Prince's Pov (Prepare for fluff)

I wake up with a dull pain in my neck. I look around with blurry vision, barely making out the features of the common room. I try to move only to be halted by an arm around my side. I look down to see none other than Camero- no Carl... Carters face snuggled into my shoulder, his arm tight around my side.

I move him off without a care, I don't mean to be cruel of course but you see I'm a prince and if you disrupt a prince's beauty sleep then you get no remorse.

I walk into the kitchen to get a glass of water and to check the time. 12.30... What! How did I sleep that late!

I look around for any sign of Patton or Logan only to find a note on the table.

'Hey Roman,
By the time you read this, Patton and I will most probably be away (If you are unsure then please attempt to find us). We have gone out for the day to get a mild break from some recent developments that have troubled the mind palace, of which you may know. If you wish to contact us, you know how.
Sincerely,
Logan
Ps. HEY KIDDO!!! I HOPE YOU SPEND SOME TIME WITH ANXY BECAUSE YOU GUYS NEED TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND GET ALONG BETTER BECAUSE WE NEED SOME MORE LOVE AROUND HERE!!!!
LOGAN SEEMS DISPLEASED AT MY BIG LETTERS SO IMA GO! BYE ROMAN! LOVE YOU! TELL ANX!

I smile fondly at the contrast of their writing. Logan's being fine and precise while Patton's is just wild, colourful and crazy. They make such a great couple.

I begin walking to Anxiety's room, wary of waking up Carter. Whatever happened to Anx last night must've worn him out and I'm pretty sure Carter's 'fun' presence wouldn't be appreciated.

I open the door to see Anx curled up in one of his blankets on the floor, wrapped up like a lil' burrito. He looked peaceful, much better than he had last night.

He started to stir, wriggling around in his blanket pile. He looked like he wa-

OH MY GOD DID HE JUST PURR!

I struggle to hold back a laugh, my face almost hurting from smiling this much. He may be an emo mess but goodness this was adorable.

After weighing out my options I walked over to shake him awake, realising I'd probably become Patton if he kept purring.

"Hey Hot Topic, you wanna wake up for me?" I whisper, shaking him slightly.

"Wha?" He looked up and my goodness was it a sight to behold.

His hair was a mess, his bangs halfway across his face. Remnants of his makeup from yesterday had mostly worn off only to reveal freckles. His eyes were still mostly closed and his hands were trying and failing to swim through the blankets.

"Want some help there Princess?" I smirked, taking his hand and pulling him up from the blankets.

"What time is it Princey?" He yawned, stretching up, only adding to his cat likeness.

"12.30 Princess"

"Stop calling me princess" He growled, pulling a hand through his hair

"When I save a damsel I have permission to call him princess, princess" I smirk

"Why did you come to her anyway?" He mumbled

"Logan and Patton have gone out for the day so I thought we could do something?" I asked

I wanted to ask him about what happened last night, to ask how he is but I couldn't. I want to be nicer to him but I cant just jump to best friends like that.

"What? Why me? Why not C-carter?" He asked

I noted how he stuttered the other traits name.

"I feel like there's some bad blood between us and right now we should try to fix that? I mean, if you don't want to I'll understand..." I trailed off

He didn't say anything for a minute or so, just stared at his comforter.

"What do you want to do?" He mumbles quietly, still not looking up.

"I was thinking we could go to the imagination?" I smiled

He looked up finally and my panic stopped.

I stretch out my hand to him.

He takes it.

~~~

We walk through the common room, anxiety still holding my hand, trailing close behind me. I look around quickly, keeping an eye out for Carter only to find the room empty.

I quickly pull Anx through the mind palace to the imagination. I was still holding his hand but that was so he didn't get lost of course. It's a big mind palace.

I open the door to the imagination, the white walls surround us. I close the door quickly behind us in case Carter was nearby. The imagination is my spot, my safe space. The last thing I want is for the new kid to get in and mess around.

"Anywhere in particular you want to go?" I ask, paying attention to his reaction.

He shrugs slightly, eyes on the floor.

"I don't really mind..." He mutters

I smirk. I know exactly where we're going.

I click my fingers.

"Kittens... really?" He rolls his eyes

"Yes! Look, that ones you!" I giggled, pointing out the black one sulking away from the group.

"W-well that ones you!" He stuttered, pointing towards the white kitten sitting with its head held up high.

"And there's another one that looks like you!" I smirk, pointing in anxiety's direction.

"What? Where?" He asked, staring off into the white nothing away from me.

"Over here!" I giggled

He looked back at me and scowled when he saw my finger in his face

"I am not a kitten" He growled

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too! I heard you purring when I woke you up!"

His face flushed bright red.

"Not to mention how you were practically pawing your way through your blankets!" He was a full on blushing mess while I was laughing my head off.

"Wipe that scowl off your face, I can see you blushing without that foundation of yours!"

And somehow he blushed redder.

"You were tired, I get it" I added, once I'd stop laughing

"Promise not to tell anyone else?" He asked

"Pinky promise" I held out my pinkie for him to link, bonding the secret forever.

