Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

His home was crawling with vampires. Loud, obnoxious, obscene vampires. He stifled a growl as one brushed past him, a human getting pulled behind the creature by a hand, right up the stairs of his home. His eyes darted around the crush of bodies in his living room, music booming in his overly sensitive ears.

Where the fuck is he?

Patience wearing thin, Two lost the ability to be polite. He shoved and pushed and hissed until finally he caught the gaze of one particular redhead. “What the fuck is this?” he yelled, half to be heard over the level of noise in the room, half because he was pissed.

“Party!” Three mumbled around the hair tie that he held gently in his mouth, long fingers gathering his bright red hair into a bun at the back of his head.

“In my house?” Two thought that even if he wasn’t such an asshole, this whole display would be ridiculous nonetheless. The next person to press against his skin would die tonight. Two could do with killing something, annoyance and anger simmering in his blood.

“Last I checked, it’s our house. Relax, Two, it’s just a party.”

“Our house means you need to ask me! Fuck, Three, this is like a bloodbath waiting to happen. On my beautiful carpet!” Two frowned, looking down at his precious carpet, now littered with plastic cups and dirty footprints. “You will be cleaning this. And I swear to whatever God is out there, if someone is in my bedroom, I will kill you instead of them.” Two turned to leave, but Three was faster. His fingers curled around Two’s wrist, yanking him back towards the couch he was sitting on.

“Can’t you have some fun?” Three quipped, eyebrows dancing, mischief in his eyes. Two pulled a face, wrinkling his nose. If the idiot wasn’t his best friend, he’d already be buried in the backyard for this. “One drink? No- Don’t pull away. One drink!” He begged, clasping their fingers together.

“If I can get through one drink before gouging my eyes out, then sure.” He deadpanned.

“Yay! Come, come, come.” Three pulled Two by their linked hands to the kitchen. The disastrous kitchen. Two was going to have to call the doctor he didn’t have and ask for some blood pressure medication, at this rate. There was a couple, of some sort, sitting on the counter, blood dripping from one of their throats.

“Can you fuck off? This is a kitchen. Have some respect,” he growled. The pair went wide eyed at his dismissal, sliding off the counter and skittering away from Two’s wrath. He could hear Three snickering behind him. “It’s not funny!” He whorled on his friend, ready to begin telling him off again, if not for Three pressing a shot glass to his lips. Two accepted the offering, though he glared daggers at Three as he swallowed down the liquor.

“I fucking hate you right now,” Two said, wiping the vodka from his lips as Three took a shot of his own. “What’s the occasion, anyway?”

“Who said parties need occasions?” He glared at Two, humor twinkling in his eyes. “The occasion is… I wanna get fucked up. And have fun. You should try it. I swear you’re going to have permanent wrinkles in your forehead by tomorrow if you don’t stop with that face on your face.”

Two had always been taken aback by Three’s wild emotions. He was like a goddamn rollercoaster, feeling everything intensely. Two didn’t know much intensity, unless it was anger. Seemed that part of their shared affliction didn’t affect Three in the same way. He frowned, watching his friend smile brightly at someone entering the kitchen, flashing his fangs and offering them a drink.

“Two!” He yelped excitedly. “This is Ivy!” Two turned, meeting tired blue eyes.

“Hello,” Ivy said awkwardly, lips pulling into a polite smile. Two looked up at him, noting the gentle slope of his nose, the thick line of dark lashes, the tiny freckles that dotted his nose- probably entirely invisible to the human eye. He was pretty. And Two was staring.

“Hello. You’ve come to raid my home, like all the other creatures?” Two asked.

“Two!” Three yowled, slapping at his arm. “Ignore him. He’s a huge asshole,” he said, turning towards Ivy. Ivy laughed, accepting the drink Three offered him and taking a long swig. Ah, but this creature is human. Humans showing face with vampires wasn’t entirely unusual, but certainly uncommon. Either Ivy was friends with a vampire- unlikely- or he was a pet.

“Your home is very nice, Two. Thank you for having me,” Ivy said, smiling brightly, showing off blunt white teeth. Is he fucking with me? Two glared.

“Thank you!” Three spoke in place of Two before leaning close to his ear. “I will smack that forehead wrinkle right off your face if you don’t lighten up,” he hissed. Two reached way up, flicking Three right on his smooth, wrinkle-less forehead and walked away, muttering a clipped ‘Going for a smoke’.

Two shoved through bodies, yanking the sliding glass door open and huffing his first full breath of the night when he was finally outside. Few people lingered outside, huddled together and being blessedly quiet. Two swiped a lighter and a little blue tin that he had left on the back porch table the night prior. He strode to his spot, taking a seat right on the grass and pulling a pre-rolled joint from his tin. Staring into the bright full moon, he flicked his lighter and took a pull deep into his lungs. He clamped the joint between his lips, watching as the smoke dissipated in the moonlight. Here, he could hardly hear the music. Here, he could ignore the crowd of strangers in his house and the mess they were making of his things. He would certainly kill Three if there was any trace of his occasion-less party in the morning. He tapped a beat on his thigh with his fingers, taking drag after drag, trying to calm his mind. A throat cleared behind him.

“Mind if I take a hit?”

Ivy.

“First you intrude on my house, and now you want my weed?” Two asked, not turning towards the man behind him. But, he held the joint out nonetheless- he wasn’t that much of an asshole. He felt Ivy take it from his fingers before he took a seat in the grass with him, bathing himself in moonlight and smoke. Ivy passed it back to him, watching as he took his pull and blew it slowly out.

“I take it this wasn’t your idea?” Ivy asked.

“My idea?” Two spoke through the smoke in his lungs, his voice deepening. “Fuck no.” He handed the joint back to Ivy, watching him sidelong as he took a deep drag. “Are you a pet?”

“Fuck off,” Ivy said through a laugh, smoke pouring from his mouth. “Do I look like one?” Two shrugged. His tolerance was high, but this was good weed, and his head already felt fuzzy.

“Do they even have a look?” Two asked. Ivy tugged on the neckline of his shirt, showing off a clean, smooth skinned neck- to prove he was certainly no pet. Two swallowed, hopefully not audibly. Ivy’s scent mingled with the earthiness of the weed, making Two’s head spin.

“I’m here with a friend.” He took another hit, turning his face away from the moon and letting the smoke glide out of his mouth right in Two’s face. Two glared incredulously, plucking the joint from his fingers and decided he wasn’t going to give it back.

“Bad friend you’ve got,” Two said, staring into the night sky and enjoying the rest of his joint without sharing- and maybe letting the smoke blow in Ivy’s face, for the sake of fairness.

“And why’s that?” Ivy lifted his cup from the grass, taking a gulp before pulling his knees up, resting his forearms and letting his hands dangle in the space between his legs.

“Because they’re not watching over you. Stranger vampire danger. Or whatever.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Can you?” Two faced him, Ivy’s blue eyes looking gray in the moonlight. Ivy’s lips turned up in a smirk, and Two found himself wanting to return the expression.

“Why do you hate the party so much?” Ivy questioned, pointedly ignoring what Two had said.

“Hate the noise. The mess. The people.” Hate that I can’t enjoy it, went unsaid. Ivy seemed to ponder his answer, taking another sip of his drink before offering it to Two. Two accepted, taking a gulp of whatever nasty alcoholic concoction it contained. Some shit Three made up in his ever-whirring mind- which in reality was just whatever happened to be the cheapest liquor and juice he could find. “I don’t like strangers in my space. Don’t like not being able to control the situation.” He was surprised he was saying so many words. Perhaps the weed was a little too strong. He felt warm all over, his breaths finally coming consistently easy, and his thoughts felt calm. Well, calm enough- considering the closeness of one specific stranger.

“I get that. Does Three do this often?” Ivy asked, frowning at the quickly dwindling joint that Two held between his fingers.

“No. We only just moved in, not too long ago, anyway. He’s much more… outgoing than me.”

“You don’t say,” Ivy chuckled. “Is there a reason I’ve been banned from the weed?”

“You annoy me.” Ivy laughed at that, and Two narrowed his brows at him. “I’m serious.” Another twinkling laugh.

“And you annoy me. Now, give me the joint!”

“Brat,” Two mumbled under his breath, handing Ivy what he requested, and stealing his cup from his hand to down the contents.

They sat in silence as they quickly finished off the weed, four blue eyes staring into the star-speckled sky. For once, Two’s brain was quiet. His limbs felt heavy as calm, sated euphoria washed over him. He saw Ivy move from the corner of his eye, settling down to sprawl out in the grass. “Good weed,” he whispered. He tucked his arms under his head, forcing his black t-shirt to ride up on his stomach. Two could see the soft hair lining Ivy’s tummy, ducking down into the waistband of his jeans. “Thanks.”

“Oh yeah, anytime you wanna break in and steal my weed, feel free,” Two deadpanned, but his eyes were locked on the sliver of pale skin, the slight hint of blue veins on Ivy’s bare hips.

“That is not what happened. I was invited!” Ivy reached down, tugging the hem of his shirt down- cutting off the display. Fuck, did he see Two staring? Surely not. Maybe he was cold. Actually, he did look quite cold. Two unzipped his hoodie, tossing it unceremoniously onto Ivy’s prone form.

“Aww, aren’t you so caring,” Ivy said, voice pitched high in sarcasm.

“I know how you humans are prone to illness. Wouldn’t want you to die, or something.”

“Fuck, am I gonna go hypothermic?” Ivy joked as he sat up to wiggle into Two’s zip up. It was too small for him, and it made Two want to laugh. This might’ve been the longest casual conversation Two had had with anyone other than Three in God knows how long. It annoyed Two. Or at least he thought he was annoyed, he wasn’t quite sure.

The party still thrummed on as Ivy laid himself back down, the hood of Two’s zip up pulled over his messy dark blonde hair. “Is your friend going to come looking?” Two asked. Ivy shrugged, pulling a frown.

“He’s probably fang deep in someone by now.”

“Why did you come?” Two’s head felt heavy, eyelids falling. He slid down to lay in the grass like Ivy, their elbows bumping as he settled his own arms under his head.

“Boredom.”

“Is that the real answer?”

“No,” Ivy whispered, turning his head to look at Two- who was already looking. And now his face felt hot. Embarrassing. “I know of my friend’s- Vessel’s- certain afflictions. But, that’s it. That’s all I know. I was curious. And Vess offered to let me come. Which was strange. He likes to keep me away from all this shit. But he’s noticed-” Ivy paused. Two knew he was going to say more, that there was something else hiding in there. But Ivy didn’t continue. He just swallowed, blinking down at Two like he didn’t just cut himself off, and was waiting for a response.

“Is your curiosity sated, Ivy?” Two asked. “Did you see enough bleeding throats? Enough debauchery all over my living room?”

“No, it’s not,” Ivy stated, his eyes like oceans, serious and full of depth that went beyond his simple answer to Two’s question. Ivy was playing word games, and Two desperately wanted to understand him. Ivy’s eyes roamed Two’s face; Two watched him right back, gaze brushing over his nose and cheeks that were touched with pink from the cold. Two was surprised by his thirst to know the things Ivy was hiding. Before he could pry, though, Ivy was pushing off the ground, standing over Two’s frozen frame still sprawled in the grass. “Well, must go satiate my curiosity,” he said suddenly, snapping Two out of the trance of comfort he found in their conversation. He was confused, and Ivy was walking away with Two’s too-small jacket still wrapped around his body.

When Two finally shuffled through heated bodies- for hopefully the last time- to his room, he was haunted by a ghost. When he closed his eyes to sleep, he was haunted by icy blue eyes. When he dreamt, he was haunted by minuscule freckles and easy smiles. When he woke, he was haunted by Ivy. Two, to the very core of his being, was disturbed.

****

Unfortunately for Two, Ivy didn’t just haunt his dreams. No, he couldn’t be so lucky. After that night, Ivy and Vessel were around often. To see Three, of course. Not Two. Because, Two was an asshole, as Three would say. He’d come home to the three of them, lounging in the living room playing video games like teenagers. Or, huddled together in the kitchen, dining on delivery pizza. Or, throwing one of those occasion-less parties. Two hated it. Resented them for their friendship- one that he was not a part of. At this point, he didn’t even bother with forced pleasantries. He’d walk into his home to be greeted by three pairs of eyes, and scramble up the stairs. No ‘hellos’ no ‘good nights’. Nothing.

Even his friendship with Three had dwindled, now that he had two real friends. They were not like Two, not stoic and angry- with an aversion to fun. They were good for him, Two told himself. He didn’t belong. He’d never belonged with Three, in the first place.

Two sat in his room now, overhearing the giggles and shouts from downstairs. It made him angry. The noise, the laughter, the fun. It was torture to listen to them day in and day out. It was torture to wander downstairs and find the object of his anguish standing in his kitchen. In sweatpants and Two’s own jacket. Ivy wore it all the time, never mind that the cuffs didn’t pull all the way over his wrists. Often, Vessel and Ivy would stay the night and Two would find them sprawled in his living room in the early morning. He’d stand in the kitchen, awaiting his water to boil for tea, and catch himself staring. Staring at the perfect slope of Ivy’s nose, the hair that fanned over his forehead, the slight pout in his lips as he slept. Peaceful. And human. And beautiful. It was quickly becoming torment to live in his own home, and he found any reason to be outside of it. He ignored the three of them like it was a job. Like it was what had to happen for Three to be happy. Two didn’t belong.

“Two!” Three’s singsong voice came floating in from the stairs. “Stop hiding in your room like a grumpy troll!” He sang the words, like it’d lure said grumpy troll out of hiding. “You are like a troll, actually. Short and strong and… angry.”

“What do you want?” He barked, looking up from the book that was splayed in his lap.

“Dinner?” Three asked sweetly through the door. That was the one exception to Two’s isolation. He cooked for them, often- if not everyday. He didn’t speak, he didn’t dine with them. But, he cooked- because he wanted to. He enjoyed it. Cooking cleared his mind like a long pull from a good blunt.

“Sure,” he mumbled, marking the page in his book and crawling from the depths of his dark bedroom. Three stood there, long limbed and bright haired. And he stunk like weed.

“You okay, little guy?” Three asked, rubbing the top of Two’s head.

“‘M fine, and don’t call me that.” Two trudged down the stairs, finding Vessel and Ivy tucked under a blanket on the couch, a film on the TV. For a fleeting second, he wondered what it would be like to be that close to someone. To just enjoy the quiet company of another. But, he couldn’t get there- couldn’t let down his walls enough to let someone in. So, he padded into the kitchen, rifling through the fridge and the pantry to extract ingredients for their dinner.

He poured whatever love he had in his cold heart into the food- fettuccine alfredo. Simple, but a favorite for the four of them. Just as he was about to call them in to serve themselves, Ivy walked up to him.

“Hello,” Ivy whispered, like he’d spook Two if he spoke too loud, or something. “Smells good,” he said.

“Thanks. Help yourself,” Two told him, collecting his plate and utensils to hurry off to his room with.

“Why don’t you ever eat with us?” Ivy asked at Two’s retreating form. Two paused, fingers burning on the hot plate.

“Um-” he stammered. “Don’t want to.”

“Alright, then,” Ivy responded, sounding wounded. Two didn’t want that. “The offer is there, just so you know.”

