An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Deceit | Janus Sanders/Thomas Sanders
Characters: Thomas Sanders (Video Blogging RPF), Deceit | Janus Sanders
Additional Tags: canonverse, There Was Only One Bed, janus is pining, like super hard pining, he grabbed me by the throat and told me just how much he loves thomas
Summary:
This is a prompt fill for the @tssshipmonth, requested by @kieraelieson! The event is running through the end of November 2024, and there are plenty of baristas ready to fill your order!
Janus is so Tired. He’s always needed for something in the mindscape, and really wants a break. He finds a spot in Thomas’s apartment to sneak a nap. Thomas finds him, and is sweet~
The green writing on the otherwise blank white wall was the first thing she noticed when she woke. Had she fallen asleep, somehow sitting straight upright? Where was she? The room looked like some kind of waiting room – had she had a meeting with one of her freelance clients today?
Welcome! Everything is fine.
Pearl’s thoughts felt thick, like she was trying to swim through syrup. The last thing she remembered was walking her dog, heading down the sidewalk to the dog park where she loved to run free. She must have gotten home at some point, though looking down at her clothes she noticed she was wearing the same maroon sweatshirt and ratty jeans she’d thrown on that morning.
Welcome! Everything is fine.
She couldn’t be meeting a client then. She always made sure to dress her best on the few times she had to go out for her job – it tended to get her more clients and bigger tips. Nobody wanted to entrust their entire technical infrastructure to someone who didn’t look like they’d brushed their hair that morning.
“Pearl?” Came a voice from her left, breaking her free from the honeyed tendrils of the trance she had been in. Standing inside the open door was a man, smiling at her softly with one hand on the doorframe. He had messy blonde hair combed out of his face, and he wore a red jumper that was nearly too big on him. When she stood up on instinct, she even noticed that they were the same height – she might even have had an inch or two on him. “Come on in.”
Pearl had no idea what was going on, how she got here or who this strange man was, but she strangely didn’t feel even the slightest hesitation following him through the door and into his office. Her body still felt light, like she was gliding across the room rather than walking, and when the man gestured her to sit in the chair in front of his desk, even that felt oddly weightless.
“Right then, let’s start at the beginning.” The man said, leveling her with dark brown eyes that felt like staring into a whirlpool. “You, Pearl Moon, are dead.”
For a moment, his words didn’t register. Dead? No, that wasn’t right. She was just alive, after all. She’d woken up early that morning to walk Tilly before she went to work. She’d gotten her shoes on, attached Tilly’s leash, and left the front door to walk their normal route. It had been a chilly morning, the dew hanging heavy on the grass beside the sidewalk, and Tilly insisted on rolling all over it.
And then… then something happened, she thought. There was a loud noise, a blaring sort of noise, and then a loud bang, and then… nothing.
“…Oh.” Pearl said, because there wasn’t really anything else to say
“Now, I understand this might come as a shock to you, especially since your passing was so… sudden. Please, take a minute if you need time to process—”
“What happened to Tilly?” Pearl interrupted immediately, leaning forward in her chair and gripping the edge of the desk desperately. The man blinked, taken aback for a moment before looking down and rifling through a thick manila folder on his desk.
“Tilly… that was your dog, correct?” He muttered, licking his thumb to page through some loose papers. “Let me see… ah, here it is.”
He lifted out a typed page covered in strange characters Pearl had never seen before, and began to read aloud. “On their early morning walk, Pearl was walking her dog Tilly when suddenly, a drunk driver came careening down their street and lost control of their car, driving onto the pavement and striking Pearl. Hearing the commotion, her neighbor, a Miss Gem Tay, came out of her house to see what was going on and found Tilly barking loudly, attempting to wake her owner whose neck was snapped at such an angle that it was obvious she was beyond help. Tilly whined and cried as Ms. Tay tried to drag her away from Pearl’s body, trying at the same time to dial the paramedics in the vain hope that her neighbor might be saved—”
“Stop! T-That’s… that’s enough.” Pearl stuttered, her hands shaking uncontrollably as her heart raced in her chest. She swallowed against the lump welling up in her throat and took a deep breath. “I just… just wanted to know if Tilly was safe.”
The man gasped, putting a hand over his heart. “O-Oh! Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry! I read these reports so often, I forget how emotional of an experience it can be for you humans. Um…” He cleared his throat, shuffling through some more papers as Pearl tried to collect herself. “It looks like after the… incident, Ms. Tay adopted Tilly herself, as a companion to her recently adopted puppy. Hopefully that can put your mind at ease.”
It did, ever so slightly. Pearl had spoken with Gem several times over the six months since she’d moved in. They were around the same age, and both had very energetic dogs who loved to run, so they’d talked whenever they were both at the dog park together. She was sweet, and Pearl knew she could be trusted with Tilly’s care.
Slowly, the knot in her chest came undone, and she nodded. “Ok… ok, I’m alright now.” Pearl raised her head to look at the man again, then glanced around the small office. It looked about the same as any other corporate office she’d been in, with boring beige walls and dark, expensive looking wooden furniture. There was a bookshelf to one side, the same strange symbols from the papers on Grian’s desk also written on their spines. “So… where exactly am I? And who are you?”
