#sleep token x you

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

reader working as a part of the crew and her and IV thinking they are sneaky with their "hidden" relationship by sneaking around each other before and after the shows with kisses and stuff but in end everyone already knows and just makes them think they are doing a good job. I just need Ivy fluff 🥺

Not a secret

It wasn’t that you had a genuine reason to sneak around. There were no rules that band team members to mingle with each other. It just… it all felt so new. Too new. And being in that little bubble felt more secure even if you wanted to scream all about it. You were just finishing sorting out iii’s gear when you felt two arms sneaking around your middle.

“Hey”, Ivy muttered, pulling you closer into his chest. His lips leaving soft kisses against your neck. “Hi”, you mused back, letting your body melt against his. His fingers softly turned your head as he pressed his lips against yours. “Ivy”, you muttered in warning, pulling back.

“Quick one”, he whispered, leaning in once again. “Hands off”, you tapped your palm against his chest, stepping away from him only for Ivy to grab your hips as he pulled you closer to him, caging you against the wall. “You like it”, he smirked, letting his fingers trace your jaw. “Yes, but not here”, you pointed out, letting yourself glance around the corridor.

“You didn’t come to see me all day”, Ivy shook his head. And you haven’t. The preparation for the concert tonight had been chaotic, to say the least. You had felt your phone vibrating in your backpack but you simply haven’t had the time to check it. “I had to help out iii”, you shrugged, letting your arms fall over Ivy’s shoulders. “Don’t like the sound of that”, he shook his head, “will have Billy switching with you”. You couldn’t help but chuckle, “Cause that’s not sus at all”. Ivy shrugged, “No just a switch to test your strength”. “Mhm…”, you hummed shaking your head.

“You smell so nice”, Ivy muttered again your shoulders, “Ivy…”, you warned him once more yet your fingers moved to run over his neck, softly scratching his skin. “Let me breathe you in”, he grumbled, going all dog sniffing mode similar to what Cinnamon his lab did every time you came back home. “You’re insane”, you giggled, “You better be sleeping in my bed tonight”, he muttered looking back up at you. “You know that I'm sharing with the girls it would be so weird”, you shook your head. “I can’t sleep when you’re not in my arms”, he whined, snuggling up against your shoulder.

“I can…”, but you didn’t get to finish as the sound of the side door opening filled the hallway. You quickly ducked behind the boxes, Ivy leaning against the crates as if he was just randomly chilling in the middle of the hallway. “Another sound check in 10, man”, ii walked straight past, chuckling to himself. “Yeah, on my way now”, Ivy cleared his throat. “Hair is a bit messy”, iii pulled at Iv’s hair. “Yn, you could do better than that, love”, your body froze as you watched him slowly leaning over the box. II’s laughter filled the hallway. Iii slowly waved at you before tapping iv on his chest and walking away. “The fuck just happened”, you whispered. “I think they know”, iv muttered, sinking to sit beside you. “But we were so…”, the sound of more footsteps made you both fall silent again. “Hey, lovebirds”, Vessel shot you both a wink as he walked past. “Yeah, they know…”, you sighed. “So you are sleeping in my bed tonight right?”, Ivy asked, making you shove at his shoulder lightly.

[pastlivesxpastlie]

Sigh. Bestfriend!Vessel my beloved… He just got back home from tour, you offer him some help to, ehm, „relax”, which turns into lazy couch sex that then turns into him confessing his love to you while cumming deep inside you… Sorry, I am that bitch unfortunately 💔 (also if you end up taking this request f!reader is preferable but gn is fine too :3 (<- or whichever you're most comfy with, I mean this is your writing after all lol))

Hello that bitch, I am too tbh. Not super lazy, but it's cozy

bff!vessel x f!reader ❣️

friends to lovers, smut with feelings, couch sex, love confessions

♡♡♡♡♡♡

With the tour at an end, most would think Vessel wanted to spend his first night back in his own home, but no. He wanted to be with his best friend. You couldn’t believe it when he knocked on your door completely unannounced, and he could have died when you jumped into his arms. 

“I hope it’s ok I’m here…” he murmurs.

“What?!” You brush his hair back a bit. “You’re always welcome here. You know that…never have to ask.”

He looks tired and jet lagged, you’re surprised he’s still awake. But he insists that he wants to stay up and watch something with you (and hopefully have a snack. Please PLEASE offer him a snack). Despite being worn out, Vessel still keeps his stick straight posture as he sits on the couch, his core engaged and hands stiffly in his lap. You nudge him, but he just nudges you back. Little shit. It becomes a little slap fight until he topples into your lap, calling you a wanker. But something stops you both from playing anymore. There’s a pause…barely a second of silence…and you feel like you’re about to kiss; it’s over as soon as it started. “Why did you nudge me?” Vessel whispers. You shake your head like you’re coming out of a daze.

“Oh, uhm, I was going to say you should stretch out. I can sit over there,” you nod to the chair, but Vessel shakes his head “no” without hesitation. And that’s how you ended up spooning on the couch, watching something inconsequential on TV. You feel safe in his arms…against his chest, the sound of his breathing and occasional chuckle comforting you. God, you missed him while he was gone, so much so that you found yourself jealous of everyone who got those parts of him while he was on the road. What was left for you when he got back? But that thought threatens to turn ugly—just be glad he’s here and makes time for you. You curl closer to him in an attempt to quell those thoughts when you feel him move behind you. Oh… was that… “Ves? Oh my god! Surely you got enough on the road,” you tease. 

He tries to squirm back. “I’M SORRY! IT’S A NATURAL REACTION,” he pleads. “And for your information, no I didn’t—“

“Oh you didn’t get enough? Pooooor you!” 

“NO! You cheeky thing. I was going to say before you interrupted me that I was too busy working to “get” anything. I’m a professional.”

You feel a little bad for saying that, hoping he didn’t think you thought poorly of him. “Sorry, Ves…I was kidding.”

“I know.” There’s that pause again. But it’s long this time. Is his grip tightening? And…there’s that thump against your lower back again. “Can’t just do that with anyone. Need to be…comfortable first.” He nuzzles into the back of your neck and groans softly…the epitome of “comfortable.”

“I…I get that. Comfortable or uhm…being comfortable first is really important…not just for me I mean everyone probably…” you feel that thump again but this time it’s pressed close to you. 

“Are you…comfortable,” Vessel asks 

You roll over to face him and take in that one final second before everything changes. “Quiet. And you?” A breath. Your lips meet so tenderly it’s almost painful, the only thing soothing the ache is Vessel’s wide hand cupping the side of your face. It’s not surprising that he’s a good kisser, but you just can’t believe how natural it feels to kiss him. Your hand wanders under his shirt and traces the ridges of his muscles. Ves pulls back and whimpers against your lips…how are you supposed to resist that?

“You feel so fucking good,” he rasps. Your blood runs hot as his kisses trail down your jaw to the crook of your neck. “You wearing the perfume I got you for your birthday?” It’s a rhetorical question. He knows it is because he imagined what you’d smell like wearing it and nothing else for him. The way your core clenches and aches for him when he breathes in your scent scares you a little because you never thought you’d act on these feelings…but here you are letting him lift up your shirt and explore wherever he wants with his mouth. His soft kisses make your back arch, which presses your tits into his face even more much to his pleasure. “So soft for me…” he whispers before taking your nipple in his mouth. You moan and clamp your thighs together, desperate for any kind of attention down there. Ves chuckles and moans as you squirm from his affection. “You like that?”

“Yes…yes…don’t stop.”

“This is all you want?” God he’s so gentle, even when he bites at the fullest part of your breast. “Just want me to play with these all night,” he teases, “I can do…so much for you.” Vessel’s hand cups your pussy through your shorts, his fingers tremble. “May I?” You nod softly and bite your lip, watching him sit up to take off his shirt. “Get undressed for me.” 

Now it’s Vessel’s turn to bite his lip and let his eyes go hazy. Watching you strip for him because you’re so comfy with him is the stuff of his naughty little fantasies. Oh how he’s longed for you even when you’re close enough to touch. He moves you to lay back on your side again and gently caresses your slit when you’re spread open for him. He’s already pulled off his sweats, and you’re trying to grind down towards him but the way he holds your leg aloft against his chest keeps you in place. Needy. Grinding nothing, begging for your best friend’s cock. Vessel sees this and chuckles softly.

“You good? Ready?” He whispers as he timidly presses the head of his cock against your entrance. 

“Fuck…please…” 

Ves plants a foot on the floor and presses into you. You both moan together. His whimpers and your gasps sound absolutely sinful as he pumps you. The feeling of fullness is so sweet but he doesn’t want to stop there. When Vessel bottoms out, he presses into you just the tiniest bit more, letting the weight and heat of us pubic bone rest against you. He breathes hard, looking down at you in awe, and starting fucking you. He growls and grabs at your thigh, your tummy. Any soft yummy part he can grab. Your back arches out of desperation. You want to move. To fuck him back. But his wide hands keep you still…his perfect doll. “Look at you…so perfect…split on my cock…taking it so good. So tight and pretty…aren’t you?” he pants. But you can only whimper in response, which makes him smile. A genuine, sweet smile…the one you fell in love with. His hand finds your chin and keeps you looking at him as he slows down. “Hey…do you know…what a sweetheart you are? My sweetheart.” He thrusts harder. “My only sweetheart.” He shudders and moans pathetically. He can’t go slow anymore. The only thing he can do is chase both of your climaxes with hard, steady thrusts. “I love you….fuck…d-do you know that? I love you.” he groans out as he cups your face. “Just you…it’s….ffffuuuuccccckkkk” he can hardly hang on… “it’s always you.”And then you whisper what he’s been dying to hear for years.. 

“Ves…mm…I love you…I love you so much.”

The way you pant between your words and give yourself over to him gives him a jolt. “Where may I cum? Please…please I just want to cum for you.” Your hands find his, one on your face, the other still propping up your thigh.”

“Cum in your sweetheart.”

[mappedfantasy]

> anything to get me to sleep

summary: vessel has insomnia and cuddles help him sleep. pairing: vessel x gn!reader warnings/tags: sleepy!vessel, roommate!vessel, insomnia, texting (brief), cuddling, non-sexual intimacy, feelings realization. word count: 1.6k a/n: i had promised someone on ao3 that i would make another sleepy!ves fic, so i'm fulfilling my promise to them! this was pretty self-indulgent as well, i love the idea of someone being so safe with you that it helps them sleep. and as always, roommate!vessel credit to the lovely wolfie <3 ao3 link

It had been a long time since you had learned Vessel struggles with insomnia. The information came slowly previous to you right out bringing it up to him one day. You had noticed how much coffee he drank by the cups in the sink, how a lot of times he’d still be awake as you left in the morning, his body language being restless. You heard it in his voice too, saw a certain daytime depression. After a while, it had started to worry you, and that's when you asked him about it. 

He was shy at first, tried to push it off with an awkward laugh. “No…?” you remember him saying, not a single bit convincing of himself or you. 

And when you had given him a look of non-conviction, he broke, telling you it had been something he deeply struggled with since he were a teenager. He told you he had to take melatonin to help him sleep, even though at times that didn’t work. Anything to try to get him to sleep, or so he said. 

You took it upon yourself to be of use when possible, providing what support you could for him to get some well deserved rest more frequently than he was able to achieve on his own. You decided you would never comment on it much either, at least not in a way that would make him feel worse about it than he did to begin with. 

Meaning you chose to never bring up the times he fell asleep on you during movies, where you’d get up as best you could without waking him up. He would wake up on the couch, no recollection of falling asleep, and a text message from you reminding him that you would be home soon. You felt a smidge bad about lying to him, but he needed the rest at any given chance he had. You didn’t blame him for it, so no use of bringing details up. The guilt he could feel because of it wasn’t worth it. Call you crazy, but you cared about his feelings. 

That was exactly what had happened now, Vessel had taken a couple melatonin in hopes to get some rest after his thirty-something hours of being awake. About an hour ago, he had told you that he was off to bed, joked that if you didn’t see him for three days then call it a miracle. 

You let out a startled laugh seeing a couple texts come onto your phone screen from him. 

Ves: i can’t sleep :( Ves: this is unfair 

Of course this happened, it was his luck. Completely unfair. The utmost injustice for the guy. The universe must have it out for him at this rate of things. Unfortunate.

