#why tf did I let this go past 3k words

[inkrabbit]

thinking about one thing and one thing only. there was only one bed x dewdrop x fem reader

AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES

You had always found the fire ghoul to be interesting. Sure, you loved the others, but there was something about Sodo you couldn’t quite put your finger on. He was different from Alpha and Ifrit, and he was different from Rain and Mist; so animated and full of life, interacting with fans and ghouls at every turn. But just when you thought you had him figured out, he would do something else to surprise you.

You had been sitting in the library today, scribbling down in your notebook as you pull translations and keynotes from the opened book in front of you. You only looked away when you heard someone clear their throat.

“Papa wants us to go into the next city,” Sodo had told you, arms crossed over his chest as his tail flicked behind him. “Guess he ran out of some incense and some other things.”

“Just you and me?” you asked him, brows furrowed. Papa had you doing tasks around the abbey lately, letting the other siblings go out here and there for errands he didn’t want to run on his own. Maybe it was just your turn.

“You comin’ or not?” So now, here you sat in the passenger seat of the beaten-up Oldsmobile, watching the town go by as Sodo drove. It was late in the evening, close to dusk, and death metal has been playing the whole ride, but he’s kept it to a low volume. High enough to hear, but low enough to where you two could actually talk.

You can’t help but occasionally glance over at him. This is one of the few times you’ve seen him not only unmasked, but in casual clothes and keeping up his human appearance. You knew it took energy to keep it up, but “if humans find out ghouls are real, all hell’s gonna break loose. And Papa doesn’t want that just yet.” Really, it felt like this was a special treat.

“What do you keep lookin’ at?” You’re sure his tail would’ve been flicking if he still had one, but you give him a smile anyway.

“You look nice.” And you mean it. His long hair has been pulled back into a ponytail, showing off more of his face, though the hood from his jacket had been drawn up, a leather jacket decorated with pins sitting atop that. This more metal look was a stark contrast to the uniform he normally wore when around the abbey.

Still, Sodo lets out an amused huff, the smallest smirk dancing across his lips. “Ya don’t look too bad yourself, sweetheart.”

“Why do you have two jackets, though? It’s a nice day out.”

“Fire ghoul.” And the way he says it is just so blunt and bored, like you should’ve known this. “It might be nice for you, but it’s cold to me.”

You suppose that made sense. The silence falls over you two again, save for the music still playing. Sodo’s phone is hooked up to the aux cord, resting on his thigh, and every now and then he’ll glance down to change the song. Even though it’s a reckless move, you’re almost surprised when you realize that it doesn’t exactly scare you. You feel safe with the ghoul, even if he’s speeding down the road.

The town you enter has an old feel to it, the brick buildings and old designs; different colors that somehow work so well together. It’s nice.

“You like it here?” Sodo asks, catching your attention.

“Yeah. It’s cute.” He glances around, shrugging a bit.

“It’s okay.” He looks down at his phone, exiting the music and bringing up the directions he originally had minimized. “Should be around here somewhere…” He clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth when he hastily looks around the area. “That’s it, we’re walking.”

He turns into the first parking lot he can find, some area that’s right beside an old, grungy-looking brick building.

“Can we even park here?” you ask him. He just laughs as he turns the car off and unplugs his phone.

“We’re about to find out.” You gather your things as he exits the car, surprised when he appears right beside you, opening the door and offering you his hand. You take a moment to look at it, almost confused when you don’t see his normally gray skin or those sharp, black nails.

“I’m not gonna bite,” he teases softly. “Unless you want me to.”

“Oh, shut up!” You take his hand, his hold on you gentle as he helps you out of the car. You hear it beep when he locks it, the two of you starting down the sidewalk. The stores loom over you, some being old Victorian houses that have been converted into shops. Sodo walks close beside you and you notice how he falters for a second.

“Forgot I don’t have my tail,” he mutters softly. “Was gonna smack you for fun…”

“You’re an ass!” But still, you laugh along with him. Instead of using his tail to annoy you, he’ll occasionally bump into you, sending you stumbling just that little bit. You only bump back into him with more vigor and you see his smile clear as day.

The walk down to the shop isn’t too bad, though it is quiet for the most part. Sodo is constantly checking his phone, making sure you two haven’t passed it. Really, you’re completely lost and you’re following the ghoul. It takes longer than you expected, the two of you having to go down about four blocks before you finally see the shop in the distance. The sun was finally starting to set, the clouds turning to a bright shade of pinks and purples. This part of town has fairy lights strung up all along the streets and wrapped around trees, bringing some life into it.

“It’s cute,” you comment softly, pointing to the lights hanging above. Sodo just lets out a soft grunt.

