You come crawling back to me
But I’m already on the ground
And we all know that talk is cheap
So come on and save me now
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Summary: It started out as a one time ordeal. A one late night drunk mishap. III finds himself hopelessly in love with Vessel, who he’s trying to avoid.
pairing: Vessel x III
Warnings: light NSFW, Alcohol usage, third person (switches between III and Vessel), hurt/comfort, fluff, weed usage, mention of abusive relationships, idiots in love, miscommunication trope.
[[MORE]]The buzz zapped through his finger tips as Vessel crashed down to his knees. His heart slamming against his ribs as he pulled the IEM out of his ear. The crowd was going ballistic, chanting and clapping along with the shouts of another song. Sadly, something he couldn’t offer.
Standing, he clasped his hands together in a silent reverence to those who could attend, to support, to worship. As he stepped off of stage, the buzzing continued all the way to the bar on the corner street across from the hotel they were staying in.
II and IV had skipped out this time, saying that they were too tired. Which he didn’t blame them for a second, usually he was to. However, the entire ritual, Vessel felt III’s hands on him. He couldn’t help the string of arousal that had followed him throughout the set.
III sat beside him, already downing is fifth shot that night. Vessel watched him carefully as he swayed. “You’re going to fall out of your seat, mate.” Vessel laughed.
“Fuck off. I’m enjoying myself while I can before going back on the road.”
“I get it, but you need to relax. I don’t wanna carry you back to the hotel.”
Laughter, another drink, persistant buzzing. Then lips, hands, fingers, hair. It came to a blur that would phase in and out of clarity.
—
That was three weeks ago, III has been avoiding Vessel. Vessel felt disgusted himself; had he said or done something to make III act that way? Had he drinked more than he thought? Or rather did he not stop the bassist in time resulting in III having a silent resentment.
Vessel didn’t want to think about their last IV. Shaking his head, Vessel was hyperaware of his own reflection in the greenroom mirror. His unpainted skin staring back at him almost like a taunt. That he was human, that this mask he wore was just that a mask to shield who he was from everyone else.
Maybe, in another life he’d wore that mask 24/7, his human identity being his stage facade. How different would his life be? Or rather… how not different?
A knock came on his door, he turned towards it as II stepped inside.
“Hey, mate. What’s up?” Vessel asked.
“It’s III.” The way that II said that made Vessel freeze.
“What’s wrong?”
“We can’t find him anywhere.”
“What do you mean?” Vessel asked, bewildered.
“We can’t find him. We looked everywhere.”
Vessel was on his feet faster than he thought possible. His mind raced to all different avenues. Even the ones that made his skin crawl and his hair stand on end.
—
III couldn’t believe he was acting like this; why in the ever loving hell would he think it was okay to skip out on the venue to hotbox this shitty motel room? He silently wished that some sort of god would take him out. Maybe Sleep was real, this was some sort of punishment by their vessel.
III took another drag off his blunt, the earthy smell wafting through his nose with a loud, disruptive scent that would make the average person gag. Good thing he usually survived off of this shit.
The yellow painted walls mixed with the yellow lights made the room look like piss. He wondered if they’d even cleaned this room before giving it to him. Not like he was sleeping there in the first place. Pressing his forehead to his knee, his medium-length black hair cascaded around his leg as he took deep breaths.
Hands trailed down his waist, pulling him closer. The bed shifted underneath him as he came face-to-face with Vessel; a blistful, overcompassing feeling melted through his skin into his bones and heart.
III didn’t mean to fall in love with Vessel, but how he could not? The moment that the strange man in a black hoodie, constantly keeping his head down, almost like a lost dog trying to find his way back to his master. Or perhaps, trying to do his master’s binding. III fell hard and fast for that man. There he was now, hiding way in a motel like a scared cat.
—
Vessel’s heart slammed against his chest; III was nowhere in the venue. There was a part of him that began to let his most darkest thoughts take over. Did he head off somewhere and got jumped? Was he alive?
“Hey!” IV yelled grabbing his and II attention.
