whatitsdecending

[whatitsdecending]

Even in Arcadia (VIII)

Fem Reader & Sleep Token

A secret is discovered which could lead to further understanding of everything. Yet after a night of built-up tension, a new obstacle hits the group.

Content warning: smut lol

Word Count: 4k

“…do I wanna go there? yes, I do, I wanna do more than just bend the rules…”

—————————

You sat under the shade of the large oak trees with the book resting on your thighs as you read through a new section of it. This section uncovered secrets of Eden, ones you had known about for a long time since your parents let you explore them once you were old enough to. They had been different centuries ago, displaying artifacts and lots of regalia in relation to the gods, what you remembered were empty chambers that made a good place to read in silence.

The clashing of swords filtered in and out of your mind as the boys trained, following a series of sword exercises Vessel had you all rotate through. It was your time to be able to relax and read after already doing your training with Two earlier in the day. You chuckled at Three when Four knocked his ass into the grass and his loud complaints of wishing he was using his bow and arrow instead of a sword.

You returned your attention back to the book, finding the paragraph you had been on and continuing to read. The warm breeze danced through your hair and flipped the pages over by a few, making you sigh as it had made you lose your place. Just as you went to turn the pages back to the one you were on, something caught your eye on this new page. It was within the same section as the other uncovered secrets but it was something you never knew existed; a small lake that was underground and was entitled “Lake of Divinity.”

As you read more, you discovered it was under the mountain just behind Eden and found through a covered passageway on the eastern face of it. The lake had apparently been there before the gods had built the kingdom and was only discovered during an expedition of the mountain in search for gold.

The gods created the lake into something of use for them by using an ancient stone that provided them the ability to be transported into a realm that was between this world and theirs. Anyone with god-blessed blood was able to use the lake after providing their blood to the water.

You paused and closed the book. Then opened it and reread that passage, not able to believe if what you had read was really there. But it was. And it was a huge step in your way to understanding everything. If you could find that lake and get into it, you’d likely be able to contact your mother or any other god who may be willing to help you.

You stood up from the grass and ran over to the boys, interrupting their training the moment they saw you sprinting to them. “I found something!” You exclaimed once you reached them in the makeshift pit. They closed in around you as you opened the book and pointed to the lake.

“Lake of Divinity?” Vessel asked as he craned his neck to read.

“I have to find it.” You say, closing the book after they all finished reading. “It could help me with everything I need answers for.”

Three shifted on his feet. “Yeah, if it still works. What if they took that stone with them when they disappeared?”

You shook your head. “I’ll have to figure that out the hard way when I get there. In the meantime, we will need to return to Eden.”

“That’s likely a death trap.” Vessel said.

You waved the book around. “You forget we have this god-book don’t you?’’

“I’d rather we not have to use it for that reason.” He countered.

You sighed and glanced around at the others, all of them having a hesitant look on their faces. “Guys… this is huge. If it works then we can fully understand everything we’ve been reading about. I can finally understand myself and my own mother. I know you guys want answers just as badly as I do.” You paused, letting your words hang over their heads. “So please go back to Eden with me.”

“You know I’ll follow you anywhere.” Four said as he wrapped his arm around your waist and kissed your temple. You blushed as you waited for the others to respond, mostly just Vessel because the other two followed him no matter what.

He sighed. “Start packing and prepare to head back north.” You smiled and jumped forward to hug him. “We’re going to need to find some place that sells maps so we can avoid Arcadia and Carbine at all costs.” You nodded and thanked him a million times, knowing you would not survive in the wilderness without them.

It took the five of you to clean up your small camp, packing all of the belongings and saddling up the horses all but ten minutes. You hiked yourself onto Moondust’s back, beaming down at Four as you were proud of yourself for getting up there on your own. He chuckled at you and got on in one swift movement, looking back at you over his shoulder and wiggling his brows.

“You’ve been doing that for years, show off.” You huffed and he laughed, putting Moondust into a trot as she followed behind the other horses. You leaned back in the saddle, letting the sun warm the high points of your cheeks and relax your mind.

You put off a calm exterior for the others but on the inside you were a bit terrified. One, of Eden being chaos and you all being taken prisoner. And two, the lake not working. You would feel awful if you made them come with you, risk their lives and end up not being able to get the answers you so desperately sought.

————

The sun had set underneath clouds that threatened rain, wind picking up and being much cooler than before. You quickly removed the pack off Moondust’s saddle as Four got her settled in the stable outside of an inn. This one was much larger than that other one had been and offered more stable spaces for the horses, and more food.

Once she was all set, you followed Four inside the inn just as a few raindrops began to fall. The others waited for you at a table in the tavern on the first floor, food and drinks already served. You sat down in the empty seat beside Two, taking a swift chug from the glass and immediately making a face at the ale inside.

“It’s terrible but it’ll do its job.” Three said as he drank from his glass. You shrugged and began picking at the plate of lamb and mashed potatoes, putting the softer meat in your mouth as you silently judged the taste of it. Like Three said, terrible but it’ll do its job of keeping your stomach from grumbling loudly.

People danced around the tavern, laughing as they went around tables and other patrons clapped as they watched. You smiled as their joy filled the room and eventually joined in on the clapping, the ale already making itself known in your system and letting you loosen up a little. Three smirked and then clapped in the same beat as everyone else, whistling loudly as those who danced passed by the table you sat at.

You felt genuinely happy at that moment, something you haven’t been able to say for the last month. It was relieving to see people who are unaware of the struggles you faced bringing you joy, like it was just something they did for everyone around them in their life, stranger or not.

Another round of the ale was brought to the table which brought Three much excitement, as he downed the small amount left in his first glass and began drinking from the new one. You’d never seen these boys as relaxed as they were, especially Vessel. He was leaned into Three, his full body weight pushed against the other’s side as he kept an arm wrapped around his shoulders. You always had the sneaking suspicion that there was something going on between those two, based on the flirty glances and touches that lasted just a little longer than they did for anyone else.

You glanced at Four who sipped at his drink, his eyes on the couple in front of you as Three whispered into Vessel’s ear and caused a red flush to decorate his cheeks. Four turned to you now, raising his brow as the tension between the two of them became increasingly apparent and would need the sharpest of blades to cut through it.

Two noticed that as well and quickly pushed a key across the table to them, not saying a word as they took it and left the table without any other thought. You giggled under your breath as they left the tavern and practically ran to the stairs, chasing each other up them.

“Whew.” Two said once they disappeared from your view. “The sexual tension between them is insane.”

You nodded. “How long have they been together?”

“For a while now, it's hard for them though since Vessel was always Three’s superior officer. But any time we got sent out on a mission, they’d find a place to take care of it.” Two explained, eyes darting around the room as the dancing came to an end and everyone started conversations again.

Four’s hand rested on your leg. “Makes us always feel left out, right Two?”

The other glared at him. “Maybe you feel left out, I’d rather get an entire bed to myself tonight. Which reminds me.” He fished out another key from his pocket and handed it to you. “The woman was quite courteous about our accommodations. You two get your own room. And I get one big bed all to myself.” He leaned back with a smile of triumph on his face.

You stared at the key in your hand and then back at Two. “You don’t want to find someone here in the tavern?” You asked, gesturing to the many people around you, some of them even eyeballing the man beside you.

He shook his head. “It’s not my forté.”

“Oh. Well we’ll stay with you then for a bit.” You turned to Four who had been halfway out of his seat and glared at him.

Two laughed. “No, no. That’s alright, I’ll be going to bed here soon anyways.” He gestured for you to follow Four.

You still felt a tad bit guilty for leaving him as you stood from your seat. “Goodnight, Two.” He waved at you as you turned and left, going up the stairs after Four and to the room you were to share with him.

Your heart raced and admittedly it was because of that sexual tension that Vessel and Three shared. It reminded you of the same tension you had with Four and ever since the night of the attack in Arcadia, you wanted more than before. He held too much respect towards you that you knew he’d never take you in the way he wanted to around others like that. The only exception being the maze that was sitting abandoned due to the ball.

Four unlocked the door and opened it for you, motioning you inside. It was a simple room, a larger bed in the center of the wall and a wardrobe near the windowsill that overlooks the dark hills behind the village. You walked up to the window and leaned forward to get a good look at the view, noting the rain had turned into a soft drizzle and gently hit the glass panes.

The sound of his boots on the wooden floors approaching made you turn around slowly, your heart pounding at the look in his eyes. A hunger shone in them as he stood in front of you keeping a few inches between your bodies. He pushed back your hair and used that hand to trail along the fabric of your clothes until it rested on your lower back.

“We don’t have to do anything if you’re not comfortable with it.” His voice was low as his eyes glanced between yours and your lips. You stared into the beautiful blue of his eyes, putting a hand on his chest and feeling the strong beat of his heart beneath your palm.

“I’ve been wanting you more since the day you tasted me in the maze, Four.” You breathed, feeling his heart speed up at the mention of him between your thighs. “It wouldn’t be right if we didn't take advantage of being alone together.”

He smirked. “That’s all I needed to hear.” His lips came crashing down onto yours as he pushed you with his body against the edge of the windowsill. He knipped at your bottom lip and slipped his tongue into your mouth as you gasped, the smoothness of his tongue against yours was heavenly and you moaned at the feeling.

His hands reached for the back of your thighs and he hoisted you up onto the windowsill, never breaking the kiss as he pushed your legs open with his hand and pressing himself in between them. You groaned into his mouth as his hard cock provided the necessary pressure you needed for your aching heat, lightly grinding your hips against it.

Four pulled away from the kiss and ran his fingers through your hair, holding on to the strands in the back of your head and pulling down a bit. “Don’t do that.” His voice was rough as he panted.

“Why not?” You asked as you caught your breath.

“I haven’t even started pleasuring you, Y/N. Which means you can’t start trying with me just yet.” He said in a stern tone, a shiver going down your spine at the demand he gave you.

But you smirked. “You pleased me enough the first time, what if I just want to know what you feel like inside of me now?” His eyes flared with lust at your suggestion, his mind clearly running through all that he wanted to do to you in that very moment.

“This is the only time I’ll allow that.” He said as he worked on undoing your pants, pulling them off your legs and moving to his own. You watched as you unbuttoned your shirt, painstakingly slow and the same smirk on your face just to drive him mad. “God.” He whispered once you revealed your breasts to him, dancing your fingers over the delicate skin of them. You waited as he finished removing his clothes before you looked down, whistling at the size of his erection. Your eyes trailed every inch of his corded muscles that you’d only been able to see from a distance, basking in his naked beauty as he did with you.

He pulled your hips down until you were just barely on the windowsill, his hand keeping you steady as his other wrapped around the length of his cock and he stepped closer to you, kissing you gently. “Are you ready?” He asked as he ran the tip of it through your wet folds, making you jerk when it grazed over your clit.

“God, Four.” You groaned against his lips. “Just fuck me already.” You felt his lips turn up into a smirk as he did one last pass through your folds and then pushed his tip into you. You gasped as it slowly stretched your walls, your arms thrown around his shoulders in order to hold onto something as he went deeper.

He groaned as he bottomed out and began to slowly pull back before thrusting into you just as the tip was about to come out. You moaned as his pace picked up once you adjusted to his size, your fingers digging into his muscular back as his thrusts were hard enough to push you further onto the windowsill. Four buried his head into the nook of your neck and kissed the warm skin there, gently biting at it every so often in order to get you to moan more.

His hand snaked between your legs and began circling your clit with his thumb in time with his thrusts. You cried out at the added pleasure that built in your lower abdomen, digging your nails into his skin as the feeling of your orgasm became more intense the closer you got to it. You closed your eyes as you felt the edge and prepared to go off it, but then he stopped circling your clit and thrusting. You opened your eyes and groaned in disbelief as he grinned down at you.

“What was that for?” You panted heavily, the orgasm that had built up disappearing from the lack of stimulation. He remained inside you as he picked you up from the windowsill and walked over to the bed.

“Not yet, Princess.” His voice was husky as he used the title against you.

You pinched his back. “And when will that be?” He sat down on the bed, scooting back until he laid in the center and you remained on top of him. The constant movements made his cock that was buried deep within you rub along your walls, the feeling that had your breath hitching each time it happened.

“Whenever I’m ready to, which could be a while.” He says and winked at you. “So if you want to orgasm so bad you better get moving.” He motioned to your hips as he removed his hands from them, laying them behind his head with a look of admiration on his face.

You pinched the skin over his hip and put yourself into motion, rolling your hips back and forth as he closed his eyes. You continued the slow movements, listening to the deep groans that rumbled from his chest as you stared down at his face. You watched every single twitch of his face, listening to the ones that told you which motion was good to him. You repeated each one, picking up your pace as you placed your hands on his shins and leaned back for a better angle. He moaned loudly after you switched your positioning and you moved faster, letting the sounds of his pleasure flow through you and persuade your hips.

“Fuck.” He breathed, opening his eyes and putting his hand between your thighs to circle your clit again. You sighed at how quickly he stimulated the nerves between your legs, making it a little harder to focus on riding him. But you persevered, knowing he was likely close to his orgasm if he was stimulating you at this speed.

Your orgasm built up quickly as you felt his cock twitch inside of you, his breathing becoming even more labored as your moans echoed along the walls of the room. You came to that edge once again and grasped it tightly, crying out as your orgasm flooded your body and sent you into a euphoria. Four groaned right after as he found his, filling you up with his cum. You stopped moving and pushed more of your weight down on his legs as the waves of pleasure rolled through your body.

Four sat up and took your hands from their place on his legs and draped them over his shoulders, resting his hands on your waist as he stared into your eyes. You pushed his hair from his forehead as you sat in silence, your heart slowing down after your encounter.

“How was that?” He asked after a while.

“Hm, I’d say it was okay compared to past experiences.” You chuckled at his pained expression, kissing him gently. “I’m just joking, Four. It was perfect.”

He smiled. “I didn’t last as long as I thought I would. Whatever you were doing with your hips was witchcraft.” You laughed loudly at his defeat, kissing him again and again.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” You said. He smiled once more before glancing at the pillows and back at you.

“I think I need to go to sleep after that.” He sighed.

“Me too.” You yawned and removed yourself from his lap, sighing at the lost feeling of him inside of you.

“Oh, let me clean you up first.” He said and got off the bed, walking to the wardrobe and fishing for a small rag. He came back to where you now laid on the bed and wiped gently, cleaning all the fluids that accumulated on you and then himself. He gave you a kiss on the forehead once he finished, finding a place to put the rag as you tucked your body underneath the quilt. Four climbed into the bed next to you pulling your body flush against his, the warmth of his chest seeping into your back as he trailed his fingers along your stomach. You closed your eyes and sighed as he kissed the back of your head, content with how you ended your night.

————

You stood outside with Two and Four as they looked over the map that Two had purchased from a shop in town. They worked out a path for you to follow up to Eden, completely avoiding Carbine and Arcadia’s borders. You let them discuss it as you brushed Moondust’s mane, listening carefully to their concerns and suggestions.

“Well look who decided to join us.” Two’s voice distracted you from your task and you turned to see Vessel and Three walking up to the stables, a distinct limp in Vessel’s walk. You turned quickly as you tried not to laugh at the sight, they clearly had their fun last night.

“Are you going to be able to ride your horse today?” Four asked him as they joined you inside the stables. You watched as Vessel smacked his arm and went to put the saddle onto his horse Bean.

Three had a smirk on his face. “He did it enough last night. I think he’ll be alright.” Vessel turned to gape at his partner, his face reddening as the other winked at him. You let the boys fill each other in and get Vessel’s input, which wasn’t much since the plan they had curated was near perfect in his mind.

You all worked on preparing the horses and getting ready to leave, making sure you had everything and didn’t leave any traces behind. As you left the stables, you noticed a man putting up posters around the village. You pointed it out to Four and he brought Moondust over to the nearest one, snatching it off the wooden pole.

He stared at it for a while before his shoulders went rigid and he handed it back to you, putting Moondust in motion as he told the others to keep moving. You stared at the poster that had five drawings on it of all your faces under giant red letters that read: WANTED. Underneath the drawings were instructions to bring you all to Carbine alive and into the hands of the King, where a prize would be distributed to those who captured you.

Anger and fear flooded your veins. Anger for the fact that you were being considered a fugitive along with the others, only being brought into this mess because they saved you from Carbine twice now. And fear for the fact that these posters are being spread around, likely in many other villages that are along the way to Eden and such a large prize is being advertised. So anyone pleased by that idea of such a large amount of money being handed to them for capturing all of you had the opportunity to do so.

A pit developed in your stomach at the thought. You handed the poster to Vessel, letting him read it before passing it on. You all rode out of the village in silence, the only sound being the pounding steps of the horses hooves as they galloped away.

You were now fugitives on the run.

[whatitsdecending]

Even in Arcadia (VII)

Fem Reader & Sleep Token

Adjustments were necessary after the overwhelming truth became clear, continuing away from Arcadia and further into the continent to try and start finding the answers you desperately needed.

Content warning: Mental despair, mentions of death

Word Count: 5k

“…keep me alive, keep me believing, that now is the time to take it or leave it…”

—————————

You stared off at the dark forests around you. The moon was high in the sky and illuminated the path of trampled grass beneath the horse’s hooves. It had been a few hours since you left the cave and continued moving south through the continent. And ever since then, you’ve remained silent on Moondust’s back as she traversed across the landscape, following the other three horses as they moved in a small pack.

The others chatted throughout the journey, mostly discussing the plan they’ve been working on since you left Arcadia, but also quietly sharing their thoughts on what you found out.

It was a major shock to find that photo of your mother in the book. Especially when she was being titled the Goddess of Creation and wore the same pendant as you currently did.

You remembered the day she died all too clearly since it only happened a few years ago. She died giving birth to what would’ve been your first sibling, a baby boy who caused her to put too much stress on her body and pass away. The baby died only a few minutes after because of the cord that cut off his air.

At least, that’s all you’d been told.

If she truly was the Goddess of Creation, it was impossible to kill her and childbirth wouldn’t be an exception. She created life, it would be ironic if her very own creation of that would lead to her death.

It occurred to you how much had been kept from you as you grew up in Eden. Things your parents failed to tell you, mostly being your father’s doing. Would it have been a bad thing to tell you the truth of your upbringing and heritage? The fact that you’d be considered a demigod if they still ruled over your world and humans worshipped them the way they used to. Your list of questions grew an exponential amount as you sat here and you knew you’d need to find an answer before your mind exploded.

A gentle squeeze of your knee brought you out of your thoughts. “Hey.” Four said from in front of you, glancing back at you over his shoulder. “Are you getting hungry at all?” You shook your head as a response, hunger not really being anywhere near as important as any of the other things on your mind right now. “Well, we found a village and it seems like a pretty good sized one. I think we’re going to stop here if Two says it's all good.”

You looked over his broad shoulders at the village in the distance, the torch light illuminating Two’s silhouette as he rode into it. It was decently sized and there seemed to be some kind of place you could stay at for the night. Maybe longer.

After some time, Two came back and gave an all clear. You followed him into the village and stopped outside of the inn you’d seen from afar. The horses were put into stables on the side of the building and given enough food for the night. You followed them inside and were greeted by an older man behind a counter, a gentle smile on his face as he observed each of you.

“We’ve got bathing chambers for you all to use.” He said as grabbed three keys from the wall behind him. “But, only two rooms are available if that’s okay with you all.” You glanced at the others as they did the same, not really caring if you have to curl up with either of them just as long as you slept on something that wasn’t a cave floor.

“That’s alright.” Two said as he took the keys from his hand. “This key is for the bathing chamber?” The old man nodded as adjusted a small plant on the counter. “Thank you, sir.” Two went to the stairs at the side of the counter and made his way up, you followed behind after nodding your thanks to the man.

After getting to the third floor of the inn, he handed you the key to the bathing chamber and smiled. “I know how badly you want to bathe.”

You laughed. “Thanks.” His eyes lit up in surprise after you spoke for the first time in hours.

“We will work on splitting the rooms.” Three said as he took one of the keys out of Two’s hands. You nodded and slipped into the bathing chamber, sighing at the tub that sat in the middle and all the soap that was readily available next to it. You turned the faucet and let the water run until it was warm enough for you. You stripped free of the fabric of the once beautiful gown and sunk your body into the water, closing your eyes as the warmth of it embraced you.

You laid there for a moment and took deep breaths. You were exhausted from the journey you’ve been on and all you’ve discovered. There were so many options for soap that it took you a moment to decide which one to use, but you settled on the vanilla lavender one and quickly but efficiently scrubbed at your skin. Once you were satisfied with your clean body, you dipped your hair into the water and began scrubbing at your scalp and soaking the strands with soap.

You got out of the tub and almost squealed with joy when you noticed a soft, white robe hanging from the wall. There were many robes, so you knew you could get away with staying in this one for a while. You cleaned up your discarded clothes and left the chamber, walking down the hall to the sound of Three’s loud voice in one of the rooms. The door was cracked open, so you just let yourself in and noticed they were all in there.

“Whoever wants to bathe next can.” You said at the break in their conversation. “There’s these really nice robes and a lot of soaps to choose from.” Four smiled at you and glanced around at the others.

“I guess I’ll go.” He said, getting up from his seat at the desk in the room and walking up to you, taking the key from your hand. You watched him leave and disappear into the bathing chamber, then turned back to the others, who were also watching you.

“What?” You asked.

Three’s lips tilted up. “Nothing.”

“You can take the one room, Y/N. It has just one bed, we're all fine sharing these two beds here.” Captain Vessel said, giving you the key to the other room.

“Oh.” You said as you held the key. “Captain-”

He waved his hand. “I don’t think it's quite necessary to call me Captain anymore. Especially if I don’t have a kingdom to be the captain of.” You stared at the pain that reflected ever so slightly in his eyes. “Why don’t you go get some sleep. You need it. We’re right here if you need anything.” He put a hand on your shoulder and squeezed gently and you nodded.

You entered the room to the right of theirs. It was the same size and had a large bed in the center of the wall instead of two slightly smaller ones. A desk and wardrobe was on the opposite wall and a window that overlooked the stables. You closed the door behind you and found matches in a drawer of the wardrobe, striking them to create a flame and lighting the candles in the room.

After you finished lighting the last one, there was a light knock on the door. You went to the door, opening it just a crack in case it was someone you didn’t know, and then opened it fully when you realized it was just Four. “Hi.” He said with a smile.

“Hi.” You say, heart jumping at the sight of his wet hair that dripped onto the material of the robe.

“Just wanted to see if you needed anything before you went to sleep.” He offered.

You smiled at him. “I should be okay, I think.”

“Okay.” He turned towards the other room. “Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Goodnight, Four.” You watched as he walked the short distance to the other room, a part of you hating the fact that he was going to sleep in the other room and not share this bed with you. Well, that option didn’t exactly have the chance to happen as you went to bathe right away. “Wait.” He stopped just as his hand went to knock on that door. “Will you stay with me instead?” Relief flooded his features as he nodded and walked back to you.

You let him inside and closed the door behind him. He looked around at all the candles you had lit, then at you with a smug grin on his face. You rolled your eyes at him before sitting down on the bed. “I only lit so many because I didn’t want to sleep alone in the dark.”

His smugness disappeared quickly. “Oh. I’m sorry. If you don’t mind me asking, why?”

You shrugged. “I’d like to think it keeps my dreams at bay.” He nodded and sat down beside you on the bed. The two of you sat in silence, listening to the muffled conversation from the others in the room next to you.

“Do you think me being here will help as well?” He asked after a while.

“It has been so far.” You responded truthfully. The only time it didn’t was the first night you spent with them, when he had been taking the first watch and wasn’t exactly near you. Also when he was still just a stranger. You realized each time you slept alone you ended up with nightmares, the most terrifying being the one where your heart was ripped from your chest. “I think I’m going to try and sleep now.” You scooted yourself back onto the bed and tucked yourself into the sheets on the opposite side of the bed.

You laid on your side and stared at the window, where the breeze made the leaves of the tree outside dance around. You felt the mattress dip as Four got in next to you, his leg brushing against yours as he made himself comfortable. It was completely silent, the boys in the other room likely asleep now. Your hand rested on top of the pendant, the one you always thought of as a simple piece of peridot that had been a gift from your mother.

Turns out there was something so much more valuable and mysterious about it. What it was exactly you weren’t sure of yet, but you were going to make it your mission to understand everything about it. You needed to, because at this point you think it’ll drive you to insanity if you couldn’t.

A tear slipped from your eye as you thought about it more. Now that you were in a seemingly safe environment, the emotions of the last two days were starting to become more real. Your heart ached horribly. Did your father lie to you about anything else? Was your mother truly still alive and off with the other gods? You wondered why she had married your father if her true love was the God of Death. Why did she have a child with him rather than the other?

It seemed like your whole life had been a lie. You went through the misery of losing her, being bed ridden for a month because you couldn’t bear getting up and walking the halls she once had. She had been your best friend. And when you learned the news of her death, a huge part of you had died with her.

As you looked back on it now, you realized you had gone through all of that for no reason.

The tears flowed more freely now. You missed her so much and you’d give anything to be able to spend one last moment with her. You covered your mouth as the sobs overwhelmed you, trying not to wake Four as he slept beside you. You sniffed as you wiped at the wetness on your cheeks, eyes never straying from the leaves outside the window.

“Y/N?” Four whispered. You felt him roll over in bed and he put his hand on your arm. “What’s going on?”

You shook your head. “It’s all hitting me now.” Your voice barely audible as you cried while he soothingly rubbed his hand on your arm.

���Come here.” He whispered, tugging you lightly as he laid back down. You rolled over and pulled yourself into his open arm, curling up against his side and resting your palm on his covered chest. He held you tight as you wet the robe he wore with your tears, pushing your hair behind your ears every so often.

“I can’t believe that my mother is alive.” You eventually whispered. “And that she’s a goddess.”

It took him a little while to respond. “I’m not sure what to say about all this, Y/N. But I do know that we are going to find every single answer to the questions you have, whether it takes days or years, we will find them.” Your heart swelled and you took a deep breath, wrapping your arm over his chest and pulling yourself closer to him.

“Thank you.” He kissed the back of your head and rubbed your arm. The tears had ceased from falling and the exhaustion began setting in, your eyes growing heavy as you laid against Four’s chest and eventually was pulled into a deep sleep.

————

The old man that ran the inn was kind enough to provide a good breakfast that he made himself. The five of you had devoured the food, after not having anything that substantial in a little while. The man only laughed and smiled at you, seemingly finding entertainment at the fact you all ate like animals.

“You all should go visit my wife.” He said after taking the empty bowls and placing them back on the tray he used to bring them to you. “She owns the clothing shop, I’m sure you could use something new to wear and not the same clothes you came in.” You glanced around at each other, noting that these clothes were absolutely disgusting.

So, he sent you off to her shop. You admired the village as you all walked in the direction he sent you. People stopped and stared, children pointing at you as their parents scolded them for doing so. There was a market just down the road where many delicious smells wafted from, making your stomach rumble even though you had just eaten.

The village was lovely, somewhere you hoped you could enjoy for a little longer. You weren’t sure how the others felt about it, whether they deemed it safe or not. Based on the relaxed composure they all had, your mind leaned toward the second option.

After a while you came up to the clothing shop, a small place tucked between a bookstore and butcher. Vessel entered first and you followed with Four right behind you, glancing around at all the options inside. Your eyebrows scrunched as you took in all the clothing for men, but decided there must be another area with the women’s clothes.

A small lady came out from a room in the back, shuffling towards the group with a bright smile on her face. “Hello! Can I help you?” You smiled at her as she looked very excited that you were all in there.

“Your husband sent us here for clothes.” You say to her.

Her eyes sparkled at the mention of her husband. “Ah, yes. He’s always directing his customers over here for business.” She then eyed you and what you wore. “Unfortunately for you my dear, I don’t have anything as lovely or feminine as that.” You looked around at the available articles, sighing as this may just be your only choice for clothes. You’ve never worn anything outside of a dress, pants always seemed like something only men would wear. It would be strange to wear them, but you really had no other choice.

“I’ll try on some of your pants and shirts.” You say, looking back at the lady. She nodded and moved to grab you some items to try, while the boys sifted through them looking for their own sizes. You watched as she picked out some options, holding them up to you and giving an estimate on whether it’ll fit you or not. Once she had a decent selection, she waved for you to follow her to the room in the back where she handed you the clothes and instructed you to try them.

It was really, really strange putting on a pair of pants. You stared at yourself in the mirror once you got them on, marveled by the way they looked on your legs. The shirts were nice and comfortable, the buttons being a little annoying and just as bad as tying a corset. She also lended you a pair of boots she didn’t wear anymore since none of the ones in the shop would come close to fitting you.

You walked out of the room and the lady observed you, nodding to herself. “I’ll get you more in that size.” You smiled and headed back to the front where the others were, holding the clothes they had picked for themselves. Four turned the second he heard your footsteps, eyes going wide as he looked you over.

“I feel so weird.” You say, missing the feeling of a skirt flowing behind you while you walked.

“You look great, though.” Four said, immediately clearing his throat after Three chuckled. “I think pants are great on women.” You repressed a laugh at his flustered state, his cheeks reddening even more as he tried his hardest.

Vessel rolled his eyes. “Just stop embarrassing yourself, Four.” You bit your lower lip as Three laughed harder and Two started to as well. “We know you like her, you’re really bad at trying to keep it secretive.” This time you laughed, earning a confused brow raise from Four. “You’re bad at it too, Y/N.”

The lady came back and quickly interrupted the conversation. “Is this all for you?” She motioned to what the boys held and the clothes she handed you.

You nodded and she had you follow her to the back counter, where Vessel pulled that heavy necklace full of diamonds you had worn for the ball out of his satchel. “We were wondering if this will cover the clothes. If not, we can take some items off.” He said as he placed it in the woman’s hands. Her eyes sparkled at the necklace, weighing it in her hands as she seemingly determined its worth.

“This might be more than enough.” She said, glancing at you and then back at the glistening diamonds. “I should be able to trade this for coins. If not, I’ll have to hunt you all down and rip the clothes from your backs.” You looked over at Two who shared the same concerned expression as you, likely also thinking the same thing. This woman was a little crazy.