~~~

After a while of playing with the adorable kittens, we decided enough was enough and walked away (Not before I'd let one of the kittens out ;-)

"Do you wanna get some ice cream?" I asked

"If Logan was here he'd tell you it was 'want to'" He smirked

"Well, he isn't here. Last I checked it was just you and me. Logan's out on a romantic getaway with Patton" I smiled

He chuckled softly, raising his hand to hide his smile.

"I see you smiling Mr gloomy guts. Now Ice cream or no Ice cream?

"Ice cream, obviously" He smirked again

I began to imagine a big ice cream parlour, opening my eyes to see a fifties style cafe appear around us. Of course there was no one there but the ice cream machine was up and working fine.

I extended my arm to the side in a princely manner, "Princesses first"

"Are you ever gonna drop that?" He asked with a huff, grabbing a cone.

"Nope" I smirked, popping the 'p'.

I turned the machine on and watched as it whirred to life.

I, being the polite prince I am, let Anx go first.

He looked indecisive for a moment before getting himself some mint choc chip.

I went ahead smirking, getting small bits of each flavour.

"You're gonna feel sick once you're done with that" He laughed, for once not in a mocking way.

"Yeah right" I rolled my eyes as I tried some of the ice cream, gagging once the varying tastes hit my tongue.

Anx started laughing again

"Told you so!"

"I'll- get used to it!" I gagged, the taste overpowering.

"If you say so Princey" Anx's laughs began to die down into giggles.

"So you've got your ice cream, where too next Juliet?" He smirked

I scowled, ignoring his comment.

"I don't really know. Ice cream and kittens are easy to imagine. I haven't been in the imagination for a while." I sighed

"Um... Just think of happy memories I guess?" He deadpanned.

His comment set something off in my brain. I couldn't place what it was but the phrase sounded familiar. Really familiar in fact...

~~~Flashback~~~

"I just can't do it! Why! It's not fair!" A tiny prince whined, slumping down to the white floor beneath him.

"I'm Creativity! I'm the Prince one! Why can't I come up with something? Have I lost my imagination! Am I gonna fade Anxy!" The young boy shrieked, fresh tears welling up in his eyes.

A boy dressed all in black approached, not much younger than the other. He placed his hand on the royal looking boy's shoulder, rubbing circles on his back to soothe him.

"Everything's okay Princey. You won't fade, I promise" The boy's voice was small and comforting as he held the older in his arms.

"What if I can never imagine again? What will happen then?" The distraught boy sniffled

"Nothing, because that will never happen. I believe you can do it! Just... Um... think happy thoughts!" The dark boy smiled, standing up and lowering a hand to the sniffling prince.

"If it doesn't work then we can go back to the group, eat some pancakes and try again tomorrow, okay?"

The Creative trait took the youngers hand, hauled himself up and closed his eyes.

Happy memories Happy memories Happy memories Happy memor-

"Oh my goodness!" Prince opened his eyes, jumping when he saw the scene around him.

He and Anxiety were at the edge of a forest, the sun setting in the distance and to their left stood a treehouse.

"You did it Princey! Look, you did it!" Anxiety shrieked, his smile reaching his eyes.

The two boys giggled, giddiness in their voices as they scrambled up into the treehouse.

They would never forget this.

~~~flashback over~~~

"Holy shit!" I opened my eyes to see the same scene appearing around us that I'd seen in my flashback. I looked towards Anxiety to see him gazing around with wonder in his eyes, as if the storms in his head had just stopped, just for a moment.

"This is amazing..." He muttered, awing at the scene around him before he smirked.

"A treehouse princey? A little basic don't you think?" He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Then I assume you don't want to come in?" I smiled innocently, walking towards the ladder, trying hard not to burst out laughing as his smirk dropped.