“Ah!” The man smacked his forehead with a sheepish grin. “I knew I was forgetting something, silly me! My name is Grian, and I’m the Architect of this neighborhood."
“Architect?”
“Yes! See, the afterlife isn’t just one big place, it would get crowded and so hard to navigate. Instead, there are neighborhoods built for a small group of people, so everyone can feel like they’re important. There are two different ‘sides’ to the afterline – the Good Place, where everyone who was kind and good gets to go, and the Bad Place, where the true scum of the Earth are tortured for eternity.”
Pearl swallowed as Grian’s eyes met hers again. “So… which one am I in, then?”
She thought she was mostly a good person, but she was hardly a saint either. Depending on what their definition of “good” was, she could easily be cast aside on the basis that she hadn’t ever saved a puppy from a burning building, or something like that.
Grian let her question hang in the air for a long time, staring at her with a blank face and some indescribable emotion twinkling in his eyes. Then, finally, he broke out into a grin and chuckled softly. “You don’t need to look so worried. It’s alright, Pearl. You’re in the Good Place.”
Pearl let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She wouldn’t be tortured for eternity – she made it. For someone who’d never really believed in an afterlife, it was an incredible relief that she’d managed to get into the good one.
Grian stood up then, waving for her to get up as well. “But don’t just take my word for it, why don’t I show you just how wonderful your afterlife will be!” And with a hand gently pressed between her shoulder blades, Pearl was guided out of Grian’s office and out into the sunshine of where she was going to spend the rest of her existence.
Even though she knew she should be excited – no, <i>ecstatic</i> to be in such a place, Pearl couldn’t help but feel that knot in her chest tighten, ever so slightly, as she caught sight of that message on the wall again.
<b>Welcome! Everything is fine.</b>
~
Pearl strolled along the main street in the neighborhood, paved with rough cobblestones and lined with cute little shops on either side. They all had that mom and pop look, which made sense as Grian kept gushing about various residents who had decided they wanted to run a little store in his neighborhood, and how excited he was for her to meet everyone. His energy was almost overbearing, electric in a near painful way. She tried her best to hide it, just to smile and nod and ask an occasional question to get him talking and looking away from her.
That was the strangest part, something that she couldn’t quite put her finger on yet. She knew Grian wasn’t human – he’d described himself as an “Architect”, whatever that meant – but there was something about the way he kept looking at her that made her feel like she was some kind of… lab experiment. He was always searching her face for some kind of reaction, like it would be the end of the world if she didn’t like something he’d made.
To be fair to him, he had said this was his first ever afterlife he’d designed. Pearl knew how nervewracking it could be to have someone else judge your work – and technically, she was the final “customer” for his work. Maybe she was being a little too harsh on someone who was clearly very green at his job.
“Ah, and here’s just the person I wanted to see!” Grian exclaimed, leading Pearl over to another man sitting at one of the outdoor café tables, sipping at a mug of some fancy espresso that was more milk and foam than coffee. He looked up as the two of them approached, and the first thing she noticed was just how icy blue his eyes and hair were. “Scott, I’m so glad to see you’re settling in!”
“It’s been great, everyone here’s very friendly.” Scott spoke, his accent distinct and somewhat charming.
“Oh, I’m so glad to hear it!” Grian smiled – did he ever get tired of being so chipper? – and then he gently pushed Pearl forward a step. “This is Pearl. Pearl, Scott.”
Pearl nodded to the blue-haired man politely. “Nice to meet you, Scott.”
“Nice to meet you too!” Scott nodded back, then glanced over to Grian who looked like he might explode with joy. “Are… you alright, Grian?”
“Huh? Oh, yes, I’m fine! I’m just so excited for you two to meet, it’s always so invigorating!”
Scott and Pearl met eyes for a moment, stumped, before Pearl decided to be the heel and ask. “What’s so invigorating? We’re just two people meeting for the first time, it happened all the time when we were alive.”
Well, maybe it had been for Scott. Pearl was a bit of a recluse – working remotely, and only really leaving the house to walk Tilly. Still, that didn’t seem particularly relevant now.
Grian was practically bouncing in place at this point. “Not just two people, no no! You two are much more than just two random humans meeting in passing! Your bond is so much more <i>special</i> than that!”
His eyes flicked between the two of them, clearly waiting for one of them to ask what was so special. It was kind of freaking Pearl out, if she was honest, how excited Grian seemed to be for her to meet some random guy. That look in his eyes was back again, and it made all sorts of warning bells ring in her head. Finally, Scott took the bait and sighed. “What’s so special about it, then?”
“Because…” Grian paused for dramatic effect. “You two…”
“Are soulmates!”
Pearl startled, blinking in surprise before turning to Scott and noticing the look of absolute, unfiltered <i>disgust</i> on his face as he stared at her, holding for just a moment too long before it smoothed over into a clearly fake smile. “Soulmates…?”
Well then, that was rude. Pearl wasn’t one to care too much about her appearance, exactly, but she was hardly something to recoil from! It was like the very idea of being connected to her repulsed him so much he couldn’t even afford her the common decency of being polite!
She was quickly deciding she didn’t like this man very much, glaring at him harshly. Scott stared back, icy blue eyes regarding her with clear distaste he couldn’t completely hide.
