Archon Quest: Custom Night [FNAF/Genshin]

Chapter 10: Never Stood a Chance

He remembered the conversation clearly:

"I'm sorry."

He furrowed his eyebrows at his brother, "That...that's it? You're just sorry?"

"I...I'm not sure what else I can say, I—"

"You ruin my life for eight years and all you are is sorry?"

"At least he's trying," his sister interjected.

"No! Every single time we think you're going to be better, you're always awful to us again the next day! I'm not falling for this again!"

"Ev, come on—"

"I don't forgive you, Mike. Not until you stop being an arse for good! Just—leave me alone!"

Maybe he was too harsh. Evan flopped back against Childe's bed, burying his face into a pillow. Frustrated, he cried, because it seemed he had no idea what else to do.

"Evan!" his sister called, knocking on the bedroom door, "Childe made food! Do you want some?"

Wiping his face, he scrambled to his knees, "No, thank you!"

"Evan, kiddo, you haven't eaten a real meal in two days," Kaeya added, joining Elizabeth against the entrance, "You're coming out to eat whether you want to or not. Plus, you need to take a bath. You probably smell like death."

"Not true!" Evan pouted.

"It is," Elizabeth whispered to Kaeya, having to suffer the stench every night. He snorted, then turned back to the door.

"Listen, I'm gonna go draw you a bath. Either you come out now, eat, and get in, or you come out in five minutes, get in the bath, and then eat. But your food's gonna get cold if you do that."

Evan was silent for a moment, then he stuttered, "I-It's okay, I'll come out when the bath is done..."

Kaeya sighed, "Alright, but don't think you're gonna sneak your way out of missing dinner tonight."

The boy whined, which made him chuckle a little bit.

"Don't worry, you'll enjoy it. Now get ready, I expect you to be in the bathroom in five."

With that, Evan heard Kaeya's footsteps shuffle away from the door. He hugged his plushie tight to his chest, afraid that if he moved he might endanger himself. The clock next to him ticked loudly in his ear as he tried to take a soft step onto the wooden floor.

"I know, I'm going," he grumbled to it. The ticking softened afterward, as if Evan had said something to frighten the sound. After all, that's what his father and brother would've done, wasn't it?

Just as he got to the door, he turned around to face the clock again.

"I'm sorry."

Meanwhile, Elizabeth dangled her legs off of the side of the couch, hearing no ticking sound at all.

"Do you think dogs have feelings?"

"Why, of course," Childe replied nonchalantly, "They're basically the personified version of love and comradery."

From the door frame, Kaeya gazed at the bathroom floor as he added onto Childe's claim, "Their emotions surely aren't as complex as ours, but they do exist."

"Is that so, my friend?" the other man peaked out from around the kitchen wall.

"Dogs can't fall in love," he gave him a look, then walked into the bathroom, "Not like we can, anyway."