She wrapped everything for you and handed you baskets to carry them back to the inn, making Three promise he would bring them back once they were done being used. You left the shop and went back to the inn, once again feeling weird as you walked in the pants. It was something you’ll have to get used to, since it was all you had now.

“I think we should keep moving.” Vessel said once you entered the stables and began putting the extra clothes into the packs on the horses. “We don’t know what Carbine is doing, they might as well be looking for us and if we stay in one place for too long… who knows what might happen.” Your heart dropped, but you understood his standpoint. It made sense.

Three went off to return the baskets to the lady like he promised and you all prepped the horses to travel again. You checked the pack on Moondust a few times to make sure the book was still in there and no one had taken it out of it. Four watched your every movement, putting his hand on yours when you went to lift the flap again for the fifth time.

“You okay?” He asked.

You nodded. “That thing just makes me nervous, I don’t want it falling into the wrong hands.”

“It won’t.” He reassured you, brushing your hair out of your face. You sighed and leaned into the touch of his hand. “Can I kiss you?” Your heart leapt into your throat at his words.

“Please.” Was all you said before he leaned down and pressed his lips to yours, kissing you softly and holding you to him. You basked in his embrace and the softness of his lips against yours, something you think you could really get used to. He pulled away, eyes soft as he looked down at you. “You don’t need to ask to kiss me anymore.”

“Why?”

You gave him a look. “I don’t think it's exactly necessary.”

He returned the look. “Making sure you’re okay with anything I want to do to you is necessary.” Of course he had a good point.

You crossed your arms against your chest. “Whatever.” You huffed and turned to look for Three, who was jogging back to the stables. “Can you give me a lift up?” You asked, holding your arms out so he can easily lift you from the ground.

He picked you up by your waist and hoisted you onto Moondust. “You know, I’ve been thinking.” He said as he climbed onto the saddle in front of you, settling himself between your legs and grabbing her reigns.

“That’s never a good thing.” Three said from his horse, Toad.

You laughed as Four gave him the finger. “Anyways, like I was saying, I’ve been thinking that it might be a good idea for you to learn some combat.” Moondust moved into motion and you held onto his waist, letting the idea settle in your mind.

“Like, using a sword and stuff?” You asked.

Three snorted from beside you. “No, a frying pan and a butter knife. Of course using a sword!” He laughed at his own sarcasm.

“Well, combat happens to be the thing I’m the least familiar with.” You say.

“Oh we know.” Three responds, pulling his long hair out of his face and tying it behind his head. “It’ll give you the chance to see Four sweaty and shirtless more.” You blushed deeply as Four kicked at him. You left the village with more useless jokes from Three, who clearly was getting a bit bored with all the traveling you’ve been doing. You did not blame him, it did get quite boring riding on horseback for hours at a time. Which is why you wanted to stay in that village for as long as possible, but you trusted Vessel’s word and knew he was right.

So, you sat back in Moondust’s saddle as you talked with Three. The group was moving south, farther and farther away from your home and theirs. You weren’t too sure how they felt about it, if being so far away and not really being able to return right now was hard on them or not. It could also be something they’re used to as knights, especially if they seemed so accustomed to being on the road so often.

No matter how long it was going to take to find out what exactly everything meant and figuring out its purpose to you, you were sure it would be an interesting journey. And you don’t think there was a better group of people for you to be doing it with.

————

You panted as the sun baked your face, sweat trickling down every inch of your body and sticking your hair to your forehead. You stared up at the point of the blade in your face, inches from your nose as you laid on your back in the grass.

“Your feet weren’t planted enough, it was easy to flip you.” Vessel said as he sheathed his sword and held out his hand for you. “Enemies usually use that mistake as an opportunity to kill.” You nodded and fished your sword from the longer grass, fitting it comfortably back into the palm of your hand. “Remember to move like the wind.” You nodded again as you circled each other, awaiting for one to attack the other.

He lunged forward, swinging at your exposed stomach. You jumped back as the blade swept mere inches from the material of your shirt and countered the attack, bringing the sword down by his shoulder. The fight continued, back and forth attacks that never hit the target. You were quick compared to him, despite his movements being harder to dodge since his limbs were much longer than yours and you had to move further away from them, you were still able to dodge at a faster speed.

As you fought, you noticed an opening in his defense; he was keeping his legs too open, a mistake on his end. You smirked and pivoted your body, taking the blade up his own and swiping your leg below his, making him fall to the grass. You quickly stepped onto his chest, holding your blade to his nose just like he’d done to you before. He grinned from ear to ear as clapping erupted from the edge of the makeshift pit.

You sheathed your sword and helped Vessel to his feet as Four came up to you. He put his hands on the sides of your face and pulled you in for a kiss. “That was amazing.” He said, kissing you again and again.

“Vessel left his legs purposely unguarded for me.” You say, wiping the sweat from your forehead.

“I did not.” Vessel looked at you with offense written all over his face.

Four laughed. “He’s really good at doing that, it's his weakness.” Vessel gave him the finger and wandered off to the shade.

You beamed with pride at the fact that you were able to find his weak spot, something that some people have never found besides his own friends. It had been two weeks of this, ever since you agreed to let them teach you combat you’ve practiced everyday for hours. It was so hard at first because your upper body strength wasn’t the best and wielding a heavy sword was not easy. But it got easier as you progressed, your own strength increased with the skills you learned.

You jogged a mile with Two every morning and learned how to be stealthy. Learning that from a former assassin turned out to be quite simple, since you just began mocking his moves and then using them against him. He also showed you close-range combat, like using a dagger and how to properly throw a punch. He told you about the lessons he learned from being an assassin and how some came with consequences, showing you some of the nasty scars on his body. All this time you had no clue he had worked as one, but the way he fought suddenly made a lot of sense after he told you.

Three immediately jumped into making sure you could climb with ease, watching you climb up trees and making comments on how you should be a lot faster, unless you wanted your legs ripped off by some creature in a forest. You wondered how much of his free time he spent in a tree just based on how quickly he was able to climb one. Maybe he slept in one whenever Vessel angered him.

The sword handling was left to Vessel and Four, the two of them absolutely kicking your ass everyday. It was okay though. You knew it was part of the training and will make you better at it each time they knocked you to the ground, you learned quickly from your mistakes. Plus, the added knowledge of stealth from Two gave you a little bit of the upper hand at times since you were faster than them.

As you rotated through different aspects of combat, whoever wasn’t busy with you worked through the book. You made sure the book knew to trust the others because you trusted them, which resulted in it etching the number five on the spine instead of number one, you took that as an indication of its trust to the group. That eased their hesitation, especially after Three opened to a random page and didn’t end up dead on the ground.

You all worked through what you found in the book. So much background on the ancient history of Eden and how it actually was centuries older than you had once believed. Eden had been the place the gods flocked to and built their kingdom upon, the same castle you grew up in had once belonged to them. It was strange knowing that there was so much more to the history of your home than what you had grown to understand. But it warmed your heart, knowing the gods had created something so beautiful.

When you got the chance to read the book, you mostly spent your time focusing on the gods themselves, specifically your mother and her lover the God of Death. Their story was wonderful and you smiled each time you read through it, always finding new details you must’ve skipped over the last time you read it. Being able to read about your mother was comforting, especially now that you’ve finally come to accept that she is the Goddess of Creation.

Laying by the fire at night as you stared up at the stars above was when you thought about her the most. You wondered if she was looking down at you. If wherever she was, she had the ability to see you and all that’s been occurring in your life. You hoped she knew that you were becoming more aware of the truth, that you sought every little piece of it that you can find. And that you weren’t going to give up.

Even if it ends up killing you.

[whatitsdecending]

Even in Arcadia (VI)

Fem Reader & Sleep Token

Carbine has found you and is attacking Arcadia. Everything you hoped for seemed to go down the drain until a seemingly harmless thing saves all you worried for, leading to more questions to arise.

Content warning: Violence, deaths, feelings of distress and guilt

Word Count: 4k

“…coughing up blood in the twilight, everything looks the same…”

—————————

You stared down at the dead guard as Four ransacked his person for anything useful. Your feet felt frozen to the ground as you tried processing what was happening; Carbine had found you and was likely here to take you, leaving a path of death in their wake as they did only a week ago.

Four handed you a dagger and you stared at it, not knowing how to move your body at the moment. “Take it, Y/N. You need some sort of weapon.” You continued to stare at it until he became impatient and forced the dagger into your hand. “We need to get out of here. Are you going to be able to do that? Or do I need to carry you?” He was full of concern and a hint of fear was laced in his words as he held onto your shoulders.

Something in your chest moved. It felt like a pulling sensation, trying to bring you towards a specific direction. You stayed put wondering if it was just your body going into shock, but it happened again and it was more obvious this time. You looked around the gardens to see if you spotted anything that might be making you feel this, but there was absolutely nothing under the light of the moon. The wind blew around you, rustling your skirt and sending a chill down your spine. The wind seemed to whisper in your ear, giving you an answer to that pull you felt: your pendant and the book.

You broke out into a sprint towards your quarters, Four cursing under his breath as he began running after you. “Y/N!” He shouted after you as you ran, but his voice did nothing to stop you. The feeling in your chest became a steady sensation the closer you got to where the items were, almost sobbing in relief when you saw the stairs and door that led to the hallway your quarters were in.

“Y/N, stop!” You came to a halt as Captain Vessel’s voice echoed in your ears. You turned around, breathing heavily as they all came running to you from the Great Hall. Blood splattered their armor but it thankfully wasn’t theirs. “We must get you somewhere safe.” He said as he stopped near you, nodding to Four who looked angry.

“I tried telling her that, but she sprinted over here and I don’t know why.” Four said as he glared at you. The others looked at you for an explanation but the pull got worse, to the point where it started to hurt. So all you could do was shrug your shoulders and start running again. You went up the stairs, the sounds of all their footsteps clambering up behind you, and swung open the door, running in the direction of your quarters. It was quiet here and you hoped no guards from Carbine had made their way over in this direction just yet.

You found the door and turned the knob, crying out in frustration when you realized it was locked. Four gently pushed you out of his way as he pulled a key from a pocket beneath his armor and unlocked it for you, making you enter behind him as he drew his sword and slowly crept into the room. The door into the bed chamber was open and you pushed your way past him to get inside. You pulled open the drawer of the bedside table, sighing heavy relief when you realized the pendant was still there. You put it around your neck as you turned to the ottoman, noticing the book was still there where you had left it. That’s what had beckoned you this whole time.

You glanced at the dagger Four had given you and then at the large skirt of your gown. Knowing just how much more running you may be doing tonight, and as much as it pained you to do to Cara’s hard work, you cut the fluffy fabric of the skirt off until it was just the small slip of fabric below that was visible. You tossed the fabric onto the bed and grabbed the book before heading back to where he waited for you.

“That’s what you so desperately needed?” He asked when he saw what you held onto.

You shook your head. “I’ll explain later.” He rolled his eyes before walking ahead of you and out the door. You followed quickly, holding the book tightly to your chest so nothing happened to it. You closed the door behind you, turning to follow Four but stopping in your tracks. He and the others were being held by Carbine guards, a sword at each of their throats and a look of defeat on their faces.

“Hello, Princess.” The guard who held Four said, a sinister smile on his face as he saw your fear. “We have been expecting you in Carbine for some time now, but didn’t realize you decided to take a vacation in Arcadia.” He glanced over your shoulder forcing you to turn around, seeing more guards walking up the hallway behind you. You turned back to your own guard, your heart aching to see them in this position.

“Let them go.” You demanded, voice quivering from the fear you felt. “You can have me, but please let them go.”

“Y/N don’t-” Four began to say but was cut off by the guard pressing the edge of the blade against his neck more, blood welling up from the added pressure. Your heart stopped at the sight, you could not let anyone else die. Especially not them.

“What’s it going to be, Princess? If you willingly come with us, then they’ll live. But if we have to force you, then they die. And it doesn’t seem like you'd want their blood on your hands now, does it?” The guard taunted. You glanced behind you at the ones that approached, they were much closer now and running wouldn’t be a good option at all, especially when they would likely slit all of their throats if you tried. You turned back to face the others, looking at all of their faces as they awaited their fates.

A hand clasped onto your shoulder and pulled you back, taking you by surprise. “Let me go!” You cried, fighting to get the guard to remove his hand from your shoulder. But it was no use, he was much stronger than you and was able to hold tight as you wiggled yourself around. Another hand clasped your other shoulder and then your bicep, squeezing the muscle beneath in a painful manner. You inhaled sharply at the feeling, wishing you knew how to take a man three times your size down with ease. Well, you did know one way, but at the moment it wasn’t very doable.

More hands reached and grasped at you, pulling you further down the hall in the direction you did not want to go. You stared at Four, him being just as helpless as you were as the anger flared in his eyes while you were dragged away from him.

The book in your hand started to vibrate and so did the pendant around your neck. You closed your eyes, now was not the time for these things to start acting up. You felt the pendant pull at your neck, fixing itself into the hole of the book and making it come to life again. It suddenly became extremely hot, burning your hands and making you drop it on the floor. Everyone stopped moving, staring down at the book that remained on the floor.

Suddenly the guard that held Four shouted. “Get that book!” And in that moment, you didn’t care if it just burned your hands and if it terrified you. You acted before you could really think and punched the men who had the strongest hold on you in the places no man ever wanted to be hit, their grips released you and it sent them to the floor. You launched forward before any of the others could grab you again, shoving a smaller guard who went for the book out of your way and snatching it off the floor. The smaller guard got up and went in for the attack, raising his sword high over his head, leading you to put the book up as a defense against it.

That’s when the book opened on its own and a burst of green light shot out of it, hitting the guard and turning him into dust. You stared at the pile that had once been a human body, the metal of his armor and sword had become nothing as well. You raised your brow and looked at the book, which had closed itself again. The guards around you hesitated as they glanced around at one another, wondering if they had just witnessed what they did. Quite frankly, you were on the same page as them.

“SEIZE HER!” The guard holding Four bellowed the orders to the others, pulling back with the ones who held the rest of your guard. They hesitated even more after the orders and you laughed at them, confidence becoming clear as you held this book in your hands.

“Scared of a little book now, are we?” You taunted the men, shaking the book in your hands towards them and laughing as they simultaneously jumped back. “Oh we aren’t so brave now are we? Hm, I wonder what would happen if I turned to this page…” You held the book towards them as you flipped open to a new page, surprised by the vines that extended out of the book and wrapped themselves around the men, tightening against their necks as they fought to push the greenery from them. You watched as their faces turned blue from the lack of air, some of them already passing out while others kept fighting. Then, a loud crack echoed through the hall as the vines snapped the necks of every man they had a hold of, and slowly retreated back into the book before you closed it.

You turned to where your guards were held. “You’re a fucking witch.” The one holding Four spat.

You smiled. “I’ve been called worse. Now, you let them go or else you’ll face the same fate as your colleagues.” You glanced at the book. “Or possibly worse since I forgot the page number the vines came out of.” You practically smelled the fear that emulated from the guards as they continued to hesitate.

“You’re insane.” He said before throwing Four to the floor and the others receiving the same treatment. The guards started running down the hall, back to where they came from. But that wasn't enough for you.

“I’m curious now.” You let your voice carry through the hall, making sure it reached the guards that ran away. “Let’s see what this one does…” You opened to a new page and a ball of fire shot out, moving so fast the guards had no time to react as they lit up in flames and screamed. You watched as they individually fell to the floor as the fire charred every bit of them, killing them slowly.

You glanced down at your guards who watched in shock, but only Four had his eyes on you. They slowly got off the floor, walking to you and staring at the book in your hands. “So what is it that you wanted to explain about that thing?” He asked.

“That’s going to have to happen later, we should probably go.” You say, pulling your pendant from the hole and putting it around your neck.

“I’ve been trying to get you to do that-”

“Well, now we're going to do that.” You cut him off and motioned for one of them to lead the way. Captain Vessel took the front of the group and they all went into a formation around you, just like they did in the forest.

You made it back outside without being seen, following as they made their way to the stables, which thankfully were untouched. You kept an eye on your backs as they grabbed each of their horses, saddling them up and making sure their packs were on there nice and tight.

Four came up behind you and lifted you with ease onto the saddle of Moondust, climbing on after and setting the horse in motion along with the others. You put the book into the pack, not wanting it to fall out of your hands again and end up getting to the wrong person.

You watched over your shoulder as Arcadia slowly disappeared behind you, the castle becoming strangely silent now. You wondered if everyone inside was dead or if some managed to escape like you.

A sinking feeling of guilt opened in your stomach after the castle vanished from view. Hundreds of people could once again be dead, likely because of something that Carbine wants to do with you. How many would make that now? Well over a thousand lives that have been destroyed? So much blood is on your hands, and yet you’re the one who stays alive and manages to escape it.

You turned to face forward again and sighed as the wind whipped through your hair that had fallen out in your escape. Four reached his hand back and squeezed your thigh as a way to reassure you. You smiled and wrapped your arms around his waist so you could rest your head against his back.

————

The sun began to peek over the horizon as you waited with Four on top of Moondust as the others started to clear out a random cave you found on your journey. You were beyond exhausted and couldn’t wait to sleep, hoping you would be able to sleep normally.

None of you were quite sure where you were at the moment; some random mountainous region with lots of caves in the south. Two had a slight idea of where you were just because of the geography of the area, but to actually be able to pinpoint it on a map would be impossible to do.

The plan was to rest here for a few hours before heading further to the south, purposely avoiding Carbine in its entirety, and stopping at the first village you came across in order to get supplies. You also hoped that stopping for supplies also meant finding a place you could bathe in, but you had no idea what any of this would result in. You could end up being really dirty for the rest of your life for all you know.

Four got off Moondust and led her to the part of the cave the other horses were tied up in, tying her to the same lead as Two’s horse. He came up to you and motioned for you to drop down, arms wide as you hopped off the horse’s saddle. He held you tightly before setting you on the rocky ground gently. He stared into your eyes and pushed back your stray hairs behind your ears. You raised your brow at him, silently asking why he would do that in front of the others. His only response was a shrug.

“Y/N,” Three jogged over to you, a sly smile on his face after you turned to him and he took note of the grip Four had on you. “I’m taking the first watch so you can sleep on my bed roll.”

You nodded. “Thank you, Three.”

He glanced between the two of you. “If it makes you feel better, you can put it right next to Four’s and snuggle up with him. But if I hear anything that does not sound like sleeping-”

“Okay we get the point.” Four cut him off, reaching for the bed roll on Moondust. Three threw his hands up in defense, laughing at himself and your very flushed face.

“Goodnight guys.” He waved and walked to the mouth of the cave, sitting on a large rock and sharpening the pointed ends of his arrows.

You followed Four deeper into the cave where the others were already passed out. You found Three’s bed roll and sat down on it, taking off the heels that were killing your feet and chucking them to the side. You put your legs into the roll and laid down, watching as Four quietly set his own up and began removing his armor. You observed as each piece came off with ease and was set off to the side of his bed roll.

He laid down after his armor was completely off and he was just in the under clothing they had to wear. You weren’t “snuggled up” like Three suggested, rather a more comfortable distance from each other. Still within arms reach in case you felt the need to hold his hand as you fell asleep.

As your eyes started drifting closed, Four spoke. “Y/N?”

“Hmm?” You opened them and noticed him watching you.

“Are you going to be okay?” He asked, reaching his hand over to rest on your forearm.

You sighed. You knew what he was referring to, likely the fact that you single handedly killed over fifteen men earlier without ever laying a finger on them. Well, it was really the book that killed them but you initiated their deaths. You had thought about it on the ride here. Whether it was adrenaline keeping you from feeling guilty as hell for killing them or your heart telling you it’s what they deserved for the pain they’ve caused to you and others, you weren’t too sure yet. So you just glanced up at his gentle blue eyes and squeezed his hand with your free one. “I think I’ll be okay.”

————

A gentle shake of your shoulder woke you from your sleep. You rubbed at your eyes and saw Two was the one to wake you. You glanced around the cave, noting everyone else was up and getting their things put away in their packs.

“Good morning.” Two said as he held out a hand to help you sit up from the floor. “Well, more like the evening since the sun just set.” You groaned and stretched, your back aching after sleeping on the rocky floor. The bed roll was practically nothing against rock and you hoped the next place they wanted to set up camp was in some grass.

You rubbed the tiredness from your eyes and looked around the cave, everyone had come to sit around you besides Captain Vessel, who was keeping watch at the moment. You sighed, knowing it was time to start explaining everything. You had promised Four the night before as the attacks were happening. That promise must’ve extended to the others after the book basically came to life and saved your asses.

“Start whenever you're ready.” Four said in a gentle tone. You glanced at him, and then at the others who waited patiently for you to speak. So, you cleared your throat and started from the beginning with the first visit to the library. You explained every little detail about the second encounter since no one else was there to experience it with you, touching the pendant around your neck as you recalled the moment it levitated and stuck itself into the hole of the book. You pictured it so clearly in your mind, the detailed drawings and script of words in the book once it showed its true form. So much about your home that you didn’t know existed. You’d need to open it again in order to get more answers to all the questions you had, while hopefully not being burnt to a crisp in the process.

“So… you're magical?” Three asked the moment you finished your explanation.

You gaped at him. “Me? No, god no. I really need to find out why my pendant works with the book.”

“Sounds like magic to me.”

You shook your head. “I don’t know what it is, Three. I’m just as baffled as you guys are. I just… I just need answers as to why Eden is depicted in that thing.” A chill ran up your spine as you said that. You felt like something was watching you from behind but all that was there was the rocky cavern wall. You shivered and stood up, walking over to Moondust and the pack on her, feeling like you were pushed by an unseen force to grab the book from inside. You held it in your hands and stared at that hole as your pendant remained silent.

The others watched you carefully as you sat back down and placed the book in your lap, running a finger along the leather of the cover. You took a deep breath. “Here it goes.” You removed the pendant and placed it in the hole, watching as the book took the same form it did last night and in the library.

“Woah.” Three said as he leaned forward to get a better look at the transforming cover and spine. You opened the pages carefully, hoping you weren’t about to die in a gruesome way because the book decided it didn’t like you anymore. Nothing. Just the now decorated pages, this one specifically detailing the God of Death. He did not have a name, only the title. You stared at his drawing that was so incredibly detailed you could’ve sworn it was his face actually imprinted on the page.

“God of Death?” Two asked, now reading the page from over your shoulder. “I thought the Gods were all myths.”

“They likely still are.” Captain Vessel said from the mouth of the cave, gazing off over the valley below.

Four shook his head from beside you. “No Vessel, I don’t think they are.” His blue eyes were glued to the page that described the strange rise and fall of the God. He ruled over the humans with his lover, the Goddess of Creation, and they protected the humans fiercely. The humans adored them even though the God of Death should’ve been feared with the title he was given and the fact that he determined when and how they died.

The strangest part is that the Gods all somehow disappeared from the world. It was known in their myth that they were unable to be killed, so how do so many Gods just disappear like they did?

“The Goddess of Creation remained in the world in order to assist in the creation of more humans and to keep peace among them.” Two read out loud.

Four’s head perked up. “Maybe if we find out where she is we can get the answers you need Y/N.” He gently elbowed your side and you looked at him, a warm gleam in his eyes at the hope he had.

“I don’t know what the page to find her background is-” The sound of pages flipping cut you off as the book turned to the correct one on its own. You waited for the pages to settle as they flipped around for some time. The pendant warmed under your hand as the book finally turned to the pages on the Goddess of Creation. It was two full pages of words about her, no drawing on either of them. You started skimming through the paragraphs, the others doing the same from their own positions around you.

You turned to the next page, finding it to be covered in words again. The other page was short, and there was a drawing. You stared at it. And stared at it. Mostly, you stared at the familiar pendant that was around her neck. And then you stared at her face, her beautiful face and smile that was carried into her eyes as they seemed to shine even though it was on paper. Your own smile fell and a sinking feeling filled your heart. It was pain and despair that flooded your mind as you stared at the drawing, memories that came crashing in at the sight of that beautiful smile. The one you longed to see every morning when you woke up.

The same smile your mother had greeted you with everyday.

[whatitsdecending]

Even in Arcadia (V)

Fem Reader & Sleep Token

The night of the engagement ball had come, and with it came situations that were unexpected. Your life was about to change once again and you had no idea how.

Content warning: smut (hehe), crude language, slightly disturbing moments, small amount of violence

Word Count: 5.9k

“…well I thought I could resist you, but something in me just cannot help but insist…”

—————————

The days leading up to your engagement ball dragged by. You did the same thing everyday; watch the guards and knights train in the courtyard for a few hours, walk around the gardens with Two, go back to bathe and change for dinner, eat and converse, then go to sleep. It was so repetitive that you felt the days starting to blur together, constantly forgetting how soon the ball really was.

You watched with Two at your side as the finishing touches were done in the Great Hall, tables being set up for small snacks and pastries that will be available for anyone who gets hungry. Fresh bouquets of flowers were being prepared in different spots of the room, one extremely large bouquet in the center of the floor. You already knew the amount of dancing you were going to be doing tonight, one extravagant dance with the Prince to display your “love” for one another and then probably lots of dances with random men attending the ball.

Neither of those you looked forward to.

Your mind drifted off to think about the one thing that has kept you a little sane these last few days; Four. That night in the maze with him wasn’t exactly what you had expected and quite frankly, you really couldn’t complain about what happened. All you complained about was the fact his lips brushed yours and he left it at that. A part of you definitely died when he said he wouldn’t be able to be with you due to his duties to the kingdom, but you could tell it took everything in him to not throw that rule away and kiss you.

Watching them train was even harder now. You couldn’t help but keep your eyes on him the entire time, the way he moved so fluidly was fascinating. He wielded his sword like it was a feather and weighed nothing at all, swinging it at his opponent with a force that took you by surprise every time. Your fingers would twitch with the urge to touch the corded muscles of his back and shoulders each time they were turned to you. Even when he faced you, you had to bite down on your lip to keep yourself from gasping at the sight of him. It was so difficult to remain calm and collected in front of the staff that worked as you watched.

Although you’d been with a few men before in your life, they did not even begin to compare to Four. Those had just been boys that you snuck around with in the village whenever your father was too busy to keep a good eye on you. They really weren’t even relationships you experienced, only moments where you learned some new things.

A poke at your side scared you out of your thoughts and you turned to Two. “I’m sorry. You were spacing out so I needed to get your attention.” He said.

“Oh. It’s okay. What is it?” You turned and leaned your back against the railing of the balcony.

“I said it was time for you to return to your quarters and get ready for the ball.” He said with a light laugh.

You sighed. “That’s right.” Two nodded and you began heading back to your quarters. You both walked very slowly, he knew this was one of the last things you wanted to do so he went along with your procrastination. Although you were a little annoyed he wanted to bring you back to start getting ready.

Cara was already drawing your bath as you walked into the chambers, the smell of lavender wafting through the air. She smiled as you entered, letting you undress before helping you into the tub. You scrubbed at your body as she prepared all the necessary items that you have been required to wear for the ball. You only hoped you’d be able to sneak away at some point and come back in here to escape the ball. But, knowing how these things are, trying to get some peace and quiet as the bride-to-be is nearly impossible.

After almost scrubbing yourself raw, you got out of the tub and put the fluffy robe on, heading back into the bed chamber. You stopped in awe at the most beautiful ball gown you’d ever seen. It was a deep red with flowers that encircled the bodice, adding a beautiful depth to the top as they faded away on the skirt that was just plain. There was a black pair of gloves that would go up just above your elbows and heels that were also black.

“Wow.” You said as you touched the fabric with your fingers.

Cara smiled. “I made that for you.” You spun around quickly and glanced back at the dress.

“You are an amazing seamstress.” You walked up to her and held onto her hands. “I’d love to see any other pieces you’ve made sometime.”

“Of course.” She smiled again and then pulled you to the vanity where you sat in the chair and stared at yourself in the mirror. “I believe an updo would look the best with the dress, since it goes off your shoulders. For cosmetics, I’m not quite sure what we should do yet.”

She started brushing through your hair with her fingers. “We can figure it out once my hair is done.” You say and she nodded, pulling the thick strands of your hair up and putting them together in a beautiful bun on the back of your head. She purposely left some strands out from the bun, letting the natural curl of your hair add to the look.

“I have an idea.” She said and turned the chair for you to face her. You closed your eyes as she worked, taking her time to make sure it came out perfect.

It took some time but she eventually finished, letting you turn back around to see the look. She had added some shadow near your eyelashes to enhance your eyes and a deep red color on your lips that seemed to match your dress. You observed yourself, impressed by how beautiful you looked.

“It looks amazing, Cara. Thank you.” You said.

“I accidentally took a little more time than necessary, we need to get you dressed right now.” She rushed over to the dress and ushered you to remove the robe and to put on the garments under the gown. You stepped into the dress and she pulled it up around you, letting you stick your arms through the sleeves before she began tying the lace of the bodice. It fits you perfectly. She must’ve paid very close attention to your measurements this past week.

You slipped the heels on and then the gloves, happy they also fit you well. “I’ve been given instructions to put this on you.” She said after placing a heavy diamond necklace around your neck. You watched her in the mirror as she set a crown on top of your head, it was small but shined brightly with diamonds and a bright ruby in the center. “The King wanted you to wear it.”

You marveled at the crown. “It is lovely.”

“You look beautiful, dear.” She smiled at you. “You’re going to make an even more beautiful bride next week.”

From the look on her face you couldn’t bring yourself to be negative about it. Cara was too kind and seemed so genuine about everything for you. “Thank you, Cara. Thank you for all of this.” You motioned to the dress.

“Oh, this is nothing.” She waved her hand. “You must get going before you’re late to your own engagement ball.” She exclaimed, opening the door and motioning for you to leave. You sighed and took one last look at yourself before turning and leaving the bed chamber.

She smiled at you one last time as she opened the door to the hallway, letting you through before closing it behind you. You stared at the dark wood of the door, contemplating running back inside and not attending and just let everyone think you’re ill or something. But then all of her hard work would’ve been for nothing, and a big part of you did not want to let this gown go to waste.

“Wow.” You turned at the sound of his voice. Four eyed every inch of you, sending a chill down your spine that excited you. He was dressed in his armor, but did not wear his helmet. He looked so handsome and all you wanted was to grab him and spend time taking off every piece of metal you stared at. “You look… you look amazing Y/N.”

