We need actual contributions from you every now and then.

You are the issue here.

Perhaps it's best you just stick to knowing the difference between right and wrong and leaving the rest to us.

Airhead.

Dolt.

Clueless moron.

You always screw it up.

The harsh words echoed relentlessly in Patton's mind like a bad song that was stuck in his head. He was sprawled across his bed, holding a pillow against his face in an attempt to block out the comments, but they were as loud as ever.

He had been following Deceit's advice as well as he could. He put on a fake smile, acted like he wasn't at all bothered by the others' insults, and, in essence, altered his personality so that he didn't annoy them, meaning no dad jokes or other overly enthusiastic responses. He was still the happy, smiley Patton they knew; he just didn't talk or contribute to their conversations with Thomas as much as he did before. While there had been a noticeable difference in the way they treated him for a while, of course he sometimes managed to do the wrong thing which prompted them to verbally attack him once more. He didn't blame Deceit for that; it was entirely Patton's fault for being the idiot that he was and messing up their plan.

Somehow, none of the sides seemed to notice that Patton was in pain, but he supposed that was a good thing. That was the whole point, wasn't it? To keep them happy. To keep them from worrying, from hating him. To keep Logan from hating him.

It was probably a good thing, then, that he made an occasional mistake. Maybe it made him seem just enough in-character and normal so that they didn't think anything was different about him. He couldn't bear to think of how they'd react if they found out what he was doing.

The insults that had been taking over his thoughts finally began to subside. Patton slowly pushed his pillow back to its rightful place on his bed and sat up, wiping away the dampness from his eyes. He took a shaky breath and slid off the bed before walking over to his vanity and staring at his reflection in the mirror above it. His dark hair curled in disheveled waves, and fallen tears left behind streaks that cut through his red complexion. His gaze hardened as he took in his unkempt appearance. It was about time he stopped feeling sorry for himself and took steps towards being the positive figment he was supposed to be. And right now, he knew he only had one friend who could help with that.

Deceit sat at his black grand piano, casually fingering the keys to form a haunting melody that resonated throughout his spacious bedroom. He'd had plenty of free time recently, only having to work when Thomas needed some encouragement to tell a little white lie or hide a bit of truth, so he'd been taking advantage of the opportunity to mess around with his hobbies. Deceit was by no means an adept pianist, but occasionally he liked to compose his own songs or try to figure out how to play a cover without sheet music. It was a good way to pass the time, he discovered one day, when he played for what felt like only a few minutes but eventually checked the time and saw that hours had passed.

Deciding to take a break, he stood up and grabbed his hat from where it hung on the wall. Placing it carefully upon his head, he headed for the door, planning on going for a walk around the mental house he and all the other sides lived in to stretch his sore muscles.

He opened the door and raised his brows in surprise when he found Patton standing right outside with his fist raised to knock.

At first Patton's face mirrored Deceit's, but he quickly broke into a smile and let his hand fall back to his side. "Oh, hiya, kiddo! Hope I didn't come at a bad time."

Deceit peered down at the other side, taking in his shaggy hair and red face. Morality never looked like this. "No. Come in," he said, ushering Patton into his room and closing the door behind them. He leaned against the door and crossed his arms as Patton turned to face him. "Tell me what's wrong." Deceit knew he wasn't supposed to care, but the idea of Patton, the most positive person he knew, upset and crying stirred up some part of his cold heart.

Patton feigned confusion. "Well, nothing, Deceit. I'm happy pappy Patton!"

Deceit knew Patton was lying; his face made it obvious, yes, but Deceit also felt the small, pleasant burst of heat that formed in his chest whenever he or anyone around him lied. He was grateful for the lie like always, but at the same time was genuinely curious about what was bothering the father figure. "Don't lie to me, Morality. That's my job."

With a defeated sigh, Patton dropped the façade, and Deceit could see just how tired he was. "Sorry, kiddo. Do you think maybe we could… talk somewhere else? I think some fresh air would be pretty nifty."

Nodding, Deceit imagined the calm setting of a park on a sunny day, and with a wave of a hand they were both standing in the middle of it. It may not have been real, but it definitely seemed like it. Thomas's mind was surprisingly powerful.