What an ass.
Grian’s hand grabbed her shoulder and his voice broke through her staring contest with Scott. “Is… something wrong? You don’t seem as excited as I thought you’d be?”
Pearl looked to Grian, staring up at her with wavering hope in his brown eyes. She felt a little bad for crushing his dreams, but she also didn’t want to get stuck with some asshole for the rest of what’s <i>supposed</i> to be her perfect afterlife. “Actually, Grian, I—"
“We’re just surprised, that’s all! I mean, soulmates! That’s a lot to take in, I didn’t think soulmates were real!” Scott interrupted her, getting up from his seat and taking a step towards them. She shot him a glare at his approach, and wanted to combust as he had the audacity to grab her hand at her side and hold it up between his own. “But I’m so happy to know that they are! Real, I mean. This is fantastic!”
He didn’t look her in the eyes once during his gushing, first staring at their hands and then turning to Grian and speaking to him. “Actually, if you don’t mind, could you maybe…?”
“Oh, yes, I can leave you two lovebirds alone!” Grian snickered with a wink that made Pearl shudder all the way down to her toes. “I actually should be getting back to my office, we’ve got a few more residents arriving soon! Scott, why don’t you bring her over to yours, and later I’ll come to show you two around the rest of the neighborhood?”
Scott nodded vigorously before Pearl could even open her mouth to interject, and suddenly she was being tugged alone by a vice grip on her hand. She stumbled along for a minute before she found her feet, and yanked her hand from Scott’s grip.
“What the hell was that about?! A little warning next time before you go dragging a stranger around!” She griped, rubbing her hand pointedly on her sweatshirt. Scott huffed, turning to face her with his arms crossed.
“But we’re not strangers, we’re <i>soulmates</i>. Apparently.” Pearl had never heard someone put so much vitriol into a single word like Scott had put into the word ‘soulmates’, and it lit the match on the anger that had been sitting at the bottom of her gut.
“What is your problem?! We don’t even know each other, are you just <i>that</i> disgusted by me that the idea of being soulmates revolts you so much!?”
“No! That’s—That’s not it, ok?” Scott sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “I’m sorry, it’s not your fault, I just… I heard some of the other people here talking about their soulmates like they were the most perfect romance they’d ever had, and I just… I got my hopes up too high.”
Pearl narrowed her eyes at him. “What, am I that ugly that you can’t even imagine falling in love with me? Yeah, great apology, that makes me feel so much better.” She bit out at him.
Scott sighed again, glancing around at their surroundings before leaning in towards her. “It’s not that! You’re pretty, and I’m sure you’re a great person and all that. It just… it won’t be romance. It can’t be."
“And why not?”
“Because I’m gay!” Scott hissed, and oh. Yeah, that would probably make romance between them a little… complicated. Not that she particularly cared – even with this revelation, she still felt slightly stung by his earlier reaction. Romance with Scott was not even on her radar at this point.
“Oh. Well, ok, fine, but you didn’t have to be so rude about it.” Pearl told him, and strangely noticed a tension relax from his shoulders, relief in his eyes as he watched her face. “Dude, did you think I was gonna be homophobic about it or something? Do I really give off that vibe?”
“You can never be sure. Some of the nicest ones turn out to be the worst. Better to make you hate me for a reason I could control.” Scott said, and Pearl feels her anger settle a little.
“Ah, so you were just acting bitchy to get me to leave first.” Pearl raised an eyebrow, and Scott grinned sheepishly. “Well, Scott, I can guarantee you now that there is no possibility of me falling in love with you like that, so maybe let’s leave that strategy behind us and be civil to each other from now on? We can be, I dunno, platonic soulmates or something.”
Pearl held out a hand, and Scott stared at it for a moment before shaking. “Right. Sorry about that, Pearl. You seem pretty cool, didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or anything."
They smiled at each other, and for the first time since arriving, Pearl felt settled in her own body. Maybe it was just the presence of another person – a real human, not whatever kind of being Grian was that looked human but clearly wasn’t – but she started to believe that she might actually enjoy being here.
After all, she made it to the Good Place. Everything was going to be fine.
Do you ever think about the fact that Deceit might be dying to share his name, but can’t?
Deceit can’t share information on his own. Thomas has to want to know - whether it’s said explicitly or just implicitly.
The fact that Deceit hasn’t shared his name yet means that while Thomas might be curious, the majority of him doesn’t want to know, doesn’t want to put in the effort to ask. And why?
Because giving him a name makes him real. Makes him complex. Makes it that much harder to push him away and forget that he’s just as important as a side of Thomas as all the others.
So Thomas doesn’t ask.
And Deceit can’t tell him.
And he has to sit there and know that Thomas doesn’t really want him around, but he’s too proud to prove him wrong the way he urged Virgil to. So he won’t sink out.
He just has to stick to the shadows and wait. And wait. And wait.
When Virgil first starting joining the other three to hang out outside of videos, he was always on edge. Tense, body like a taught bowstring, ready to bolt at any sign of trouble.
