Chapter Text
The light sides have been behaving...strangely, to say the least. Deceit couldn't quite put his finger on it but something was most certainly off about them. Virgil seemed jumpier whenever he would pop in his room unannounced to tease him as if he just spotted a creepy house pest under his bed. He'd give his usual snarl at Deceit and asked him what he wanted but his words had no bite to them. Virgil always sounded either shaky or exhausted. Roman was his usual overly dramatic self but he hasn't been quite...mobile with his body gestures. Something Deceit found absolutely jarring was the prince's refusal to move around when he started geeking out. He just stood there, stiff as a board, while smiling brightly and blabbering off. Not even so much as an arm raise. It was an awkward thing to watch, especially considering Roman never held back in expressing himself before.
Then there was Logan. The intellectual of the group...wasn't correcting anyone. Or rather, he seemed to only correct Virgil and Roman but it was usually on things that didn't matter. Like, say if Roman were to say it was sunny outside, Logan would interject and remind him that there was a storm coming later that day. It was irrelevant outside of making sure Thomas had something to cover himself with if he chose to go out. But given Thomas's recent mood, that wasn't very likely. Deceit also noticed that he never corrected Patton anymore, someone he had no trouble badgering for ignorance before. Even when Patton was blatantly wrong about something, be it grammar, common knowledge, or even relating to Thomas. Logan would just nod and agree.
Deceit caught wind of something else as well when they were all together in the common room. Deceit would pop in on their conversation, all seemed to be per the norm with their reactions, groans and shooing him off for interrupting. Of course, he would stay regardless since they had zero power over him. He'd just stand there with his usual smirk, throwing in a few quips whenever Roman and Virgil began to bicker. But he didn't miss the way everyone would abruptly stop talking the moment Patton entered the picture. All of a sudden they were well-behaved and stopped raising their voices. The snake-like side's eyes would dart ever so slightly between all four of them. The sides didn't notice his suspicious staring but Deceit got the impression that even if they did, they'd say nothing. The deceitful side only watched in silence as they continued to speak to one another. As he did, he didn't miss Roman's cringing whenever Patton made eye contact with him. Deceit didn't miss Logan jumping when Patton cooed and wrapped an affectionate arm around the logical side's shoulder. Deceit didn't miss Virgil flinching whenever Patton moved too quickly. Whether it was the moral side's usual childish excitement, him offering Virgil something and handing it to him, or running over for a hug. He especially noticed the way Virgil stiffened in their embrace, awkwardly placing his hands on Patton's back, his fingertips barely brushing the fabric of his shirt. Not to mention the slight trembling.
Deceit would've brushed that off as Virgil just being his usual, well, anxious self. But given all the things he's noticed recently, there was definitely something going on between the light sides he wasn't seeing. And it all had something to do with Patton.
Deceit made an attempt to discuss this recent behavior with each of them, Patton excluded, naturally. He approached Roman first, giving the prince a kind smile to put him at ease when he flinched at Deceit's abrupt appearance. The creative side was in the middle of washing dishes after everyone had finished their dinner. He clearly wasn't expecting Deceit to show himself. But then again, no one ever does. "Good evening, Roman.", he greeted.
"H-Hi.", That was all the prince uttered before returning to his chores, hoping Deceit would just go away. Of course, he didn't.
"Lovely evening, is it not?", Deceit trailed behind Roman, eventually stopping and leaning against the wall. , "And no one seems to be within earshot, at the moment. Isn't that liberating?-"
The plates clacked loudly against each other as Roman irritably set them down momentarily, "Can you not? Can you actually not?"
"Not what?", Deceit asked innocently, tilting his head with a playful grin.
"That. Whatever that is. Speaking in riddles whenever you show up! It's incredibly aggravating, you know! And creepy!", Roman spat, going back to the task at hand.
Deceit chuckled, "My apologies. It wasn't my intention to offend." He placed a hand over his chest in mock hurt. It was just an effort to lighten the mood a bit. But, of course, Roman interpreted it as insincerity. The creative side rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, sure. You done?"
"Not quite.", Roman groaned, Deceit held up his hand in protest, "Patience. I only want to ask a few questions, is all. Then I'll be out of your hair."
Roman narrowed his eyes but allowed Deceit to continue. "You've been restaining yourself quite a bit, Roman.", The prince froze, Deceit's words were more of a statement than a question, "It's odd. You used to be so expressive and outspoken. Never concerned with how the others perceived you whenever you, how you say...geeked out. You were like a fiery beacon always ready to explode. Now it's as if you're a damp match struggling to ignite a flame." The snake-like side had inched closer to Roman during his questioning, noting the way he tensed up as if expecting Deceit to do something.