You blushed. “Thank you, Four.” He smiled and let you follow him to the Great Hall. “You’re not looking too bad yourself.” He turned and gave you a crooked grin that you laughed at.

As you came closer to the Great Hall, the louder and more real it became. The sound of music flowed through the halls, beautiful strings that usually made you feel alive, but now they only made you feel nauseous. You paused just before the conjunction of hallways that would lead to the doors. Four turned when he heard your footsteps come to a stop, looking at you with concerned eyes. “Are you alright?” He asked.

“I can’t do this.” You breathed, shaking your head as you started stepping backwards. Four glanced around for people before he took your hand and pulled you into a small closet at the end of the hall. Somehow he managed to get the entire skirt of the gown into it and closed the door without trouble. It was completely dark inside, but you could feel the coolness of his armor on the other side of your bodice.

“Y/N.” His voice was low as he said your name. You reached out for him in the dark, finding his hand that held the skirt of your gown so it could fit. “I’m one of the first people to be in line with you for being against you getting married. But, I’ve got to get you there. You can avoid the Prince as much as you want after you walk in together, but you have to do this.” His hand touched your cheek and he rubbed his thumb against the prominent bone there.

“I’m scared.” You whispered.

“I know. I’ll be with you the entire time. I promise.” He paused. “You know what, meet me in the courtyard at midnight. It’ll give you some time to breathe, okay?”

You nodded, before remembering he couldn’t see a damn thing in this closet. “Okay.” You respond. He patted your cheek before reaching to open the door just a crack, checking for anyone around before he left and pulled you back into the light. He didn’t say a word before walking off, letting you trail behind him as you collected yourself. When you turned the corner, you saw the doors to the Great Hall were closed and the Prince stood with his guard waiting.

At the sound of your approaching footsteps, he turned and stared at you. Well, more like he stared at your chest that was quite exposed with the cut of the bodice. “My fiancé has arrived.” He smirked at you, then eyed Four with a look of distaste.

“Hello Harry.” You greeted him, hiding your shaking hands in the material of the skirt.

He turned to the guard. “We’re ready, get these doors opened so I can find a drink.” You rolled your eyes as you stepped beside him, of course he wanted a drink. The large doors began to slowly open and the music became more upbeat as new instruments were introduced to the mix. People turned and clapped as a man announced the two of you. You could not make out a single word as the cheers were deafening. People shouted as you walked forward with Harry and all you could do was plaster a fake smile on your face.

Once you made it to the center of the room near the large bouquet of flowers, the music switched to a slower pace for a dance. Harry held out his hand, waiting for you to take it with a gentle smile on his face, one you knew was as fake as yours. You put your hand in his and the other holding the skirt of your dress as he whisked you around. The song was a waltz, a dance you knew like the back of your hand. So it was easy to not have to focus on your movements as much and just let your mind wander.

You looked around the room each time you passed around the bouquet, searching for the familiar faces that would relax you. You were shocked to find Three so fast, up on the balcony and leaning against the railing, an amused look on his face as he watched your dance. You’ll have to scold him for that look later. Captain Vessel stood in the crowd, a small smile on his face once you made eye contact with him. Two was near one of the doors that led outside, not paying attention to you but to those who walked around near him. Figures.

And Four was right where you had left him. He was at the edge of the crowd, watching as Harry carried you around the floor and held tightly onto your waist. His arms were crossed against his chest and his jaw ticked every time he came back into your line of sight. A warm feeling settled in your chest at his jealousy knowing he hated it just as much as you did.

Thankfully the song ended and so did your dance. You pretended to bask in the applause from the crowd and was quickly whisked away by someone else for a new dance. Harry stepped away, finding his way quickly to the glasses of wine that were available to drink and heading to the dais where his father sat. King Damocles watched as you danced with the stranger and half listened to whatever the man said. Harry leaned down and said something in his ear and you noticed the King’s knuckles go white as he squeezed the arms of the seat tightly. Part of you was curious as to what he was angry about, but another part of you told you to just ignore it.

You danced and danced, talking with those around you in between and working on building a good impression with those in attendance, usually people in the village who are more wealthy. It was easy, all you did was laugh and smile at jokes these aristocrats spewed even though they weren’t all that funny.

It had been two hours of nonstop dancing and conversation and you were already exhausted. You made your way to the dais to say hello to the King, who watched you closely as you approached. “What a lovely gown you have there dear.” He said as you bowed to him.

“Thank you. My maid Cara put it together for me.” You beamed at the pride you felt wearing her wonderful work.

He nodded and then pointed to the crown that was on your head. “I see she put my wife’s old crown on you as well, just like I asked her to.” You paused at the gesture from the King. It was beyond kind, but it wasn’t something that comforted you at all.

“It’s a beautiful crown. I’m sure your wife looked magnificent in it.” You responded, smiling softly as you tried not to pry the crown from your head and leave it on his throne.

His eyes became glossy. “She did indeed.” He then motioned to the empty seat beside him, where the Prince usually sat. “Please, take a seat. I’m sure you need a rest.” You smiled your thanks and sat down, sighing as the weight was taken off your feet and you leaned against the arm of the chair. You watched the flowing movement of attendees as they danced around the large bouquet, everyone seemed to be so in sync with each other it seemed like it was planned previously. You smiled though, finding it to be so beautiful.

It was a beauty within the dark depths of everything you’d been through in the last week. Strange how your life changed so drastically only a week ago, and now here you sat at your engagement ball with your future father-in-law beside you. Although he put you in a situation that you never wanted for yourself, you were extremely grateful for his hospitality and kindness. He treated you with so much respect that you had never really expected from a king outside of your own.

You reached for the comforting feel of your pendant but was reminded that it was tucked away safely in your quarters since Cara decided it would clash with the gown. You sighed, sinking back into the seat as you thought about your pendant. And that damned book.

That thing terrified you. And yet, it sat on top of the ottoman at the end of the bed untouched, nowhere near your pendant. The vibrating hasn’t occurred since the day you discovered the book in the library and every time you put the pendant around your neck you were nervous it would begin again. You weren’t sure why it was so quiet now. Why did it only happen in the library and not in your quarters? You wondered if there was something about the library that was the main attraction for both objects.

Did the library possess the true key to all your questions?

You tightened your lips into a thin line, knowing damn well you were still terrified by whatever it was that was in the library that has chased you out twice now. At this point, you’d need someone to come with you. Someone who was better at wielding a weapon than you. You were going to need to tell Four about everything.

Speaking of, you looked at the clock on the wall. It was only eleven and he had told you to meet him at midnight. You groaned internally at the thought of having to wait another hour before being able to escape outside with him. You wondered what he had planned, maybe just a walk around the gardens for fresh air after being in this stuffy room for so long.

Your eyes wandered around the room for the familiar knight, but he was nowhere to be found. You easily spotted the others in your guard, all of them keeping you in their line of sight as they also monitored the room of people around them. You sighed deeply as you started giving up on finding Four, who more than likely was somewhere you couldn’t see him.

You decided to go out to the courtyard at that moment, knowing if he had his eyes on you he would indeed follow. “I’m going out for some air, I’ll be back.” You say to the King and he nodded. You made your way off the dais and back into the crowd, scooting through the swarms of people as you moved towards the doors that lead outside.

The relief of stepping through the threshold of stuffy, hot air and into the cool, light breeze of the night was just what you needed. You took in a deep breath before heading down the steps that led to the courtyard. It was empty out here except for a small number of people who had stepped out to the balcony for air. You hummed to the now quiet sound of music from inside, swinging yourself around as your body felt the need to move with the notes.

“Dancing all by yourself?” You paused at the sound of his voice behind you. “Did your partners lose all of your interest?” You watched him approach, the light from the torches nearby gently illuminating his face.

You smiled. “I only grew bored because they couldn’t keep up with me.”

A smirk pulled at his lips. “Is that so?” You nodded as he stopped only a foot in front of you. “Well you deserve to dance with someone who’s capable of such things.” He put his hand out for you to take as a new song began to play, one that you knew well from past balls. It was another waltz, one that required those who danced to it to be swift.

You set your hand in his, stepping closer as you draped your arm behind his neck as his other hand rested on your waist. You began moving, feet carrying you forward as he moved back in a timely manner, matching each of your steps and not faltering once. The two of you moved as if you were part of the wind, taking light steps that carried you across the courtyard. You were sure you looked as magnificent as those you observed earlier, the flow of the dance coming so easily to you. Like it was built into your bones.

You stared into his eyes as you danced and he did the same, the bright blue of his irises glimmering with each pass you took near the torches along the walls. You probably said it to yourself every time you saw him, but god he was so beautiful. It was like you were staring at one of those old sculptures that were kept in the garden in Eden.

The song came to an end and so did your dance. You stayed in the place where the dance came to a halt, still holding each other and staring into the other’s eyes. Four rubbed his thumb along the back of your hand as you began to feel the urge to kiss him. Ever since he brushed his lips against yours, you longed for the chance to be able to seal that space between you. Even if it was a small, gentle kiss, you would take that over anything right now.

Your heart raced wildly within your chest as you thought about everything you wanted to do with Four. His hands were so large that they almost engulfed your own, leaving you wondering just how they might feel roaming around your skin…

You stepped back from him and took him by surprise. You put your hands behind your back and cocked your head, smiling at his confused expression. After a few seconds, you turned around and burst into a sprint towards the garden. You ran as fast as you could, knowing he was capable of catching up to you quickly. Each time you felt him closing in, you darted to the side and ran off in a new direction.

The maze came into view and you got an idea; him trying to find you in that thing, like he had done before. But this time you were going to be quiet and not give up the place that you were.

You entered and ran forward before cutting to the left, following that pathway until another option emerged. Once you got pretty far into the maze and didn’t hear his footsteps behind you anymore, you came to a stop in order to breathe comfortably. The bodice made breathing while exercising nearly impossible, it surprised you that you were able to make it as far as you did without fainting.

You leaned against the precisely trimmed bushes of the maze, taking in deep breaths as you listened for him. There was nothing, not even the light clink of his armor or sword. He followed you in, you were sure of that fact, where he went exactly? That was something that sent a strange thrill down your spine.

After you felt like being able to breathe again you took off, walking through the maze in an attempt to find the middle of it. You made it roughly ten feet before your mouth was covered by a hand and you were pushed up against the wall of the maze, a scream being muffled by the hand. You stared into Four’s eyes as he held you against the wall, his breath heavy and wild.

“Why did you run?” He asked, removing his hand from your mouth and placing it next to your head.

You shrugged. “It seemed fun and refreshing.” His brows raised under the light of the moon and you laughed. “C’mon, was it not exciting to chase me?”

The hand that kept you against the leafy wall tightened its grip slightly on your waist. “It was… I didn’t expect that scaring you the way I did would be so…”

“…Fulfilling?” You finished for him.

“Oh no.” He said with a slight edge to his voice. “I have not fulfilled anything that I want to do with you.” Butterflies fluttered in your stomach and moved down slowly, making you a little restless in your position.

You swallowed thickly. “And what are those things?”

He pushed back a loose strand of your hair. “The one thing that I always fantasize about is being able to lay you down and worship your body for as long as you can handle.” His fingers traced the edges of your jaw and down the side of your neck, a smirk on his face as you shivered under his touch.

“Why just fantasize?” You breathed.

“You know why.” He continued to torture you with his fingers as they drew circles just below your collarbone.

You inhaled sharply. “It doesn’t have to be that way.” He eyed you and shook his head, moving his hand back to your hair and pushing away more loose strands. “Four…”

“Hm?” He asked as he played with one of the curls in your hair.

“We can keep it a secret.” You whispered. “No one has to know if we danced together outside of the actual ball or if you kissed me in this maze.” Your breath hitched when his hand reached around the back of your neck, holding you more against his body than the wall now. You pressed your hand on his chest, almost sighing at the cool feeling of the armor beneath your palm. “Four…”

“Shh,” he whispered, eyes roaming your face. “I just want to look at you.” Your heart swelled at his words and you let him observe you. He looked over you as if you were a piece of art that was on a wall full of other pieces, and yet, you were the one he chose to come close to and admire. The hand he had on your waist moved to rest on your lower back, providing stability so you could lean against it.

You could see he was thinking about this situation and what he wanted. He was so deep in thought that his face seemed to contort as he sifted through every possible outcome he could imagine. So you let him, staying quiet so nothing you said could change his mind. You wanted him to make his choice for himself, your influence would be wrong here since his position would be on the line.

“Y/N?” He eventually whispered.

“Hmm?” You pushed the hair that had fallen onto his forehead out of the way.

“The whole “keeping it a secret” thing. How secretive are you talking?” Your heart began beating rapidly, a pit of hope opening in it as you realized what he was saying.

“Well… sneaking around with someone isn’t anything new to me.” You say. “My quarters are pretty private and we’ve also got this maze that no one uses…”

His face drifted a little closer to yours. “Mmhm. So what you’re saying is that we’re going to have to be very quiet when we’re alone together.” You chuckled at his interpretation.

One thought stopped you though. “We’re gonna have to be even more secretive once I’m married.”

He paused and drew himself back a bit. “That’s a marriage between two royal bloodlines that is only happening to save the Damocles line because Harry is such a piece of shit and cannot find a bride on his own.” His words took you back a bit and you blinked at him. “I’m sorry. That’s the truth and it angers me every time I think about it.”

You nodded and patted his cheek. “Thank you for the truth.”

He smiled softly. “That’s all I can offer you.” Before you can disagree he spoke again. “I think I can work with our little secret.”

“Yeah?” Your heart fluttered again in your chest.

“Yes.” He whispered, leaning closer to you. “Because fuck whatever may happen to me if we’re caught. I only care that you’re okay.” You took a deep breath at his words, knowing he meant every single one. “And if it ends up killing me? Then fuck it and let me welcome death.” He pulled the base of your hair down as he crashed his lips into yours, a moan grumbling in your throat at the feeling. His lips were so soft as they pressed into yours, the fantasies you had about them coming to light. He pushed you back into the wall again as the kiss progressed and became more passionate.

The hand he had on your lower back roamed over the round edge of your hip and down to the back of your thigh, gripping it tightly and holding it up against the side of his hip. The motion hiked the skirt of the gown up immensely and left not much fabric between where he pressed against you and your garments underneath.

His lips trailed from yours and down your neck, a gasp leaving your lips as he kissed over your pulse that hammered under your skin. His hand that was behind your neck grazed your sensitive breast, gripping it tightly after you reacted to his touch. He kissed along your neck and jawline while his hand kneaded your breast, rubbing your erect nipple and sending small waves of pleasure through you.

You wanted to touch him too but the armor was a barrier that you did not know how to get through. That was something out of your realm of knowledge, although if you had the right lighting you could probably figure it out.

The thought of being able to run your hands over the muscles of his back and chest drove you crazy as he pushed his lips onto yours again. He was driving you mad with the coolness of the armor pressed against your heat that ached so much it was becoming unbearable.

His hand that was on your breast started to trail down your body. “Is this okay?” He asked between kissing you, stopping his hand before it went any lower.

“Yes.” You breathed, giving him permission to continue going further down your body. His hand went below your skirt and between your bodies, pressing against the aching core of your body. You sighed at the feeling, your head falling back as he put more pressure onto it.

“Do you want this now?” His voice was almost guttural as he kept a tight grip on your thigh and kept you up on the wall behind you. Your mind was so clouded in thoughts of everything happening that you could barely think straight. You wanted Four more than anything at this moment, you wanted to feel him and understand his body as much as you understood your own.

You took a deep breath. “Yes. Please take me in this garden, Four.” He nodded, putting his knee to the ground below him and hiking your leg over his shoulder. You watched as he pressed kisses along the inner edge of your ankle, moving up slowly as his eyes remained fixated on your own. You closed your eyes and rested your head against the wall as his nose grazed over the sensitive skin of your inner thigh and his fingers brushed against the edge of the garment. He removed the fabric from where it rested against your hips and pulled the leg on his shoulder out of them, letting them hang on the other.

The cool air hit your exposed heat before Four pressed his mouth onto it, making you gasp at the sudden contact. He sucked on the bud that shot pleasure through your body as he slipped a finger inside you. Your hips bucked forward as he coordinated the movement of his tongue and finger, the two places in your body that determined your levels of pleasure being stimulated at the same time. You never experienced this before with past partners and you were enjoying it thoroughly.

You grinded your hips against his face, adding to the sensations flooding through you. It was enough to elicit light moans from you which made Four pick up his pace. That in combination with your own movements had the knot in your lower abdomen building up even faster. You groaned loudly, his name sounding dirty as it rolled off your tongue as you orgasmed. Your legs shook wildly as Four gently caressed them, letting you come down from the high you felt.

Once you caught your breath he stood up from the ground and kissed you again. “You taste so good, Y/N.” He whispered against your lips.

Before you could respond, the sound of glass breaking echoed over the garden and screaming erupted from the castle. Four pulled you to him, holding you tight as you both listened to the chaos ensuing from the castle. Shouts of demands were unclear due to your distance from them, but you slowly made sure to put your garment back on normally in case anyone decided to pay the maze a visit.

“We need to move.” Four said under his breath. “We’re sitting ducks here in this maze. I need to get you somewhere safe.” He started moving with a hand on your back guiding you forward, his sword drawn and ready in the other.

“You’ll be coming with me, right?” You ask, fear fighting to take over any other sense in your body.

He looked around at every intersection of the maze you came across. “It depends on what is going on. But most likely yes.” You sighed at that confirmation, hoping it would require him to come with you instead of going and putting his life on the line.

The end of the maze came into view and you both rushed for it, him making sure no one was around before you exited. The screams were louder now as you came around the side of the maze that faced the Great Hall. All the large windows had been shattered and from where you were, you could see some dead bodies already on the balcony. You felt sick. It was happening again, wasn’t it?

And your fears were confirmed after a guard came out of nowhere to attack you, Four managing to get the upper hand and killing him quickly before he could grab you. You stared at the insignia on the chest piece of his armor, nausea rolling through you at the familiar sight.

Carbine had infiltrated Arcadia.

[whatitsdecending]

Even in Arcadia (IV)

Fem Reader & Sleep Token

As more is revealed to you, the more dangerous it becomes for you in the castle, despite it all coming from your mind and not an actual outside source.

Content warning: Anxiety, sleep paralysis, panic attack, violent descriptions

Word Count: 4.1k

“…up on the dice, but low on the cards, I try not to talk about how it’s harder now…”

—————————

You stood on the main balcony of the castle that overlooked the courtyard and garden below. The guards and knights trained in the courtyard, the sounds of swords clashing together and men grunting overwhelmed the melody that the birds sang nearby. The only reason you stood here was because your personal guards had to be in this training, neither of them were able to skip it. Why? You weren’t too sure of the exact importance of it, but you heard some whispers from the staff that it was because the security for the engagement ball was going to be increased. That meant everyone who knew how to wield a sword was here, making sure they were as on top of their skills as possible for the ball.

So, you marveled at all the shirtless, sweaty men below. You watched your personal guards as they all devoured their opponents, knocking them down quickly and ducking out of the way of their attacks with a speed you couldn’t comprehend. Two was probably the fastest out of them, his height likely giving him that advantage as he ducked under two swords and attacked back with two daggers slicing at his opponents ankles.

You cringed at the thought of having the backs of your ankles sliced like that or even witnessing it happen to another person, but this was just practice. Two didn’t actually cut the man.

Across the courtyard, you watched Three as he practiced his archery at multiple targets that were set up around the space. He hit each of them directly in the bullseye, shooting each arrow so fast you could barely keep up with his movements.

Your eyes caught the glint of a sword swinging hard and fast, splintering the wooden shield held by his opponent. His body moved as he rotated out of the way of the opposing attack, using his body weight for momentum and knocking the other to the ground the moment he left his chest uncovered. Four pointed the sword down at the other, the tip of it only an inch above his heart.

The sword was replaced with his hand as he held it out to the other man, helping him up from the ground and giving him a pat on his back. You watched as Four walked closer to where you stood, his hair sticking to the sweat on his forehead as his chest glistened in the sun. He stopped at the water station, bending down under the nozzle and letting the water run into his mouth. You couldn’t help but watch, your fingers gripping the railing as water dripped from his chin. His eyes wandered over to yours and he wiped the water away with the back of his hand, a smirk playing on his face as he stared at you.

You turned away from his stare as quickly as you could, the flush of heat that overwhelmed your body becoming too much to handle. You found Three once again and watched him mess with Captain Vessel, playing with his sweaty hair as he tried to remain all serious.

It had been a few days since the library and bed chamber incident. You hadn’t spoken to Four about it yet, and quite frankly you haven’t exactly talked to him at all about anything since that night. You were embarrassed by what happened with the Prince. You were taken aback by Four’s unwarranted aggression towards him, attacking him before you ever told him to help you. And what he said before you had him leave? That’s probably what kept you from speaking to him the most.

“I don't have a choice.”

“Yes you do.”

You sighed and leaned against the railing, boredom slowly creeping into your body as their training started to get too repetitive for your liking. You looked around once more and caught Four’s very defined back muscles as he lifted a box of swords to one side of the courtyard, almost choking on the air around you at the sight.

Yeah you needed to go do something else.

You turned and headed inside, not caring to wait for one of your guards to come follow you wherever you ended up. Staff around the castle cleaned and polished the lovely marble features, some putting up decorations for the engagement ball that was in just a few days time. You sighed as you observed the golden ribbons that were being tied into bows around the many vases in the hallway. It was lovely, but the fact it was for your stupid engagement had you enraged by the sight of them.

You shook your head and continued off, away from the Great Hall where most of the decorating was taking place. You liked being able to walk around alone and not worrying about any awkward silence. Although, there was never awkward silence with Two and Three. Only recently had it become awkward between you and Four, that mostly being your fault.

You smacked your palm against your forehead. How stupid could you be? It was beyond any logic that having feelings for a knight would do you any good, especially as a princess of a kingdom that still only exists solely because you're alive. What good would falling for a knight do for that? You knew why this engagement had been arranged, to bring together the two kingdoms and so yours wouldn’t seem like such an outcast to the others. At least, that’s what you thought. There could be multiple other reasons why, but at the moment you didn’t want to know them.

And besides, the thing you feel towards Four could just be straight lust. The man was as handsome as a god. He was kind and cared about you, doing his best to make sure you adjust okay to these new circumstances.

Or, he could just be really good at his job.

And you’re dealing with a lot on your hands and need the escape he could offer.

You groaned at yourself and kept moving forward, your slow walk turning into a quick one and eventually a jog. You kept going wherever your feet decided to take you. Many people in the halls looked at you like you were crazy for jogging past them, some even reaching towards you and asking if you were alright. You just brushed them off and continued jogging, your breath heavy as you pushed your body to go longer than you normally could.

Once it became unbearable and your lungs screamed at you to stop, you slowed and finally came to a rest. You leaned against the nearest wall and took deep breaths, suddenly regretting your impulsive need to jog.

After you felt like you could breathe normally, you finally looked around where you ended up and gasped; the doors to the library were just next to you and opened, as if they beckoned for you to enter. Well, it wouldn’t be the dumbest thing you’ve done today.

The library felt much cooler than the rest of the castle as you walked inside. Everything looked exactly how it did the first night you went in here. You put your hand over the pendant around your neck, walking forward as you waited for it to start humming again. This time you walked down different aisles, reading titles on the shelves once again. But nothing. No hum, no intense vibrating, and no weird uneasy feeling.

You walked into the middle of the library where an open section with tables and chairs was. There was no sign that anybody had been in here recently, until your eyes landed on a book that was opened on the table furthest from you. You chuckled at the idea that someone may have gotten so bored by it that they just got up and left, not even bothering to put it back on its shelf.

You went up to it, eyeing the pages it was opened to. But they were blank. You turned to the next page, also blank. You skimmed through the entire book and there was absolutely nothing on any of the pages. It must’ve been someone’s brand new journal that they forgot down here.

That’s when the pendant began to vibrate. It was so intense that you could feel it in your bones and it felt like your whole body was shaking uncontrollably. You threw the journal down onto the table, it landed with a loud thud and the cover faced upward. There was not even a title or name that indicated who it might belong to, but there was a small hole in the middle of the cover. You hesitantly picked it back up, wanting to get a closer look at the hole, when the pendant started levitating from your chest towards it.

You were almost in a trance as the pendant pulled you closer to the book or journal, whatever it was considered. The pendant touched the hole and locked into it, fitting perfectly inside. You immediately went to unclip the pendant, letting the strings hang on the sides of the book.

Words suddenly began to form on the cover; The Mysteries of Eden and Its Gods. Your brows raised at the title, this was a book on Eden? Your Eden? You opened the book to the first page, where a very detailed map was. It was certainly an older map since the village wasn't as large as it had been, but it did depict your kingdom. This must be a map from when it was first established, around five hundred years or so ago.

You began to flip through the pages that were now covered in words and pictures. Everything about it was strange. There were detailed descriptions and even drawings of the gods you heard about in stories growing up. All this time you had thought of them as flukes and made up for childhood fables. But this? This book was telling you that there was a time when they were real. And since they’re gods, there is also the possibility that they’re still a real thing.

That feeling returned. The one that had caused you and Four to run out of the library. You turned to where you felt it coming from and strained your eyes to see if there was anything standing there and watching you. But all you could see were the bookshelves and candles that lit the area.

It grew more intense and your gut told you to run, so you began to move towards the library doors. You closed the book and pulled the pendant from the hole as you walked, not expecting the hiss that came from behind you after the pendant was out. That’s when you started running. This time, the sound of steps running after you were prevalent and you pushed your legs as fast as they could go. You wanted to scream, but you could not. Your mouth felt like it had been sewn shut, which made you panic even more.

The doors of the library appeared and you ran hard, getting through the threshold and immediately slamming the heavy doors shut. It was quiet after that, no more hissing or sounds of running that weren't your own. The only sound you could hear was your heavy breathing and heart beating in your chest.

Once you finally calmed down and were able to breathe, you started walking to the stairs that led to the part of the castle your quarters were in. Your mind raced the entire walk, a sort of numbing sensation filling your body as you moved through the halls. You gripped the book tightly in your hands, the strings of your pendant dangling from the small pocket in your dress skirt. It hummed only slightly this time, seeming to calm down once you had.

You sighed once the door of your quarters came into view and you saw Two standing outside it. He turned when he heard your footsteps, and his body seemed to relax at the sight of you.

“Hi, Two.” You smiled at him.

“Y/N where the hell have you been?” He said, his voice cracked ever so slightly.

You raised a brow. “I’ve just been wandering around and was in the library for a bit.”

He sighed. “You had us worried, you’ve been gone for hours.” He opened the door for you and followed you inside.

“I’m sorry,” you place the book down on the vanity in your bed chamber. “I just needed time alone.”

“We can’t allow that.”

You turned to him, rage building from his words. “And why is that?”

“They’re strict orders, Y/N. The King doesn’t want anything happening to you-”

“It sounds like he doesn’t fully trust people in this castle then.” You crossed your arms as Two shifted on his feet. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

He cleared his throat. “Yes. That’s why he has me working so closely with the guards and knights, to keep an ear out for anything that might reveal anyone who can’t be trusted.”

“And he thinks they’ll try to kill me?”

He nodded. “There’s a chance that Carbine has spies in the castle. And we have no idea why they wanted you in the first place, so it's best to keep you guarded at all times.” You nodded and turned around, gazing at the book that was on the vanity and touching the spot where the pendant sat in your pocket.

“I understand.” You say.

He gave you a sad smile. “I know it’s a lot Y/N, on top of everything else you’ve been dealing with. I’m sorry that it has to be this way.” You just nodded again. “I’ll be in the hallway if you need anything.” He gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze before leaving your quarters. You sighed and sat down on the bed. Had it truly been hours since you’d left their training session? The sun was close to the horizon now compared to it being directly overhead the last time you’d seen it. But it did not feel like it had been that long, maybe an hour or two, max.

You pulled the pendant from your pocket and stared at it in the palm of your hand. It was always just the beautiful necklace your mother had given you before she passed. You wore it every single day and not once did it vibrate the way it did earlier. She never said anything about it being able to unlock the contents of a seemingly blank book, especially one about gods and Eden.

There was a light knock on your door. “Princess?” Cara walked in. “Did you want to bathe and dress for dinner?” Your stomach didn’t even grumble at the thought of food, instead it made you feel nauseous. After the library ordeal, you would not be able to eat for a while.

“No, I’m not going to attend tonight. I’m not feeling too well.” You said, smiling at her.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you want any tea?” She offered.

You shook your head. “No, I think I’m just going to lay down and rest.”

She smiled. “Alright Princess, I’ll be around if you need anything.” You nodded your thanks and she left.

You put the pendant back on around your neck, sighing in relief that it was currently quiet and not causing your body to shake due to the nearness of the book. You laid back on the bed and put your hand over the pendant, playing with it as you closed your eyes and drifted to sleep.

~~~

You woke up to a cool breeze against your skin. Your windows were open and the wind blew through them, sending a chill through you as it brushed along your skin. You pulled the blankets up against you tightly, trying to make yourself warm and to fall back to sleep.

Suddenly, you felt as though you couldn’t breathe. Like something was on top of your chest and limiting the space your lungs had to fill with air. You opened your eyes, terror billowing through you as you stared into the eyes of some creature. It stood directly on your chest, pressing its weight into you as it watched you. A scream tried to escape your mouth but nothing came out. Panic was starting to set in and your bones wanted you to run, but you could not move.

The creature tilted its head at you like a cat, like it was listening to your struggle. It looked like those gargoyle statues that were on the parapets of your home, except it was much more terrifying as it looked down at you. You really wished you could move right now, you would take the candle holder off the nightstand and smack the creature with it. That would probably end in your death, but so would this.

Pain erupted in your chest as the creature's claws dug into your chest. You could not scream for anyone to come help you. Personally, you didn’t want to risk whoever was standing guard at your door to die trying to help you from this creature.

Its claws dug deeper and deeper, the feeling of your ribs cracking and breaking becoming unbearable. But all you could do was watch. Then, the creature ripped further into your chest and tore your heart straight from its rightful place. The pain you felt was nothing you’ve ever experienced. You watched as it held your heart in its hands, blood dripping back into the open cavity that it came from. You were going to die. There was no way you could survive this.

The creature then backed off of your body, jumping from your bed and heading over to the window, where it climbed out of it and flew off. Disappearing with your heart in its hand.

You laid there as death came. Your vision going dark and breathing slowing down, the air hitting the open cavity was almost painful, but you couldn’t focus on that. You were about to die.

