6:08pm

alright here we go ANGST time, all aboard the angst train choo choo
—

"You don't belong here anymore!"

The room went silent, so silent you could almost hear a heart break. Remus swallowed thickly, eyes shifting from Deceit and Virgil - he had watched it from the sidelines, the entire argument that he knew was now over. It didn't really last that long, not today, but it had been going on for weeks before this. Every little dig, every little comment, it's been growing, stewing until Virgil finally snapped - he yelled at Deceit, why are you being so fucking mean!?

Insult after insult Remus saw hurt flash through both of their eyes, Deceit was good at hiding, Virgil couldn't detect it but Remus could - and it pained him to see it.

Virgil left not a moment to soon, ducking out the room and disappearing forever. Remus watched Deceit throw his hat onto the coffee table and run a hand down his face. Remus took a step closer; "De?"

"Not...not right now, Remus" he replied, sounding so tired.

Remus nodded and watched as Deceit left the common room to his own room. Remus couldn't do anything but sit down on the broken couch the 'dark side' of the mind was given, pick up Deceit's hat and trail his thumb across the fabric.

The words lingered in the room, stuck to the walls, floor, furniture, everything. It echoed and would echo forevermore.

You don't belong here anymore

"What are you doing here?"

The malice made Virgil wince and duck his head, "Please I-...I have no where else to go" he whispered softly, brokenly. Only one side pitied him, gave him his sympathy and allowed him to stay. He received backlash because of this, he knew he would, but he told them straight that Virgil was going to stay for however long he needed to.

And he did.

And, in the end, he was allowed to stay forever.

"Hey, Virgil!"

"Hey, Thomas"

It took awhile, it was a painful heartache that seemed it would last for eternity but it didn't...he finally gave up and just before he could leave he was stopped. Stopped by the people who actually, truly, liked him. He wasn't frowned upon anymore, he was accepted, brought into conversation, listened to. Something he's yearned for for years on end, he didn't want to be the bad guy - he just wanted to help.

And now he is.

"Virgil...it's me, aren't we friends?"

"I'm not so sure we are..."

Remus rushed up to Deceit as soon as he appeared, looking curious, hopeful. "How is he?" He grinned widely, Deceit managed a smile. "He's...okay. How the others interacted with him, it was-they were.." Deceit bit his lip for a moment, reaching up and gently taking off his hat.

"They were a family"

Everyone knew of Virgil's past, everyone knew he and the dark sides didn't get along - no one knows the exact details but they wouldn't ask. They wouldn't want to put him through the memories, especially after how far they've all come. All they want now is the dark sides to leave them alone, for Virgil to be okay. He's improved so much and they're all proud of him, even if some would have a harder time admitting that than others.

"Alright! You've got to stop this guy from singing"

"I love how hard you try it's so cute let's resume sure"

Deceit stood up from the couch when Remus appeared with feet...instead of hands-? Deceit didn't care, he ignored the way he clapped his 'feet' together even if it was really fucking weird. "So.." Deceit prompted, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Hm? Oh!" Remus clapped his feet and suddenly they were hands again, throwing them up and shaking them around like 'jazz hands', "he's as perfect as a beached whale being ripped apart without being able to stop the onslaught!" He then cackled loudly and Deceit rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Is that good?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! Sure, like a family" Remus waved off before disappearing. Deceit knew he would have stayed for longer but he's hiding how he truly felt. He hates, hates it even more than Logan, showing his true emotions if he were hurt or upset.

"Deceit?" The side in question looked up from Remus' hair where he tied the strands into a short braid atop his head. "Yes, Virgil?" He responded calmly, Remus didn't notice him for he was too focused on the screen in front of him showing a bird eating another bird.

"Can I...stay in here?" He asked and Deceit smiled, patting the spot beside him. "Hm...no" Deceit responded and Virgil smiled too, shuffling over the room quick and climbing onto the bed next to him, pulling a face when he noticed what Remus was watching.

"Mus, budge up" he pushed at his shoulder. "Shh! It's the best part" Remus replied, the part in particular being the eating of the brain. Virgil kept shoving him until he finally shifted, giving Virgil enough space to also rest his head on Deceit's lap.

"Change it, I wanna watch something else" Virgil complained and Remus groaned, going to object when Deceit took the tablet.

"De!" Remus yelled out, pouting at him by tilting his head back. "Here - you both like Saw, right?" This made them both light up, Remus loved the gore and Virgil adored the horror. They both watched while Deceit played with their hair, going back and forth, making braids, undoing them and making them again. He knew how much they both liked the feeling.

"Hey, Kiddo..."

"Patton?" Deceit smirked and vanished, appearing right behind him and leaning close to him. "Why are you in my domain?" He murmured and Patton turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. "Why did you send him away?" Deceit knew exactly what he meant, what he was talking about. He also knew Patton wasn't here to play around.

"I didn't send anyone way" Deceit responded with anyway.

"He came to us with nowhere else to go, what happened?" Patton pressed sternly and Deceit gazed at his glove.

"I have no idea what-"

"Tell me. Now" Patton's voice changed, it went deeper, scarier...

Deceit tensed and subtly took a step back. "I sent him away because he didn't belong here anymore"

"Why?" Patton took a step closer. Deceit clenched his jaw.

"Why don't you ask him?"

"You know he wouldn't respond. Deceit just tell me!"

"I already have, Patton. He didn't belong here anymore"

Patton clicked his tongue furiously, hands clenching into fists. "Why not?"

"He wasn't bad enough for us"

"Deceit"

"He-"

"Deceit" Patton cut him off with fury burning in his eyes.

"Drop it-!"

"Tell me!"

"Because he didn't deserve to stay here anymore!" Deceit bellowed, so loud Patton flinched back in shock. Remus popped up not too far away to see what was going on.

"How can you say that?" Patton whispered with narrowed eyes.

"He deserved better" Deceit clarified in a whisper and Patton went silent, face dawning with realisation. "I sent him away because he deserved better. I meant what I said. He didn't belong here, he belonged with you...because Anxiety isn't a bad guy. And you know what else?" Deceit gripped Patton and slammed him into the nearest wall, he wailed out in pain, tears brimming his eyes.

"You don't belong here either. Go before I make you regret it" he spat darkly and Patton sunk out a second later, leaving Remus to slowly walk up to Deceit, watching him with cautious eyes.

"That was beautiful" he remarked with a grin. "Truly, I wished you had just reached in and ripped his heart out though - literally! A beating heart in your hand, his cool-!?"

"Remus, please...not now" Deceit whispered, sounding tired...

Remus watched him walk away, the only thing left behind being his hat. Remus picked it up and sat on the couch, eyes downcast.

They both still cared about him, of course they did. Remus, Deceit and Virgil grew up together, lived together, all of them as the bad guys...

The only thing is Virgil didn't belong anymore, however much it hurt Deceit and Remus both knew this, sending him away was the best thing they could do - cutting off ties was crucial to keep him away forever. They knew the 'light sides' would accept him eventually, they were both glad it finally happened. Did they miss him? Yes. But they'd never bring him back to the place that brought on so many negative emotions he could barely cope anymore.

Maybe one day they'd be friends again, but for now? For now they were the bad guys, the rest were the good guys, and that's how it would be.

That's how it belonged to be.

—
Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh oh

6:54pm