Patton paced back and forth by the front door. He chewed his thumb as he waited, anxious to get on the road. His parents lived two hours away from them, which wasn't too bad of a drive. But he wasn't excited to be stuck in a car with Deceit for that long. He was ready for that part of the adventure to be over.

Virgil watched him, his hands in his pockets. His eyes were full with concern, but he didn't say anything. Patton felt bad for worrying him. He shouldn't have told Virge anything, it just stresses him out. He'll do better next time to keep his whining to himself. It's bad to worry people; he's not bad, don't be worried.

Finally, Logic and Deceit came downstairs. Deceit had a bag in his hand. They stopped beside Virge, and Logic placed his hand comfortingly on Deceit's back. Patton has no idea what he sees in him. Wouldn't the smart one be able to see how bad lying was? Patton really ought to talk some sense into Logic. Roman joined them from where he was making breakfast in the kitchen. He was wearing a tank top and Patton became distracted by his arms. Who knew Roman had muscles? Patton really wanted Roman to hug him, then.

Focus! He told himself. No more thoughts like that this weekend.

"You're headed out now?" Roman asked, gaining his attention once more.

"Yeah, I'll text you guys when we get there." Patton said, fiddling with his backpack straps.

Logic nodded, with a small smile, "That would be appreciated."

"Drive safe, tell everyone I said 'hi'!" Roman said, holding his arms out.

Patton hugged him, thankful for the comforting embrace. He was right, it did feel nice. Logic wrapped an arm around Deceit, giving him a small squeeze. Deceit's eyes seemed distant. Then Roman released him and turned to Deceit. He brushed his fingers under Deceit's chin, getting him to look up. Patton couldn't hear what he said, but Deceit shrugged in response.

Patton looked away when they kissed. Virgil appeared in front of him. He gave Patton a hug and kissed his cheek. Patton smiled, relaxing against his touch. He really wished he could take Virge with him. It wouldn't be that much fun for Virgil, but it would put Pat's nerves at ease.

When Virgil let him go, he then turned to Deceit. He held out his hand, they clasped palms and pulled each other into a one-armed hug. Patton stepped up to Logic and shook his hand. He could hear Virgil and Deceit's quiet conversation.

Virgil muttered, "Make him cry and I'll beat you."

To which Deceit replied, "Hm, should I wait for you to call Spunk for backup?"

"I don't need Spunk to kick your ass." Virgil said. They pulled back enough to stare at each other. Patton had no clue what either of them were thinking. But then Virgil nodded, released Deceit's hand, and stepped away.

Finally, he and Deceit glanced at each other. Patton jutted his thumb to the door.

"Ready?" Patton asked.

Deceit shrugged and adjusted his bag to his other hand. He sounded completely unbothered as he said, "Yeah."

Patton let out a shaky breath. Logic must've seen the worry on his face, because he spoke up.

"You'll be alright. I'm confident in your ability to navigate a family reunion. There is a 70% chance nothing upsetting will happen at all." His gaze slid to Deceit. "You'll both survive the weekend."

Patton opened the door, offering them a small, nervous smile. "I hope so."

The others smiled back. It made him feel a little better.

As they walked out together, Patton asked Deceit, "Do you want to take your car or mine?"

Deceit blinked at him, confused. "I don't have a car."

"But for our date-" Patton frowned.

Realization sparked on his face, before amusement settled there. Deceit sounded like he was trying to hold back a laugh as he said, "That was a lie, Pat."

Patton sighed.


They were silent for the first ten minutes of the drive. Patton's music was playing softly, but he couldn't focus on any of the words. The sun was too bright, turning the car into a tiny sauna. Deceit stared out the window, his bag in his lap. Patton had offered to put it in the back, but he refused. Every so often, he would squeeze the strap of his bag, really really tight before letting go again. Patton hated that he was paying this much attention to Deceit. If any of the others were here, they could be talking or singing to music. Patton would love to go on a car ride with Roman. He seemed like the type to make a road trip extra fun.

When Patton pulled onto the interstate, Deceit finally spoke. The sound startled Patton at first, not expecting them to talk at all the whole ride.

"So." Deceit said. "Who all will be there?"

Patton sighed out his nose. He thought for a second before saying, "Everyone."

"Helpful." Deceit quipped.

