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Deceit was still… getting used to this whole “friendship” thing.
Ever since the “light sides” had made reforming him their sort of personal pet project, Deceit had heard the term and others like it in reference to him thrown around far too often.
When Roman asked for tips on his portrayal of a certain character Thomas was playing, it was ‘asking a friend for advice.’
When Thomas wanted help crafting a lie so that he could surprise a friend, he referred to Deceit as his ‘buddy.’
When Logan wanted a differing view on a philosophy that came up during a conversation Thomas was having, he consulted Deceit because he was ‘under the impression that that was what friends do.’
When Virgil tolerated Deceit’s presence around the Mindscape and didn’t actively start a fight, Patton cooed over ‘what great friends they were becoming.’
That was another huge difference. Patton. Morality. A month ago, Deceit considered Patton a sworn enemy, but now…
Now Patton was quite possibly the most confusing new ‘friend’ of all.
Patton dropped the f-word on a daily basis. No, an hourly basis.
When he wished Deceit a good morning.
“Dee! Good morning, friendo!”
When he roped Deceit into helping him make baked goods.
“Scale back the sugar there, friend! These cookies are gonna be as sweet as you if we don’t slow down!”
And on the worst of the occasions, he would make direct eye contact with the snake side, looking oh so earnest, and just… spill his feelings like it was nothing.
“Hey, Dee…? I just wanted to say that it really means a lot to me that you’ve been hanging around here more often. You really are one of my best friends, you know?”
That little stunt had shaken Deceit to his core. The lying side had wasted no time making up an excuse to rush out of there and to his room, his scale-less cheek burning with heat for a reason that he could not quite comprehend.
Thankfully, being a ‘friend’ to the light sides was not all confusing. Actually, the four were comfortingly transparent, which was ironic coming from him. They were obvious with their motivations and feelings, and it was a nice change of pace for the lying side.
One of the most rewarding experiences of this newfound friendship was movie night.
Apparently, the light sides had a tradition of spending one night a week, crammed together on a couch too small for four full-grown men, let alone five, sharing two bowls of popcorn, and watching at least two movies, one of which was always Disney.
The first night that Deceit was invited to a movie night, he was more than a bit uncomfortable. He sat on the edge of his seat for the entirety of two Lion King movies. He didn’t even allow himself to sing along to the villain songs like he usually would have. As soon as the movies were finished, Deceit had smiled politely at the other sides and left for his room.
By Deceit’s fifth movie night, he had his very own movie night onesie, courtesy of Roman, and the courage to offer his two cents in choosing the night’s movie.
Settling back onto the couch, sandwiched between Logan and Patton, Deceit was actually…. content. So content, it seemed, that he found himself drifting off during the second half of Aladdin.
The next thing that he knew, Deceit was being gently shaken awake. Burrowing his face further into the soft material that his head was resting on, Deceit grumbled incoherently, brushing the hand on his shoulder away.
“Dee, sweetpea, the movie’s over.” The voice coming from just above Deceit’s head was Patton’s, his tone light and caring. “We need to get you to bed.”
Deceit blinked blearily, finally forcing himself to open his eyes. His eyes widened significantly as he recognized the soft, gray fleece material beneath his cheek.
Patton’s onesie.
Deceit stiffened at the sight, his mind racing to piece together what had happened. He had fallen asleep during the movie, obviously, but to fall asleep on Patton of all sides-
The hand on his shoulder reappeared, this time a still, comforting presence. “Hey. It’s okay, Dee.” Deceit’s breath hitched at the touch, but he didn’t move. Like a snake caught in the headlights, he froze completely.
Patton either didn’t notice the stiffness of his newfound cuddle buddy, or didn’t acknowledge it. “I promise. Ro and V have fallen asleep on me too many times to count. I mean… that’s not the same as this, I guess, but you can lie on me anytime!” Patton chuckled at his own joke, but Deceit’s brow furrowed as he recognized the slight… nervousness in Patton’s tone. He didn’t get a chance to ask, however, because as soon as he opened his mouth, Patton’s fingers were. carding through his hair.
Deceit bit his lower lip, his face heating up significantly. He couldn’t help but press his scaled cheek further into the soft material of Patton’s cat onesie as he relaxed into the touch. He hissed softly as Patton’s chuckles tapered off.
There were a few moments of silence that followed, and Deceit took the opportunity to look around the room. The other sides were already gone, presumably up to their rooms. The television was dark, shrouding the room in shadows, save for the single lamp in the corner that was still on.
“Is this…” Deceit’s voice wavered slightly. Patton’s fingers never stopped stroking his hair. “Is this a….. friendship thing?”
Patton was quiet for a minute, his breathing slow and steady. “More or less.” He finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. Deceit’s heart seized in his chest. “Are you okay with that?”
Was he? Deceit knew that there was no pressure to answer, so he took a moment to think it over. He found that he did enjoy being friends with the light sides. It was more than just refreshing, it was… comforting. But… more? More with Patton sounded… nice. Really nice.
Deceit found himself nodding before he had even opened his mouth. “N- I mean- Yes. That sounds… okay. Good.” He pushed the words out, trying to make it absolutely clear that he was not lying. He couldn’t have Patton misunderstanding him.
Deceit could feel Patton’s smile, but he looked up to see it anyway. Patton’s smiles were dazzling. He had known that even before he had begun hanging around the light sides more. A matching smile tugged on Deceit’s own lips.
Suddenly, a soft pair of lips were pressed against Deceit’s forehead, right where his scales met his skin. Instantly, Deceit’s face heated. Patton kept his lips pressed against the skin for a moment before pulling back and settling down, resting his cheek against the top of Deceit’s head.
“Good.”
Deceit paused for a moment before turning back and resting his head against Patton’s chest once more. Soon enough, he could hear the moral side’s breaths evening out, and Deceit finally closed his eyes again.
Friendship with the light sides wasn’t so bad, but with Patton, more… more sounded amazing.