~~~

You woke up with a start. Your eyes shot to the window that was closed as it had been before you fell asleep. It was now dark outside and you could barely see your surroundings, needing your eyes to adjust to the darkness. Your hands flew to your chest and you sighed heavily when you realized that it was indeed still intact. That relief was short lived, as the panic you felt still overwhelmed you and your chest still felt heavy.

The blankets were off you in seconds as you ran out of the room, to the door of your quarters and swung them open. You didn’t stop to see who was on guard, you just ran as quickly as you could to the door that led to the courtyard.

Once you made it outside you kept running, trying to gulp in the fresh air as much as you could. Tears had started streaming down your face at some point, likely when you woke up, but everything was such a blur at the moment you could not pinpoint when anything happened.

Your legs carried you out of the courtyard and into the garden, where a large maze made out of bushes resided. You ran into it and took random turns, trying to find a place good enough for you to cry in. The maze was huge and very easy to get lost in, but there was a middle part that had a lovely fountain. That’s where you needed to go.

You sighed in relief when you spotted the archway that leads to that middle section, seeing the fountain and ran for it. Just as you were about to enter the area, you ran into something, or someone, hard. The scream you’d been holding back escaped you loudly, echoing through the maze and garden around you. Strong hands gripped you tightly, one of them reaching up and covering your mouth to silence your scream.

“God, Y/N.” Four said. You looked up at him with eyes clouded in tears and his face was fuzzy from them. “What the hell is going on? I just chased after you from your quarters.” Of course he was the one on guard.

You couldn’t bring yourself to speak, you only shook your head and looked down at your arms that shook violently. He rested his hand against your cheek, wiping the tears away with his thumb and pulling your head up to face him.

“Did you have another dream?” He asked gently. You nodded. He pulled you close to him and wrapped his arms around you, placing his chin on your head as you listened to the strong beat of his heart. “Do you want to talk about it?”

You shook your head. “Not yet.” Your voice was so weak the words were barely audible, but he nodded his understanding.

After standing in his arms for a moment, you pulled back and looked up at him. His eyes were soft with worry as he pushed your hair behind your ear. At that moment, all you wanted to do was press your lips to his. “Four?” You whispered.

“Yes?” He whispered back.

You took a deep breath. “Would you kiss me?” His eyes lit up with surprise and you noticed them glance down at your lips. Your heart beat wildly in your chest as he began to lower his head down to yours. The hand that held onto your lower back pushed you closer to his body, the closer contact than just a hug caused your breathing to become rapid.

His breath crossed your lips as he closed his eyes and you did the same. The feeling of his nose gently touching yours as he angled his head to kiss you made the anticipation even worse.

His lips brushed against yours and your breathing hitched, but he didn’t move any further. Instead, he pulled back. You opened your eyes to see his face, twisted in regret. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I-I can’t do this.” He said.

Your heart dropped. “Why?” You reached your hand out for his face, cupping it gently as you searched his eyes for an answer.

“It’s highly forbidden for a knight to be with anyone of any royal title.” His voice was strained as he spoke. “Even me holding you was crossing the line.”

You shook your head. “No one can see us, Four.” You placed your other hand on his chest, just above his heart that still beat steadily. “I wanted to be kissed by you.”

“I know.” He said. “I’m sorry.”

“Is it because of the engagement, too?”

He shook his head. “No. I’d beat that man into a pulp if it meant I could hold you the way I want to. It’s only because of my position.” Your heart ached. He seemed to want you as much as you did, and it did not seem like the lust you were worried about earlier.

So all you did was nod in response, letting the feeling of his hand on your lower back ground you. “I didn’t mean to catch feelings for you.”

He paused from pushing your hair behind your other ear but then slowly continued. “I’m not.” You looked up at him and at the sincerity in his eyes. “I may not be able to show it, but it makes me feel a lot better that you’re aware.”

“It’s going to make getting married a lot harder.” You whispered.

He gave you a small smile. “It’ll be okay, Y/N. I’m not leaving your side any time soon.”

“Yeah but you’re also not kissing me any time soon so there’s that.” You muttered. He chuckled at your frustration and brushed your cheekbone with his thumb. “You’re making it worse when you do that, by the way.”

“I’ll stop.”

“Mmm, I’d rather you not. It’s comforting in a sense.”

“But it’s making things worse?” He laughed.

You rolled your eyes. “Just keep doing it.” He laughed again and pulled you to his chest once more. You breathed in his scent, letting it block out every thought that raced in your mind.

Tonight was terrifying. You never experienced a dream as horrific as that, the one where you were being pulled into a lake wasn’t even as bad as this one. You didn’t know if you’d be able to talk to Four about it. He might find you crazy for seeing that.

You wondered if it had anything to do with the book you found. The coincidence would be astonishing, and a part of you felt as though it was what caused your dream. The pendant hummed slightly and then stopped, as if it was giving you the answer to your question.

[whatitsdecending]

Even in Arcadia (III)

Fem Reader & Sleep Token

Settling in as much as you can into this new place that you have to call home is hard enough, until something strange occurs and new fears start to fall in place.

Content warning: Crude language, violence against women, intentions of SA

Word Count: 3.6k

“…and I don’t even know who I used to be, but nothing is the same and some things have to change now…”

—————————

You sat in the now cold water of the bath that was drawn for you, staring at the string of soap that you dragged around in the water. It had been hot when you got in, the chamber had even been full of steam after your maid Cara drew the bath for you. You’re not sure how long you’ve been in this water, your mind has been stuck on everything that’s happened.

It didn’t make you cry anymore thinking about all the death and destruction you faced just a few days ago. Your body had completely run dry of the ability of shedding even a single tear. Now you just felt numb. It felt like your heart no longer beat in your chest, all you felt was the emptiness inside where it once was.

You weren’t sure how long this feeling would last. It could go away tomorrow for all you knew, or it may never leave and you’ll feel empty until the day you die.

You closed your eyes. That could’ve been a few days ago…

So why were you alive? You, out of anyone in your kingdom? If they really wanted answers to anything your father would still be alive. But no, they didn’t even hesitate with him. So you really questioned exactly why King Langley gave the directions to not kill you. No possibility that crossed your mind was important enough to kill off an entire kingdom just to get to you. None of them. So why?

You sighed and opened your eyes again. The only way you’d be able to find that out involved going to Carbine and asking the King himself… if you wanted to most likely be kidnapped and tortured by his men. You wished with every bone in your body at that very moment that you were well versed in combat, that you’d grown up attending the classes that all the knights had. Learning how to equip a sword and use it without hurting yourself. Only because the thought of slicing through King Langley’s neck and watching his head topple off it seemed to relax you.

A knock on the door startled you from your thoughts. “Princess?” Cara’s sweet voice called from the other side. “Are you done? The King wants you to join them for dinner.”

You sighed deeply. “Yes I’m done, I’ll be right out to dress.” You lifted yourself from the cold water and stepped over the tub, grabbing the fluffy robe that sat on the stool beside it and wrapping it around you. Your fingers had become pruned and you shivered as you walked to the door that led into the bed chamber. You were very grateful that these quarters were as private as they were, having your own balcony and bathing chamber was not a common thing in castles for guests. It reminded you of your own room, except a little more muted in color.

“You were in there for a while.” Cara said as she carried an armful of dresses. “Are you alright?”

You sat on the stool in front of the vanity. “Yes, I just needed time to be alone.” She nodded and gave you a sad smile before holding out dresses for you to choose from. It was only a dinner and you didn’t care to wear anything extravagant, since they did see you when you were covered in dirt and blood and smelled awful. So you chose the simple jade colored dress that had lace sleeves. It was beautiful, definitely something you will be wearing again around the castle.

Cara helped you get dressed, altering some pieces of the dress that were too big and didn’t hug your body the way it should. You watched in the standing mirror as she worked, taking in the sight of your tired eyes and sighing. She glanced up and you made eye contact, another small and sad smile pulled at her lips.

“How would you like your hair?” She asked after she finished cuffing the sleeves so they landed at your wrists.

You looked at the hot mess of your hair. “Any braid of your choice would be fine.” She nodded and began working with the long strands of your hair, braiding a crown around your head and letting the rest of it lay against your back. You observed the intricate braid and nodded in approval. “It’s beautiful.”

“I’m happy you like it, Princess.” She smiled softly. “Did you want any cosmetics on your face?” You nodded and she got a little more excited, happily grabbing some blush and a light pink lipstick from the vanity. “I’ll keep it simple.”

“Perfect.” You said as she applied the cosmetics to your cheeks and lips. There was a knock on the door to the bed chamber. “Come in.” The door opened and Three stepped in, giving Cara a small wave.

“I’m here to escort you to dinner.” He said.

“Alright.” You say, slipping on the shoes Cara had found in the wardrobe. You walked to the door with Three behind you, letting him get the door that led back into the hallway. The two of you left your quarters and walked briefly in silence.

He nudged your side. “How are you doing?” You glanced up at the tall man, his bright blue eyes sparkling with worry.

“I’m alright, I feel a little more like myself.” You pointed at the dress and gave him a small smile.

He nodded. “It is a pretty dress. The Prince will like it.” You now glared at your companion and nudged him this time. “What? I can’t acknowledge your engagement?”

“No. Not the arranged one that I don’t want any part of.” You replied. He remained silent for a while, the only sounds being the noise of your shoes on the rug below you. This castle was quiet, you were so used to it being busy and loud at almost every hour of the day. You weren’t sure how to feel about the quietness, it made you feel a little uneasy at times. It felt as if the castle had no life to it, and despite the beauty of it all, it all felt so empty.

You turned the corner of the hallway that led into the grand hall which was holding the dinner tonight, and next week the engagement ball, and the week after that; your wedding. You paused as the guards at the doors announced your arrival, earning some joyful applause from the guests at the table. You just smiled at them as a new guard showed you to your seat, across from the Prince and to the left of the King. As you sat, you glanced around the room for Three, relaxing once you spotted him leaning against one of the marble pillars behind you.

“You cleaned up very nicely, Princess Y/N.” King Damocles snagged your attention from Three. He smiled at you and then to his son, who chugged at his wine. Likely his third or fourth glass of the night. “Harry, doesn’t your fiancé look beautiful?”

He set the glass back onto the table and eyed you, making sure to focus the most on your chest that was a little exposed. “Ravishing.” You cringed at his gaze and words, suddenly uncomfortable by this conversation.

King Damocles turned to you once more. “I hope you found your quarters to be inviting.”

You cleared your throat. “Yes. It is a lovely accommodation, thank you.” He just nodded and sipped at his wine. You quickly found your glass and sipped it as well, humming lightly at the taste.

You managed to make it through the conversations without faltering. The many dinners you’ve attended in your life made this easy, just laughing with whoever thinks they’re the funniest at the table, this time being the Duke of Vale, and adding whatever seemed to make sense in the flow of the conversation. Mostly it was old stories that the guests told, piquing your interest because you loved hearing about people’s lives.

Dinner was brought out on steaming platters; lamb, potatoes, some sort of stew, and so much more you couldn’t even name it all. So you did your best to fill your plate with new things that never existed to you before tonight, deciding it was best to get used to their food right away. It certainly was delicious. You ate in silence as the conversation carried on, something about the Prince’s prized sword collection or something boring like that.

“Do you enjoy reading, Princess?” The King asked you quietly, under the noise of the others.

You nodded. “I do, very much.”

He smiled. “Then you’ll have to check out the castle’s library after dinner, if you are up to it of course.” Now we're talking about something you enjoyed.

“I would love to.”

“I’ll inform one of your guards to escort you there. We have some first editions of novels, my most prized collection as they were passed down through generations of the Damocles line.” You raised your brows at that. It was rare to have so many first editions, especially when during the Great War they were sought out and destroyed.

“Well, King Damocles. You have caught my interest in your collection.” You admitted as you took a sip of your wine. His smile grew as he waved Three over, but when you turned you realized it wasn’t him.

“Four, will you escort the Princess to the library? She has expressed interest in viewing the collections there.” The King said to the knight at your side.

Four nodded. “Of course, my King.” You glanced around again, wondering where Three had gone off to. Most of the afternoon Four had stood guard at the door of your quarters, clearly switching out with Three at some point while you got ready for dinner. And yet they switched once again…

“I’m finished.” You suddenly say, pushing the chair back and standing. “Thank you for dinner, and thank you for the wonderful company.” You bowed to everyone at the table and then bowed to the King, before turning towards Four. He smirked at you and walked off towards the library and you followed.

The library was down a few flights of stairs and deep under the castle. You slowed to look at the walls made of stone, intricate carvings of some kind of story stood out to you and you traced them with your fingers. “That’s the story of the Damocles line.” Four said as he watched you from afar. You turned to where he stood, a fluttering feeling in your stomach as the light from the candles cast shadows on his face, turning his soft features into something dangerous. It maybe was wrong, since you were engaged and all, but you could not help but admire his beauty. He was stunning. More so than any man you’ve seen, and you’ve come across many.

“They’ve got quite the story it seems.” You say as you glance back at the carvings that indicated a brutal battle. He nodded as you walked towards him, stopping a few feet in front of him when he hadn’t moved again. “Everything okay?”

He shook his head and cleared his throat. “Yes, sorry.” He turned and continued to walk to the library. “I like your dress.” You felt a warm flush come across your face at the compliment.

“Thank you. I like it too.” The two of you continued the short walk in silence, as the doors to the library appeared. He pulled one open, the heavy wood door creaking on its hinges as you looked inside. It was a large room lined floor to ceiling with bookshelves, all filled to the brim with books. You stepped inside and gasped at it all, turning on your heels in order to see everything that the library could offer. “Wow.”

Four stepped in with you. “I like coming here whenever I’m not training. It’s always quiet, no one seems to use it much.”

“Is that why you’re here instead of Three?” You asked.

He shuffled on his feet. “No, Vessel needed him so I replaced him for this shift.”

“Shift?”

He nodded. “We’re going to rotate shifts-”

“I know what you guys are doing.” You cut him off. “But please don't refer to it as a shift.”

“You don’t like it?” He asked as you wandered into the library.

You shook your head. “Makes me feel weird.” Your eyes danced over the spines of the books, some of the titles already catching your attention as you made a mental note of them.

“We won’t refer to it as that then.” He said, leaning against the bookshelf opposite to the one you looked at. You were silent after that. Not because you didn’t want to respond, but because the pendant seemed to hum against your skin slightly. You put your hand on top of it and doing so confirmed the feeling. This has never happened before and you wondered if you were losing your mind.

You took a step to your right, the humming seemed to get a little stronger. Another step and you felt it more. Your feet moved forward, following the hum of the pendant as it turned into an obvious vibration against your chest.

“Did I upset you?” Four asked as he followed you through the bookshelves. You walked further into the library as the vibrations grew stronger. “Y/N. I’m sorry if I did, I wasn’t trying to.” His hand wrapped gently around your shoulder and pulled you to face him. “Is everything okay?” You grabbed his hand and placed it over the pendant as it vibrated violently. He snapped his hand back in surprise, staring at the thing dangling from your neck.

“I’m not crazy then.” You say, relief flooding over you.

He touched it again. “Why the hell is it vibrating?”

“I have no idea. It’s never done this before.” You admitted, glancing around at the books near you. Nothing stood out to you here, no titles that gave you the slightest clue about why your pendant suddenly started to vibrate.

A strange feeling of unease washed over your skin, the hair on the back of your neck raising as a chill crept down your spine. You immediately felt the need to run. “We need to leave.” Four didn’t hesitate and grabbed your hand, racing through the bookshelves and back through the door to the hallway. The feeling went away after he shut the door, as if it locked whatever it was that gave you the unease in the library. He didn’t say anything as he gently took your elbow and walked you through the hallways of the castle and back to your quarters.

He was as freaked out as you were. And your mind was overwhelmed with questions you had no idea who you would even ask about. The vibrating had ceased the moment you left the library along with the unease. Now, the pendant just felt heavy around your neck as it had been for the last couple of years.

You made it back to your quarters at last. Four opened the door and let you inside after he started to scan your surroundings. You pushed open the door to the bed chamber and almost jumped out of your skin at the sight of Prince Harry sitting in the vanity chair reading a book. Four was instantly at your side, his sword drawn.

“Oh my, no need for that Four.” The Prince stood up and set the book on the chair. “I’m only here to visit my fiancé.” His words slurred out of his mouth.

Four kept himself partially in front of you. “I don’t think it's a good time for that right now. The Princess is very tired.”

Harry brushed off his comment. “I’m sure she’s fine, right sweetheart?” He looked at you, a hunger flashed in his eyes. “You’re dismissed, Four.” The knight looked back at you, searching for an answer in your eyes. All you could do was squeeze his arm and pull him into the room with you.

“He stays.” The Prince just rolled his eyes as you stepped further in the room, Four staying guard at the door and eyeballing the Prince. “What is it that you want?”

He walked up to you, the stench of wine on his lips becoming clearer the closer he got to you. “I wanted to discuss something with you, in private.” He glared at Four as he said the last part.

“He is my personal guard. He can stay and will not repeat anything that is said within these walls.” You weren’t ever going to be in a room alone with this man, not after all the horrid stories you’ve heard of him. The Prince only scoffed in response after he was finished staring Four down.

“I believe we should begin trying for my heir.” Those words left his mouth and hit you like a brick.

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Why? We’re not yet married.”

He rolled his eyes. “So? No one will even have an idea that we began trying before our wedding, I don’t believe you’d be impregnated that fast.” Now you rolled your eyes. The audacity this man had, just wanting to do his job of knocking you up so he could get back to his prostitutes from the village.

“I don’t see the point. Your father will still be King for years to come, trying to make an heir for you should become priority once he has passed.” And if you could choose, it would never be a priority in the first place.

Prince Harry sighed. “My father is sick. There is no telling how long he will be alive for.”

A small feeling of regret hit you. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “I’ve come to terms with it.” He stepped forward and stopped just in front of you, his tall frame causing you to crane your head in order to look at his eyes. “So I need you to come to terms with me needing my heir.” He brushed the stray strands of hair that had fallen from your braid behind your ear.

“I can’t. I’m not ready yet.” You took a step back but was stopped by his hand holding your arm tightly. “Harry, I will be ready after our marriage. Now please let me go.” You struggled to get out of his grip, glancing over your shoulder at Four who stood there watching, his jaw clenched tightly at the sight. He wouldn’t do anything unless you told him to, he was well disciplined.

“Look at me when I talk to you!” Harry shouted, causing you to flinch and face him again. His face was full of rage and he raised his hand, bringing it down hard to your cheek. You cried at the pain that echoed through your face as you fell to the floor, holding your hand to your cheek. A loud crash caught your attention and you looked up to see Four holding the prince’s shirt as he pressed him against the wardrobe.

“Don’t you dare touch her again.” He spat in his face. “She doesn’t want to have sex with you right now, you fucking pig.”

“Four,” you breathed heavily. “That’s enough.” He turned and looked at you from over his shoulder, his eyes wild as the adrenaline pumped through his veins. It took him a second to finally let the prince go and pushed him toward the door, watching his every move as he scrambled from the room.

After he left, Four rushed to you, kneeling down to look at your cheek. He gently brushed his thumb over the throbbing print Harry’s hand had left, grumbling under his breath as he checked you over for any other injuries.

“I’m fine.” You pushed yourself up off the floor and he followed your every move. “He’s just an asshole.”

Four stared at you. “He’s not going to get any better. He does this to every woman he comes across.”

“I know.” You said as you went to adjust the vase of flowers that were knocked out of place during the altercation. You could feel his eyes burning into your back as you checked the injury in the mirror. “What?” You watched him in the mirror as he paced around.

“You shouldn’t have to marry him.” He said.

You ran a finger along the welt that formed, you were definitely going to put a cool rag on it before you went to sleep. “I don’t have a choice.”

“Yes you do.”

Before you could respond, there was a light knock on the door and Cara stepped in. “Hello Princess, oh!” She said when she noticed Four. “I didn’t realize you had company.”

“He was just leaving for his post.” You said, dismissing Four since you couldn’t fully wrap your mind around what he just said. He only nodded and left, murmuring a quiet goodnight to you and Cara. She walked to you and gasped when she saw your cheek. “It was my fault.” You quickly said, wanting to avoid any conversation surrounding it.

You let her undo your hair and lay out your nightgown for you to change into. Once she was done, she slipped out of the bed chamber after saying goodnight. You blew out the candles in the room and climbed into the bed, the plush blanket warming your body immediately. It hadn’t warmed ever since the library and seemingly got worse once you got to your quarters and found Harry in them. You wrapped the blankets around yourself tightly, embracing the warmth and hoping for it to drag you into a dreamless sleep.

[whatitsdecending]

Even in Arcadia Masterlist

Fem Reader & Sleep Token

When your home is destroyed along with everyone you’d known and loved, your life is changed in ways you never imagined possible. As four knights from a far away kingdom replaced the losses you had once faced, one knight in particular showed you light as a darkness loomed over the horizon.

Overall content warning: Violence, bloody descriptions, death, thoughts of death, crude language, sex, mental anguish

Parts So Far:

(I)

(II)

(III)

(IV)

(V)

(VI)

(VII)

(VIII)

[whatitsdecending]

Even in Arcadia (II)

Fem Reader & Sleep Token

Everything had changed for you. The one thing you had least expected comes, and bites down on you with all its might.

Content warning: Destruction, mental pain, loss, violence, horrid dreams

Word Count: 4k

“…and you might be the one to take away the pain and let my mind, go quiet…”

—————————

You stared off at the charred cobblestone walls of the castle. The fires had mostly extinguished themselves minus a few small ones that still ravished at more flammable materials. The ground cut into your shins as you sat there, unable to move from the spot your legs had given out and you dropped to.

It was eerily quiet. The only sound being the small fire that burned near you. No cries for help, no voices beyond the rubble. Just silence.

It hurt. It hurts so much to see your kingdom like this. What was once magnificent, lush greenery that seemed to overwhelm the place and a large castle that was mostly open to the outdoors, now turned to char and ash. The village where you watched countless children play their games in the courtyards around town from your bedroom window. You spent your life inside this place and it was all you’d really known, besides the woods to the west where you spent time educating yourself on the creatures around you.

You felt the presence of the four knights around you, keeping enough distance between you but also making sure your back wasn’t exposed. It was strange. You had guards around the kingdom but they never were there to protect your life, rather, they were there to make sure you didn’t run off into the woods.

Which typically didn’t work out on their end.

There was light murmuring behind you and then the sounds of footsteps going off to your left, crunching in the loose gravel of the main road. You turned your head, watching as Two and Three headed towards the mountain behind the kingdom. You turned around fully to where Captain Vessel and Four remained.

“They’re going to check out the mountain over there for a place to set up camp for the night.” He nodded to them. You just dipped your head lightly and turned back to what you stared at before. Your father’s dais was visible through the collapsed walls and directly in your line of sight. It looked like it was practically untouched, the gold still gleamed from the polishing it got this morning. Nothing got on it, minus a leaf or two, and it stood out among the rubble.

A strange feeling developed in your chest, as if you were being tugged at by a string that was attached to your heart. You looked in the direction you felt that tug coming from and gasped at the sight; charred bodies everywhere, some stacked on top of one another as if they tried to protect the person underneath in their last moments. The glint of gold under the sunlight caught your attention before you good look away, the same gold pin rested on the collar of the bodies. It was staff from the castle.

You covered your mouth just as the cry came from it. Most royalty you’ve met never had a piece of themselves where they cared about any of the staff in their castle, never even thought to remember their names. But you? You loved them all like they were family. They were all so kind and caring, always listening to you ramble on when you were young and in the midst of learning.

Your body shook as you sobbed. Nothing came from your eyes as your tear production has been run dry, but the feeling in your chest was unbearable. After sitting and taking it all in, your body has finally had enough and couldn’t hold in the tears any longer.

Images flashed in your mind of everything that happened. Your father’s throat being slashed in front of you, the shackles being tightened on your wrists and ankles, watching the castle be set ablaze as you were dragged through the gates. So much has happened since the sun rose and it’s not even time for it to set. You were so goddamn tired that you didn’t know if you’d ever be able to get up from this spot.

A hand rested gently on your good shoulder, squeezing gently as you cried. “We must go to help set up camp.” Captain Vessel’s deep voice whispered to you.

You took a deep breath. “I’ll stay here.”

“No, Princess. It is not safe for you to be here.” He said.

You wiped at your nonexistent tears. “I can’t get up.”

“I assumed as much.” Was all he said before he picked you up, adjusting you in his arms until he held you like Four did earlier. The moment he sat you on his horse and let you lay against its neck, you dozed right off. The movement of the horse walking through the terrain was relaxing, feeling as if you were a baby being rocked by its mother in a chair.

It didn’t seem long, but once you woke up the sun had descended further to the horizon and cast its beautiful golden glow across the mountainside. You noticed the horses had just been tied to a tree and Captain Vessel was just tying this one when you woke up. “This is a good spot.” You said.

“Two is good at finding good camp spots.” He responded, giving you a once over. “Do you need to be carried again?”

“Maybe just a hand to get off the horse, it's much larger than what I’m used to.” You say as you swung your leg over to the other. He nodded and put his hands on your waist, helping you get down without breaking anything. “Thank you.” He gave you a small smile and went to take the pack off the back of his horse.

You turned to the fire that Three had started, taking a deep breath as the flames crackled and popped. It was small, it was controlled. It wasn't going to burn everything down in its path.

“Princess!” You glanced to where Four was, setting up a makeshift bed out of the contents of his pack. “You can sleep here, I’m taking the first watch tonight.”

“Oh.” You looked around. “I can sleep on the ground.”

He shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t allow that and neither of the others would.”

“Then I’ll take the watch.”

He looked at you like you said the dumbest thing ever. “That won't be happening. You need your rest, Princess.”

Before you could continue arguing, Two came running over holding something in his hand. “You guys, look what I found on the trek up here.” He opened his hand and you gasped, grabbing around your neck. In his palm rested the necklace you wore day and night, you never took it off because of what it meant to you.

“Oh my god…” The urge to cry again came, but you held it back as you picked up the delicate peridot pendant. It was unscathed, not even a scratch on it.

“Is it yours?” Four asked as he watched you gape at the necklace.

You nodded. “Y-Yes. It must’ve fallen off during the attack and I never realized it had.” You draped the cool silver around your neck and clasped it back together, holding the pendant close to your heart. You must have been so distracted during the attacks that it never occurred to you that it was missing, despite the familiar heaviness of it being around your neck. “Thank you for finding it, Two.”

He nodded. “Did not know it belonged to you, but I’m glad I picked it up when I did.”

You smiled and watched as he walked to his pack and began to set things out. You glanced down at the makeshift bed Four had put together, sighing as you sat down on the bed roll. Four held a blanket over you as you laid down and got settled, then gently rested it on your body when you were ready.

“Get some sleep, Princess.”

“Four?” He turned. “Please stop calling me that.” The corner of his lips quirk up and he nodded, turning back to where he was going. You watched after him, noticing as he climbed a rock that gave a good vantage point of the camp and sat down. Your eyes drew heavy as you continued to observe him, seeing the slight movements in the dark as he appeared to sharpen one of his daggers. The repetition soon made you fall into a deep slumber.

~~~

The heat of the flames was too much to bear as you ran through the charring walls of the castle. Each turn you took led you into the fire, and the only safe route was slowly being overtaken by thick, black smoke. It was hard to breathe, your lungs felt like they were on fire.

As you got to the end of the long hallway, it suddenly dropped away and you fell towards a familiar lake. You closed your eyes as impact neared, bracing for the pain of all of your bones snapping the moment you hit the water. But it never came. Instead, you floated in the air just above the water. Your toes touching the surface ever so slightly when a small wave appeared.

A large ripple formed in the lake in front of you and a ghastly orb floated out of the water to your eye level. You gasped when the orb took shape into a lovely white fox, translucent just like a ghost. “They killed us all.” It said, voice echoing across the water as it stared you in the eyes.

“Who?” Your voice did not sound like yours, no, not even close. It was familiar though…

“Those who destroyed Eden. They sought to destroy the woods as well and all that dwelled inside.” The fox whimpered as it spoke, causing your heart to ache at the sound. “They’re angry. They’re going to destroy everything and everyone.”

You shook your head in confusion. “What? Who’s going to destroy it all?” That voice once again… you could not put a finger on who it might be.

“The ones who look over us. They want the humans dead for what they have done.” The fox says, sending a shiver through your body. It stared and blinked at you for a little while, waiting for your response and yet you had nothing at all to say. “I must return.” It said while its body began to morph back into the orb shape from before.

“Wait!” You reached for the orb just as it glowed and began to disappear, but something else caught your attention: your hand. It was your mother’s. The ring on her left ring finger was the same cut of peridot from the necklace you wore, one that you would always remember as she wore it all the time. You smiled at the jewelry that donned that hand and the other, it looked exactly like it did the last time you saw her.

Before you knew it, something grabbed hold of your ankle and dragged you into the water. It was icy cold, biting at your body as you were dragged down and down into the endless abyss. You could not see what held onto you so tightly, but you could feel its claws digging into the skin around your ankle. You tried to kick it away but it was useless, screaming wouldn’t make any sense, and you were starting to run out of breath.

Pain erupted in your chest as your lungs started to scream for air. But it was too late. You were too far down now and would die before you could even start to swim for the surface. It will all be over soon… soon it’ll be peace at last…

~~~

“Y/N!” Four yelled in your face as he shook you awake. You gasped for air, taking in deep breaths as you rolled to your side away from the fire. You gripped the blanket tightly as your lungs slowly started to feel like normal. “You were screaming.” You looked up at him, at the concern that was written across every inch of his face. You glanced around at the others and they all had the same look. You sat up and pushed the blanket off your legs, eyes going wide at the claw marks on your ankle. The same one that was grabbed in your dream.

You turned around to look at the forest behind you. The same forest you knew that fox would’ve resided in, it was a friend you had made during one of your adventures in it. You placed your hand on the pendant. It was the pendant that had been passed down to you from your mother, the last piece of her that you had when she died. And seeing her hands as your own in the dream… you couldn’t even begin to fathom what it meant. The warning? Was it all true?

