Sugar - Vessel / SleepToken ff

~ 30 ~

.<<• Jade •>>.

'I love the smell of rain',

The scent is like a mix of damp earth and pine. It's like an old friend I never tire of visiting, especially as I sit gazing at the lake before me. Each raindrop, round and sparkling like shards of glass, dances to the water's surface, mingling with the ripples that spread outward, creating a mirror-like effect under the darkening sky.

Stuck in this place of beauty, something I never thought would turn out to be my reality. I often find myself feeling both confined and liberated, the lush canopy above offering a sense of sanctuary while the thought of never going home infuriates me from the inside out. Though there is nothing I can do now, I am becoming a Vessel. Slowly, yet surely. And once the others get back and the process is finished, there will be no going back to my old life.

As I sank deeper into the solitude, I heard his voice pierce the rhythmic patter of rain. “You need to eat, Sugar,” he called to me, the nickname igniting a fire of emotions that I do not wish to give recognition to yet.

Vessel. His white and red mask was a stark contrast against his flowing black cloak and dark-painted body, a reminder of windows both closed and broken between us. I blinked, hardly surprised by his sudden appearance, yet still jolted by the way he snuck up on Me as he does often

“I’m not hungry,” I replied, my voice nearly swallowed by the sound of the pouring rain. My insides twisted at the thought of eating; my body still not properly able to operate after whatever it was that sleep had done to me.

“You shouldn’t be out in the rain like this. Come inside the cabin and warm up, please,” he insisted, and I noted the slight gentleness in his tone—something that had seemingly faded since our separation. He never had been one to abide by manners; he was rough around the edges, fiercely unapologetic. But that softness had mostly vanished in the last month or so. Clearly present, the soft spot he opened up for me ok his heart was still there, but buried deep beneath protective walls.

I remained rooted to the wooden bench, feeling the streaks of rain tracing paths down my cheeks, mixing with the tiny droplets that fell like whispers from the trees. Here was my comfort: the rain, the wet embrace of solitude, and the uninvited echoes of my thoughts become pushed out of my mind.

When my silence stretched on too long, Vessel decided he wasn’t quite finished. He climbed onto the bench beside me, wrapping me in his large, warm embrace. My heart quickened with the sudden intimacy. we fit perfectly planted on the weathered wood, our only shelter was our hooded robes and the lush trees above that provided us with some barrier from the drizzling sky.

I buried my face against his chest, the fabric of his cloak pulling me in closer, anchoring me. The familiar scent of him - smoky and earthy, like a storm after the drought - washed over me, and I found the edges of my worries blurring under the comfort of his arms. I closed my eyes, letting the rain wash over the lingering shadows in my mind.

I had forgotten how much I missed this connection, how effortlessly he made the world fade away. I exhaled deeply, a shaky breath that felt half like relief and half like longing. The rain, the forest, Vessel - they intertwined around my heart, a cocoon that felt safe yet reckless all at once.

We shouldn't be here right now, not the both of us in this way, but the only one to see would be Sleep himself, and we have come to the conclusion that he Doesn't give a flying fuck.

As I began to drift off into the quiet arms of sleep, I felt a soft kiss brush against my forehead, sending a shiver of familiar warmth flooding to my cheeks. It was as if he had unlocked a door I thought I lost the keys to - a love buried beneath our words of avoidance. Both of us not wanting to face our true feelings, so instead we ignored and pushed them down.

"Stay with me," I murmured, not entirely sure if the words flew from my lips or simply gathered in my subconscious.

And in the mist of rain and warmth, as the world faded to whispers, I hoped that maybe one day, when this is all over, I could take him back. I could call him mine. Because I will always be his, that will never change.

.<<• A/N •>>.

short chapter... I know I'm sorry but I had to put something out soon I might start writing again but I just wanted to write this to give you children something to mung on