Deceit was face-to-face with him now, far enough for a reasonable gap but close enough to make Roman uneasy. "You've changed, Roman.", He said simply, "And not for the better. There's something eating away at you, isn't there? Something you aren't willing to disclose to me...or Thomas.", He paused, "I could understand your unwillingness to open up to me, however, Thomas...is Thomas. Whatever it is must be quite the nasty secret, I'd say.", Deceit's mitch matched eyes darted away for a split second but quickly regained contact with Roman's frightened hazel orbs, "Do you not agree?"
The prince had gone dead silent. The water running from the faucet and the ticking of the clock was the only sound present as the two sides gazed at one another. Roman was paralyzed with fear, this much was evident to Deceit as he watched the other's right arm that was rested on the kitchen counter, tremble non-stop. The snake's eyes darted back to Roman's face, studying his expression. He could see the panic in his eyes that he was failing to hide. He saw Roman flinch as he moved again, this time turning his back on the other side. "I'm not going to harm you if that's what you're thinking."
Roman snapped right out of his trance, quickly becoming defensive, "I-I wasn't scared you'd hurt me!", He forced a laugh, plastering on a fake cocky smirk in an effort to mimic his usual arrogance, "As if you could, Jack The Fibber!" He was failing. Oh boy, was he failing.
"Actions speak louder than words, Roman.", Deceit countered, not at all offended by the insult, "You of all people should know that."
"I don't know what you're on about.", Roman fidgeted uncomfortably but eased into a forced smile, "I'm fine."
Deceit felt a tingle on his nose. A lie. "Is that what you want to believe?"
Roman was silent again, his "smile" faded to nothing, unsure of how to respond. Deceit turned around again to face him, a grin once again resting on his lips. But this one wasn't malicious, teasing, or arrogant. It was soft and inviting. Deceit eyebrows were knitted together sadly and his eyes held a gaze that Roman swore was empathetic. It was an odd expression for Deceit to have and it honestly made Roman even more uneasy. "Well, I'm sure you're tired and want to finish up here. Good night, Roman, this is where I leave you."
With that, Deceit had disappeared. Leaving Roman to finish the dishes. The prince sighed, grabbing the soap and sponge, pretending not to feel the burning pain in his arms.
Deceit would like to say he had better luck with the other two but, unfortunately, he didn't. Virgil and Logan had said the same thing. That they were fine. And each time, Deceit felt his nose tingle. They were lying. All three of them. Deceit was no fool. He knew it had something to do with Patton. He was the only one who didn't have a rapid change in behavior. He was the only one who seemed relatively okay and unbothered. What really made Deceit suspicious was the fact the other sides were clearly distraught lately and Patton didn't seem to show any degree of concern. That was a jarring detail that kept Deceit up at night. Being the "Dad friend" of the group, it was odd that Patton's fatherly instincts didn't go into overdrive upon the first instance of sadness from his beloved "children". He just went on, as usual, chipper attitude and bad puns.
Something was up. And Deceit did not like it. Not one bit.
"Goodness, Deceit. You're more scary than usual.", Remus interrupted his deep thought, playing with his morning star and kicking back in a lounge chair.
"Begone Remus.", Deceit hissed.
"Something's troubling you, isn't it?", Remus sighed, "You're only ever this snappy when it concerns the others. You're usually as cool as a cucumber. Get it? Cucum-"
"Begone Remus!", Deceit's hissing was rapid now, "I am not in the mood for your infantile jokes! Now leave me be!"
Remus held up his hands defensively, "Alright, alright. My bad. I was just worried about you, is all. Don't gut me."
Deceit's expression softened, heaving out a sigh and squeezing the brim of his nose, "No, no. Forgive me. I'm just..."
"Worried about the others?", Remus finished the sentence for him.
Deceit rolled his eyes, he hated being interrupted. "Yes, the others. Something's going on that I'm not seeing. I believe Patton may be the one responsible."
Remus let out a hearty laugh, "Patton?! That washed-up old teddy bear?!", He continued to snicker but immediately stopped upon noticing Deceit's glare. He knew better than anyone that testing Deceit's patience was not a wise decision. , "Oh, come on. Even if there is something going on between those four, I doubt Patton has the brain cells to be the one to even begin to conjure up something devious. Sounds more like Logan, given there is something going on."