“Are you okay?” Four was closer now, his hand resting gently on your back as you stared into the forest. He turned his attention to it, trying to follow your line of sight to wherever it went. “Do you see something? Someone?” The others stood and grabbed their weapons, moving closer to the tree line. Four waited with you while they went into the forest, taking their time to look around for anything. What? They didn’t know what they were looking for, and quite frankly you weren’t too sure yourself. And when they returned empty handed you couldn’t tell if relief should be the emotion you felt. Until Three spoke.

“There was nothing but a whole bunch of dead animals.” He said. “A poor fox was strung up on a tree, hanging like a human. It was quite horrific actually.” A chill ran from the bottom of your spine and up into the nape of your neck.

“No.” You whispered, the sudden realization that your nightmare wasn’t just some unsettling dream; but rather a warning of the reality you faced and were about to face.

————

“So what you’re saying is that you’re a psychic?” Three asked after you explained your dream to them.

Two elbowed him in the side. “Were you even listening, you idiot? She’s not a psychic.”

“Sounds like one to me…”

“Oh you are stu-”

“Will you guys shut up?” Captain Vessel demanded, quieting them down. He then turned to where you sat on Four’s bed roll. “And this was the first time something like that ever happened to you?” You nodded slowly. “We have to get back to Arcadia as soon as we can. I cannot risk your safety out here any longer.”

“And do what in Arcadia?” Two asked from where he sat. “Tell everyone about Y/N’s dream and cause panic?”

“No.” Captain Vessel stood. “We will tell the King and only him. Until he decides what he wants to do with the information, we stay quiet. Got it?” The knights mumbled their responses and quickly got up, packing their things and assembling the horses together. You stood and helped Four put the bed roll back into its travel bag, strapping it to the saddle of Moondust.

“Is your ankle okay? You seem to be standing on it alright.” Four pointed down to the marks on your ankle, leading you to glance at it.

You shifted your weight between your ankles. “I believe so. How long of a ride is it to Arcadia?” He jumped onto the saddle and put a hand out for you to grab, aiding you as you hopped on behind him.

“About a day and a half.” He says, stroking Moondust’s mane before tugging her towards the rest of the group. “Vessel might want to ride throughout the entire trip, no breaks for sleep or food. Just thought I’d warn you before he decides.” You nodded and held onto Four’s waist as Moondust picked up her pace and broke into a run.

————

The sun beat down on your back as the giant cream colored walls of Arcadia came into view. You stared at the sight; green vines decorated the walls and the castle hidden behind it. You’ve never stepped foot in Arcadia, but your father had. He always described its beauty to you, but that never did it justice compared to what you saw now.

Laughter to your right brought your attention to Three as he pranced his horse around Captain Vessel’s, his laugh carrying over the meadow as he brought his horse into a sprint towards the gates. You noticed the smile on the Captain’s face and the slight hint of admiration behind it.

To your left, Two just rode in silence. Whistling to himself every once in a while as he tapped the pummel of the saddle. He was a very bubbly person when he chose to be, but he did seem to prefer to be alone sometimes. And quite honestly, you can see yourself being alone for a while once you get this over with.

The gates suddenly loomed over you and opened, exposing the waiting crowd. People cheered as the horses moved forward, you were surprised that these people cheered at the knights, but you’d probably do the same for them if it was your kingdom.

You slowly realized as you passed through the crowd that the people cheered for you. A strange feeling creeping through you as chants began. “Princess! Princess! Princess!” Did any of them have any clue as to why you're here? Why were you as dirty as you were? Did they even know that you just lost everything?

You approached the castle, a small entourage of who you presumed to be castle workers stood by the doors waiting for you. They waved at you, then taking hold of the horses as each of you dismounted from them.

“Princess Y/N,” a woman stepped forward and bowed. “We’ve been waiting for you.” She gestured to everyone behind her, all wearing bright smiles. “We are so deeply sorry for your loss, we hope you find hospitality here in Arcadia.”

You nodded. “Thank you.” She smiled and then led you inside, the knights all following behind. As you walked down the plush carpets, you couldn’t help but marvel at the intricacies of the marble pillars that held up the ceilings and decorated the walls. It was beautiful. Perhaps more beautiful than the outside. You desperately wished for a tour but knew that was going to have to wait, only until after you tell King Damocles of what is to come.

After turning a corner, a large set of doors opened and revealed the throne room of the castle. It was as large as Eden’s but fully indoors and not covered in greenery. You noticed the King on his dais, sitting in anticipation for your arrival. He was a little older than your father and had a round belly, probably from all the feasts that Arcadia liked to host.

“Your majesty,” the woman said as we approached the dais. “Princess Y/N of Eden.” You bowed deeply, taking in the feeling of his eyes burrowing in your back.

“You may stand, dear.” His voice boomed through the room. Standing up straight, you glanced around at the throne room. That beautiful marble carried on in here and reflected the lights of the large crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling. “I’d first like to give you my deepest condolences for all you have gone through in the last two days. The Kingdom of Carbine knows no bounds and are impatient, arrogant bastards.” You looked to the ground at your dirty feet. “I am very grateful we are able to give you refuge and comfort here in Arcadia.”

You nodded. “Thank you, your majesty.”

He gave you a little nod. “Now, I would be stupid to say that it isn’t a blessing that you are here. Not when I was to send for you in just a few days time.”

You cocked your head in confusion. “King Damocles-”

“Your father King Damien and I had come up with an arrangement, a beautiful friendship between our kingdoms under one condition.” He waved to a door, where a guard opened it and out stepped a man my age. He walked up the dais and stood next to the King. “Under the condition that you marry my son, Harry.”

Your eyes widened at the request. Hell, they widened the second he said he made this arrangement with your father. The man who said he’d never wish to force marriage upon you and that he only wanted you to marry whoever you wanted. This? This felt like a slap in the face.

“I-I’m sorry, but marriage? To your son? That has to be the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard.” You laughed. Harry might be handsome, but you’ve heard some things about him that rubbed you the wrong way. And being able to put a face to the name is making it a lot worse.

King Damocles stood from his throne and stepped down the dais to where you stood. “We made this arrangement to be sure two powerful bloodlines merge. It is not a joke and should not be taken as a joke. You will be married in two weeks, and I expect you to work towards an heir.” He glanced down at your chest, using his thick fingers to pick up the pendant. “What a lovely necklace.”

You swallowed the lump in your throat. “Thank you. It was my mother’s.” He observed the pendant once more and then let it go, turning to the knights behind me.

“I want you four to be her personal guard. With Carbine acting the way they have been, I don’t need her walking around with no protection. Vessel you’ll have the least amount of time with her due to your Captain duties, but the rest of you I expect even rotations everyday until her wedding. Understood?” The knights said their responses. A slight bit of relief hit you, knowing you’d still get to see them. On the journey here you developed a friendship with them, learning how they became friends and how they became so good at what they did. And they learned some things about you too, but not all.

King Damocles clapped Harry on the shoulder and brought him toward you. “We will have an engagement ball next week to celebrate the joining of our families.” Did he realize that your family ceased to exist? “Four, please escort Princess Y/N to her quarters.”

“Yes, your majesty.” You turned and faced the man who had quickly become a close friend. His face was blank as he motioned for you to follow him. The others stood around, waiting for some sort of direction from their King.

After you were out of the throne room and deeper into the castle, you spoke. “Did you know?” Your voice cracked. He remained stone faced as you walked, his focus on the hall in front of you. “Four please, I need to know if you knew all along.”

“No. Neither of us did.” He said. “We were only told to go find you, not fully expecting to walk into what we did. We had no idea what was going to happen, Y/N. I promise.”

“Okay.” You continued forward.

“Okay?”

You glanced back at him. “I trust you.”

He scoffed. “I’d hope you trust me. I just got assigned to protect your ass until you’re married.”

“And that’s literally the last thing I wanted.” You shook your head in anger. “I wasn’t even able to warn him.”

Four’s lips tightened. “I know.”

“What are we going to do? Is he ever going to sit and let me talk?” Suddenly the idea of telling King Damocles that the Gods above were going to come and kill us all sounded ridiculous.

“I don’t know.” Was all he said.

[whatitsdecending]

Even in Arcadia

Fem Reader & Sleep Token

When you lose everything and are taken by an enemy force, the only thing that crossed your mind was the death you wished to face. And when you’re saved by a group of knights, it seemed to not be as prevalent as before.

Content warning: Violent acts, death, thoughts of death

A/N: yes it says “& Sleep Token” but this will not be a romantasy where we end up with every single person :D enjoy!

Word Count: 3.2k

“…with the shadows longer to me than a light year, moving so slow, I could die here…”

—————————

The wind was cool on your face as you stood atop the hill, the sounds of chains clinking against one another as prisoners moved around you and men shouted at them. The hill you stood on was a mile from where your home currently burned, the town you looked over everyday from your bedroom’s balcony was turning into ash. Your heart was heavy as you watched the flames now tearing down the wooden trusses that supported the heavy cobblestone roofs of the castle you had once called home.

There were no more tears you could produce. You cried enough on the journey to this hill. The moment the knights had burst through the barricade on the castle gates and slaughtered every knight of your own to get inside, the second your father grabbed you and tried to escape with you. And they hadn’t stopped once his throat was slashed in front of your eyes.

You were overwhelmed with anger and confusion. You didn't know who these men were and why they attacked, especially because your kingdom had remained neutral in this war. Your father, King Damien, only practiced peace and never provoked violence in any form towards your people or other kingdoms around you. Those practices are what likely contributed to the deaths of most knights and him, the lack of preparation and little to no training.

A strong hand gripped your shoulder and dragged you from where you stood. “Move along, Princess.” He spat the title like it left a bad taste in his mouth when he said it. The chains around your wrists and ankles clanked as you moved into the stream of other prisoners. It was mostly townspeople who had no other choice but to surrender to the knights as they raided their homes, setting fire to anything they found useless, which was all personal possessions. You wish you could reach out and comfort those around you, you wish you could say something. But if you spoke, these men would cut out your tongue. You’d seen them do it.

No one knew where you were being taken to, how long you’d be walking for or if you were even walking to a place. You quite literally could just be doing a death march with your people right now and no one even realized. At this point, you believe death would be the best option out of anything right now. Torture was probably imminent for you due to your title, and for all your people? They’ll either be locked in cells or forced to become slaves for the rest of their lives. But wiping out the entirety of your people seemed just as wrong. It was the one thing you knew would make your father cry in the Heavens above you, and once his tears fell to the Earth, you would feel everything.

As your heart ached once more for your father, the knights suddenly began to shout. “HALT!” The group slowly stopped and stood around, confused glances coming from those around you as they started looking to you for help. You shook your head to communicate with them and they just nodded with their fear becoming more prominent in their eyes.

“We are taking a break as the rest of our knights come to help escort.” One of them said to the section you were in. “Water is in those buckets over there. We do not need any of you dropping from dehydration and slowing us down.” You nodded your understanding and walked to the bucket, picking up the ladle and motioning for some of the elderly to come forward and drink. They tried to refuse, but you persisted as much as possible without being allowed to speak. You helped them all get some water, making sure it was even amounts for each and no one went without any.

You watched the sun as it rose higher in the sky and it turned the dirt road burning hot. Most people were bare foot, yourself included, and the knights were already rounding people up to move again.

“The Princess is over here.” A voice cut over the silence, causing you to stand and prepare for whatever may happen. You watched as a knight stepped forward with another, presumably a captain of some sort. The man was older, around the same age as your father.

“Princess Y/N.” The man said as he came up to you. “I’m Captain Emery of Carbine.” Carbine? Why on Earth would they attack us? “I realize you’re following the rules my knights gave your people, you are allowed to speak for this moment as I talk to you.” You eyed the knight to his left, noting the hand that hesitated near the dagger on his hip. Captain Emery noticed and put his hand on the knight’s arm. “Stand down. We need her to talk.”

“What is going on?” Your voice rasped. “Why did you attack us?”

He smiled. “Oh young one, aren’t you naive? Did your father ever let you into his meetings?”

“No.” Your voice trailed off, not exactly understanding why that would’ve ever been necessary.

Captain Emery chuckled and so did the knight beside him. “Your father knew this would happen if he didn’t comply.”

“What?” Nausea rolled through your body. “Comply to wh-” You were cut off by shouting that came from the front of the mass of people. The captain and knight turned towards the shouts. You watched those in shackles around you huddle close as the commotion became louder and clearer.

“Stay with her!” The captain shouted to the knight as he ran off, sword drawn and ready to swing. You took a shaky breath, hoping it wasn't any of your people that are caught up in the commotion. You could not handle losing any more today.

After what seemed like forever, the captain came running back to where you remained. He was waving other knights over to follow. “We have to get her out of here! The King wants her alive!” He shouted to the knights. Panic flooded your system once the hands of the knight gripped your shoulders tightly, dragging you across the dirt. Your heels left imprints as you tried to protest, but your lack of strength was no use against this mountain of a man as he moved you with ease. Your people began screaming for you, begging them to release you. It was too late to tell them to stop and you closed your eyes as the knights began cutting them down. The children, the elderly, they didn’t hesitate for anyone.

The captain now gripped one of your arms as they carried you between them towards the woods. Why were you being separated? Why did they only care that you lived if they were being attacked? What was it that made you so important to their King? So many questions ran through your mind as you were brought further and further into the woods, thorns biting at your legs and feet as they carried you.

The woods thinned out into a small clearing with pink and white flowers decorating the ground. In other situations, you would consider this place to be beautiful, but at the moment it has to be one of the most disgusting places you’ve laid your eyes on. The captain declared it to be fine enough and you were thrown into the long grass, a loud thud sounding as you landed on your shoulder. Pain radiated through your arm and you bit down on your tongue to keep from crying out. You sat up as best as you could, having the shackles on and all, and gasped at the amount of men who came running to bring you away from the others.

You froze the second all the screaming started. It was distant enough to tell you it was your people. Without thinking, you started to move but was immediately stopped by the captain. “You wouldn’t get anywhere, Princess. It’s best to let it happen.”

“But my people!” You cried. The screams grew quieter and quieter as each second passed by.

Captain Emery just stared down at you. “They’re just more casualties of war.” Your throat burned as you cried for your people, becoming the only sound in the woods as the screams have now completely disappeared.

You were sat back in the long grass as the knights all rounded themselves together, preparing to head back to the road and continue to their kingdom. That was the last thing you wanted now. You wanted death to find you more than anything now. The King did not deserve the satisfaction of dictating whether you lived or died for his own benefit.

Captain Emery came sauntering back to you. “We’ll be leaving in five minutes.” You did not respond, you only stared off at the grass behind him. “Princess, you need to comply with our orders. We killed everyone because they wouldn’t. It seems like they took kindly to your leadership,” he paused, a grin on his face. “Look where that got them.” A sharp pang of guilt hit you and you finally looked him in the eyes. Out of nowhere, one of his eyes exploded with blood as an arrowhead came flying through the socket, his blood spraying onto your face. You gasped as his body became limp and he fell to the ground. The knights around you went frantic, shouting to find where that arrow came from.

The knight who helped the captain carry you rushed over and picked you up, his arm locked tight across your chest as his other hand carried his sword. Arrows began to fire rapidly from a tree on the other side of the clearing, hitting each of their targets in places the men would never recover from.

“Fuck.” He muttered under his breath as he came to the opposite edge and tossed you against a tree, grabbing a rope that dangled from his belt and tied you tightly to the trunk. “I will be back and we’re getting your ass to that kingdom, whether you want to or not you little bitch.” He spat in your face and turned, stopping immediately in his tracks. You couldn’t see what was in front of him since he was so large, but the grip he had on his sword tightened as he raised it to strike. You flinched as another sword came down on the limb, severing it where the metal of his armor didn’t cover it. Blood spurted from the wound as he yelled in pain, that same sword swooping down against his exposed head. You closed your eyes tightly, not wanting to see more than you needed to.

You opened them when you heard his body crash to the ground and gaped at who stood in front of you: another knight. This time, instead of the plain silver of the other’s armor, this one was a deep green. He wore a helmet that covered his whole head, only leaving his lips and chin exposed. He lifted the sword once more before you could finish observing, you flinched at the movement as he brought it down to the rope holding you to the tree.

“Stay here.” He said and ran off into the clearing, cutting down knights as he ran. You noticed two others in the grass, both faster than the one who cut the rope and cleared through the knights like they’re nothing. Arrows still fired from the trees, but now in a different spot than before. You watched in awe as these four people took down the thirty knights in this clearing.

The fighting died down. Your breaths became ragged as you watched the one who cut the rope come back towards you, the other two following as they purged the knights’ bodies for weapons along the way. The sound of leaves rustling above you made you screech, another man jumping down from a branch nearby just as the first guy approached.

“Don’t frighten her, Three.” He said.

The one called Three put his hands up. “Apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you miss.”

“I-Its okay.” You glanced behind the first man as the others walked up, hands full of weaponry.

“Are you hurt?” Three asked.

You looked down. “Um, my shoulder. They threw me and I landed on it.” He nodded and approached, kneeling down to your level.

“Is it alright if I take a look at it?” He asked. You nodded and he pulled the material of your gown over your shoulder to look at it, his eyebrows scrunching together as he examined. “It’s all bruised up. Can you move it?” You went to shrug but cried once the pain hit you. “It’s likely broken, we’ll have to put it in a sling.”

“Two found this.” A deep voice rang out, one of the others held a crumbled piece of paper up to the first man. “Seems to be the orders from King Langley.”

“Thank you, Four.” Your eyebrows raised at their peculiar names.

“So you’re Three, he’s Two and he’s Four,” you say out loud. “Does that make you One?” The named men start to laugh at the other after your question.

He shook his head. “No, I’m Vessel. Captain Vessel of the Kingdom of Arcadia.” Your brows shot up as high as the muscles of your forehead would allow it. Carbine and Arcadia were in the midst of the biggest war since the Great War one thousand years ago. The irony of these four knights from Arcadia showing up and taking out thirty Carbine knights, when on the battlefield it was usually the opposite.

Two came over. “We should get going before the rest of the knights show up.”

Captain Vessel nodded and turned to me. “Are you good to travel on foot for a bit? Our horses are a mile into the woods.”

“I can try, I might be slow with the shackles on though.” Just as you said that, Two came over and picked at the locks of your shackles with a dagger. They clanked loudly as they fell from your wrists and off your ankles. You rubbed at the skin that had started to become raw from the friction of the metal.

Two offered you a hand to help you up, you hesitantly took it and he gently pulled you up. He made sure you were steady before letting go, giving you a small smile from underneath his mask and hood. You didn’t notice before, but mostly all of them towered over you. Captain Vessel and Three were huge, Four was the same height as your father’s butler and you looked Two in the eye.

“Let’s go.” Captain Vessel said, waving everyone forward as he walked into the woods.

“Ladies first.” Two said as he motioned for you to walk ahead of him. You followed after Three, making sure to step where he did. His boots flattened the ground a bit for your bare feet as the woods became thicker. You glanced to your right and noted Four walking beside you, a hand on his sword as he analyzed the forest around you. With how he cut down the knights just a few moments ago, you were able to breathe a little easier knowing he was as skilled as he was.

The group was silent as you walked through the woods. You cradled your bad arm in your hand as you continued to follow Three’s footsteps. Though that proved to be a bit difficult due to the length between his strides compared to your own. There was a light chuckle to your right. You looked over and saw Four trying to hide his laugh.

“What’s so funny?” You asked, hopping a bit to get to the next boot print.

“Would you rather me carry you since you’re bare foot?” He suggested. You stopped and sighed, he gave another chuckle and swooped you up in his arms. There was blood on his chest piece, but you couldn’t be bothered to care due to the state your gown was already in. You held on as best as you could with your injured shoulder, but the way he carried you was tight enough so you couldn’t fall.

You walked on further, the slight sway of Four moving making your eyes feel heavy. “Why did you guys save me?” The question had been burning at the back of your throat since you first watched Captain Vessel cut the knight down in front of you.

Four sighed. “It’s a long story. And I’m not exactly allowed to give you the answer to that.”

“Who is?”

“King Damocles.” Oh great. Another King who’s in need of you. It better not be to marry one of his sons.

You sighed. “So you all took down thirty knights all because your King needs me?”

“It’s more complicated than that, but yes.” You looked away from his handsome face, worry starting to become a large pit in your stomach. “Hey. You’ll be safe with us. We will not let anyone hurt you anymore.” You nodded and remained silent for the rest of the walk. Your mind wandered through the many reasons why King Damocles may need you in his kingdom, but also the same for why King Langley wanted you too.

There was another clearing but much smaller than the one before, where four large horses stood around tied to tree trunks. You watched as the others untied their horses, grabbing a snack for them from the many packs hung on their saddles and feeding it to their horse. Four walked up to the silver one and gently placed you on the ground. He did the same for the horse as the others, petting it as it ate the apples off his hand.

“This is Moondust.” He said with a smile on his face. “She’s kind, you can pet her if you’d like.” You put your hand on her neck and basked in the softness of her, petting her as gently as you did with your horse back home.

You removed your hand quickly as thoughts of home flooded your memory and your heart ached. You turned to the north, the direction of your kingdom from these woods. Tears began to flow from your eyes as you realized the smoke was visible above the canopy of the trees.

“Princess, are you alright?” Four asked. The sounds of the others jogging up to you and asking Four what was wrong sounded distant as your focus was tuned in on your burning kingdom.

“What’s going on?” Three asked.

“We need to be leaving, like now.” Two states.

“I’m not sure, but she’s looking towards Eden.” The sounds were clear once more as the name of your kingdom rolled off Four’s tongue. You knew what needed to be done at that moment, whether they liked it or not.

You turned and faced them. “Take me there.” You rasped. They all glanced towards the captain, waiting for his response to your request. You stomped to him and stopped a foot away. “Take me back to Eden, now!” He stood there with his arms crossed, staring down at you as he thought it over. You prepared for him to deny your request, since they clearly had an agenda to follow.

He cleared his throat and let his arms fall to his sides. “You heard the princess. We will go to Eden.”

[whatitsdecending]

Cooking up a new fic with a romantasy vibe since it’s always been something I’ve always wanted to write! 🤭

[whatitsdecending]

Is It Really You? (II Oneshot)

II x Female Reader

After a long shift you’re invited to watch a friend participate in something you’d never expect from him. Turns out, you had every right to be worried about it.

Word Count: 5.3k

Content warning: Violence, blood, descriptions of injury, some suggestive commentary, language

Edited by: @artificialstardust

“…let’s search the skies, for a while, you and I…”

—————————

Your keys jingled as you fought against the keyhole of the door, the twenty-something year old door is nearing its end of being a normal working item and definitely needs to be replaced. But you didn’t have much time for all that at the moment.

The door swung open and smacked the edge of the table just inside of your townhouse, making a loud noise as the heavy woods collided together. You kicked the door back after you stepped inside, tossing the keys into the ceramic bowl on the table and pressed the door shut with your back.

Four shifts back-to-back and all twelve hours long in the busiest ER in your city had to be one of the most draining jobs you’ve ever worked in your life. But also the most rewarding. When you went into nursing school, you knew the type of career you wanted to pursue was going to keep you busy and on your feet for long hours. Those medical TV shows always made it seem so easy… until you’re actually doing it.

You pushed off the door and hung your bag on the coat rack, taking a quick peek at the state of you after your shift. Yep, looks the same as last week.

It was 4pm. Night shifts were something you didn’t see yourself doing, but once you got stuck covering for someone, you sort of fell in love with it. Despite it getting absolutely insane sometimes, you still loved the chaos. Especially when you had the chance to help deliver a baby earlier today. You smiled at the thought, remembering how the mother lit up with joy at the little thing that you’d placed on her chest.

You were just about to head upstairs and start your shower when your phone began to ring. You pulled it from your scrubs pocket and gasped at the name that lit up your screen.

“No fucking way.” You said into the phone immediately after answering it.

The sweet voice of your dear friend filtered in through the other side, his accent thick as you sensed the smile in his words. “I did not expect you to pick up.”

“Why would I not pick up? You’re my friend, II.” You started up the stairs.

“I just didn’t know if you were working or not.”

“Oh I just got home from my last shift of the week.” You said, grabbing clean clothes to change into after your shower.

“Ahh okay. So I’m assuming you’d be too tired to go out tonight?” He asked.

You paused. “It depends on your definition of ‘going out’, since it tends to change each time you invite me.”

He laughed on the other end of the line. “You’re right about that. Would you like to come watch me participate in a fight?” That was the last thing you expected to hear from his mouth.

“I’m sorry?”

“You know, I get in a ring with some dude and we punch at each other until one of us wins. Pretty cool stuff, done a few fights already and I think I’m getting pretty popular with people at the club.”

You raised a brow. “Club? What club?”

“Mortals Meeting Ends.”

“II!” You exclaimed. “We get guys coming in left and right who have been beat to a goddamn pulp because they thought they could be good money fightin-”

“Alright darling, save the lecture for later. Am I seeing you there or not?”

“What time?” You ask.

“Midnight.” Oh great, even more ominous than it already was. At least it gave you time to shower, eat and get some rest before you went.

“I’ll be there.” You finally say after thinking it over a little bit more.

You could hear that smile over the line again. “Wonderful, I’ll see you then doll.”

You rolled your eyes at the nickname. “See you.” The line went dead after he hung up and you took in a shaky breath. What kind of deep shit has II gotten himself into?

You stripped from your scrubs and hopped into the shower. As you let the warm water soothe your muscles, your brain wandered to thoughts of II fighting these random dudes in a ring. Picturing your friend in your mind, you remembered him not being super built and rather a little more slim. And of course, he was a short guy.

But that was from a year ago. It’s been so long since you last saw him in person that he definitely could’ve built his body up into something worthy of being in a fighting ring. And especially if he’s been winning a lot of fights and becoming favorable towards the crowds.

Eventually you realized the water had been scalding your skin and quickly finished your shower, getting out and drying off. You wrapped your warm, fuzzy robe around your body and decided that a nap was more important than having something to eat. So, you laid down and fell asleep for a few hours in your robe.

Your room had turned dark when you finally woke up to the alarm blaring in your ears. It was hard to roll out of your bed, especially since it was currently 10pm and usually you’d still be asleep by now if you had work. Your grumbling belly is what got you to force yourself out of bed and go to the kitchen to heat up some leftovers for yourself.

You checked your phone, seeing a text from II that was really just the same bullshit he spews from his mouth when he’s built up on adrenaline. Usually you’d get these texts when he was touring with his little band and was about to go on stage, but it seems like he’s got another thing to get him that worked up between touring.

The time neared closer to when you had to leave, making you quickly gather things you’d need and changing into something cute but casually comfortable. You did not want to dress to impress at that place.

You ordered yourself an Uber and waited until the car pulled up to take you to the fight club. Traffic was nonexistent at this time of night so it did not take long for you to arrive at the club. It was as menacing as a place called ‘Mortals Meeting Ends’ could look, and just as predictable. Dudes who looked like bodybuilders walked around looking like they’d punch anyone for looking at them the wrong way.

You thanked the driver and stepped out of the car, heading to the bouncer working the front door. “ID?” He asked as a way of greeting. You fished the plastic card from your purse and handed it to him, watching as he looked down a list of names. “Alright you’re all good. Be careful in there, sweetheart.” You nod as a response and walk into the club, holding your purse just a little tighter than before.

Yeah this place is a cliché of a fight club. It was dark, except for the circle of lights over the fighting ring. Which really wasn’t a ring like you typically see for WWE type of events, but more like two pieces of rope surrounding a three foot pit made of dirt in the middle of this dump.

You looked around for any familiar face in the crowd, but nothing so far. It felt like a fever dream being in this stuffy place. Perhaps you were still exhausted from the last four days of work and running on fumes, or you were in fact dreaming and none of this was real.

You walked around a bit more, trying to get a feel for your surroundings while simultaneously trying to find II. If he was even out in this part of the building. There was a bit of a clearing of bodies as you made your way through to the bar and released a sigh when you saw your friend leaning against the bar and talking to some man. II’s attention grabbed onto you as you approached, slowly to make sure you didn’t interrupt anything important.

“Well look who it is.” He says with the biggest smile on his face and pulls you into a tight hug.

You squeezed him back, noting that your theory from earlier was true. “Couldn’t miss the opportunity to watch you beat people up.” He laughed as he pulled out of the hug and turned to the man he was just speaking to.

“Vincent, this is my good friend Y/N. Y/N, this is Vincent, the owner of the club.” Oh, well no wonder he looked so important. Vincent put his hand out for you to shake and you gladly let him.

“Nice to finally meet you, Y/N. I’ve been hearing some things about you recently.” He smiled down at you, flashes of gold on his teeth distracting you from anything else.

“Oh- Well, I haven’t heard anything about you.” You became a little flustered and turned to II, who was rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

“I’ve just been telling him old stories, that’s all.” He gave you a toothy grin as he looked at you. You rolled your eyes and turned back to the owner in front of you.

“I hope you’ve been able to handle him, he’s a bit much when he wants to be.” You joked and earned a gentle elbow to your side.

Vincent smiled. “II here has grown from the weakest link to one of the strongest fighters I have working here. His growth was impressive and he learned quickly. I’m hoping he’ll put on a good show tonight since he’s got an extra special audience member.” He turned to II and patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll leave you alone, be sure to be in that ring in five minutes.” You watched as he left and cut through the crowd, leaving you to be with your friend.

After a few long seconds, you turned back to him. “What is wrong with you?”

“I-”

“You’re gonna get yourself seriously hurt doing this shit. And what if you end up so hurt that you’re unable to play with the band anymore?” He avoided your eye contact for just a moment. “Look at me, II.” He finally did and your heart hitched at the sight of his eyes, the most beautiful blue you’d ever seen and something you never stopped staring at.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I know how you feel about this kind of thing, but I’m having fun and I’m able to work out some things I’m dealing with. I’ll be okay, I promise.” He says and places a gentle hand on your cheek.

“But-”

“I gotta go, it’s showtime.” He pecked your forehead ever so slightly and ran off to where Vincent had gone earlier, leaving you to find somewhere to view the fight.

