~ Wings ~ Sanders Sides ~

~ Chapter One ~ Patton ~

I rise up in my room after a vlog and immediately wrap myself in one of my gold-leaf print curtains. Thomas was really emotional, which is tough on me, since I'm his emotional center.

Kiddo, you have to remember to take everything in moderation. I know I said it before, but listening to any one side too much can quickly become a disaster.

Logan and Virgil were also worn out, though, trying to keep him from letting Roman talk him into another relationship.

Thomas, do I have to remind you that you always fall in love when you least expect to? Roman pushing this is straight up counterproductive.

Thomas refused to listen.

Logan, love is not some mathematical equation that you can solve by just plugging in a number and seeing if it works.

And Virgil, I get that you're trying to keep me safe, but not every guy that I meet is going to be a homophobe. You're letting a small percentage of people dictate my life.

"Everything ok, girl?" my orange-clad best friend asks from the couch, a Starbucks chai-tea latte in his hand. I shake my head, unwrapping myself. "Cmere." He scooches over and pats the cushion next to him. I sigh and flop onto the couch next to him.

"Starbies?" I shake my head. He shrugs. "Suit yourself." He takes a sip of his latte. "Spill, hun. What's the matter?"

I sigh. "A lot.." I begin. "Thomas is really busy and it's stressful, which makes him emotional, making me emotional because that's part of what I am.

"Not to mention Roman... He's been pushing for Thomas to get a boyfriend. He brings up all these fantasies and ideals every time someone even mentions relationships." I bury my face in my hands. "I just don't know what to do, Remy!!"

"Hey, now," Remy says, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Everyone freaks out, girl! What matters is how you deal with it." I glance at him, not able to see his expression through his sunglasses. "Anyways, I'm gonna go. Call me if you need me, 'kay, hun?"

"Yeah, but Rem?" I say with a smile. "If you ever want Thomas to meet you, I can help you out." Remy smiles softly before sinking out.

~*——__——*~

Later that night, I rummage through photo albums, past Thomas's photos, until I find the one I'm looking for. I stroke it lovingly.

The picture is of me about a week after my wings came out. I'm wearing a braided feather crown, courtesy of Roman. My arms are positioned so that my wingtips appear to be attached to my wrists. Logan is in the background, seemingly glaring at the camera, but hard to tell since he always masks his emotions. Hailey is giving me bunny ears, her wings proudly unfurled.

I smile softly. We were so silly back then.

"Patton!" Roman exclaims as he rises up, interrupting my reverie. "I think I have an idea for the next vlog!"

"Really? That's awesome, Ro, you don't normally have ideas this close together!" I congratulate, putting the photo album away.

"You wanna help? I just thought of it and would appreciate it if I could bounce ideas."

"Sure, I'll be a soundboard. Your room?" Everyone's rooms rub off on the others, meaning I'll be able to think up good ideas easier if we're in Roman's room, since he's Creativity.

"Yeah, that's best. Let's go!" Roman reaches over to take my hand and pull me into his room.

"Wow," I breathe, looking at the red velvet curtains and the oak floor of the stage. "Roman, your room is beautiful! I mean, I thought it would be a castle, but this does make sense." A look of confusion crosses Roman's face before it's replaced by an almost pained look of realization that he quickly pushes down. It's clear he doesn't want to talk about what he remembered, so I let it slide.

I take a seat on the edge of the stage, my legs swinging. Roman sits next to me, one leg pulled to his chest.

"So, what was your idea?" I ask.

"Well, it's a little bit out there, but..." Roman sighs. "Do you think we could introduce Thomas to his sub-sides?"

"You mean like Remy?" I ask, overjoyed. Remy would never admit it, but he really wants his voice to be heard. Logan always says no, as Remy is in charge of sleep, which breaks his heart on the inside.

"Well, yes, Remy, but also Hope and Curi—"

"We need to start with Remy!" I interrupt, whirling around and grabbing Roman's shoulders. "It's his absolute dream to be recognized by Thomas!"

"Patton, I don't—"

"Pleeeeease???" I ask, giving Ro puppy dog eyes.

"Ok, ok, we can start with Remy," Roman concedes.

"Yay!" I give Roman a hug. "I'll tell him in the morning!"

"Ok, you do that. But remember that we're going to need Thomas's consent."

"I know," I groan, releasing the hug and moving my hands back to my lap. Remy is considered a lightside, but we still need to make sure that Thomas wants to know about him. I still have no idea why Deceit made it work like that.

"Just wanted to make sure." Roman stands up, then extends a hand to me. I take it with a small smile.