“Really?” He asked, turning towards Ivy.

“Are you stupid? Of course you can eat with us. If you can handle Vess’s horrific taste in movies.” Ivy laughed, a twinkling sound that brushed all over Two’s senses. He found that he didn’t find Ivy’s laugh annoying, and it didn’t make him angry. Neither did Vessel’s or Three’s. He just wanted to belong.

“Okay,” he mumbled, carrying his food with him to the living room and taking a seat in his armchair. Two’s cat, Ditto, bounded up to him, meowing excitedly. “Three, did you feed her?” Three whipped his head around from his place next to Vessel on the couch.

“Woah. Am I… hallucinating? Vessel, where did that weed come from?”

“Uhh.. the dispensary.” Vessel responded, looking rapidly between Two and Three with wide blue-green eyes.

“Can’t be laced, can it?” Three asked Vessel, though he blinked directly at Two.

“Can you stop staring at me like I’ve pulled my cock out and go get your food?!” Two spat, making Three bust out laughing.

“Oh! It’s really you! And you’re eating dinner with us!” Three yelped, hopping off the couch and pulling Vessel behind him with a hand. They collected their food and the four of them dined in silence, watching the movie Vessel had chosen.

“Oh- Two, I should tell you. We’re having a party tomorrow night- Okay! Before you grumble- there is an occasion this time. It’s Ivy’s birthday. And he told me he hasn’t had a birthday party in years? Can you believe that? Oh- I guess you probably can. You haven’t either. Anyway, party. Tomorrow. Birthday. Wear your best,” Three rambled, smiling a huge smile in Two’s direction. Two had learned to suffer through the parties for the past few weeks. He’d hide in his room, with Ditto curled on his lap and wait for it to be over. Three, and the other two, were good, though. They always cleaned.

“Okay,” Two sighed, turning towards Ivy who sat on the couch, now, with a blush on his cheeks. “How old are you turning?”

“Thirty,” Ivy said, running a hand through his mess of hair and pulling his legs up to cross them in his seat.

“Whoop! Big three-oh!” Vessel said, smiling at his friend. But, the look in Ivy’s eyes wasn’t lost on Two. He looked sad, his eyebrows pinching together slightly and his lips in a contemplative frown. He caught himself, though, smiling back at Vessel, showing off shining white teeth. It didn’t reach his eyes. It made Two itch, to see him look like that. Small and scared. Scared of what?

He considered speaking to Ivy, after all that would be the normal thing to do- if they were friends. Desperately, he wanted to understand what Ivy was hiding; he just wasn’t sure how to react to the information when he got it. He couldn’t comfort, or soothe. Knowing himself, he’d probably shrug at Ivy after the man offloaded his pain onto him. He hoped it wasn’t pain that had Ivy down about his birthday. In any case, Two would never know. He’d never ask.

“Well, happy birthday, in case I don’t see you tomorrow,” Two mumbled, lips pulling into something that could be described as a smile.

“Ummmm, what do you mean by that? You’re not going to be here?” Three asked, eyebrows drawn together in incredulity.

“That’s the plan, anyway.”

“Where do you even go, when you’re not here?” Ivy questioned, scratching an itch on his neck.

“That’s not your business,” Two said, grabbing his dirty dishes and padding off to the kitchen to scrub them, Ditto at his heels. Ditto didn’t mind that Two was an asshole. Because she couldn’t understand him, of course! He leaned down to scritch her black-furred head before scooping her in his arms and carrying her up the stairs to his bedroom.

It wasn’t long before a knock sounded on his door, he was too absorbed in his book to hear the footsteps sounding up the stairs. “Yes?” Two called, running his fingers through Ditto’s silken fur, enjoying her purs against his leg.

”It’s Three. Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” Two said. Ditto hopped up and screamed a meow at Three as he walked in. “Seriously, did you feed her?”

“Yes! She just likes me,” Three said, grinning as he walked over to the side of Two’s bed to pet the cat. Two sat up, setting his book aside and watched Three expectantly.

Three opened his mouth- paused- and then spoke. “Listen, I’ve let you stew in your own self hatred for long enough, and I have decided I’m done with it. I’ve let you push me and Ivy and Vessel away, let you lock yourself up here- because I thought it was what you wanted. I thought I was giving you what you needed. But, the more I think about it, the more I realize that I’ve been a shit friend. You think this is good for you. You think you deserve this, but you don’t. I don’t care if you’re cold, or if you hate parties- or fun. It doesn’t matter. I just- We want you there. And I can’t keep watching you shut us out, okay?” Three let it all out, and by the look on his face he was surprised by everything he said. Two just sat there, staring up at him blankly. He wished he could turn and run, but isn’t that exactly what he’s been doing? And did it change anything? Did it make him feel better?

“I’m not like you, Three. Or Vessel, or Ivy. I feel so empty. I watch you, and I just can’t understand how it’s so easy for you. For Vessel, too-”

“Who said it was easy?” Three asked, sitting on the edge of Two’s bed and allowing Ditto to crawl into his lap. “You think I don’t feel that dread that you do? That there isn’t that constant nagging in my brain, screaming at me that I have had something taken away from me? It’s never gone away, Two. It’s there. I just can’t let it consume me. I’ve seen the darkness that you feel, the helplessness. But, I choose to run away from it, not into it. I know you have it inside you to do the same.” Three frowned, eyes searching Two for signs of understanding.

“I can’t pull myself out,” Two said, voice cracking. It wasn’t like he didn’t realize that he was self sabotaging, he just didn’t want to face the truth in it all. He was so lost- had been since he’d changed. He observed from the sidelines as Three battled with his own inner turmoil, and resented him when he made it out. Because he couldn’t pull himself from the depths of it. He couldn’t reason with the horrible thing that happened to the two of them. So, he dove straight into the waves, allowing it to eat him alive. Suffered in silence so he didn’t drag Three down with him. It was agony, to exist in a world where everything was numb- and nothing made sense to him, anymore. “I can’t-” he repeated.

“Then let me help you,” Three whispered, taking Two’s hand in his own. Two had never seen him so serious before, and it frightened him. What did he see when he looked at Two? A basket case? His eyes burned at the thought. This whole time, he thought he was doing the right thing by pushing them away, never once thinking it was causing his friend pain to see him this way. “I’m not going to let you drown. In the… metaphorical sense. Because I really don’t think I’d be able to save you if you drowned, I can only doggy paddle!” Three said, making Two chuckle suddenly. He wiped at his watery eyes, squeezing Three’s hand.

“I’m sorry for pushing you away. I’ll try to be better,” Two said. Which was a loaded statement. He tried to imagine himself, curled on the couch and joking with the three of them- and he couldn’t. He didn’t think he deserved it, or that he could enjoy it. There was little he enjoyed, little that brought a smile to his face in this life after death that he found himself in.

“I’ll forgive you, under one condition,” Three told him, wiggling his brows in mischief. Oh dear. Two sighed, gesturing for his friend to continue. “Join us, tomorrow. For Ivy’s birthday. It’ll make him happy!” Two couldn’t understand why his appearance would make Ivy feel anything, at all. But he nodded, making Three smile wide.

“Don’t get too excited. I’m not agreeing, yet. What makes you think throwing a human’s birthday party and inviting a bunch of blood sucking vipers is a good idea, anyway?”

“Ivy is in too deep now. Poor mortal.” Three shook his head in feigned sympathy. “Please, just think about it. Maybe you’ll realize you do have the ability to enjoy something, if you just try!”

“Yeah, yeah. I hear you. I’ll try my best.” To pretend, went unsaid. What Three said did make sense to Two, he just wasn’t sure he was in the right place to absorb it all. But, as Three gave Ditto a kiss on the head and left Two’s room, Two decided he would be at Ivy’s party. Even if he hated it, even if he couldn’t fake a smile. He owed it to Three, and to Ivy, and to himself. To try.

Chapter Text

Two was dreading going home. He kept replaying what Three had said to him over and over. ‘Wear your best’. What the fuck did that even mean? Was he joking? Two shook his head, shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket as he walked, music blasting in his ears. His body thrummed with the energy from fresh blood, and he hoped he didn’t have any on his face. He tugged his phone out of his pocket, tapping open the camera and checking his face. No blood. He stared into his own blue eyes, pupils enlarged with satiation, and fidgeted with the spiked piercings on either side of his nose. He could be a partygoer. Sure.

When he arrived home, he wasn’t surprised to be greeted by three pairs of eyes. But, his house looked
like a party supply store threw up all over it, and that had him taken aback. “Wow, you creatures really pulled out all the stops,” he said flatly, tugging at the cheap paper streamers that were taped to the stair bannister.

“Duh! It’s Ivy’s birthday!” Three said excitedly, long legs stretching to tie a Happy Birthday sign on the light pull of the ceiling fan. Vessel was blowing balloons, looking exhausted and blue in the face. And Ivy sat in the armchair watching the two of them, like a prince on his throne. He even had a stupid plastic crown nestled in his wavy hair. All the stops, indeed.

“Happy birthday,” Two told him, tossing him a simple white bag. Ivy caught it with ease, looking at Two confusedly.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Ivy said, holding the bag in his lap. Two waited patiently as Ivy dug into the gift, pulling out a dark green zip up hoodie, with little vines embroidered on the cuffs and neckline.

“So you can give me mine back,” Two said. Ivy laughed. “I’m serious.” Ivy laughed some more, unzipping Two’s hoodie and shucking it off, tossing it in Two’s direction. He caught it without looking, holding it in one hand as he watched Ivy put on his new jacket. It fit him perfectly; no more cold wrists.

“Thank you,” Ivy said, examining the detailed stitching. It made Two feel awkward, so he did as he always did, and fled.

“You better not be expecting me to cook for your party guests!” He called, trudging up the stairs.

“I’m ordering pizza, idiot! I know you’re not fucking Gordon Ramsay!” Three yelled back. Two felt a little thrill in his tummy, like he wanted to laugh. Which was strange.

In the end, Two decided that, to him, ‘Wear your best’ meant skinny jeans and the black zip up that had been returned to him, at long last. Unfortunately for Two, the cursed thing smelled like Ivy as he shrugged it on. Like his cologne, like his human skin, like his shampoo. It was disturbing. He didn’t take it off. And he realized, with great apathy towards himself, that he’d miss seeing Ivy prance around in his clothes. He wished he could take the gift back and return it- even if it looked so good on him. Because Two’s own, ill-fitting jacket looked better. He ran a hand through his short hair, looking at Ditto as he said “What is wrong with me?” Ditto stared at him, mewling softly. Because she was a cat. And now Two has gone so insane that he’s speaking to cats!

He sat idle in his room, in waiting mode, passing time until guests started arriving. He wondered if he’d be able to put up with faking fun, and for how long? It was his own house, after all, and he could hide away if he wanted to. But, he’d disappoint Three. He’d told him he’d try. His dread was there, following him like a shadow that, no matter which way the sun shone, would always be around. He heard the door open and close a few times, voices filling the downstairs area, music getting turned up louder, and decided it was time for him to extract himself from the comfort of his room.

As he descended the stairs, he took deep breaths to calm himself. It was mostly dark inside- metallic ribbons hanging from the walls were shining in multicolored lights. Already, there were a lot of people, drinks and humans in hand, moving about the rooms of his house. He was uncomfortable, and hot, and itchy. But, he could do this. He said he’d try.

Two searched, finding the occasion of the party standing in the kitchen. The dark green hood of his zip up pulled halfway over his head, his hair curling around the silver plastic of his faux crown. His blue eyes were wide with excitement, white teeth flashing as he spoke, face bathed in bright pink light. Two felt like he’d been gut punched, and he froze- standing like an idiot just outside of the kitchen. Could putting on an outfit and his favorite vans and walking down the stairs be considered trying? Probably not. Before he could hurry his miserable ass away from the horribly beautiful man in his kitchen, Three was barking his name.

“Two! Come!” What am I, a dog? Two thought, dragging himself to where Three towered over Ivy, his slender body leaning back against the kitchen countertop- and still he towered. “Do you like the decor?” He asked, glancing around the house.

“It looks like a fucking circus in here,” Two grumbled.

“Ivy circus!” Three yipped, wrapping his arm around Ivy’s waist and pulling him in. Ivy turned from the conversation he was having with some vampire that probably was weighing the odds of how easy it would be to eat Ivy whole.

“What about a circus?” Ivy asked, adjusting the crown that was slipping in his soft hair. Two involuntarily stepped in front of said vampire, cutting off his gaze towards Ivy. He couldn’t very much let the guy get eaten on his birthday, in any case. That’d just be blasphemous.

“You guys are going to the circus?” Vessel asked over the loud music as he walked up behind Two.

“Feels like we’re playing telephone,” Three mumbled.

“What?” Ivy yowled over the music. His poor, human ears.

“No one’s going to the circus!” Two yelled, making the other three giggle. Three stepped away for a moment, returning with four shot glasses clasped in his long fingers. They each took one, knocking them back simultaneously.

Vessel cleared his throat before speaking. “People keep asking me if Ivy is my pet,” he frowned. “I think Ivy could kill me, if he wanted to.” Ivy nodded at that. What is he, a fucking ninja?

“Maybe you should tell them he is, so they leave him alone,” Two shrugged.

“Nah, he doesn’t belong to anyone. And he can take care of himself,” Vessel said, turning to pour a cup of Three’s signature concoction. Two fought the urge to curl his lip at the miscommunication. Of course Ivy didn’t belong to anyone. He wasn’t insinuating that he did, or should. He just knew how things could get, and he didn’t want Ivy to spill blood in his house. It’d be a bitch to clean up. Yep, that’s why Two was worried about him. The mess.

“Hey, hey, don’t get all cagey,” Three chastised. “You look like ‘flight’ is about to win in ‘fight or flight’,” he said lowly, slapping Two gently on the arm.

“‘M fine. Just need to waterboard myself with your concoction.”

“Ew.” Three deadpanned.

“Okay that is not-” Two couldn't finish his defense, because Three was doubled over laughing, dragging prince Ivy down with him. “Whatever.” Two poured himself a drink, downed the contents, and poured another. He wasn’t as susceptible to alcohol as he was when he was human, in all fairness.

As more bodies filled the room, Two shuffled to stand next to Ivy, his elbows resting behind himself on the countertop. He was a few inches shorter than Ivy, maybe three or four, so Ivy looked down at him as he spoke. “You smell like me,” Ivy said, glistening eyes pinning Two to his spot. Two swallowed thickly, lifting his head and opening his mouth to say something- but, his throat refused to make sound. And, before he could pull together some harsh come back, Ivy was being dragged by a hand out of the kitchen. Two watched him leave, eyes glued to the stretch of fabric over his broad shoulders, to the way his cargo pants hugged his legs perfectly. It was awful.

“Who’s that?” Two asked Vessel, whose much taller frame took up where Ivy had been standing. Vessel followed his line of sight, seeing Ivy with another man, smiling and speaking in the living room, almost hidden by the crush of bodies.