You found your way to the edge of the crowd, sneaking between a few tall guys who let you in so you could see. People surrounded the ring, chatting loudly with excitement as the time neared for the fight to take place. You watched as II’s opponent entered the ring, a man who had at least four inches on him in height and maybe a good fifty pounds as well. Alright, not a fair fight physicality wise but it also depended on how skilled of a fighter II was.

That’s when he entered the ring and your eyes shot open at the sight. Yeah, your theory was extremely accurate as you stared at the muscles that now packed his whole upper body and shifted with each movement he made. He had bulked up so much in the last year that it was hard to believe it was him. But it was, and you were staring hard.

The referee stepped into the ring and the match began. You cringed when you realized neither of them wore boxing gloves and were bare knuckles for the fight. II already had so many scars that were on his knuckles from previous fights and it made you wonder how many times he’s broken one.

His opponent swung and swung hard, but luckily II was fast enough and dodged his fist, landing a punch into the guy’s ribs once they were exposed to his attack. You stood there watching the two men circle each other, the one seething for revenge against the hit II got on him. The anticipation of who was going to get punched next made your stomach twist and you nervously twirled your hair in your hands.

You noticed Vincent on the opposite side of where you were, watching the match intently as more punches were thrown and dodged. His eyes didn’t seem to be on II, despite him being such a ‘prized possession’ here. No, he watched his opponent and only seemed displeased when II dodged the hits, not the other way around. You didn’t know that much about fight clubs, but from the little bits you’ve heard when taking care of one of the fighters in the ER, you knew this was going to go badly for II.

“Shit.” You muttered under your breath when II took a hit to the gut and groaned at the impact. He took a small step back and held a hand to the spot, taking a deep breath and then moving back to his opponent. You watched as he got some punches and kicks in, noting how fast he moved and how agile he was. It was interesting, but it still felt wrong.

A minute goes by and the time seemed to slow as his opponent took an opportunity to punch II in the side when the area became exposed. This man hit him hard enough that you heard his ribs crack, gasping as he stumbled back from the force of the punch. Then the opponent was on top of him, landing hits left and right to any part that was exposed.

The crowd yelled and roared. Some with excitement and others were shouts claiming an illegal move in the ring. All of that you were unsure of, the only thing you were sure of though is the fact that II was bleeding heavily from multiple injuries on his body and the man wasn’t stopping. And Vincent wasn’t stopping him either.

Eventually, the referee stepped in and pulled the guy off II. People cheered as he was announced the winner of the fight, taking in the roar of the crowd and the money that was tossed at him. You stared at the man covered in blood and dirt on the floor, barely breathing but alive. Why was no one helping him? You frantically looked around for anything that could help him, the same guys that let you through earlier doing the same.

“Can you guys help me get him to the bathroom?” You shouted at them over the crowd. They all nodded and rushed to get II from the floor while you ran to the first aid kit you had spotted. You followed the group of men to the bathroom and they plopped II onto the floor, resting him up against the stall.

“You need any help, miss?” One guy asked.

“I’ll need you guys to stick around in case I need to get him to the hospital.” You glanced over your shoulder to the club outside the bathroom. “And also maybe to make sure no one comes in to try and finish the job.”

“Yes ma’am.” They say and went to stand outside the bathroom, leaving you to some quiet to take care of the bloodied man in front of you. His breathing was decent, better now that he was sitting up but you knew that broken rib was not letting him get a full breath in. You found gauze packets in the first aid kit and pressed them to the gaping wound on his forehead that was left by some knuckles.

“W-what are you doing?” His voice was quiet as you found tape to hold down the gauze.

“Making sure you don’t bleed out and die like they wanted you to.” You said, your voice catching in your throat as you said it out loud. They were going to leave him to die.

He pushed at your arm. “You need to go home, Y/N. I’ll be fine-” He clutched his side and groaned in pain.

“You are hurt and I’m the only one here that is capable of making sure your ass doesn’t die from blood loss.” You sternly say, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. “I don’t care if they want to beat me up too, I’d rather you be okay than walk away because of some threat like that.”

His blue eyes glistened under the dingy lights. “Don’t say that.”

“Too bad, I already did.” You examined his face that was swelling and covered in bruises, palpating his definite broken nose and cheekbones. “You are my friend II and friends don’t leave each other’s side in shit situations like this.”

He closed his eyes and sighed, cringing in pain as his lungs tried to expand with that broken rib. “I fucking hate that word.”

You stopped shuffling through the first aid kid and glanced at him. “What word?”

“Friends.”

You raised a brow. “What’s so wrong with it?” You organized the contents of the first aid kit more so they were in better reach in case you needed to change the gauze on his forehead quickly.

His eyes opened again, staring at you with a vulnerability you’d never seen before in him. “I hate when it comes out of your mouth to describe us.”

A pang of hurt cut through you. “Do you not like us being friends?”

“Why are you acting dumb?” He asked, coughing a bit after he spoke. He must’ve noticed the confused look on your face. “You don’t want to remember what we had for a moment, do you?” Of all times and places, he chooses now to talk about this? Well, could be the state that he’s currently in, you’ve seen it plenty of times that you can’t really blame him.

“Because you broke my heart, II. That’s why.” You say. “I need to wrap a bandage around your ribs to hold them in place, it’s gonna hurt so I need you to prepare yourself.” You sat up more on your knees and scooted closer to him, preparing yourself for moving him forward so you can wrap the bandage around him.

“At this point, the pain doesn’t really faze me.” He said as you pulled him forward, doing the familiar maneuver was so much more difficult without other staff to help you, but you managed. “I didn’t mean to break your heart, Y/N.”

You pulled the first portion of the bandage around his chest and he grunted in your ear at the pressure of it. You focused on getting this wrapped before speaking again, leaning him carefully back against the stall.

“Well, you did and that’s as far as I’ll go with this right now.” You replied. He just stared at you and didn’t mutter another word.

There was a knock on the door and one of the men from earlier popped his head in, bringing in the even more chaotic noise of the club with him. “Uh does he need an ambulance?”

“Not right now, no.”

“Good.” He said and glanced over his shoulder. “A huge fight just broke out, so it’s best you guys stay right here so you’re all safe.”

“Thanks.” You nod to him and he closes the door once again.

“I don’t need to go to the hospital?” II wondered.

You glanced back at him. “No. For now you’ll be fine, I just have to keep an eye on that forehead wound and clean it. Your rib is definitely broken, but that luckily shouldn’t kill you unless it shifts and impacts your lung. Which I doubt will happen, but there is always the chance.”

“God I’m glad you’re a nurse.”

You smirked as you stood to wash some of his blood off your hands and so you can cleanse the wound on his forehead now that most of the blood has been taken care of. “You lucked out there.” He chuckled softly as you gathered some supplies you could use to clean it up.

II had stretched his legs out, leaving a spot between them for you to sit as you cleaned. “Thought this would help you to get that spot better.” He says.

“You’re right, it will. Thanks.” You sit on your knees once again as you fold the gauze off the wound, eyeing the area for any signs of infection that may be starting to show. Luckily, nothing yet. You commended the club for having a decent first aid kit that had supplies you could use to patch up this wound, will it hold completely until it healed? Absolutely not, but it was the best resource available until he could get stitches.

You set everything up to your right, II watching your every move as you organized yourself again. You took alcohol swab sticks from their packaging and looked at II. “These might sting a little, but they’re gonna help clean the wound.” He nodded and you moved to his forehead, following the same old procedure you’ve done since nursing school. He winced as you rolled one swab directly over the wound. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He patted your thigh gently. “You’re doing your job.” His hand stayed on your thigh as you continued to work. You didn’t mind the contact, you knew it was probably something that might be comforting him at the moment. He won’t admit it, but you could tell he’s shaken up by everything and there is so much more to what happened that he doesn’t want to tell you. Not yet, at least.

You finished cleaning the wound and put some adhesive strips across, trying to close the wound together as best as you could with them. A fresh piece of gauze on top and tape to hold it down, and that wound was all taken care of.

“You more than likely have a concussion because of how hard your face got hit.” You say.

“Nothing I can’t handle.” He mutters. You glared at him and went to scoot back, but the hand on your thigh gripped you just a bit. “Please stay here.”

You looked at him, his eyes sad as he believed you were ready to leave him here. “II I wasn’t going to leave you. I was just going to throw this all away.” You held up all the packets that had been emptied so he could see them.

“Do that later. I need you right here, right now.” He said. You stared at your friend and the clear agony he was currently in. His ‘tough guy’ facade had disappeared and now he was here, as vulnerable as ever and in so much pain.

You smiled softly. “I’ll stay.” You set the trash back on the floor next to you and leaned back on your heels.

“Come closer, please.” He whispered softly. “I need to hold you, Y/N.” Your heart ached at his words and you nodded, carefully climbing into his lap and gently wrapping your arms around his abdomen. You rested your head on his chest and listened to his heart beating, the rapid thumps had slowed a bit as his body relaxed. This calmed him down, probably reminded him of older times when he had your heart.

After a moment of listening to the muffled sounds of the fight still going on in the club, II spoke again. “I’m sorry for what I did.” You began to make a shushing sound but he continued over you. “It was the last thing I ever wanted to do to you, Y/N. And it kills me every single day that I left you broken and-”

“Stop II, not here.” Your whisper was harsh and you pressed your hand to his chest, hoping he’d stop his rambling.

“I love you, Y/N. And I never stopped loving you.” He says. “I want us to search the skies together again.”

You sat up off his chest to get a better look at him. Tears rolled down his cheeks, making streaks in the blood that covered them. “You’re concussed II. You’re just saying things-”

“Will you stop that?” He demanded. “I may be concussed and shit but I know exactly what the fuck I’m saying to you right now.” Your heart stammered in your chest. The look in his eyes was truthful. And you knew damn well that II wasn’t the kind to lie to you about something like this.

“I-I don’t know what to say.”

He shook his head. “You don’t have to say anything at all. I just needed to get that off my chest.” You sat there in his lap as he looked away from you, his eyes roving over the contents of supplies on the floor.

You couldn’t bear the sight any longer. The bullshit the two of you dealt with last year was something that you forbid to speak about. You forced the friendship back to how it had been after he left you. His reasoning? Being too busy to be a good boyfriend to you, claiming you only deserve the best and he couldn’t offer that to you at the time.

That devastated you. After spending months together, sneaking around with him and not admitting to your friend group that you two had something going on. It was exciting. The adrenaline you felt when he snuck a kiss at a party, and then when you tiptoed out of a closet to avoid being caught by anyone after you two hooked up in it. For the last year you ached for that kind of thing again, but mostly because you wanted it to be more real than anything it had been before.

You knew that you’d never be able to go back to being strictly friends after that. And you were okay with that fact.

II’s eyes eventually landed back on yours, the blue dimmed in the light and by the emotions he felt. Your hand reached out to caress his cheek as gently as you could, as if any kind of touch would be enough to fully break him. “I still love you too.” His eyes widened and suddenly he engulfed you in a hug, his body bent over to hold you tight to his chest. “Your rib.” You say as you hold him.

“I don’t care.” His words are muffled by your neck. He pulled away ever so slightly and looked down at you. You leaned up and closed the space between your lips, pushing them together so gently that you could barely feel his. He pressed you closer with his hand that rested against the back of your head, sealing the kiss more.

After a moment you pulled away. “You should care because I know that rib is absolutely killing you right now.”

He smirked. “Actually I don’t feel a thing. Looks like the best pain killer is kissing you.” He leaned in again and kissed you, more and more. “I missed you so much.” He whispered against your lips.

“I missed you too.” You said, running your hands through his blood caked hair.

“I want you to be mine forever.” His voice grew a little bit slurry, indicating that the concussion was making itself known.

“Let’s get you to the hospital before you start making any promises.” You kissed him again and climbed out of his lap, heading to the door and opening it. The club had gone quiet, most people had left and the mess of the fight was still covering the floors. You were shocked to see one of the men still hanging by the door, he was on his phone when he noticed you come out.

“How’s he doing?” He asked, standing up to his full height.

You smiled. “He’s okay but has a pretty bad concussion and a broken rib. So we need to get him to the hospital.” The man nodded and went into the bathroom, getting II up via your instructions to make sure he didn’t hurt his rib any further.

You lead them out of the fight club, soaking in the fresh air as much as you could. The guy luckily had driven himself here and was more than willing to drop you off at the emergency room, and even offered to stay around so you could get home and shower the blood off.

“I’m alright.” You said. “Thank you, though. I honestly don’t think I can thank you or your friends enough for helping me tonight.”

The man nodded. “It’s our pleasure. II is a good man and we hated to see him go down that way.” He turned to leave. “You take care.”

“You too.” You smiled as you watched him leave the ER. The doctor you usually work with found you and asked you to go over everything that happened. So you did, leaving the team to work on II’s injuries.

A few hours had passed and you sat beside II’s bed in the ER. Your coworkers were kind and got you a fresh pair of scrubs to change into, since your clothes had become caked with his blood and you refused to leave and go home. You had been right, II’s rib was broken and he had a severe concussion from all the punches he received earlier. The wound on his forehead was stitched up and already looking a little better.

“You look good.” His voice was raspy as he woke up. You reached for the cup of water that the nurses left for him, and helped him drink it. “Thanks.” He said.

“You’re welcome.” You put the cup down and rested your hands over his. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a truck.”

You smiled. “Well yeah, you almost did in a sense.” He chuckled as you pushed back the hair that had fallen on his forehead.

“Thanks for taking care of me.” He whispered.

You smiled. “I’ll always take care of you.” You leaned over and kissed his cheek.

“You know I wasn’t talking out of my ass earlier.” He said, caressing his thumb over the back of your hand.

“It’s okay, II. I know what you-”

He shook his head. “No. I mean, I do want you to be mine forever. Actually, I need you to be mine forever. I don’t think I’d know what to do if you weren’t.” You blinked back the tears that threatened to break, and stood up to lean over and kiss II.

“Then let’s search those skies forever, II.” He smiled against your lips and pulled you closer, to the point where you eventually climbed onto the bed with him and snuggled up to his side.

“I can’t wait to get out of here.” He said, kissing you more and more.

You smiled. “Why’s that?”

He poked your side. “So we could get back to what we were really good at doing.” He winked at you and you laughed.

“You’re ridiculous. Heal that rib first and then we’ll talk.” You say and poked him right in the spot you knew would hurt.

He flinched a little. “Alright, alright. You’re the boss.” He kissed your head and pulled you closer again. This time, your eyes grew heavy and the exhaustion weighed down on you. You fell asleep to the monitor that beeped, letting you know II was still alive and well, safe here in your arms.

[whatitsdecending]

Nazareth: Pt. III

(III x Reader)

Word Count: 3.3k

The aftermath of a disastrous date was fresh on your mind as you needed help from a friend. Later on finding out some news that left you with a lack of empathy in your heart.

Content warning: intentions of SA, injury, mild gruesome descriptions

—————————

Sirens wailed throughout the night as you curled yourself beneath the sheets. They’d been loud for the last hour, something had happened in the city then. You sighed and closed your eyes again, attempting to block out the noise of the sirens and the constant memory of your date tonight.

It was pathetic. The dinner was the only good part of the night. He’d spent loads of money on a fancy meal and bottle of wine, talked you up about his work and yours as well. But it was the slight arrogance that threw you off at first.

That arrogance grew into complete jackassery when he came by to your apartment. You weren’t planning on it exactly, but he had insisted since he had paid for your meal. A part of you wanted to tell him to fuck off right then and there, but you could not figure out how to say it. Or how to defend yourself if he got angry with you for that.

So you let him in.

And it was god awful. A few minutes into the movie you put on and he was all over you, kissing you with such hunger that you knew he was just here to get himself off. You let him kiss you.

And when his hands started to grope at your breasts, you swatted him away and pulled back from the kiss. “You let me into your place and don’t want to have sex?” His voice was laced with anger as he stared you down.

“It wasn’t exactly my intention tonight.” You say, equally as angry.

Flames almost seemed to flare in his eyes at your confession. “You have me pay for the entire meal and you won’t pay me back with sex? Pathetic, you women these days.” He leaned back and shook his head at you.

“You don’t seem to understand how chivalry works.” The only sound in your apartment was the noise from the TV and the blood that boiled in your body. “Please leave.” Your voice was quiet but calm as you moved to get off the couch and head to the door, but his hand wrapped around your wrist and pulled hard. Hard enough you felt a small pop in your shoulder and you fell to the floor.

He was on top of you in seconds. You pushed at his chest as he kept trying to kiss you, but you didn’t let him get close. Your shoulder aches at the strain as his weight was too much.

Taking a deep breath and quick glance to your legs, you realized he was even more of an idiot for leaving you the space to kick him where it’ll hurt most. So you did.

His cry of pain echoed through your apartment and you swiftly rolled out from under him, grabbing the closest thing you could use as a weapon and waiting for him to do anything.

“Get the fuck out.” You yelled, pointing the heavy snow globe at him. He was still doubled over in pain and clutching his manhood as he groaned.

He looked up at you. “Why would you do that?”

“Why would I do that?” Your vision turned red as you stared at this pathetic man. “Your intentions were evil you asshole, now get the fuck out before I make it so you can’t have any children.” You gripped the snow globe in your hand as you prepared to aim the thing right for his head in case he tried to attack you again.

But he crawled slowly to the door, making a scene of opening it and then leaving. The second his foot was out the door you ran to it and slammed it shut, locking it quickly before he could barge back in. “Jesus Christ.” You breathed as you leaned against the door. Did that really just fucking happen?

You sighed and put the snow globe back on the shelf you grabbed it from and flicked the lights off in the room, turning the TV off as well. Your feet felt heavy as you trudged into your bedroom, turning on that light and going to the bathroom. Your shoulder throbbed as you observed it in the mirror. The fucker pulled it out of its socket. You searched for the nearest towels so you could figure a way to put it back into its socket. And also one you can bite down on.

Back in school you used to have to do this a lot because of the sports you forced yourself to play, so it wasn’t anything you weren’t new to. And it wasn’t anything you were rushing yourself to the hospital for.

You took a deep breath once you had it set to pull back in and did a hard maneuver, one that usually put it right back into place but your shoulder did not budge. You groaned in frustration and tried again, a little harder this time, but all you got out of it was shooting pain through your arm and upper back. What the hell did he do to you?

It was too late to go out especially with that man still out there and knowing where you lived. The hospital can fix it in the morning.

So you just wrapped your shoulder and took some medicine for the pain, sliding into your bed and trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in.

That was useless and still was as you stared at your ceiling in the dark. The medicine didn’t work at all after the few hours since you’d taken it, your shoulder only throbbed under the wrap you put around it. So you reached over to where your phone lay, growing restless at the pain and inability to find comfort. You pulled up your messages and texted your only friend in this damned city, not knowing whether they would answer at this hour.

You: I know it’s really late but I could use your help right now, please come as soon as you can if you’re up.

You stared at the message and waited, waited for some type of response. But you got nothing.

Twenty minutes later and you were about to give up and just lay back down when the doorbell rang. You flew out of bed and ran haphazardly through the dark to the door. You unlocked it and swung it open, III’s worried eyes greeted you.

He took in your face and then noticed the wrap on your shoulder and the bruise that was starting to stretch across your skin. “What the hell happened?” His voice was low and stern. You just beckoned him inside and closed the door behind him, locking it quickly. His presence was a comfort in the dark after the events of the night, you couldn’t thank the universe enough that he was awake and saw your message.

“What happened, Y/N.” He said again, this time brushing your hand with his.

“I need you to help me put my shoulder back into its socket.” You say, moving back to your bathroom.

He followed close behind you. “Back into your socket? Y/N seriously, what the hell happened and why are you injured?” You didn’t answer him as you flicked on the bathroom lights, not giving yourself a chance to adjust to the sudden change of lighting. “Don’t fucking ignore me.” He put his hand on your lower abdomen and stopped you from moving, gently pressing his body against your back. He turned you to face him and lifted your head with his fingers so you looked directly into his eyes. “Did someone do this to you?”

You swallowed the lump in your throat as you saw the darkness that filtrated his eyes. “Yes.”

“Who.”

“The man I had the date with earlier.” You whispered, like he was out there and somehow listening to every word you said to III.

“What happened.” His eyes flashed with anger and an unsettling calm rested over his features. You swallowed hard and began to explain everything. He never stopped holding your gaze with his own, nodding every so often as you talked. He almost seemed to shake with anger when you got to the part of the man attempting to pin you to the floor, the intentions you knew that he had.

“So please just help me put this back into place.” You whimpered as pain shot through you again. He wiped the tears that had fallen from your eyes as you told him what occurred, and he just motioned for you to go by the sink. You took a few steps to where the counter was and he gripped your hips, lifting you up and sitting you on the cool surface.

“Don’t hate me for how much this will hurt.” He said as he slowly unwrapped the patchwork job you did earlier.

You nodded. “It’s okay, this is a pain I’m used to as well.” He only raised his brow in questions and you shook your head. “Later. Just get this over and done with.” You took deep breaths as he rested his hands on your shoulder. “Okay so lift my arm-”

“I know how to put a shoulder back into its socket.” He said, and before you knew it, that painful pop rattled through your body and then the sudden relief that always followed hit you. “You okay?” He kept his hands on your elbows to steady you on the counter.

“Yes.” You sighed. “Thank you.” III just nodded as he stepped to the other sink and grabbed the glass you kept by it, filling it with cool water and handing it to you. “Should I even ask how you know how to pop a shoulder back into the socket?”

“Should I ask you why it’s normal for you?” He pried back. You stared up at him from your spot on the counter, neck craning back as he still towered over you in this position.

“Childhood things.” You took a sip of the water and set the glass on the counter.

“Childhood ‘things’. Yeah alright.” He stood leaning on the wall with his arms crossed.

You raised your brow. “I’m not going to tell you about my whole childhood right now.” He nodded and turned his head to look towards your bedroom. It was silent now, the sirens had stopped a little while ago just before III arrived. You huffed a sigh and hopped off the counter, sauntering out of the bathroom and into the kitchen for a snack.

You shuffled through all that was in your pantry, not much snack wise but some cereal wouldn’t hurt. You poured a little in two bowls, setting them both on the table and waiting for III to come into the kitchen.

He came in as you started spooning the cereal into your mouth. “In case you were hungry.” You said, pointing at the bowl with the spoon. A smile quirked up on his lips as he took the seat across from you and took a bite.

The two of you ate in silence. After fighting the pain in your shoulder, you were starving, but eating a full meal at this time would’ve been regretful later on.

You finished and put your dishes in the sink, III following as he finished. You stared out the window over the sink that faced the alleyway, a shiver ran down your spine as the thought of that man being out there raced through your mind. You blew out a breath and took in a deep one. You had to stay calm, everything will be okay… right?

“Are you going to be alright?” His voice clouded your thoughts as if he could pick through them and hear what you were thinking.

You sniffed back tears that were threatening to form. “Could you stay the night?” You faced him, the look on his face almost sending the tears flowing down your face. “I’m just… scared he could come back.”

He nodded. “I’ll stay.” His voice was soft as he motioned for you to follow. You shuffled back to your room and climbed into bed, undoing the other side of it for him to sleep in. “No it’s okay, I can sleep on the couch.” He said when he came back from turning off your bathroom light.

“No.” You say. “Please stay here with me.” It was pathetic sounding, the plea for your friend to share your bed with you. Especially when it was decided that you’d always be friends but with a little more in your relationship.

III just nodded, turning to the door and closing it gently before he climbed in next to you. You turned onto your good side, avoiding irritation to your shoulder and watched as he settled in next to you. He was calm. And you needed that rock to grasp on to when your anxiety was rocketing through your body. So, you stretched your arm out to him and laid your fingers against his warm skin. He glanced at the touch and then looked at you, a question lingering in his eyes.

“Thank you for coming to help me.” You said, squeezing his arm gently.

He put his opposite hand on top of yours. “It’s the least I could do.” You smiled as the exhaustion hit you, your eyes pulling close as you tried to keep them open. “Get some sleep, Y/N. Everything will be okay now.” Your eyes were closed now and the feeling of III’s hand over yours became distant as sleep took over your body.

————

The sun was warm on your back as you opened your eyes. The bed was empty next to you and you reached to where III had laid. Did he leave? Maybe he had to get to the studio and do something band related…

You sat up and stretched, wincing at the light ache in your shoulder as you did so. It had almost slipped your mind, but had to remind you of course. You looked at your phone and cringed at the time, midafternoon already.

It took a lot of effort to actually get out of bed. At this point you just wanted to lay there all day and rot, but one whiff of your body and you needed to get up and shower.

You stumbled into the bathroom and ignored your reflection in the mirror, stripping yourself of your pajamas and getting into the shower as quickly as possible. The warm water felt heavenly on your healing shoulder as you stood there. You let it soothe the rest of your body, your muscles tight from the stress of the night. You took a couple of deep breaths and pried your mind off of those events, trying to not cause a panic while you showered.

After a while you stepped out, drying yourself a bit before wrapping yourself in your fuzzy robe. You hugged yourself tight as you stepped out of the bathroom, stomach grumbling as you headed to your kitchen for food.

The smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the arches of the kitchen and you stopped in your tracks. He did not…

You walked into the kitchen and saw III setting out plates on the table, bacon sizzling on a plate on the counter and eggs still cooking in a pan. He noticed you walking in and smiled. “Good afternoon, hope you’re hungry.” You stared at him from where you stood. “Everything okay?”

“I thought you left.” You said as you took a seat.

“No, I got up before you did and decided to make you some breakfast since I knew you’d be starving when you woke up.” He motioned to the food behind him. “Hope you’re good with bacon and eggs, that’s really the only breakfast food I know how to prepare.”

You couldn’t help the smile that pulled at your mouth. “Yes, it’s perfect. Thank you III.” He grinned as he set eggs and bacon on a plate, then placed it down in front of you. The feeling of your heart swelling at his kindness suddenly became overwhelming and you quickly shoved it down. You could not let that happen. He’s your friend, and friends do kind things like this all the time. You had a shit night and he was just trying to make you feel better. That’s it.

You ate quietly, the muffled sounds of the city below the only sound in the space. It wasn’t the best thing you’d ever had but you gave him credit for trying and shoved it into your mouth as if it was some gourmet meal.

“I’ve got the dishes, don’t worry.” He said as he took your plate to the sink after you finished. You watched as he began rinsing the plates and loading the dishwasher, deciding to get up and see what was on the TV. You flipped the channels and stopped on the local news channel when something caught your attention.

“Breaking news, a body was found dismembered and stuffed into a dumpster in a secluded alleyway just near the north side of the city…” Your stomach dropped and nausea filled your body as the picture and name of the victim popped up on the screen; your date from last night. “…Officials are looking into this matter and are asking for any further information to help identify the person who did this.”

All those sirens last night… those must’ve been for this. You sank to the couch as your body went numb. III had come out of the kitchen at some point and watched the report with you. The news switched to a commercial and you took a deep breath.

“God…” The first word you’d spoken since you turned to that channel. “That’s just- I can’t…” The nausea roiled through you as you tried to piece together something to say. III rested his hand on your lower back and rubbed it in circles to soothe your body.

“Should I feel relieved?” You whispered after a while. “Like is it wrong that a part of me feels relief?” You toyed with the rope of your robe, digging your fingers into the soft fabric. This feeling in your heart was strange. Your mind told you to have empathy, to feel bad for this man’s family that he was killed. But your heart told you the opposite. He tried to hurt you in more ways than one, would it be so wrong to be relieved?

He pulled you into his side and held you close. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing, Y/N. I just think…” He paused and took a deep breath. “I think it’s just going to take some time for you to understand what to feel. I mean, you had a traumatic experience last night. And with some strange coincidence, the man who caused that for you is dead.” You nodded at his words. Appreciating that he knew what to say to you and it calmed your nerves, the nausea finally subsiding as you took a deep breath.

“Thank you.” You whispered. He responded by pressing a gentle kiss to your head and rubbing your arm.

And so for the rest of the day he stayed with you. Cracking those stupid jokes he came up with to make you smile. You realized it wasn’t just a relief of that man being gone for good, but a relief that you had III to fall back on when things went to shit.

[whatitsdecending]

Alkaline (IV Oneshot)

IV x Female Reader

Word Count: 5.5k

Meeting a random stranger at a club wasn’t exactly something you did, but for some reason this was different and it ended up being the best decision you ever made.

Content warning: reader!switch, dominant male, use of toys, restraints, overstimulation, feelings of insecurity, drinking

“… I’m caught up in her design, and how it connects to mine. I see in a different light, the object of my desire…”

—————————

The bass of the music thumped through your back as you leaned against the outside wall of the club. You waited with your friends as the bouncer meticulously checked each person’s ID as they entered the club. It took forever especially since just one guy was working, so you just tried to patiently wait until it was your turn.

A warm breeze kissed the exposed skin of your thighs, sending a flutter of shyness through you as you remembered just how short the dress you were wearing was. Your friends convinced you to try something new and not be as modest as you typically would be when going out with them, and so far you’ve blushed too many times to count each time you noticed someone staring at your exposed legs.

The line slowly inched forward and you were finally the next person to get their ID checked, your friends behind you excitedly whispering about the night ahead.

“Next.” The man said, his voice deep and stern as he stared down at you. You put your ID in his hand, heart racing as he examined your birthday and compared the ID photo to your face. He handed it back to you, “You’re good to go.”

“Thanks.” You smiled and hurried to the doors, stepping in and going to the side to wait for all your friends.

They came in one at a time and you all waited for the next. Once you were all together, they immediately pulled you to the bar. As you quickly walked over there, you kept trying to pull the skirt of the dress down a little as it crept up your thighs each time you moved.

Your face was red hot once you reached the bar, your friends putting in orders as you kept shyly trying to hide the fact that your dress was so short. In this room full of people, it was a bit more nerve racking as you looked around at everyone. You know you shouldn’t care about what others think of your outfit, but you could not help how nervous it made you feel.

Your friends were all so confident and wore some of the skimpiest outfits when you went out but you kept it more casual than they did. It was hard putting this dress on because of how much it extenuated and exposed. You practically felt naked.

The bartender was quick with all of the drink orders and soon you were following your friends as they maneuvered around the crowd. The booth you usually sat at was open (thanks to your friend Taylor’s amazing charm and flirting skills) and you immediately slid in, wanting to take a break from all the peering eyes.

