Michael, Elizabeth, and Evan stood in the girl's bedroom, all equally lost. What should they do now? It wasn't as though they wanted to greet their father. Elizabeth continued to stare blankly into the closet in front of her, where her family should have been.
"Liz? Liz!" Michael snapped a finger in front of her eyes, and she blinked.
"Oh, sorry, what?"
"Why is your closet such a mess?" he lifted his hand at the clothes, toys, and books that were scattered all around the floor, "Did you leave it like that?"
"Wh—no, I didn't leave it like that. We were playing outside before we woke up in Teyvat, remember? There was no way Father allowed me to go outside if my room looked like this," she cringed.
Evan shivered, "Something's wrong."
"Yeah, something is wrong, it's hot as balls in here," Michael grunted as he pulled off the warm Snezhnayan garments, revealing his signature grey tank top and blue shorts.
"Well, yeah, that," his brother nodded, taking off his jacket as well, "But also this. If it wasn't Elizabeth, then who did it?"
Elizabeth reluctantly shimmied her arms out of her coat, "You're right. Mm...we should probably go find Father right away and ask what happened."
Scoffing, Michael turned away from his siblings. His sister glanced at him, then raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, why are you upset? If he tries anything, you can just light him on fire," she joked with a smile, "But also, I could protect you with my shield. We all still have our Visions, right?"
Evan leaned to look at his brother's hip, "Um, well..."
The teen furrowed his eyebrows as he grabbed the Vision from his waistband. Sure enough, it was there, but the red light had completely greyed itself out.
"Michael...this is your Vision."
He remembered when Zhongli slid the Vision into his hands; even then, it still glowed faintly in Zhongli's hand, though it was brightest in Michael's. Now, there was no glow at all. Seeing her brother's dismay, Elizabeth pulled her Vision off of her skirt to find the same grey orb staring back at her. She stared back at her reflection; she used to see a shocking fighter, but now, there seemed to be nothing special about her.
"Is it just me..." she bit her lip, "...or is it weird that being here feels more empty than when we woke up in Teyvat?"
Eyes still on his Vision, Michael shook his head, "It's like everything we worked for is gone."
Evan tapped his foot, "The Visions come from ambitions, though, right? We still have ambitions, we're just not in the same place as the magical energy Visions take their power from. If we go back, they'll probably light up again."
He watched as Michael turned to him. It was then that Evan finally noticed how bruised and bloodshot Michael's eyes were. When was the last time he slept? He cringed, but when he did, Michael chuckled.
"Yeah, you're right," he brought his hand behind Evan's head, leading him to the door of Elizabeth's room, "Even so, I can still handle a sword pretty well. I'll just slice the guy, or something."
Elizabeth snickered, "Yeah, he would be like, 'Michael! You're grounded for a million years!'"
The teen let out a snort as they approached the staircase outside of the upstairs bedrooms. Michael put a finger over his lip, then slid his fingers along the railing and descended the stairs. He walked slowly, trying to not make any sudden movements in case his father was around. When he peered into downstairs family room, Evan hit the banister from the top of the stair. Pursing his lips, Michael kept walking, but Evan knocked again.
"Mike!" he shouted in a whisper.
Michael rolled his eyes and kept walking. Evan, having seen the gesture, gave him a poker face in return. He turned to his sister, "I tried."
She sighed, "Ev—"
"Whoa!" Michael cut his sister off. She turned to see his foot had slipped off of the step, and he was falling face first to the floor. He rolled down the rest of the staircase, yelling as he went. When he reached the bottom, he landed with his legs out in front of him, a yellow bear falling at his side.
He growled, "Evan!"
"Fredbear!" the boy called in surprise, running to pick up the bear from the floor. He bounced it in his hands and studied the loose threads hanging off of it. A strange yellow string hung longer than the rest, so he followed it to the back of the bear, where a seam had been torn open. Inside, Fredbear seemed to be lacking a bit of cotton, and there were bits of metal and wires stuck in the white plush.