“Ezra. He’s a friend of mine and Ivy’s.” And that was all Vessel offered. Two watched them- maybe not very inconspicuously- as they spoke. He was absorbed in Ivy’s near constant aura of happiness, like he was washed in warm, golden light at all times. Was that what it was like to be alive? Two didn’t spend much time pondering over humans, or staring at them. He found Ivy fascinating- his wide smile, the way he laughed with his whole body, the flush on his cheeks from the alcohol. Two remembered though, the sadness in Ivy’s eyes the night prior. The things that went unsaid when they had met a few weeks ago. Maybe, he couldn’t ask Ivy, but he could ask Vessel.

“Hey,” Two started, looking up and up at Vessel’s towering figure. “Is Ivy- um- okay?”

“Yeah… why?” Vessel asked, scratching at the bridge of his nose with a tattooed finger, seawater eyes cast down upon Two.

“I don’t know. He seemed upset last night. When we were talking about his birthday.”

“Did he?” Vessel frowned contemplatively.

“Maybe it’s nothing,” Two mumbled, shutting down his curiosity. Vessel could take care of his friend, it wasn’t Two’s business, in any case. And, Ivy looked happy enough now. If there was something wrong, he was good at hiding it. Two felt a pang in his heart at that, wishing he could bury his anguish deep instead of wearing his negative emotions on his sleeve. Vessel nodded at him, but his frown stayed. Two had a feeling he did know something. If anyone knew Ivy well, it would be him after all. Why would he share it with Two, though? He didn’t deserve to be privy to Ivy’s life.

Three returned from wherever he had run off to, a bright red feather boa that matched his hair was wrapped around his neck. “Vessel,” he whined. “When are you going to let me finish up your fingers?” He grabbed at Vessel’s hand, examining the unfinished ink there.

“Probably never. That hurt like a bitch!” He hissed, not without humor. Two remembered Three coming home to their old apartment after he had his first appointment with Vessel and yipping about how well it had gone. It had been months since then, and now he’d been tattooing him almost weekly. Vessel let him do what he wanted, giving him total creative freedom- and Three loved it. He’d stay up late drawing designs and showing them to Two for his opinions. To which Two would nod and tell him simply that it looked nice. Seeing the tattoos up close, though, made Two feel a little silly for brushing off Three’s work. They were beautiful, whorls of black and grey designs that flowed down Vessel’s lean arms and hands.

Two had a few of his own Three Originals, and they all were terrible. Done on their bathroom floor, drunk off their asses, Two’s hysterical laughter making it hard for Three to get a straight line done. And he’d just been starting out. Two had been happy to be a living canvas for his friend. But, that was then, and this was now. He didn’t share drunken giggles with Three, anymore. Or let him tattoo tiny stupid things on him. Two forced himself to feel glad that Three had found a new canvas, one that he poured his heart and skill into. Maybe, if it weren’t for what happened to them, he’d be covered in the art that Three made. And he’d be happy to flaunt it.

Just as Two decided he’d had enough of pretending, Ivy came waltzing back, Ezra on his tail.

“We’re gonna go out and smoke, wanna come?” Ivy asked. Two blinked up at him, like an idiot. He looked so good, and Two felt the urge to inform him. Maybe Ezra already had, and he didn’t need to be told twice.

“No,” Two said blankly, and Ivy laughed at him. Did he find everything funny? Or was Two not saying the words he thought he was saying?

“Suit yourself,” Ivy said, leaving Two once again in the kitchen with Vessel and Three. Eventually, the doorbell rang- pizza. The three of them ate as Two listened in silence to Three and Vessel’s conversation. Something about a back tattoo, but Vessel didn’t seem on board. He seemed nervous actually. Shifting his stance and trying to sway Three’s mind off the subject by suggesting starting on his legs. His knee. Didn’t that hurt worse than your back? Two wasn’t sure the pain was the reason Vessel didn’t want his back tattooed. Did everyone have secrets in this mismatched group of theirs? Two hated secrets. Surely, Three didn’t have any. He side eyed his friend, who was completely ignorant to Vessel’s nerves. Two knew he’d never get at Vessel’s back, and he wanted to know why.

“Do you think they’ve been gone awhile?” Two said suddenly, snapping the other two out of their conversation.

“Who?” Three mumbled around a bite of pizza.

“Ivy and Ezra…” Duh?

“Oh. I don’t know. Maybe they’re getting realllll high.” Well, that sounded dangerous.

“Vessel, how well do you know Ezra?” Two questioned, looking up at him.

“I’ve known him for a while. He’s chill.” Oh, okay yeah. Perfectly settled. Two shook his head, leaving his plate on the counter and departing the kitchen.

Two stepped outside into the cold, his breath pluming in front of him as he shoved his hands into his pockets. He felt something in the pocket, a crumpled piece of paper. He’d certainly have to investigate that. Later, though, because now, he saw Ezra and Ivy.

He knew vampires well, obviously, because he happened to be one. And, if he’d ever seen a vampire about to go in for a kill- it was now. Ivy’s back was to Two, he could see his shoulders moving as he spoke- but Ezra wasn’t looking at him, really. He was looking at his throat.

“Fuck off,” Two said to Ezra as he stepped up behind Ivy, disinterest in his tone, but his hands were shaking in his pockets, his fingers curling around the piece of paper that Ivy had left there.

“And who are you?”

“Does it matter? Fuck off.”

“Two, relax!” Ivy said, laughing awkwardly and pinching at Two’s sleeve. Ezra glared daggers at Two, his hands curling into fists at his sides. At least he’s not staring at Ivy’s jugular anymore, Two thought.

“Goodbye!” Two barked, and now Ivy was glaring at him. Ezra reached down, plucking the joint they were sharing from Ivy’s fingers. He stomped off without a word, shoulder checking Two as he left. Two wasn’t dumb enough to think that would be the end of that.

“What was that! I’m not a damsel! And now I have no weed,” Ivy pouted.

“You can smoke mine,” Two deadpanned, reaching up and pushing Ivy’s plastic crown back onto his head, it was slipping again. Ivy just stared at him, eyes like moons, weed and Ezra forgotten. Why did he do that? Why was Ivy looking at him like that? Flight was definitely winning at this moment. His legs shook with the anticipation of fleeing. “It was slipping,” he mumbled, suddenly finding the ground very interesting to look at.

Ivy reached up, removing his crown to brush his hair back from his forehead and replacing it. “Why did you shoo Ezra away? We were just talking.”

“You might’ve been talking, but he was getting an eyeful of your artery, Ivy.” Ivy traced his fingers down the aforementioned vein, looking briefly puzzled.

“I didn’t even notice,” he said quietly.

“Listen, I’m not trying to make you into a damsel. Vessel insists you’re like. A ninja or something. I just came out here and saw him practically drooling and thought I’d be an even bigger asshole if I watched him rip your throat out. …. You know?” Two went wide eyed briefly at the amount of words he spit out. He didn’t want Ivy to think he thought him weak, though.

“I get it. Can't be having my throat ripped out on my birthday, in any case,” Ivy said, smiling easily at Two. Two wished he could offer him the same back. All he managed to do was blink.

“Stay here,” Two said, leaving Ivy in the grass for a
moment as he retrieved his tin. He handed Ivy the joint that was inside, making a mental reminder that he needed more. Ivy popped it between his lips, poking his face towards Two for him to light it. Two dug the lighter out of his pocket- a stupid thing that Three bought him that said ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ on the side. He leaned towards Ivy, reaching up slightly to flick the lighter. It took a second, because his hands were shaking. From the cold, not because he was nervous. Certainly not. He watched as Ivy pinched the thing between two fingers, pulling it from his lips and letting the smoke float slowly from his mouth.

“Much better than Ezra’s,” he said, the rest of the smoke being forced from his lungs with his words.

“Don’t talk about him,” Two whispered, taking the joint. It was a full moon, again, like last time. The light bathed Ivy, highlighting the shine of his bloodshot eyes that were trained on Two. But, not his eyes. His mouth. Ivy watched as he took his pull, and breathed in the smoke he blew out. “You’re a flirt,” Two said, voice flat.

“I am not!” Ivy laughed, sinking to the ground to sit, his hands hidden in the pockets of his new zip up. Two went down with him, and they shared their weed in silence, again. Ivy moved to sprawl out in the grass, again. And Two joined him, again. They blinked up at the stars, the music from the party vibrating the ground slightly. It was just like when they had met, but different. Because Ivy knew him, now. He knew that Two was horrible. And not a friend. Two couldn’t understand why Ivy was tolerating him at this moment, in the first place. He’d been nothing but cold.

Ivy looked at Two for a moment, the both of them just staring- for the briefest of seconds. Then, Ivy reached up into his hair- thankfully for Two there was no display of tummy- and tugged the crown off his head. He nestled it into Two’s short blonde hair, without a word.

“It’s not my birthday,” Two mumbled, eyes glued to Ivy’s. His heart thumped a wild beat, like Ivy had just put a gun to his head and not a plastic crown from the party supply store.

“When is your birthday?” Ivy asked, making Two frown.

“I don’t know,” he said. Ivy quirked a brow at him, but didn’t press- in case he didn’t want to say, Two presumed. “I did know. Surely. But, I don’t remember. It’s like when I changed, it was just gone. Maybe because I’m basically dead,” Two said wryly. Honestly, it was funny. Birthday wiped from his memory? What cruel and unusual punishment. “I know I could find it easily,” he mumbled. But, in reality, he didn’t want to. That person that he was didn’t exist anymore, and he wasn’t interested in digging up missing pieces from his past.

“That’s why Three said you hadn’t celebrated your birthday?” Ivy said, rolling over onto his side to face Two more fully. He tucked his hand under his head, the other one laying in the space between them. Two nodded, flipping onto his side, too.

“Then, today can be your birthday,” he said, his voice so low Two was sure he wouldn’t be able to hear him over the distant music, if he was human. And that was just so sweet that Two couldn’t help but smile at him. It was a small, weak thing, but Ivy made up for it with his bright, wide smile.

“Never seen you do that before,” he said, his gaze locked on Two’s mouth once again. “Happy birthday,” he whispered, adjusting the crown on Two’s head.

“Thank you,” Two mumbled, lost in the waves of Ivy’s eyes. ”Why are you being so kind to me?” He asked, and he wasn’t sure why he said anything at all.

“I think if I told you why, you’d get pissed off with me and ruin our birthdays,” Ivy said, chuckling a bit as he rolled back over onto his back, breaking their eye contact. Two decided he didn’t want to stop staring.

“Tell me,” Two said quietly, his gaze roaming Ivy’s face, the near constant smile he had.

Ivy didn’t look at Two as he spoke, he stared right into the stars. “I know that you are running from what you are. I know that you are scared. I know that you stay away from me and the others because you think you don’t deserve it. I can see right through you and your anger, Two.”

“How?” Two’s voice was barely there. He considered gazing up at the stars like Ivy was, but decided Ivy was much more beautiful than the twinkling lights above them. In that moment, the moon existed to shine its light on Ivy, and nothing else. The tides forgotten in the wake of something more.

“Because I’m scared, too,” he told him. Two wanted to ask him what he was afraid of. He wanted to listen to the soft rumble of Ivy’s voice and nothing else. But, he didn’t. He just watched as Ivy’s eyes drifted shut, and he fell asleep- right there in the grass of Two’s back garden. Two wished he could tell him that whatever he was afraid of, wasn’t going to hurt him. That he’d be okay. Though, at the end of it all, he didn’t know if that was true.

Two laid quietly as Ivy slept, removing the crown from his head and setting it between the two of them. It was theirs. As the party quieted down and the vipers left his home, the night belonged to Two and Ivy.

Chapter Text

“Fuck,” Two growled under his breath as a yapping dog came running at him as he crossed the threshold. He panicked, dropping to his knees- trying to become the most non-threatening version himself that he could muster. Despite his appearance in this home being… extremely threatening.

“Shh,” he hushed the excited pup, reaching his hand out. Seems as though Two wasn’t entirely unlucky, because the silly creature was trusting to a fault. It licked at his fingers, allowing him to scratch behind its ears. “Don’t need to wake the whole family, now, do we?” he whispered to the animal. He continued relaxing the dog, spotting a tiny tag on its collar that read ‘Stella’.

“Well, Stella, how about you fuck off for me?” he said sweetly, to which Stella only panted up in his face. “Got a job to do.” He warily backed away from Stella- praying to whatever higher power that was out there that she stayed silent. He moved through the house like a ghost, footsteps silent.

Two wasn’t one to come to a job unprepared, so that’s how he knew Mr. Wells would be asleep on the couch, as he was every other night that Two had done surveillance on the residence. And tonight was no different. Mr. Wells slept like a dead man, snoring like an animal with a bottle of beer clutched in his palm. It was a shame, really, that it had to come to this. From the outside, the Wells family seemed nuclear enough. A beautiful home, two sweet children, a little Stella. If not for Mr. Wells’ drunken brutality towards his family, Two would not be here. But, alas. What goes around comes around.

He didn’t waste time, there was no point. The end was already settled- prophetic in its undeniability. Perhaps Two was cocky. Though, he’d done this plenty of times before, with only a few minor slip ups on his record. He clasped his hand tightly over the man’s mouth, brown eyes flying open and connecting with Two’s, horror swimming in his irises.

“Don’t make a sound,” Two said, his compulsion forcing Mr. Wells to obey. Two was in control.

“Don’t fight me.” Sometimes, if Two was feeling particularly wretched, he’d allow his victim to have a bit of a fight. But, tonight, he was eager to let the whole thing be done with. He couldn’t stand to be in this house, haunted by the unseen horrors that the man had inflicted on his wife and children. On a good day, Two didn’t feel pity, and right now, Two didn’t feel anything. He yanked Mr. Wells up with considerable strength, striking his throat without hesitation. As he fed, he did not feel pleasure- frankly it made him feel sick, and he often had to hold back his urge to vomit once the whole thing was over and done with. This whole display was just something that needed to happen, for Two and for the monster he had in his grip. He needed to feed, and the man needed to die.

As Two drained the man of his lifeblood, he thought of his wife. He could remember her, bruises dotted on her arms as she clasped her children’s hands- the one’s on her face that Two could see clear as day through her makeup. He’d seen her for the first time one day, a week ago, and that was all the evidence he needed to start his investigation. Thomas Wells had a laundry list of arrest records, DUIs, domestic violence, battery. Mrs. Wells and her children were frequently seen at St Thomas’ hospital for mostly minor injuries. It helped to have a particular sort of background in software engineering, when it came to how Two got his information. The police system failed Mrs. Wells. Two didn’t see himself as some knight in shining armor, he was simply taking out the trash. Freeing her and her children from what haunted them. No longer would they feel trapped and desperate.

He tore his mouth from the bastard, blood pouring from his neck and down Two’s own face. He watched as his body dropped, then bent down to check his pulse. Dead. Perfect. Quickly, before the blood went anywhere it wasn’t supposed to, Two dragged Mr. Wells out to the back garden by his feet. Leaving him there, he ventured back into the house, dread roiling in his stomach. He hated this part.

He found Mrs. Wells in her bedroom, fast asleep. He repeated his earlier movements, but this time with no malice in his heart. He covered her mouth with his hand and compelled her to be quiet as she awoke.

“Call the police, tell them something happened to your husband. Don’t go outside. Don’t let your children go outside. Stay here until the police are gone.” He said, her eyes going unfocused as she absorbed his command. “Forget you ever saw me,” he whispered, uncovering her mouth and departing their residence like a wraith. He didn’t exist.