“C’mon, Y/N!” Erin pulled at your hand as they all disappeared into the crowd.

You shook your head. “I’m gonna stay here for a little bit, I’ll come find you!” You shouted to her over the music.

Sadness flashed in her warm eyes. “Honey you look amazing, I promise you’ll feel good once you start dancing.”

“It’s okay.” You gave her a tight smile. “I’ll go when I’m ready.”

Erin nodded. “Of course, text me if you need me!” She blew you a kiss and headed into the crowd, leaving you at the booth where you can sip your drink in peace.

You quietly sang along to the songs that played and watched people dance around. Some grinded on each other and some bounced around with their arms in the air and smiles on their faces. This was probably your favorite thing about going out; seeing people let loose and forget about anything going on in their lives.

You rolled your eyes when you realized that you’re doing the exact opposite.

The drink you’d been sipping at was suddenly downed in just a few giant gulps as you moved your way out of the booth. You took out your phone and texted Erin, letting her know you were in the crowd.

Bodies pressed around you and you ignored each little bump into you as you squeezed through the crowd, inching your way to the DJ booth where you knew Taylor and Monica frequented. The crowd parted and you got a glimpse of the bright red hair that Monica had done recently and you pushed towards them.

Her eyes brightened as she noticed you coming over to her, arms opened wide for an embrace. “I was wondering when I was going to see you so we could dance!” She expressed over the music.

“Well we need a good song to dance to first.” You smiled at her as she gave you one quick look over before turning to the DJ and muttering into his ear.

She turned back to you and smirked. “He really likes me so after this song he’ll play one for us.” She pulled you in closer to her. “You look so good, Y/N! Like your boobs and ass are out of this world right now.” You blushed at her comment and laughed with her.

“Just feels odd being dressed like this.” You shrugged.

She patted your shoulder. “It took me a bit to get comfortable in something like this,” she pointed to the small band of fabric around her chest and tiny denim skirt. “But I stopped caring about what others would think and thought about just how hot I look. And you my dear, you look smoking.”

You smiled wide. “Thanks Monica, you always know how to make me feel better.” She blew you a kiss and then squealed as a new song started playing, the one song that always made the two of you dance like no one was watching: Yeah! by Usher.

You laughed as she dragged you to the center of the dance floor, the two of you immediately moving around as the beat of the song flowed into you. With the alcohol in your system, your body just swung around in ways you never imagined. Confident, you felt so confident as you rolled your hips with Monica and sang at the top of your lungs along with the song. People danced with you two, screaming the words back and forth with you.

It was probably some of the most fun you’ve ever had, and as the song ended you decided you needed another drink and broke away from Monica while she flirted with the man who currently danced with her.

You filtered out of the crowd and back to the bar, leaning over to shout your drink order to the bartender and waited patiently as he made your drink.

A man came and stood next to you, ordering a drink for himself and then waiting as well. You glanced at him and quickly looked away when you noticed how handsome he was.

“You’re quite the dancer.” He said, loud enough for you to hear but not to the point where he yelled the words. You noted the accent, British maybe or something else in Europe.

“Thank you.” You say, glancing again at him. He observed you, eyes a bright blue as the lights in the club bounced off his face.

He smiled. “My name is IV, what’s yours?” His eyes glimmered as he waited for your answer, the smile on his face never faltering. He was kind, this man was going to be kind.

“I’m Y/N. Nice to meet you!” You stuck out your hand to shake his, only to be met with him gently holding your fingers as he kissed the top of your hand. Your cheeks turned hot at the gesture and you looked away so he couldn’t see the blush across your face.

He chuckled. “You’re a shy one aren’t you?” You forced yourself to look him in the eye, a gentle glimmer of amusement met your gaze.

“Um, not usually. Just- today is different.” You said, thanking the bartender as he handed both of your drinks to you. You sipped yours and he did the same.

“Why is today different?” He asked after a moment of silence. You took a deep breath and shifted around on the chair, subtly pulling at the fabric that rode up your thigh.

You brought your gaze back to him. “I’m a little out of my comfort zone tonight.”

He raised a brow. “Is this your first time at a club?”

You shook your head. “No, I’ve been here many times, but…” Heat rose again through your body as the embarrassment made itself apparent. “This is not what I’d usually wear and as the night goes on, I try to tell myself I look good and not to worry, but I just can't let go of the feeling that everyone is judging.” He’d sat there and listened, nodding as you expressed yourself. Not once did his eyes rove over your body, the exposed pieces of you that you had always felt like needed to be kept a secret. “I’m sorry that was… a lot.”

“No, no. Don’t apologize.” He said and leaned forward. “It’s probably the last thing you want to hear, especially from a man, but you look ravishing.” A blush heated your cheeks as he smiled gently at you. “I’ll admit I couldn’t take my eye off you as you danced, but that’s only because of the smile on your face and the fact you were practically glowing out there.” Your heart pounded wildly at his words and you stared into his eyes, searching for the gleam that told you he was speaking truthfully.

And there it was.

Your body relaxed once you found it and you leaned back into the chair. “Thank you, IV. That’s very kind of you.” He nodded his response and took another sip of his drink. “So tell me, where are you from?” You leaned against the counter of the bar, closer to IV now that you felt comfortable near him. He smirked and set the glass back down, the words spilling out of him as he spoke about where he was from. Answering your questions as they came and even questioning you about your background. The conversation flowed effortlessly like the two of you have known each other for years. You laughed and laughed, a weight lifting off your shoulders as it came so naturally.

After a joke that you had rattled off and sent the two of you into another fit of laughter, he quieted down and glanced over at the dance floor. “Would you care for a dance?” He extended his hand out to you, waiting for your response.

“I’d be a fool not to dance with you.” You said and took his hand, leading the two of you away from the bar and onto the dance floor. You weren’t familiar with the song that played but you found the beat and moved with it. You dared a glance at IV noticing how he watched you, amazement flashing in his eyes as he danced with you.

He leaned forward, lips near your ear and his breath whispering across your skin. “Is it okay if I hold you here?” He asked over the music, tapping a finger on your hips. He pulled back to see your face as you nodded, a simpler response since you could not muster the words as your heart raged on. His hands were gentle as they rested on your hips, not faltering the movements you kept up as the song transitioned to something with a more intense beat.

You threw your arms in the air as you danced and danced, losing yourself to the rhythm of the music. You smiled as you glanced around to everyone around you as they danced. At this time of night the floor cleared out as people got tired and started heading home, leaving more space on the dance floor for everyone else to really let loose. And that’s what you watched; people living out a night like it was their last.

IV’s beautiful eyes came into view once again as you turned back to face him. His cheeks red as you smiled at him, either from dancing or the alcohol, you couldn’t tell. But you took a step closer to him, his hands still resting on your hips as if you were a valuable piece of fine porcelain that he was afraid to break.

You held his stare as you took small steps towards him, lifting your head ever so slightly the closer you got. Your heartbeat grew stronger as your chest pressed against his and felt his uneven breaths brushing along your face; he was nervous.

You stared into the ocean that was his eyes and glanced at the pink of his lips. “Can I kiss you?” You spoke so softly, as if all the music had been turned off and you didn’t need to raise your voice anymore. But he heard you and nodded.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and gently lifted yourself up onto your toes, thankfully not as much as you usually would because of the shoes you wore, and IV angled himself down meeting your mouth with his.

Clichés were not anything you had dreamed of or even searched for, but the moment your lips met his, you understood every word that would describe a cliché: It felt as if you were floating, the world around you drowned out as every piece of you focused on this.

IV pushed more into the kiss which allowed you to plant your feet back flat on the ground and for the kiss to deepen. It was passionate but gentle, he kissed you in a way that made your stomach flutter. You kissed and kissed, until a light flick of his tongue against your bottom lip had you parting your lips for him to enter. Your grip around his neck tightened, somehow managing to pull him even closer to you.

The taste of whiskey and a hint of nicotine laced his tongue, driving you mad as you drank in the taste of him. You realized another part of you wanted more. Desperate aches sang through your body as you held on tightly to IV, a thought wondering through you if he’d be on the same page as you are.

He pulled back and his pupils were blown with lust. You blinked a few times as you tried to compose yourself. A glance around at your surroundings and you noticed the stares, some nodding in approvement and others staring like they wanted more to happen on this floor.

IV noticed this too and made quick work of pulling you to him and hiding you from their eyes. “I’d like to know you better,” he whispered in your ear. “But not here. I’d rather it be more private.” Your toes curled in your boots as you realized what he meant, exactly what you were wanting too.

“Where to?” You asked, staring up at him and a shiver went through your body as you noted the way he looked at you. Tonight was about being outside of your comfort zone and trying something new. This, this was something you’d always refused. But you also never had someone make you feel as comfortable as IV did, you knew you could trust him.

He brushed the hair from your face. “My flat is right up the street, if that’s okay with you?” His thumb rested against your cheek as he stared down at you.

You nodded. “That’s good with me. Let me text my friends first and then we can go.” He let you fish your phone from your pocket and waited as you sent a quick message to the group chat, no responses right away since those three always ended up being occupied at this time of night. “Let's go.” You put your phone back into your pocket and took his hand as he led you out of the club.

The air was still warm as it brushed over your skin when you left the building. IV draped his arm over your shoulder with your fingers laced between his as you walked to his apartment. A short walk from the club to his place, how nice that must be each weekend.

You followed him up some steps and into a building, his arm rested lazily around your waist as you stood waiting for the elevator. It dinged and you stepped inside while he hit the button for his floor. The doors closed and you were utterly alone with him, this handsome and kind man who made your body feel like liquid without even laying a finger on the places you wanted him to. You wondered if you were dreaming.

As if he could read your mind, he stalked up to where you stood. He pressed his hands on either side of your head as your back laid against the wall of the elevator. Your hands flew up to his head and you crashed your lips against his, desperate for the softness and taste of him.

He groaned into your lips. “I will stop this goddamn elevator if you keep kissing me like that, Y/N.” His voice was gravely, eyes wild as he stared you down.

“You better keep that same energy when we get to your apartment.” You smirked at him as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened to the floor.

“Believe me,” he said as he scooped you up and threw you over his shoulder. “I will.” A squeal came from your lips as he sauntered out of the elevator with you over his shoulder. God, he was strong. You blushed deeply at the thought of him so easily throwing you over his shoulder, what else was he capable of?

He stopped, grabbed his keys from his pocket and had the door open in two swift movements. You did him the courtesy of closing the door for him and was just barely able to reach and lock it. He thanked you with a small slap on the back of your thigh.

From your spot over his shoulder you couldn’t see much of the apartment besides the light colored floors and some bits of the furniture he had. IV walked quickly to what you presumed to be his bedroom, steps never faltering as he carried you.

You entered another room and before you knew it, IV lightly tossed you onto a bed. You laughed in response when you collided with the mattress. He smiled down at you, not with the kind eyes from before but with ones that were fueled with desire.

“This is a view I could get used to.” He said. You propped yourself up on your elbows and watched as he walked over to the dresser, opening the top drawer and fishing something out. “Would you be okay with me using these on you?” He turned around and handcuffs dangled in his hands. Your body went hot and your breathing ragged as you stared at the metal devices.

“I-I’ve never used those before.” You swallowed at the thickness in your throat.

He nodded. “That’s okay, we won’t use them.”

“No,” you say. “I want to try it out.” He turned back around with a smirk on his face, the kind of smirk that told you he was going to ruin you and enjoy it.

IV kneeled on the bed next to you and tapped your arm. “I’m only going to restrain your arms since this is your first time.” He firmly held your forearm as he clasped the handcuff around your wrist, then lifted your arm over your head to secure it to the bedpost.

“Tug at them a bit.” He instructed once he finished securing the other side. You pulled and was immediately met with resistance. “Good.” He stepped off the bed and walked back to the drawer. “Do you use any toys on yourself?”

You laid there smirking at the back of his head. “Who doesn’t?” He turned and you beheld the vibrator in his hands. You had the same one (and probably so did millions of other women) just in a different color, so you knew exactly how that thing worked on you.

He waltzed back over to you with his eyes fixated on your body sprawled on the bed. The mattress sunk under his weight as he climbed onto the bed, sitting himself where your feet lay. “I’m going to take your clothes off now, let me know if I’m going too fast.”

“Okay.” You breathed as he ran his hands along your bare legs, up to where the button and zipper of your skirt were. You felt his fingers undoing each part and lifted your hips slightly as he began to remove the skirt from your hips. You breathed in deeply as he observed the panties you wore and traced the fabric with his fingers.

IV moved to linger over you, a smile crossed his lips as he met your eyes and his fingers now worked on undoing the buttons on your top. You giggled as you watched his eyes widen at the sight of your breasts as they settled into their respective places when the top was undone, going braless was Taylor’s idea.

He ran his fingers along your skin, goosebumps rising in the wake of his touch. His callused skin brushed against your nipples and your back arched at the sensation. A grin was plastered on his face as he watched your reaction. He bent down and kissed you right over your heart before he moved back by your feet.

“Are you staying clothed the entire time?” You asked, pointing to him.

“I’ll take my shirt off for now.” He said and worked on removing his top. You took in every inch of his torso, eyeing the necklace that he must’ve kept tucked under the fabric as it now dangled over your panties. “Better?” He asked and kissed just above your panty line.

You sighed at the contact. “Much better.” He really was handsome, every part of him was perfect. Well, at least all that you have seen so far.

He smiled up at you and laced his fingers beneath the fabric and pulled it down your legs, the air hitting your slick core now that it was exposed. IV’s eyes seemed to darken at the sight of you naked in front of him. He devoured every part of you with his gaze.

The buzz of the vibrator coming to life disrupted your focus on his face, now watching as he brought the toy closer and closer to your core. “If it’s too much, just tell me. But I do want to see how much you can take, if it’s alright with you.” You squirmed as his hand brushed against your thigh as the toy neared your body.

“I understand.” You say, making eye contact with him. “I’ll do what you want.” He smirked at your words and then pressed the head of the vibrator to your clit, the sensation running through your body as he pressed more and more. Your body shook and you pulled at the restraints, gripping your hands so tight together that your nails left marks in your palms.

“Good.” He purred. “That’s a good girl.” You squirmed under the vibrations that rolled through your body.

Your moans became louder as the knot built in your stomach. The more apparent it came, the more you ached to feel IV and have your hands roaming around his body. He ran his hands soothingly along your thighs as your muscles tensed up as your orgasm racked your body, shaking as the wave of pleasure soared through you.

“Oh fuck.” You cried when he did not remove the vibrator from your clit as your orgasm hit, only pressed it down more as your body shook. He placed a kiss on your thigh as you wriggled around, the handcuffs clanked on the bed posts as you pulled at them. “IV, please… oh my god.”

“Hmm?” He hummed against your skin.

“So… fuck!” You couldn’t find the words to describe the feeling that settled deep into your bones. “I need you.”

He circled your entrance with his finger. “What exactly do you need from me?”

“Everything.” You whimpered. His finger slipped in with ease and your hips bucked up at the new sensation.

Just as a second orgasm was going to hit, IV removed the vibrator from your clit and a desperate whine escaped your lips. He only chuckled in response as he fingered you and eyed your body as it relaxed.

“Oh please, you think I was going to let that toy do all the work?” A cocky tone laced his words and he pressed his lips against your clit, his tongue then making contact and swirling around the bud. You strained harder against the cuffs as the urge to grab his hair and push him as far down as he can go filled your mind.

Another finger slid into you as he pumped in time with the movement of his tongue. You were practically melting under his touch, funny how a stranger at the club bar ended up being so good with his tongue.

Your orgasm hit you harder than the first. You cried out his name loud enough for his neighbors to hear as your body convulsed.

He had moved away from you as you finished, gently stroking your shin as he watched. You stared up at him breathless as he smiled. “How was that?”

“Good.” You breathed.

“Just ‘good’?” He asked, angling his head to the side.

You smirked. “Would’ve been great if I got to touch you.” He chuckled and turned to the cuffs that held your feet, undoing them slowly just to piss you off.

He leaned over you as he went to undo the cuffs on your wrists. Once you got free reign of your limbs again, you grabbed hold of him and had him flipped onto his back as you straddled his lap. A look of surprise was plastered onto his face as he stared up at you. “Didn’t expect that now, did you?”

“Didn’t realize the shy girl at the bar had a dominant bone in her body.” He said. You felt his shaft harden beneath you and saw the blush on his chest and cheeks.

“But you like it, don’t you?” You toyed with the necklace he wore.

He stared you down and his hands roamed to your ass, gripping you hard and pushing your hips down as he grinded up into you. “We’ll see how this turns out if you want to play the dominant role.” You moaned at the feeling of his jeans against your sensitive clit.

It was hard not to back down and lay against the mattress once more for him, but you were already here and had been aching to make him whimper your name all night.

So you edged off his hips a bit as you undid his belt, throwing it to the side where your clothes were and worked on his pants. You slid his jeans down his legs and straddled him again, leaning your chest against his. “You never gave me the chance to taste myself.” You whispered against his lips before closing the space between you.

Your tongue was in his mouth as soon as his lips parted, taking in the taste of you still fresh on his tongue. His moan rumbled into your throat as you ran a hand along his hard shaft beneath his briefs. You palmed him for a while as you fought his tongue in his mouth. His breath was ragged and his hips bucked up at your touch, but you never gave him what he wanted. You wanted him to beg.

You pulled away from his mouth for a moment to take in how he looked. His eyes held the plea for more in them as his breathy moans echoed through the room. “Y/N… please..” He whispered.

“Please what?” You teased him more and slowly moved your palm against his shaft.

“Please just fuck me already.”

You smirked. “Hmm, I guess I can do that.” He watched with desperation as you pulled his briefs down, his aching cock springing from the fabric and letting you get the full view of it.

You positioned yourself back over his hips, your fingers taking hold of his cock as you lined it up with your entrance. He watched your every move as the restraint flashed in his eyes. You kept eye contact as you slid down and his cock filled you, both of your moans echoed through the room at the connection.

You took a moment to adjust to it. Once you were good with it, you placed both hands on his thighs and began moving. Your hips slowly rocked back and forth, finding a rhythm that would send him over the edge. You let him rest his hands on your hips but didn’t let him move them, hitting his hands gently each time he tried.

The moment he threw his head back and moaned was the moment you kept your rhythm exactly where it was. Not too fast, not too slow. But enough to where he was quickly losing control. His one hand flew between your legs and he circled your clit with his thumb, an unexpected but a very welcomed surprise.

You looked down at him and he looked at you with a devious expression and before you knew it, he had you flipped onto the mattress. Never losing the connection between the two of you and keeping your legs wrapped around his hips. He pounded into you hard and fast. Your nails dug into the skin of his back as he fucked you, the sound of skin slapping skin now echoed over your moans.

He grunted as his grip on your hips tightened and the thrusts became sloppy. He was close. You glanced to the side and saw the vibrator from earlier, reached for it and immediately placed it onto your clit and turned it on. From where you had it positioned, it was going to touch IV as well and from past experiences… This was always a popular demand.

“Mother fucker.” He gritted out as your own orgasm was beginning to crest. You grinned up at him as you let go, screaming his name as he fucked you through it.

And as yours settled, his came crashing through him. He pulled out quickly and released his cum all over your stomach, panting wildly as he did so. You unwrapped your legs from his hips and he sat back on his feet, staring at you as you both settled down from your release.

“I’ll get you a towel.” He said, rolling off the bed and striding to his bathroom. You laid there taking deep breaths as you glanced at the time. It was late, and getting a ride home was going to suck especially when you’re going back alone.

He came back from the bathroom with a damp towel. He wiped carefully at your stomach, then took the other end of the towel and cleaned you up gently below.

You excused yourself to the bathroom to take care of that business, and when you came back he had pulled a new pair of briefs on and handed you a t-shirt. “Didn’t know if you’d want this to sleep in or not.”

“Oh… I was gonna just get an Uber home.” You say.

He shook his head. “It’s 3am, I’m not going to let you go home in an Uber by yourself.” He smiled. “I actually want you to spend the night with me.” A warm feeling drifted into your heart at the genuine gleam in his eyes.

“Okay.” You say and pull the shirt over your head. It smelled of him, light but still there. “I’m exhausted.”

He pulled you to him and kissed your head. “Me too. Let’s get some sleep, yeah?” You nodded and climbed into the bed, watching as he turned off the lights and then climbed in next to you. His arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you in close to his chest, your hand rested on the softness of it.

Just as you were about to doze off, he said, “You really thought you’d be able to dominate me that whole time?” A chuckle vibrated his chest and you smacked him.

“Usually the men I fuck let me, unlike you.”

He kissed your head. “Sorry, didn’t expect the beautiful woman at the club to fuck me like that.”

“Was it up to your standards?” You asked, tracing lines across his chest in the dark.

“Surpassed them, actually.” He said.

You smirked and closed your eyes again. “Well, you’ll just have to let me show you just how good I can fuck you.”

He chuckled again. “In the morning, Y/N.”

(part two if you all want it?)

Taglist: @artificialstardust

[whatitsdecending]

Vore (Vessel Oneshot)

Vessel x Female Reader

Word Count: 3k

A small argument breaks out between you and your partner, leading to the two of you letting your emotions combat the other in a more intimate way.

Content warning: smut, biting, slight masochism, choking, dominance, aggressive behavior

Requested by: @40ss

A/N: hi all, I’m very open to taking requests for anyone in Bad Omens or Sleep Token, hoping you all enjoy this one!!

“…follow me between the jaws of fate, I want to have you to myself… for once…”

—————————

You stared at your partner as he leaned over his guitar, writing something down on the pad of paper in front of him. His eyebrows were scrunched together as he focused, lips tight and holding his guitar pick between them.

It’s been an hour… one long, grueling hour of watching him write, play some riff, shake his head and scratch out what he first wrote to only rewrite another thing. He grew increasingly frustrated with himself each time and you were just waiting for him to give up. But that wasn’t how he worked. You’ve seen it firsthand how he works himself to exhaustion and you’re driving the two of you home as he sleeps in the passenger seat.

He was too stubborn for you to step in and tell him to take a break. You’ve tried many times before, but always got the: “I’m fine, I’ll have a break when I think I need one” response. So now, you just sat back and watched over the pages of your book as his frustration grew.

“Fuck.” He muttered as he stopped strumming the chords that had you tapping your foot along to them.

You looked up. “What was wrong with that one, Vessel?” You asked, setting the bookmark in the place you were and put your book to the side. You rested your forearms on your thighs and leaned your weight against them, staring at him as he shook his head.

“Didn’t feel right.” He said, crossing out something on the paper once again.

You sighed. “I really liked it, if that means anything.” You toyed with a loose thread on your sweatshirt as he was quiet and wrote again.

“It was a simple, peppy riff that anybody remotely interested in music would have found to be catchy.” He snapped. You straightened your spine in alarm at the tone he used at you, something you’d never heard come from him when he talked to you. He just focused on what he was writing on the paper, completely unaware of what he just said to you.

You swallowed the lump starting form in your throat. “Well. I guess I should leave, if you clearly don’t want me around here today.” You picked up the book and stood from the couch, striding to where your bag hung on the coat rack and reached to pull it from there. You turned to Vessel after grabbing it. “I guess I’ll see you at home once you figure out a riff that’ll make someone who is as interested in music as you are like it.” Your words were like venom on your tongue, not once have the two of you spoken in such ways to each other and it felt so wrong. But couples have fights all the time, it’s healthy… right?

“Fuck,” he muttered once more and you turned to where he still sat, realizing his eyes were on you. “I did not mean to upset you Y/N.” He set his guitar to the side and stood, his long legs making a quick move to where you stood.

“It’s fine. I’ll see you when you get home.” You grit out as you stared up into his eyes, a flicker of regret in them as he went to cup your cheek with his hand.

“I meant none of that. I’m just…” He glanced away as he tried to find the words. “I’m just frustrated with this song, I want it to be perfect.”

You sighed. “Vessel every song you create is perfect, you don’t have to stress yourself out so much about this one song.” He was so, so talented and you admired that so much about him. But god was he a perfectionist. You knew he always was but this time around it’s increased at least ten times, for some reason he was putting his all into it and was struggling.

His long arms wrapped around you and pulled you into his chest, holding you tight as his heartbeat thumped against your skin. You savored the warmth radiating off him and onto your skin, the light scent of his cologne and the slightest bit of sweat from his day of working wrapped around you, engulfing you in that comfort that he gave you.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered against your hair.

You nodded. “It’s okay. I forgive you.” His grip around you tightened ever so slightly and he kissed your head. “I’ll still head out though, just so you’ve got the space to yourself to figure it out.” You pulled away from his embrace.

“No, no.” He said, continuing after you raised a brow at him. “I need you here to be able to work on this.”

“Why…?” You put your bag back on the coat rack and fished the book out again.

He smiled slightly. “The song, it’s about you. And I need you here in order to work on it. That’s why I want it to be perfect.” Your heart strained against your chest and it felt as though your stomach flipped a few times as his words settled in you.

“You’re making a song about me?” It was a shocked whisper that came from you, making Vessel smile as he observed your face.

“Yes.” He smiled and kissed your forehead again. “Now, go sit, read and look beautiful so I can keep working on it.” You blushed and rushed back to your spot on the couch, curling up in the corner and flipping open the book to the page you were on. You felt his stare and you peaked over the edges again, smiling as he watched you with a loving gaze.

“Stop staring at me and get to work.” You chuckled.

“I’m getting inspiration.” He smirked as his eyes raked over every bit of you. You blew him a kiss and went back to the book. “Hmm, that would work too.”

“What?” You asked, waiting a moment before glancing up and seeing him stalking over to you. “What are you doing you dork?” You laughed as he came up to you, pulling your face to his and kissing you gently. “Oh, that’s fine I guess.” You muttered after his lips parted from yours.

“Mmhm.” He hummed softly and pressed his lips against yours once more and deeper than the first one.

You pulled back. “Is your inspiration flowing now?” A light giggle came out as you spoke, noting the fire that gleamed in his eyes as he looked at you.

“Only a bit. I might need a little more help, though.” He said, voice rough with desire.

You smirked as he came close again. “I could help you out with that.” You purred, his lips pressing onto yours again as he took the book from your hands and placing it gently on the side table. He hummed against your lips as you lightly nipped his bottom lip and positioned yourself so you were now laying on the couch, his body following yours and resting against you.

“You sure no one will be coming in?” You asked between a kiss.

He propped himself up and brushed a stray hair from your face. “Yes, everyone had plans today. It’s just us darling.” He leaned down and peppered soft kisses across your face and your jaw.

“Mm, good.” You breathed. “So no one will question why you’re moaning my name so loud.”

He laughed. “Sure, darling. But I think it’s more so the other way around.” You rolled your eyes at the implication and pulled him back down to your lips, biting his bottom lip a little harder this time to make him gasp and you could slip your tongue into his mouth. You propped up your legs after he tapped on them, letting him nestle between them and press his growing erection against your core.

You pushed your hips up, pressing yourself against him more and causing his breath to catch in his throat at the feeling. A smirk twitched at your lips as you began to grind your hips into his, a groan rumbled from his chest. He took his free hand and gripped the side of your hip, pushing it back against the cushions and away from his.

“Don’t fucking do that.” He ground out, voice gravely as he stared at you with desire burning in his eyes.

“And why not?” You cooned, cocking your head to the side as you eyed him. He huffed a breath as he took the hand that pinned your hip and began to undo the button of your jeans.

“You’re being a brat.” He said as he slid the zipper down. “You know I don’t like it when you’re trying to take control.”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re no fun.”

“You’re gonna regret saying that in two seconds.”

He pulled your jeans off with a swift tug, grinning at the panties you decided to wear today. He didn’t leave you enough time to laugh about the bright pink fabric that had “eat me” on the front before he pulled those down your legs.

Vessel lowered himself between your legs and set your thighs on his shoulders. He turned his neck to kiss the flesh next to him, inching down slowly as he kept his eyes trained on yours. You watched as the anticipation built between your legs, writhing around just a little as you ached for his touch.

He smirked against your thigh as his finger ran up the center of your folds, a shiver running through you as he teased both your clit and entrance. You breathed in deeply as he continued his teasing, his tongue drawing circles on the skin of your thigh. And then, he inserted his finger at the same time he bit your thigh. Not too hard to cause you so much pain, but hard enough where you gasped at the different sensations happening at once.

“Oh… god.” You moaned as he pumped his finger in and out of you and kept hold of your flesh with his teeth.

He moved his head over to your other thigh, biting down as he inserted a second finger. You moaned loudly and your back arched up at the feeling of his fingers stretching you slowly. You whimpered at the feeling of them as he curled them up each time he reached where your g-spot laid and the feeling of his teeth on your flesh… you needed more from that.

“M-mark me.” You moaned. Your eyes peaked open for a moment, noting Vessel staring at you. “Do it baby, please.” He hummed against your thigh and you felt his teeth push deeper and harder into your skin, the sharp pain hitting you in tune with the pleasure of his fingers inside of you. You closed your eyes and leaned your head back, enjoying the sensations that overwhelmed your mind all at once.

You knew it wasn’t going to be a bloody mess due to the thickness of the skin of your thigh, but the bruise it was going to leave would be satisfactory enough.

After he studied the bite marks on both of your thighs, Vessel moved his mouth to rest on your clit. His tongue drew circles around the sensitive bundle as you writhed beneath him. Your hands flew straight to his hair and your fingers tangled with the strands of his hair. You tugged each time he flicked his tongue or curled his fingers, and your hold grew tighter the closer he brought you to your orgasm.

“V-Ves… Vessel.” You cried out as the release rattled through you, your thighs clenched tight around his head as your muscles locked up for just the moment.

You laid there breathless as your body came down from the high. Vessel stayed between your legs and gently caressed the bite marks that were now very apparent on your thighs. You smiled down at him and he smirked back in response.

“You want more? Or just that?” He asked you, drawing invisible shapes on your pelvic bone as he waited for your answer.

You raised a brow. “Well what does “more” entail?”

He only smiled as he said, “Fucking you to the point where I have to carry you out of here.” Ache built between your legs again as a dark look gleamed in his eyes now.

“How do you want me?” You asked, biting your lip slightly as he ran a finger through the slickness of your folds.