He holds the door open for you when you two finally get in front of your destination and the smell of burning incense hits you. It’s light and floral, but it was so such a drastic change from the fresh air you were just in. Still, it’s very good inside, albeit not the brightest. Little statues and trinkets sit on glass showcases, and incense burners line the walls. You hang back, deciding to look at everything while Sodo goes to the registers. You can hear him talking to the older woman behind the counter, and her voice is so soft and sweet. To your surprise, Sodo matches her energy, a smile on his face. How cute.

As the woman goes to the back, you peer into the ceramic bowls. Flat, polished rocks sit inside of them with runes decorating the front and outlined in gold paint. You don’t get to look much longer, hearing a bag rustling. The woman’s come back, smiling brightly as she hands it over to Sodo. You didn’t know a ghoul could be so gentle as you watch him take it from her. It’s so surreal watching him. You know he’s a ghoul. You know he’s a menace when he wants to be. But right now, he looks normal. He looks like a normal human being just picking up something from a cute little shop. Granted he still looks a little scary if you aren’t into his style getup, but his current personality is the complete opposite of what most would assume it would be.

You send the woman behind the counter a smile as you also thank her and, like last time, Sodo holds the door open for you again.

“You’re being such a gentleman,” you tease, grinning at him.

“Do you not like it?” He feigns worry, eyebrows raised. “I could always go back to the stomping, angry, sexual ghoul everyone knows and loves.”

You bark out a laugh. “Oh, stop! You know what I mean.”

You two start the walk back to the car, the plastic bag slung over Sodo’s shoulder. The wind’s starting to pick up as it gets later, your skin prickling with goosebumps as it passes through your thin shirt. Without even realizing it, you get just a little closer to the ghoul, his heat radiating off of him. You wonder if the woman could feel it when she gave him the bag and if she thought anything of it.

“Could you imagine if the car was gone?” Sodo jokes, shooting you a grin. You slap his arm.

“Stop! I don’t wanna be stuck out here!” As cute as the little town was, you were ready to go back home. Not to finish your notes, oh no, but just to relax in your bed and fall asleep. You had already been a little tired when Sodo had approached you in the library, and the drive that was supposed to take ten minutes ended up taking almost thirty with how you two had gotten lost a few times, the roads either too confusing to navigate or a turn having popped up out of nowhere when it seemed like the road kept going straight. You had already called Papa on Sodo’s behalf, telling him what had happened, and you were thankful you had caught him on a good day. He seemed understanding, saying he had done the same thing the first time he and one of his ghouls had taken a trip there.

You’re relieved to see the car still where you two had parked, especially when neither of you see a ticket on the windshield. Sodo opens the door for you before rounding the car and crawling into the driver’s seat, tossing the bag in the backseat. He’s tapping into the phone as he fumbles with the key, trying to slot it into the ignition without looking.

Your stomach drops when he gets it in and the car doesn’t respond when he turns it. With brows furrowed, he tries again and again. The dashboard lights up but it doesn’t turn over.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” He tries again in a futile attempt before letting out a growl. You notice how his skin is changing, just that little bit, turning back to gray. His nails, having originally been blunt and short, slowly blacken as sharp tips start to form. You reach out, setting a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, it’s okay.” It’s not. And there won’t be a point where it ever will be, but you see how some people are walking past you two. All it would take would be one little glance into the car.

To your surprise, it’s enough to bring him down and you notice how everything slowly fades back. His forehead is pressed against the steering wheel as he sighs.

“Fine.” He still sounds tired and defeated. “I’ll call Papa. I’ll call someone to come pick the car up. We can go find a hotel for the night.”

You cringe at the thought of not being able to go home, but you knew that no one from the abbey would know what was wrong with the damn thing. Even if they did, you doubt they would have the parts to fix it. So you make yourself comfortable in the passenger seat as you watch Sodo begrudgingly navigate his phone to call Papa.

The rest of everything is a blur, from the growl in Papa’s irritated voice to Sodo being short with the tow truck driver. You had mentally checked out on the way to the shop. It was dark by now, but you two had gotten lucky that the shop was still open and only a few blocks away from a hotel. Sodo had sat between you and the driver in the truck and you reveled in how much heat he was putting out. With the sun now gone, the temperature had dropped and it was enough to make you shiver.

Before you go into the shop, Sodo removes his leather jacket, draping it over your shoulders. You practically melt into it as you hold it close to you, smiling at him.

“Looks cute on you,” he tells you softly as you follow him inside. You hope he doesn’t notice how your face heats up.

You let him do all the talking to the man behind the counter, too tired to even muster up a genuine smile to be polite. From the sound of Sodo’s voice, he doesn’t care to be polite either, telling him to just fix the car in the morning and that you two would be back for it. You had zoned out for most of the conversation, eyes wandering about. It seemed clean and well-kept, tires of different brands hanging around. You only notice that everything’s been said and done when Sodo softly nudges your shoulder and leads you to the door.