The police would be thorough in covering up what Two had done. He’d played this game many times before, and they were dutiful in cleaning up his messes. They’d fabricate some story that the masses would eat up. They couldn’t very well blast on the morning news that a family man had his throat ripped out in the night, could they? It didn’t mean they weren’t looking for him- because they were. He could feel it like an omen, a weight pressing down on his shoulders. His reckoning would come, just not tonight. Tonight was Mr. Wells‘ turn to meet the other side, while Two danced between the shaky lines of life and death. Eternal purgatory. He bent the lines of what was natural- of what was clean and pure. He figured, if he was going to tiptoe along the jaws of fate, he’d at least do some good while he was here. Even if his good doings were horrible, wretched things in the eyes of others. To him, it was justice. A balancing of scales. He knew what it felt like to be completely helpless, to bend to another’s will. There was justification in his dirty, rotten work- if you peeled back the layers of sin.

****

“I heard you sneaking in last night,” Ivy said the next morning, looking across the kitchen island at Two as he crunched on a piece of crispy bacon. “Secret lover?” Ivy purred, his gaze dancing in curiosity. Oh, if only you knew.

“I was working.” Two said, turning away from Ivy to make more pancakes. Three and Vessel had already wolfed down what he had made. Those tall creatures could put away some food.

“Working?” Ivy chuckled. “At three in the morning? What exactly do you do for work?” Two spooned batter onto the griddle, listening to the sizzle as he tried to drown out his panic. Ivy couldn’t very well know that Two broke into people’s homes and murdered them- no, he had a feeling that wouldn’t go well. Never mind that the people deserved what they had coming.

“What do you do for work?” Two asked him, instead. He felt a little silly that he didn’t know. Holding himself at an arm’s length meant he knew little about Vessel or Ivy. He might’ve gotten more comfortable in being in their space, recently, but that didn’t mean he opted to speak much.

Ivy took a bite of his buttered toast. “I teach guitar lessons,” he mumbled. Hm, isn’t that sweet. “You’re not getting away with whatever it is you’re doing, by the way.” Two frowned as he flipped a pancake. Honestly, he was very good at weaseling himself out of uncomfortable conversations, but he had a feeling Ivy wasn’t one to let things go.

“Didn’t know you could play guitar.”

“You never asked.”

“I don’t ask anything.”

“You should work on that.” Was Two mistaken, or did Ivy’s tone have a bite to it? He deserved it, in any case, but Ivy was always battling Two’s harshness with sickening sweetness. Something was up. He remembered the paper he had found, crumpled in the pocket of Two’s jacket. Ivy had left it there. It was just a phone number, written in neat handwriting. Ivy’s handwriting? He wasn’t sure. When he searched the number- because he had to, of course- he was confused by his findings. It was attached to a private medical case manager. Someone who helped families navigate the care of someone sick- usually very sick. Did Ivy have a sick family member? He couldn’t recall Ivy speaking of any family members, at all, really. But, then again, Two didn’t ask. He considered using his particular skill set to dig up information. But, in the end, it felt wrong. He felt dirty even considering prying into Ivy’s personal life like that. He used it for his work, and that was it. If Ivy wanted him to know, he’d know.

“How long have you been a teacher?” Two asked. He could be polite. He could ask questions. Never mind that the second the words were out, he was clenching his teeth so hard that his jaw ached. He longed for the familiar comfort of his bedroom. Ivy overwhelmed him, in all sorts of ways.

“About five years, though I’ve played since I was a child. It's decent money when I have enough clients. And, of course, I enjoy it. I love when I get a new student who has hardly even touched a guitar before, and I get to watch them on their journey.” Two found himself wanting Ivy to keep talking. His discomfort was slowly melted away, by the warmth of Ivy’s voice as he spoke about things that excited him. The talk of his work seemed to chase away whatever was bothering him, so Two decided it was better to keep him going.

“Do you write music?”

“Used to. Not so much anymore.”

“Why not?” Two prodded, piling the finished pancakes onto a plate and looking past Ivy to where Vessel and Three sat in the living room, beckoning them with his eyes so he didn’t have to interrupt Ivy.

“I’m at the point where I have so much on my mind that I can’t even file it into a creative outlet,” Ivy laughed and smiled after that- which puzzled Two. Didn’t seem like something to find comedy in. Though, maybe that was Ivy’s armor. Maybe he protected himself with his outward sense of happiness, when there was something darker lurking inside of him. He was Two’s opposite, in that way. Two’s armor was coldness, isolation. He’d say that Ivy was like the sun, and he the moon. But, the sun was a weapon. It burned skin and poisoned slowly, like a festering disease. The moon was peaceful, beautiful. It sucked things into its magnetic field, making its home amongst the stars- far away from the flames of its opposite.

“What’s on your mind?” Two asked, because despite his usual nature, he desperately wanted to know. He finally turned towards Ivy as he spoke, so he was no longer having a conversation with Two’s back. It seemed his curiosities would remain a mystery, once more. Because there was Three and Vessel, bounding into the kitchen, Three leaned down to give Ivy a wet kiss on the forehead- to which Ivy giggled as he wiped his skin. The three of them fell into their learned comfort, chatting about nothing at all as Ivy forgot all about his previous conversation. Two watched them for a moment, standing like an idiot. For the first time in a long time, he longed for simple touches, for arbitrary conversation. For laughs and smiles. He longed to feel more. It frightened him. So, without a goodbye, he fled, as he always did. Hid away like an apparition that haunted the home he owned with Three. It didn’t feel much like his home, anymore.

****

As the weeks went on, Two’s isolation grew worse. Physically, he felt ill- reaching a new, undiscovered rock bottom. But, this time, he didn’t know the source from which it came. There was nothing to point his finger at, nothing to deduce and separate into boxes that could be locked away in the vaults of his mind. He stopped cooking for the others, stopped leaving his room- which meant abandoning his near constant hunt for monsters that lurked the streets of London. Of which there was a lot. And with no hunting came no feeding. He laid sprawled on his bedroom floor, now, eyes cast to the ceiling. He didn’t know exactly what time it was, but he knew it was daylight. His curtains remained closed, his light switch unflipped in days. He couldn’t stand the light, it made his head throb and his stomach roll with nausea. If he was human, the pain in his belly would set off alarm bells in his brain. He’d had appendicitis before, when he was a teenager, had it removed. The agony he felt now was like that, but worse. It was bone and sinew deep. His jaw ached, his body burning hot yet freezing all at once.

In most cases, vampires could go a long while without feeding. They didn’t need to eat human food, or sleep, to survive. But it helped to keep their bodies energized without blood. They’d not die of starvation, or go mad with sleep deprivation, but they’d certainly die with no blood. And Two felt he was close to that point- because he hadn’t been eating or sleeping. It was as though he was stuck, lost running in an ether of nothingness, with no one to pull him out. It wasn’t like they hadn’t tried, but Two’s overall nastiness had reached new heights. He didn’t let them in, and he chased them away with a fury that scared even himself. He didn’t want to be seen like this, writhing on the floor like a rabid creature. Though, as his mind collapsed on itself, he found that he didn’t want to die. He wanted to go home. A sense of home, that is. A place of comfort and safety, where he was able to be warm and kind. He yearned in a painful way, as he had for the past three years, for something other than the hand he had been dealt.

“I don’t want to die,” he whispered into the nothingness, into something that would not hear him. He rolled onto his side, pulling his knees up, calling out to nothing once again. He’d gone too far beyond the path he was meant to walk, he’d lost himself in the face of something he couldn’t handle. Not like Three could, not like Vessel could. There was no attachment to his mind anymore, as he bit down on his fist to stifle his groan of pain. It built to be too much for him, everything all at once was too much. And he screamed, a fractured, broken sob of anguish that had building for years. Anguish that he kept tucked away in silence. He wondered if the pain inside of him wasn’t entirely from his thirst, but was everything he kept inside of himself that longed to be released.

Absently, like he was outside of himself, he could hear someone calling his name- someone beating on his bedroom door until the lock busted and it flew open.

“No,” he whined. No one should see him like this. He didn’t want it. “No,” he cried again as warm, familiar hands wrapped around his body.

“Oh, Two, what have you done?” they whispered. Was this the God he had been searching for, finally taking him to where he belonged? His reckoning, so soon? He tried to make peace with his final, real death. But, there was no peace to be made. As his heart rate slowed, all he saw was the people he pushed away. He saw flashes of moments missed, moments desired- times where he wanted to run from his misery like a child and let someone wrap their arms around him. In the end, his stubbornness would be the death of him. His inability to feel, to love, had chased him to the ends of his existence. The rug was well and truly pulled out from under him, and the only thing he felt was guilt. Guilt for a different person than who he was, but could’ve been. A sob tore from his sore throat, he wanted it to end. He wanted to feel the strong arms of peace cradle him like his mother once had. He wanted to go home.

“I don’t want to die,” he repeated in desperation, like a hymn, a lament.

“You’re not going to die,” they said. Vaguely, he could hear the soft crunch of something, and then a warm, wet thing was pressed to his mouth. Yes, this is what he needed. The scent of it ripped him from his turmoil, turning whatever pieces of humanness that existed inside of him to ash. He bit down, instincts overcoming the detachment he felt to the outside world. His fingers curled into what he found to be a forearm, his mouth pressed to a wrist. He drank, growls and moans rumbling in his throat as he took with greed. This was salvation, in a dirty, horrible way. This was something that stood in the face of God, turning His own malevolence upon Himself. If He created everything in his image, then He created the monster that Two was. And maybe, Two would live on, just to forsake Him- as a reminder of what sort of evil crawled in the depths of Eden.

Soft hands pet his hair, sliding down to apply gentle pressure on the nape of his neck. He didn’t feel glad for them, he didn’t accept this offering with honor. In that moment, in that depth of darkness, he felt it belonged to him. This is what he was. This is what he had been turned into. His eyes squeezed shut as he drank, but there, amongst the nothingness, was something. Through the midst of his whole-bodied starvation, he could see something floating in the expanse of his mind. Blurred wings, the vague shape of some sort of weapon clutched in its grasp, tattered scraps of its gown blowing in an ethereal wind. Was it here to take him home? He wasn’t sure. His terror intertwined with satiation, splitting his body in two halves of either side of the spectrum of emotion. His body trembled with pain, with fear, with elation, with pleasure. He bit down harder, the sharp gasp of whoever he was devouring tearing him suddenly from the figure in his mind’s eye.

“You’re okay,” the person whispered, and through the wavering fog of his mind, he recognized the voice. It was Three. His brother, in all except blood. He allowed Three to gather his small frame in his arms, his mind falling blank once again, lost to the fury of bloodlust.

Chapter Text

Three fell into the doting mother role like he was made for it. He made Two sit on the couch, in all of his weary silence, and watched him. Cooked for him, kept his space clean, cared for Ditto, tried his hardest to pull him from his lingering misery. Two had slept for three days after that night, and he didn’t remember much of what happened. Though, whenever Three came to offer him a plate of food, his gaze would catch on the lingering bite mark on his wrist. It was the same play by play everytime; Two would feel a pang of guilt, and Three would tell him it’s okay, it needed to happen, it didn’t hurt. The first two things might have been true, but they both knew the third was not. Two was not in the frame of mind to offset the pain from his bite when he fed from Three, nor was he gentle. He knew it hurt, and he didn’t stop apologizing.

It’d been five days now, and Two was still recovering. His body took a toll, as well as his mind. He’d been sleeping on the couch, with his cat often curled in his lap, so Three could watch him- who had crammed his long limbs into the armchair to sleep there for the first few nights, or so he told Two. Now, Three had returned to sleeping in his own room, but Two couldn’t move from this spot. His room carried the burden of what happened, the memory of inescapable agony.

Vessel and Ivy had stayed away, presumably at the request of Three. Two felt sad for it, but knew he didn’t want them to see him this way. They were used to his stoicism, his anger, but not this. This was pitiful, embarrassing misery. And only Three could be privy to it.

Three had canceled his week of tattoo appointments, staying in and watching movies or shows with a blank faced Two for the past two days of his awakeness. He didn’t prod Two to speak, he knew he wasn’t ready.

“Thank you,” Two croaked, burying himself further into the recesses of the thick blanket he had thrown around his shoulders.

“For?” Three asked, tearing his eyes from the TV. They were on the second season of The 100, and even if it seemed like Two wasn’t interested- he was enjoying it.

“For taking care of me,” he mumbled, watery eyes focusing on Three. He was so exhausted.

“Two, you don’t have to thank me. I love being your mother! It’s like the real thing… except without a squealing, babbling infant.” That made Two laugh, and Three looked elated at the sound. He was right, though, Two didn’t babble. He hardly said anything, at all. It was too much, right now.

“Three…” Two started.

“Sup?”

“Can you- Do you think you could give me a hug?” Two said, cringing inwardly at his inability to request intimacy.

“Of course,” Three said, long legs moving swiftly to sit on the couch next to Two. He opened his arms, and Two went in, thick blanket and all.

“I was so scared,” Two whispered, his voice breaking as he buried his face into Three’s chest. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been held like this, and it felt so good. Three ran strong hands up and down Two’s back, soothing touches that made his breaths come easier. “I thought- I thought-” he couldn’t spit the words out without crying. It seemed now was the time his words finally wanted to leave him, after weeks of near constant silence. But, he couldn’t form his mouth around what he wanted to say. He just didn’t want to keep it inside anymore.

“I know. You’re okay, now. You’re safe,” Three hushed him, holding his trembling body like he could shove all of his broken pieces back together again. “I’m sorry I left you in there. I’m so sorry.” Three’s voice broke, now, as he reached to grab Two by his chin and forced him to look into his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, a tear sliding down his cheek.

“It’s not your fault. I scared you away.” Two struggled against Three’s grip on his face, wanting to hide away in the warmth of his chest again. “Please, don’t apologize. And I won’t either, anymore.” The only words Two had spoken, really, in the past two days was ‘I’m sorry’, to which his friend would shut him right up.

“Fine, no apologies allowed in this house,” Three declared, smiling wryly and wiping at a stray tear on Two’s face. Two felt much like a wretched, weak little creature, but he wouldn’t flee. He was done with running. He accepted his friend’s comforts, because he needed them. He needed it like he needed nothing else, at that moment. And Three was happy to supply.

The pair stayed that way, wrapped in a solemn embrace, for a long while. Until Three got up to get them both something to eat. Two could hear his phone ring from across the room, and it didn’t take much deducing to know who it was. He listened to Three’s half of the conversation. “Hey! Oh, he’s okay. No, I don’t think so. Yeah, I know but-”

“They can come,” Two called, his voice monotone and sleepy. He really wondered how long the exhaustion would last, because it was starting to become annoying fighting against his heavy eyelids at all hours of the day or night.

“Are you sure?” Three asked back, pulling his phone from his ear as he spoke.

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s fine.” Honestly, Two wasn’t sure if he was ready, but he’d never know if he didn’t allow it to happen. And, after all, Three deserved it- he cared for Two like it was a full time job, and shut out his friends that had been over nearly every day for three months. Two could be strong, if it meant his friend would be happy.