In an instant Patton perked up, looking around at the scenery in awe. He grinned at Deceit, and Deceit couldn't help but smile back. Patton really could be adorable sometimes, as much as he didn't want to admit it. "I hope this is decent enough," Deceit murmured.

"It's beautiful, kiddo! There are ducks and everything!" Patton skipped over to a nearby pond where a paddling of ducks was floating leisurely. "Quack."

Deceit slowly followed, watching as Patton admired the view. It was beautiful, like Patton said. Shades of pink and orange painted the sky, and the grass was a vivid green. A gentle breeze played with their hair and carried a sweet floral scent. Deceit took a deep breath, savoring the moment. He moved to stand next to Patton, gazing at the few clouds present. "This was a good suggestion. I was planning on taking a walk anyway," he said.

"Oh, I'm glad! Let's walk, then," Patton chirped. He took Deceit by the arm and tugged him toward a path that wound around the fairly large pond.

Deceit followed the other's lead, but at Patton's touch, he felt heat redden his cheeks. Not wanting Patton to see, he looked away, mentally cursing himself. Why was he reacting so strangely? It was just Morality, the most annoying side, his opposite. There was no reason for the cheerful man to have such an impact on him. He supposed he would just try to ignore it, at least for now.

"So," he started, looking anywhere but at Patton, "would you like to talk about what's clearly bothering you?"

Patton's aura immediately changed from one of carefree joy to a quiet sadness. A moment passed before he answered. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong." His voice was small, fragile, like he was barely able to get the words out.

Now Deceit looked at him. He said nothing, knowing that eventually Patton would continue.

"I've been doing what you told me. You know that." He looked up at Deceit, wide eyes searching for reassurance that he was right.

Deceit dipped his head in a brief nod. This wasn't the first time Patton had gone to him since being advised to change for his friends. They had gotten together fairly often, mainly to chat about unimportant things. Patton had told him of how he'd say and do things differently to keep the hurtful comments at bay, and Deceit had praised and encouraged him. He knew that Patton was trying his best to follow the advice.

"But somehow I still mess up. They're not mean as often, I guess, but I don't think they like me any more than before." Patton adjusted his glasses with his free hand, the other still gripping Deceit's forearm. "Why don't they like me, Deceit?"

"I can't answer that."

"Why not?"

"Because I cannot think of a single reason anyone wouldn't like you." The words were out of Deceit's mouth before he could stop them. Surprised at himself, he removed his arm from Patton's grasp and turned to face the pond, feigning sudden interest in the ducks. Why had he said that? Why not just lie, or better yet, avoid answering at all? He should've just told Patton what he said before: That the other sides are idiots and just jealous of Patton being the most important part of Thomas. But no, he had to go and tell the truth like an idiot. He sighed and rubbed his eyes and forehead, lowering his gaze to the ground by his feet. He felt Patton's presence beside him, but ignored it.

"Thanks for making me feel better, kiddo. You're really good at it."

Deceit's brow furrowed as he raised his head and glanced over at the moral side. "Am I?"

Patton grinned at him. "Of course! All you do is compliment me. I don't think you've ever said anything mean to me. And you're the only one who actually listens to what I have to say. You're a good friend, friendo!"

The corner of Deceit's mouth twitched upwards in a small smile. "I'm glad you think so, Patton," he said quietly. He sighed. "This is ridiculous."

Patton's smile vanished. "What is?"

"I'm supposed to be comforting you, and here you are, trying to help me. Ridiculous." Deceit let his smile widen as he looked Patton.

Morality threw his head back in a bright laugh, the sadness from earlier gone without a trace, leaving nothing but his usual cheerfulness. Deceit couldn't help but notice how nice the other side's laugh sounded; it was authentic and musical and seemed like it could erase all the negativity in the world.

Deceit draped his arm around Patton's shoulders and slowly led him back to the path, feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time. "Let's continue our walk, shall we?"

Patton agreed. They walked together in silence for a short while before he broke it. "That song you were playing on the piano earlier was really pretty."