Patton shot him a small glare, then continued, "Everyone on my mom's side. Mom, Dad, and my siblings. And-"

"How many siblings?" Deceit asked, pulling out his phone. Patton glanced at him and turned the music even quieter.

"Um, there's Jonathan, Tyler, Breanna, Benjamin, and Sophia." Patton said.

Deceit nodded, typing away on his cell. "Sides?"

"None of them have met their Sides." Patton said.

Deceit rolled his eyes and said, "I meant what their Sides are. Their diagnoses."

"Oh." Patton felt his cheeks warm. He thought for a second, then said, "Well, Jonathan is Literal. Tyler is Allergy to Animals. Sophia is Jumpy-Timid. Breanna and Benjamin are twins- Reckless and Patience."

"No Negatives." Deceit commented.

"Of course not!" Patton glanced at him, slightly offended. Like he would have a Negative sibling.

"Of course not." Deceit repeated quietly. He didn't speak again for a little bit, still typing.

The air felt heavy and awkward. Patton fiddled with the AC, hoping a little breeze would help. His throat felt tight, and it became hard to breathe. He felt like how Empathy feels when the kiddos ask too many questions at once.

The words fumbled past his lips, "My parents don't like Negatives."

Deceit didn't look up from his phone. "What a shame then that you're stuck with me."

"I-" Patton sighed, changing lanes to avoid a slow driver. "I can't lie to my parents."

"I know." This time, he did look up. "You don't have to."

"But-"

"Let me handle it." Deceit went back to texting.

Patton chewed his lip and drove in silence for a while. What was Deceit planning? Maybe he should've just come alone.

"Who else?" Deceit asked after a moment. Patton had to think to realize what he was talking about.

"Oh. Uh, I have a lot of cousins," Patton said, leaning back in his seat.

He names all nine of them, per Deceit's request. Patton never expected him to be so chatty. Deceit asked a few questions about them. Patton spoke clearly, thankful for something to distract him. He enjoyed talking about his family, even if it was to Deceit.

"Great, and what's our story?" Deceit asked.

"What do you mean?" Patton glanced at him. He could see the brightness of his phone screen.

"I mean, you probably don't want to tell your family the big, scary Negative stalked you until you met all your Sides." Deceit sounded annoyed. He usually does, though, so Patton didn't dwell on it. "So what's the story? We met and went on a date and-"

"No no no!" Patton felt panic spike in his chest. "Don't call it a date. We are not dating."

"Gee, thanks."

"No, I mean." Patton sighed. He wished he wasn't driving right now. He ran a hand through his hair and said, "I can't be dating any of you. Sides don't do that."

Deceit was quiet for a second. Patton wasn't brave enough to look at him.

He licked his lips and fumbled for an explanation. He had thought he could've dated Destiny. It felt like they were meant to be; and Patton had gotten excited of the idea of it all. But it all fell apart. And then Virgil wanted to take their relationship slow, they were together but not in the together way. Not in the Roman-Logic-Deceit way. A little voice in Patton's head keeps telling him, well... maybe his parents were right. Maybe Sides just aren't made for romance. Not with each other, not with anyone.

"My parents believe that you shouldn't really do that stuff with your Sides. And, and when we become Established we have to marry a woman and-" Patton heard himself saying.

"Patton."

Pat shook his head, "We could hold hands, but nothing else. Okay?"

Deceit's voice sounded teasing then, a small smile playing on his lips, "So no kiss goodnight?"

"Deceit if you try to kiss me-" Patton couldn't imagine what his parents would say. It wouldn't matter if Deceit was Negative or not. Even if it was Roman or Logic, if his parents saw that kind of thing…. Patton swallowed nervously.

Deceit's tone fell flat. He typed on his phone. "Understood. We're not gay."

Patton changed the subject. He spoke about his grandparents, his aunts, and uncles. Deceit silently texted the whole time. Eventually Patton puttered out, running out of things to say. They sat in silence until Patton realized something.

"What am I supposed to call you if not Deceit?"

"You can start with my name." Deceit said.

Patton glanced at him, frowning a little.

"It's Janus." Deceit said.

"I know." Patton frowned more.

"Uh-huh." Deceit glanced up. "Are we there yet?"

"No." Patton felt a spike of irritation. They were clearly still on the interstate, and Patton had told him it's a two hour trip. "And who are you texting? If they haven't replied yet, they're not going to, kiddo."

