Subconscious (Anxceit)

•6•

Chapter Six: Family Time

Everyone heard the hissing this time.
They were all crowded around the living room, trying to watch a movie. Then the hissing started. Roman frowned at Dorian.
"Will you cut that out?"
Dorian regarded him coolly and held his arm out. "It's so me."
Illusion slithered onto his arm, and Roman jumped back.
"Jesus Christ what the hell is that?" Virgil blinked at her.
Illusion nuzzled his face and Dorian smiled. "Clearly not a snake."
'Stop being difficult, Hyde.'
"I'm not trying to be difficult."
Patton tilted his head. "No one said you were...?"
"Illusion didn't."
Logan looked confused. "You named her Illusion?"
"Cliche much?" Roman muttered.
He glared at Roman and twisted his arm slightly. "Yes, I named her Illusion. She didn't name herself."
'I didn't. I was born with that name.'
He ignored her. "It is not the name she gave me, so it is not the name I use."
Logan shifted forward and held a hand out before pulling it away.
"Fascinating creatures..."
'Carter wishes to touch me. Tell him he may if it satiates his curiosity.'
"She has given you permission to touch her if it feeds your mind." Dorian tilted his head.
Logan stared at him for a moment, then Dorian held out his arm. Logan reached out gingerly and stroked Illusion's scales. She hissed, and he drew away.
"I-I..." he looked up in surprise.
Dorian stroked her head with his finger. "She wasn't enjoying it. She meant you much harm."
Logan looked at him a moment, then bit his lip. "Why is it that you switch back and forth between truths and falsehoods?"
Dorian shrugged. "Sometimes I need to lie, sometimes I don't."
The room went silent for a moment.
"See, I can't tell if he meant that as a truth or a lie." Roman said.
Patton shrugged. "Either way it's the same message. Just switched."
Logan ignored them. "Need?"
"Well..." he swallowed deeply. "I'm... more of a self preservation. My main goal is to try to lie Thomas out of situations where he might get hurt or where Anxiety thinks I should get him out."
Everyone's head turned to look at Virgil, who shrunk back in his seat.
'You've put poor Raven on the spot, Hyde.' Illusion chastised.
Dorian went to say something, until Virgil piped up...
"Who's Raven? And Hyde?"
Dorian blinked at him. "You heard that?"
Now Virgil looked even more confused. "Of course I did? I'm not deaf...?"
"But... everyone hears Illusion. I'm not the only one who hears her ever."
Virgil blinked. "Really?"
'Really.'
Virgil turned to look at Illusion. "Oh."
'I like you, Raven.' She sounded pleased, like a child.
Virgil smiled slowly. "I'm Raven?"
Dorian nodded. "And I am not Hyde."
"What is going on?" Logan looked confused.
Dorian smiled. "Nothing."

"Hey Hyde."
Dorian rolled his eyes playfully and turned to look at Virgil. He's taken to calling him Hyde for the last few days, and Dorian couldn't tell if he liked it or not. He just knew that Virgil enjoyed it, and that was enough.
"Raven." He smiled.
"Patton asked me to call you for family time. He's not expecting you to come;" Virgil shrugged. "He just wants you to know the offer is on the table."
Dorian smiled at him.
"Tell him I won't be there."
Virgil blinked, then beamed at him. "Okay."
He ran out and nearly fell over. He turned to Dorian, still beaming. "I'm okay!" Then ran away again.
Dorian smiled.
His good feeling didn't last long. Of course it didn't.
"Dorian~"
That was Clay's voice. It echoed through the kitchen, sing song and snide. Braydan had really gotten to him...
"I don't want to do this, Dee... don't make us do this."
Something about that sentence wasn't right... Dorian didn't have time to figure out what it was, because the vaguely maniacal giggle, which was then randomly cut off.
Suddenly the silence seemed eerie. Dorian hated it.
He wanted to hear Roman boast about himself.
He wanted to hear Logan argue with someone about why they were wrong.
He wanted Patton's endless optimism.
Virgils snickering and scoffing at what was happening around him.
And so he went out to the living room, planting himself right in between Logan and Virgil.
Everyone turned to stare at him, but he didn't care.
"Oh... um... Dee, wanna pick the movie?" Patton asked.
Dorian nodded and picked up a random movie.
He didn't care what it was. He just needed a distraction.

Some point during the movie Logan had fallen asleep, his head rolling onto Dorians shoulder. Patton was curled up in Roman's lap, also sleeping, and Virgil had latched onto Dorians arm at some point.
Dorian and Virgil were the only ones still awake, although Virgil wouldn't last long.
His eyes kept sliding closed before jerking open and staring ahead for a few seconds before the process repeated.
"Virgil."
Virgil shook his head and looked up at him.
"Dorian."
"Sleep."
Virgil blinked at him, gripping tighter to his arm. Then he shook his head.
"I'm okay I don't-"
"You don't need sleep."
Virgil sighed and looked up at him.
"Whatever. Fine. I'll sleep."
Dorian gave him a small smile.
Then Virgil reached up and kissed his cheek, leaning his head against Dorians shoulder. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.
Dorian didn't know how Virgil or Logan could sleep. If it were really as hot as he felt, he didn't know how any of them could.

He woke up with a crick in his neck, leaning heavily against Virgil, who was still clinging to his arm.
Logan had draped himself over Deceit, one leg thrown over his, an arm wrapped firmly around his waist. He wanted to move, but both Virgil and Logan were still sleeping. Roman was staring at him from across the room, however, Patton still half asleep in his lap.
"Did you need something, Roman?" Dorian mumbled, putting his head back down.
Roman gestured vaguely to him. "Just trying to figure out what about you has put them so at ease."
Dorian rolled his eyes before they slid closed.
"I'm trying, Dee. I really am."
Dorians eyes snapped open. They stared at each other a moment, then Patton woke up, and nothing more was said.

I'm behind schedule again aha! Im gonna do more to make sure I'm back on time :) All my next chapters are already half written and ready for next week! See you then.
-K