You: you poor thing :(

You absently giggle to yourself after you receive no response back for a couple minutes. The mental imagery of him being huffed up in his bed with blankets wrapped around him, staring at his phone with a frown, is quite comical in the grand scheme of this. It wasn’t anything to allow to slide past him either, for him to sulk over while sleepy to the extremes (or at all, if you were to be especially honest with him) over some light teasing. You had lived with him long enough to know this, let alone be his friend for long enough. So, yeah, Vessel tended to act a bit “childish” while tired. 

You: do you wanna come to my room for cuddles? 

Promptly after leaving you on read, a lazy knock is at your door before being pushed open to reveal Vessel waddling to the edge of your bed. He flops face first into your mattress with a loud, over-the-top groan. He lifts his head just enough to pout at you, knowing your eyes are boring into him. You can’t help the soft sigh you let out as you reach your hand to scratch at the back of his head. Seeing him in this state made you feel a softness for him you tended to ignore. And you quickly stop thinking about it once he makes a noise at how good your nails feel on his scalp. 

“That feel good, yeah?” You breathily laugh, it’s delirious sounding. If he wasn’t too sleep deprived to catch it, he didn’t mention it or have any reaction to it. 

He sinks his face deeper into the fluffy blanket spread across your bed. You weren't sure how he was breathing in this position. “Mhm…” he amuses in agreement. 

“Do you want to come up here? Lay on me?” is offered to him. You tap at your chest with your free hand, although he can’t see what you’re doing at all. 

He makes a disgruntled noise. 

“No? It’ll be more comfy, Vess. You may even get to fall asleep,” you try to sweeten the deal. 

Another sound comes from him in time with turning his head to the side to say words lacking in muffledness. “Don’t want to move.” His voice is quiet and slowed, stretched thin. 

You laugh out. Your hand stops moving in his hair, you retract it back. “Well, then, no more head scratches.” 

Vessel snaps to look at you, chin resting on the blankets, eyes a little widened. Then comes his signature pout, the one you were imagining before. It doesn’t ever get any less cute. 

“Fine,” he mutters unenthusiastically. 

He picks himself up limply, dragging himself up your bed, and drives his face into your neck. This is where he melts down into nothing. His body deflates itself into yours, in a way that felt like lines blurred between where your body starts and where Vessel’s ends. 

Because of this, you stay silent for a couple moments, half-shocked and half-savoring of this feeling. Your hand hovers around the back of his head until his hand draws your hip impossibly closer to him. That’s when your fingers dip back down into his scalp. Your other hand strokes up and down his arm at a soothing pace. 

Cuddling wasn’t a new thing happening in your relationship, if you’d call being roommates with him a type of relationship. Cuddle sessions happened often between the two of you. Happened during movies on the sofa, if either of you had a nightmare, simply couldn’t sleep (much like what’s happening this time), if Vessel had a particularly long day. Thinking of it, cuddles had taken place every single day in the past as long as you could remember. 

When did that happen? 

When did you start remembering how all he seemed to want was an excuse to be close to you lately? How pouty he turned when you had questioned him about it instead of going with it naturally? When did he start coming behind you while you did the dishes or cooked a special meal for you both? When did he start to get closer to you on the sofa, blaming it on the lack of blanket, despite that one being a specifically huge one for sharing purposes only? When did he start to ask to hold your hand because he was “cold”? When did he start allowing himself to have this intimacy with you, and why? More importantly, when did you start to feel as if all these things were normal, letting them slip by you like this was always something that took place? Maybe like it was supposed to be happening.

“...and it’s frustrating that I still can’t sleep. Do you get what I mean?” Vessel’s voice comes into your main focus, becoming almost like an echo through your skull at how out of focus you were. 

During that time, he had moved his face out of your neck. Had opted to squish his cheek against your chest instead, nose half-stuffed into the cotton of your sweatshirt. 

“Mhm,” you hum. Bearings still aren’t with you fully, still distance in sound. 

Vess’ hand pinches at your side, making you jump in surprise. Well, you were surely back on Earth with that. “You weren’t listening to me.” You could hear the effects of his mouth being in a squished position. How cute. 

“Yes, I was!” you lie. 

He takes a pinch at you again. “You were not. I can tell when you’re lying.” He dryly laughs, empty of emotion, like that information should’ve been obvious to you. Maybe it should have been… 

“Okay, I’m sorry,” you admit, “What were you talking about?” 

He sighs dramatically, which you lightly flick him on the ear for, going on to summarize what he’d said, “What I said was that I’m really frustrated about how melatonin doesn’t work that much anymore. I take ten milligrams for fuck’s sake! I just wanna sleep.” He trails off at the end, changing to be more hushed. 

Your hand on his arm gives him a small squeeze, holding there for a few seconds too long. “Is this helping?” you ask. “You know, doing this? Me being here?” 

Same mhm from before is made. “More than you know.” Oh…

His face nuzzles more into the fabric of your shirt, balls up the bottom of it into his fist. He pulls forward with a gentle tug. He was not past greediness. This hand sneaks under the material, reaching up just enough to be able to palm at the flesh of your stomach. You feel him grin. It’s gooey, (love)sick, honeyed. He’s satisfied. 

All the while, you had some things coming into perspective that would be due for another time. Vessel needed rest. 

For once, Vessel was able to fall asleep within minutes. He hadn’t felt so at peace, so safe, in many moons. Eventually, he slowed in his breathing, had fallen asleep in record time for maybe his entire lifetime. He was safe with you, truly safe. He would never tell the tale, but you felt something of what the word “home” was meant to serve. 

[writethrough]

Vigilance

(Vessel x Gender-Neutral Reader)

Synopsis: Vessel contemplates what you mean to him while you're laying together.

Warnings: Maybe a little self-deprecation on Vessel's part, but besides that...?

Word Count: 599

A/N: This one really came out of nowhere. The first half is part of this dream I had, then I filled in the ending. Short, kinda fluffy, but in a serious way. If you've read "Sun Daze," "Morning Blue," or "Found You," it's that vibe.

You felt his presence before you were truly conscious. Sitting on the edge of your bed, he watched you. You’d gotten used to it by now. It was reassuring. His constant vigilance—a protective bubble that embraced you. 

His nimble fingers grazed your side, trailing to the small of your back. “Rest, my love.” 

Humming, your eyes remained closed, enjoying his feather-light touches. You had shoved the blankets off you in your sleep and were rewarded when his skin caressed yours. 

The bed shifted, then his lips brushed the side of your head.  

“Lay with me?” Though it escaped as a statement, you meant it as a question. One you knew he’d never refuse. 

He slipped behind you, one arm sliding beneath your head, and the other around your middle. You threaded your fingers through both of his hands, needing to be as close to him as possible. With his exposed chest pressed against your back, you relaxed into him, head resting in the crook of his shoulder. 

This was your safe place. Nestled in his hold where no one else existed.  

You took in every part that connected to him and wished you could stay like this forever. 

“Ease now, beloved. I am with you.” He pressed his mouth to your shoulder, lingering to feel more of your skin.  

He would stay like this until you woke next. Until you had to move. Until you indicate otherwise. He would remain.  

He could not follow you into blissful unconscious, but this almost seemed better. The trust you put in him, the way you let him embrace you, how openly you received every part of him—he witnessed it all in these moments. As you drifted, your walls receded. He saw you for who you were and vowed himself to you. Even if you didn’t know the extent of his allegiance to you, it didn’t matter. You belonged to one another. He would ensure your happiness, your safety, your peace—because they were his own.  

The scent of your hair enveloped him. You were home to him. He could not determine the last time he had a home, but the word was fitting. In all his travels, in all his life, he had glimpses of reprieve, but with you he had gained more than that. You had given him more than he ever had in the centuries before you. And for that he owed you his existence. 

Every time he looked at you, spoke to you, touched you, was like the first. You did not want anything from him—like so many others—you simply wanted him. So, he gave you all, every piece of darkness within himself, every memory from before, every task he was given, because he wanted to make sure. Was this what you wanted? Was he what you wanted? 

In response, you showed him all of you. Your regrets and failures, your hopes and dreams, your fears—and they were beautiful. You were...everything. 

For that, he had pledged to be yours. He had proclaimed his love, and you returned it.  

So, he would remain by your side, in every sense of the word. In ways he could not explain. 

He matched his breathing to yours, steady and deep. Once your fingers had slackened, he curled his a little more to keep you connected. And his eyes closed, letting your skin warm his and your scent fill him. 

This was as close as he could follow you, but it was enough. You were with him. This was all he needed. His greatest treasure. His love. His meaning.  

Taglist: @steph-speaks, @themultiverseofmars

Let me know if you want to be tagged in future fics!

[frothingatthemaw]

> puzzling

summary: vessel and reader do some puzzling. pairing: vessel x gn!reader warnings/tags: softbf!vessel, clingy!vessel, mentions of guilt, reader has autistic/adhd traits, use of petnames (love, darling), slightly suggestive (if you want to view it that way), bad dialogue. word count: 1.2k a/n: i was compelled by thoughts about this while watching a puzzling youtube video, this was supposed to be a very small thing but turned into this. also my first sleep token fanfic so please be nice to me. this hasn’t been proofread either, apologies for typos or something of the such.

ao3 link

You had decided to take up the challenge of completing a puzzle. This was something you hadn’t done since childhood, a hobby that would take up some hours of your time at Christmas, as your family seemed to like gifting you puzzles. You didn’t mind though, even as a child you enjoyed sticking the pieces together. This struck your love for them at all.

By this time, you had been going at this specific puzzle for just over a few hours. It was 1,000 pieces; you knew what you signed up for. It had taken over every bit of your attention, completely engulfed in the task at hand. If there was one thing about you, it was that you never left something half finished, so you’d be damned if you left the dining table with the puzzle yet to be completed. 

Still yet, this was taking longer than you remembered it took you when you were young, too, which was frustrating. You tried not to think about it, tried to not blame yourself too badly for being slow at this. You brushed it off on your child mind being much sharper than these days, and also the time it had been since you puzzled last. Benefit of the doubt. 

It had been so long you'd been at this, in fact, that your boyfriend had started to feel abandoned to the point of waddling his way into the dining section of the kitchen in your shared apartment. You didn’t quite catch the blanket he had wrapped around his shoulders and draped over his head, he was only a blur in your peripheral vision, and you had vaguely heard his footsteps. You’re thankful you heard him because you can feel that you would’ve jumped out of your skin at his touch on your shoulders if you hadn’t. You let out a small gasp despite this. 

“Still going at it, love?” Vessel asks you, hands slipping over your shoulders more. 

You hum back to him absentmindedly. Your eyes were darting across the pieces laid out across the table, furrow in your brow. It was becoming a little infuriating that you couldn’t find this specific piece and your brain wouldn’t allow you to move onto the next until you found this one. A huff comes from you. At this, Vessel starts to massage your shoulders. 

“Do you need help?” He speaks again. You notice that his voice sounds tired. It makes you feel a twinge of guilt that you can’t dwell on. 

He leans down, hands still on your shoulders, leaning his face against yours. He places kisses along your jaw, up to your check, back down to your neck. He missed you.

“Can you see this piece?” You point at an empty space in the already assembled other pieces. “I can’t fucking find it and I’ve been looking for ages,” you sigh. You finally allow yourself to feel some of his touch.

Vessel angles his head to get a better look at the puzzle sprawled on the table. He’s still close to you, enough where you can hear his breathing. You feel the blanket around him, falling further back into the chair to try your best to be closer to him. Something about Ves being like this makes your core melt. You adored when he was all soft and cuddly. Especially for you.

His fingers brush through the small pieces of printed cardboard, eyeing them with the same intensity you had been before. He sucks in a breath while he picks one up, then places it into the spot you’re trying to fill. It slips into place perfectly. You almost want to curse him for it. 

Instead, you opt for saying, “Maybe I should’ve recruited you to help me earlier.” Your tone sounds tired, even you can hear that now. 

A dry laugh comes from him, you stare at the smile on his face. He looks proud. You want to bite into him. “I think you need to take a break, darling.” 

Okay, yeah, you did need to take a break because a headache bursts through you at full force. You’re not going to tell him that. 

You’re reluctant to reply, but you eventually settle with, “I really want to get it finished first though.” You pout at him, sinking a bit down the chair. 

Vessel’s hand squeezes at your shoulder, planting a kiss to your neck in unison. “Let me help you then.” 

“Do you really want to?”

“I miss you,” he says. Your heart aches a little. Maybe a lot. 