Deceit shook his head, "No. Logan would never do anything to disrupt order. It's simply not in his nature to try to dismantle any of Thomas's basic functions. He'd have a panic attack at the mere idea of not being able to structure the other sides. I doubt he'd do so intentionally."
Remus hummed, "Virgil?"
Deceit rolled his eyes, "Unlikely. He may be an irrational mess but he's not stupid. I would think he knew better than to mess with the others after gaining their trust."
"Roman?", Remus said carefully, knowing full well he was on thin ice with Deceit.
"More unlikely.", Deceit rubbed his temple, "I know it's a lot to ask, but use that brain of yours, Remus. Roman may be overzealous but why on earth would he make the others suffer, knowing full well the consequences?"
Remus didn't have an answer. He had no idea what was going on, really. He was just trying to ease Deceit's troubled mind. "It's Patton, Remus. I know it is. I don't know what exactly he's doing but I know it's him. I know something's off. I just have to prove it, somehow."
"You're stressing yourself out, Dee.", Remus scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Not sayin' I don't believe you but I really think you should rest a bit and clear your head."
Deceit sighed, "You're correct about that at least. No use hurting myself over something I'm not yet certain of.", The snake rose from his chair, "I'm going to bed. Do not disturb me."
" 'Night, Dee."
"Good night, Remus."
Deceit approached Patton when it was his turn to do the dishes. Everyone had cleared the room by the time he popped in. "Do you need any help with those, Patton?"
Patton seemed a bit startled but quickly recovered, flashing a kind smile, "Oh, I appreciate the offer, kiddo. But I'll be alright."
Deceit smirked, "Yes, well, I was just making sure. There are certain stains that are harder to get out than others.", They chuckled in unison. , "Some soaps are just not adequate enough. Must be quite the pesky task. I couldn't imagine."
"On the contrary, I actually enjoy it.", Patton beamed, scrubbing away.
"I'm certain you do.", Deceit uttered his signature laugh, "You do seem the type."
"So what brings you here? You doin' okay, kiddo?", Patton placed one of the plates on the drying board, moving on to wash the next one.
"Oh, nothing in particular.", Deceit absentmindedly played with his fingers, "I just pop in every now and again to check on the others."
Patton stopped scrubbing for a split second but resumed. Deceit smirked, continuing, "It's just to make sure everything is running smoothly. That Thomas and the other sides are taken care of."
"Is that so?", Patton looked to pleasantly surprised.
"Yes.", Deceit let his eyes wander on purpose, masking his gaze in sadness, "I know I can be quite a handful at times and not the easiest to deal with but I truly do care for the others. Even if I may struggle to show it."
"Aww, well that's very sweet of you, Deceit.", Patton glanced back at him with a smile. , "I never would've guessed you'd admit that out loud."
Deceit shrugged, "I'm full of surprises, I suppose."
"Of course...", Patton turned back to his chores, "You could be lying." The moral side still had a chipper ring in his tone but the sweet playfulness seemed to have slipped out at the end. Patton chuckled nonetheless.
Deceit followed, "Fair enough. Though I assure you, that is something I will never lie about.", He stopped laughing, "Amongst other things."
Patton kept his eyes trained on the dishes, "And what might that be kiddo?"
Deceit was standing right behind Patton at this point, "That I will protect everyone with all I have. Anyone who would dare to jeopardize their safety is someone I would end on the spot."
The kitchen was silent, the faucet running, the clock ticking. It was only Deceit's hearty chuckle that broke the silence, "Dramatic, I know.", He breathed, "But that's how I truly feel. It's a bit embarrassing, really." The deceitful side rubbed his neck shyly. Patton shook his head.
"I think that's a wonderful part of yourself, kiddo.", He gave a reassuring smile, "You should show that side of yourself more often."
"Oh, I will in due time.", Deceit purred, "After all, we all have to let down our masks eventually."
Patton went back to scrubbing, humming in agreement, "Glad to hear you're opening up."
Deceit turned to leave, "Well, we are a family.", He waved, "Have a lovely night, Patton."
"You too.~", Patton answered. Once he was sure Deceit could no longer hear him, he slammed the last plate on the drying board. , "Nosy bastard."