Even after Thomas had verbally told Virgil that he wanted him around, the anxious side still didn’t relax. The other three silently decided amongst themselves not to bring it up. After all, they knew who he used to spend time with. It must have been hell, they agreed. He probably had to fend off countless attacks from the other three. If he wanted to spend more time in his room to feel safe around them, to always sit closest to the stairs to have an easy escape route, then they would oblige.
Roman tried to engage Virgil, tried to make up for how he’d treated him in the beginning. He invited Virgil to movie nights, offered to let him pick the movie and the snacks and the lighting conditions and everything else that might make him uncomfortable. Yet despite that, even when Roman tried his best to make everything perfect, Virgil always left before the movie was over. Roman never saw him go - the anxious side seemed to wait until he was engrossed in the movie to sink out and disappear. He didn’t know if that was his way of trying to be polite, or if Roman was coming off too strong and overwhelming him. Virgil dodged the topic any time he tried to bring it up
It hurt them, especially Patton, to see Virgil so on edge. He was safe here, he insisted to Virgil whenever he noticed he was forcing himself to stay awake when his eyelids were drooping. He didn’t have to worry. They weren’t going to hurt him, and they wouldn’t let any of the others hurt him either. Virgil’s only response was a terse smile and a thank you, and when Patton would reluctantly fix his eyes back on the screen, Virgil would disappear.
It was a late night when Patton finally decided to speak up. They’d made it through three quarters of the movie, and Virgil was still here. Patton didn’t know why, but he had a gut feeling that if he could just keep Virgil here through the credits, it would break whatever nervous spell had him captive. When he saw Virgil starting to shift as if to leave, Patton yawned and threw his arms up and out, letting one land on the back of the couch and inches from Virgil’s shoulder. He tried to move smoothly, but the anxious side jerked as if he’d been shocked and pulled his arm in close, away from Patton.
Logan saw the look in Virgil’s eyes and knew he was ready to bolt. He held a hand up to stop him, murmuring encouragement, and he noticed Virgil’s own hand twitch into a fist.
Roman, sitting on the floor, reached out and gently set his hand on Virgil’s socked foot. Immediately, he pulled that leg up into himself, hugging it and nearly hitting Roman in the face.
Why was he so scared, they asked. They weren’t going to hurt him. He was safe here, they assured him. Safe from the others, safe from the horrors of the dark sides. It must have been terrible, they sympathized, but it was over. He could relax.
Virgil’s face twisted into something dark, and he ducked his head as he mumbled something. What was that, they asked. We couldn’t hear you.
I’m not scared, he growled at them. His hands were balled into fists and every muscle in his body was tended. I know you’re not going to hurt me, he told them. They weren’t like that.
Then he mumbled one more thing before he sunk out, just as the credits began to roll.
I would like to make a little announcement, because this is something I frequently forget and I had the just check for myself.
The term “Dark Side” has only ever been used twice in the canon of Sanders Sides. Once by Roman, when he made it up for the first time. And once by Thomas, at the end of DWIT when Virgil immediately corrects him and says “the others” instead.
Virgil has never used the phrase, of course. But neither has Logan or Patton, and Deceit and Remus have not self-identified with the phrase yet (as of the first Asides video).
I guess the point is that, the term has become this huge thing in the fandom, as well as calling the other three/four “Light Sides.” Sometimes I think it can be important to look back at canon and see how my version of canon is different than actual canon. Which is fine! But important to acknowledge all the same.
(For anyone who wants to fact check me, you can find the episode transcripts here - https://sanders-sides.fandom.com/wiki/Episodes)
This is a sortable list of Sanders Sides media divided by seasons and initially sorted by original air date or release date. A page for tran
I went back and reread one of my Fluffuary fics because I got a lovely comment, and now I’ve remembered just how many of those stories had full AU’s behind them that I could have explored.
I don’t have a lot of time and I can’t expand them into full fics (as much as I want to) but I do want to try bullet-ficcing for the first time. So, any requests for which one to focus on first?
- Logince arranged marriage au
- LAMP wing au (that may become DRLAMP, not sure)
- Roceit royalty au with the hibiscus festival, there was a lot of potential there
- Dukexiety mermaid AU - there was a lot of creativitwins content I didn’t get to explore
- Emile/Remus college au (maybe a rare ship but it’s really cute, don’t @ me)
- Royal Twins au, I want to make an ask blog for this but honestly the likelihood of that succeeding is v low so I might as well share all the world building I’ve been doing
- DRLAMP immortal twins au (idea that I had to scrap for the DRLAMP day because it needed at least 50k words to express everything I wanted to, and that was not happening during Fluffuary)
- Demigod au (I guess this technically counts as fluffuary, although I have an ask blog that again, didn’t really end up happening because motivation sucks)
I’ll probably end up doing most of these, possibly in order here unless someone wants one later down the list sooner
Summary: When they aren’t filming, Thomas’s sides get along quite well. But sometimes, the former dark sides wonder if they truly do belong.
(Like listening to podfics? You can listen to this oneshot on my YT channel here!)
“And that’s a wrap! Great job everybody!”
The sides relaxed at Thomas’s announcement, dropping their video personas. They shifted from their various spots on the couch to sit closer to each other, no longer blocked by the fourth wall caused by the camera.
