The room was silent as the little boy hurried down the hall, the only thing breaking said silence was the slam of his door once Ezekiel made it to his room.
Cailen flinched at the noise, fully aware of the sleeping baby in the room next to it. Sure enough, a faint crying noise started, getting louder and louder with each passing second the group of them just sat there.
Cailen was a bit unsure of what to do. Surely there was a parenting rule about not paying tantrums any attention but Cailen wasn't sure if this is classified as a tantrum and he was fairly certain he couldn't just let Ezekiel go without seeing if the boy was okay.
It was Hazel who got up first, breaking the apparent game that they all play statues for a moment.
Cailen watched her shuffle by, mouthing out an apology that she waved off, smiling softy at him and squeezing his shoulder on the way.
Matthew quickly followed behind her, either to help her calm down their child or just as a reason to escape the awkward situation that was presenting itself before him.
The thing that broke Cailen off his trance was Noah sighing and leaning forward, placing his face in his hands and rubbing at his eyes.
Cailen didn't say anything. He only stood, giving Asher a look that told him to talk to his friend and he would check on Ezekiel and do what he could.
Asher nodded, giving Cailen a quick good luck smile before it faded as he turned to his obviously distressed friend.
Cailen knew it wasn't Noah’s fault, it was no one's fault, but he could tell that Noah thought it was his just by the defeated sag of his shoulders.
"Noah..." Cailen heard Asher begin but the voice of his husband faded the farther he went down the hall, being drowned out by the cries of baby Aariyah.
Cailen passed their room to see Hazel rocking Aariyah back and forth in her arms, Matthew sitting on the edge of the bed looking tiredly up at the two.
He kept going down the hall to where Loki sat outside of Ezekiel's door, looking up at it as if he could will it to open up with his eyes alone.
The dog turned to Cailen when he noticed him, stepping back in order to let Cailen near the door to open it, but Cailen didn't.
Instead, he pressed his ear to the door, listening for any alarming sounds.
All he could hear was a faint sniffling from inside the room so Cailen was going to leave him.
He didn't want Ezekiel to feel like he could never have a moment alone and he wanted Ezekiel to learn about self-soothing.
This was obviously an upsetting situation but Ezekiel had to know he couldn't always have things his way, that was just life, so Cailen was going to give him a few minutes until he heard something bang against something- a loud crashing noise coming from inside the room.
"Zeke," Cailen said loud enough so he could be heard on the other side of the door.
When nothing came in reply but another banging noise, this one right on the other side of the door as if Ezekiel had thrown something at it, Cailen knocked softly and then pushed open the door, frowning at the sight he saw.
Ezekiel was standing in the middle of his room, his chest rising rapidly with every ragged breath, his face red and cheeks wet from the tears falling from his eyes.
He held one of his toys in his hand, the Batman action figure Asher had gotten him when they first brought him home.
Cailen could tell he was ready to throw it, not caring that Cailen was here now.
The boy lifted his arm, turning slightly away from Cailen and was getting ready to toss it but Cailen rushed forward, kneeling down and putting his hand up to grab Ezekiel's wrist just as he went to throw it.
Instead of flying across the room, the toy simply fell to the floor between them but went ignored as Cailen pulled Ezekiel's arm down to his side.
Cailen immediately pulled him in close, Ezekiel pressing his face into the crook of Cailen's neck and grabbing onto his shirt, balling the fabric in his fists.
Cailen adjusted his arms so he could pick the boy up, holding him by the thighs as he stood and made his way over to the bed. He took a seat on the bed, now able to move his hands up to stroke the boy's back, one hand going for his head.
"I know, love." Cailen whispered softly, turning his head slightly to kiss Ezekiel's temple.
Cailen wanted him to know he was not alone in this.
He wanted him to know that they were all sad that Noah was leaving, but he also wanted him to know that there were certain ways to deal with these emotions, certain ways to express them that didn't involve chucking objects at the wall.
"I- I don't w- want him to- to go- o." Ezekiel cried into his neck, his words broken up by soft sobs that tore at Cailen's heart.
Cailen kissed his temple again, hugging him a bit tighter and rocking him back and forth slightly. He knew Ezekiel wasn't a baby of course, but he was at a loss at how to calm him down.
"I know, love. Neither do I." Cailen admitted softly. "None of us want him to go."