Vessel and Ivy showed up not long after, and Two had decided he wasn’t going to shelter them from the wreck he had become. If he was to move forward, he had to be seen- in all of his fucked up glory. He hadn’t seen a mirror in days. When he did force himself to shower the day prior, he avoided the bathroom mirror like the plague. So, honestly, he had no idea how he looked. And, he didn’t care. He had on one of Three’s ridiculous oversized wolf t-shirts, and sweatpants that pooled at his ankles. He probably gave the overall aura of someone who was rotting in self hatred, which added up.

“Hello, my two favorite vampires!” Ivy said excitedly as he entered the living room, smiling at Two and Three who sat cuddled together on the couch.

“Hey, what the fuck? I’m right here!” Vessel said from Ivy’s shoulder, dragging him backwards to sit on the couch opposite of the other two.

“Honestly, I’m not sure you are a vampire… you might be something else entirely,” Ivy joked, pulling a face of mock disgust at Vessel. To which they both laughed, Three as well. The laughter died down though as Ivy locked eyes with Two.

“We don’t have to talk about it,” Two said softly, negating the usual acid in his tone. Ivy only nodded, but he didn’t seem like he was satisfied with that. Two was sure there was a certain conversation in his near future, one that made his skin itch.

Sensing the awkward lull in conversation, Three launched his excitable self at Ivy, hugging him tightly. “I missed you!” he yowled, making Ivy chuckle and return the sentiment.

“God, it’s been five days!” Vessel yelled, rolling his eyes.

“You’re just mad Ivy and I are best friends!” Three combatted, detaching himself from Ivy to wedge himself between the two and hug Vessel as well. “I suppose I missed you, too.”

“Ivy is my best friend,” Vessel mumbled, and Three flicked him on the forehead. “You’re a menace,” he stated, rubbing at the spot where he was flicked.

“I can be everyone’s best friend,” Ivy said, lifting his chin and smiling brightly. Three and Vessel laughed, then launched into a playful argument about which video game they were going to play. Two sunk into the familiar comfort of listening to the other three’s banter, though he did miss having someone by his side on the couch. He frowned at them and their intertwined limbs, feeling suddenly empty.

No, he wouldn’t go there. He was through with the forced separation, lest he end up writhing on his bedroom floor again. Without a word, he stood up, blanket in tow, and plopped himself right between Ivy and Three, even if there really was no room. The two of them shared a look over Two’s head, but they didn’t say anything- probably too afraid to stoke Two’s temper that they knew so well.

Two knew his behavior was strange to them, out of character. But, he felt he didn’t even know his own character at this point, and all he wanted was comfort. He leaned back against Ivy, who accepted the closeness without a word, looping his arms over Two with the Playstation controller in his hands. Two didn’t speak, just let his head fall back against Ivy’s solid chest and kicked his legs up into Three’s lap. He gave himself this, because he deserved it, after what he had been through. He was selfish, because he almost died without knowing the lengths Three and these two almost strangers would go to make him feel safe. He felt Vessel place a hand on his shin, squeezing gently. ‘I’m here’ the touch seemed to say. I’m here, too, Two thought. Against all odds, he was here.

He focused on Ivy’s fingers moving on the controller that he held in Two’s lap, over the blanket that he was wrapped in. His eyelids finally dropped closed to the soothing rumble of Ivy’s chest against Two’s head as he spoke. Two didn’t even know what he was saying, he was so, so tired. He fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, intertwined with people who stuck by him even if they had no reason to- even if Two had no claim to their friendship, they gave it without argument. They accepted Two without judgement, without conditions. Two could claw into his cold, dead heart, to find something warm to give them in return, one day. But, for right now, all he could do was sleep.

****

When he woke, he was puzzled briefly by the hard surface beneath him. It reminded him of the unforgiving floor of his bedroom, but before panic could sink its teeth into him, he realized the warmth, and the softness. He nuzzled into it, a hand reaching up to card through the overgrown hair at the back of Two’s head.

Ivy. Oh- shit.

Two roused himself from the depths of sleep, meaning to smoothly slide off of Ivy’s presumably still sleeping form, but he’d just hit the ground if he did that. He laid still, so very still. He didn’t want to wake him, but he knew he needed to detach himself. He blinked into the darkness, his ear pressed to Ivy’s chest, the sound of his heart beating slowly encapsulated Two’s entire being. All of his neurons were firing rapidly, he didn’t mean to get so close.

“Two?” Ivy whispered, somehow building upon Two’s shock at the situation. Could he pretend to be asleep? No. That’s just stupid.

“Sorry,” he whispered, pressing his hands to the couch on either side of Ivy’s arms to push himself up just as Ivy’s shoved up on his elbows. He fumbled through the dark, somehow getting his feet to the floor without stumbling.

“It’s okay,” Ivy said with a yawn. Eventually, Two’s eyes adjusted to the dark.

“Where is Vessel and Three?” he asked, moving to sit at the end of the couch by Ivy’s feet. Distance, but not too much. He had become afraid of himself, and grew dependent on Three’s constant closeness for the past few days. “What time is it?”

Ivy’s face was bathed in the glow of his phone screen as he sat up, legs crossed beneath him. “Two AM, and I don’t know. Maybe Vessel left? He drove us here.” Ivy’s already deep voice was deeper with sleep, gravelly and almost hard to understand.

“He’d leave you here?”

“Yeah, I guess that doesn’t make sense.” He yawned again. “I don’t know where he is.” Two frowned contemplatively, pulling his legs up and wrapping his arms around them. His mouth moved to apologize to Ivy again, but he remembered what Three said. No apologies in this house.

In any other case, Two would’ve departed the living room to sleep in his own bed, leaving Ivy to the couch that had become his over time. He hadn’t been inside his room since Three had found him, though, and he didn’t want to face it- not now. Not that he was even tired anymore, but Ivy was. He lifted his chin from his knees, deciding to just go sleep on the other couch, but Ivy stopped him.

“Wait-” he whispered. Two wondered how he could even see him, since his own preternatural eyesight was struggling in the dark. “Are you okay?”

“That’s a loaded question,” Two responded, settling back into his earlier seated position.

“I just- I heard you mumbling in your sleep, like you were having a nightmare.” Well, isn’t that strange? Two didn’t remember having a dream at all. “And nightmare aside, you’ve been through a lot. I’m just opening the floor for you to talk about it.”

“Aren’t you tired?” Two asked, rubbing at his sleepy eyes.

“Sleep isn’t important, right now. I’m fine. Talk to me,” Ivy urged. He wasn’t going to let Two get away with his past behaviors. He wasn’t going to sit by idly and watch his suffering any longer.

“I- I don’t know what happened, Ivy. It all became too much. And, I can't go back in there-” he paused, uncomfortable with the act of voicing what usually stayed in his brain.

“Where? Your room?” Ivy questioned, moving slightly closer to where Two was sitting, but he didn’t touch him.

“Yes,” Two said weakly, staring into Ivy’s darkened eyes.

“You don’t have to. Not until you’re ready.” The memory of it all swelled inside of Two, his mind on the precipice of collapsing, once again. He trembled, feeling suddenly frigid as his body mistook his panic for immediate danger. “You don’t have to,” Ivy repeated, so softly.

“I didn’t want to die,” Two said, tears burning in his eyes. And for the third time in twenty four hours, he seeked the comfort of another. It would wear off, he knew it would. Whenever his mind recovered from the brutality he faced, he’d reject touch once again. But, for now, he curled into Ivy’s open arms and cried into his chest. Ivy held him, hushing his sobs. Two had yearned to feel something for years, but not this. Never this. His anguish made him want to tear his own skin, to be rid of it all. “I wanted to go home,” he whispered through his cries.

“You are home,” Ivy told him, squeezing him close to his chest, resting his chin atop Two’s head.

“No- I mean, that’s what I remember. That I wanted to go home.” He hiccuped through his words, a faulty dance through tears that probably didn’t sound much other than whimpering for Ivy. “It wasn’t a place. It was a feeling.” It was like this, he realized. Warm and safe. Nothing could hurt him here. No horrors of the past could break through Ivy’s strong grip. He didn’t tell Ivy that much, though.

“You’ll find it, Two,” he said, and Two wondered how Ivy knew what he meant.

“I bit Three. I hurt him,” he whispered into Ivy’s chest, hot tears sliding down his cheeks.

“You did what you had to. Three understands that. You didn’t hurt him with malice in your heart.”

“Ivy- I did, though.” He knew he shouldn’t be admitting this- knew that this was certainly something that should stay behind the steel doors in his mind. But it’d eat him alive, if he didn’t fess up to what he did. Ivy wouldn’t want to hold him anymore when he knew. “I remember thinking that he belonged to me. That his blood was mine to take, his pain was mine to inflict. I feel so horrible.” Ivy took a pause after that, reflecting on Two’s words, probably readying himself to detach the heathen from his chest.

“Have you felt that way before?” he questioned, and his arms stayed put, to Two’s surprise.

“No,” Two lied. He felt that way when he took his targets’ lives- that their death was his to ensure, an offering in his favor. But, he’d never felt that way towards Three. He never wanted to feel that way, ever again.

“That wasn’t you, Two. You have to know that. Whatever that was, was a result of whatever happened to you, in the past, and the personification of your hunger. It wasn’t you,” Ivy told him, tracing soothing patterns up and down Two’s shaky arms.

“Do you really believe that?” Two asked, more silent tears slipping down his cheeks as his fingers pressed into Ivy’s back.

“I do. And you have to believe it, too. Or you’ll never make peace with it.”

“It wasn’t me,” Two rasped, in an attempt to convince himself. He didn’t believe it, but maybe one day he would. He lifted his head and pressed his face into Ivy’s shoulder, letting whatever whimpering sobs he had left inside of him out into the world. Years of untouched emotions, now released. Unfortunately, there weren't enough soothing touches and soft words that Ivy could offer him that would fix this. There was nothing that could make up for the time lost to emptiness and anger. Two had spent years floating through life as a ghost, not letting things hit him where they were supposed to. And five days ago, it all hit him, directly in the chest- consuming him like a wildfire. But, at least he had Ivy there to soothe his flames. Two just hoped he didn’t burn Ivy in the process.

Chapter Text

Two sat, like a petulant child, watching as Three tattooed Vessel’s leg, his book sitting open in his lap. It had been two weeks now, since his breakdown, and still Three wouldn’t leave him alone. Which meant countless hours listening to the vibration of a tattoo gun. Two was sure the other artists that worked in the shop were wondering why Three suddenly had a tiny man attached to his hip, but Two tried to pay them no mind. He was polite, but not social. He usually sat on a bench at Three’s station and read his book quietly while his friend worked. Sometimes, if Vessel was his client, he’d talk with them. Even if it was arbitrary, and his words were stilted- unlike Three and Vessel’s smooth, familiar banter- he put effort into being more present.

“Is the pain bad?” Two asked Vessel.

“No, not terrible. Lots of muscle here,” Vessel
replied, peeking down at the work Three was doing on his thigh. Two had seen the sketch- an anglerfish. And this time Two was sure to let his friend know how beautiful his art was. Because it really was incredible, and he found himself excited to see the finished product.

“Don’t hype yourself up, now,” Two joked dryly. Vessel wasn’t lying, though. His legs were muscular. He obviously spent much time working out, when he wasn’t at Two’s house, or doing… whatever it was that Vessel did.

“Vessel is allowed to hype himself up! He’s a beautiful creature,” Three said, his eyes locked onto his work. Two didn’t miss the smile on Vessel’s face, or the way his cheeks turned a little pink. You’re not slick.

“Where do you work out at?” Two questioned, putting a mark in his book and setting it beside him.

“Home. I would invite you over to join me, but it’s quite the cramped space. Hence why Ivy and I have taken over your home,” he said with a laugh.

“We don’t mind. You practically pay our rent with your sessions alone,” Two said quietly. He really didn’t mind, not anymore. It was a nice distraction for him, now. Especially since Three insisted on babysitters for his friend. It was basically as though Ivy and Vessel lived there, at this point. Their fridge was stocked with the other boys’ groceries, their things were in the guest bathroom. Two still hadn’t gone back to sleeping in his room, so his bed was free for one of them to sleep in at night, the other one occupying the empty couch. Though sometimes, when Ivy had opted to sleep in Two’s old bedroom, Vessel was nowhere to be found- leaving Two to sleep alone in the living room. Two wasn’t stupid, there were a limited amount of places for Vessel to be sneaking off to.

“Would be nice if we had an extra room, though,” Three mumbled, snapping Two out of his rumination.

“Technically we do,” Two said, standing up to check out how the tattoo was coming along. He was only doing the linework today, he’d said, and he seemed about halfway done.

“Your room is not an extra room. You can’t sleep on a couch forever. I know you’re small but think about your poor back!” Three yowled, turning to dip his tattoo gun into his ink cup.

“Take your time,” Vessel said, staring Two down with his blue-green eyes. Two nodded at him, offering him a small smile. “If your back hurts I can always give you a massage,” he added with a wink, making Two roll his eyes.

“Flirt,” Two hissed, but it was funny. And his back did hurt, even if he wouldn’t admit it. A subject change was needed. “Three, do you have time tomorrow?”

“For you, of course. Why?”

“I want a tattoo,” Two said, sitting back down on his bench. Three turned to stare at him wide eyed, but sobered himself quickly.

“Okay, yeah. Of course. We can talk about it later, lovey, mama’s gotta lock in.”

Vessel busted out laughing, slapping his hands over his face as he cackled. “What the fuck are you saying right now?”

“Lovey?” Two yelped, struggling on a laugh of his own.

“Guys, it’s been a long day. And this tattoo gun is starting to feel like another appendage on my body. Forgive me if I refer to myself as mama. Don’t you ever get tired?” He said it so seriously, that Two couldn’t stop the giggle that came out of him, and when he looked at Vessel, there were tears of laughter on his cheeks.

“Oh my God, you’ve lost it,” Vessel said, wiping at his watery eyes.

“Sit still! I’ve got needles going into your skin right now, boy! Gonna end up with a melted Spongebob Squarepants popsicle instead of an anglerfish if you keep it up.” That snapped Vessel out of his laughing fit, and he sat like a rock for the rest of his session. Two set down his book again, pushing it into his backpack before standing to check out the work once it was finished for today.

“Looks fuckin’ sick,” Two said, admiring the perfect linework that his friend had done.

“Ugh, everyone always says ‘sick’, can you think of something else?” Three whined, making Two glare at him with incredulity.

“Um-” Two started, eyes glued to Vessel’s half shaved thigh as he thought of a word.

“That shit fucking rips!” Vessel said suddenly, surprising Two.

“That’s perfect, lovey. Truly,” Three said.

“Okay. You really gotta stop with the ‘lovey’ shit,” Vessel told him, not without humor, as he stood from the chair and stretched his leg.

“Where is Ivy?” Two asked as Three and Vessel sobered from their breif insanity.

“Lessons, and then he has an appointment later,” Vessel informed him, his gaze cast down upon Three who was dutifully wrapping his tattoo in cling film.

“An appointment for what?”

“Nosey much?” Vessel teased, causing Two to bristle. “I’m joking, lovey. It’s just a doctor’s appointment. Sometimes we all forget Ivy is a frail little human, hm?”

“No more ‘lovey’!” Two shouted, slapping his hands over his eyes in exasperation. Wait until Ivy got a case of the ‘lovey’ and it would truly be over for him.

