Anxious is to Anxiety

//3\\

The snake-like side woke with a jolt. Actually, it was more like someone was shoving him. He snapped his eyes open just in time to see Virgil pushing himself off of him. Logan was gone from next to him, he'd probably left earlier. Roman had also disappeared, which meant that only Janus and Virgil were left.

"Oh... good morning," stated Janus awkwardly. What were you supposed to say to someone who had passed out on a bathroom floor, who'd woken up laying on top of the side who was supposed to be his rival?

He received a shrug from Virgil, who was curled up pressed against the other side of the couch.

"I didn't fucking ask for this," Virgil muttered, probably to himself, but Janus chose to answer anyways.

"Ask for what?"

The vigilant side hesitated for a moment, as if choosing out words carefully. "Just, this. Switching again. Fucking passing out." His voice sounded hollow. "The purple eyeshadow," he chuckled dryly.

"If I saw you with that eyeshadow out of nowhere, I'd probably think Patton had gotten to you," said Janus, half-jokingly.

To Janus's surprise, Virgil laughed a little, but it turned into a heaving cough. It subsided soon enough, but it was still enough to make his throat feel like it was made of sandpaper. Seeing the snakelike trait's concerned look, he managed to croak out, " 'M fine," before clearing his throat trying not to cough again. Lie.

At that moment, Patton rose up. "Kiddo!" he yelled, running over to the vigilant side. "Logan told me what happened, are you okay?!" He started to hug the other before hesitating.

Virgil was about to say something, then Patton spoke over him, "Do you need anything? Water, soup, ice cream?"

"What," he croaked, then cleared his throat, "what I need is for you to not yell."

Patton shut his mouth immediately, then said quietly, "Sorry, kiddo. I'm just worried."

" 'S okay, Popstar." Janus felt a small pang of jealousness at how Virgil was being so... soft with Patton. Then again, Virgil and Patton had never had an argument that had escalated so much that it caused Patton to yell at Virgil to get out and never come back, and Patton had likely never had a physical fight with someone for a reason other than them talking bad about anyone of their "fam-I-L-Y"; there was that.

Janus remembered one of his first interactions with Patton after Virgil had left. Morality was hostile towards Deceit at first, so desperate to protect his family.

"W-What is it, Deceit?" They had met up in one of the neutral grounds between the light and dark sides. Deceit had asked Morality to meet up with him about a week after Anxiety had left.

Deceit had hesitated, trying to find the right words. Of course Anxiety would probably have told Morality everything. After a few more moments, Deceit said, "Try your best to welcome Anxiety into your family, okay? It's clear he's never coming back to ours."

At first, Morality had been surprised. The big, bad Deceit, asking Morality for a favor? And basically admitting that he was in the wrong? "Are you planning something?" Morality had asked at first, skeptical of what could just be another one of Deceit's acts.

"Please. He deserves the world, and he probably isn't going to trust me again after what I did. Make him feel welcome, make sure he feels loved. Don't mess up where I did."

"I-"

"And one more thing- please don't tell him I asked you to do this. I have my reputation to uphold, after all."

And with that, Deceit vanished.

Patton remembered that encounter too, clear as day. And he'd kept his promise. He tried to make sure that Virgil knew that he was never alone, ever since the first video they did together. He didn't tell Virgil anything about his talk with Janus, either. He was Morality, who would he be if he couldn't keep a secret? (he inwardly winced as he remembered the Q&A video.)

"Kiddo?" Patton asked to get Virgil's attention.

"Hm?"

"Switching... is dangerous, right?" Patton obviously didn't remember a lot about his switch, which happened when he was around eight.

"Yeah, kinda," Virgil sighed, and started coughing again.

Janus picked the explanation where Virgil had left off. "When a side switches, it basically drains a lot of their energy and messes with their immune system a bit. It could drain too much energy and put the side into a coma-like state, and if they were to catch an illness somehow- which Virgil probably has- it can get bad."

"I couldn't have explained it better myself." Everyone in the room looked over to the hallway next to the stairs, where Logan had risen up. When had he gotten there? "As Janus explained to Roman before, it is not safe for Virgil to go back to the Mindscape. Doing so would take up an abundance of energy, which Virgil doesn't have. He must stay here until the switch completes."

"When will it complete?" Patton questioned the logical side.

"The process takes about two weeks," replied Logan instantly. He did his best to keep the concern for his friend out of his voice. In reality, he was worried about Virgil's well-being within the two weeks that it would take for him to restore himself to full health. Something could happen to him during that time, he might expel too much energy and slip into a coma, the illness might get worse, he-

"Teach, I can feel your worry from all the way over here." Logan whirled around to Virgil, who was laying on the couch. "I'll be-" he was cut off by a string of coughs- "I'll be fine," he finished in a scratchy mumble.

It took Logan a moment to figure out something to say. Virgil was, quite clearly, not fine. "You should try to sleep," the logical aspect of Thomas finally said. "You're going to need it. Roman, come with me, I need to be able to enter the Imagination." And with that, Logan sank down with Roman close behind, leaving the deceitful side, the moral side, and the vigilant side all alone together. 

ehhhh i don't really like this chapter. It's more of a filler than anything. Also, sorry I haven't updated in forever! I've been busy with school and stuff. But now that it's thanksgiving break here in America, I might update a few more times!