“Something like this. But,” he sat up to where he rested on his knees and towered over you, then pulled you down so you were fully flat on the couch. “More like this.” You giggled at the strength he possessed in order to move you at the speed he just did, a little surprised by the movement too.

He pulled off your shirt and bra, eyes sparkling at the sight of you bare before him. “Is this what you needed for “inspiration”?” You stretched your arms over your head to elongate your torso, his eyes widened at the sight.

“It’s not what I fully thought I needed but yes, Christ yes Y/N, I need this.” His hands toyed with the soft mounts of your breasts for a bit before he removed the belt from his jeans, pushing the fabric from his legs and onto the floor. Your eyes fixated on the bulge of his erection through his briefs, desire now seemed to drip from your body as he pulled away the undergarment from his body.

He lifted your legs, letting you hold them yourself as he settled between them once more, coming down to press a kiss to your lips as he lined himself up with your entrance. In an instant the feeling of him pushing inside and filling you up was all you could focus on. You grabbed at him, pulling him down so he was flush against your chest as he moved in and out.

Once you were used to him in you, he leaned back from your chest and wrapped his fingers around your neck, squeezing a bit as he picked up the pace of his thrusts. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as he did so. You locked your hand around his forearm, digging your fingers into his skin.

“Harder, Vessel.” You whimpered and he nodded, simultaneously squeezing more at your neck and thrusting harder into you. The sound of his skin slapping against yours filled the room and mixed in with the harmony of your moans and his. You were on cloud fucking nine right now.

“Pull your knees to your chest.” He ground out in multiple breaths. You nodded and pulled your knees up as he paused for a moment to let you. He leaned his body into your legs, pressing them up further and further until your toes were almost touching the pillows behind you. “Mmm, fuck this feels good.”

You cried out when his thrusts came fast and hard, his pace never faltering as he slammed into you. He leaned down and kissed you roughly, tongue and teeth clashing with one another as you did your best to focus on his kiss.

He was slowly making you come undone again, the pressure of this angle was stimulating that little spot in you and it was going to make you orgasm all over his cock. You could tell by the increased whines coming from his throat that he was close too, but never once did his pace slow.

The muscles of your walls tightened up as your release came quickly, a strangled moan escaping your lips as your body shook against the position you were in. He smiled down at you, kissing your cheek quickly as you came down from your orgasm. His hands grabbed hold of your wrists and pinned them up over your head, allowing him a full view of your fucked-out expression. You stared up at him through your lashes and he kept your eye contact as his own orgasm came crashing through his body.

He slowed his pace to a stop, panting heavily as he moved each of your legs back down to rest against the couch. They shook wildly as Vessel pulled out of you and went to get a towel to clean you up. You laughed at your body, the involuntary shaking of your muscles as you calmed down from the activity.

Vessel returned with a slightly damp towel and cleaned you up, chuckling at your legs like you had just done. He pulled you from the couch and you placed your feet on the floor, pushing yourself up as you winced at the cramp you felt. “Oh you got me good, babe.” You winked at him as you bent down to grab your clothes and pull them back on.

“Am I going to have to carry you when we leave?” He asked, pulling his shirt back over his head and attempting not to laugh as you struggled with your jeans.

“You know what I was going to say no, but now that you’re laughing at me you must carry me out of here.” You put your hand on your hip as you pointed at him, getting another laugh in response. You rolled your eyes and grabbed your book from the side table, making sure to make yourself comfortable on the other end of the couch this time. “I hope that was enough to inspire you now.”

He smirked from where he sat down, guitar now on his lap as he strummed a few chords. “Hm. Should be good for now, but I’ll let you know if I need any more.” He winked at you.

You snorted. “Dork.”

“You love me though.”

You gave him a pointed nod from over the edges of your book. “Yes, Vessel. I do love you.” He smiled broadly at your words and went back to working, focus taking over every aspect of his face.

The first sample was finished within the hour.

[whatitsdecending]

Nazareth Masterlist

DISCLAIMER: this series will be a dark romance, there will be heavy themes and I do not suggest reading if you’re not into this kind of thing! Remember, this is fiction.

(I)

(II)

(III)

[whatitsdecending]

Nazareth: Pt. II

(III x Reader)

Word Count: 1.6k

And I’ll see you when the wrath comes.

Content warning: stalking, slight mentions of sexual content, death, mentions of cheating, psychotic behavior

A/N: this chapter is short only because it’s a little introduction into how this fic will be and also how III is. This is my first time writing something like this so I hope you guys enjoy it :)

—————————

You watched from afar as she stepped out of the restaurant doors, arm wrapped around the other man’s. They laughed and smiled broadly as they stepped to an Uber that waited for them in the street. She looked happy as he opened the door for her and waited till she was comfortable in the car before shutting the door behind her.

It was quick and you almost missed it; the flash of distaste over his face as he walked to the other side of the car. Your grip on the edge of the roof tightened at that expression, and as the car pulled away you made your way to the stairway back down into the building.

How could he look that way after spending time with her? After your night with Y/N, all you wanted was her but you had to hold yourself back. Even if she wanted you to spend the night, you couldn’t allow yourself to do so. But ever since that night you were enthralled with the idea of her, the way she’d smile at you and joke with you. Her hair, so soft between your fingers as you held onto the strands tightly. And the feeling of her around your cock…

You wiped at your face as those thoughts plagued your mind. It’s been two weeks since then and with both of your busy schedules, it’s been near impossible to see her again. You’ve called her a few times only when she was driving home from work and you were on your way to the studio to meet with the band, but other than that? It’s all just been texts back and forth.

You’d only been able to see her today, from your spot on top of the roof of the building across the restaurant. Y/N had told you about her little date tonight and when that pang of jealousy struck you hard and true, you found out where they were going and figured out a plan.

And although the man was very handsome, with charm absolutely dripping off his smile, he was bad.

Y/N had sent you screenshots of his dating profile and you couldn’t help but look him up, or at least the best you could with the lack of information most men provide on their profiles. But you found him, and found out he’s a serial cheater and does so to his wife of five years.

And what did that make Y/N? Just an aid to the man’s shit mindset and hurting his poor wife too.

That was going to change, you had decided. He wasn’t going to cheat anymore and he certainly wasn’t going to see Y/N anymore.

You had walked the twenty minutes back to her apartment, enjoying the cooler breeze that the beginning of fall brought to the city. The lights were on in her apartment as you took your place on the opposite building’s rooftop. You’d grown accustomed to this spot, after you’d first climbed up here after your night with her to make sure she was okay. And after that, you did the same when you had the time and she was home.

She didn’t go out much, you realized. Most of the time she left the apartment was to go to work or the grocery store down the street. This was the first time you’ve seen her leave for anything but those two things, and you just wanted her to stay in.

You watched and watched as the sun began to set, casting shadows over the building. It was when the sun had finally set, that you saw the flickering of her TV through the window. Are they watching a movie? You raised a brow, wondering what movie they could be watching from her extensive collection.

You shifted your position as your mind went elsewhere, to the night you two first met and had watched that movie, getting wine drunk and talking for a long while after the movie ended. Then having some of the best sex you’ve had in a while, and you could tell it was for her as well. That’s why you are so enthralled with her now. It’s almost as if when the two of you were made, your bodies were sculpted to fit together like pieces of a puzzle. It was perfect.

So you wondered if that man was in there, doing the same as you once had and now desire more than anything. If his hands caressed her soft flesh, feeling every inch of her. No, he wouldn’t be good enough for Y/N. Not ever.

The main lights turned on in her living room, you perked up at the change. You watched as they stayed on for a minute then switched off, her bedroom light turning on right after. You leaned over to watch for the doors to the building to open and see if she was going to bed alone tonight.

Your question was answered as the doors to the building opened and he waltzed out, his phone pressed up to his ear as he walked away. You fished through the backpack you carried with you, finding the mask you had made by a friend, and clasping the buckles around your head.

When you emerged from the building you were on it wasn’t hard to find the man. His voice was loud as he carried on a conversation about politics with someone on the phone. You put the hoodie of your zip up over your head, trailing behind him at a normal pace so he didn’t get suspicious.

He was an idiot. He basically only focused on his conversation rather than the world around him, bumping into people passing by without even saying sorry. With those people distracted by his rudeness, they completely ignored you and the mask hidden under the hood. A perfect disguise.

He rounded a corner onto a quiet street. You listened closely as he said his goodbyes to the other person on the phone and slid it into his pocket. His pace picked up now that he wasn’t distracted by the conversation but you still held the distance behind him, your footsteps quiet compared to his loud clicking of his dress shoes on the concrete.

You ran the tips of your fingers along the cool metal of the knife in your pocket, just a few more steps. Suddenly he stopped, a quick halt in his movements that led to your shoes scuffing on the concrete as you stopped.

“If you want money, just say that.” He said into the quiet night. You stared at the back of his head and said nothing. “Listen you weirdo, you’ve followed me for blocks. I know what people like you want.” He turned around to face you, his eyes going wide when he saw you. “What’s with the gimmick? You’re not very smart if you don’t realize this makes it easier for me to report you to the police.”

Moments passed as you silently stared at one another, him clearly waiting for you to make a move to rob his pockets clean. But that’s not what you had in mind. No, not since the beginning when you saw that look flash across his face. What you wanted was his blood on your hands.

He huffed a bit and smiled. “Well, if you’re gonna be a pussy and not even attempt to rob me, I’m gonna go home now. Have a good night and maybe check yourself into the psych ward while you’re at it-” You were too fast for him to react as you flung your body at him and shoved him into the wall. He might be stockier than you, but catching him off guard gave you the upper hand.

A grunt sounded as you slammed his head against the brick wall, the crack of his skull echoed through your ears as he fell unconscious into your waiting arms. And so you dragged his limp body off to the alleyway, where the only sounds were raccoons making their way into dumpsters and trash cans.

An hour, it took an hour for you to finish with him and stuff his lifeless body into one of those dumpsters. The raccoons scattered away as you disturbed their dinner, as the loud thud of his body echoed through the alley, through your bones. You stared at the dumpster for a long while and memorized each detail of it so you could draw it later, a keepsake of your work.

As you walked away and back to the busier streets of the city, you weren’t sure what to do next. What you should do next. All that weighed on your mind was Y/N and how you just saved her from a possibly treacherous relationship. Perhaps she’d be thankful for him to be gone, maybe the date didn’t go so well after the dinner. You should ask her how it went, being her friend and all.

You’d save it for later, though. For now you were tired and needed to wash any excess blood off of you that may have gotten passed through clothing.

Tomorrow you’ll see her, you’ll get her to smile. You’ll make the jokes you know she laughs wildly at and make any darkness she faces go away.

For you could be the only darkness in her life.

Taglist: @sacredthefran @concretecultist

[whatitsdecending]

Chokehold: Alternate Ending

Noah Sebastian x Reader x Vessel

Word Count: 4.6k

A choice was made that altered everything you worked for, but in the end it was the best choice you could’ve made.

Content warning: cheating, smut, despair, angst, lots of crying

A/N: here is the alternate ending for those who wanted Y/N to choose Noah:) I do know it’s kinda a lot with the cheating, so if you’re not comfy with that please do not read!

—————————

You stood in the sound booth with Matt, the energy of the room filling you with excitement as the time drew closer to when the boys went on stage. It was their first headlining show for the European leg and with a new song to perform, you could not wait to see the crowd’s reaction.

Matt started signaling to you as you got to your spot next to him, readying to get the opening video to play before Artificial Suicide. Each movement you made had become part of your muscle memory, each button you hit and every step of the show flowed through you like water in a river. It had all become so easy, so normal that you felt at ease doing it.

The show was going amazing. The first performance of V.A.N took your breath away as you watched Poppy grace the stage alongside Noah. You and Matt bounced along in the booth each time Noah told the crowd to jump, laughing at each other as you did so.

“Now,” Noah said into the mic after they finished Limits. “Tonight is a special night, only because we’re debuting two songs. One you’ve heard already and the second one…. Well I hope y’all know the words, this is Somebody else.”

Confusion racked your body as you looked over at Matt, his focus clearly on the mix for the song. You glanced down at the setlist on your side and not seeing the song anywhere on it. What the fuck?

Noah started singing and the room seemed to shrink in size, leaving just the two of you.

“You said enough, you never loved the thought of us. You’re too good to be true, yeah. I gotta go, gotta run, you don’t want me the way I want you, no.”

A pit opened in your stomach and you felt your heart sink into it, especially when you could see Noah looking at where you were standing. He was singing about you. Out of anyone he’s ever been with, he chose to debut this song to you.

You nervously glanced around at everyone in the crowd near you, the faces of those excited to hear this song played live for the first time and recording every second that they could, singing along loudly to Noah. You felt like throwing up.

Noah stepped up onto the elevated platforms on the stage in front of where Ruffilo stood, his eyes focused on where you were and a finger pointing toward your direction as he sang; “I know we said that sex isn’t love, but it seems like enough for us. I know we said that we’re having fun, but I’m getting too numb to your touch.” Your heart shattered and you gripped the ledge in front of you, waiting for the song to end and the misery you felt with it.

As it ended and the cheers of the crowd rang out around you, you grabbed at Matt’s arm. “When did they say they were gonna fucking play that?”

Matt stared at you with a confused expression. “They told us yesterday? Noah specifically said it was a song he wanted to do live, you didn’t know?”

“No! When the fuck was it rehearsed? I wasn’t told shit about anything.” Your throat tightened as tears threatened to spill, whether it was from embarrassment or pain you didn’t know.

“Noah said-”

“I don’t give a fuck what Noah said!” You shouted, luckily the crowd was still loud enough that no one turned to stare at you. “I had no clue that was going to happen.” Matt looked you in the eye and you watched as it finally clicked in his mind.

“Shit…” he braced himself against the ledge and stared at the stage. “I’m sorry Y/N, I didn’t realize what he was doing.”

“It’s okay. I’m just,” you bit at your lip as the tears slowly slipped from your eyes and you prepared to get the next song going. “Really disappointed in him.”

Matt nodded and took a step back as you began to work. “You gonna talk to him?”

“Yep.”

“Gonna rip his head off?”

You purse your lips. “Yep.”

He patted your shoulder. “Atta girl.”

————

You sat outside the bus again. It had become too cramped in there, the atmosphere was stifling as the guys were happy and riled up about the success of debuting the two songs tonight and the show itself.

Noah was nowhere to be found, he’d told Ruffilo that he needed to take a walk and left… It’s been about an hour since then.

All you wanted was to talk to him, hopefully a civil conversation about the stunt he pulled tonight. Each passing moment made your anxiety spike higher and higher, not knowing when you’d be able to speak to him was driving you crazy.

You got up after the building anticipation of waiting for Noah to come around that corner finally died down, and you decided that you needed to take a walk as well. It was cold outside but nothing unbearable, your hoodie, jeans and confusion that ached in you was enough to keep you warm.

You walked to wherever your heart desired, passing by pubs full of people getting wasted and having a time with their companions. Restaurants where people dining inside eyed you as you walked past, keeping your eyes ahead of you so your teariness didn’t accidentally catch the attention of random strangers.

After ten minutes of walking, you found yourself at a bridge overlooking the creek below you. The water rushed a little more than it normally would due to some of the melting snow around you, but you liked the noise that came from the extra water in the creek.

You felt the person before you heard them, and turned around swiftly in case you needed to defend yourself. But when you did, your eyes landed on Noah as he stood a few feet from you, his focus also on the creek.

His face was soft as he stared ahead, his hands shaking slightly as he waited. He was waiting for you.

“Noah.” You said, a rasp coming from you as you hadn't spoken since the show. He turned his gaze to you and a clear, broken expression was now on his face. And that just about set you off. “How can you look at me like that after the stunt you pulled earlier?”

“What stunt?” His voice was raspy too, but in a different way… like he’d been screaming.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Noah. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” You stared into his eyes that were shadowed by the night. “Why the fuck did you play that song without letting me in on the fact you guys were gonna play it, leaving me confused and fucking hurt especially when I could tell it was directed towards me.”

He shifted on his feet, your words were working, but he didn’t respond.

“Noah.” You snapped at him, your voice breaking as you waited for his answer.

He shoved your hand down. “What the fuck do you want me to say, Y/N?” He didn’t yell, but his voice was full of every emotion he felt.

“I just want you to tell me why you would do that to me.” Your voice became quiet as you wrapped your arms around your body and hugged yourself tight.

He stared at you for a long while, waiting for you to speak again. Once he realized you weren’t going to, he wiped at his face and spoke. “I miss everything we were, Y/N. And I’m angry that you’re with someone else.”

You stared at him for a long while after he said that, the tears flowing from your eyes as your heart sank. His eyes became watery as the silence stretched on longer, he sniffed and glanced over at the creek. “I knew this would be pointless.” He turned to leave but you were quick to grab his arm and stop him.

“Noah, wait.” You say watching the back of his hoodie as you silently pleaded for him to turn and face you. After a few seconds, he turned and you saw the raw emotions on his face.

“I fucking love you Y/N and I can’t stand seeing you with him, he doesn’t deserve you.” His voice was heavy with the despair that plagued him. “Vessel might have been your cushion for months, but I’ve always been here and I’ve never stopped loving you since the day we were stuck together on that stupid band and crew bonding thing.” You huffed a laugh at the memory of that day, how annoyed you both were with the game that was supposed to be a good idea for bonding with one another.

It turned into a competition of who could make a better paper mache of Noah.

He stepped closer to you. “I never thought you’d ever think of me the same. I know we put up that boundary of ‘no strings attached’ when we started having sex, but it wasn’t enough.” He took your hand from where it still rested on his forearm into his, staring at how much his hand covered yours. “I never wanted it to go the way that it did.”

Silence washed over the two of you again, the creek even seemed to grow quiet in the tension between you. A small drop of water landed on your hand, you looked up and realized his tears were falling.

“Noah…” Your voice croaked as you took your freehand and wiped the tears from his cheeks, leaving it on the side of his face. “Don’t cry.”

He shook his head. “I’ve been holding this back for so long, Y/N.”

“I know.” You whispered, catching another tear on your thumb as he stared into your eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too.” He whispered softly. “I shouldn’t have put that song on the setlist and not tell you, let alone make it known to you that I sang it about you.”

You shook your head. “It’s okay, I understand.”

“No, it’s not okay. I hurt you.”

“And I hurt you first, so I guess we can call it even now?” You quipped as you stared up at him, looking for some sort of glimpse of humor in his eyes at your words. But all you saw was the sorrow and longing that dwelled in them, so you looked away and back to the rushing water in the creek.

After a long stretch of silence, Noah said, “I hate this.” You broke your stare from the creek to face him, a brow raised in question. “I mean… I hate that we’ve caused this much pain to each other.”

You smiled sadly. “Unfortunately I think that only applies to me. I hurt you without knowing it.”

“Stop saying that.”

“No. I can’t, because the guilt is about to eat me alive each time I look into your eyes and see the pain I caused you.” Your voice wavered as tears threatened to come spilling again. “How could you still love me, after all that?”

You could see the gears shifting in his mind as he calculated a response to that. The flash of shock that lightened his eyes and then turned to disbelief as he really took in what you said.

Perhaps it was the cold finally sneaking through your layers or the look in his eyes that sent shivers across your body. Noah’s stare was unfaltering as he accessed the look in your own eyes, there was something on his tongue that he wanted to say but he couldn’t get it out.

“I love you too.” It spilled out before you could even think, the words rushing off your tongue like a waterfall. His eyes widened at the sudden confession, clearly not what he expected from you at all tonight. “I-I think I’ve loved you since we first met too. I’ve just always been scared of it and how it’d affect my career… that’s why I put those boundaries up so fast when we chose to have sex for the first time. I couldn’t risk losing my job because of a relationship-”

He put a finger to your lips, hushing your words. “I’ll stop you right there because you know damn well that I’d never let that happen.” Noah quickly pulled you to the side of the small bridge as a group of people walked by, almost going unnoticed by you until they were hollering at one another. You’d completely forgotten how public this space was. “You wouldn’t be opposed to taking this conversation to a more private place, would you?” He asked once the group was off the bridge, watching after them as they pushed each other around.

“It might be better, and a little warmer.” You say, realizing now the temperature was dropping to the point where your jeans and hoodie no longer kept you warm. Noah just nodded and turned, starting at a slow pace until he knew you were following him.

After just a few minutes, he turned to a doorway that led into a massive hotel. Your brow arched at the back of his head as he walked right to the elevator, pressed the button and waited for it to come down to the floor. You remained quiet, looking at the lobby of the hotel and its quaint design. Eventually the doors opened and you stepped inside, watching as Noah punched the button for a floor and the elevator moved up.

He’d been staying here, probably since he’d told Ruffilo that he was taking a walk. Smart of him to get a hotel room in case things went to shit between you and him, and eventually everyone else on the bus.

Noah used the keycard on a door you now stood outside of and opened it, holding the door as you walked in and observed the room. On the smaller side with just a king sized bed in the middle of the room, his bag was on the chair that sat to the side of the bed. Other than that, the room was tidy and looked as though he was in there for only a moment.

You sat down on the edge of the bed, savoring the warmth that now calmed your freezing body. Noah removed his hoodie from his torso and placed it over your hands that were shaking from the cold. His hoodie was warm and you wrapped it around your hands, sighing as that part of your body finally went back to a normal temperature.

“Didn’t realize we were out there for so long.” He finally said, glancing at the time on the clock next to the bed. You looked over your shoulder and noticed you’d been gone for three hours, hopefully there wasn’t a search party going on for the both of you. “It’s alright, Jolly knows where we are.”

“Oh, okay.” You say, a little shocked that he had kept in contact with Jolly the entirety of the night.

As if he read the thought in your mind, he sat down right beside you and said, “He’s the one who’s been helping me through this whole thing. He almost kicked my ass because I was being a stubborn asshole for a while.” He paused and looked at you. “Someone has to know where we are in an unfamiliar city.”

You smiled at him. “I know. You were just very sneaky with letting him know everything.”

Noah flashed his teeth in a toothy smile and laid back on the bed, sighing as he stretched. “What can I say? I’ve always been good at sneaking around.” You looked at him over your shoulder and he gave you a wink, causing you to immediately turn around as a blush crept into your cheeks. “Hey.” His fingers brushed against the back of your arm, toying with the fabric of your hoodie to grab your attention. You faced him again, and the lazy smile you’d always loved pulled at his face. “Come here.” You set his hoodie onto the end of the bed and turned, scooting yourself up a bit closer to where his head laid and lowered yourself into his arms that waited for you.

As you laid there, your eyes focused on him, an extreme feeling of guilt began creeping from your gut and into your heart. The smile on your face vanished and you closed your eyes. “I’m a horrible person.” You breathed, nothing more than a whisper.

Noah’s fingers brushed your cheek. “We’ve been through this, I don’t think y-”

“Not to you.” You cut him off and opened your eyes, noticing the understanding that flashed in his. “How am I going to tell him? I… I do love him, he’s a wonderful man and was always so good to me. This is going to break him.”

His fingers found your hand and gripped onto it tightly, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss on the skin. “It’ll be alright, Y/N. We’ll figure it out tomorrow.” He pulled you closer and despite how near you were before, this time his body pressed against yours and he draped your leg over his. “We won’t worry about it now, because now I just want to have this time with you. It’s what we deserved from the beginning.”

He was so close to you now that his breath touched your skin, sending a shiver across your body. This closeness was something the two of you never shared, each time you were alone it was quick enough for the both of you to enjoy. Never did he hold you like this, talk to you like this, and not once did your heart swell to the size it is now.

Noah brushed his lips against yours, almost as if he could see your heart and the size it was. The second time he began to brush them, you pushed forward to seal the kiss.

His lips were soft as you moved yours against them, saving that feeling of them that you didn’t know you missed. He pushed himself up and rolled you onto your back, not breaking the kiss once. The weight of his body on top of yours was everything you wanted as he nipped your bottom lip and your lips parted in answer, letting his tongue slip in and fight against yours.

You began to ache with need for him. The taste of his tongue was driving you up the wall, and you wanted nothing more than for him to rip your clothes off.

And he could tell. Your hips had bucked up a few times, pushing against his own and letting you feel the erection he was getting. He only pulled back from your lips and stared down at you with a wild look in his eyes.

“Are you sure this is what you want tonight?” He asked and you nodded in response. “Use your words, Y/N. You know better than that.” You damn near turned liquid when he said that.

“Yes, Noah. This is what I want tonight.” You breathed. He smirked in answer, immediately moving to pull off your hoodie and chuckling as it was pulled over your head.

“No wonder you were so cold.” His eyes marveled at your bare breasts in front of him, tracing their shape with his finger. “You never stopped being beautiful.” A blush crept across your cheeks as he took his shirt off, the tattoos you admired covering his entire torso had you taking a deep breath.

“And you’re still kinda beautiful.” You joked, earning a small glare from Noah as he tossed his shirt to the floor. His fingers undid your jeans and you lifted your hips so he could easily remove them, leaving you in only your underwear.

He laid against you again, chest warm against yours as he kissed you. Your hands roamed the muscles on his back and you weren't surprised to find that they’d become larger since the last time. Your fingers trailed to the edge of his sweatpants, going to push them down before he grabbed your wrists to stop you.

“Not yet, Y/N.” He kissed the corner of your mouth. “Allow me to show you,” he kissed the spot on your neck that turned you on in an instant, and continued to trail lower. “How much I love and miss you.” Between each word, he kissed at different points along your body. Each raising goosebumps on your skin as his lips grew closer to the place you wanted them most.

You looked down at him as he locked his fingers under the fabric of your underwear, watching his eyes glimmer with need as he pulled the fabric down. “Beautiful.” He whispered, his hands tracing the skin along your pubic bone and where your thighs connected to your hips. You writhed underneath his touch, wanting him to relieve the ache that had built.

And then he finally did, running two fingers through your lips as a shuddering breath escaped you. He lifted his fingers up and observed your arousal that now coated them, sticking them into his mouth and humming as he licked them clean.

“So good, every time.” He quietly said before settling in between your legs and pressed his face against your core. Your hips bucked up the moment his tongue met your clit and flattened out against it, putting pressure as he slowly moved his tongue around.

You moaned. “Noah…” This was so different from the times before, he went slow and worked to build you to your release. He didn’t go quickly because it wasn’t necessary, you had enough time to enjoy each other. The slower pace was good, really good and your hands were tangled up in his hair as worked on you.

The sounds from your mouth turned filthy the closer you got to your orgasm and Noah had to pin your hips to the bed to stop you from grinding against his tongue. You glanced down between your legs and noticed his eyes were on you, dark with lust as watched the sinful look on your face.

You were so close now, the tightening in your lower abdomen growing more and more as he continued. You gripped his hair and he groaned, the sound rumbling through your clit and being enough to send you over the edge. Your body shook as your release rattled through you, the sensation of Noah’s tongue still applying pressure and a slowed pace of movement had you seeing God.

“Fuck, Noah!” You screamed. His fingers dug into your hips as he kept going, your now sensitive bundle of nerves twitched under his tongue and sent impulses of pleasure through your body. It was like the orgasm was continuous, not needing the time to build again and again, only wanting to be set free at once.

When you could feel it finally subsiding, your grip on Noah loosened and you relaxed back onto the mattress. He pulled away from your core and stared at your breathless state. “Do you need a break?” You opened your eyes and noticed how he hovered over you, making sure you were all good.

“No.” You say, taking a deep breath in and out. “Keep going.” He nodded and you watched as he got off the bed, taking his sweatpants and briefs off and tossing them with the pile of clothes. You stared at his considerable length and your need for him grew again, maybe even stronger than the last time. He climbed back up on the bed, hovering over you again and brushed a strand of hair from your forehead. He leaned down to kiss you, gentle and soft as he reached between your bodies to guide himself into you.

You gasped as he slid in, stretching your walls to accommodate his size. He groaned and muttered curses at how tight you were. Once he bottomed out, he stayed still for a while and placed his lips on yours once again, then slowly slid out and snapped his hips back against yours.

Noah fucked you slowly, just as he had done with his tongue earlier. He savored every bit of this, the feeling of you around him and each moan that spilled out of your lips. This was the intimacy you craved from him. The kind of sex you wished he’d give you when you two fooled around, the ability to be in bed for hours and make love with no time limit and fear of being caught.

He flipped you over in one smooth movement and you were in his lap, he sat up on the bed as you straddled him. From this angle you were able to stare down slightly at him, take in his features as the shadows hit his face differently. He truly was the epitome of male beauty, and you couldn’t help but smile when you realized he was yours.

You moved your hips around as you straddled him, gasping as he felt even deeper in you than before. Noah’s hands were locked around your hips, his fingers dug into the flesh of your ass as he guided you along. Small, supple movements, but enough to make him whine your name and gape in pleasure.

“Y-You’re so good to me, Y/N.” He breathed as you quickened the pace ever so slightly, noticing that his demeanor changed as he grew near his own release. “Stay with me for as long as we live. I want you more than anything.”

You smiled down at him, the plea in his eyes and the words that wrapped around your spine. “Yes, Noah. I will.” He nodded once and pulled your face to his and kissed you deeply, as your hips moved more and more. His moan was light and fluttered across your skin as he came, your hips continuing to move as he did.

His release passed and your movements stopped, staying still in his lap as you both breathed heavily. Noah pressed your forehead to his, the stickiness of his sweat wetting your hair.

“That. Was. Amazing.” He whispered, taking deep breaths between words. You chuckled and brushed the side of his face with your knuckles. “Can we do that again?”

You pulled away from his face and studied it. “You think I’d decline that offer?” His smile grew in a wide grin as he flipped you over onto your back, a squeal leaving your lips.

Into the early hours of the morning, the two of you made love. The intimacy you shared was enough to make you keep wanting more, despite the exhaustion you felt. And as you laid here in his arms, the quiet sounds of his calm breathing as he slept slowly luring you to sleep, you felt a sense of peace. Even if there was that guilt that’ll plague you until you finally called Vessel, you still felt as though you could breathe easier.

These last five months of your life have been a whirlwind of emotions. Ones you thought were right and thought were what you wanted, to these. The ones that were actually right and not just what you thought when you were faced with the doubt of Noah not loving you the same way you loved him.

And now? Now that doubt was gone, only replaced with the reassurance that he did indeed love you the same.