"You wouldn't dare..." He threatened.

"Oh I would and anyway, I thought you didn't like basic? Is this treehouse not edgy enough for you?"

He looked like he was about to bite my head off right there and then.

"I'm only toying with you, come on in Parade boy" I giggled, climbing the ladder up into the wooden room.

It was a small-ish room, Disney and band posters plaguing the walls. There were blankets and pillows piled up against the back wall, facing a tv and the window. In the corner stood a bookshelf full of Disney movies. In the centre, the tree trunk stood out, a few pictures of the traits littering the wood. It looked like the setting of a movie.

"This is amazing" I looked towards anxiety who was gazing around the room in awe.

"You've been calling a lot of my work amazing today. Doing wonders for my ego" I smirked

"Don't get used to it" He grumbled, lightly elbowing me in the arm before moving towards the pile of blankets and plopping himself down.

"Well, we have Disney movies and blankets..." I mumbled

"Movie marathon?"

"Movie Marathon."

~~~

"Roman? Are you crying?" I looked over to see Anxiety staring at me.

"Um... n-no!" I stuttered, wiping away the 'totally not real' tears.

"And that's enough Disney movies for today!" He decided, standing up and removing the disc from the DVD player.

"What! No fair! We've barely watched any!" I whined, pouting my lip slightly.

"Princey," He looked me dead in the eye.

"We've already watched seven movies and three of them were frozen. It's time to pump the brakes"

I sighed, flopping back into the blankets, a few tumbling down to fall on my face.

I swear I heard Anxiety laugh.

"How'd you even think of this place anyway?" He asked, picking up a blanket to wrap himself in.

"Do you remember the first time I was in the imagination?" I asked.

"Not really, it was a while ago and the memories from back then are kinda iffy"

"You told me to think of a happy memory but you've said that to me before, the first time we were here"

I watched as his fiddled with the hem of his blanket, a smile forming on his face.

"I remember that, goodness! How long ago was that? We weren't even main traits back then" He smiled, actually smiled. He looked happy and for the first time, he didn't seem ashamed of it.

"I know! I'm surprised I even remember any of that!" I sat up from under my blanket pile.

"Do you even remember where that memory came from?" I asked

"Yep, It's one of the main reasons Thomas doesn't like trees. He stepped on a loose nail when he was building a treehouse with his friends. He swore never to climb again!" He chuckled fondly.

"I always wondered why he would never recreate Dear Evan Hansen with me?"

"No, that was because you wanted him to fall out of a tree and break his arm" He smirked

"I did not, he wasn't gonna climb that high!" I smiled, pulling the top of his blanket down onto his face.

"Romano, you forget that I was there with you"

"Oh yeah..."

"Can't lie to a liar Ramen" He snickered

"What's with these nicknames?" I scowled, only furthering his laughter.

"Revenge my sweet prince" I tried hard to keep my scowl.

"Pout all you want, you started this" He had a point.

We sat there laughing for a few moments before Anxiety stopped, looking up with a serious gaze in his eye.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" He asked.

"W-what?" I stuttered, taken aback by his sudden seriousness.

"You heard me" He stated, still serious but not mean.

"I'm not being nice to you! And even if I was, what's wrong with that! I'm a prince! A princely prince! It's my duty to be nice!" I rushed, a chill of fear rippling down my spine.

"What did I say about lying Roman" He used my name, he only uses it when he's serious or concerned.

"I-i... felt bad..." I caved, letting my eyes drop to the floor

"Bad about what?" There was still no malice in his voice.

"About what happened last night..." I mumbled.

"Okay Princey, you're gonna have to be more specific"

"I came into your room last night after hearing a door slam... You were shaking, crying, covering your ears, barely breathing. You looked terrible. I sat with you and tried to comfort you till you fell asleep... I didn't realise you went through something that bad..."

I looked up to see Anxiety looking away from me, guilt began leaking into my heart

"So that's why I woke up in my bed..." He mumbled, more to himself that to me.

"B-but that's not all!" I hurried. I don't want him to think that this was all a pity act.

He looked over at me once again, something close to betrayal in his eyes.

"We were so close Anxiety, back when we were kids! I guess I feel bad that we lost that..." I smiled sadly

"Do you remember that time we snuck into the main mind palace? Before we were allowed?" I asked, hope brewing.

"Y-yeah... We were tiny back then... Logan was babysitting us, we snuck out when he was reading... He was a terrible babysitter..." He chuckled fondly