Deceit's thumbs stilled. He looked up to Patton, unimpressed. His eyebrow raised, he held out his phone to show Patton. He looked away from the road long enough to read his family's names and traits. There were pages of text, by the looks of it. Patton blinked, having to look back at the road. He couldn't figure it out. Did Deceit write down everything he said?

"I'm taking notes." Deceit said. "Kiddo."

"W-what?" Patton was still confused. His body felt cold, and his mind empty.

"I know what to do, and how to do it." Deceit said, slowly typing again. He crossed his legs and told Patton, "I can get us through this. But you'll have to trust me."

They glanced at each other for one, long second. Patton's throat felt tight and his stomach turned into a hot tub. He shivered as he looked back to the road.

Patton's voice cracked as he said, "Okay."

"Tell me about last year's reunion." Deceit said, thumbs quickly tapping away.


"They're going to be all over you." Patton said as they pulled into the driveway.

It was a long, windy gravel road that made a circle back to the main street. Patton could see the main house, and the guest house just beyond that. He felt his pulse quicken.

"I have that sort of charm." Deceit said, in the tone that Patton thinks means he's joking.

"You're the first boy I'm bringing home." Patton rubbed his neck. He realized how that sounded and his face flushed. "Side, I mean. Everyone will want to meet the new guy."

"I'll be fine. It's only thirty people." Deceit said playfully.

But his grip on his bag tightened as they could see a few kids milling about on the front porch. They began to run to the car when they saw them approach. Four kids, Patton smiled as he saw them. They were all his cousins; his siblings were probably entertaining the rest of them elsewhere. Brothers Michael and Travis were racing Sarah and Ethan. An unfair race, as the youngest was four. Patton could hear them shouting from inside the car.

"Those are my kiddos." Patton said warmly. "Well, four of them. I'm the favorite cousin."

Deceit laughed lightly, and Patton wasn't expecting to like the sound. He focused on driving as best he could.

Deceit said, "Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

They parked and were immediately surrounded by excited cousins, two on each side. Deceit kept squeezing his bag strap. Patton chewed his lip nervously.

"We can do this." Deceit said.

"Lying already?" Patton quipped, pleasantly surprised when Deceit chuckled.

He poked Patton's nose lightly. With a small smile, he said, "That is entirely up to you, my dear."

Patton felt his cheeks flush. He frowned as Deceit turned and opened his door. He playfully shoo'd away the kids.

"Scoot back, let me out. You have to meet your new favorite cousin!" He said, earning shouts and giggles.

Patton sat frozen, staring, as Deceit picked up the smallest kiddo, Travis. Deceit was smiling, talking easily with them as he bounced Travis on his hip. Which, no. That's wrong. Deceit hates kids, it's the only thing Patton knows for sure about him. He's a lying child-hater. You'd never think so, looking at him now.

Sarah was blowing on his window, fogging the glass up with her breath. It distracted Patton enough so that he could get out.

Sarah squealed and ran away when Patton said, "Are you making drawings on my window?"

Before she could answer, Michael was tugging his shirt. "Patton Patton! I got my diagnosis!"

"You did!? That's great! What is it?" Patton knelt down to speak with him.

Michael puffed his chest out and declared, "Imagination!"

"It's Imaginative." Sarah said, crossing her arms. She was a year and a half younger than him; and she always found ways to prove she was smarter or faster than their cousin. Patton found at amusing, if slightly exhausting.

"Same thing!" Michael said.

Sarah's rebuttal was, "Nu-huh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

"Uh, Patton?" He heard from behind him. He looked up to see Deceit had shuffled over to their side of the car. He had Travis on his hip and Ethan clinging to his leg. His smile was strained. "A little help?"

"Ethan!" Patton picked the kid up, who wouldn't stop giggling. "Is that how you introduce yourself?"

"Yeah!" Ethan cheered.

Sarah approached Deceit, squinting at him. "You look like Patton."

"I know." Deceit told her. Travis grabbed one of his gold curls and tugged. Patton saw his cheek twitch, but otherwise he didn't stop the boy.

Sarah frowned more, looking between them. Then she asked, loudly, "Are you guys boyfriends?"

Patton felt his heart skip several beats. His gaze immediately darted to the front porch, thankfully empty. He wasn't ready; this was a mistake. What if someone heard them? He was starting to feel like he had fused with Virgil again.

"No." He heard Deceit say calmly, as he took Travis' hand and freed his hair. He smiled down at Sarah and added, "We're just Sides."