“Sorry,” you mumble. You didn’t mean to get so focused on this that you blocked everything out, including him. 

He leans backwards, standing straighter. He takes your chin into his hand to make you look up at him. “No sorries, yeah?” 

You nod. 

“Good.” He leans down to kiss you, lingering there, he savors it. He tastes you, slowly. It was a hunger in his stomach that had been building for the last few hours, and he was taking his time to satisfy it. If the puzzling hadn’t melted your brain, his lips and tongue finished that for you. 

When he pulls away, the way he looks at you only amplifies the puddle you’ve become. Vessel had this way of his eyes saying how much he simply adored you. It was identifiable, instantly, and it never failed to do its job. 

“Wanna get up so I can help you?” 

Your brain didn’t understand at all what he was implying under the fog he placed upon you. It wasn’t until he took your hand, pulled you up, sat down in your place, and tugged you back down to sit on his lap that it clicked. All of it seemed like a blur to you. You were having trouble processing things. 

This feeling dissolved when Vessel started questioning you about what you were planning on looking for next, asking about your sorting arrangement as well. The questions were grounding. Ves also had a way of doing that, placing you atop clouds and bringing you back to Earth in the same breath. 

And so, the next while was spent with you on his lap, the two of you finding it much easier to finish the puzzle together rather than you on your own. This didn’t mean that he didn’t get distracted a few times by kissing your neck, saying that he’s proud of you, and reiterating how he had missed you. 

After the puzzle had officially been approved by you as accomplished, Vessel had dragged you to bed with him. Here took place of many sleepily shared kisses. 

“No idea how much I needed this,” he told you between the kisses. 

You wanted to tell him that you couldn’t tell him either, that this melting of your chemical compounds was needed in a form of saturation. The shaking of his hand as it came up to hold your face almost broke your skull in half. He licked into your mouth with more hunger than in the dining room, believe it or not. 

The act of this had lasted until neither of you could not go any longer, jaws almost sore. And the exhaustion was an honorable mention too. You couldn’t have even guessed how much time had passed. Though, it didn’t take any time at all for Vessel to put both of you to sleep through his whispered praises to you. Even in a state of deliriousness, he couldn’t help but to utter how much he yearns for you.

[fritz-federleicht]

Stage experience/ Vessel x reader

Summary: You just wanted to put a full water bottle under his keyboard during the gig.

Words: 914

You travel a lot with the band. At first it was just because you wanted to be close to your boyfriend Vessel to make sure he's okay while touring. But it quickly became clear that you were the go-to person for everything. You take care of some of their social media, do small tasks during set-up and make sure the guys feel comfortable.

This includes their performances. As always, you stand backstage and watch the stage from the side. Everything goes as planned, the show is perfect. Your boyfriend jumps across the stage like Bambi, fooling around with the others.

However, you notice from your position that his water bottle, which he has placed under the keyboard because of his strained voice recently, is almost empty. Which is not unusual considering the concert is already halfway through.

A low hum escapes you. You grab a full bottle and enter the stage without attracting attention. You sneak past behind II and his drums to Vessel's keyboard. You quickly place the new bottle of water to make your way off the stage unnoticed.

Well, not if Vessel has his way. He's spotted you. Like a predator, he's set his eyes on his prey and approaches you with long, graceful strides.

As you straighten up, you realise that your attempt to sneak on and off the stage unnoticed has failed. Vessel's attention is completely on you.

From the way he approaches you as if you were his everything, you can imagine that he's ready to flirt with you in front of the roaring crowd.

He won't kiss you on stage, you know that for sure. He would never reveal an insight into your relationship to the public. And definitely not a hint about his identity.

Your boyfriend gets closer and closer until he holds out his large hand, dipped in black body paint, for you to take.

You look at him a bit uncertain as you can see past him at the large crowd. He replies with a warm smile only you can see because his back faces the audience and wiggles his slender digits.

Eventually you grab his hand, and a roar fills the venue. Vessel guides your fingers to his lips before gently bending his torso in front of you as if asking for a dance.

A grin creeps onto your lips and before you realise it he's placed his hands on your hips and turned you around in his arms. A surprised noise escapes from your mouth.

You look ahead, into the sea of faces and phones eagerly filming the whole experience. Your breath catches. All eyes are on you and the charming man who looks like a god in his costume. He looms behind you, hovering like an intimidating guardian.

A low growl escapes him next to your ear that is only meant for you to hear. Vessel pulls your back closer to his bare, toned chest and allows his hands to roam gently over your sides. Finally, he snakes his arm around your waist. His free hand finds its way up to your chin. Gently guiding you, he tilts your head back until you rest your head against his broad shoulder.

He looks down at you and starts to sweep the pad of his thumb fondly along the curve of your lower lip. Which causes you to part your lips instinctively.

People scream excitedly in response and you want to turn your head towards them. To look at them. But you can't. Vessel holds your chin firmly yet gently between his fingers. You're trapped in his arms. Almost like before every show, when he won't let you go until the last possible second.

In the corner of your eye, you see III's slim figure and you can literally imagine his big grin under the mask.

Your gaze shifts back to Vessel, who now slowly slides his index finger down your throat. He brings his hands back to their original position on your hips and gives you another gentle squeeze. A silent thank you. Then he pulls away from you with an small smile in your direction and strides with swift, elegant steps to his mic to make sure he doesn't miss his turn.

For a moment, you stand perplexed in front of the keyboard. You watch as your boyfriend reverently holds the mic with one hand while singing and slowly slides his fingers up the microphone stand with the other.

Nobody pays attention to you anymore. Vessel holds the crowd spellbound, has them wrapped around his finger. And this fact alone impresses you. The ease with which he manages to attract the attention of the entire crowd.

The thought of what task you actually wanted to fulfil snaps you out of your thoughts. With a gentle smile on your lips, you head backstage, past II.

Behind the blind, you glance down on yourself. Black body paint sticks to your hands and clothes. And you're sure you've got some on your chin and throat too.

But you're used to it. Vessel's lack of patience would have left stains on you anyway. He just can't help but feel you before he showers the dirt and sweat from the show off his body.

You decide to enjoy the performance further and not to clean yourself now. He'll mark you as his again in his own way anyway.

[heartbreakgrill]

happen: sleep token (vessel).

a/n: we pretend we don’t see my unfinished fics, okay? also we pretend we don’t see my spelling and grammar and plot mistakes in this, okay? okay. enjoy :)

"your paint is smeared."

vessel looked up from his piano, first meeting my eyes, then following where my finger pointed to.

"shit," his accent stuck out like a sore thumb, elongating the i in the cuss word.

vessel wiped a finger across the paint in an attempt to blend it in. it didn't do much.

"i think you might be making it worse," i commented with a smug smile.

vessel met my sneering gaze. he was unphased by the sarcasm on my tongue. he reached a blackened hand forward as he tried to rip the clipboard from my hands. i ducked out of his reach. the piano blocked him from me, but his arms were long enough that he managed to swipe a hand across my stack of papers.

i scoffed, stepping back a few feet, examining the black paint overtop my paperwork. "vess!"

"y/n!" he mocked my tone. he rounded the piano, coming to look down at the paper in my hands. "your paint is smeared, lovey."

i looked at up with an annoyed stare, "fuck off."

vess patted my bare shoulder, sending electrically shocked goosebumps down my clammy skin. i shifted my arms, hoping he wouldn't notice how i shivered under his touch.

"i'll go get some more paint, kay?" i offered with a deep breath.

vessel settled in front of his piano again. he nodded, pressing a few keys, "there's a tube in my dressing room."

"be right back."

i turned on my heel and headed for the stairs. i passed ii, who patted my head, and iv, who made some chirp about me owing him a shot- which just wasn't true.

i reached the dressing room soon enough. i'd been in here- in the other ones- numerous times. we often all hung out as a group between shows, in here or out on the town with various disguises on the boys. i still didn’t know who the guys were outside of those masks and strange nicknames. sam did, of course, because he’d been teching for the boys for years now. plus, they all had a brotherly relationship. they trust him.

for some reason, going in here by myself felt provocative. i kept my vision tunnelled, just in case they left something important out. they were men, after all-messy, sometimes careless, forgetful.

outside clothes, hoodies and sweatpants i recognized, sat strewn across the chairs and couches. their personal cellphones were sat with their things, different from the work phones they had been assigned. i had their work numbers, for professional conversations, for getting bullied by ii and iv in the groupchat. vessel and i talked, sometimes, about new coffee shops in new towns we'd be stopping by, movies we'd need to go see when we had a day off.

personal phone numbers were for the trusted.

i b-lined for vessel's paint and brushes, on the counter beside his phone. as i did, my eyes glossed over a wallet. it wasn’t one that i recognized. but, i knew that it was vessel's. or, whoever he really was. my fingers itched with a curiosity that i could not feed. it was none of my business who they were. if they wanted me to know, they'd tell me. they'd unmask themselves when we're chilling out on the tour bus.

if vessel trusted me, if he felt our silly conversations held any depth like i thought they did, he'd tell me who he was.

no matter that i'd known him for six months and hehad yet to do so. no matter that i thought we might have reached that point. no matter that sometimes, when he looked at me, there was a longing sat right behind his eyes, a wanting that made me feel entrusted, that made me feel like he understood what was bleeding off my skin.

no matter.

i grabbed the paint and headed back for the stage. vessel was sitting on the side of it now, talking to ii about something or the other. i handed the paint off to him. i went to go backstage, heel prepared to turn, when he spoke, "thanks, lovey."

ii followed vessel's gaze up to me. i stood overtop of them. ii's eyes raked up my bare legs, over the little black dress i wore. he met my eyes and nodded. "hey, gorgeous."

ii always enjoyed flirting with me. playfully, of course. vessel rolled his eyes at the usual quip. "here we go..."

"i am going to do my job. see ya later!"

ii reached up and grabbed my hand before i could leave. i jerked back to my spot, brows raised. ii shook my arm around, "go on, darling, give us a strut."

"you're ridiculous," i ripped my hand from his, though i chuckled slightly.

"tell her, vess," ii nudged his bandmate's shoulder with his elbow, "tell her how beautiful she is. she just doesn't believe me!"

i met vessel's eyes. he never joined the boys in their teasing, never flirted like ii did. he was always genuine, kind. our conversations were always full of depth, too. in fact, he never showed much interest in me besides those longing, full glances that i took to heart, that i let create a delusional fantasy land in my head. everytime i thought he might be, when we'd have these great conversations, he'd pull back. like was afraid, or he didn't fully trust me.

so, i shuddered when vessel's eyes drug down my body, over my exposed chest, the barely visible tops of my boobs, the curve of my waist, hugged tight by the dress, and the skin of my thighs and calves, right to the tips of my platform boots.

it was then that i realized today was going to be a very different day.

"you look..." vessel rolled his eyes back up my body, to my own flustered gaze, "good."

i couldn't get away fast enough. i thanked them both, stuttering slightly, before turning on my heel and racing towards backstage. i bumped into iv's shoulder and muttered a half-hearted apology.

i knew that they all were staring at me, analyzing my girlish behavior. i knew they'd talk about it.

and that was embarrassing as fuck.

when the show ended, i was determined to not be anywhere near any of the boys. i escaped to the bus sam, myself, and the other techies slept on. i changed into comfortable clothing and lay in my bunk, willing the blush on my cheeks to finally leave me alone.

this wasn’t supposed to happen. did i long for him to say something like that? duh!

did i actually want it to happen? no, bitch.

because that changed everything for me.

i just needed to hide out here for the night, will my anxiety and the fawn look in my eyes away. tomorrow, i could shift everything back to how it was. tomorrow, he’d probably act the same- passive, uninterested.

even if there was any weight to that entire interaction, it’s not like anything could even happen between us.

management made the band swear off girls for risk of privacy and in order to focus on their work. besides, i worked for the band. i helped run every single show they did. they were my boss’.

and there was that whole issue of him not trusting me. because it was so obvious that he didn’t.

i was letting my brain run around too much.

what snapped me back to reality was the commotion of everyone returning to the bus, excited chatter from the other men on the crew filling the once silent vehicle. sam's voice got closer as he and another techie approached their bunks, across and above from my own. i figured they’d just be grabbing something before everyone headed out to the bar.

but, of course- that wasn’t my luck.