Roman stood up from his throne of pillows in the corner and fell onto the couch, raising his arm so Patton could cuddle up against him. Logan shifted to the corner of the sectional, bracing himself as Remus vaulted over the back of it and landed directly in his lap. The rest of the sides were thankful that Logan had had the forethought to ask his boyfriend to wear pants to the shoot.
Deceit went to the bathroom to fix his outfit while Virgil slipped down from the top of the couch and got comfortable on the sectional. Thomas got up and went to the kitchen, grabbing some bowls and microwave bags of popcorn.
“I think your fans are gonna really enjoy these shorter videos, Thomas! This was so much fun to film!” Patton called out, and the rest of the sides agreed.
“I think so too. They like seeing you guys in more casual settings, so this will be perfect.”
“It’s unfortunate that we’re unable to show them our true interactions though.” Logan commented, hugging Remus closer as the other shifted in his lap. “Regressing back to former attitudes has been strenuous in the past.”
“In English, teach!” Roman teased, and Logan rolled his eyes.
“Acting like we did several years ago when we didn’t accept the “dark sides” has caused tension.” Logan clarified, and Patton sat up in Roman’s arms.
“Do you guys think we still think that?” He worriedly asked Virgil and Remus, who shook their heads.
“I know you guys were just looking out for Thomas, and besides, I wasn’t exactly nice either.” Virgil told them, and Remus agreed.
Thomas walked back into the living room with three brimming bowls of popcorn in his arms, smiling at his sides. “Alright, who’s ready to actually watch Frozen now?”
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to skip out tonight, Thomas.” Deceit spoke up from behind him, startling the host who nearly dropped the popcorn.
“Huh? But we were finally gonna watch the movie...” Thomas mumbled, and Deceit shrugged with an apologetic smile.
“I’ve had a migraine for the better part of today, and it hasn’t improved at all so I think it’s best if I get some sleep instead.”
Thomas hummed, pouting in disappointment. “Well that’s too bad. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow night when you’re feeling better?”
Deceit shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous, you’ve already made popcorn and everyone’s gotten comfortable. I’ll be fine, I just need to lay down.”
“If you’re sure...” Thomas said slowly, and Deceit took a slight bow before sinking out. The host turned back to the couch, handing out the bowls of popcorn to Logan and Patton before taking a seat himself.
Then he looked around and raised an eyebrow.
“Where did Virgil go?”
~
“You don’t need to lie to them, you know.”
Deceit didn’t respond, and Virgil wondered for a moment if he really was sleeping after all. He took a step into Deceit’s room, towards the figure that was lying on the bed and facing away from him.
“You didn’t need to check on me. Like I told Thomas, I’m fine, it’s just a little headache.”
Virgil rolled his eyes, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “If you’re actually trying to sleep, then why don’t you change into something a little more comfortable?”
Deceit growled quietly, and Virgil knew he’d hit it on the head. Deceit was still wearing his normal outfit, sans his signature hat which was sitting on the nightstand beside the bed.
“Shouldn’t you be watching Frozen with the others?”
“As if I care about that when my boyfriend is trying to seclude himself from all of us. Dee, c’mon, you know you can tell me if something’s wrong. You weren’t acting like yourself today.”
A small huff came from the lump on the bed, and Deceit shifted to lay on his stomach, stuffing his face in his pillow. Virgil narrowed his eyes in concern, reaching out and resting a gentle hand on Deceit’s shoulder.
“Seriously Dee, what’s wrong? This really isn’t like you.”
“I’m just tired... It’s nothing you need to worry about.” Deceit mumbled quietly, and Virgil moved to sit closer to his boyfriend on the bed. He propped himself up against the headboard and patted his lap when Deceit lifted his head curiously.
“Consider me worried. C’mere and cuddle with me?”
Deceit narrowed his eyes for a moment, but he eventually relented and pushed himself up, laying his head on Virgil’s chest and letting the other run his fingers through his hair.
They sat like that for a while, and it got to the point where Virgil thought that Deceit had actually fallen asleep. Until, that is, he sensed Deceit’s heart rate spike and something wet against his chest.
“Dee?” Virgil whispered, worried. He heard a small sniff, like Deceit was trying to hide it.
“I’m... sorry...” came the whisper back. Virgil’s own heart started to race - what was this, and where was it coming from?
“What are you sorry for?” He asked softly, and Deceit pushed himself off of his chest and sat up on his own, his eyes hidden by strands of hair hanging in front of them.
“I... don’t deserve this...”
“Don’t deserve what?” Now he was really worried. He’d never seen Deceit like this, or at least it had been a very long time.
Deceit didn’t respond. He kept opening his mouth to try and answer, but there was no sound that came from him. Virgil sat up, moving slowly over to him to not scare him or cause him to clam up more.
“Do... you want me to try and guess?” Virgil asked. He knew sometimes, it was easier to simply agree with something than it was to spit it out yourself. After a long moment, Deceit nodded.
“Ok... do you mean this, here? Cuddling with me?”
Deceit nodded, but the look on his face made Virgil think there was more to it than just that.
“What about... spending time with the others?”
That only got a shrug, and Virgil chewed his lip. “Ok... is it Thomas, then?”
Deceit didn’t move at all, and Virgil had a feeling he was close. He sighed, reaching for his boyfriend’s hand. “Ernest... Thomas likes you. I promise he does.”
