Not Acid Nor Alkaline ~ Sleep Token FF ~

16.Now I Can Tell You

Emma's POV:

It felt like I had been holding my breath for hours.
After the door closed behind me I stood in the empty hall way and slid down the wall, just sitting there for a few minutes.

Was this even real?
Did I just had sort of a date with a masked, unknown man?
And why did I have the feeling I knew him, that I can trust him?

I pinched myself, but nothing changed except the slight pain coming from my arm.

I stood up after a while and walked to my flat. I opened the door as quiet as possible, I hoped I wouldn't meet Abby now. I knew she'd want to talk.

But she was still awake and she even was outside of her room.
'You're already back?', Abby welcomed me. Oh well.
'Yes.', I mumbled and took my jacket off and slowly followed her into the kitchen.

'How was your date?', Abby said pouring red wine into two glasses.
'It was no...', I began, but she looked at me with a raised eyebrow. 'Don't lie. Maybe you thought it wasn't, but how you came through this door told me everything, Emma.', my flatmate grinned handing me one of the glasses.

'Well he played me a song.', I began, holding back. I took a sip of the alcohol.
'He played you a song? So just you two and he made music?', Abby tried her best to get more information out of me.

I nodded. 'And how comes you have black paint at your mouth? Don't lie to me, I am more than sure you two have kissed.', Abby continued and I blushed and tried to clean the black color from my face.
My flatmate giggled watching me.
'Was he really still all painted in black? Don't tell me he had the mask on!'

I bit my lip and looked to her.
'No way! Emma, you kissed him and still don't know who he is? You can't do things like this!', Abby was shocked.

I shrugged. 'I like this little mystery and all. I mean I don't who he is and haven't seen his face, but we talked a lot while going for a walk, and I enjoyed his accompany.', I answered truthfully.

'I really don't get that and he could have been a killer, Emma. This could have been dangerous.'
If she only knew how close I've been to true killers. You never know you might be next to one, not even if they are your own parents.

I sighed. 'Abby, do you believe me if I tell you that I like him, that he is the first man where I developed this feelings? Maybe there is something like love at first sight.' Again I blushed, I felt the heat in my face.
'And now? Is there a big reveal party or is he really planning to keep this mask on?', the brown haired woman asked me.

I rolled my eyes and took another sip before answering: 'Stop talking like that. We will see each other again and look where this all is going. I think he needs to trust me first. I think he got broken, you know.'

'You never had a boyfriend over the past years. Since I know you, nothing. I already thought you were asexual, Emma. And now you just date this weirdo?', hearing Abby talking like this did hurt, a lot.
Not only Matt, but Abby as well, were so biased about Vessel.

I knew it was beyond the bounds of social norm, but wasn't it the same with a huge age gap or other relationship constellations that weren't accepted by the majority.

'I better go to bed now. I'm still lacking sleep from the past nights.', I lied to Abby and placed the empty glass on the kitchen counter and tried to hold back my anger about her words.
'Good night', I said before I left, and Abby returned the same.

I let myself fall onto the matress and took my phone out. I started to play 'Jaws' and thought about the missing piece I might a have found and how I may have been wrong about my friendship.

Vessel's POV:

I drove back home. I'd never thought this evening would end like this.
I still imagined to feel Emma's lips on mine. I smiled all to myself.
How long I haven't felt like this?

I parked the car and carried everything inside. I took of the mask and walked into my shower.
I put on some fresh clothes and sat down on my couch.
How would this continue between Emma and I? How would Emma react when she'd see me without my mask?

I looked at my phone and opened a coversation with II, the drummer.
A few days ago he came in very spontanious to record the drums for 'Jaws'. But I needed to tell him why I wanted to record it right away.

Two days ago he had written me and asked how Emma liked the song, but I couldn't give him an answer.
But now I quickly wrote him:

Now I can tell you.