Sweet Deceit - Logicality

Chapter 1

Patton's never been one for admitting to his occasional bouts of negative feelings. It comes with being the dad friend. He just wants everybody to be as comfortable and safe and happy as possible, even if it's at his own expense. Being the oldest one in their little troupe of sides, he'd always seen the others as his kids in a way, like he was responsible for their well being. Being a bit overly sensitive and extremely empathetic on top of that, he had a habit of putting their emotions and problems in front of his own, feeling their pain as real as though it was his own. Always putting on a smile, always making as many bad puns as it took to make Virgil crack a smile, always sitting with Roman and humming reassuring words when he didn't do ideally in a performance, always bringing Logan his favorite snacks while he was working and wrapping a blanket around his shoulders when he crashed on the couch while reading or doing work.

Keep smiling, he told himself. They need the support, they need the comfort. They need you.

Even as he told himself this, the bubble in his chest still threatened to melt him from the inside out.

He couldn't help but think that maybe he was lying to himself. After all, none of the other sides had ever expressed an explicit need for him. They'd never really said that he was integral to Thomas's survival or thriving, not outright. Roman's words still replayed in his head, over and over, a broken record that he couldn't find or unplug.

You have been holding Thomas back!

Perhaps it's best you just stick to knowing the difference between right and wrong, and leave the rest to us.

Leave the rest to them.

The closest thing he'd ever even gotten to a compliment was Virgil calling him a "funny guy."

Was that all he was? Just the funny guy?

Maybe it was that self doubt that softened him up to Deceit. Maybe it was his paternal instincts, his internal compass telling him to always give people the benefit of the doubt, no matter their history or circumstances. Maybe he just wanted someone to say something nice.

Because that's what Deceit did. He said nice things.

He said the sweetest things he'd ever heard. He complimented Patton's jokes, he admired his cat onesie and hoodie, he looked through photos with him and said that his ideas were good, better than anyone else's. He voiced all of the affirmations that Patton had been telling himself for years. It was good to hear them from somebody else, to hear them said out loud instead of in his own head.

He knew he was lying. As hard as it might be for the others to believe, he wasn't stupid. But sometimes, sweet lies feel better than harsh truths for a straining heart.

Logan doesn't understand this.

It's not like Patton hasn't noticed the disapproving looks from the others. It's not like he hasn't heard Roman hurriedly whisper something to Virgil as they rewatch Disney for the billionth time, glancing worriedly to where Patton is sitting with Deceit. It's not like he doesn't feel Virgil get tense when he sees Patton go to his room only to be followed in by the Deceit. It's not like he can't see Logan glowering at Deceit as he watches the dark side's snake eye following Patton across the room. It's nothing that Patton didn't expect. After all, it's nothing new. The others always get a little on edge when a Dark Side is around, especially one as powerful as Deceit.

What's weird is how adamantly against Deceit Logan is.

Patton just about jumps out of his skin when Logan slams his mug onto the kitchen counter when he sees Deceit lay his hand on Patton's forearm, yellow glove gently squeezing into his skin.