"Ahem!" Michael coughed, catching the boy's attention, "You're stupid bear almost killed me!"
He turned over his shoulder, "Oh, sorry."
While Evan continued to prod at the toy, Michael lifted himself from the floor, grumbling as he brushed off his shorts. Elizabeth skipped after her brothers, meeting them at the end of the staircase.
"Well, if Father was here, he would have heard that. So...where is he?" she pondered as she crept around the corners of the house to check if her father was anywhere to be seen.
Michael rubbed his wrist, "Uh...maybe he's at the restaurant?"
"Hey, look at this," Evan held up a piece of glass in his hand, "I found a lens in Fredbear and a bunch of...um...metal and stuff."
The eldest plucked the lens from the boy's hand, inspecting it closely. As Elizabeth wandered back over, he showed the piece of glass to her.
"Alright, what the hell is this?" he pointed one hand at the lens while the other held it, "William's got some issues in his head, that's for sure."
"Mike! You can't call him that, he'll get mad!" Elizabeth defended, but Michael ignored her worries.
"I don't see him anywhere around here, do you? Come on, this is creepy! Imagine how much he's been spying on Evan!"
"What's creepier is that Fredbear wasn't like this when we left," Evan interrupted, placing the bear on a bench next to the front door, "He's not here, Elizabeth's room is a mess, Fredbear is broken and was just laying around...we should find Father as soon as we can. I know he was...him, but he's still our dad. What if something happened?"
Michael and Elizabeth shared twin sneers as they stared at their brother. Neither of them were eager to find their father, but Evan's puppy dog eyes begged them to go looking anyway. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at Michael. He met her eyes, then turned back to Evan, who was readying his best crocodile tears.
Michael groaned, "Fine, fine! We'll look, just let me get a snack, I'm starving."
Evan beamed, but Elizabeth scoffed, "Michael!"
"I mean, we can't just stay here on our own forever. At the very least, maybe we'll find some help outside," he shrugged as she followed him to the kitchen.
"Or we could go back to Childe and Kaeya?"
As Evan walked out through the front door, his siblings' conversation faded from his hearing. He tiptoed onto the sidewalk he used to know so well; the wind blew through his hair, the sun beat on his cheeks, and the birds chirped in his ears. On the other side of his house, he saw a swing attached to a tree. He had many a memory there with Elizabeth, who pushed him up into the sky like their mother once did for her. Evan continued walking down the sidewalk, almost in a daze. Everything from his past which he forgot in Teyvat rushed back; he could point out the exact sidewalk block where Michael tackled him to the ground. When he walked a few steps further, he could see the Emily household just two doors down from his. There, he found the backyard where he chewed on an ice pop with his siblings and their friends, Charlie and Sammy. He wondered what they were doing right now. Maybe if his uncle was home, he would know where his father was. Evan patted himself on the back for this idea, then marched up the steps and knocked on his uncle's door. Despite his fear of authority before venturing to Teyvat, he never seemed to be afraid of his uncle.
A moment passed, and Evan kept an anticipating smile on his face. After a minute, he pursed his lips. Though his idea was good in theory, he forgot to factor in the possibility that his uncle might not be home. His confident demeanor deflated, and he walked down the porch steps with a pout on his face. Just as he hopped off of the last step, though, he heard a clatter of cans on the sidewalk. Startled, he turned to the noise with his hands in the air, only to find a familiar man standing a few feet away, grocery bags at the floor beside him.
"Evan?" the man's mouth hung open, "It can't be..."
With rosy cheeks, Evan gasped, "Uncle Henry!"
As he ran towards his uncle, something clicked in the man's head. He knelt to the floor and opened his arms, awaiting the arrival of his old friend's son.
"Evan!" he laughed as Evan pushed him backwards with the force of his hug, "Oh, my sweet nephew! I can't believe it, is it really you?"
"It's me!" he replied cheerfully.
