Sanders' Sides Oneshots 2

Facade (Morality x Anxiety)

Requested. Set after the Nostalgia video.
Also, other than the requests I currently have I may stop uploading for a while, or updates will be slower than usual. I have a bunch of schoolwork to catch up on cause I'm really behind, plus other things I need to work on (finishing Robot, some original things I'm trying to get an outline started for, and I'm trying to write multiple chapters for Tally Marks so that I can upload on a schedule). I will get my current requests done though, just forgive me if that takes a bit. Schoolwork has to come first. Anyways, on with the story.

Patton hadn't left his room all day. He thought he had been better about being honest when he felt bad. He really did like leaving his room when it meant seeing the other sides, but today he just couldn't face them. He didn't understand why he still felt so awful. Hadn't they fixed everything in their last video? Why did he still feel so upset?

Patton, although he didn't want to admit it, already knew the reason he was feeling down. He hated that everyone only ever saw him how they wanted to see him. Always happy and smiling, never feeling sad, or angry, or any other negative emotions, despite the fact that that was exactly what he was. He was Thomas' emotions, happy and sad.

So, for as long as possible, he really did his best to live up to everyone's expectations for him. He tried so hard, but it just left him more and more sad each time. Now, even though they knew and they wanted him to stop pretending to be happy when he wasn't, he just couldn't get over thinking that they were disappointed with him. He just couldn't be what they wanted him to, and he just felt so frustrated. Both with himself, and with the others.

Eventually, of course, Patton should have expected someone would come looking for him. It wasn't like him to hide away in his room unless he was sick, and that was exactly the excuse he planned to use whenever they came to knock on his door. However, the one thing he hadn't planned on was that the person to knock on his door would be the only person who could always see right through him.

"Patton?" Virgil called softly. "Can I come in?"

Patton sighed, sitting up and wiping at his eyes. They were red, but surely he could blame that on being sick. "Did you need something, Virgil?"

The door opened up slowly, and Virgil poked his head inside. He frowned when he saw Patton, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "Just wanted to check on you. What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing!" Patton put on a grin, knowing it was weak but hoping it just added to his lie of being sick. "Just not feeling super well today, must be sick or something. I was just gonna stay in here, that way I didn't get any of you guys sick too! Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

Virgil frowned, watching Patton for a second. Without another word he sighed, moving to sit next to him on the bed and wrapping his arms around him in a hug. "Pat, please tell me what's wrong." He whispered, and that was all it took for Patton to break down into sobs again, arms wrapped tightly around Virgil's shoulders as he cried into his jacket, worried about getting it dirty but also knowing that he wouldn't care.

Virgil just held Patton tighter, his worry for the other increasing. He quietly mumbled to Patton that he would be okay, that he was there and wasn't going anywhere, reaching up to run his fingers through Patton's hair comfortingly. It was what Patton did for him when he felt bad, so he was hopeful it would work to calm him down too. It seemed to do the trick and eventually Patton's sobs quieted down to soft sniffles, still holding Virgil close and keeping his eyes shut tightly.