A/N: Ever wondered why Felix was so...oh, I dunno...cruel?
Mother had been getting sick. Both he and John had known it was coming, and yet, they were hoping for the impossible. So it shouldn't have surprised him, really, when John came ambling up the wet path with a grave expression on his face, beads of water dripping off loose strands of hair that hung over his dark eyes.
Felix jumped up from his wooden stool in the kitchen and hurried over to unlock the door. Drenched in rain, his elder brother stepped in and shook his heavy traveling coat off his shoulders before handing it to Demetri.
"Mother died," he said suddenly, as if he couldn't contain it any longer. It was evident that was why he was here; still, Felix couldn't help feeling a great numbness spread throughout him as he stood, frozen, his brother's coat in his tight grip.
His father's voice came echoing back through his head. "Men don't cry," he said one time when Felix was hurt and started sobbing over the small wound that had inflicted it.
He turned away so John couldn't see. Fat tears welled up in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks.
They stayed there in silence until Felix had regained his composure.
Never again would he lose it. Men don't cry.
He was too far gone to notice when his heart hardened over.