"Evan!" another voice scolded from afar, "You can't just run off—oh. Oh my gosh!"
Henry looked past his nephew's shoulder, "Lizzie, too? Come here, sweetheart! Is your brother with you?"
"Michael!" she shouted excitedly, and he popped his head out of the door.
"What? Why are you yelli—oh my god."
"That's what I said!"
Waving, Michael grinned, "Hey, Uncle Henry!"
Astonished, the man laughed, "Both of you, get over here, now! You're all in big trouble, and the punishment is a bear hug from your old uncle!"
Evan giggled into his uncle's shoulders as he rocked the boy from side-to-side. He could hear his siblings footsteps on the pavement behind him, then felt them slam their bodies into his. He grunted, but it quickly turned into a giggle. Henry squeezed all three siblings tight to his chest, his eyes pricking with tears.
"Oh, what a gift this is. My favorite nieces and nephews, all safe and here with me..."
"It's good to see you too, Uncle," Michael leaned into the man's shoulder.
"Who are you and what have you done with my Michael?" the man joked, "You've changed, it seems. Let me get a good look at you all."
Henry pulled away from the children, his hands still resting on Michael and Evan's elbows. Elizabeth stood in the middle, her arms wrapped around her siblings backs. Although each of them beamed brightly at him, Henry could see the physical damage on their bodies. Michael looked as though he had not slept in days, and scabs littered his arms. Elizabeth looked beat up as well, albeit not as severe. She had bruises on her knees and elbows, and one on her cheek, but that seemed to be all. Evan, however, was the worst of the three. He presented a black eye, bruises on his biceps, cuts on his left cheek and shins, and a busted lip.
Henry choked on his breath, wiping away Evan's tears with his thumb, "Oh...I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry to all of you. Damn it, I knew I should've kept looking."
Although he tried to curse under his breath, Elizabeth still heard his mumble, "Kept looking? What do you mean?"
At this, their uncle's eyebrows lifted into his hairline, "My dear, you've been missing for eight months. The police stopped looking for you because no one could find any trace of where you might be. And with William gone..."
"Gone?" she asked incredulously.
Henry frowned, "Come, let's go inside. We have a lot to discuss."
Elizabeth shared a concerned glance with Evan, but they asked no further questions; it was rare that their uncle was ever so solemn in their presence. He picked up a bag of groceries from the sidewalk, and Michael carried the second bag to the door. Henry smiled at the gesture, then opened the door for all of them to step into. He watched as the three children explored the inside of his house again. Michael placed the groceries on the bench that was carved into the wall, and Elizabeth indulged her senses in the familiar smell of lilac.
"Sammy, stop! Give it back!" they heard a girl whine from the upstairs of the house. Elizabeth beamed, recognizing her best friend's voice.
"You're playing the game wrong!" her twin brother scolded, "That's not my fault."
"Ugh!"
"Kids, stop arguing!" Henry called as he closed the front door and placed his bag of groceries next to Michael's. There was a moment of silence, which made Evan snort.
"...Sorry, Dad," Sammy replied meekly.
Henry chuckled with Evan, "That's alright, but come downstairs! You have visitors."
He led the Afton siblings further into the house and sat them down at the kitchen table. With a wink, he said, "They'll be excited to see you. I'll go get you all some juice. Oh, and watermelon gum for Mike, right?"
"Yes, please!" he groaned, and Henry chuckled.
"Too long since you got your last fix, I see."
"You could say that," the teen rested his head in his hand, closing his eyes with a yawn. Just as he began to relax, though, two children around Elizabeth's age sprinted to the top of the staircase.
"Who's here?" Sammy asked, leaning over his sister's shoulders to get a clear view of the table at the end of the stairs. From there, his eyes lit up, as did his sister's.
"Lizzie!" she shrieked, sprinting away from her brother and down the stairs. She stumbled into the chair her best friend was sitting in, jumping over the arm of it to wrap herself around Elizabeth's shoulders.
