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“The vampire appears.”
Sebastian stiffened, glaring at his sister.
Maru’s face indicated she thought what she said to be funny.
He wasn’t in the mood.
“Seeing you out in the sunlight…”
“Stop,” Sebastian said, pulling out leftovers from the fridge to heat up. “You’re not funny.”
“Yes, I am,” Maru said.
“No, you’re not,” Sebastian said. He ran a finger under his nose, his brain still in a fog from his latest coding project, letting out a sniff as he did so.
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
Sebastian sighed, deciding he would eat the leftovers cold, and turned to head back into his room, escaping from the bright sunlight. “No, you’re not.”
“Can we agree to disagree?” Maru chimed in, smiling.
Sebastian paused. “You’re making a joke at my expense. I’m allowed not to agree to disagree on this, Maru, but I’m saying it isn’t funny because I’m not in the mood…”
“And that’s your problem!” Maru said.
“No. It’s your problem,” Sebastian said, then let out a sigh, eyes closing as he leaned up against the counter.
“It’s your problem,” Maru said. “Not my fault, you can’t take a joke.”
Sebastian’s jaw set, hands lowered with the container of leftover food, feeling too tired after a long project for this.
“Not my fault, you’re not unsociable.”
“So you’re saying I should change?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Thanks for not accepting me for who I am,” Sebastian said.
“That’s not…”
“It is,” Sebastian said, sucking in his breath. “Asking me to change.”
“It’s not as if you’ve got some kind of social anxiety,” Maru complained.
To which—
Sebastian stared at her, then—
“Not as if?” Sebastian let out a huff. “I am…” And then he paused, realizing he almost let slip his mental health issues in front of his sister, one of the last people he wanted to know, as she could be so, “Fuck this.”
He moved to leave, before—
Maru’s forehead crinkled, and she worried her lip.
“Wait a sec.”
“No.”
“What did you mean…”
“None of your business,” Sebastian snapped.
“None of…” Maru said. “I’m family!”
“Well, you certainly don’t act like it!” Sebastian snapped. And then—
Oh, did he regret what he said?
“But it’s true, isn’t it?” Sebastian thought. “I’m going to my room.”
“Sebastian.”
“Don’t,” Sebastian said. “Complain to Demetrius if you want. I don’t listen to him anyway.”
“That’s not the point!”
Sebastian stiffened, turning to look at Maru, hissing out. “Whatever you think…”
“Are you seeking help?”
“What the fuck!” Sebastian said, eyes squinting against the sunlight.
“Language,” Maru chided.
“You can’t just,” Sebastian glared.
She glared back.
He took that as—
He didn’t get a chance to escape from the bright sunlight and Maru. “I’m not helping, am I?”
“No, you’re not,” Sebastian said.
“What can I…”
“Nothing,” Sebastian said.
“Seb,” Maru frowned.
“Look,” Sebastian took a deep breath. “I’ve gotten used to this being my reality, okay?”
“But you’re missing out…”
“On what?” Sebastian said.
“I miss you,” Maru said.
He stared, then, taking a deep breath. “You what?”
“I miss having an older brother.”
“You miss,” Sebastian frowned. “How can you miss something that never…”
“We’re family,” Maru insisted. “Can you at least try?”
“Maru,” Sebastian stared, then looked away, swallowing.
And then he bolted, started for his basement bedroom, only to remember—
He quickly came back, grabbed a utensil, and headed back to the basement to eat his food cold, the door slamming as he headed down the stairs, knowing Robin might say something about the noise later on.
Only for him to sit there, stewing.
“Vampire, huh?” Sebastian let out a sigh.
It just made him more inclined not to leave his room.
Nor did he want to eat.
Anxiety, after all, made him feel nauseous.
So the container got shoved into a small fridge he kept downstairs for situations like this before flopping into bed to sleep.
As such, he didn’t hear the basement door open.
He did feel Maru shake his shoulder, to which he jolted away. He looked at her, wide-eyed. “Maru! Don’t do…”
“How else am I supposed to wake you?” she frowned.
“Personal space, Maru!” Sebastian returned only—
Maru shoved a plate of sandwiches at him. “I brought my idiot vampire older brother something to eat.”
Sebastian stared at the plate.
Maru glanced over at the desk. “Which, given that the utensil is untouched, you didn’t even bother touching the leftovers you grabbed.”
Sebastian swallowed.
Then—
“Thanks.”
She stood there.
Sebastian stiffened.
“Can we talk about this later?” Maru said. “When you’re ready?”
He stared, then, “I’ll think about it.”
“Okay,” Maru said. “See you later.”
The door to his room opened and closed.
“Maybe,” Sebastian thought.
It was undoubtedly a step in the right direction, or at least it felt that way.