"yoohoo," sam knocked a fist on wall, near my head, "is there a y/n in here?"

i huffed, "what do you want?" i knew they were here to berate me to come out with them. but that would mean seeing the boys- having to confront the issue that was vessel.

"get up, grandma," sam teased me for being in bed so soon, "we're going to the bar."

"i'm tired," i replied, a slight groan in my voice. please just go away.

"that's a load of bull," sam scoffed, "you literally said this morning that you wanted to go out tonight."

i went to reply, but more voices filled the bus, all too familiar ones that made my chest tight.

"what's going on? is y/n okay?" that thick british accent burst through whatever i was gonna say next. iv.

then, another spoke- ii, i was pretty certain. "what? what's happening? aren't you coming out, y/n?”

i shoved my head into my pillow, wanting to scream. the only downside of tour was this obvious lack of privacy. i appreciated that my presence was always wanted by just about anyone i worked with. but, god, can’t a girl daydream and regret her actions in peace?

i pulled open the curtains sheltering my bed, just a fraction, not even trying to mask my annoyed expression. ii, iv, and sam were squatted just outside my bunk. sam wore a cheeky grin, but the others had their outside masks on. i could read their energy well, though.

"i'm fine, guys," i waved them all off, cuddled up under my blankets, "i just wanna chill tonight."

"no! you can't! please! you have to go out with us! you promised last time you would! plus you owe me a shot!" iv whined, head tilted to the left. he really needed to find a new gimmick.

i rolled my eyes, "you're a baby."

"wow, y/n," ii set a comforting hand on iv's shoulder, gasping at my insult, "that's harsh. here i thought we were friends."

sam laughed in response, "yeah, y/n. that was really mean. you hurt iv's feelings." he, also, touched iv’s arm.

i met iv's eyes with pursed lips. his eyes read no signs of offense. we were all always so mean to each other and i knew they’d call me out if i ever took it too far. no, this- this was them bullying me back. trying to get me to come out. they’d probably, eventually, get on me about my flustered escape from earlier. ii nudged iv, and he began to fake cry, head dropped down into his hands.

i rolled my eyes again with an exasperated huff, "oh, my god. here we go."

the bus door swung open, then shut again, as the rest of the band made their way in. i didn't notice, too caught up in the boys' theatrics to get nervous that vessel was in my vicinity. he stood just out of sight, watching all of us.

iv sobbed, shoulders rocking. "i can't believe you'd say that, y/n!"

"whatever. im not coming out, freaks,” i went to shut the curtain, but sam pushed it open all the way.

i dropped my head to my pillow in annoyance. ii spoke now, egging on the situation further. i grew nervous he’d bring up earlier, "there's just one thing you can do to make this up to him."

"let me guess, it tastes like vodka and rhymes with hot?" i murmured as i pressed a stressed hand over my eyes.

ii pried my hands from my head. “actually- tastes like hennessy and rhymes with get the fuck out of bed!" he, then, reached into my bunk and tickled my sides.

i laughed this ugly, wheezing laugh, squirming away from ii's reach. iv's showcase of crying twisted into him falling back onto his ass, laughing with his head thrown back. sam held onto the bunk as he joined. i then heard vessel and iii's laughs, echoing from a bit down the hall. i tried to snap myself out of the situation, insecure by vessel's presence. but, ii just wouldn't stop tickling me.

luckily, he did, leaving my face red, tears spilling out of my eyes, and a newfound energy to get up from my bunk. i didn’t forget that vessel was standing there, watching. and, i knew, i’d have to face the reality of my embarrassment eventually. but, the boys drunk were usually pretty sweet.

"alright," i huffed and shoved the covers off of my body, "let's go, you freaks."

"you'll come?" ii offered me his hand, helping me off of the floor.

"yeah, i'll come," i released his hand, steadied on my feet. i shoved his shoulder as i walked towards the closet at the end of the hall. i pushed past sam and iv to get there. as i searched through my bag, trying to find my dress from earlier, i felt eyes still on me. all the boys had begun moving from the bus, going outside to smoke and wait on me. but, vessel was still there. lingering.

he waved at me as i looked down the hall towards him. my face flushed again and i gave an awkward smile. god, i was not helping the situation. if anything, i was making it worse, making him uncomfortable, ruining everything. he’d never trust me now.

i put back on my little black dress, tights to bear the cold, platform boots. my makeup was still in tact, though i had to clean up a few smudges made by my sweat from the show. i finally met everyone outside the bus, drawing eyes to my body as i bounded down the steps.

"still looking sexy, darling," ii flirted, cheekily, taking my hand and forcing me to do a little spin in front of everyone.

as i faced back to everyone, i pulled my hand from his and shoved him away from me again. "creep- let's go. you owe me a shot."

"um, i think it's the other way around," ii scoffed.

i began walking from the group, towards the bar down the street. i tossed a confused look over my shoulder, "that never happened. you're crazy."

i left behind a trail of laughing men, a stunned ii. they teased me- but i did back just as much.

it was just a five minute walk, and i kept my pace ahead of everyone because i was cold and wanted to get there quicker. i knew someone was watching me- again. i knew the feel of that stare. i knew it was vesel. so, i tried to stay just far enough ahead that he couldn't catch up. i don’t think i could keep up any meaningful conversation when my heart was still beating this quickly.

alas, the over 6' man fell in stride beside me, easily, hands shoved in the pockets of an alpha wolf sweatshirt. he adjusted his sunglasses, inhaling a chilly breath before saying, “why’d you run off earlier? before the show? did i- say something wrong?”

"no reason," i snapped a too-quick response, arms crossed over my chest. my cheeks were reddening again.

he tsked his tongue, “good. shame, though, i didn't get to enjoy this dress for as long as i would have liked to.” i couldn’t see his eyes- but i knew they flicked down over my body. i straightened up under the gaze.

what game was he playing?

maybe he just wanted to hook up. i knew it wasn’t anything serious for him, because it couldn’t be.

i could imagine he and the boys were horny. all the time they’d spent declaring celibacy on this tour must be getting to them. so, i convinced myself that’s what this was. but, i of course didn’t want that.

so, i couldn’t help but feel let down that i had gotten my hopes up. i had thought that maybe, just maybe, he wanted me like i wanted him. that, again, maybe, he trusted me like i wanted him to. like i trusted him.

i looked up at him, head tilted back from his height. i tried to read the air between us, hoping something else was there. but i knew he wore a cheeky grin beneath his mask. i frowned, slightly, a desperate disappointment laying just behind my eyes. my head shook just slightly, "don't."

vessel's shoulders fell. he nodded, just once, before silencing himself.

we walked to the bar in drowning silence. i wanted to stop, to turn to him and ask him a million questions. why didn’t he trust me? why didn’t he want me? why couldn’t we try?

why couldn’t we have met in another lifetime, where he didn’t feel the need to hide behind a mask? where he didn’t have to put his life on the line just to reveal himself to me?

not that would fix anything if he didn’t feel what i felt.

i needed a drink.

when we got to the bar, we got swept up in the excitement from our group, separated from each other. i was grateful for the space. it allowed me to breathe, allowed me to start getting wasted.

ii and iv shoved drink after drink into my hands. we pounded shots off of the wooden counter of the bar. we paid far too much for the shitty jukebox in the corner to play our favorite songs. ii even eventually drug me out to the make-shift dance floor, holding my free hand in his, guiding my hips with his other palm.

i clutched onto my vodka cran, following the rhythm ii was swinging in his hips. we danced to some usher song, sultry and silly. normally, i’d shove him away and cuss him out, make fun of him. but, the alcohol was starting to burn my throat, sending a soothingly loose feeling through my blood. i was relaxed.

the song slowed and we did with it. i rested my heavy body against his, chin on his shoulder. we danced in a circle. i could see vessel, sitting at the bar, burning a hole through ii's head with his eyes. he saw me looking at him and quickly looked away.

i just wanted to walk right up to him and kiss him, mask or no mask. i just wanted him. i didn’t care what he looked like. who he was. because i knew him- i knew him well. i knew when his favorite cat died, i knew that he dropped his sandwich in the first grade and cried on drive home. i knew he preferred tea over coffee, with two sugar cubes, and an exact glug of milk in it.

my mind was racing like crazy. i needed to ground myself or i’d do something i’d regret.

that’s when ii mumbled into my ear, “he wants you so badly.”

i jolted out of my own head space, pulling my chin back from ii’s shoulder to look up at him. “what?”

i was having trouble processing words.

“vess. he’s been pining after you for so long,” ii had a sense of urgency in his eyes. "and he think he's trying to see if he can shoot my head off with his eyes right now."

i peered over his shoulder. vessel was watching us again. he didn’t look away, though i knew he could see.

“fat chance,” i blurted out. “he keeps pushing me away…pining my ass. everytime we have, like, a really good conversations about, like, the stars or some shit, the next day he acts like he barely knows my name.”

ii was patient, just listening as i rambled, surely drunk now. i continued on, “i don’t know, dude. like, if he wanted me he would do something about it, yeah? he’d show me. he’d say something. he’d- he’d just do something. instead he just makes me feel crazy.”

i finished myself off with huff. i downed the rest of my drink and set it on a table close to us. both my fists leaned against ii’s shoulders. i was getting dizzy.

ii squeezed my hip in comfort. he waited a moment, for me to catch my breath, to respond. "it's difficult. being in our position. it's hard to tell who's getting close just to catch a peak. forcing everyone we care about to sign mountains of paperwork just to really know us. to trust that we can stay hidden, though the entire world is just itching to unmask us. i know you know that. i know you understand it. that’s part of the reason why we all get along with you so well. the pressures gone. we can be ourselves- no matter what our names are, what we look like. cause you just don’t care.

“i don’t!” i agreed, punching my fist lazily against ii’s shoulder. “i don’t care who you guys are! because you’re still the same to me. and i trust you. and i love you guys. and i just- but just, why can’t he want me?”

he chuckled, “oh, darling. he does. you know he does. and you know the risk, you know the worry. you push it away because it’s not going to be easy. put your pretty little head to rest. just…let it happen as it happens.”

“i think i’m too drunk to really understand this right now, babe,” i droned on, eyes squinted as if i could understand him better with a blurred gaze.

ii tapped my nose sweetly. he stepped back, glancing over to vessel. “just let it.”

i met vessel’s gaze- invisible to me, but so obvious from the burn on my skin. he stood from his seat, hesitant, yet somehow determined.

i felt my body pulled towards him. we met in the middle. some stupid country song was playing. the bad was emptying. our friends were loud. my breath smelled of alcohol. vessel seemed exhausted.

but, for some reason, this was the night that it would happen.

vessel held out a hand, skin pale yet still stained from the paint. i took it. he waited a moment, as if awaiting my consent. then he guided us to the backdoor of the bar. we were out in an alley, alone.

“i’m sorry, lovey,” he said, once he was settled on his heels in front of me.

i clutched his hand like an anchor. “for what?” my brows furrowed.

he brushed a thumb across my knuckles, “that it’s like this. i…i wish i could love you under different circumstances.”

the word passed by without a second thought, so easily spoken from his lips. i barely noticed it. “it’s okay…it’s-its not your fault, vess.”

“no, it’s just,” he ran his other hand overtop his hat, covering his hair just perfectly. “it’s just that i need you to know that. how i feel about you..” now he danced around the word, “because i need you to know that…but…i can’t go forward with any of it. i can’t follow through with it. and i’m so sorry. i just…can’t.”

i slid my hand up to his cheek. he nearly crumbled under my touch. my fingers touched the edge of his sunglasses. he didn’t move. he didn’t try to stop me as i slid the glasses off his nose. i knew those eyes well- i was grateful to see them, even in this dark lighting. i could read him better, i could see his soul.

“i’ll sign whatever you want me to sign.”

the words lingered between us as he processed them. then, he denied them, “lovey…i-“

“i’ll sign a million nda’s. i’ll sign away my life. i’ll- i’ll delete all of my social media. and i’ll wear a mask, too. i’ll step into the darkness with you, vess. i’d do it. i want to do it.”

“lovey, please, i can’t-“

“i can. if you can’t, i can. i can for the both of us.”

vessel dropped his chin, looking away from me. “i can’t ask you to do that for me. beside, you- you don’t even know what i look like. i’m- i’m probably not what you’d want. you can’t love someone you think is ugly. i don’t know, lovey.”