"Charlie!" Elizabeth screamed back, squeezing the girl tight to her chest, "I missed you! Did you miss me?"
"Yes, I missed you!"
"So much screaming," Michael held his hands over his ears, making Evan giggle. The commotion shocked Sammy out of his place at the top of the stairs, and he ran down, wrapping his arms over the back of Evan's chair.
He kissed the boy's temple, "Did my light lead you back home? I kept my lamp on everyday for you!"
"Um, no," Evan chuckled, and Sammy deflated.
"I told you that wouldn't work, Sam," Charlie teased, still holding tight to Elizabeth, "I never forgot about you, though, Lizzie. I bought a gift for you! For your birthday! Now I can give it to you!"
"Aw, I wanted to buy you a gift, too! My friend Yanfei and I were going to buy you a flower!" Elizabeth grinned, "Wait, my birthday?"
Henry placed a cup of apple juice next to her, "Your birthday was just a few days ago, honey. Happy belated 11th."
The man ruffled her hair as Sammy added, "We bought you a cupcake, but you weren't, um, here, so I ate it. Sorry."
"That's okay. Thanks for thinking of me, anyway," Elizabeth chuckled, shaken from the fact that she missed her own birthday. She knew it had to have been coming up in Teyvat, but she didn't realize it actually passed.
"We'll celebrate again since we missed it," Michael declared, a comforting smile on his face.
The hour they spent in the Emily household felt like a short eternity as the siblings reconnected with their old friends: friends that were family. Elizabeth and Charlie ended up curled under a blanket watching their favorite television shows together while Evan told Sammy eccentric stories about their travels, with Michael weighing in every so often. About half an hour later, Charlie and Sammy's mom entered through the back door, returning from gardening. She had the same shocked reaction as her husband, but she refrained from embracing the children to allow them to enjoy their reunion with friends. She watched them for a moment, a reminiscent smile on her face. Then, she stepped over to her husband who was in the kitchen fixing up a dinner for seven.
"Have you told them yet?" she whispered, examining the children's calm demeanor.
Henry sighed, "No, I don't have the heart. How do I tell them such awful news?"
"Honey, we have to," the woman rubbed his shoulder as he leaned his back against the counter, "Imagine if your father died and no one told you. How would you feel?"
"Alice, I—" he stammered, "They're just kids..."
"We don't have to tell them how he died, we just have to tell them. They'll have Charlie and Sammy to comfort them, too. Everything will be okay," she comforted, and Henry leaned his forehead onto hers.
"I'm lucky to have someone like you."
Alice smiled, then retreated upstairs to freshen up. Henry stayed downstairs to sweat over the dinner he was making. Now that he knew he had to tell them, how should he do it? It seemed too insensitive to just blurt it out. Should he tell his own children to go upstairs? Should he tell Michael so Michael can tell his siblings himself? He shook his head at the latter question; there was no reason to put another burden on Michael. He had probably gone through so much already.
Dinner was a blur to Henry; he pulled up extra chairs to the table, he set the lasagna in the middle, he gave everyone the utensils they needed, and yet he remembered none of it. No one noticed his anxiety, though, as the children were too consumed in their own conversations. Alice returned downstairs just as the children were finishing up dinner and took it upon herself to put everyone's dishes into the dishwasher. Michael insisted on helping, and she smiled tiredly at him.
"You're a good one, Mike. I was worried about you for a little while there."
Michael chuckled, scrubbing crusted food off of a plate, "Yeah, I was kind of brutal. But, uh...a friend I met while we were away taught me better. Well, more like three friends. Four? Maybe five."
Alice raised her eyebrows, "Wow. It seems like wherever you were, at least you had some company. You'll have to tell me about it. Of course, not right now, if it's too soon."
"It's hard to explain, but I'll try to figure something out," he finished the dishes and dried his hands. As he walked to throw a paper towel away, Alice rubbed her neck.