“Yes?” II answered for Vessel.
“Do you guys remember how I made you guys get Life360?” They froze. “Do you think III deleted it?”
“He probably forgot about it,” Vessel said already pullng out his phone.
“Why in the bloody hell are you making us get this?” III asked the shorter man as he collected their phones.
“Because, you never know when something might happen to where your phone dies. I’d rather be safe than sorry!” II let out a laugh as Vessel leaned against the couch a smirk playing on his lips.
“Ok, mum.” Vessel snickered causing a pillow to be thrown at his face. Vessel heard III’s laughter beside him. His unashamed snort that came from his throat made Vessel want to lean over and kiss him right then and there.
Vessel was never more grateful that IV had a instinct for danger. Vessel followed the tracker all the way towards as dingy looking motel. Why in the bloody hell would III be here?
Vessel stepped into the main lobby. The receptionist, who looked like she was about done with this job as she was with her life. “How may I help you?” She asked, though not really caring.
“I’m looking for my friend. He should be here. Tall with long black hair.”
“The one with the creepy mask. Yeah, he’s in room 32 on the other side of the building.”
“Thank you.” He nodded.
Vessel found the room shortly after, he glanced through the window wondering if he could see III and low and behold there he was sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed, a blunt hanging from his fingers with his forehead pressed against his knee.
Vessel took a breath before knocking once, then twice. It wasn’t until the fourth that the door opened. III’s tired blue eyes met his.
“Mate, what are you doing here?” Vessel asked.
—
III stared up at Vessel with a perplex expression. How in the world did he find him? He let go of the door allowing for the singer to come inside.
“Needed a smoke break.” He lied taking his original seat back onto the floor. III noticed how Vessel’s brows were set tight, that damned pitty look. III hated him.
“You did it at the most sketchy motel you could find?” Vessel closed the door trapping smoke inside.
“It was the only one that wasn’t over 200 bucks.” III watched Vessel took a seat beside him on the floor. “How did you find me?” III finally asked almost to quiet for his own ears.
“You never deleted Life360 off your phone.”
That wanker, IV. Why did he have to be so paranoid? Well, III supposed that he should be grateful for his motherly instincts.
“Forgot.”
“I was glad,” Vessel said. “We were worried we weren’t going to find you. Is everything alright?”
III groaned into his palm, snubbing the blunt in the ashtray. “No, everything is not bloody alright!”
“III.”
“I-I can’t with you, mate. The way you– ugh!” III began to feel his heart slam into his chest again. This wasn’t supposed to happen, this wasn’t suppossed to be this way!
He felt two large hands on his shoulders. Those skillful hands that made his world flip upside down the moment they touched his— no, stop thinking about it! III thought to himself.
“III, I can’t if you don’t talk to me. You’ve been dancing around me for weeks.” Vessel begged.
“I can’t.”
“Why? If it was something that I did to hurt you, please tell me.” Vessel’s voice cracked making III feel even more sorry. “I don’t want to lose you too.”
III spun around on his heels, his docs slamming against the decrepit floor boards as he clutched Vessel’s tee-shirt collar. “If you could stop me from fucking falling in love you, then do it!”
III felt as if acid had developed onto his mouth, souring his lips and making him want to gag. He wasn’t supposed to fall in love, not after last time. He was supposed to have a hook-up here and there, get famous, buy a night out once and a while and live out his dreams. Yet… there he was, living out his dreams with a man he so desperately wanted to be with. He hated how much he kept denying himself that.
—
Vessel stood there, his nails digging into his palms. Was he that so hard to love that his own bassist had to make such a disgusted expression? He opened his mouth, demand any answer as to what on god’s green earth could he have possibly done to deserve that type of reaction.
Instead, he quickly shut it as a wrecked sob broke from III’s lips. “Fuck, I’m sorry.” He began through thick tears that made his voice crack. “I-I’m stubborn, selfish enough, to think that I’d go through my life without falling in love with anyone. Here you come, tumbling into my life like an incessant flamingo with a bad leg.”