“i do know, vess,” i quickly replied. “i know. i know you. i know your soul. it doesn’t matter to me what you look like, or who you are. cause i know your heart. and that’s all that matters to me. besides, i can’t go on hiding- knowing that we love each other. i just can’t. i won’t allow it.”

vessel met my eyes again. he removed his hand from my own. his hand hung by his thigh, clenching into a fist. it shook. i was worried he’d walk away.

but, after his hesitation softened, he reached his hands up to his face. he tugged the medical mask off of his ears, revealing his familiar lips and smile to me. his nose was new, a feature i’d never seen. but, it was just a nose.

he took off his hat, too, revealing his entire complexion to me. i grinned in response, barely even getting a good luck at him because i really didn’t care.

“that changed nothing for me,” i grasped at his hands. “i feel the same. i feel- the same. maybe better, knowing that you trust me. but- the same. i still want you- i need you, vess…please. i know you need me, too. i’ve always seen it in your eyes. just…take a chance. come out of the darkness…for me. please.”

vessel slid his hands up my arms, slowly, brushing my hair over my shoulders as he passed. his fingertips tickled my neck, the lobes of my ears, until he cupped my cheeks. i leaned into his touch, eyes alight with abounding adoration. he tilted his head down, brilliantly colored eyes boring into my own.

and then he kissed me.

[inv3ga]

Quick Vessel hc before Sleep takes me

+18 MDNI GN

Imagine the slow, torturous pace he would set after finding your deep erogenous zone. How he would angle himself just right to hit it with every thrust.

"Feel good, love?"

He would reduce you to a whiny, begging mess and you wouldn't give two fucks about it. You just needed him; you needed all he could give. And oh, does he give it.

"Harder, love? Faster? Deeper? Wrap your legs around me, sugar. You're about to feel it all."

Back to the angled thrusts, but fuck if he isn't living up to his word. It's all too much and you almost tap out until he coos.

"Who's my good little slut? Who's my perfect little cocksleeve? You're taking my cock so well, Daddy needs to reward you."

With his words and just a few seconds of him fondling your sex, you're seeing stars and he's not far behind, filling your hole completely with his cum.

He stays with his softening cock buried deep in your hole before softly whispering into your spent body.

"You did so well, love. Let me clean you up."

And all you can think of before succumbing to sleep is all the sinful things he's going to do to your body the next night.

[takemebacktocaitlyn]

The rain pelted against the tour bus window, the wind made a whistling sound as lightning illuminated the sky, soon followed by an aggressive rumble of thunder. You sat on the couch between Vessel and II, IV sat in front of the three of you on the beanbag chair while the four of you watched a movie. II held the bowl of popcorn you all were sharing, throwing a few pieces up into the air and skillfully catching them each time in his mouth and earned a giggle from you each time. Since you were beside him getting a few pieces were easy to you where as Vessel had to reach over to reach the bowl, and it was humorous when he’d let out an annoyed growl when II would move the bowl out of reach with a shit eating smirk on his face. IV would reach up and behind him to grab some pieces, or because he was positioned perfectly in front of you while sitting on the beanbag chair, he would lean his head back with his mouth open and wait patiently for you to pop some pieces of the buttery snack in there. The only one missing was III.

“Where’s III at?” IV asked with a mouth full of popcorn, finally allowing his eyes to scan around the small living room area of the tour bus for the bassist.

“I thought it was relatively more quiet,” II spoke as he tossed another piece of popcorn into his mouth. You elbowed him in the side slightly.

“Don’t be a dick,” You said with a giggle. You turned your attention towards IV. “He’s in his bunk reading.”

“Did I hear that right?” Vessel questioned next, playfully patting his ear with the palm of his head. “I could have sworn you said III was back in his bunk reading.”

You rolled your eyes before. “You heard correctly.”

“Wasn’t aware he could do that,” IV laughed before giving a shocked ‘ouch’ when he felt your foot jab him in the lower part of his back. He looked leaned his head back to look up at you. “Oh, come on love, it was funny.”

“What’s he even reading anyways?” Vessel asked while leaned over some, staring down the small hallway of the bus that held your bunks.

“Oh he borrowed one of mine,” You informed before getting a handful of the popcorn.

The other men were silent for a bit, six pair of eyes on you. You had momentarily turned your attention back to the movie, not wanting to miss stuff in it since you had never watched it before. But the burning gazes caused you to turn your attention back to the men you called your friends. You raised an eyebrow warily. “What?”

“He’s reading one of your books, Y/N?” Vessel questioned, an eyebrow of his own raised. You nodded your head. “One of your innocent books I presume.”

II gave a chuckle from beside you. “What innocent books, Vess? I’ve read over their shoulder before. Those books are anything but innocent.” He remarked, turning his clear blue eyes on you. The pointed look you gave him only made the drummer laugh a little more. “What? Love, you know I’m right. Praise kink, degradation, chains and whips, a lot of dark themes, throw in some demon fucking, there was that one with the minotaur from that book you bought off of TikTok with that had a daddy kink thing going on—“

You quickly covered his mouth with your hand. Your eyes wide. “Stop, stop, stop, stop!”

“A minotaur with a daddy kink fetish?” Vessel questioned, a brows furrowed together.

“Demon fucking?” IV asked now, pausing the movie with the remote.

“Throw in some men in mask and you got the cherry on the cake.” II quickly inserted after prying hour hand from his mouth, laughing at your failed attempt at beating him. He held your wrist in his hand and pulled you to him, wrapping his strong arms around you. “They seem to love those kinds.”

“Please stop..” You pleaded against his chest, voice muffled from where your face was hidden. You felt II kiss the top of your head before letting you go. You sighed before settling back into the couch, wrapping yourself tighter with the blanket with a heavy blush on your face forming. “And it isn’t any of those.”

“There’s more—ow!” IV exclaimed as he felt you kick him in the back again. Whatever joke he was about to begin lost now. “I was joking!”

“Knock it off,” Vessel spoke next, his attention on the guitarist. His tone was stern and IV rolled his eyes before slumping down in the beanbag, crossing his arms over his chest like a child have a temper tantrum. Vessel shook his head before turning his attention back on you, his voice soft like his smile. “Now, what book did you let III read?”

A tiny smile graced your face. For some the smile would seem nothing but innocent, but to Vessel he knew different. The tiny mischievous twinkle in your eye and how a faint lift of a smirk in the corner of your lips was hidden beneath your sweet, tiny smile, Vessel knew your cunning side was in full force.

“Well—”

Before you could finish your sentence the all too familiar voice of III, albeit laced with shock, rang out from his closed bunk in the hallway.

“HE SHOVED IT FUCKING WHERE!?”

[xxnoirxx]

show me those pretty white jaws 🤍

[dewracle]

Other Plans - NSFW Drabble

PAIRING: Sleep Token IV x GN! Reader

AUTHORS NOTE: I honestly don’t know how I’ve done it, but I started to attempt to write x readers again.

——

Sweet little whimpers fall from your mouth, mewling with your eyes closed tightly as rough calloused hands trace over your body. The man chuckled softly, groping at the fat on your thighs. “Sweet little puppy~”

You gasped softly, opening your eyes to meet IV’s. He hummed softly, pushing your thighs apart. His rough fingers digging into your soft skin. You grunt in soft confusion as the larger man shifted to lay on his stomach.

“Wh-what’re you doing?” You whimpered softly, squirming and covering your face to hide the embarrassment.

But IV hummed, eyes flicking to yours with a burning passion, “I’ve got to prep your little hole to take me…”

Your face flushed bright red, the color spreading to your ears and chest. You try to close your legs, to hide away from the intense look from IV.

“Do you have to..?” You questioned with a quivering voice.

Your question is answered with a soft groan as IV noses at your thigh, inhaling your scent. “Don’t wanna hurt you, not yet.”

He grunted softly, grinding his hips against the bed, bringing his nose closer to your tight hole. The soft sounds falling from your mouth, the way you moaned out in anticipation. IV needed more.

His tongue swiped across your hole wetly, dragging out a shudder from your needy body. You reach down, hesitant to twist your fingers in his hair.

IV grunted, spreading your hole open with his thumbs. He leaned back, spitting on your hole before licking it up with a heavy growl.

“A-ah! You-“ You cried out, thighs squeezing around IV’s head. “Please! You tease!”

He hummed softly, burying his tongue in your twitching hole. The copious amount of spit dripping out of your hole, pooling on the bed as he feasted on your hole.

You gently pushed him away, gasping and crying out for the man as the warmth began to pool in your stomach. You tensed, tightened and fluttered around the wet muscle inside of you. “IV! Ivy! Oh god I’m gonna cum- please please!”

IV pried your thighs apart, sitting up to stare down at you with a heavy look. His cock hung between his legs, heavy and dripping, begging to fuck your hole. “Such a good puppy for asking for permission. But I’ve got other plans…”

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Damn that ivy fic hurt so good I need another.

How about ivy x reader but iii is in love with reader too but always thought she only loved him as an older brother but on a random friday she‘s tipsy and confessed to him that she had a huge crush on him but he never made a move but ivy did and she eventually fell in love with him?

Love in depths of silence

iii had always been a class clown. Never cared much for it. Never cared that he looked silly or unserious. He enjoyed it. Letting his bubbly personality show. It was him being his true self just… minus the deeply loving and caring side. When you had walked in with just as much sas he knew you were gonna get along just fine. And boy had he underestimated.

Crew often joked that you two should never be left alone unsupervised because if not one then the other was dancing on top of the tables or trying to prove that one could lift the leg higher than the other. There was constant laughter with you. Genuine one. One that made him giddy inside for hours as he thought back on it. But there was also a deeper part to this. One where you two would only have to look at one another to feel it. The pull. The slowly growing desire. They say that eyes never lied and in this case, they did the most talking.

When the flirting started it was hard to distinguish it from silly banter. So the push and pull started. That night in London after the fully sold-out arena happened. The thrill of it all. The buzzing in the air. The pins and needles in the fingers. The dim back room. iii’s hand in your hair as he pressed you against the wall. That kiss had it all. The longing. The desire. The love blossoming in silence. You had been the outlet and then when he had seen your big eyes looking back at him as he pulled away. He had panicked. Fully panicked he spewed something about this being a mistake as he stumbled back into the main room.

It had all shifted after that. For a handful of weeks, you two had fully ignored each other. iii knew that he had to be the one who had to take the first step. But how do you make a comeback after that? So he waited. Watched. You slowly went back to a somewhat similar banter. And after thinking of it for days he had finally bit the dust and went up to your hotel room. Palms sweating as he waited for you to answer. “Hey”, your cheeks were flushed, only a button-up jacket over your frame. “Hi, I was…”, iii frowned slightly as he let himself drink you in. “I…”, “Baby, who is that?”, that voice alone sends iii’s heart falling to his feet. “Did you need something?”, you asked softly but all iii can focus on now are the rustling sheets and the sound of footsteps. His shirtless bandmate walking from the back side of the room. “Hey, dude what’s up?”, iv says casually pulling his pants back up. iii honestly felt like laughing. No, the first reaction was to punch iv actually but he knew he had no right to so he had to back away. “Can’t seem to find my phone, thought that I maybe…”, iii was quick to shrug, “Actually maybe I do know where it could be”. And he’s turning so quickly he’s surprised he doesn’t tumble.

It was one agony-filled pretend fest after that. His only salvation was that you two didn’t seem too keen on public affection but even then fate would pull him to you. Making sure he would end up in the back room just as you were straddling iv, kissing him. Eyes falling to your interlinked fingers as you walked back to the bus. Ivy’s clothes you wore. He had a feeling that he could have had that. That it had been right there but he had fucked it.

And he had thought that he was starting to get over it. That he would move on. Make peace with it. Should have known it was a fool’s dream. The moment you stepped into the pub for that post-tour celebration. All iii could do was look at you. The lace dress. The heels. You were a vision. A fucking apparition he had been chasing for months now. One that had given him a fleeting hug before settling on iv’s lap.