The following weeks have been hell for Thomas. He barely had any time to himself because he had been doing favors for his friends at every turn. Deceit had confronted him several times, scolding him for allowing himself to neglect self-care for this long. But all he got in return was Thomas repeating it was the right thing like a dead, broken record. He couldn't get through to Thomas and it was not only infuriating but also saddening. Deceit couldn't stand to see Thomas do this to himself but all he could do was watch. Logan had not said a word to Thomas regardless of how irrational his actions were. He just praised him for thinking for his friends' benefit and left it at that. Virgil was too out of it to speak. And Roman, well, his fiery passion was just gone now. He geeked out every now and again but there was no more enthusiasm behind it. Just lazy acknowledgment.
Thomas had gone out to clear his head, Deceit observing him closely from inside the mind palace. He had run into a dangerous person on the way back. The man didn't seem dangerous to Thomas but Deceit could smell his true intentions behind the kind smile he wore. The man had asked to walk with Thomas, to which he complied. Deceit made sure to steer Thomas away from the path to their home, watching the man closely. The two men chatted for a while before the stranger asked where he lived. Deceit automatically convinced Thomas to utter a lie. Not today, pal. The stranger pressed him for other information, his friends, contact info, etc. He insisted he was from a stable company that was looking to hire but Deceit gagged through it all. The bastard reeked of deception. And he wasn't letting up, was he?
Deceit was having none of it. So he made Thomas lie at every turn, being convincing enough that the stranger eventually said his goodbyes, leaving Thomas alone. Deceit breathed a sigh of relief when Thomas returned home safely. He exited the mind palace and went into the common room. Deceit stopped in his tracks when noticed the four other sides standing completely still. Patton, in particular, looked furious.
"What was that?", Patton folded his arms, glaring.
"I beg your pardon?", Deceit raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, don't play coy with me! You know what I mean!", Patton advanced forward, gritting his teeth.
Deceit caught on quickly and rolled his eyes, "I did what was necessary, Patton. Nothing more."
"No, you didn't have to! You wanted to!"
Deceit chuckled darkly, "Ah, yes. Pardon me for wanting to protect Thomas from a potentially dangerous situation. I'm sure you much prefer him to end up in a body bag than in the comfort and security of his own home. Silly me." The deceitful side sang, flicking his hand in mock embarrassment.
"You're exaggerating, number one. Number two, you know that's not what I meant!", Patton seethed.
"Oh, it's not?", Deceit questioned sarcastically, "Because, forgive me if I'm misunderstanding you if you had it your way Thomas would have given out all of his personal information to a stranger and proceeded to hope for the best-case scenario: being murdered in his sleep. Or the worst-case scenario, being mixed up in some scam he couldn't crawl out of. Tell me, Patton. Do I have this right?"
"Lying isn't the answer!", Patton hissed, "He could've just wanted to get to know Thomas! You didn't have to lie!"
"We can not afford to give every stranger the benefit of the doubt, Patton!", Deceit spat back, "What's more important? Your black-and-white sense of self or Thomas's safety?!"
"Don't you dare suggest I don't care about what happens to Thomas!", Patton pointed a finger at Deceit, warning him not to cross a line.
"You certainly don't act as if you care!", Deceit got closer to Patton, showing he wasn't backing down, "Thomas has been miserable and all you do is badger him to always put himself last!"
"You always put others...before yourself.", Patton growled.
"Not when it's detrimental to your health!", Deceit was raging. They continued to go back and forth for a while. Virgil, Logan, and Roman just watched them in silence. Logan somehow mustered the courage to speak up, interjecting.
"Not that I don't believe falsehoods not to be morally reprehensible.", Deceit didn't miss the way Logan swallowed hard and cleared his throat the moment Patton turned his head without saying anything, "But perhaps Deceit has a valid...point. Falsehoods can, in special circumstances, be life-saving. Of course, I don't condone wrongdoings, Patton. Your way usually helps. But there are...alternatives...to consider. Being that Thomas is...safe now. We can avoid any further deception in the future. ...Hopefully."
"Oh, there he is!~", Patton sang, "That's our Logan, always the neutral little smartie pants!" There was no way that was Patton's usual doting self. The words he uttered seemed affectionate but just barely. But Deceit saw through such a thinly veiled insult. There was a bite behind Patton's dialogue, malice. No ordinary person would catch on, Patton was good at hiding behind sweet words. But the way Logan immediately stopped speaking, his eyes downcast and sighing in defeat, was all the proof Deceit needed of Patton's intention. The moral side's smile wasn't helping his case.
"I am sick of you doing that, Patton.", Deceit hissed.
"Doing what?", Patton tilted his head.
"Oh, no, we're not playing this game.", Deceit chuckled darkly, "You need to stop shutting them down like that. Your opinion isn't the only one that matters! Quit being so crude and condescending!"
