Friendly reminder that the last chapter (One parallel universe) didn't happen.

7 May

The normal healthy snake sheds their skin 2 to 4 times per year. Deceit shed around every 6 months. He got really tired a while before so he usually tried to find a warm and soft spot before falling asleep suddenly as if he was narcoleptic. Then at least 12 hours later he woke up with his old scales beside him already getting dry and dusty. It was quite different if his scales were stuck in something per se stitches, then it could be quite painful while they were coming off. 

Logan was just on his way back to his room from checking up on Roman when he heard screaming. He ran in not bothering to close the door. Ethan was tumbling around in the bed. Eyes closed but hands moving. Scratching at his neck and clawing around his eyes until blood started dripping down. Since he was deep asleep almost in a coma state his brain didn't think about holding his reactions behind lock and key but screamed. Anything to try and make the pain feel better. 

The logical side put the other man's head gently in his lap using one hand to stroke his hair and the other to stop Dee from hurting himself further. His whole body twitched, his wrists contorting itself themselves into inhuman positions. 

After half an hour the scales fell off and in the matter of seconds the room went silent. Roman who had come over to check if they were okay when he heard the screaming frowned at the man in purple. It was weird to him how helpless Dee looked. The man who he had always seen as a composed villain who could untangle your mind in a matter of minutes and could only bring harm with him like a cat dragging in trouble was right now as big of a threat as a mouse with the flu. 

He walked out the door again passing Patton's shut door. How he had wandered around that door the latest days. Wondering if he should go in or not. He hoped the father figure wasn't blaming himself for what had happened if anything the prince thought that he should be the one to shoulder the responsibility. Of course he had seen Pat around the house but when they talked it was like the words in their brains had to go through a dark maze before being spoken and so much was lost on the way ending up in awkward conversations about nothing. 

The only thing Roman knew was that Patton had lied about Dee hitting him. But he was just scared right? He would never actually try to harm someone right?

It was the middle of the night anyway so it would be rude to wake him up now. His fingers trailed over the door as he walked past it into the dream theater before doing his best to sink so much into his work he forgot about anything else. 

~~~~

12 May

It was Saturday and the prince had convinced the other two boring sides (as he called them) to have a movie night. So now they were sitting in Roman's room in a sofa he pulled up from the floor because he's creativity he can do anything he wants in his room.

Deceit sat pressed against the left couch couchin still not trusting him enough to sit close to him. Logan was sitting cross legged his left hand stretched out over the top of the sofa so it went  behind Dee's head. Roman used up the rest of the space by laying sprawled out debating out loud which Disney film they should watch. 

"For the third time prep we do not prefer to watch the animated kids films made by the multi billionaire capitalist gold cave that is named Disney" The logical side tried to stop the constant talking. 

"They didn't peak in 1996 and you're just too much of a coward to admit it" Dee added. 

"Well what do you prudes want to watch then?" He asked moving his head side to side to try and look more sassy. He failed. 

"Documentary"

"Not Anime" 

They looked at each other for a moment before settling on "Vinland saga"

Roman burst into a laugh saying between chuckles "You two want to watch anime?"

"It is historically accurate" Logan countered.

"The animation is of very average and definitely not good quality"  Ethan argumented. 

When it started getting dark outside (Ro's room has windows into the imagination) after they had watched 3 episodes the prince danced around the room getting some matches from a drawer saying that live candles made his room even more aesthetically pleasing and romantic. He was on a mission to be the best wingman to Logan as he possibly could even though they were already a couple. He jumped back onto the sofa and took out his phone saying that he got so inspired he had to write down his amazing ideas in the notes but he was actually just checking Instagram. 

Deceit's faze flickered between the candles and the prince. Telling himself that he had been with fire when he was in the dream palace so he was just overreacting right now. To be fair nothing in the dream palace could hurt you. 

The side of logic noticed and nudged on the other's shoulder a bit casting him an expression that basically asked him if he was okay. the side of lies nodded squeezing the other man's knee to make the lie more convincing. 

Logan coughed a little to catch both's attention "It is getting quite late maybe we should make our exit" Deceit let the tension in his shoulders go as he nodded maybe a bit too eagerly. 

Before they left Dee leaned over the sofa near Roman trying to look as casual as possibly while saying "Thank you"

"It was just a movie night" He flapped his hand a little as he answered. 

"That was what I...Thanks for" He gritted his teeth a bit trying to force the next words out "For not forcing me away"

A lump appeared in the princes throat hating that he thanked him for something that simple after what he had done but covered it up with a confident grin. "Don't mention it. The others have been such bores lately anyway" 

~~~~

19 May

When Logan came back from lunch his room was empty. Such a strange feeling lingered in his heart at the sight. He had gotten so used to being greeted with a smile or hearing sounds coming from a computer that the room being completely still made it look unnerving. 