“You’re quiet”, you nudged his shoulder as most of the guys had taken it upon themselves to either go dance or refill everyone’s drinks. “Just tired”, iii shrugged. You were inches apart. He could feel the warmth from your body. Smell your perfume. Then you just let out a giggle as you shook your head. “What’s so funny?”, he asked turning to you slightly. “Just… you know I had the biggest crush on you”, you mussed still shaking your head, “and I still think that you’re an ass for what you did”. iii wrapped his hand around his glass tightly, “I apologized”, “Did you?”, you asked bitterly. “I was pinning after you like an idiot and then you had pretty much called me one too”, you sighed, staring ahead. “Ever thought about the fact that maybe I had feelings for you too?”, iii bit back. “Oh, please”, you rolled your eyes. “I’ve been in love with you for months and I fucking blew it all out the window”, iii put his glass down on the table running a hand over his face. “Iii”, “Don’t give me that pity party boo shit”, he grumbled pushing out of the booth. “Don’t you fucking walk away”, you hissed following after him just his steps were a lot bigger and faster. “Iii this is your last warning”, you grunted as you both pushed into the called night. “Or what?”, he turned back harshly. You two were all up in each other’s faces at this point. “Or I will let go and you will never be able to reach me”, you whispered. “Go back inside”, iii said coldly, “your boyfriend is looking for you no doubt”. “You’re being an asshole again”, you muttered. “Just let me go”, he shook his head, stepping backwards. “Do you really want me so bad if you’re walking away for the second time?”, you muttered bitterly. “You don’t know shit about it”, iii shook his head, walking away.

[pastlivesxpastlie]

My Arms Belong Around You ⟡˖ ࣪

Protective!BestFriend!Vessel x Fem!Reader

Short suggestive fluff, very very brief unwanted touching (not from Ves), forced proximity at a gig, texting, fake dating, mutual pining, size difference, scent kink, making out, praise (f receiving), “bun” and “bunny” as pet names

a/n: I’m just edging ya’ll for something you might really enjoy. As always, not proofread, we flood like Atlantic!

Being at the barricade is fun. Wearing fishnets under ripped jean shorts and Dr Martens is so fun. Being hit on by assholes at said barricade because you’re wearing said outfit…not fun. At all.

You do your best to blend in to the group of friends you're with for the show but you keep catching unwanted attention. The show was starting soon, and Vessel was nowhere to be seen. You don’t want to bother him and text again… but the guy that just pushed by grabbed your ass “accidentally” and you need your friend. You need his tall “scary dog” privilege.

You: literally just had my ass grabbed 😭

Ves: ffs. Are you ok, bunny? I’m heading in now. I’ll take care of you.

You: thank you, yeah I’m ok. Like a bodyguard? lol

Ves: is that what you want? fake boyfriend maybe?

Your eyes widened as you read the words “boyfriend.” Even if it was a way to stay safe and keep creeps off you, there was something exciting about it. A little secret just for you two. But there was no point in thinking into it. He was probably just going to stand by you, put his arm around you…give you a little squeeze here and there. And then, somehow you just knew he was near. The pit in your tummy bursts into butterflies when you feel his fingers walk gently up your spine…the back of your head. You imagine you’re beet red from blushing and giggling when he gently tilts your head back to look at him.

“There’s my girl. Alright, gorgeous?” He’s still tilting your head back he presses his forehead to yours. Gosh he’s really playing it up.

“Better now that you’re here. Didn’t think you’d find us.”

He snakes his arms around you and takes his place at your back, cushioning you from any rowdy wannabe fuckboys or moshers. Vessel knows you get nervous and self-conscious especially in new places. And loud places. And crowded places. But that was ok. He liked being there for you. “You deserve to feel safe…and have fun, you know that, yeah?” he rasps in your ear before placing a small kiss on the side of your head. “I’ve got you. Relax against me and just enjoy yourself.” Reluctantly you settle against his chest. His grip is loose enough so that you could dance if you wanted to, but what if you rubbed up against him? Would that make things weird? Of course, you’re at a metal show at the barricade, you two are bound to get mashed together at some point. Gaining some confidence, you place your hands on his arms. It shouldn’t be weird to do this with a friend…but he is of course more than a friend in a way. In your mind at least. He peers over your shoulder and hums contently “Look at your hands, bun…so tiny…even on my forearms!”

“Ves stop!! They’re not that tiny!”

“Yes they are, silly, look!” He takes your hand and holds it against his, showing how your fingertips don’t match up, but you’re both laughing too much.

“STOP! I get it, you’re a giant!” You’re wiggling and trying to get away but he holds you close, making you both bump into the people around you. But you don’t care. The plan was to make you look unavailable to weirdos. You turn and look up at him…he’s gotta be a whole foot taller than you. How had you never noticed? Just as your eyes meet, the lights dim. The show is starting. The crowd around you is loud. You know Vessel was excited about this show, but his eyes are on you when the lights come back up in a deep violet. Nothing right now is real except you and him. It’s like you’re looking at each other for the first time. “You look so pretty like this,” slips out before you realize what you’ve said. Maybe he didn’t understand what you said as the opening song blared, but the smile and crinkle of his eyes tells you that he heard. Loud and clear. He spins you back around so your back is to him again, his face in your hair. He places a tiny kiss on the side of your head and moves down to your ear.

“Such a pretty girl.” He takes a deep, shuddering breath. “Smell pretty too.” Vessel’s lips tickle behind your ear and neck, making you instinctively stretch your neck for him. His breath is hot on your neck but it makes you shiver. God his smile against your skin makes you lean back more, and he squeezes you tight.

As the show goes on, you and Vessel are glued together. He apologies each time he has to let go of you to headbang or pump his fist, but you don’t care. You’re glad he’s letting loose. And he certainly doesn’t stop you when your hips sway and you plush ass grazes against him. His wide hands smooth down your waist and hips; you can feel him watching you but you can’t bring yourself to look.

At the end of the show, the house lights come back up, you both squint and laugh as your eyes adjust. Vessel takes your hand as your group pushes through the crowd to get out of the venue, but you find yourself still clinging to his hand as you all stand outside. Everyone’s talking about what to do next but you look up at Ves with a half smile. “Would you want to…” you trail off.

“What, bunny,” he asks, giving you a little nudge.

Suddenly you’re shy. The blush on your cheeks burn a little, which he finds so precious. His thumb trails over your cheekbone and time stops again. You barely register him saying to the group that he was walking you home. You barely remember the comfortably silent walk to your apartment. But you definitely remember how when you walked in he pulled you towards him. Just a hug. One where he strokes your hair, sways softly…pulls your head back softly so you can look at him. “You’re really good at this ‘fake boyfriend’ stuff.”

But he doesn’t laugh. Doesn’t even smile. “This isn’t even my best work, my darling.” He searches your face for any hesitation before letting his thumb gently pull at your bottom lip. Your breath shudders as you whisper his name.

“Ves…?”

“Shh shh shh. That was good wasn’t it? Pretending like that…it felt good, bun. Didn’t it? Let’s play a little more…yeah?” You nod as he guides you to your couch. Your legs are entwined as you sit beside each other. Vessel isn’t wasting time. He pulls you close and rubs his lips gently against yours. “I can’t believe we’re here right now…doing this.”

Your lips chase his as nuzzles his nose against yours. A soft whimper passes your lips as you try to speak.

“It’s ok, I know. I want you, too.” Finally his lips press against yours. His hands cup your cheeks as he pulls you in for more kisses. When he pulls away, he leaves you breathless. His face is dazed…dreamy…flushed. You glance down and see that his lips are puffy and that he’s biting them softly. He wants more. His hands tremble against your cheeks before moving down your body. “You look so sexy, bun.”

You lean back on the couch and feel your legs instinctively spread. A little laugh ripples through you as you try to close them. “Sorry I…I just…I’ve always wanted this.”

Vessel gently keeps your legs open and massages your inner thighs. His eyes take over your body with reverence as he tries to keep his voice steady. “You have no idea. I can’t believe we’re doing this.” He scoots closer to make out with you and lays between your legs. For once, you’re not chasing some end result. It doesn’t seem like he is either. At times he’d stop kissing your lips just to move to your cheeks. “Such a sweet bunny. I’m sorry but I have to fuck up this friendship.”

“I don’t think this fucks things up, do you?” For a moment you're scared. Scared that maybe this isn’t one of the most exciting and satisfying things of his life too. “Friendship is important but…you’re worth a lot more than that to me. Is that cool…is that…ok for me to admit?”

Vessel lifts his eyebrow and gives you a coy smirk before placing a kiss on your forehead. “We’re going to do this the tried and true way, my dear. We’re going to stay up and talk for as long as we need to…and…” he pauses to lean in and whisper as if you were back in the crowd, “and then, love, I’m going to show you what else I can do for you

[mappedfantasy]

> wash me clean again

summary: vessel is far too exhausted to wash off his own body paint, so you help him. pairing: vessel x gn!reader warnings/tags: sleepy!vessel, roommate!vessel, bf!vessel, clingy!vessel, use of petnames (darling, babe), established relationship, showering together, size difference, praise, touch starvation, biting as a love language, begging, making out, non-sexual intimacy, slightly suggestive (if you want to view it that way), reader heavy dialogue. word count: 1.1k a/n: read this fic by @badomensgoodomens the other day and felt inspired to write something of my own based on the same concept. thank you for making it, very sweet, loved it <3

ao3 link

You hear Vessel faintly calling for you from the bathroom. 

“Darling?”

You push the bathroom door open to find him sitting down in the bathtub with the shower running. Your heart crumples in your chest at the sight of him. Poor thing. It only worsens when he lifts his head, puppy-dog eyes catching yours as if to plead. He looks fucking exhausted.

“Darling, can you help me?” he asks, voice at almost the same volume with the water, lowering for the sake of saving whatever energy he can.

This is when you notice that the washcloth in his hand is stained gray, and that his body paint has low effort scrubbing streaks. 

“Yeah.” You drop down to a squat at the side of the tub, reaching for the washcloth from his hands. 

He snatches it away, low in attempt. “You’ll get the floor wet.” God, he’s nearly whining. You catch a glimpse of a frowned pout on his lips. 

You push yourself, hands on your knees, into a standing position. You begin to slip off your clothes, discarding them into a pile on the floor. A hand slides the shower curtain over even more so than it was open before, like that wasn’t getting the floor wet. 

“Vess, let me help you up,” you tell him gently, offering a hand down for him to take.

And he does. He takes your hand in his, becoming easily engulfed by the size difference of you two. He gets to his feet with a small stumble. Being this wrecked surely was making his head foggy, maybe enough to spin. You slip in, in front of him, closing the curtain behind you.

“That’s it.” You guide his hand to your shoulder, to keep him steady. He keeps the other on the shower wall after handing you the washcloth finally. 

You begin to wash his stomach. The touch is full of love despite the pressure you have to put down to get the paint to come off. 

“Are you really tired, hm?” You ask him, flickering your eyes up for a second to try at meeting his. 

But his eyes are closed, trying to get himself through this from what it seems. “Mhm…” he gets out. It’s muddled and taut. 

Moving upwards his chest, you wash out a spot enough to plant a kiss in, then change to a graze of a bite that was stronger resemblance to your teeth scraping against his skin. He groans out quietly, barely there at all. 

“Can you do that again?” He asks you. You both knew you could never say no to him. 

His stomach and chest have been stripped clean of black, remaining only his shoulders and neck. You apply more soap to these areas since it had run mighty thin from the other scrubbing. Exposing the pale skin of his shoulder under the dark makeup, you take a bite of him. Harder this time. By now, you knew he had a little thing for biting, was a love language to him. Vessel needed it. You feel a shiver shock through him. You land another nip onto his neck where you have to stand on your tiptoes to reach, lurching him down by the smallest hint. 

Vessel’s body slouches against yours, his back hunches over due to the height difference between the both of you. His cheek smooshes into your shoulder and his slickened skin slides along yours to rest his nose in the cranny where your neck and shoulder meet. You feel him huff subhumanly. His arms dangle beside him which almost brush your body. And one of your arms is wrapped around his lower back while the other gently washes at his sides to get rid of any residue paint there. His arms are slow in movement as they come around your back, resting low there, and gently pushing you closer to him. You use your nails just barely on his back, causing a low groan to come from Vessel’s mouth. 

“Fuck…” he drags the word out low, “that feels good.” He’s hushed, almost at a whisper if his voice wasn’t thick on getting those words out. 

Your mind can’t go there, and so, you won’t. You want to take care of him, softly. He deserves it firstly, but secondly, he also needs it. 

Instead, you hum in an agreeing tone. “Yeah?” Your nails go along his back, back and forth laggardly. “That feel good, babe?” You hope he picks up on the smile in your voice.

He grunts and you feel the brush of air on your neck again. You let out a small laugh, dry one. 

“Good,” you say.  