Deceit glanced at him, eyebrows raised in surprise and mild embarrassment. "I didn't know you heard that."

The shorter side just smiled at him and turned his attention back to the scenery surrounding them.

The two sides went on to explore the rest of the imaginary park, Patton back to normal making his silly jokes, and Deceit finding himself laughing along with him.

It soon became a daily routine for them: Patton would stop by Deceit's room every evening to talk about their day and anything else that was on their minds, giving each other encouragement whenever they needed it. Deceit was the one who suggested the idea; the more Patton trusted him, the better. Of course, Patton loved the concept of spending time with his friend every day, so Deceit hardly had to do any convincing. Eventually, Patton stopped taking part in the discussions with Thomas and the other sides, instead keeping to himself in his room or Deceit's.

One night, they were both lounging on Deceit's king-sized bed, separated by a foot or two of space. They had on more comfortable attire than their usual outfits; Patton was wearing his cat onesie while Deceit wore black silk pajamas. Normally, Deceit wouldn't be caught dead wearing anything other than his suit and hat, but just as Patton had been growing more comfortable with him, he had been growing more comfortable with Patton.

Deceit lay on his back with his hands resting on top of his stomach, and Patton was on his side, holding his head up with an arm. Their most recent conversation had slowly died, and they now rested in companionable silence.

After a while of quietly appreciating each other's company, Deceit spoke up. "It's interesting that I know your name, Patton, but you still don't know mine."

Patton shifted so that his eyes were level with Deceit's. "Ooh! Are you gonna tell me?" He smiled in anticipation, then stopped himself and quickly added, "You don't have to if you don't want to though."

Deceit smirked at him and said, "I suppose I have to now that I've gotten you all excited." He paused dramatically, enjoying how Patton watched his every move, eager to finally learn the dark side's name but powerless to make the reveal happen sooner. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Patton nodded vigorously as he pulled his hood tight around his head.

"It's Fidel."

Eyes wide and smile wider, Patton gently shoved Deceit in the shoulder. "That's so neat!" He drew back his arm, and his smile softened, turning from one of excitement to one of gratitude. "Thank you for telling me, Fidel."

Hearing Patton say his name made Deceit unexpectedly happy. His eyes met Patton's, then he was suddenly overwhelmed with affection for the other side, and he hurriedly looked away. Every time they were together, Patton always somehow managed to do or say something that Fidel couldn't help but find attractive, whether it was a particularly clever dad joke, or he stood in just the right position so that the light hit him perfectly. At the time, Deceit had thought nothing of it, assuming that it was simply a phase that would end soon enough; nothing to worry about. But now that they had learned so much about each other, he was shocked to find that he truly liked Patton and enjoyed spending time with him. The moral side was never anything less than kind, considerate, and full of love, and Fidel couldn't comprehend how the other sides could treat him with such disdain. In his opinion, Patton deserved nothing but the best.

And in his opinion, Deceit was the best.

He breathed in deeply, catching the scent of cookies coming from his friend and telling himself that it was giving him courage. He looked Patton in the eye again. "The next few things I say are going to be lies. Understand?" At least he'd be partially in his comfort zone.

Morality cocked his head, but his smile never left his face. "Um, sure, kiddo."

Fidel exhaled a bit, doing everything he could to keep from showing Patton how nervous he was. "I don't have feelings for you. You're not adorable in every way. The last thing I want to do is kiss you right now." He watched Patton closely for any hint of what he was thinking.

At first Patton didn't react at all, but within seconds the realization of what was just said hit him. His face turned a bright red, the smile gone, and he slowly got off the bed. He paced around a bit, then finally said, "I don't know what to say. I have to think a little, okay? Is that okay?" He faced Fidel, hope evident in his expression.

Deceit stared at him for a moment before nodding, and watched as the other side sank down. He fell back into his pillows and hid his face in his hands, angry and feeling like a fool. He shouldn't have given in to feelings. He should've known that they'd lead to nothing but idiocy and embarrassment. Nothing Patton had said or done gave any indication of him returning Deceit's affection, so revealing how he felt was a complete and utter mistake. He turned off the light and slipped under his bed covers, knowing he wouldn't sleep tonight.