Virgil had learned all too well that birthdays were for suckers, for suckers who believed that if they told all their friends that it was their birthday that somehow that made them feel better, and that somehow that made their friends cherish them in a way. Virgil wasn't a sucker.

Birthdays were difficult for Virgil, considering he lived in a household- or, a mind palace- in which all the other aspects shared the same birthday, while he was left in the dust to wait another few months until his rolled around. It was okay though, it wasn't like the other aspects took notice of this or anything.

Virgil had tried telling them, that's what he tried for years, every year he would try and approach them, but they'd merely brush him off as usual, well, could you blame them? Who would want to celebrate the creation of Anxiety?

Virgil had woken up with just a sliver of hope this year, a sliver of hope that maybe one of the aspects would remember, considering that this year had been the year where they all had started to accept him, that they all would maybe just remember, even a little, or wonder why Virgil always locked himself up on December Nineteenth. Maybe they'd come in, and see him with his little plaid party hat sitting in front of him along with an old piece of cake from a party long forgotten; Maybe if they had walked in when that party was new, maybe then things could have made it easier on this day.

***
[Virgil's 10th Birthday Party, December 19th]

Virgil bounced around his room as he slapped up some decorations here and there, this was the one day of the year that he allowed himself a fraction of true happiness, well, allowed himself to show a fraction of all the happiness inside him. He had never tried having a Birthday Party before, he hadn't been a core aspect until Thomas reached double digits, he was sure that it was going to be a blast! It had to be a blast, because this was the one day of the year that he could show the other aspects that he loved to have fun, that he simply was cautious about it, they could be my friends then! Virgil wanted to squeal at the idea before he finally finished up decorating. The decor was all purple, with a bit of white and black,  he knew it wasn't traditional party colors, but that was fine, he liked it and he was sure the other sides would too. He had cake and everything! It was chocolate cake of course, totally chocolate. It was now time to go gather up his guests as he bounded out of his room. He was bubbling with excitement as he creeped around the corner and peaked his head out to look at the living room, spotting all of the aspects in a circle, from his short time being here in the past few months, really being here and no longer just a voice in Thomas' head, he had learned that the others, the ones who were all a year or so older than he was, would gather in a circle to discuss important matters involving Thomas, and Virgil was about to walk in when he heard his name.

"Anxiety isn't...He's but an error in our system, nothing more." Logan sighed.

Virgil furrowed his eyebrows at this and frowned, staying hidden from where he was.

"I...would love to give him a chance...even though- well, he causes so much pain to ma' Thomas!" Patton whined.

"Of course he causes pain! He's Anxiety ! What did you expect? Some fun-loving aspect who just so happens to hold the trait of something so...in creative and- well, anxious!" Roman pointed out.

Virgil felt his heart break from where he stood.

"It's not his fault he's such a...mess-up- it was the mind-palace that did it." Logan shrugged.

"Wh-what are you proposing we do?" Patton whimpered.

"Show Anxiety that we have authority and that we will vanquish evil if necessary!" Roman nodded.

"Anxiety is-"

"I have a name!" Virgil stomped a foot forward to stand in the doorway of JR living room.

The other aspects looked in a bit of shock, maybe even a bit of guilt.

"Just keep calling me Anxiety though, why don't ya'? You all are just a bunch of-" Virgil's temper was clogging his mind and words, "Bullies! Y-you all suck!"

Patton was obviously hurt, Logan was a bit more pissed off, but wouldn't admit he felt guilty, and Roman looked absolutely stunned.

"I'll go piss off if you all will just-" Virgil trembled, "Get Out Of my life and I'll get out of yours!" His fists we're balled up now, "Keep calling me Anxiety, at this rate I promise none of you are going to know who I am!" He hissed before storming out of the room, "Some birthday present..." He muttered as he entered his room and ripped down the banner of Happy Birthday Virgil! He tore it all down, making a mess of the room as the streamers turned to spider webs draped over the furniture and the banners turned to purple curtains that danced with a pattern of spiders. Virgil slumped down on his bed, only the cake remained along with his birthday hat. He never wanted a Birthday again.

***
[Present day]

Virgil was quiet as he stared down at his slice of cake, it was slowly getting smaller over the years as he took once piece per year. It wasn't as if the cake was going bad, nothing really went bad in the mind palace, except for Virgil maybe. He had learned to love the other aspects as they had learned to love him, but he couldn't say that he forgave them as they had never apologized, he saw that as his own turning point, and if it was up to him, he'd go back, he'd go back and make sure he never hesitated to hear what the other aspects were going to say.

However, Virgil did want to forgive them, he really did, and he wanted his birthday back. He sighed as he snapped his fingers and the slice of cake turned into a full one.

Virgil grabbed it and made his way into the living area, the other aspects greeting him in. He looked around at them, Patton was smiling at him, Roman was giving a more than friendly look..- and Logan was simply acknowledging his existence with a slight wave from where he was reading his book.

Virgil paused before smiling a bit and preparing to speak, It's okay, I um- forgive you guys...it really is okay, you've all hurt me a lot, that may be true, but right now...right now I can see you all love me...you love me and accept me the best way you can, and that's wonderful for me...that's really wonderful...I...love you guys- he opened his mouth to speak, but instead just, he smiled,
"Who wants cake?"

***

Picture here by @pancakesanders on Twitter