"Mike, dear," she began, "Your uncle and I have something...important to tell you and your siblings. I just want to prepare you. I know you've only just come home today, but it will concern you by the end of the night. So, just...be ready, okay?"
"Uh, okay," he shot her a worried glance, but said nothing more. If it was Childe or Kaeya, he would have pressured for more information, but he did not share the same bond with Alice as he did with them. Part of him missed being able to be free in his anger and brashness—well, most of him, actually—but he kept his composure. Alice and Henry were doing something nice for him; he refused to mess it up.
Just a few moments passed before Alice told her children to go get ready for bed. By that time, the moon arose, and all the children were feeling a bit sleepy. Still, Sammy and Charlie complained, but their mother stood her ground and sent them upstairs anyway. They pouted, but listened nonetheless. After they were gone, Henry beckoned the three Aftons to the table. Both Evan and Elizabeth seemed confused, but Michael was a bit more weary than they were.
Yawning, Evan rubbed his eye, "Are we in trouble?"
"No, no, of course not," his uncle chuckled nervously from the other side of the table, Alice sitting down next to him. Elizabeth, Michael, and Evan sat across from them in a line.
"So, we need to tell you something," Alice placed her fingertips together, "It's about your father."
"Oh, yeah, we still haven't seen him," Elizabeth commented to her older brother, "Should we worry about that?"
"Yes," Henry replied, then stammered, "Oh—well—no, but still, yes?"
Alice sighed, "What he means to say is, you might be staying with us for a while."
Evan tilted his head, and Elizabeth asked what he was thinking, "Why do you seem upset about that?"
"Oh, we're not!" the woman shook her hands, "It's just...the reason is..."
"What is it?" Michael urged.
Alice looked to her husband for guidance, who sighed, "The reason is that your father...your father is dead."
Instantly, the air grew thick. Evan felt like he might choke as he froze up. He leaned back in his chair, glancing everywhere but at Henry's eyes. Elizabeth put a hand on her mouth, trying to stop herself from sobbing. She took deep breaths while Michael inhaled sharply, clenching his fists against the table.
"Okay," he nodded, staring at the wood with wide eyes, "And, how did he die?"
"He...uh..." Henry rubbed his neck.
"How?" Evan sat up in his seat, his gaze turning back to the two adults in front of him. Henry bit his lip and stayed silent, so Alice placed a hand on his shoulder.
"They deserve to know, but you should tell them," she whispered, "He was your best friend."
Nodding, Henry rapped his fingers on the table, "He...commit suicide. Do you all know what that means?"
Elizabeth's breathing hastened, and she stood up from the table, "I-I'm gonna go to the guest room!"
She pushed her chair in haphazardly, sprinting up the stairs as her choked sobs filled the hallway. Charlie opened the bathroom door just as she ran by. She followed on her best friend's tail, managing to make it into the room before Elizabeth slammed the door shut.
"I...sorry about her...she..." Michael shook his head, running a hand down his face, "Did Father leave, like, a note or something?"
Evan leaned onto his brother's shoulder, and Michael caressed hair. He felt the boy start to sniffle, but surprisingly, he wasn't as broken up as Elizabeth. He knew exactly what the both of them were thinking: their father hurt them, so why were they so upset at the news? However, he was the only one that realized it was because their father was gone forever. There was no chance at salvaging any relationship they may have had.
"He left one note, addressed to me," Henry answered, pulling Michael away from his thoughts, "He said he couldn't take it anymore, and he needed...he needed to escape. He told me to make sure I keep the house in good shape for when you gain ownership, in case you ever returned. It'll be yours when you're of age, if you want it. For now, it's mine, as are the other assets he left to you, like the Fredbear franchise."
Michael scrunched his nose as tears filled his eyes, "Why me? Father hated me. I don't want anything he's giving me!"
"Michael, honey, your father doesn't hate you. He never did," Alice reached across the table to wipe Michael's face dry, "He saw himself in you. That's why he left you these things. They aren't to burden you, they're to help you."