He hoped for the best and presumed that his partner was over at Roman's. Even though he had so far preferred to have Lo with him just to make sure nothing bad would happen maybe they had gotten close enough for Dee to trust him. 

Calmly he knocked on Roman's door awaiting an answer that didn't come. He did hear laughter from the kitchen though but when he went over there he just found Patton and the prince baking. For a moment he thought about asking them if they had seen him but decided it was for the best not to. 

The dream theater was dark and out of commission this time of day but even so he looked around the entire place before teleporting into the imagination, heart beating faster than usual. At their usual spot hidden behind the trees he finally found him, but he wasn't alone.  

Dee was facing away from Logan staring at a shorter shadowy figure in green. His hair was fluffy flowing down the left past of his face fitting his just as flowing knee long skirt. 

It wasn't until the logical side saw that the face was missing all normal human parts expect hair. It was just skin on bones. Meaning that the person wasn't real but just a sort of puppet Dee had conjured in the imagination.

"Salutations" The moment Logan broke the silence the puppet disappeared dispersing into a sick grey liquid on the grass slowly sinking into the ground. 

"Hi love. I was just thinking up new outfits for my big return"

"Falsehood. Do not play me for a fool dear. It may have been 3 years seen I last saw him but I still recognize Envy"

"He was not so happy when Patton summoned him" He reminisced with a small smirk which the other man couldn't currently see since he was still facing away from him into literally nothing but trees but hey you do what you got to do to not seem to emotionally vulnerable. 

"Oh how the mighty have fallen"

"You can say that again"

"....Oh how the mig-"

"Expression Lolo expression"

"It is always an expression" He rose his fist and shook it like he promised revenge on all the expressions in the world "Anyhow want to tell me why you are well located here doing whatever you were doing?"

"Surprising you give me the option to just say no. No I will not tell you what my business over here is I'll go and sit in a cave of silence till the birds eat my brain.......I think...I miss him. Stupid I know most the time we hated each other" Logan walked forward and stood beside him letting Deceit lean his head on his shoulder as he continued "But after Vir- nevermind" He was unsure if the other's knew about it. "he was the only one I had until well...you"

"Understandable"

Guilt. Deceit had been feeling it a lot lately. Guilt for leaving Envy knowing fully well what would happen to him. It was like a loop. 1 dark sides go and the ones left behind start hating them.

"Perhaps cooking dinner would make your emotions less moody?"

"I can just waltz around the commons"

"They have already obtained the knowledge you're here. You do not have to hide anymore"

It was something so obvious but hearing it still made his eyes widen and heart sore and all he could say was "Oh"

After 50 minutes they had cooked something that could be described as a mistake if you saw how it looked or if you tasted it you may call it proof that hell is real and everlasting. They had created the largest sandwich they possibly could by using any and all ingredients they saw fitting including pineapple (on pizza), 5 hard boiled eggs, 3 waffles, 1 big round crisp bread, half a burnt corndog and the remnants of a bottle of crofters after Logan ate the rest. But at least they had fun. 

And then Patton walked in.

Logan who was in the middle of a brave journey of trying to eat the sandwich quickly dropped it instead taking his boyfriends hand in an attempt to both protect and calm down. This time Ethan didn't try to take his hand away.

"Oh hello kiddo" He said with a smile his eyes trailing over the pair "..And Deceit"

"Well look at us" The logical side proclaimed. "All gathered like fresh sheep before the slaughter" He had on the most fake grin you could imagine but the worst part it was Logan who did it, lo smiling fakily is downright creepy. "Are not apologies one of the most morally righteous things us humans can do?"