"I thought Sides were boyfriends." Michael frowned.

"No," Deceit said again, but Sarah interrupted him.

"Some of them are girlfriends." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

She was adorable. Deceit must think so too, because he laughed again. Patton had never heard him laugh so much. Or maybe at all.

When Deceit smiled, it made his scars scrunch smaller, up against his eye. He looked handsome when he smiled. Patton shook that thought away, setting Ethan down. He focused on buttoning up Ethan's tiny flannel.

"Some of them aren't girlfriends or boyfriends." Deceit told them. "And some of them aren't dating at all. Some are just friends."

"And that's you guys?" Sarah asked. "So you won't get married?"

Patton looked up from the buttons, responding automatically, "Sides don't get married, honey."

"They can if they want to." Deceit said. Patton's fingers froze. He looked up at Deceit, who was giving him a funny stare.

Patton licked his lips and tried to convey his meaning with just his tone. "Maybe when we're older. But right now in this town, Sides don't get married."

Deceit looked at him for a silent second, then he shifted Travis to his other hip and pulled out his phone. Patton felt his shoulders sag in relief when Deceit started typing.

Marriage, like most things, was for Established people. A Side had to find all his parts and become Established so they can get married and have lots of little Sides. That was the path they all followed. Didn't Deceit know that?

"Let's go inside! Let's go! Let's go let's go!" Michael grabbed his hand and pulled him. Patton slowly stood up and let himself be dragged a few steps. "We built a train set and you gotta see it!"

"Okay, okay, can we get our bags first?" Patton laughed. The kiddos reluctantly agreed and helped them get their bags out. Deceit kept his duffle on his shoulder the whole time. Patton let Michael and Sarah carry his two bags. They raced to the porch while Patton and Deceit walked with the Littles.

"Well, that wasn't so bad." Deceit said, and Patton couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

"Four down, twenty-six to go." Patton said, glancing down at Ethan.

He was holding his hand and Patton couldn't get over how tiny his fingers were. He works with children and he still isn't used to how small they are. Patton frowned a little, thinking about the close call they just had. Sarah was a chatterbox. If she got the impression that they were dating, the whole house would know by dinner.

Patton looked back to Deceit. "Dece-"

Deceit placed a finger on his lips. Patton blinked, surprised at the cold touch. His lips tingled when Deceit pulled away.

He leaned close and whispered, "Not here; just wait."

The air around Patton felt different. He could only focus on how close Deceit was to him. He wanted to be closer, but he knew what would come of that. Deceit the liar and Daniel the denier. He couldn't get wrapped up in that again. It was bad enough the first time. Patton's gaze flicked to the scar.

Don't think about it. His mind repeated. Don't think about it, don't think about it.

But Deceit only got closer, and Patton felt his cheeks warm. He barely heard the whisper, "It's Janus now."

Patton ignored the shiver that ran down his spine. He closed his mouth and nodded, staring down at their shoes. Deceit smiled that tiny, close-lipped smirk that Patton hated and stepped onto the porch. Patton followed after him, with a confused Ethan in tow.

Sarah and Michael were arguing about who won their race, but that was quickly forgotten when Deceit and Patton got to the door. They ushered the adults in, excited to show them the train set they spent all of minutes building. Patton knew they'd never make it to the train set, but he admired the kiddos' effort.

"Hey! Patton's here!" Someone called from further inside. Which was followed by the immediate cries of:

"Patton!"

"Patton! Patton!"

They were surrounded, barely made a step past the door before the rest of the kiddos got to them. Patton smiled and gave hugs to all his cousins and siblings. They chattered loudly, talking over each other. Patton commented on how tall everyone had gotten, making the kids stand back-to-back for comparisons. Patton glanced over at Deceit, expecting him to be overwhelmed. Patton froze when he saw Deceit sitting on the ground. Travis was in his lap, with three more kiddos surrounding them. Deceit spoke quietly, apparently at ease around the children.

Maybe he'd want to see the daycare. Patton thought before he immediately shoved that idea down. Bad influence, keep away from kids, bad idea, Negative, no no no!

Then the adults arrived. Patton hugged his parents, aunts, and uncles. They spoke a little about the trip before the kids became too loud.

"Hey, go do something else." Uncle Greg told them. "All of you, let the grown-ups talk."