Vessel’s brows furrowed. Was that supposed to be an insult or a compliment? “III, I don’t know what to say.” Vessel said.
“There’s nothing you can say, I know that it was a mistake the moment I woke up. You don’t have to tell me that.”
“No, god, no!”
“What?” III asked.
Vessel’s hand latched around III’s arm pulling him into an all encompassing embrace. “I don’t ever want you to think that I regret that night. III, I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you. Sure, you’re rowdy and rough around the edges; aren’t we all? I know you’ve said that your previous bandmates have been not so kind to you because of it. But I found it endearing. You broke me out of my shell in ways I never thought would be possible. In some turn of events, I fell in love you too.”
“Ves,” III’s voice cracked. “I’m sorry for running and scaring you.”
“As long as you’re safe, that’s all I care about. But please, don’t ever run off like that again. Talk to me.” Vessel’s hands ran down III’s arms, clasping his hands.
Vessel watched carefully as III nodded. His eyes shut and his hair cascading down his face in a way that made him look gorgeous. Vessel unlatched his hands from III’s. Vessel held his face, his thumbs brushing against the apples of his cheeks before leaning up and kissing him. It was soft in a way that was a complete contrast to their night together three weeks ago.
~~NSFW CUT~~
Vessel felt III’s hands latch onto his waist, pulling him closer to him. His arms wrap around the taller man’s neck, tugging him down. “Ves.” He pulled back, their lips brushing just enough to classify it as not a kiss. “Can I fuck you?”
“Yes.” Vessel sounded desperate to his own ears. He was pushed down onto his back, the bed rocking against their added weight. “Please, tell me you checked the sheets.”
That made III laugh, “I did.”
Vessel found III’s lips once again, his hands trailing down the man’s waist as he felt his belt being tugged open, metal clinking together. Vessel heard it smack the floor somewhere in the room. His jeans came soon after.
Vessel gasped feel all of III; fuck was this what he was missing out on? Never hesitating again. His head lulled back, pleasure building up low in his gut as III’s grunts filled his ears.
Vessel’s eyes trailed over III, the yellow light shining down on him like a halo. His fingers trailed the man’s hair, tugging on it cause him to moan. Vessel took his chance, latching his mouth to III’s thick neck.
He felt III’s arms tighten as he braced the headboard allowing it to smack roughly against the wall. He didn’t care about the neighbours—if they had any—they would be gone before the morning.
Vessel back arched right as III hit his weak point. His head lulled allowing III to latch his mouth on his throat, claiming what was his. “There, right there!” He whined.
“I got you, baby.” III moaned. “You close? I can feel you tightening around me.”
“Yes!” He wanted to scream louder. He felt his toes curl as III shifted just right. Vessel squeezed his eyes shut feeling his climax hit; stars clouding his vision as III’s thrusts continued.
“God damn, you’re beautiful,” III moaned. “I’m close, give me a few minutes.”
“You’re good,” Vessel moaned, his hands trailing his shoulders. “Keep going.”
“I don’t want to come inside you. The show.”
“Fuck the show, do it.”
Vessel heard III let out a whimper burying his face in his neck allowing to let himself go.
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So I never actually interacted with other people, so ask us everything, honestly every type of question you guys want.
~M
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The sleep token lore is interesting 👁️👁️ I am intrigued at the idea of an ancient god
Answer
Hello…my friend.
Of Friends.
What is your world like?
I simply must know.
After the darkness has consumed all worth consuming…
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This network appears…inactive.
This vessel however…
Remains quite active.
I ask of those who inhabit these labyrinthine electrical connections and circuitry…
ARE WE CONNECTED?
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Just me or does anyone else would kill to take a bite of Vessel’s waist? Just me? Kay.
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Still keep seeing that Jacob Collier on my YouTube shorts and even though I know he’s not Vessel, something in my stomach screams a little doubt lol
British, skinny, tall, extremely unfathomably talented with music and instruments, similar face and lip shape, falsetto singing voice.
Hmmmmm.