He pulled away, wrapping his arms around himself and pulling a knee to his chest. “But... he can’t trust me.”
There it was.
“What do you mean?”
“How can he, when he never knows if the words coming from my mouth are true or false? Or if I’m hiding some big secret from him? Or... or...”
Deceit took a shuddering breath, sounding like he was near tears. “I know I’m important... I know Thomas needs me to do my job... But how can he be ok with it?”
Virgil’s heart ached at hearing his boyfriend voice his worries. It mirrored his own worries, the ones he had even now, years after Thomas had fully accepted him and the job he did.
Deceit had taken longer to be accepted - it was only about a year since Thomas had told him that he was welcome. And just as he had, Thomas had started including him in videos that were all about his personal journey. Meaning that Deceit suddenly had to revert back to his villainous persona that he’d been working so hard to lose.
What was it Logan had said earlier? ‘Regressing back to former attitudes has caused tension’?
“Ernest, will you look at me?” Virgil asked, reaching slowly to brush his fingertips against his boyfriend’s scaled cheek. Deceit took a while to move, but Virgil was patient and he waited until finally Ernest lifted his head and met his eyes.
“Thomas does trust you, and that’s because he should.”
Deceit tried to shake his head, but Virgil wouldn’t let him get a word in. “What we do isn’t always nice. Thomas doesn’t find it fun when I do my job, and not when you do yours or when Remus does his. But he trusts you, because he knows that no matter what, all we want is to protect him.”
“Virgil...” Deceit sniffed before he crumbled, falling into Virgil’s waiting arms.
“And I trust you too, Ernest. And if filming these videos is too much for you, then we should talk to Thomas. I don’t like acting like I used to either... I don’t ever want to go back to that.”
Virgil rubbed Deceit’s back slowly, pushing away the tears that pricked at his eyes. Hearing Deceit fall apart like this broke his heart.
“I can’t lose you again... not like I did...”
“And you won’t. I’m not letting you get away from me again.” Virgil told him, trying to lighten the mood.
Deceit eventually calmed down, taking deep breaths and letting his heart settle. Virgil kissed his scaled cheek gently, waving his hand to change both of them into comfortable pajamas that weren’t soaked with tears. They laid back down, Deceit curled tightly against the other’s chest.
“I really do love you, you know. I know I don’t say it that much, but I do.” Virgil mumbled into his boyfriend’s hair, and Deceit shifted against him.
“I love you too. And... I’m ok to continue with the videos. I can make you fall in love with me all over again.”
Virgil laughed, nuzzling him before closing his eyes and slowly drifting to sleep.
At risk of sounding like Roman, Virgil whispered that he already did that every day.
Summary: Prince Roman had never been that interested in the Hibiscus Festival, until a young man he’d never seen before arrived at the event and he started to think maybe it wasn’t so useless after all.
(Like listening to podfics? You can listen to this oneshot on my YT channel here!)
The Hibiscus Festival was the largest celebration in the kingdoms, held every year in late summer. Nobles and royalty from the farthest reaches of the continent would travel for days or weeks for the festival.
Prince Roman of the Sun Kingdom stared out the window of his room, watching the carriages arrive by the dozens and nobles of all ages stream into the castle. Servants darted around like busy bees, always having another carriage to unload or another noble to escort to their room.
He could be down there, he knew, but he wasn’t required to meet with any guests until the festival truly started the following evening. Until then, he was entitled to simply watch.
Most of the interesting guests had already arrived days ago. He had already met with Prince Logan of the Moon Kingdom, and Prince Patton of the Earth Kingdom. He enjoyed their company - he’d known them since they were all children, so they were practically family to him.
He knew his brother felt slightly differently about Logan, though. He’d been bragging to Roman for a month about his elaborate plan to court Logan, starting with the Hibiscus Festival.
The courting rituals of the annual festival were renowned all over the land. The Hibiscus Festival allowed those wishing to court someone the chance to present them with a red flower, symbolizing their love. Those receiving a flower then had the week to consider their response, and on the final day they would present their potential suitors with a flower of their own.
A pink flower in return told the suitor that they would like to have a friendly relationship with them, rather than a romantic one. Yellow meant that they weren’t ready to commit yet, but to try again the following year. Purple was an outright rejection - to see someone walking around with a bouquet of purple hibiscus was seen as a symbol of one who would never find love.
And of course, returning a red flower to the suitor was an invitation, consent for the suitor to begin courting.
Roman sighed, watching the sun set and the carriages coming slower now. His birthday had been only a few months ago, and now that he was 18, he had no doubt he would be receiving countless hibiscus flowers this year now that he was of age. Patton and Logan had both received full bouquets from potential suitors the previous year, and Roman had heard murmurs of plans from many noble girls to offer him a red flower come tomorrow.
He sighed. He would be preparing a lot of pink flowers if that was the case. But better to let them know up front than to string them along.
The door opened behind him and he heard loud, obnoxious footsteps approaching before arms flung themselves onto his shoulders, and a chin rested beside his ear. “I knew you were hiding up here! What’re you doing, you love parties!”
Roman sighed again, simply staring out the window at another carriage arriving. “I’ve said hello to those I wanted to see. I’ll meet everyone else at the ball tomorrow.”
