been expected. The heaviness in his chest dissipates more and more the longer she reads until there's only a dark fog. It feels easier to breath now.

"Th-thank you," Jeremy whispers out, in a tiny wavering voice. She pauses for a second, then continues. Her tone is higher, even softer. She's smiling now. Jeremy can't help but let a small smile lap on his lips as well.