Michael turned his head away from her touch, "I'm not trying to be rude, but you don't know my father. He did hate me, I know he did! He—!"
The teen turned back to his aunt and uncle in front of him to see them giving him a pitiful gaze. Michael swallowed his feelings and took a breath.
"Sorry. I don't really want to talk about it."
"That's okay," Henry complied gently, "Do you want us to give you some space?"
"No, it's fine," he leaned his head onto his brother's, "Um, can I use your phone, though? There's someone I should probably call."
"Sure, of course. We'll be in the family room if you need us," Alice smiled sweetly, then led her husband to the next room over. Michael smiled back, then pulled away from Evan and turned in his seat so they sat face-to-face.
"I'm gonna call Parker. Do you want to talk to him with me? I know you like him."
Evan averted his gaze, and Michael wiped the tears off of his cheek. He hissed in pain when Michael ran a finger over his bruise, and the elder quickly pulled his hand away.
"Sorry, it still kinda hurts," Evan patted his cheek, "I think I'll just go find Lizzie. You can tell Parker I said hi, though."
"Alright. Hey, give me a hug before you go, okay?"
With a tired smile on his face, Evan wrapped his arms around his brother's waist. Both brothers calmed in the embrace; Michael exhaled slowly, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders.
"I'll be here when you need me," he patted the boy's hair.
"Thanks, Mikey," Evan yawned, then pulled away. He stood up from the table, "I'm gonna go before I fall asleep. Will you, um, say goodnight? Before you go to bed?"
Michael chuckled, "Yeah, for sure."
The youngest smiled at his older brother, then ran up the stairs to meet his sister. As he watched, Michael leaned his head on the back of the chair, huffing into his elbow. He wouldn't have guessed he would be spending his first day home like this. His eyes caught on to the stocky phone that rested against the wall behind him, so he pulled his chair over to it and started dialing.
It had been a long time—eight months, he guessed—since Michael called Parker, but he could still remember the number like the back of his hand. He remembered late night talks on the phone with Parker, whispering so he wouldn't wake up his father. Inevitably, Parker would say something that made Michael laugh, and the wrath of his groggy father was unleashed. The next day, Michael would do the same thing all over again.
He tapped his finger, willing his best friend to pick up the phone. Finally, a familiar voice answered.
"Hey-hey! You reached the Dhawan residence. Uh, if this is the IRS again, my parents aren't home right now."
Michael snorted, "No, just me."
There was a silence from the other line, and he furrowed his eyebrows.
"Parker? Parker, you still there?"
"...Who is me...?" his best friend questioned in a sly voice.
"Uh, Mike?"
"Mike...what?"
"Seriously, Parker?" he sighed, "Michael Afton!"
He heard a loud slam from the other end and cringed. Parker was no doubt hitting his table; Michael knew he liked to do that whenever he was right about something.
"I knew it! I knew you were still alive! Nothing could take out my best friend so easily, no way," he laughed, "Hey, where on earth have you been? No one could find you anywhere!"
"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."
"Oh, don't give me that shit, Mike. I'm your best friend! I'll believe anything you say."
"Well, I wasn't really on Earth."
Parker paused, "Okay, now that's a little hard to believe."
Michael chuckled, "Yeah, it's pretty gnarly. It was this place called Teyvat. I'll take you there sometime."
"Really? Wow, I'll hold you to it, dude," he spoke proudly, "Considering you're not totally bonkers..."
"I'm not," the teen rolled his eyes, "But, yeah. I just wanted to give you call to let you know what's going on."
"Wait, where are you right now? Are you safe? I'll come get you if you need me to!"
"I'm okay, man, really," he laughed, "I'm staying with my uncle for now."
"And...no mean dads to bother you...?"
Michael blinked, "Dude, he's dead."
His friend scoffed, "I know, just checking, though! You came back from the dead."
"Parker, I was never dead."