The carriage outside was small, with only a driver and two people inside. A regal looking woman with hair braided all the way down her back, and a young man dressed for a party already.
“Who is that?” Roman mused, and his brother pushed further to get a good view out the window.
“Oh, isn’t that that new noble family that just got super rich in the last year or two?”
Roman glanced back at Remus then, surprised. “What? Since when do you care about anyone that wasn’t Logan?”
“I only care cause they call her ‘The Dragon Witch’ and that’s fucking cool!” Remus defended himself, and then continued. “Plus, I heard her son is like, super fucking hot and I’m gonna see for myself.”
Remus pushed himself away from Roman, fixing his collar before running out of the room, leaving Roman alone to watch them enter the castle and their carriage pull away.
Dragon Witch... it was an intimidating name, but from what little he could tell, the woman fit it perfectly. It made him wonder what her son would be like. At the ball tomorrow evening, he’d be sure to seek him out first.
~
The opening festivities were an all day affair, although there was no required attendance until the evening ball. Roman spent the majority of the day with his brother and his friends, wandering around the town and enjoying the market stalls set up specifically for the festival.
Flower sellers were on every street corner, selling not only hibiscus flowers but all sorts of buds. Roman saw his brother eyeing every seller, and eventually Roman took pity on him and lead Logan and Patton away for a while so he could slip away and buy himself a red hibiscus.
Before he knew it, the sun was setting and they needed to get back to the castle to change into their best outfits for the party. Roman and Remus wore similar outfits, long suitcoats with a flowing cape hanging loosely from their shoulders. Roman dressed in white, red and gold embroidery, and Remus in black, green and silver.
“You’re gonna kill that flower if you keep that up,” Roman told Remus, noticing his brother fidgeting with the flower between his palms. Remus shot him a look.
“It’s better than nothing at all!” Remus teased, noting Roman’s lack of a flower to give. Roman shrugged.
“I’m just barely 18, I’ve got years ahead of me to woo someone! I’m going to wait for the perfect person, not just anyone who walks by!”
“Aww, so you’re gonna be a heartbreaker, walking around with a bunch of purple hibiscus? So cruel!”
“At least I’m not putting all of my eggs into one basket. What if Logan rejects you? What’ll you do then?”
Remus shrugged, hiding his nerves behind a wonky smile. “Then I guess I’ll die alone, just like you!”
Before Roman could retaliate, there was a knock at their door and a servant entered to tell them they were needed to begin the opening ceremony. Roman gracefully sauntered out of the room, with Remus trying to push against him the entire way.
The ballroom was enormous, and filled with nobles, servants and long tables of hors d’oeuvres. At the front there was a raised stage where the royal families were waiting to enter and begin the party.
Roman and Remus had to sneak around along a servant hallway to avoid the large crowd, but they did overhear snippets of conversation from people who had stepped out of the claustrophobic ballroom.
The twins’ parents waved them inside, urging them to hurry. Roman and Remus took their place beside them, smiling over at Logan and Patton who were already there.
Soon the curtains opened, and there was applause as the King and Queen of the Sun Kingdom welcomed their guests, inviting them to drink, eat, and dance the week away, as well as participate in the annual trading of the Hibiscus flowers, provided by their local farmers. There was excited tittering that rolled through the crowd, and Roman could feel the eyes looking in his direction. He scanned the crowd, plastering a neutral, pretty smile onto his face to mask how nervous he was about this.
He had always loved the festival, back when he was a kid. It was so romantic, the exchange of flowers and the meanings of every color. As a child, he had thought that he wouldn’t care what color he received, because they were all so beautiful.
Now, though, he couldn’t help but focus on the sea of red that was scattered throughout the crowd. What was so romantic about being ambushed by people he didn’t even know, wishing for his hand in marriage?
“With that, let this celebration begin!” The King announced, and a cheer rose from the gathered nobles. The royal families left the stage and mingled with their guests.
Almost immediately, Remus pulled Logan out of the ballroom, hiding the hibiscus behind his back. Patton and Roman watched them leave, and Patton giggled at how excited Remus was.
“Aww, they would be cute together, don’t you think?” He asked, and Roman had to agree that Logan was a pretty good match for his chaotic brother.
“What about you? Are you going to give a flower to anyone?” Roman asked, and Patton blushed slightly.
“Not this year...”
Roman raised an eyebrow, curious. “But you’ve got someone in mind, then? Aw, Pat, you’ve gotta introduce me! Who is it?”
“It’s this noble boy from the Kingdom of Stars... But he’s not 18 yet, so I can’t court him this year. But next year, I will!”
Roman grabbed his friend’s arm, shaking it playfully. “Introduce me! I wanna meet him!”
Patton giggled, and he scanned the crowd for a moment before spotting him, and he ducked and dodged through the droves of people expertly.
Unlike Roman, who was starting to find that wearing a cape wasn’t the best idea in a space like this. It kept getting caught on things, and then people would run up to him and present him with a flower, causing him to spend even more time in the crowd and allowing the cycle to repeat.
Having lost Patton, and now with an armful of red Hibiscus, Roman fought his way to the nearest hallway and collapsed against the wall, blowing out a heavy breath.