Patton laughed, "Oh, look who's talking, kiddo! I don't remember you being all that nice, either! And I'm not talking down to anyone, that sounds like a you problem!"
"Teasing is one thing, Patton. Shaming is another.", Deceit countered, trying to hold on to his last shred of patience.
Their argument never seemed to end. It dragged on. The other sides tensed more the longer it continued. They knew Patton would snap sooner or later. And he did. Patton's rage boiled over after realizing he was losing the argument. That he was blatantly incorrect. Patton balled his fist, pulling it back, and punched Deceit directly in the jaw. The other sides gasped as Deceit fell over from the impact, landing roughly a few feet away. They expected to see Deceit coil back, to start crying and apologize, to beg Patton for forgiveness. They fully expected Deceit to react as they did, and they fully expected Patton to continue to hit Deceit. But as Patton continued to yell and goes in for another blow, something unexpected happens.
Having caught Patton's fist in a vice, painfully tight grip, Deceit smirked dangerously up at Patton. Slowly getting up without breaking eye contact with the stunned moral side, Deceit hums, "So, it's true."
Deceit punched Patton two times as he hard, smirking with satisfaction as Patton hit the wall, creating a huge crack. Deceit advances on Patton, a dangerous glee in his tone as the moral side tried to back up more, even though he knew it was futile. "You know, Patton, I am self-preservation.", He grabbed Patton's hair violently, forcing him to look at him directly, "That means it is my sworn duty to keep Thomas's mental state secure and happy. To protect him from being hurt. To eliminate any and all threats to his happiness. In order to keep Thomas safe, I have to protect every aspect of his personhood.", Deceit held Patton in a chokehold, forcing his head to take a brief glance at Virgil, Logan, and Roman. "That includes the other sides."
Deceit landed blow after blow, Patton tried to fight back but it was useless. Patton's strength was nothing compared to Deceit's own, all he could do was curl up in a ball and bare it. The moral side began to sob helplessly, pathetically holding up his arms in defeat. "Please, stop...it hurts."
Patton's head was met with a merciless boot stomping on it, "I'm sure that's exactly what the others said when you hurt them. Yet you didn't stop! Why should I?"
"I-I'm...I'm sorry, I'm sorry!", Patton whined as Deceit lifted him up by his hair. He let go but harshly shoved him towards the others, keeping a firm grip on the back of his shirt.
"Don't tell me. Tell them.", Deceit hissed impatiently. He was having none of Patton's pathetic whimpering, grabbing the back of his neck, sinking his sharp nails into the moral side's skin. , "Tell them!!! "
"I-I'm s-sorry, everyone!", Patton sobbed uncontrollably, "I'm sorry! So, so sorry!"
The other sides did not respond, they simply looked away. Their silence scared Patton. Were they really going to sit back and watch as Deceit beat him half to death? Patton had no time to come to a conclusion. Deceit grabbed his front collar roughly, forcing them into eye contact once again. The moral side gulped when he saw Deceit's eyes were glowing yellow, meaning his rage had reached an all-time high and he was serious, deadly serious. "That had better been nothing but sincerity, Patton. If I ever catch you so much as raising a hand at any of them or shame them for any reason, ever again, you won't live to regret it.", Deceit's voice distorted. The snake-like side smirked, gripping his windpipe, "Snakes devour nasty rats like you, Patton. Please...", He laughed darkly, "Please....give me a reason to devour you."
Virgil winced as Deceit's voice began to distort more. He was really not holding anything back. He knew how terrifying Deceit's rage was and he didn't ever dare to try to irk him to this point.
"I-I w-won't, I promise...", Patton's tears soaked his shirt. Deceit pulled Patton closer, hissing like the snake he was.
"Good. You'll keep away from my family if you know what's good for you.", He tossed the moral side across the floor, "Get out of my sight, rat."
Patton didn't bother getting up, he was in too much pain, he simply teleported back to his room.
Deceit turned to the others. He knew he probably looked horrifying right now. Covered from head-to-toe in Patton's blood, eyes still glowing yellow. But he smiled gently nonetheless. "I realize it's easier said than done but if any of you ever need to speak to me about anything, my door is always open. Don't ever be afraid to come to me when you need it, alright?"
Virgil, Logan, and Roman rubbed their arms nervously, unsure of what to say. Deceit flashed an understanding smile and turned to leave, "I have some cleaning to do. Come to me in your own time. I'll be patient."
Before any of them could speak up, Deceit was gone.