Sanders Sides Oneshots/Short Stories

You Know I'll See You Again

WC: 2778

TW: Angst, swearing, spoilers for the whole Sanders Sides storyline

I heard the word "relaxed" and knew it was my time to appear. I popped into my usual spot at the staircase, greeting my host with a simple "hey."

"WHAA-at the heck!?" Thomas all but shouted as he literally jumped backwards when he saw me. I, of course, couldn't pass up the opportunity to be as snarky as possible, and sarcastically remarked, "Oh, I'm sorry, was I not wanted at this exact second?"

"Oh, for crying out loud," Thomas muttered, then addressed the camera I was unaware of. "Okay. Everyone, please welcome..." he made jazz hands toward me, "my anxiety." He said this flatly, not even trying to hide his... disliking towards me. I fought back the urge to correct him. I was Paranoia, but somehow my host didn't know that. Whatever. Let him call me what he wants.

"'Sup," I smirked, leaning back and forgetting there was no real back to where I was sitting, and I fell. Luckily the camera turned to Thomas before all the viewers could have a chance to see me.

Thomas groaned. "I was just making a YouTube video, there is literally nothing to be anxious about!" he complained to me, as always.

Aren't those the best times for me to show up?" I drawled, placing my face in my hands as I gave the most antagonistic smile I could muster. It was my place to be the antagonist. Prince had only secured that assumption about the others and me, titling us 'dark sides'.

After the video that day, I went back to the Dark side of the Mindscape, back home. I greeted Remus and Janus, who were too busy making out on the couch to respond. That was fine. I didn't care. I would just go back to my room and try to sleep, something that had been getting harder and harder these last few weeks that Remus and Janus had been together..

J and I used to be best friends, throughout all of Thomas's childhood. Cassius stayed in his room all the time, so it was just us.

Then, in Thomas's second grade year, Morality had come through the door. He told us Creativity had split! Janus didn't believe him at first, but I- being Paranoia- panicked. Soon, I wasn't sure how, we ended up with the green Creativity. The one who ate boogers just to gross out all of us. The one who drew gory things in surprisingly good detail, and put on my walls to freak me out. The one who no one yelled at, no one blamed, because he was the youngest and 'didn't know better'. Janus seemed intent on befriending him, though, so I begrudgingly let him join our game nights, conversations, and eventually we became close.

Things definitely changed in Thomas's late teen years, when Janus had asked me to be his boyfriend. I, having had a crush on him for over five years, said yes. How could I not?

It had been over six years since Jay and I started dating. Thomas was twenty-four and going through a mentally unstable time. This put even more stress on the Sides, especially us, who kept the bad things hidden from him. Kept them in the corners of the mind, where they belonged.

I guess the pressure was too much for Janus. He snapped at me after the Wall separating the Core sides from the others cracked, after I offered to help fix it. He told me... he told me to go Fade already. I sunk out, lip trembling, on the verge of crying. (And don't make the "on the Virge" joke. Remus has made it enough times and I hate it.)

Janus and I hadn't gotten along since then. It had been a few years since the breakup, and we hadn't been on good terms in a while. Remus was like neutral ground, someone that both of us could be friends with, without talking to each other, and still have someone.

That is, until he started dating the gross, green-wearing Side a month ago. That left me alone. Well, except for Cassius- Apathy- but he's Apathy! He couldn't care less!