You throw the blackened cloth into the corner of the tub, bringing Vessel close to you in a hug. “I’m so proud of you,” you tell him. His body sinks further into yours, his weight becoming more of your responsibility than his. His lips press unhurried kisses into this side of your neck and down your shoulder. Retracting back, up, into his normal stance as much as he can bear with his fatigue. 

And you start to move back too. He needed to get into your bed as soon as he could get there. But he stops you. 

“One kiss. Please?” 

His face is brought down to you by your hands cupping his jaw, placing a tender kiss to his lips. They work slowly with yours as he makes another whine. You try to match the noise, licking into his mouth one good time before pulling away fully. 

“So lucky to have you,” you murmur to him.

Vessel looks at you with those same pleading eyes. “Can I have another? Just this one. Please?” 

Your lips catch his for one last kiss, relishing this one, him licking into your mouth this time. Whine.

That’s where you step away and cut off the water. You step out of the tub. You turn to hold your hand out for him to latch onto. And he does. You help him to not slip, his brain was not functioning at all if it was in any shape to work before. The two of you share a towel, not being arsed to use two separate ones. He nudges his head into your hand when you began to towel dry his hair. 

“How about we get you to bed, hmm?” You ask, tossing the towel somewhere into the bathroom. That, along with finding clothes, was a worry for a different time. Later, after Vessel had been taken care of, after he got some sleep.

He trails behind you like a lost pup. “Please.”

[yupstillaghost]

The Boogeyman

Vessel x fem reader

Summary: Vessel is a cryptid that is enthralled by his prey.

Warnings: tobacco use, attempted SA (not from Vessel), mentions of drugs and alcohol, blood/gore, making out. No use of Y/N

Tropes: instant attraction kinda?, he falls first, monster romance.

Author's Note: I could not stand the lack of monster romance Vessel fics out there, so i took matters into my own hands. If there are any grammar mistake i am sorry okay?

*photo credit goes to nickysrock on pintrest*

The Vessel is what they call him. A terrifying and menacing creature that desires the taste of human flesh. From a distance, he appears to be human, but if you get close enough to realize he is anything but human, you are already dead. The locals theorize that he wasn't always a murderous monster, but that he was once a mere mortal like everyone else.

They believe that he used to be a normal person until he started worshiping an ancient deity they call Sleep. The Vessel relinquished half of his soul to Sleep, and Sleep gave him half of his life force in return. But Sleep did not warn The Vessel of the changes he would experience with his newfound devotion. He did not warn him about the insatiable blood lust he would acquire upon receiving half of the deity's power.

Each life The Vessel takes is not only to sustain and nourish him, but it is also an offering to the other half of the deity living inside him. He is a lonely and miserable creature who longs for companionship but tears apart every person he comes across in a blind rage he has no control over.

It is said that The Vessel begged Sleep for the other half of his soul back, that he no longer wished to kill for him and that he wanted control over his own mind, body, and soul once more. But the deity refused. And now he is doomed to an eternity of solitude all because he was seeking a little faith.

--------------------------------------------

The brisk autumn wind blows your hair back as you walk, reddening your cheeks from its cold kiss. The sound of the dead leaves crunching under your sneakers as your feet meet the earth with each step. Walks through the woods are one of your favorite things, even if people tell you to be cautious of them. You grew up in this town, and of course, you've heard of the cryptid that supposedly lurks in the shadows of this vary forest.

You don't believe in it, though. You think of it like The Boogeyman, just a made-up thing used to scare children into behaving. You smirk to yourself at the thought as you reach into your pocket to pull out your pack of cigarettes and lighter. It's a nasty habit you have yet to kick, though you tell yourself that you're still young and you have time to indulge a little longer in it.

You place the cigarette between your lips and light it, feeling the smoke burn the back of your throat as you inhale. It's a burn you've always liked, one that took your mind off your loud thoughts and made you forget just how lonely you are. You have always been an outsider in this town. You don't really have any close friends, and you find you don't really have anyone to confide in. You think to yourself that maybe you should just abandon everything and live in these woods. Maybe you will make friends with The Vessel that everyone talks about. If he doesn't eat you first.

Your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of breaking glass. You then see three guys who look to be about your age smashing empty beer bottles on a nearby boulder. They laugh and egg each other on while stumbling over themselves, obviously drunk or high. One of them turns around and sees you watching them. The man flashes a sickening grin at you.

You can tell that whatever he is thinking isn't good and you aren't one for confrontation. You take the cigarette out of your mouth and stomp it into the dirt before attempting to turn and walk in another direction.

You hope he takes this as a clear sign that you don't want to talk. You have never seen these guys before, so you are almost certain they are from out of town. That being said, you don't know if these guys are friendly, but they certainly don't look it.

"Hey! What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone in these woods?" You hear one of them shout to you. You freeze in place, panic starts to fill your insides. You don't have any way of defending yourself if things go south. No pepper spray, no fancy taser, you don't even know any martial arts. You were defenseless. You turn around slowly and spit out a nervous response.

"I'm just passing through, I'm on my way to my boyfriend's place," you tell him. Of course, you're lying. You don't have a boyfriend. You actually live alone in a shitty apartment a few minutes away, but they don't need to know that. You just need to get away from them unscathed, and you figured they would leave you alone if they knew someone was expecting you. The other guys turn around to look at you. The three of them then look at each other, and you can practically hear the gears in their heads turning.

"Sure you can't stay and have some fun?" One of them asks,"Maybe your boyfriend won't mind. " All three of them walk closer to you now. Creeping in on you like wolves to a small prey item. Your heart starts to race, already knowing what their intentions are and fearing for your life.

"N-no, i really need to get going." You choke out, trying to sidestep them. But before you can react, one of them pushes you to the ground and holds you down by your wrists. You attempt to scream, but one of the guys covers your mouth with his large hand, muffling any sound that comes from you.

"Don't fuss you bitch" the one holding you down spits. "We'll be quick with ya, then you can run home to your little boyfriend and tell him how we ruined you," he said through gritted teeth as he fights to keep you down while you thrash against his hold. It's no use. He's much stronger than you. The guy that isn't doing anything then crouches down and unzips your jacket with a hungry look in his eyes. You're breathing heavily and on the verge of tears as your heart pounds in your chest. You have never been so afraid.

Before the torture can commence, however, a guttural growling sound is heard by you and the men. The men stop and stare all around, looking for whoever, or whatever, that sound is coming from. You look to your right, and you see it. A figure of a very tall man in the moonlight. He looks exactly as eye witnesses have described him. He wears a long black cloak with his torso exposed, revealing his skin, which is the color of midnight. His hood is up and over his head, and his face is adorned with a white mask with a strange red symbol on the forehead. The mask has six eye holes to see through, and it leaves only his mouth exposed with red accents around the mouth area.

And his mouth, God his mouth, it's turned up in a sickening grin, barring his teeth like a rabid dog about to attack. He makes the growling sound again, and the men turn to him now, seeing what you see. All three of them stare at the figure, obvious fear etched into their faces. They all stand up slowly, removing their hands from you while you remain on the ground propped up on your elbows. You are too scared to move. These guys don't know who or what he is, but you do. It's The Vessel.

"H-hey man, we don't want any trouble. We were just messing around. " The man who was holding you down a second ago said shakily. All three of the men start to slowly back away from you. They must think The Vessel is angry with them after catching them attempting to assault you, but they don't know why he's really here. They don't know like you do that The Vessel is attracted to the scent of fear. It's you he is here for. Your fear attracted him, but now the three men are afraid too. The Vessel must choose who he wants to feast on first.

Without any warning, The Vessel runs at full speed towards the four of you, but not before letting out one of the most nasty snarls you have ever heard. One of the men panics and starts to run away, a fatal mistake. The Vessel lunges for him and tackles him to the ground. The man attempts to fight back, but it is futile since The Vessel is much stronger, especially in a state of blood lust. The Vessel grabs him by the back of the head and sinks his pointed teeth into his neck like a vampire. Instead of sucking his blood like a vampire would do, he takes a giant bite from his flesh and rips it off like he's biting into an apple.

The man's screams are unlike anything you've ever heard. It puts all the victim's screams you heard in slasher movies to shame. The sound of ripping flesh and animalistic chewing however, even worse. The two other men run in opposite directions, leaving you alone with the creature and their now dead friend. The Vessel lifts his head once he hears the rapid foot steps of the other two men. Blood is dripping from his chin and he wipes his mouth with his wrist in a oddly human way of thinking. Nobody knew if The Vessel was human or not, so to see him do that felt strange.

You take his distracted state as an opportunity to run away yourself. You quickly get to your feet and dart in the direction that is the opposite of where The Vessel is facing. You know running is probably a bad idea, but sitting there idly and waiting to be his next meal doesn't seem like a good idea either. You don't look back as you run. You run until you eventually decide to take shelter behind a tree. You did not hear his footsteps, so you hope he did not follow you. You peek behind the trunk of the tree cautiously and you don't see The Vessel anywhere. You let out a quiet sigh, relieved that you managed to get away unscathed.

You think you are safe until you hear the sound of heavy breathing and low grunting in your ear. You slowly turn your head forward and jump out of your skin at the sight of The Vessel right in front of you. You are practically nose to nose with him until you jump back, hitting your head on the tree trunk to get as far away from him as you can. Your back slides down the tree truck once you realize there is nowhere else for you to run. You are trapped.

The Vessel kneels down to your height and places his hand beside your head on the tree trunk. You stare into the eye holes of his mask as you tremble with fear. He takes a deep inhale through his nose, no doubt taking in the intoxicating scent of your fear, and gives that awful smile once again. He slowly leans forward and tilts his head to your neck, taking another deep inhale.

Your hands stay at your sides as your nails dig into the bark of the tree. He is so close to you now that you can smell him as he smells you. He has a metallic like scent due to the blood that was on his hands and forearms from the man he just mauled. He also smells like soil and pine, no doubt a scent he acquired from living in the woods. He is all alone out here, just like how you are all alone in this cruel world. You have no one who would miss you if this creature before you kills you right now.

The Vessel starts to slowly open up his maw, preparing to take a bite of your flesh like he did with that man. All you can think about in this moment is how long it would take someone to find your remains if there was any part of you left. You think about how you lead such a sad existence. You had no one who cared about you. You didn't make a name for yourself, and this is how you're going out? By the jaws of a creature that logical people don't believe exists? Pathetic. Sad. Waste of existence.

You start to cry, but you try to keep quiet so you don't encourage The Vessel to speed things up with killing you. You grit your teeth in an attempt to stay silent, but a slight sob escaped your lips anyway.

-----------------------------------------------

The Vessel halts his actions after hearing a sob come from you. He realizes then that he no longer smells fear on you. Instead, he smells... sadness. None of his offerings have ever smelt like that before. None of them have ever smelt... like him. He knows you can't smell emotions like he can, but he wonders if you can smell his sadness too, his loneliness, his pain.

The Vessel's hunger has subsided since you are no longer afraid. He closes his jaw and lifts his head up to look at you. Your eyes are screwed shut as you quietly sob with tear stained cheeks. His gaze softens upon seeing you this way. You're so venerable, but not in the way he likes, not in the way his deity likes. You're in pain and he doesn't like it. He wonders if he is the reason for your pain and that fills him with pain in return.

Your eyelids relax, and you slowly open them to see The Vessel staring at you with a frown. Your eyebrows furrow in confusion upon realizing you're still alive, and The Vessel is no longer making an attempt on your life. You stop crying, but that doesn't stop him from reaching up and wiping the tears from your cheek carefully. You gasp at the contract and almost pull away from his touch, but you are surprised to find that he is being extremely gentle.

"I am sorry, little one... so very sorry, " he whispers in a warm British accent. He removes his hand from your cheek, leaving behind a mixture of blood and dirt streaked there. You sniffle and wipe away the blood and dirt on your cheek using your jacket sleeve. You stare at the creature in awe, surprised that you just heard him speak. You try to find his eyes through the holes of his mask, but you can't find them. The Vessel is staring back at you, but he is taking a good long look at you for the very first time. You are beautiful, breathtaking even. He is entranced by you, and he can't remember the last time he had felt this way.

"You're not going to eat me?" You whisper back to him, getting the feeling that he is staring into your soul even though you can not see his eyes. "No," he replies softly. "If I did, i wouldn't forgive myself." You furrow your eyebrows again and let out a small chuckle. "But you were okay with eating that other guy?" You say louder now, letting the cryptid know that he is contradicting himself.