"Think so" Morality answered.

"Then maybe you should give one to my husband" To be noted. They are not married Lo just thought it sounded cooler than my boyfriend. Anyway it was like looking at 2 hurricanes slowly approaching each other. Two very very passive aggressive hurricanes.

"What did I do?" Pat asked innocently. Logan's fake smile faltered as rage begun to bubble in his stomach.

"You know exactly what you did" He hissed which he had picked up from Dee. It was a good thing that they were still holding hands or else he would have shot forward like an angry missile instead Dee held him back putting his other hand on his shoulder patting it a little. 

"Have you forgotten he's a liar? Do you really trust everything he says over me your pappy Patton whom you've known all your life?" He put his hands on his heart leaning his chest forward a little.

"Ladies ladies, you're both pretty" Ethan commented trying to clear the tension in the air. "My dear Morality I know you don't despise but Thomas is a good person and right now you seem like you belong less as a part of him than I do"

Patton looked stunned, his eyes averting down into the floor before mumbling "I'm sorry for the scar....but nothing else but the scar" His hands didn't tingle.

"Thanks, I appreciate it" He snarled. The tension? still there, still growing. You could probably put a needle into it and the tension would punch you back. Neither said another word as the couple walked out of the room. 

~~~~

24 May

On a Friday afternoon Deceit got pulled right out of an evening of cuddles and looking up facts on random animals on wikipedia into the living room where Thomas and Virgil already stood. Their host looked very nervous but that wasn't the person Dee focused on.

"Oh Virgil my most calm and collected best friend" He hissed moving his hands around in an extravagated way. "What a glory to be called upon truly exiting. What is it you need?" He checked his glove wearing nails.

Thomas told him about yet another dilemma but does it really matter what it was about? Would Deceit ever really win an argument against one of the light sides when it's Thomas who chooses who wins. Maybe if he realized that people weren't as black and white as he thought but as it is right now no. 

So he did his best to convince him to lie but like the few other times the light side in this case Virgil won and the dilemma was settled. Didn't mean that Ethan's headache of the day was over. As he was halfway on his way to teleport out the side of anxiety grabbed his hand forcing him to instead teleport to his room. 

His breathing stopped to a halt as all he saw before him was a threat not the person he had grown up with. The thoughts in his screamed that he had to attack him, to tie him up or something because the last time this situation happened it had ended with him going back to Rage. Virge nervously pulled the sleeve of his hoodie down over his hands as Dee tried to make the lump in his throat disappear. They were standing quite far from one another as the now light side didn't want to heighten the current very nervous energy.

"I'm sor" They said at almost the exact same time. The side of lies gestured with his hand for the other man to continue talking ignoring how shaky it was. 

"I'm sorry....I should have done something more to stop them. You didn't deserve to get hurt....neither of us ever did" He folded his arms around himself as if to protect himself from any incoming negative reaction.

"It's not like I wish you would have told me this very emotionally vulnerable thing before I got more in touch with my feelings, now I have to tell the truth" He rolled his eyes before mumbling "Damn fucking damnit" Under his breath. "I'm not sorry that the things I didn't say made you  duck out. Especially since well...you weren't right about what Rage is doing is wrong" The things he wanted to say about how stupid he was for staying so long and how he had left Envy stayed in his throat. 

"True true! And I still forced you back there" The words spilled out of his mouth as the guilt he had been carrying around made it's way into his speech.

"Oh yeah because it's not like I could have run off to the imagination or the dream palace or go back to Logan earlier" He frowned a little.

"Still I'm sorry" Virgil apologized once again.

This is a trap. It must be. It's not real. He pushed the thoughts out of his head. Sometimes being self preservation was annoying especially when everything seemed like a threat. Didn't help that the room had started to affect him. "So what now?"

The shorter side shrugged putting his hands deep in his pockets so the snake took the first and in a way last step to officially seal that this part of their relationship was over. 

"Virgil" Ethan put forward his hand.

"Ethan" Virgil shook it. 

So since we are in the endgame of this fic its time to start a new one and shamelessly advertise it. It's called Sanders sides school for the troubled youth and here' the link: https://www.wattpad.com/763268938-sanders-sides-school-for-the-troubled-youth