“Are you coming back to our house?” Three asked as he began to clean his station, Two moved to help him as he always did.

“No, gots some things to do,” Vessel replied.

“Aren’t you mysterious,” Three said, leaving Two to finish the clean up as he walked to the front desk for Vessel to pay. Where did he get his money anyway? Two wondered, spraying down the tattoo chair with alcohol and wiping. Mysterious, indeed.

****

Later, Ivy showed up with no Vessel in tow, making Two wonder what Vessel really was up to. He didn’t pry. Not his circus, not his monkeys.

“How was your doctor’s appointment?” Three asked from where he hovered over Two’s chopping board. Two huffed a growl, lifting the wooden board and moving to the other side of the counter.

“And how did you know about that, pray tell?” Ivy questioned, dropping his backpack off by the couch before joining the other two in the kitchen. Now it was his turn to hover over Two.

“Because Two is nosey!” Three said with a laugh.

“I am not!” Two hissed, slicing into a red onion.

“It was fine,” Ivy told them, leaning into Two’s space with a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Curious. “Watcha making?”

“Food,” Two deadpanned.

“Two! Was that a joke I just heard?” Ivy said in mock exasperation- though it wasn’t entirely feigned. Two was certainly not the joking type. He’d consider it to be more… sardonic.

“He’s making tacos, lovey,” Three hummed, stirring the ground beef that was cooking on the stovetop. Dear god, not this again.

“Who the fuck is lovey?” Ivy asked, ruffling the top of Two’s head before he moved through the kitchen to the fridge.

“Please, don’t get him started,” Two begged, finishing his dicing and bumping Three from the stove to drain the grease from the meat.

Some higher power shined down on Two, because Ivy and Three were blessedly quiet as he finished cooking, and they stopped hovering. They ate in the living room, as they always did, which looked more like a bedroom these days. Two had to ask Three to bring his clothes out from his room, and he had them neatly folded in a basket near the couch. Since he couldn’t rifle through his closet anymore.

Once they finished, Three took their plates and washed them. “Well, boys, I am positively exhausted after today, so farewell. Much love,” he called from the kitchen, and then padded away up the stairs to his room.

Ivy and Two watched The 100 in comfortable silence for a while, before Ivy started yawning. “You can sleep in my room,” Two told him, reaching for the remote to click the TV off. It had all become very domestic around here, and Two was learning to live with it. Even if he more coexisted, rather than leaning into the close friendship that the other three had. “Just, let Ditto sleep with you. I think she misses it in there,” he said, scratching behind his cat’s ears, who was curled on his lap.

“I suppose I can make that work,” Ivy joked, standing from his place on the couch opposite Two to scoop Ditto into his arms. She liked him, but Two wouldn’t admit it. “Sleepy cat,” Ivy said to her, supporting her rump as she hooked her paws over his shoulder.

“Goodnight,” Two whispered. Ivy returned the sentiment as he departed, Two’s sweet cat tucked in his arms.

Two laid himself down on the couch, pulling his thick blanket up over his shoulders and closing his eyes to sleep. Peace would not find him, though. His mind was whirring, and the only thing he saw amongst the nothingness behind his eyelids was a tattered gown, floating in a wayward wind. Wings, splayed in a show of strength. A scythe, clutched in the grip of something holy. It had no face, but it was watching him. He felt it’s pressure on him like claws raking against his back. He didn’t think it was here to take him home.

Fear was a dangerous game, a slippery slope to find yourself tumbling down. Especially if what you were afraid of was not physical- not tangible or explainable. He hadn’t told anyone of this thing that followed him. Watching him, waiting- like it was ticking down the seconds until it was Two’s turn to meet the maker he sent so many others to. He refused to submit to it, to grasp the hand of nothingness and let it drag him beneath. Even if it had a way of making him want to. When he watched it, floating there in silence, it felt peaceful- warm and safe, like home. Manipulation. Two wouldn’t let that sense of comfort get him between its jaws. He knew it was a trick.

The other, peculiar, part of this whole situation Two had found himself in, was that he didn’t dream. When he slept, it was like falling into a void- a death within living. Yet still, the others asked him if he was okay when he woke. Informing him that he had been mumbling in his sleep, tossing and turning, sweat collecting on his forehead. And Two couldn’t remember a thing. He couldn’t decide what would make him sound more insane, the truth that he had absolutely no idea where his mind went while he was sleeping, or the lie that he had nightmares every night. For now, he landed on letting them believe he was plagued by terrors in the night- he had a good excuse as to why, anyway.

As Two tried to force himself into sleep, fear dragged claws over his skin. What if, one day he didn’t wake up? What if he lost himself to his mind again and accepted the hand of nothingness, allowing it to take him to kneel before death? He forced his eyes open, his chest rising and falling rapidly with panicked breaths.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he collected his blanket, and trudged up the stairs for the first time in two weeks. He placed his shaking hand on the doorknob to his room, released it, and knocked instead. Because it wasn’t his room, anymore, really.

“Yes?” Ivy’s voice called from the other side. Two didn’t say a word, his trembling fist just leaning against the wooden door. “Two?” Ivy whispered, and Two could hear his feet shuffling across the room to open the door.

“Are you okay?” Ivy asked, but his words sounded miles away from Two as he stared into the darkness of his room. He could see himself there, writhing on the floor, could hear the scream of anguish that had overcome him and his silence. “Hey,” Ivy said quietly, putting a hand on Two’s shoulder to shake him from his memory. “You don’t have to come in, I can go downstairs. Come on,” Ivy told him, grabbing for his hand to lead him back down to where it was safe, where he wouldn’t be scared.

“No,” Two said- though it sounded more like a squeak. “No. I have to face it.”

“Right now?” Ivy asked, still allowing his fingers to clasp Two’s, even if Two didn’t return the grip.

“Yes. Right now,” Two growled, his gaze still locked on the floor. He remembered not much, it was all in fuzzy bits and pieces in his mind. But, he could recall the evil that pumped through his veins. The malice as he’d fed from Three. He forced himself to remember what Ivy had told him. It wasn’t him. It was a personification of his hunger. It wasn’t him. Ivy stood patiently as Two worked through his thoughts, not saying a word as he brushed his thumb repeatedly on the back of Two’s hand.

Two stepped past the threshold. “It wasn’t me,” he said.

“That’s right,” Ivy whispered, letting go of Two’s hand and backing up to sit on the edge of the bed. He spooked Ditto, who jumped up and darted out of the open door.

Two took several deep breaths as he forced his gaze away from the floor, stomping down on his panic as though it were twinkling embers. He wouldn’t let them catch fire. He was in control. “Can I sleep in here?” he asked Ivy, though his voice shook with fear.

“Yeah, yeah, of course. Let me just grab my stuff,” he turned, leaning across the bed to unplug his phone charger from the wall.

“No, no, no-” Two said gently. “I want you to stay.”

“Oh,” Ivy whispered, looking up at Two from his spot on the bed with eyes like full blue moons.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just-” Two started, stumbling his way through the words while his heart thumped so fast he heard it in his head.

“No, I do. Come here,” Ivy said to him, sliding to the side of the bed that was against the wall and pulling the covers back for Two to crawl into.

“Sorry. Can I sleep against the wall?”

“Of course.” Ivy switched spots, pushing himself under the covers and watching intently as Two climbed in. He didn’t get under the sheets, he was too afraid he’d feel trapped. So, he covered himself with the blanket he’d brought with him. His breath shuddered out of him in the darkness of his room. He couldn’t decide whether to close his eyes and see the ghost that haunted him behind his eyelids, or stare into the blackness of his room and find it waiting for him there, too. He looked at Ivy, instead.

“Are you okay?” Ivy asked for the second time. He was laying on his side, eyes wide and awake as he studied Two.

“Just peachy,” Two said flatly. The pair stared at each other for a long while. Two listened to the pattern of Ivy’s breaths, letting the sound drown out his thoughts. And if he stared into his icy blue eyes, his mind couldn’t conjure the apparition that had been following him to the ends of the earth. No, his mind couldn’t replace Ivy with something horrible- so he didn’t look away.

“Why are you called Two?” Ivy asked suddenly, making Two blink at him with confusion for a moment. He considered lying- considered telling Ivy it was some college nickname that he and Three had received, and it stuck. But, if one day he wanted truth from Ivy, he’d have to tell his own first.

“Three and I were stolen when we were turned. Forced into a… cult of sorts,” Two began, and Ivy listened intently. No pity in his eyes, just understanding. “I remember waking up, locked in an empty room, and Three was nowhere to be found. I didn’t feel like myself. I didn’t understand where I was or what happened to me. But, all I wanted was my friend. Eventually, someone came to collect me- Rory- and he brought me to Three. Though, at that point we had different names. The vampires called us by numbers when they had changed us.” Two considered telling Ivy the whole story- that the numbers were scarred into his and Three’s backs when they woke. But, he omitted just this part. Just this part, he kept tucked inside of himself, not yet able to show Ivy all of his ugliness. “I’m really not sure where One went, never met them in the first place. But, after that, that’s who we were. Two and Three. I know my old name, though I didn’t remember it at the time. I had to dig it up. But, that’s not me anymore. That person- that human- that I was no longer exists.”

“It doesn’t bother you? To be called that, even after you have escaped?” Ivy’s hand was resting in the space between their bodies, and Two took it. Seeking something that wouldn’t hurt him, something that wouldn’t be taken away from him.

“No. It’s lost its effect. It’s just who I am. I think if I kept living with my old name, it’d feel worse. Like I am an imposter. It just didn’t feel right,” Two explained as Ivy laced their fingers together. “It was horrible, being there. Doing the things they made us do,” his voice began to shake again, no longer tethered to the facts of what happened to him, and only the feelings of desperation.

“You don’t have to talk about it. Not now. Unless you want to,” Ivy said, lifting their joined hands to press a kiss to Two’s knuckles. The touch sent electricity racing down Two’s arm, his eyes locked on Ivy’s mouth.

“I don’t want to, not now.” Two’s trembles began to sate, as Ivy’s strong hand tethered him to reality. “I just want you,” Two whispered into the darkness, so quietly that it was hardly even there. He didn’t know what made him say it, but he found he didn’t regret it. He didn’t feel the immediate need to run away, to hide from something that was real.

“You have me,” Ivy told him softly, like he meant it. Like this was real. Two had a hard time deducing what was real, recently. “Come here,” Ivy urged, pulling down the quilt, offering Two closeness, if he wanted it. Two shed his blanket, crawling into the depths of the covers, allowing Ivy’s warmth to spread through his frigid body. He wrapped his arms around Two’s smaller frame, letting Two settle one of his legs between Ivy’s own. As Ivy welcomed him in, he found that he did not feel trapped. He felt safe.

“Are you okay, Ivy?” Two asked from where his head rested on Ivy’s chest. His human heart thumped a rhythm that soothed Two’s mind.

“I’m okay,” Ivy whispered, his hand sliding up Two’s back to drag gentle fingers through his hair. Two had a feeling Ivy wasn’t being truthful, but he’d get there one day. He’d find out what Ivy was hiding. For right now, though, he needed the silence. He needed the warmth in Ivy’s limbs to chase away every horror of his past.

Two moved his head backwards slightly, lifting his chin so he could look at Ivy. He assumed he would have his eyes closed, drifting into his much needed slumber. But, no, Ivy was looking at him too. Two wondered how much he could really see, in the dark. His gaze roamed, desperate and free from apprehension. He mapped each tiny, near invisible freckle that dotted Ivy’s nose and cheeks. He even had one on his lip- his full lips that were now parting to take a shaky breath. He could definitely see where Two’s gaze had gone.

“Two-” Ivy mumbled breathily, his voice like gravel, grating against all of Two’s senses. Making him want like he never had before. Even when he was human, he never wanted anything so badly. It made him feel hot all over, his mind spinning with need.

“Ivy,” he whispered. He didn’t have to say it, he didn’t have to say anything at all. Ivy was there, meeting him, knowing exactly what he needed without communication. He leaned down, pressing his mouth so softly to Two’s- like the kiss wasn’t even there. But Two could feel the warmth, and he knew it’d be the only sort of heat he sought after that night. Ivy pulled away, just a centimeter, and Two followed him- connecting their mouths again. This time, it was less gentle. This time, the two of them couldn’t sate their need.

Two might’ve been smaller, but he was stronger. He slid his hand from Ivy’s pectoral, down his side to grab his waist, pulling him so they flipped in the bed. They didn’t break the contact of their mouths, small sounds of pleasure filling the space around them as Ivy now pressed his weight into Two’s lap. He tried to pull away to breathe, his hands pressed to Two’s well muscled chest, but Two didn’t let him. He chased the magnetism of Ivy’s lips, leaning up to lick his tongue into his mouth. Two had well and truly lost it, overcome by something he was fully unfamiliar with. He wasn’t even sure he was kissing right, at this point. It’d been so long and Ivy was so perfect. Soft and wanton in Two’s lap.

“Please,” Two whispered against Ivy’s mouth, though he didn’t know what he was begging for. He wanted any touch Ivy would offer, any tiny pleased sound that rumbled in his throat. He knew he didn’t deserve Ivy’s softness, not when his own edges were so sharp. Two squeezed Ivy’s hips before letting his hands slide under the hem of his t-shirt, strong fingers pressing to burning hot skin. “Anything you want, I’ll give,” Two told him, his lips brushing Ivy’s as he spoke. Ivy kissed him deeply before responding, letting his tongue slide against Two’s for a quick, heated moment. Then, he pulled away, only slightly.

“I want you,” he whispered. “Without your armor. Just you, Two, as you are. I am not afraid of you,” he told him, his hands sliding from Two’s chest to hold his face. Two just blinked at him, fear tumbling in his stomach. He didn’t know who he was, beneath the armor. And he didn’t know how Ivy knew, inherently, where Two’s apprehensions lie. He protected himself from others, but in a way he was protecting them from himself. The wretched thing he had become. And Ivy saw right through him, peering past his fear, and his anger, and finding his warmth.

“You will not scare me away,” Ivy said, leaning down to kiss him again, and Two opened himself up- truly this time. He accepted Ivy, like Ivy accepted him and his faults. Two held him with trembling hands, and kissed him with every ounce of warmth he could supply. He hoped that Ivy could hear what he had to say, even if his language wasn’t with words. Even if he didn’t have much to offer, all of it belonged to Ivy.

With his wandering hands, and his soft mouth, Ivy chased away every dark, painful memory that haunted Two’s room. Cleansing the terror with pleasure, breathing life into the body that Two often thought was already dead. Once they were able to separate themselves, they closed their weary eyes, intertwined in body and soul. And as Two drifted off to his dreamless sleep, he felt like Ivy had taken him home. The place, the feeling he had longed for since everything he knew had been taken from him. He didn’t run, or hide, even if nervousness lit flames in his bones- he just slept, in the strong, comforting arms of peace.

Chapter Text

The next day, it was Two’s turn to sit in Three’s chair and get blasted with a tattoo gun. He chose an ascension lily, a flower that symbolizes rebirth and purity. He didn’t tell Three as much, just explained that he thought the flower was pretty, and wanted it smacked on his left pectoral. Three didn’t argue, he spent that morning drawing the design to Two’s liking, and now they were here. Two felt hesitant to remove his shirt, but no one was looking, and his back would be to the chair most of the time, anyway. So he shucked it off, and laid down to hide the roman numerals of his namesake that were scarred into his back.