He lifts his hand and lightly brushes the hair out of your eyes with his long fingers, causing a jolt of electricity to run up your spine. "He wasn't you" he stated. You are confused as to what is happening at this moment. Why is this viscous creature being so soft and gentle with you all of a sudden? And why do you like it when he touches you? Are you really that touch starved?

"Were those men trying to hurt you?" He asks calmly, tilting his head slightly at his question. You give a small nod, not wanting to go into detail about what those men were going to do if he The Vessel hadn't shown up. He places his hand beside your head on the tree trunk again and digs his nails into it. "If I find the other two, I will kill them where they stand," he says through gritted teeth. Your eyes widen at his statement, and you can feel that his words weren't a threat, but a promise.

"But you're not going to kill me?" You reiterate, attempting to find his eyes yet again. You can't explain the feelings you are having during your conversation with The Vessel. You're puzzled at his actions and words, but you also feel... safe with him? You think to yourself that you should see a psychiatrist after this encounter. It can't be normal to be feeling this way for someone who was going to eat you a few minutes ago.

"How could I?" He says barely above a whisper as he leans into your neck again. "I have waited for you for so long... my Eden." He then places a chaste kiss to your neck right where he was initially going to bite into you. Your breath hitches in your throat, and you feel that jolt of electricity again. Did The Vessel just... kiss you? You know you should be disgusted, but you can't help but feel drawn to him. Maybe it's because you are both lonely, both longing for companionship... someone to care for.

He lifts his head to look into your eyes again, the moonlight reflecting off his white mask and illuminating the lower half of his face, the only part that is visible. Your heart starts to race again but not from fear. This time, it's from anticipation. He starts to lean forward, his lips slightly parted. You place your hands on his collarbones to keep him from getting any closer to your face. Is he trying to kiss you on the lips? You let out a shaky breath at the thought, looking up and down his torso and noticing how toned he is. Are you attracted to The Vessel? There's no way... but you have this weird, swirly feeling in your stomach that won't go away.

"Do you have a name?" You ask him after what felt like an eternity of silence. He smiles, but it's not like the gruesome one you've seen before. It was a joyful one, not one of intimidation or eeriness. "Vessel" he responds. You let a small smirk show at the response. You find it ironic that his real name isn't far off from the nickname the locals have given him. "And may i know yours?" he asks in a almost flirtatious tone. You tell him your name and he hums in response. "Beautiful" he whispers.

Vessel holds your face with both hands, but not before wiping them on his black pants so he doesn't get you dirty again. "You are bewitching, my Eden" he breathes out as he slowly leans into you "absolutely stunning." As he gets closer to you, you no longer try to stop him. Instead, you allow your arms to wrap around his shoulders as a clear sign that you want him closer. The nose of his mask meets yours and you let out a shaky breath. He removes one hand from your face and wraps his arm around your waist to pull you even closer. You are now chest to chest and his lips are just ghosting over yours.

You look at him with half lidded eyes, practically begging him to close the distance between you. Vessel moves his hand that is cupping your cheek to hold your chin. You shouldn't want this. You should be running for your life from the cryptid in front of you, not on the verge of making out with him. But the pull that the two of you have toward each other however, it is undeniable. "May I kiss you?" Vessel asks, seemingly breathless despite the fact that your lips have not met yet. You nod without hesitation and within seconds, his lips are crashing into your.

You both sigh deeply through your noses, feeling instant relief from the tension in the air as your lips move in sync. Kissing him feels like climbing into a warm bed on a cold winters night. Or like drinking a tall glass of water after a long time of thirst. This feels right. He feels right. It no longer matters to you that he is a monster. The two of you fit together like missing pieces of a puzzle, you can feel it deep down and you know he feels it too.

He moves his other arm to wrap around your waist and pulls you closer till you are straddling his lap. You let out a small moan at the new position, moving your head to the side to deepen the kiss. He swipes his tongue on your bottom lip to ask for entrance. You gladly open your mouth slightly to allow his tongue in and he groans in delight. The kiss grows more and more hungry as time goes on and you start to wonder where it is going to lead.

The sound of branches being stepped on suddenly interrupts your make-out session. Vessel pushes you off his lap into the trunk with cat like reflexes. He places his hands on either side of your head on the tree trunk and looks around the forest growling with his teeth bared. You then realize he is protecting you from whatever is causing the noise and you were enthralled by it. You both then see a squirrel come into view and realize that was the perpetrator.

You breathe a sigh of relief and let out a small giggle. It's a bit comical to you that a predator like Vessel is easily startled by a small animal like a squirrel. But given the state of venerability you were both just in, it's understandable why he reacted the way he did. He directs his attention back to you and lowers his hands to your shoulders.

"You alright, my love?" He asks breathlessly. You let out a giggle at his question, "I'm fine. It was just a squirrel, silly " you tease. He smiles warmly and lets out his own little giggle, giving you butterflies instantly. He leans down and kisses your jawline and then your cheek. You place your hands on his biceps and rub your thumbs on them idly.

"Vessel, it's getting late. I have to get going" you tell him in a broken tone of voice. "Please stay" he whispers in your ear before kissing the shell of it. You want to stay. You don't want to leave him at all, but you know you have to. "I can't stay," you whisper back, unable to hide your disappointment. "But I will come back tomorrow, I promise." He looks into your eyes and you place both your hands on the sides of his mask. You stroke the intricate red designs with your thumbs and pull him forward to place a kiss on his forehead.

You release him and you both stand up. He takes your hands in his and plants kisses on your knuckles. "I will be waiting for your return, my Eden" Vessel says lovingly with his lips still pressed to your knuckles. You offer him a smile and begin to walk away, allowing your hands to slowly slide out of his. You turn your back to him and walk through the woods till you are out if sight.

You meant it when you said you would come back. In fact, you will be counting down the minutes till you're reunited. And you know he will be too.

[altrodent]

Cycle

Part I: Vessels Vixen

Pairing: (Poly!) Sleep Token x (F!)Reader

Genre/Warnings: This chapter is mainly Vessel x Reader for lore build up!! Fluff, a made up character for plot is womanizing, flirtatious Vessel, decent amount of cursing

Summary: After kicking out a bunch of jerks at your work place, you become the savior of a certain masked man

(A/N): I’ve tried rewriting a story involving Sleep Token at least a dozen times now, and this is my last attempt for the first part and probably the best, so I hope you enjoy! 🥲🩷

It’s very common to find me working for extremely long hours as well as doing all the chores while blasting my ears off with an old pair of headphones. I do work in a record shop anyways, so what else would I be doing? Once I moved out and on my own I’ve had nothing to do, so I help this elderly couple maintain their shop so they can enjoy their- what should be- retirement.

The town we live in is decently small, but still big enough to include fascists and douche bags of every variety. More specifically, a group of men called the ‘Southwind Snakes’ by the men and just plain ‘perverts’ by the women- me included. Almost every day they end up either trying to wreck the shop, wrecking the shop, or trying to fight with other customers- which those fights usually end up leading to the shops wreckage. Today wasn’t any different.

As the climate got colder, the rain got heavier, and when the weather is shitty, so is the amount of patrons. The elderly couple were packing their bags, ready to go home before asking me“Are you sure you don’t want to just close up early, sweetie? The storm’s looking pretty bad.” Shaking my head, I respond “It’s alright, I’ll hold down the fort. Have a good day you guys.” I wave them off as they head out into the curtains of rain, just as they’re about to pull out I hear one of the worst sounds in the world; the ‘Southwind Snakes’ shit mobile. It’s the ugliest pick up truck I’ve ever seen, and of course it’s sitting front and center in the swamping parking lot. Josh and his goons enter the store and make a beeline straight for my counter. I groan, putting my headphones aside “How can I help you?” He puts one of his greasy hands on the counter “You can help me in more than one ways, doll” he smirks cockily, moving his one hand out to the side so one of his accomplices can five him. “If it doesn’t include helping you find something, or jamming a stick up your ass, then I can’t help you.” I blink blankly at him, his face turning into one of offense “Whatever, prude. Do you have the CD’s we ordered?” I roll my eyes, walking to the back wall, and bending over to grab a box from the lower shelf. All I hear is inappropriate giggles from the childish men, I frustratingly clench my teeth before walking back and handing him the box of CD’s. “Here you go. Need anything else?” He takes the box, “I could always use your number, if you’ll give it to me this time” he winks sloppily “Yeah, no. If you don’t need anything else from the store then have a good day.” He huffs loudly, exiting as his goons follow.

As I was returning to my work, I hear him yelling outside, “Jesus Christ, what now…” I run to the window, to see him berating a person who must’ve run into him. I usually don’t want to get involved in that douche’s antics, but when he starts hurting people verbally or physically I’m usually keen to stepping in. I walk outside in the frigid rain, by the time I get outside, Josh has already turned it from a verbal altercation into a physical one. “Get the hell out of here Josh, leave ‘em alone!” He seethes at me before hopping in his fuck truck. “Hate that fucking guy… are you okay?” I turn to the person, and offer them a hand. Through the thick sheets of rain I see the person look up at me, wearing what appears to be some sort of white facial covering. Looking down I see their hand, painted in some sort of black material snail into mine, obviously shaken by the situation. I help them up, “come on inside, I’ll get you warmed up.” They nod as I lead them into the store, the sudden warmth enveloping our now freezing and soaked skin. I wipe the rain off my face, “I’m sorry you got caught by Josh, he’s so damn rude all the time.” The person takes the cloak like garment off their shoulders, revealing a set of well toned shoulders. “You shouldn’t apologize for something that isn’t your fault, I should actually be thanking you.” He turns to me, I advert my eyes as best as I can, but it’s not helping that there’s now a shirtless man in my store, dripping with the aftermath of the storm. I get a decent look at his intricately beautiful yet grotesque mask, and catch myself before I end up staring for too long “I- uh I think we have some extra towels in the back, stay right here, I’ll be back!” He nods, giving me a comfortable smile, I quickly turn on my heel and head to the back.

Is there really towels in the back? Probably not, but I needed to get out of there before my face explodes from all the heat. But, lo and behold, the owners do keep some decently clean towels in the supply closet, so I grab one for each of us. I take one more heavy breath before heading back into the stores floor. Almost immediately as I enter, he asks “Is this you?” My brows hitch before I hand him a towel, “what do you mean?” His splotchy arm points toward a picture of me and the owners a few years back hosting a huge metal concert. It was like our states Coachella, or Sick New World. “Yeah that’s me, in all my… goth glory.” I giggle softly, I had done mine and the couples makeup in a goth style. “They love matching with me, and they always thought my makeup was ‘pretty’” I smile softly, his eyes gently weaving into my distracted appearance “I think you look ethereal” Blinking obliviously at how naturally he complimented me, “I’m sorry, what-?” He turns to me, still entirely topless “I’m sorry, that was inappropriate of me to l say wasn’t i-“ “No! No-“ i interrupt, flustered “Sorry- no, you’re fine! I’m just honestly not used to compliments…” he tilts his head “‘Not used to compliments’? Do you not get complimented often?” With hands on my hips, my cheeks puff slightly as I exhale “In this town? Not really.” He take a step forward “Well, maybe that’ll change…” his black painted mouth smirks cheekily, one of my brows raise in confusion “Me and my friends just moved into town, if they like you as much as I do, they’ll be all over you.”

I blink rapidly, obviously confused, my face heating with blush still trying to figure out what he means by ‘like me as much as he does’ and ‘all over me’. I stand still, overcome with confusion, he laughs brightly, stepping ever so closer “You’re very cute, I don’t know how people here don’t tell you more…” our faces become extremely close, all my senses disappear, the only thing being processed is the extreme volume of my hearts rapid beating. He leans in slowly- oh my god, it’s really happening. I only met him today, but I mean hey- *Honkk* we both snap out of our trance. He laughs softly “That must be them.” I back away, embarrassed “I’ll see you again, right?” I nod warmly “Good” he quickly kisses my cheek, my hands go numb at the surge of romantic energy coursing through my system. He pulls back smiling, some of the paint on his lips now transferred to my cheek, making him chuckle. He turns to leave, putting his cloak on when I speak, “(Y/N)…” his head turns slightly “I know you didn’t ask, but that’s my name…” I smile awkwardly, what if he didn’t know your name- “Beautiful…” he whispers under his breath “I’m Vessel.” He walks out to the parking lot, leaving me alone. I think I’m in love.