"Everyone thinks you are! Dude, if only you heard the rumors going around at school...some people were saying one of your dad's animatronics ate you!"
He cringed, "That's pretty gruesome."
"Yeah, I thought it was kind of a weird thing to think of. But anyway, dude, you're gonna be famous! You'll be, like, the zombie boy of Utah. People are gonna put you in the newspaper with, like, purple skin or something."
"Aren't zombies green?"
"Uh, no, they're obviously purple due to a lack of oxygen," Parker scoffed, "Duh."
"Man, you're weird," Michael laughed, rubbing a tear off of his cheek.
"Yeah, well, so are you. That's why we're friends."
"Oh, yeah, how are the others doing?"
"They're good. Things haven't been the same without you, but we've been managing. No one really visits Fredbear's anymore, though. Like I said, it wasn't the same without you. Plus, your dad was major weird. He would always eye us when we went to play arcade games," Parker shivered, "Couldn't go to Baby's either, since that got shut down."
"No way, really?"
"Mhm. It shut down before it even opened, only a few months after you guys went missing. I guess Mr. Afton couldn't handle it anymore. I talked to Mr. Emily about it just to see what he knew, but he wouldn't say much. He just said that Baby's was cancelled, but that Fredbear's had been growing more popular anyway, so all things happen for a reason, yada yada yada. Oh, yeah, Mr. Emily and I have been getting closer ever since you were gone, too! I dropped off some stuff I found of yours at his house. Dude, you leave a lot of clothes when you sleepover."
"It's not on purpose," Michael defended, and his friend laughed.
"I'm just messing. You seem kind of down, though. Should I stop? Were you calling to be serious?"
"No, man, you're fine," he chuckled, "Y'know, I'm glad I have a friend like you, Park."
"Aw, thanks, Mike," Parker giggled, "Uh, that didn't really answer my question, though."
He sighed, "I'm alright. I wasn't really calling to be serious, just needed to hear from an old friend."
"Oh! Well, then, I'm at your service! Want me to keep rambling while you listen?"
"No, but thanks," he snorted, "I think I'm gonna turn in for the night. Liz and Evan are upstairs already, I should probably go talk to them. Thanks for calming me down, though. As always, you're the best."
"So, you finally admit it!" Parker cheered, "To be honest, though, I always sort of thought you were the best. You were always cooler than I could ever be."
Michael blushed, "Oh. Uh, thanks, man. Okay, I'm gonna let you go. See ya', man."
"See ya'!"
With one last giggle from Parker, Michael hung up the phone. He shook his head as he chuckled from the encounter before venturing upstairs to meet his siblings. He spent many a night in the Emily household, so he already knew his way through the rooms. He passed the hall with the master bedroom, Charlie's bedroom, and Sammy's bedroom, taking a right to the bedroom across from Sammy's. There, he found Charlie and Sammy with their ears against the door. He coughed, and the twins stared at him with wide eyes and red faces.
"Uh—we weren't doing anything!" Sammy defended.
"We just wanted to see if everything was okay!" Charlie added.
Smirking, Michael raised an eyebrow, "Thanks for the concern, you weirdos, but I'll take it from here. We'll talk to you guys in the morning, alright?"
Charlie pouted, "Okay. But if you make Elizabeth upset, I'll murder you!"
"I'm sure," he rolled his eyes, "Now, goodnight, you two."
After Michael gently pushed the twins away from the door, he stepped inside the spare bedroom, carefully shutting the door behind him. Though the room was quiet, neither Evan or Elizabeth were sleeping; the girl lay on her side facing Evan, silent tears streaming down her face, and Evan lay face up towards the ceiling, his forearm covering his good eye. Michael climbed up onto the bed, lying on the other side of Elizabeth.
"Hey," he whispered as he shoved one arm under the pillow to support his head.
Turning his head to Michael, Evan removed his forearm from his eye, "Hi."
Elizabeth stayed silent, but curled further into herself. Michael removed her headband and used one hand to comb through her hair.