Eventually, the kids scattered; leaving Patton and Deceit alone against the adults. Deceit still had Travis on his hip, and Patton had to remind himself that the two of them weren't cute. (Travis was cute. Deceit wasn't.)

Deceit was introducing himself to everyone. Patton bit his lip, suddenly remembering he never told Deceit about the handshaking rule. But, surprisingly, Deceit never offers his hand. He smiles and nods along with what they're saying; one hand in his pocket, and the other holding up Travis.

"Hi, I'm Sharon." Patton's aunt said, holding out her hand. Deceit shook it, recognition spreading across his face.

"Oh! Aunt Sharon! So this little one is yours?" Deceit said, bouncing Travis. The toddler was resting his head on Deceit's shoulder, blinking sleepily.

"Yes!" Sharon said, taking Travis from him. "It's his nap time."

The room felt like it had tilted sideways. Did Deceit know to not offer his hand? Or was that a lucky coincidence? Did Negatives not shake hands, like Puritans? Patton felt like he was overthinking it, but Deceit was also wearing a plain shirt and a tie. Surely that means something, right? He could've picked any fancy, business casual jacket. But he was wearing the most accepted Puritan outfit.

Patton watched as they spoke more about Travis, and his little brother Nicky. Sharon had three boys; Michael is the oldest, who just turned 11. Nicky is the youngest, barely nine months old. Patton was excited to see him most of all. Strangely, Deceit spoke as if he had known the boys all their lives.

"Who's your friend, son?" Patton's dad asked, with a nudge.

"Patty found his Sides!" His mom said, proudly for the whole room to hear. Patton blushed when his uncle clapped his back. Mom took his hands and said, "Don't be shy! Introduce us!"

"Right! Uh, Mom, Dad," Patton said, gesturing to Deceit. "This is De-"

Patton realized his mistake a second too late. Time felt like it moved in slow motion as he looked to Deceit for help. Crap, they literally just had this conversation. If Patton wasn't distracted by Deceit's stupid soft lips.

"Devoted." Deceit said with a smile. He slipped his arm around Patton's, bumping their shoulders. "Janus Devoted Side."

"Oh!" Mom placed a hand on her chest, looking at her sister. "Devoted! Patton did such a good job!"

"He sure knows how to pick 'em." Deceit said, and he almost sounded fond. Patton stared at him until Deceit squeezed his wrist.

"Right." Patton mumbled. He tried to focus, but he didn't know what to do. Deceit was so close, and all his family was watching.

"Well, how'd you meet?" Aunt Sharon asked, swaying back and forth with Travis on her hip.

Patton felt so terrified he became numb. He watched, his head buzzing, as Deceit answered their questions.

"Just outside his daycare; I saw him there before and had to stop by to introduce myself." Deceit said. He sounded so confident in his responses, so relaxed in the spotlight. "We just knew we were Sides and, well, I haven't left him alone since."

That made the adults chuckle. Patton's head was spinning. He wasn't expecting Deceit to tell the truth; they did meet at the daycare. How much was he going to tell them? He didn't want to relive those embarrassing memories. Patton wanted to groan thinking about how he excitedly kissed Deceit's cheek, back when he was Destiny.

"What'd you think of him, Pat?" His uncle asked. "Was it love at first sight?"

That made the adults laugh harder. Patton felt shame swell inside him. He looked down at his feet, hoping no one could tell how mortified he was.

Patton shrugged and said, "He was nice. Charming."

His voice sounded hollow, even to him. It was true, but he didn't want to remember it. He didn't want to think about how Deceit had tricked him.

"He's being modest." Deceit said, playfully rolling his eyes. He added to his parents, "He always is."

Patton wanted to cry. He hated thinking about Destiny and their date and Daniel. He was stupid and he fell for the pretty lies, okay? Did they really have to talk about it?

He barely heard Deceit say, "He's the reason we found the rest of our Sides."

"Who else do you have?" Someone asked.

"An artist. Two, we think, but one's undiagnosed. And naturally, we have a Logic." Deceit's voice said.

"Maybe you'll be a teacher when you're Established!"

"Knowing this one, we'd be back in kindergarten."

More laughter.

Chatter and song, the voices swirl together until they're just noise. Patton isn't sure what happens next, but after a while, he knows he's moving. He can see his feet, and distantly he knows the path, but he can't think enough to remember the details. Someone's holding his hand, and he trusts their guidance. They stop and Patton bumps into their back.