He watched his friend quietly as he cleaned the skin and shaved what little hair was there to begin with. Two could still feel Ivy’s arms around him, like a phantom. He’d had to quietly peel himself from his sleeping form that morning. Because, after all, his body was still a body- even if he still didn’t understand his preternatural attributes. He was embarrassingly hard, and he was sure he’d drop dead right at Ivy’s feet if the other man noticed. So he shuffled out of the room and hurried to the bathroom. If he was good, he would’ve taken a cold shower and chased away his lingering want- but, he wasn’t good. He pleased himself, with the memory of his name tumbling from Ivy’s lips on repeat in his head.

“Just gonna do the stencil now,” Three’s voice hummed, snapping Two out of the thoughts that he really didn’t need to focus on right now. Not the time. Or the place. He fell into the quiet comfort of Three’s work, pushing Ivy out of his mind and reflecting on past times that Three had tattooed him.

“Do you remember when I let you tattoo my foot?” Two asked, chuckling a bit.

“Oh my god, that shit was terrible. I’m surprised you didn’t go into septic shock!” Three said with a laugh before pulling a long line of ink, making Two twitch against the pain. “Sorry,” he whispered, his teeth biting into his bottom lip.

“It’s good pain,” Two told him, lifting his gaze to the ceiling and letting the tattoo needles numb his mind for a while. It didn’t take long before his brain was swimming towards the magnetic pull of his moon. Ivy.

“I slept in my room last night,” he told his friend. Three lifted his tattoo gun, briefly shocked into stasis.

“Did you, now?” Three said with a smile, wiping gently at the tattoo with a paper towel. Two nodded. He found himself wanting to tell Three everything, like they had used to do.

“I didn’t sleep alone,” Two said quietly, dragging it out. Nervous to put all the pieces together for Three.

“Shut the fuck up,” Three huffed. “Ditto doesn’t count.”

“It wasn’t Ditto, lovey,” Two joked, and Three playfully slapped at his arm. “It was Ivy,” he whispered, his heart thumping a wild rhythm.

“And? Did you freak nasty?”

“What the fuck?” Two squawked. “No! Who even says that? Freak nasty!? Are you twelve?” By the time Two was done with his exasperated rant, Three had turned his tattoo gun off and was doubled over laughing, which sounded more like choked sobs.

“Yeah,” Three wheezed through his laughing fit. “You don’t seem like the type to freak nasty.” Two slapped his hands over his eyes, sighing dramatically.

“Yeah, asshole, I freak respectfully,” Two said, shocking himself with his ability to tease. Also, no, he didn’t ‘freak respectfully’, he didn’t freak at all. Not for a long time, anyway. Three looked up at him, blue in the face, and gave him a mock salute.

“I’ve always known you to be respectful,” Three said sarcastically, before calming himself down and returning to his work.

“So what did you do?” Three asked after a while, letting Two have a break from the tattooing for a moment.

“We kissed,” Two told him, surveying the half done linework of his ascension lily in the mirror.

“Nasty?”

“No, dear god. Forget it!” He yowled, laying back down in the chair for Three to begin again. He knew his friend was only joking, but what he did with Ivy wasn’t nasty, or fed from lust. It was pure, and kind. It wasn’t to say that he didn’t feel lust towards Ivy- because he surely did, if the way he came that morning gave any indication. Two didn’t know much innocence, or kissing just to kiss. But, that’s what Ivy gave him, and he was beyond happy to give it back. If that’s what he wanted. “Are you going to tell me about you and Vessel, or do you think you’re keeping your secret well?” Three looked up at him at that, then down at the tattoo, then back up again.

“Erm,” he started. “What about me and Vessel?” He squirmed in his chair. Quite adorable, if Two was being honest.

“Stop playing around.”

“It’s not that serious,” he said, but he couldn’t hide the blush on his cheeks, or the tiny shy smile that spread across his face.

“Ohh, but it is,” Two murmured, though he didn’t press the subject. “Are they coming over tonight?” Two asked- no point in clarifying who ‘they’ were.

“Nope. I guess they’re hanging out with someone else. How weird! They have other friends?” Three joked, pouting his lip. Two found himself frowning, too. If he had been asked a few months ago how he felt about Ivy and Vessel not showing up, he’d be elated. Now he just felt disappointed. And who were they hanging out with? Better to not go down that rabbit hole of rumination, it wasn’t his business.

They chatted as Three finished up what he’d do in this session. Three told Two of some walk-in that wanted his girlfriend’s name tattooed on his throat- to which Three declined, he wasn’t that insane. Two found that his chuckles and smiles came easier than they had in years, his ability to conversate much smoother. He felt happy to be here, for once. And he couldn’t wait to finish the beautiful piece of art that resided over his heart- that, to him, was a symbol of change. A reminder that he didn’t have to go back to the depths of nothingness, ever again.

****

“Lovey, have you noticed Vessel acting strange recently?” Three asked Two later that night. They were in Three’s bedroom, which was a rare occasion. Two took a pull from the blunt Three had rolled, blowing the smoke out of the open window.

“No, what do you mean?” Two frowned contemplatively.

“I dunno. He just seems so tired all the time. And he talks in his sleep,” Three told him, standing from his bed to join Two by the window and pluck the blunt from his fingers. Two wondered if there was a sleep talking curse roaming his residence. “It’s probably nothing. Anyway, I got something for you,” he said, reaching into his bag to pull a medical-grade blood bag out and handing it to Two.

Yuck, Two thought, wrinkling his nose. He hadn’t been able to get back to his work, though- not yet. So this is what he was left with. “Do I even want to know how you got this?” Two asked, looking down at the thing clutched in his hand.

“Nope,” Three smirked, blowing a cloud of smoke out of his lungs. “Drink up!”

Two bit into the bag with apprehension, forcing himself to drink down the awful, room temperature liquid. He’d have to face the streets again soon, just so he’d never have to do that again. He flung the empty thing into the bin and dipped into Three’s adjoining bathroom to wash his face off. And maybe swish his mouth with water. Multiple times.

“You should talk to Vess,” Two said as he laid down tummy first in his friend’s bed, pulling his phone from his back pocket to scroll absentmindedly.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m just not too good at serious conversations.” Two nodded at that, flipping his phone around to show Three a video of a cat stretching its toes.

“Awww, his little beans!” Three yipped, moving closer to Two and holding the blunt to his lips so he could take a hit. Two mumbled a deepened ‘thank you’ as he blew out the smoke.

Eventually, Three passed out, snoring softly, and Two ducked out of his room to pad off to his own. When he walked in, his panic threatened to suffocate him, pressing death’s hands to his throat. He swallowed it down. It wasn’t me, he told himself. He forced his mind to another place, another time in his bedroom. Gentle, safe hands. A deep voice and soft moans. As his mind sated, Ditto bound through the open door, meowing up at Two. He lifted her off the floor, pressed a kiss to her head and left the door open as he moved to lay down in bed.

Two lay with his eyes closed, for a long while. Sleep not quite reaching him as he floated in a space between. He saw his personal apparition, reaching out to him, urging him to link hands with despair. “No,” he mumbled aloud, rousing himself from the clutches of his brain’s own purgatory. His cat was cuddled on his chest, and he stroked her to calm his mind. Until her ear twitched, once, twice, and she was hopping off of him, eyes wide in apprehension.

“What? What is it?” Two whispered, clambering out of bed and flipping his light switch. Just as he was about to assume that his apparition had become real flesh and bone, and was coming to kick his legs out from beneath him, his front door clicked open. Then shut. Then nothing. Eerie silence making each hair on Two’s nape stand up on end, static volts of anxiety rippling down his back. He slid open the drawer on his nightstand, fumbling through it until his fingers landed on the steel hilt of a hunting knife.

He clutched the hilt so tightly his fingers ached as he slowly descended the stairs. Funny, how the tables turn. Two was used to being the one sneaking into people’s homes at night, not the other way around. Has his past finally come back to bite him? Had he and Three not truly escaped? Or had the police found out his dirty secret, at last?

As his foot hit the landing, his keen ears dialed in on the sound of labored breathing. He turned, knife locked in his grip, but what he found was not what he had been expecting.

“Ivy?” Two whispered, his eyesight adjusting to the dark. He cringed at what came into focus. His moon, covered in blood and his face streaked with tears. “What happened to you?”

Chapter Text

“What happened to you?”

Ivy just stared, moon bright eyes overflowing with tears. He looked beyond petrified, but as Two made to move closer, to find the source of the blood trail, Ivy skittered backwards.

“I’m sorry- I’m so sorry,” Ivy cried, but it was distant- like he wasn’t apologizing to Two, at all. But, something or someone else. “I didn’t know where else to go,” he whined, his hand sliding up to grope at his neck, blood pouring between his fingers.

“What happened, Ivy?” Two whispered, but he already knew. He knew deep in his bones that Ivy had met a terrible fate. A fate that Two was all too familiar with. “Oh, Ivy,” he mumbled, attempting to move closer once again.

“I- I don’t know what happened,” he said, his hand continuing its perusal of the ruined flesh of his throat. “Please, please, please help me,” he begged, tears streaming down, clearing pathways through the blood on his cheeks.

“Shhh, you’re okay,” Two hummed, stomping down on the embers of his panic, as Ivy finally allowed himself to be held. Two needed to be strong- needed to hold Ivy’s head above the surface of madness. “I need you to do something for me, okay?”

“Anything, please, God, help me,” he whimpered. Two knew God had forsaken him, there was no point in seeking salvation. It was too late.

Two pulled Ivy into his arms fully, letting them both sink to the ground as Ivy’s sticky blood transferred onto his own skin. Two didn’t get lost in the scent of it, he kept his mind on the task at hand. “Do you know who I am?” he asked.

“Of course,” Ivy said with a shaky breath. “Two,” he said, like a prayer, like an omen. “What do you want me to do?”

“You have to bite me,” Two whispered, holding Ivy’s ruined face in his hand. Every instinct inside of him shouted at him to run, to not let Ivy near. No running. He wouldn’t- couldn’t leave Ivy to face this alone. Not when Two had already faced it, himself. And he knew how quickly the hands of terror could suffocate. Ivy shook his head at Two, another sob tearing from his throat. “Ivy, listen to me-” he ran a soothing hand through his hair, speaking softly. “You have to. Or you’ll die.”

“I don’t want to die,” Ivy cried, trying to tear his face from Two’s grip. “What did he do to me?” His voice sounded far away, like he was lost in the memory of whatever happened to him. And Two would find out exactly what happened, once he was able to sort through Ivy’s suffering. It’d been a while since Two felt that tug towards evil, that insistent thing that was buried deep inside of his nature. If he could do nothing else in the world, he’d find whoever did this.

He decided that if Ivy wasn’t going to do it himself, he’d have to make him. He lifted the knife from the floor, sliding it across his wrist without a second thought. He gritted his teeth against the sting of pain before dropping the knife back to the floor. He couldn’t think, or he’d burrow himself back down into carelessness- he’d crawl back inside of his armor and leave Ivy there, bleeding on the floor of his home.

Two could register the exact second his scent flooded Ivy’s senses. The whimpers stopped, his eyes going wide with interest. Two watched the way his pupils dilated in and out, in and out. “Go on,” he whispered, holding his wrist up for Ivy to take. And Ivy did. He struck him with a viscerality that knocked Two off his axis. He should’ve expected it, the show of strength. But, his mind wasn’t in the right place. The only thing he could think of was saving him, and nothing else. Two hissed at the pain, coursing outwards from the puncture site. “Fuck- fuck,” he growled, jaw clenching. Suddenly, Ivy’s eyes flew open, looking up at Two from where he held his wrist between his teeth. His pupils grew, the black almost wholly overtaking the blue as he stared right into Two’s gaze. The pain slowly melted away, and Ivy was a moaning, squirming thing in Two’s lap. He took with greed, but he was gentle, now. Two was surprised his companion could see through his bloodlust enough to counteract the sting of pain. It was rare, but it made sense. Ivy was not evil, inherently or otherwise. He was pure, and Two’s heart ached something fierce, because he wasn’t there to stop this twisted play of fate.

“Good,” Two told him, his voice so quiet it was hardly there. Ivy’s venom began to course through his veins, hot and intimate. Two never let other vampires feed off of him, for that very reason. The sensual heat coiled low in his belly, and by Ivy’s moans he knew he felt it too. He needed to separate himself from it, though- stay alert so he could remove Ivy if he took too much. He didn’t know how to control himself, not now. His changed body was strong, probably stronger than Two at that moment. Though, as Ivy swallowed him down, he didn’t think he’d ever want to make him stop. He wanted to give in a way that frightened him. He needed to be in control, or he would let Ivy well and truly ruin him.

Soon, Ivy’s sounds of pleasure quieted, and his trembling worsened. “You’re okay, Ivy. You’re safe,” Two told him, using his free hand to wipe a tear that escaped Ivy’s squeezed shut eyes. He knew what Ivy was experiencing- the confusion, the guilt, the horror. All of it was hitting him after the initial insatiable hunger dissipated. “I wish I could take this from you,” Two said, tucking Ivy closer into his body, trying in vain to chase away the cold he felt on his skin. And Two knew, with absolute certainty, that he would do anything if it meant he could rip the suffering from him. He didn’t want Ivy to know this sort of pain.

With a muffled sob, Ivy tore himself from Two’s wrist, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he looked up. His hair was plastered to his forehead, his thick line of lashes darkened with tears. “I’m so scared,” he whispered, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. “I don’t know who I am.”

“You’re you, Ivy. You will always be you, no matter what you’ve been dealt.” Two helped wipe more of the blood from Ivy’s mouth. “You didn’t take enough, sweet creature,” he said sadly. He didn’t want to put Ivy through more, he wanted to wash the blood from his skin and let him rest. He could rest soon enough, but Two knew he needed more.

“I’m so hungry,” he whimpered, tucking his face into the crook of Two’s neck. He took a deep breath in, and Two knew it was settled. Ivy couldn’t fight against what was set in stone, what was now etched into his veins for eternity. A thirst that he could never outrun.

“I know, I know. Take it,” Two whispered, sliding his hand through Ivy’s hair and applying gentle pressure. Ivy’s lips brushed against Two’s sensitive skin, sending sparks of electricity down his body. He kissed gently, before lathing his tongue over Two’s pulse point. Two tilted his head back, allowing him more room. He pressed his teeth against him, a hum of anticipation rumbling through Ivy’s chest. He bit harder, slowly, until his fangs broke skin and Two’s blood poured freely into his mouth. Two bit down on his own lip to stop his groan of pain, of pleasure, of fear. It was everything, wrapped into one moment- one person.

