The Impossible Death

CHAPTER 18 - HIDE AND SEEK

Anxiety was almost at ten and Deceit was still out in the open.

"Seven." Anxiety said and Deceit suppressed a surprised giggle.

He had to hide, or else he'd be caught!

But where to hide? Deceit looked around sadly once again. There were no hiding spots in his room that Anxiety didn't already know of.

"Eight-nine-ten, READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!" Anxiety shouted, uncovering his eyes and turning around to see Deceit standing in the middle of the room.

"Deeeeeee," he whined. "You're supposed to hide, or else we can't call it hide and seek!"

Deceit frowned.

"I'm sorry, Xiety! I just can't think of a place to hide!" he said sadly, sitting down on the floor and sticking his tongue out as he thought.

Anxiety frowned too as he looked around the room.

"You're right. Maybe we should venture outside our rooms!" Anxiety said happily and Deceit looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I-I don't know if that's a good idea." Deceit said, wrapping his arms around himself.

Anxiety frowned.

"Why not?"

Deceit gave a small shrug as he brought his hands up to his scaled face.

"Ohhh." Anxiety said with realization and he sunk down to sit on the floor with Deceit.

"I just... I don't want to get in trouble again." Deceit said sadly and Virgil gave him a one armed hug.

"Don't worry, Dee Dee. I won't let them hurt you again."

Deceit gave him a small smile before standing back up.

"Well, there's gotta be someplace here that no one else knows about!" Deceit said happily and Anxiety smiled and stood up too.

"Well, we live in a house, right?" he asked and Deceit gave a small, unsure nod.

Anxiety pointed up.

"Then we should have an attic or something!" he said and Deceit looked up.

"How do we get there then?" he asked and Virgil shrugged.

"Maybe we just think about it? Like how we made the legos appear earlier?"

Deceit nodded and scrunched his eyes closed and Anxiety did the same as they both pictured the top of a house.

They opened their eyes again when they felt a soft breeze hit their faces.

"Woah!" Anxiety said as he looked around at the light blue smoke that surrounded him.

"What is this?" Deceit asked in awe, also looking around at the never ending sea of blue.

Anxiety knelt down and tapped the floor.

"Metal? Maybe we're on a roof or something."

Deceit looked down at him and then back at the fog.

Slowly, he walked over to the edge of the 'roof' and looked down.

"I don't see anything out there." he said and Anxiety walked over to stand with him.

"Do you think it's safe up here?" he asked softly and Deceit gave a pondering look.

"I think so..." he said slowly and thoughtfully. "But we should probably stay away from the edge."

Anxiety nodded and immediately took a few steps back.

Deceit looked out at the fog once more before doing the same.

"So," Anxiety said, getting Deceit's attention.

Anxiety gave a little hum and a spin before he sat crossed legged on the ground.

"So?" Deceit asked, amused at Anxiety's sudden giddiness.

Anxiety rolled his eyes and patted the spot next to him, so Deceit walked over and sat down.

Leaning in, Anxiety whispered quietly, "Morality finally picked a name."

Deceit gave an eye roll of his own and leaned back on his arms.

"Why does it matter?" he said, causing Anxiety to splutter for a second.

"Why does it matter? Deeeee!" he said excitedly and Deceit gave a small sigh and lied on his back.

"Names are important! Without a name, you're no one!"

Deceit closed his eyes.

"Without a name, actions speak more than words. Without a given name, who you really are as a person is what matters. Besides, we technically already have names."

"Yeah, that Logic gave us after learning all those new words at school!" Anxiety exclaimed and Deceit chuckled.

There was a little bit of silence before Deceit finally asked what he knew Anxiety wanted him to.

"What name did he pick?" he asked, opening his eyes and turning his head to look at Anxiety.

Anxiety laughed and looked back at him.

"Patton." he said and Deceit laughed too.

"What does that mean?" he asked and Anxiety shrugged with a smile.

"I don't know! But he seems happy with it." he said softly and Deceit watched his face go soft in thought.

Deceit repositioned himself so that he was propped up on one elbow.

"Hey, Anxiety?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you wanted to pick a new name for yourself."

Anxiety's eyes went wide and he looked up at Deceit's soft smile.

"I... Well, maybe one day." he replied and shifted closer to Deceit.

"One day?" Deceit asked and Virgil nodded.

"Yeah. I want to let my actions speak for myself first, just like you said."

Deceit nodded and settled back down so that he was just a few inches away from Anxiety.

"Will you—"

"You'll be the first one I tell." Virgil cut him off, holding up his pinky in the air.

Deceit smiled and held up his own.

"Promise?"

Anxiety hooked their pinkies together and gave them a small shake.

"Promise."