Anxious Torture [Sanders Sides FANFIC]

Prologue

Virgil assumed, since he had made so much progress with Thomas and the other Light Sides, that they would accept him despite knowing that he was once a Dark Side.

But, apparently, he assumed wrong.

He wouldn't pretend that things didn't get a little tense again after their Embarrassing Phases video. Where Virgil teased all of Thomas' old phases to make a point about how own old phase they they were making fun of.

Past phases are the foundation of who you are now, if you take that away... What's left standing?

The other Sides were scared and upset up until Virgil made that point.

He had also pointed out to Thomas that those phases each had a purpose despite how embarrassing they were.

He had orchestrated a very direct and useful lesson, considering that he usually just chimed in and simply helped the others reach those conclusions.

But, then he slipped up.

I know you're saying I've changed and am working with you guys a lot more—and that's great. But I need you to work with me, as well.

He had been trying to get across that the progress they were all wanting was a two-way street. Not Virgil doing all of the work and completely altering who he was to be more like them.

Because that wouldn't be progress, that would be your standard group project with a few elements of a crumbling marriage mixed in for extra flavor.

Only, the way he worded it was how he slipped up.

At least, that's where he assumed he slipped up.

Because now, every once and a while, if Virgil was asking a question, or more commonly, during meals between the sides, Roman would say something like: "I'd ask what he wants first, Patton, we need to start working with him more, after all!"

And, man it got exhausting fast.

Patton was quick to shush him every time.

But there was one time when Virgil tried to be a bit more assertive about what he actually liked with pancakes. Since before, he just let everyone go with their assumptions of what he liked because he felt it was impolite to correct them. Especially considering that when it was that early on, he was on pretty thin ice patience wise.

He still ate them, but but he often craved the chocolate syrup Patton put on his, or the bit of cinnamon he put in the batter for extra flavor.

But, since it was assumed he preferred plain pancakes with maple syrup, he never even got to try Patton's supposedly famous ones with the cinnamon added in.

These were still good, don't get him wrong.

But he wanted to try one at least once.

But, he was quick to revert to his guilt when he did ask Patton beforehand if he could have one that everyone else had last time.

He had justified it by thinking that it was better for Patton since he only had to make one version of the batter. So that meant less work for him, especially since he and Logan swapped who did setup and cleanup.

But, after breakfast, Logan brought up that Patton was probably hurt now that Virgil didn't bring it up before.

Maybe it was meant that Virgil should have spoken up for himself sooner, but Virgil didn't hear that.

Plus, that one request doubled the amount of times Roman made that "joke".

He wished he hadn't, at all.

To the point where he could hardly even enjoy those famous pancakes—which were as amazing as he hyped them up to be in his mind—with that guilt attached.

Now...

He used to be a Dark Side.

They knew that, now.

And yes, Patton tried to subtly tell Virgil that nothing changed. That he wasn't viewed any differently.

But the way the others had been acting lately said otherwise.

It stung, to be totally blunt.

Now, there was an extra thing to Roman's tone when he made that "joke".

Patton was a little extra harsh in telling Roman off.

Logan eyed Virgil a bit more every time he did something that could be considered even remotely suspicious.

It had gotten twice as tense.

It was like his first appearances all over again.

It got to the point where now, Virgil was working himself up more without even realizing.

And, subsequently, working Thomas up more than normal.

He didn't even notice why everyone was telling him to tone it down, because just the way they said it to him wound him up even more.

Today, the big snap occurred.

To Virgil, not necessarily the other sides.

Somebody had said his name and summoned him, since he had appeared on the stairs as usual.

But, given the way they were speaking, he wasn't supposed to be there, and it was an accident.

Then, the words struck him. Making him conceal himself on the stairs with an invisibility he didn't tell them about.

They wanted to take anti-anxiety medication.

Worse, he wasn't supposed to know about it.