"What-" It startles him into focus. They're at the top of the main stairs, on the second floor. Deceit is staring at him, and he looks concerned; which is weird, because no one is there to watch. Patton lets out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding.

"You okay?" Deceit asked, up close in his space again.

Patton blinked rapidly and took a tiny step back. That's when he noticed their hands were still clasped. He pulled his away and frowned, shaking the warmth from it.

He couldn't look at Deceit as he said, "Yeah."

"You started to dissociate." Deceit said, and he didn't sound judgmental or accusing. "So I said I wanted to put our bags away."

Deceit casually held all three of their bags by himself. Patton stared at him in shock. Once they were through the doors, Patton had become disoriented. But Deceit - he managed to navigate the entire welcome wagon by himself!

Deceit awkwardly glanced away and added, "So where's our rooms?"

"Upstairs." Patton whispered hoarsely.

"We are upstairs." Deceit said.

Patton shook his head, feeling more like himself without his family surrounding him. "No silly, we're on the top floor!"

"Your house has more than two floors." Deceit said, tone flat and eyebrow raised. "Because of course it does."

Patton waved him off, "It's not my house, it's a family house. It's my grandma's."

"Your family; your house." Deceit said, thrusting Patton's bags in his arms.

Patton shrugged, choosing not to respond. He led them silently down the hall to the next flight of stairs. They went up, up, up, until they were at the third floor. There were only two rooms up here, which made them a fairly large size. They both had their own bathrooms as well. And, Patton's favorite part, the top rooms had outdoor balconies. They were perfect for stargazing on warm summer nights. He explained all this to Deceit, who was complaining on the second flight of stairs.

When they made it to the third floor, Deceit threw his bag down and kicked it. He muttered something about a "stupid old house without a stupid elevator". Patton giggled, finding enjoyment in his irritation.

Patton opened the door on the left, saying, "This will be -"

"My room." A voice cut in, and Patton looked into the already occupied room. Patton pouted at his cousin, Conner.

"Pious." Patton said.

"Morality." Conner said.

Patton crossed his arms as Deceit peeked in the doorway. "I thought you couldn't come this year. Too busy helping orphans in central Orlando."

"The Orlando orphans were ordained owned." Pious boasted proudly.

"What?" Deceit frowned.

Patton sighed, "His orphans were adopted."

Deceit glanced between the two of them, then whispered, "And that's bad? Cuz I'm totally fine with it being bad-"

"Shh." Patton pushed him back behind the doorframe.

"No, bring him back. I want to see Patty's permanent partner." Connor said, curling his finger in a beckoning manner.

Patton sighed and stepped back enough for Deceit to join him fully in the doorway.

"This is my Side, Janus." Patton said, placing his hand on Deceit's shoulder. He felt it stiffen under his touch, so he quickly let go. Connor tracked the movement, and Patton wanted to say a curse word.

"Janus. Beautiful name. What's your diagnosis?" Connor asked.

"Maybe he doesn't want to tell you." Patton said, irritation clear in his voice. He couldn't help it, Connor always got on his nerves.

"Devoted." Deceit said, pressing a hand to his chest. He winked at Patton, with a tiny, little smirk. Patton chewed his lip and glared at the ground.

"Pretty smart for a Devoted." Pious commented, and Deceit laughed. Patton didn't like the sound as much that time.

He said, "I can be Devoted to many things. Like knowledge."

"Or keeping a promise?" Connor's gaze darted from Patton to Deceit, to the scar on his cheek. Patton knew he was coming up with his own conclusions, spinning some tale out of Deceit's web of lies. Pat's throat felt tight.

"Like finding our room." Patton grabbed Deceit's hand and pulled him back to the hallway. He closed the door with him, "Goodbye Pious."

In the hall, Patton muttered under his breath. "Don't talk to him. He sucks."

"Because he helps orphans?" Deceit asked, smugly.

"He only volunteered at the orphanage because I got the job at the daycare!" Patton said, throwing his hands in the air. He pointed at the closed door behind him and hissed, "He's always trying to one up me!"

Deceit grinned, looking far too pleased. "Oh Patton, envy's a sin."

Patton huffed and turned to their room. He opened the door and grumbled, "I don't have to explain myself to you."

"There's nothing to explain." Deceit said, strolling in after him. He closed the door easily, leaving their bags by the wall. He crossed his arms. "You're an open book, as always. Family rivalry, competition to be the best cousin. I really should've expected it."