"You can say that again, he looked horrified when one of the little ones would place their grubby fingers near his book"

"That was hilarious!" He smiled

"Shame he wasn't allowed to babysit us after that incident though" I pouted

"He still babysits us sometimes, more subtly though"

"Thomas was so young back then. No anxiety or creativity..." I sighed

"He was pretty boring back then" Anx stated, causing me to burst into giggles.

This continued on for a while, memories pushed back and forward between us both.

It was less for nostalgia and more for us. We may not be as close as we used to be but that doesn't mean we can't be that close again.

"What about that time when we tried to make maths cookies when Logan became a main trait?!"

"We burnt the cookies and drew X's on them to say they were 'maths' cookies. They weren't even cookies at that point" Anx snuggled up in his blankets.

"And Patton was glaring from the corner so Lo would have to say something nice!" I snorted

"He looked like he was in pain when he was smiling, god!"

"It's nice to see him get used to smiling though" I muttered.

"Patton's been a good influence on him, he's humanised him..." Anx rambled.

"Is Dr Gloom saying something, dare I say, positive?!" I mocked

"Shut it Princey" He scowled.

"But you're right, they help each other but they don't depend on each other... I think that's what true love is..." I mumbled.

"I mean you are the romantic one" Anxiety chuckled.

"Can I be real a second? For just a millisecond?" I asked

"As long as you don't make any more references" He warned

"I don't think I'm good enough for Thomas anymore..." I whispered.

Anxiety's head snapped towards me, an astounded look on his face.

"What do you mean?" He looked at me carefully, being cautious with his words.

"I feel like Thomas doesn't need me anymore... I mean look at it this way, I'm no longer that helpful with romance, my ideas of love are unrealistic and Thomas gains nothing from them. My dreams and aspirations are simply put, dreams. They are unlikely and unproductive, Logan or Patton would be much more suited, they could at least get him where he needs to go without the crushing sense of reality hitting him and with creativity... I'm worried that eventually, I'll run out of ideas, that I'll fail him... And I can't bear the idea of failing Thomas..." I rambled, a feeling of dread settling in my stomach.

Anxiety didn't say anything for a while, just sat there thinking over his words.

"You know what Princey? Maybe you're right. Maybe Patton and Logan would are better at these things sometimes but not without you. You can't run around and expect to do everything on your own, none of us can. I am nothing without Logan, without him my anxiety's and fears would be senseless and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between realistic and fairytale fears. The same goes for Logan without Patton. He'd have no sense of right and wrong, his logic would have no basis and in the end, if Thomas had no knowledge of right and wrong, he would choose the simplest solution and Logan would be redundant. You help us Roman, you help Patton come up with his dad puns, Logan with his poetry. Our jobs are supposed to overlap, that's the beauty of us. We work together because if one of us were missing we would not be whole. All those examples you gave me wouldn't be possible without you. I'm not the best with nice feelings and comfort but we'd be lost without you Princey..."

I sat up, trying to take in what Anxiety had told me.

"I was wrong about you Anx-"

"Virgil..." He interrupted

I smiled

"I was wrong about you Virgil"

"I was wrong about you too Roman..." He smiled softly before turning towards the window.

"That sun's beginning to really annoy me, when's it gonna set?" He scoffed

I clicked my fingers and the sun begins to dip below the horizon.

~~~

Nothing more is said between the two traits.

Virgil shuffles back next to princey.

They're both snuggled up warm in their blankets.

Virgil leans his head on Roman's shoulder.

Nothing more is needed to be said.

They don't need to say sorry.

They know it's over, behind them.

The sun sets behind the hills, disappearing from the boy's view.

They sleep soundly, safely.

Knowing that in the morning they will wake up and this will not have been a dream.

They will have found common ground.

But nothing is said.

It's an understood thing.

(Three thousand... four hundred... and sixteen words... When I say I'll give you fluff... You can't say I didn't try! I'm sorry this chapter took so long to write, it was pretty long and there was a lot to get through. -pending- is the only reason I got this done, they even gave me a lot of the ideas used in this chapter and shouted at me over the phone about three ties to stop me procrastinating. They are my editor at this point. I'm also really regretting not putting this story on third person. Happy 1 year anniversary of Sanders Sides. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Have a lovely productive and fluffy day!)