Archon Quest: Custom Night [FNAF/Genshin]

Chapter 11: Lonely? Me?

"Nothing, just—" he sighed, "When I went down to the market after training with Diluc, I ran into this group of boys. First, they asked me why I looked 'that way'. That's when I should've punched them, but I wasn't in the mood to start anything, so I just told them I have vitiligo."

"I have vitiligo, jackarses. Read a book or something for once."

"I was pretty nice about it, too," he declared, "But, when they turned to leave, I heard one of them say 'spic' under his breath. So I punched him. And then I punched the other two guys, just for good measure."

"Atta' boy," Kaeya nodded.

"People are such jerks!" Elizabeth smacked her hands down on the couch, "I can't believe they would say that to you!"

Michael shrugged, "Yeah, well, get over it. Everyone hates everyone and whatever whatever. Move on."

She growled, "No, I won't move on! I'll find a way to get them to not be jerks, you'll see!"

"I appreciate the concern, but I don't need someone to protect me," he pushed his chair out from the table, his eyebrow twitching, "Especially not you."

As Michael sulkily retreated back to Kaeya's room, Elizabeth's mouth hung wide open. He locked the door with a snarky 'click', snapping the girl out of her trance. She shook off the surprise, tuning into whatever Evan was saying.

"...such a butthole."

"Cut him some slack," Kaeya interjected, moving to put the melted ice pack on the table, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of him either, but he's living a different life than you."

Evan glanced up at the man's face; he was standing just against Evan's seat, one hand on the table. The boy looked down again to where the side of his hand brushed up against Kaeya's. The more he stared, the more different he realized they looked.

It was true that Evan and Elizabeth adorned the fair skin tone of their father, and Michael did not, but Evan never cared to see the difference. He always saw just "Michael". Perhaps, though, that was because he never needed to notice. Perhaps he never understood the conversations his mother had with Michael when he would come home from school upset. Before she...

"Hey, don't stare at my scars," Kaeya teased, pulling his hand away, "Didn't anyone ever tell you that's rude?"

"Oh. Sorry," Evan replied nonchalantly, glancing at the pink flesh on his otherwise tan skin.

Childe rolled his eyes, standing up to take the empty plates from the table, "Don't listen to him, he's just joking."

With a sly smirk on his face, Kaeya followed the man into the kitchen. Elizabeth watched as they rounded the corner and Kaeya wrapped his arms around the back of Childe's waist. He whispered something into his ear (what she could only guess was a pathetic pick-up line), and as laughter bloomed through the household, Elizabeth waved her little brother over. He hopped off of his chair and burrowed into the opposite arm of the couch.

"I'm going to Michael's next training lesson," she spoke softly.

"What? Why?" Evan raised an eyebrow.

His sister quickly shushed him, "He needs someone to protect him."

"No he doesn't, he's thirteen!"

"He's always needed someone to protect him! You've seen how brash he is!"

Evan frowned, "He's not gonna want you to, y'know."

"I know. But without Mum, who else will?"

The two siblings looked at each other, an uncomfortable agreement between them; Father wasn't going to, Mum was gone, and Uncle Henry wouldn't understand. Evan scooted himself to where Elizabeth was sitting and nestled into her shoulder.