Patton glanced around the room, relaxing for the first time now that they were alone. His brain was buzzing.

He looked at Deceit and said, "Are you entertained?"

"This isn't as bad as I anticipated." Deceit shrugged leaning against the wall. He was smiling, and Patton didn't like it. He looked too much like Destiny. But Destiny isn't real. Patton glared at his feet.

"I'm glad you're having fun tricking my family." Patton clenched his fists. Deceit's smile dropped. Why didn't that feel better?

Deceit shook his head, just slightly, once. "Nothing I've said has been a lie. I've been completely honest - mostly honest." Deceit listed off on his fingers, "We did meet outside your work. Virgil is an artist, and he has taken classes. We have 'family time' at least once a week-"

Patton didn't even remember half those conversations. How long was Deceit talking to his family? And how did Pat think he'd be able to survive this with Virgil, if he was already this nervous?

"Right. Because you've been Devoted this whole time." Patton said. It was a weak argument, but Patton wasn't good at arguing. He knew Deceit couldn't out himself like that. That was the whole problem.

Even still, a little voice in Patton's head muttered, 'He could've said he was undiagnosed. That would be better than this.' But would it have been? Patton could just see his family asking a thousand more questions, wanting to be the one to solve the mystery.

Deceit had a serious look on his face. He was watching Patton closely as he said, "I am devoted to you, Patton."

"Janus! You can't just say things like that!" Patton cried, stepping forward and shaking his head.

"Why not?" Deceit asked, and he was smirking again. Patton hated it. He hated feeling like this. They were close now, too close, Patton could reach out and touch him. Would he feel warm?

Because I'll believe you. He couldn't say. They were quiet for a moment. Patton struggled to find a response, while Deceit beamed pridefully. Of course he'd enjoy seeing Patton miserable. Patton got the distinct urge to go home, where things made sense.

A distant bong rang from outside. Deceit frowned and turned to the window.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Dinners ready." Patton said, then explained, "It's the dinner drums."

"Dinner drums." Deceit repeated.

"I'll show you." Patton turned and left without another word. He heard Deceit follow after him.


The dinner drums were two giant drums that sat on the back patio. When they arrived, Patton's uncle was drumming in a slow, loud rhythm. Patton laughed as he could see various children running through the fields to the house. They all learned at a young age to chase the call of the drums.

Deceit hovered nearby, eyes on the huge instruments. Patton couldn't ignore the joy his interest brought him.

"Do you want to try?" Patton asked. Deceit silently nodded, eyes wide. Patton giggled and took the drumsticks from his uncle. Deceit held them for a moment before he lifted a stick high in the air. He dropped his arm and hit the drum right in the center. An echoing BOOM sounded out across the open land. Deceit grinned, then began drumming faster.

"There they are!" Patton said, pointing to the rustling in the bushes. A herd of children burst into the clearing, running to them at top speeds. Pat could hear their screaming and laughter from the porch.

Deceit laughed, surprise spread across his face. His hair reflected the sunlight with a warm glow. He wasn't wearing his hat, and it felt strange seeing him like this. Patton couldn't tear his gaze away. Deceit might be a better actor than Roman. He looked happy.

When the children surrounded them, Deceit stopped drumming. They were tugging on Patton's clothes and hands, excited that he's here. Everyone wanted to sit next to him at dinner.

"Sorry kiddos, but he's sitting next to me." Deceit said, looping their arms together and pulling Patton out of the toddler trenches.

Patton gave him a worried look. He said just quietly enough for only them to hear, "Ready for the hard part?"

"Is your family's cooking that bad?" Deceit said with a wink. A wink! Patton scowled as his face flushed.

"Leave the jokes to me. And stay close." Patton tightened his grip on Deceit's arm. "There's a lot of us, and-"

"You'd just hate to be separated, I understand." Deceit said, leading them to the door. His voice was warm in a way Patton didn't like. Too warm, like the start of a fire. "Can't get enough of me, can you?"

"Shush up." Patton muttered. "We have to get a spot at the kids' table."

Deceit frowned a little. "Don't you mean with the adults?"

"You don't want to eat with the adults, trust me." Patton muttered as they entered the kitchen. The room smelled delicious, and Pat sighed in relief. "If we can sit with the kiddos, we'll survive."


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