"How you two doing?" he asked.
Evan shrugged, offering no answer. After a few moments of silence, he said, "This hurts more than I thought it would. I thought if Father ever died I might be, I dunno, a little happy. Which sounds pretty bad saying it out loud..."
"Nah, I get it," Michael nodded.
"It's just weird...I guess I just thought one day he might change. Now, we'll never know," he picked at his fingernails, "Death is weird."
"Sure is. But everything happens for a reason, right?"
Elizabeth snorted, "Now you sound like Uncle Henry."
"It's a good philosophy!" he defended with a chuckle, "But really, I mean, now we're safe from him. We're in a good home with a family that loves us the right way."
"Childe and Kaeya loved us the right way, too," Elizabeth pouted.
"I know, but there was no way we could stay there forever," Michael separated a curl in her hair, "Plus, you missed Charlie, didn't you?"
She smiled, "Yeah, I did. I love her."
"I know you do."
Elizabeth exhaled shakily, "I know we had to come home, but right now, I just wish I could talk to Kaeya. I used to talk to him on the balcony sometimes. Those were the best talks, they always made me feel better."
Michael paused in thought, then sat up.
"Mike, where did you go?" Elizabeth whined.
He dug through his pockets, pulling out the small box that Elizabeth used to open the portal to her bedroom from Teyvat. He grinned widely, and Evan giggled.
"Hey, how did you get that?" Elizabeth shot up.
He smirked, "I might have pick-pocketed you."
"Hey!"
"Anyhow," he interjected, "Who says we can't go visit Kaeya right now? Maybe we can surprise him at his apartment, no?"
His sister beamed, "You're awful."
"Hey, I'm trying to make you feel better," he rolled his eyes playfully, "So. Wanna go visit their apartment for a little while?"
Despite her wishes to see her old friend, Michael could tell the girl was still anxious. When she bit her lip, Michael put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey. We've got a home here, and we've got a home in Teyvat. No matter what's happening, we're always going to be okay. We've got two different worlds rooting for us. Not to mention, we have each other," he sighed, "I know I haven't been the best to you two, but I really am trying to change. I never want you to worry about being alone again. You'll always have me. You're my siblings. From here on out, we're a team."
Elizabeth beamed at him, and he continued, "Oh, yeah, and since I'm the oldest, I'm team leader, and as team leader, I say we go visit Childe and Kaeya."
"Mikey!" she shoved his shoulder back while Evan giggled wildly.
"C'mon, guys, let's go already!" the youngest tugged on his sister's sleeve, and she groaned.
"Okay, okay, fine! But I call dibs on the couch."
"Hey, I was gonna take a nap there!" Evan argued.
"Finders keepers, losers weepers."
"That doesn't even make any sense right now!"
Rolling his eyes, Michael grinned despite himself. He pressed his thumb down on the tiny box's button and imagined the Liyue apartment. Unsurprisingly, his siblings yelling next to him helped him remember the apartment even better. When he opened his eyes, there the apartment was, looking as dirty as ever.
"Back so soon?" Childe popped into view from the kitchen, "You nearly gave Kaeya a heart attack."
A hand over his heart, Kaeya walked into their view from behind the portal, "Can you maybe make portals outside the apartment?"
Michael laughed, his eyes pricking with tears at such a familiar scene after a stressful day. He looked towards Elizabeth, who waved wildly into the portal. Then, his gaze met Evan's.
How had Michael been so blessed? He had no idea. Though his life started off rough, he found two families to be a part of, and multitudes of friends. There was no shortage of a support system in his life. Most importantly, though, he had been blessed with the gift of siblings. At that, ones who were so kind and loving. He was grateful to have them along his side to jump between worlds and defeat monsters with. Though the burden on his shoulders was heavier than usual, for once, Michael felt as though everything would be okay.
Evan and Michael smiled at each other across Elizabeth's beam.
They finally made it home.