“You’re very popular, your Highness,” came a smooth voice from beside him, and Roman jumped. When he looked over, he was face to face with the young man he’d seen arriving yesterday... the son of the “Dragon Witch”.
His skin was dark, but with light colored patches around his left eye and spreading down onto his cheek and chin. His eyes were golden brown, with the left one almost seeming to sparkle like gold. He was dressed in a similar outfit to Roman, a black suit coat with gold trimmings and a capelet around his shoulders.
“A-Ah, well, I just turned 18, so they’ve been waiting for their chance!”
The young man smiled, but it was guarded. “Of course! And you’re so handsome, your Highness, I would have expected a bouquet twice this size!”
“H-Handsome?” Roman stuttered, unsure of why his heart was racing. He’d been called handsome plenty of times, but there was something about the way the word rolled off this man’s tongue that sent shivers down his spine.
It was then he saw there was a red hibiscus in the young man’s fingers as well, being twirled lazily.
“Perhaps it’s a waste of time given your vast selection, but if you’d allow me...” He leaned in, offering the flower to Roman. “I would be honored if I could throw my hat in the ring as well~”
Roman blushed, taking the hibiscus quickly. “I, ah... I’ll take it into consideration... if you’ll tell me one thing.”
The man tilted his head, a curious grin on his face. “Yes, your Highness?”
“What’s... your name?”
He blinked, then nodded and took a little bow. “Of course, my apologies. I am Ernest, your Highness. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Ernest...” Roman repeated, testing how it felt to say it. He found he quite liked it. “I’ll be certain to remember your name.”
“Perhaps we could spend some time together this week, your Highness? Your kingdom is beautiful, and I have never been to the castle. And who better to reveal its intricate beauties than its prince?”
Ernest was a charmer, and Roman knew that it was likely he was just sucking up to him to try and increase his chances at the end of the week. But Roman liked pretty words, so it was working.
“Only if you will then tell me about your family in return. I’ve heard that your family only attained noble status a year or two ago. I’m rather curious to know how.” Roman offered, and Ernest smiled that guarded smile again.
“Of course, I’d be glad to share our history. But perhaps... before all that, I could ask for a dance?” Ernest offered his hand, and Roman realized that while they were talking, waltz music had started to play in the ballroom.
“I suppose I could offer you one...” Roman said, trying to be coy but feeling his heart racing. They walked back into the ballroom together, and Roman was excited to find that Ernest was an excellent dancer. They spun around together long after that first song had ended, and the prince knew he should be a proper host and dance with other potential suitors... but he found he just didn’t care enough to do so.
~
Ernest made for fun company, as he found over the week of the festival. Every day he woke up early to spend time with him, taking him on a tour of the castle and of the town, pointing out his favorite things about the place he lived.
In return, Ernest told him about his family. About how they had been farmers for generations, but his mother had wanted to do something to change that. In just ten years she was able to completely change how their family was run, and in the last few years she had been getting invitations to bigger events. This was the first time they had been invited to come to the Hibiscus Festival, and it was everything he had dreamed and more.
The Dragon Witch title came from her competition, from those who wanted to destroy her reputation by insinuating she used dark magic to gain her success. It was all lies, Ernest told him, but his mother had enjoyed them, and used those rumors to inspire her appearance.
With every moment, Roman found himself falling even harder. On the night before the final day of the festival, Remus came into his room to find him lying on his bed, staring dreamily at the ceiling. He teased him, saying that out of the two of them, he never would have expected that Roman would be the one to fall in love with a nobody while Remus with another prince.
Roman wasn’t bothered for once, letting Remus talk as he daydreamed. It wasn’t expected of him, no, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
On the final day of the festival, the party was held in the gardens of the castle. As the sun set, the exchange of flowers began. The prince would stand in front as his potential suitors lined up to receive whatever flower he had decided to give them.
To those who had offered Patton a flower, he returned a pink hibiscus to every one of them. Roman expected nothing less - it would take a truly evil person to even have Patton consider giving a purple flower.
Remus had received a few, but he of course only offered pink and purple roses in return. When Logan stepped up, he saw that he was carrying a bouquet of all pink, with one red hibiscus in the center.
Remus couldn’t contain his happiness when it was that red flower being offered to him, and they both collapsed to the ground as Remus tackled him in an excited hug.
Then it was Roman’s turn, and he looked down at his bouquet of pink flowers, with one tucked away from view in the middle of it.
He handed out the flowers slowly, but when he got to Ernest in the center of the line, he spent a moment rearranging his bouquet to retrieve that other color hidden amongst the pink.
Ernest’s eyes widened as he stared at the flower, and Roman had to hide a smirk as he moved on, passing out the rest without much fanfare.
“Really?” Remus whispered as Roman came back to their group. “But I thought you were--”
“In love?” Roman asked, letting himself grin. “Maybe, maybe not. But I want to make sure that he’s not just all talk. Besides, you told me yourself his family has only really gained power in the last two years. I want to make sure that’s going to last.”
“I hope to prove myself quickly, then.” Ernest spoke from behind them, holding up the yellow flower he’d received, and Roman turned around and smiled at him. “I’m thankful for the chance, your Highness, and I hope to rise to your standards by next summer.”