"Th- then why i- is he-ee l- leaving?" Ezekiel asked.
Cailen shut his eyes, only to open them again when he heard the door creak open.
"Because, Zeke..." Cailen began as Noah crept into the room, not bothering to shut the door. "Noah needs to go home to see his family. He misses them a lot and he has to deal with some things, but he can't do that here." Cailen explained, going for a half truth as Noah took a silent seat on the bed next to them.
He didn't say anything, he only watched Ezekiel as he cried into Cailen's neck, Noah's face full of guilt. Cailen tried to convey with a look over the boy’s shoulder that he didn't need to feel guilty about this.
It was Noah's life and it was Noah's decision and no matter what he decides, they would always support him. But it didn't appear as though Noah was getting the message.
"What ki- kind of thi- ings?" Ezekiel asked around ragged breaths and broken sobs.
It was hard to listen to, Cailen hated seeing Ezekiel this upset and Cailen knew why he was so upset.
Noah was someone he has grown to like, if not love, and now he was leaving his life. It was hard not to connect it back to his parents, even if Noah hadn't died.
Just like Cailen, Ezekiel was big on family after losing his own parents in a tragic accident.
"Why can't he- he do it h- here?" Obviously not realizing Noah was sitting right beside him.
Noah frowned at his feet as Cailen sighed into Ezekiel's shoulder.
"Because, Zeke... He needs to do this, for himself... To be happy." Cailen said, and he was going to go on but Ezekiel cut him off.
"He's not happy here?" Ezekiel asked quietly, his grip loosening slightly.
"No, love, he-" Cailen wasn't sure how to explain this to a child.
"He is, he loves it here, I'm sure. But- sometimes... When you're older, things get difficult and- and it's best to distance yourself from the situation. Just for a little while." Cailen spoke softly, looking between Noah and the boy in his lap, and wishing there was another way to deal with this, but he understood Noah's need to get away.
If things truly couldn't work between him and Camille, it was best to get rid of the temptation for a little bit while they both moved on.
"But I don't want him to go." Ezekiel repeated in a much softer tone than he had a few minutes ago, his breathing and tears now under control.
"I know, neither do I... But when you love someone, sometimes you have to put their feelings before your own. You have to let them do what they need to be happy." Cailen explained, smiling softly over at Noah who had looked up at his latest words.
Noah returned the smile with a small one of his own, sending Cailen a silent thank you that Cailen nodded at.
"You want Noah to be happy, don't you?" Cailen asked softly, pushing slightly on the boy to get him to look at Cailen.
"Yeah." Ezekiel admitted in a small sigh, looking down in between them instead of at Cailen.
"Good, I'm very proud to hear you say that." Cailen told him. "It takes a lot of courage and strength to put others before yourself."
Ezekiel nodded to this but didn't say anything more, he simply sniffled again and wiped at his face.
"Zeke?" Noah finally spoke, surprising the little boy if the look on his face when he turned towards the voice was anything to go by.
"I'm sorry I upset you." Noah started softly, looking truly and honestly sorry.
Ezekiel shrugged as if it were no big deal, as if there wasn't a scuff mark on the wall over by his closet that he had put there no more than ten minutes ago.
"I want you to know, I'm not leaving forever. I'll see you again."
"Really?" Ezekiel asked, perking up some and turning more towards Noah.
"Of course! I couldn't leave you forever, little man." Noah said, smiling softly at him. "I'd miss you too much."
"I'm going to miss you, Noah." Ezekiel said quietly if not a little shaky as he looked into his lap.
"I'm going to miss you more." Noah said immediately, reaching out to the little boy and pulling him from Cailen's lap into his own.
Ezekiel didn't fight it, instead, he seemed to make himself rather comfortable in Noah's lap.
"Besides, someone's got to come back and teach you how to play guitar."
"William knows how to play." Ezekiel pointed out.
"Pfft, as if. He thinks he knows how to play." Noah corrected grinning down at Ezekiel.
Ezekiel giggled slightly and then he was leaning into Noah, wrapping his little arms around the mans torso and squeezing tightly.
Noah look mildly surprised before he too, hugged the boy back, resting his cheek on top of Ezekiel's head and looking at Cailen.
Cailen smiled and tried desperately not to ruin the moment with mock cooing or something.