“You fallin’ asleep on me, sweetheart?” he teases, a toothy grin on his face.

“I just wanna get to the hotel.” He wraps an arm around your shoulder, drawing you close to him. It’s only now that you realize that he’s shaking a bit himself. “Do you want your jacket back?”

“Hm? Nah, I’m fine.” But you notice how he’s not putting out as much heat as he once was. “C’mon. Let’s get to this stupid hotel.”

Honestly, you had always liked nighttime walks. Though it was advised everyone is inside by nightfall in the abbey, you loved the whole atmosphere of it. It felt so calming, and you felt safe with Sodo right beside you.

It’s warm inside the hotel when you both finally make it. Sodo’s skin is an odd shade, and you know his energy is quickly running out. You just barely catch a glimpse of the black starting to seep onto the base of his fingernails and he hides it by shoving his hands in his jacket’s pockets. Neither of you can find the strength to match the energy of the peppy receptionist, but she’s quick to find you two a room on the sixth floor. Sodo all but snatches the keycard from her hand, but he does manage to grunt out a “thanks” before following you to the elevators.

“I’m not gonna make it,” he groans, rubbing his face with his hands. His skin is getting darker and you notice how little points are starting to appear right by his hairline, in the same spot his horns would originally be in. He leans against the wall of the elevator when it opens and you’re quick to push the button on the other side.

“Just a little bit further,” you encourage him. “We’re almost there.”

He nods but he doesn’t respond. Everything about him looks weird and you can see the internal struggle he’s having of keeping up his appearance. You knew he was used to only keeping it up for a few hours at a time, not for this long.

By the time the doors reopen, he’s leaning against you and you have to be a rock for him. His movements are sloppy and you have to take the keycard from him to open the door. The second he steps through the threshold, he’s back in ghoul form as he flops down on the bed.

“There’s the Sodo I know and love,” you joke softly, shutting the door behind you and locking it. When you turn back around, you knit your brows together in confusion. The room is cute and very clean, sure, but there’s only one bed. And currently, the ghoul is laying sprawled out on it. “Hey. You notice anything like… wrong here?”

“Like my clothes aren’t off? You’re right.” His hands fumble with the zipper of his jacket. You walk over to him, smacking his arm with the card.

“No! Like there’s only one bed!” You turn on the nearby light, seeing his eyes narrow as his face scrunches up, his now pointed ears twitching.

“Like I give a shit!” he cries out. “I don’t even wanna be here! I’d rather be back in my own room, laying in my own bed.” He slips out of his jacket, tossing it to the floor. “Dumma jävla bil.”

“So we share a bed?”

“Yes, we share a bed! It’s not rocket science!”

You huff, crossing your arms. “You better stay on your own side.”

His voice becomes high-pitched as he mocks you, but he sits up to undo his shoes and kick them off. You turn your back as he strips down to his boxers, all of his clothes laying in a heap on the floor.

“Thanks for the privacy, sweetheart.” It’s like you can just hear the grin on his face. Still, you slide his thick jacket off of your shoulders, laying it on top of his clothes. You kick off your shoes before pulling back the comforter and crawling into bed. You lay on your side, back facing Sodo. You hear him click off the lamp, the darkness enveloping you two.

But it’s cold in the room and you find yourself slowly creeping back, feeling your body hit Sodo’s. He’s still giving off heat. Not as much as he was earlier, but it’s better than nothing.

“What happened to staying on my own side?” he tuts. You hear him shift as he rolls over, his arm wrapping around your waist to pull you against his chest.

“It’s cold,” you mutter softly. He lets out an amused huff, humming an affirmation. “Thank you, by the way. For your jacket.”

“Couldn’t have my favorite Sister freezing like that.” His voice rumbles as he presses a soft kiss to your shoulder.

“You getting soft on me, Sodo?”

“You finally noticed? Not like I was trying to get your attention all day.”

You roll over, barely able to make out his features in the dark. The only thing you can clearly make out are his amber eyes softly glowing as he stares back at you. You bring a hand up to rest it on his upper arm, your thumb gently stroking his skin. You feel his own slowly slide up your back, sending a shiver up your spine.

“Still cold?” His voice is barely above a whisper, the campfire scent radiating from him intoxicating. You can only muster a pathetic nod. “Use your words, Sister.”

“Yes.” His lips are on yours in a second, tail caressing your leg. His hand slides back down your back, pass the curve of your ass to the back of your thigh. He tugs your leg over his waist before he wraps his arm around you again, pressing you as close to him as he can get you.

“How about I make you real warm, sweetheart?”

Translation:

Dumma jävla bil - Stupid fucking car