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Stars can't tell lies.
That's part of the reason why Deceit loved the night sky so much, it held no untruth. Oh, sure, there were misconceptions about the sky, but those that worked to understand it would do away with those in time. With every day scientists got closer and closer to understanding the full truth about the universe they lived in. One day, just maybe, they might be able to uncover every last secret in the great big space they floated in.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason Deceit loved the night.
Night Time was when the other sides were asleep, most of the time. Patton slept the most out of any of them, going to be at ten and waking up early to make breakfast. Virgil didn't sleep much, but he tended to stay in his room through the night, headphones on and weighted blanket around his shoulders. Roman went to bed the latest out of all of them, staying up late creating whatever flight of fancy had caught his attention and only going to sleep once sleep demanded it. Logan was the most hit or miss, staying up well past sunrise some mornings, or crashing as soon as his head hit the pillow. For all his talk about a proper sleep schedule, he had done little to take his advice himself. Still, he rarely left his room past midnight either. Making midnight the perfect time for Deceit to sneak into the kitchen.
All the food in the mindspace came from the imagination. Roman brought in the harvest every week, keeping the Light Side's kitchen stocked at all times. Food could be conjured, of course, but without at least having the starting materials, it never turned out quite edible or nutritious enough. Remus grew his own food, but Remus' definition of "food" varied vastly from anyone else's in the mindscape, leaving Deceit to his midnight escapades. So, after poking his head out to make sure the lights in the kitchen weren't on. Deceit entered the Light Side commons. He made it into the pantry and had his bag open before he noticed the feeling of being watched. He tensed automatically, curling into himself. It didn't take long for his watcher to speak.
"Halt!" His voice was soft, but no one could mistake Roman's dramatic inflection for anyone else. Deceit turned around slowly, pushing the sword pointed in his face away with his index finger.
"Roman, what a pleasure. I wasn't hoping to get some food." Deceit winced at the weak lie that slipped through his lips. He must have been more tired than he expected to let such a feeble excuse slip through. Of course, it was Roman, so the pathetic lie might pass.
Judging by the taken-aback look on Roman's face, he wasn't going to be so lucky.
"Does- does Remus not get you food?"
"Of course he doesn't!" Deciet's words came out sharper than he meant them too. "He's just-"
"He's Remus." The tip of Roman's sword was resting completely on the ground now. "Calamity, I can't believe you've gone this long living off what you've been able to steal. I can't allow you to keep living like this!"
"That is necessary, Roman. Please keep distracting me, it's so helpful." Deceit turned back to the pantry, grabbing more food as he prepared for Roman's inevitable continuation.
"But it is! I can't let you starve! Unless-"
Deceit turned back towards Roman with a huff. "Unless?"
"Unless that's not the only reason you're here!" Roman's sword came up to point at Deciet's chest again and he sighed.
"I can assure you, it's not."
"See! How are we supposed to trust you when everything you say is a lie!"
Silence fell over the pair, Deceit going still as stone.
"When everything I say is a lie?" Deceit's shoulders pressed back as he glared at the prince. "When everything I say is a lie? Oh, yes, it must be so easy to mistrust the liar. Can't have me wandering around the commons, now can we? I certainly don't need food to survive, and I'm certainly fine with your help." Deceit felt like something was cracking, some unknown hope that he had harbored withering away. "But if it's so hard to trust a liar, why don't you try it out for yourself?"
Roman had unconsciously lowered his sword during Deciet's tirade, and before he could react, Deceit twisted around the blade and put his index finger under Roman's chin. He closed his eyes for a second, found what he was looking for, and pulled.
"We all have lies that we tell ourselves, little prince. Let's see what yours are." A smirk spread across Deciet's face as Roman went slack and a golden glow filled his eyes, equally golden words ripping from his mouth.
"I'm proud of myself. I love myself. I'm so happy with everything I create-" Roman kept going and Deciet's smirk fell into a confused frown. This was nothing Roman hadn't said on a daily basis, his power had to be broken somehow, right? Deceit would have known if Roman had been lying to the others on a daily basis.
Wouldn't he?
But Roman was an actor, and a skilled one too. He could make himself believe the lie. And-
Deciet's face fell completely as he registered the last bit of information. If Roman had played this part for long enough, it would be possible for the lies to pass under Deciet's radar. He rarely paid attention to the lies told on a daily basis, there were too many of them for him to give his full attention to all of the time.
Slowly, Deceit removed his finger from Roman's chin. Roman slumped down onto the counter behind him, wounded expression morphing into a soft kind of rage.
Deceit spoke before he could. "Why haven't you told anyone?"
Roman glared. "Why haven't I told anyone? What haven't I told anyone? Why would I burden them with that? They don't need a faulty creativity, they don't need to know how broken I am. Thomas needs better than me, but I keep holding on." Roman's voice broke. "I keep holding on even though there's so many reasons for me to let go. I'm being unbelievably selfish, staying here, but I! Don't! Want! To! GO!" Roman let a woosh of breath and sank to the floor.
"I don't want to go."
"Roman-"
"Save it. I already know the truth, I don't need that bandaid ripped off too."
"That's definitely what I was going to say." Roman glared at him again and Deceit sighed. He took a deep breath and focused. "Roman. You are loved. Logan and Patton love your creations, and they have never thought less of you. Virgil looks at you like you hung the stars in the sky. And Thomas-" Roman's head was buried between his knees. "Thomas loves you just the way you are. He wouldn't want anyone else."
"You don't have to lie to me"
"I'm not"
Roman looked up at him, eyes still swimming with tears. Deceit hated the fact that they were there, that he was the one Roman had to have this conversation with. It wasn't his place, it wasn't his role. Patton should have handled this long ago. He sniffed, and then pulled Deceit down next to him, and wrapped his arms around the snakey side.
They stayed there for ages, Roman's head tucked against Deciet's chest as he ran his hand through Roman's hair. It was a long while before Roman spoke again, his voice thin and frail. "I'll make sure you get food, ok?"
"Roman-"
"I want to. And-" Roman paused, tucking himself deeper into Deciet's side. "Can you come back? Please?"
"Of course." Roman glanced up at him, shock and relief warring on his face before he tucked himself back in and a muffled "Thank you." reached Deceit's ears.
So maybe not all stars are beacons of truth. But Deceit would freeze before he stopped trying to understand them.