Ivy released a growl as he drank, supping from the very core of Two’s life, and letting it breathe resurrection into his own body. Two’s lips parted, his head falling back, his fingers clawing desperately at Ivy’s back. It felt good, it felt divine- like something holy had knitted their two souls together, intertwining them beyond their physical beings. Two let his hand slide up to wrap gently around Ivy’s throat, absorbing the feeling of his swallows and the vibrations of his moans. He hissed as Ivy bit down on him harder, taking him with more passion. With a sudden movement, Ivy knocked Two’s back to the ground, his hand sliding behind Two’s head before it connected with the floor. His knees squeezed into Two on either side of his hips, supporting himself with one hand planted to the floor. Two knew he should feel afraid of the very strong fledgling that was hovering above him, but that was the last thing he felt.

If Two’s blood was an offering, then Ivy was the God it served. It was his, and his alone. Two would let him keep feeding until there was nothing left, if it meant Ivy would feel strong, again. If it meant he wouldn’t be afraid. He’d give his tithe, he’d fall into the void, he’d sink beneath the waves. He didn’t care. Because, Ivy gave him something nothing else had. The ability to feel, the ability to fear losing something.

The sound of Ivy’s swallows, and Two’s heavy breaths drowned out the panic in both of their minds. There was only this connection, and nothing else. No lingering reminders of Two’s past, no helplessness inside of Ivy. It was all chased away by the feeding- the loss of something for one, became the gain of the other. Two traced his shaky hands down Ivy’s sides, following down until he could slide his touch under his shirt. He pressed his fingertips into Ivy’s soft skin, feeling his muscles flexing and rib cage expanding with deep, shuddering breaths. He dug his nails in, raking them down Ivy’s back as he toed the line of gentleness.

Ivy’s hand slid slowly from the back of Two’s head, moving to fumble around blindly for his arm. He disconnected Two’s hand from his own waist, fingers pressing to the pulse point on his wrist. It was slowing, and Ivy could feel it now, too. He took a few more deep, desperate pulls before releasing his grip on Two’s throat, his breathy panting filling the silence that surrounded them. Ivy dragged his tongue over the wound, cleaning the mess he had made. Two let his heavy eyelids fall shut, his head swimming as his heart tried to pick back up to a normal pace. Pushing up onto both of his hands, Ivy let his weight finally fall into Two’s lap. “Are you okay?” he whispered, pressing calloused fingertips to Two’s cheek.

“I’m okay,” Two told him, forcing his eyes open against his exhaustion. Ivy leaned down, then, surprising Two with a gentle brush of his lips against his own. Two leaned into it, parting his lips slightly to invite Ivy in. Ivy licked into his mouth, and Two tasted himself there. He moaned desperately, chasing the flavor on Ivy’s tongue. The kiss didn’t last long, just a simple tease of a touch. A connection that worked easier than words for the two of them. A reminder that this wasn’t a transaction of purely survival, but a promise of devotion.

Ivy slowly eased off of Two, his breaths still coming heavy. Without a word, Two stood, grabbing Ivy’s hand and pulling him up to lead him to the bathroom. “I’m going to clean you up, is that okay? Or do you want to do it yourself?” Two asked, the care he found in his tone was foreign to him, but he could push past his discomfort for Ivy’s sake.

“It’s okay,” Ivy whispered, looking down at his feet, avoiding the mirror. Two turned the shower nozzle on, then returned to Ivy to help him strip out of his ruined, bloody clothes. As he waited for the water to heat up, he ran a washcloth under the sink faucet. Ivy stayed freakishly still as Two wiped the blood from his face, and his throat. The bite wound that had been inflicted on Ivy was already closed, but he was covered in the sticky, crimson memory of it.

Two checked the water temperature, decided it was warm enough and led Ivy to the lip of the tub. “I’ll be right here, okay?” Ivy nodded at that, stepping into the shower like a robot and pulling the curtain half closed. Two sat on the edge of the tub with his back to the curtain, but turned after a while, looking down at the porcelain Ivy stood on. It was painted red, bloody water cascading in macabre rivulets down Ivy’s legs. “Are you okay?” Two asked, turning away from the horror. If he couldn’t even face it, then how could Ivy?

“I’m surprised I’m not dead from blood loss,” he said, voice flat.

“Well, now you’re full of mine,” Two responded. Eventually, Ivy stepped out of the shower, and Two folded him into a towel, keeping his gaze trained upwards. They traded places, Ivy sitting on the lip of the tub while Two cleaned the night off of his skin. “Stay here,” Two requested once he was finished, exiting the bathroom with a towel slung around his waist, and awkwardly avoiding showing Ivy his back. Definitely not the time to talk about that. He rifled through the basket of clothing that he had kept by the couch- finding clothes for himself and some looser fitting sweatpants of his own and one of Three’s t-shirts for Ivy. He gave the clothes to Ivy as he returned, leaving him alone in the bathroom for just a moment as he got dressed. Two quickly threw on his clothing outside of the door, right in the hall.

“Thank you,” Ivy mumbled as he left the bathroom, flicking the light switch off. Two led him upstairs to his bedroom, pulling back the covers for Ivy to crawl in.

“You’re going to be okay,” he told him, sidling into his spot by the wall. Ivy blinked sad, scared eyes at him, but nodded nonetheless. Two reached forward, folding Ivy into his arms, wishing he could turn back to a time before. But his wishes were in vain, there was nothing Two could do to save Ivy from this. There wasn’t any force in the world that could change Ivy back to who he was- who he would now forever be.

****

Two woke to blinding sunlight, and soft warm lips pressing to his scarred throat. He fumbled, through his sleep-addled mind, for Ivy’s body, pulling him on top of himself. Ivy kept up his perusal of Two’s neck, gentle opened mouth kisses and sweet purring sounds, sharp teeth tickling soft skin. He dragged his strong, calloused hands over Two’s entire body, pressing fingertips into his relaxed muscles and sliding through his hair. Two was pliable beneath him, not even bothering to open his sleepy eyes as Ivy pushed affection into his soul.

Eventually, Ivy calmed, laying himself down on top of Two and tucking his face into the crook of his neck. “Don’t forget this,” Ivy whispered, lips brushing Two’s delicate skin as he spoke. Two was already being dragged past the brink of sleep again, too exhausted to ask Ivy how he could ever forget. And when Two woke for the second time, Ivy was gone.

Chapter Text

Like a wraith, Ivy was gone. Leaving no trace of himself, except for the scars on Two’s neck and wrist. Two called, texted, even went to Ivy and Vessel’s home for the first time ever- but he was well and truly gone. Vessel told him to stop looking. He told him he’d find nothing, if Ivy wanted it that way.

Two didn’t cry, he settled into what he knew himself to be- callus and empty. He returned to a time before, a version of himself that Ivy took and replaced with someone new. He didn’t recognize that person, anymore. It felt as though it all happened to someone else, like it was a tale of two lovers that he had been told- lovers that blipped out of existence before they could ever truly love.

When he lay in the space between sleep and awakeness, he could feel warm hands on his body, teeth on his throat, the taste of another’s tongue. But, it wasn’t real. He wasn’t home anymore. And, when it wasn’t his moon that plagued his restless purgatory, it was his apparition. It spoke to him, in a language he couldn’t understand- though, he could feel the urgency, deep inside of his flesh and bone. He felt its presence etch itself into his sinew, creating a home inside of his rib cage. It claimed him, beyond his physical being, stretching into a quantum realm where Two was nothing against its omnipotence. His apparition's malevolence called to him, like they were one and the same- like whatever atoms made up Two’s being, made up this winged creature's existence, too. He was followed, even in his waking moments, by the pressure of its gaze. He was watched as he continued to take the lives of sinners with hands that would never be clean of filth. And still, he didn’t accept its call. Even when despair tugged on his skin and plucked at his tendons, he refused to kneel to the unknown. His home would find him once again, and he would be there to welcome it.

He didn’t push Three away again, he let his friend into the dread that suffocated him. He let himself be cared for, even if it made him feel weak. He was allowed to be weak with Three- but only him. To the rest of the world, Two was the same as he had always been, before Ivy. Stoic, with a bite much harsher than his bark. Empty, apart from his love for his best friend.

Two walked the streets now, but not in search of a target- he had a destination, someone he needed to see. He hid in the recesses of his black hoodie, and drowned the sounds of the city with music in his headphones. His body was exhausted, his muscles barking in protest with each movement he made. He’d been waking himself in the night, words caught in his throat- words that he had no idea he had been saying. When he slept it was like falling into the maw of some great beast, swallowed down into nothingness. Needless to say, he was avoiding sleeping- lest his mind be lost to some unknown force. He’d like to keep his mind to himself, if he had anything to say about it.

He walked until he could see the gates of the cemetery, and his sister standing like a guardian angel swathed in black over their mother’s headstone.

“Lily,” he greeted softly as big blue eyes, twin to his own, locked onto his gaze.

“You look tired,” she prodded, pulling him into a warm hug. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” he said, letting go of his sister to set a vase of pink tulips next to his mother’s headstone. Two didn’t know what kind of flower was her favorite, so he brought something different every time. He didn’t know much about his mother, at all. She passed when he was young, his sister even younger. All he had were a few stories and the blurry memories of strong, protective arms.

Lily and Two were raised by their father, who wasn’t much of a father at all. He traveled for work, almost constantly. So Two had to see to his baby sister’s upbringing. He’d say he did an okay job, if he didn’t want to brag. His sister was the most amazing person he knew, and he did want to brag. She worked as an intensive care nurse, and had always pushed Two’s buttons about his lack of effort when it came to school. It was funny that way, being her apparent guardian and only being two years older than her. When they were both in college, him twenty and her eighteen, she’d come to him with some grand fuck up- and it’d be the same story of something he’d just done a week ago. He never took his own advice. Two would help Lily through anything, teaching her to be strong and independent- when he was a weak little creature himself. She was always his better half, and he was happy that whatever horrible thing went wrong with him didn’t happen to her, too. Two didn’t know how to parent, didn’t know how to be a mother or a father, but he did what he could for Lily. Until she was gone, living her life, and he was left with the weight of twenty years spent not living.

The bough broke through, and he spiraled. Him and Three got into any trouble they could find. Drugs, parties, lovers. Nothing too crazy, but enough to make Two feel the suggestion of actually living. Until, things went too far one night, and he and Three were never to be the same again. Bonded in horror, in atrocity, for the rest of their lives. It took him a long time to see his sister again after that, but when he did, he couldn’t keep a thing from her. She tried her best to take care of him in the way he did for her, but Two was too far gone. He was past the point of helping. He kept in touch, he put on his well adjusted big brother face and let her believe that he had gotten better.

“Twenty one years,” Lily whispered, tugging Two from his thoughts as she settled down onto her knees before the grave, the wind blowing the long strands of her golden hair. “I wish I knew her well enough to miss her,” she said, looking up into the gray sky, the trees rustling all around them. “She was someone I was supposed to know, but didn’t get to.”

Two kneeled down next to his sister, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. “She would be happy to call you her daughter, Lily.”

“And you, her son,” Lily said, looking over at him with hard eyes. Two wasn’t obliged to agree with Lily, and she knew that. No matter the distance or time between them, she knew him, intrinsically. She knew the guilt he felt- knew that he believed his mother wouldn’t like to know who he is now, if she was still alive. She took his hand, grounding him to the here and now. His mother wasn’t here, but his sister was and she wanted to know him. “Tell me what’s going on,” she said quietly, frowning at her older brother. And Two did. He told her everything, but still it felt as though he was talking about someone else- like these things didn’t happen to him, at all.

Ivy had come into his life like a riptide, disrupting the monotony Two was used to- and he learned to love the disruption. He learned to expect the quiet chatter of Ivy and Vessel and Three in the living room when he came home. He learned to cook for four, instead of just two. He learned that Ivy preferred sleeping with the TV on, and that Vessel hated it. He never made anything with mushrooms anymore, because Ivy didn’t like them. His playlists were overtaken with recommendations from Vessel, his phone full of pictures that Ivy had taken of Ditto. He wished he had tried sooner to live inside of the warm embrace of their friendship, instead of outside of it.

“Did you love him?” Lily asked once Two had finished his laments. She stared at the engraved headstone that their mother lay beneath, the shy sunlight just barely touching her skin.

“No. But I wanted to.” At that, Lily dragged her brother in, hugging him tightly.

“You’re going to be okay,” she whispered. And wasn’t that exactly what Two had told Ivy the night he changed? Two wondered if he was okay, at all. Vessel told him that Ivy was safe, but that was all he would offer. He tried his best to believe what his sister said, but Ivy didn’t believe Two. Empty words pressed to yearning souls. Two and Ivy weren’t okay to begin with, and they certainly weren’t now.

“You should come over, sometime. I’m sure Three would love to mess with you,” he said, pulling away from Lily’s embrace, stomping on the embers of his sadness. Three and Lily had an ongoing battle of who could annoy each other most, over the course of Two and Three’s long friendship. She had always been privy to their lives, even the darkest part. And she never treated them any differently for it. His baby sister was kind to a fault, and he could only protect her so much now that they were grown up and her strifes were no longer on a primary school playground.

“I have plans for Three. That include hair dye and a shampoo bottle.”

“Lily!” Two gasped. “You heathen. He loves his red hair.”

“I know he loves it, and I have not forgotten when he slept over and I woke up with mysteriously missing eyebrows.”

“Must’ve been a ghost,” Two mumbled, earning a glare from Lily. He stood, dusting his pants off and taking one last glance at where his mother rested. He hoped that wherever she was, she could see him and Lily. It was by blood that they were connected, but his sister knew his soul, and she’d never given up on him. He only had his mother to thank for that.

“Until next time, mother dearest,” Two said sardonically, stepping away from the grave and pulling his sister in for one more hug. “I love you. Don’t be a stranger, and call me for anything at all.”

“I love you, too, softy. Get home safe.” She turned and walked the opposite direction, to the car park. Two laughed to himself as he wandered down the footpath. Softy. He was only soft for his sister, and for Three. To anyone else he was more so a brick wall. But, then again, there was one person who began to erode the bricks he built up around himself. And that person was gone. He wondered if he’d ever see those bright blue eyes glancing down at him ever again. Even if he didn’t, he knew he’d be reminded of them every night when he gazed upon the moon. It’s magnetism tugging on him, just like Ivy did. Two was always the one doing the running away, and now that he had been left reeling, he didn’t quite know how to deal with it.

As Two walked his long trek back home, he wondered what his mother would tell him. Would she tell him he fucked up grandly by giving Ivy his icy disposition for too long? Or would she tell him that nothing he could have done would’ve changed the outcome? There were a billion different lines of fate that he could’ve walked, and he thread his needle right to this point- right to the edge of the cliff. But, in the end, with his toes on the ledge, he didn’t know if the free fall was bringing Ivy back or letting him go.

Chapter Text

“You know, maybe you should try hooking up with people. We could go to the bar, find you a pretty man- or lady. I think you need some fun in your life.”

“Are you fucking joking?” Two yowled, pinning his best friend with the death glare of all death glares. “I don’t ‘hook up’ with people, idiot.”

“You used to-”

“Well! A lot has changed since then, if you haven’t noticed!” Two bared his fangs, for dramatic effect, of course. Always dramatic.

“Sorry for the suggestion! You’re just so… hung up,” Three said, grabbing Two’s phone from his back pocket to switch the playlist they were listening to on their walk to the tattoo shop.

“I am not hung up,” Two deadpanned, peering over at his phone screen to see what Three was choosing.

“Two, lovey, I don’t think I’ve seen you not wearing that hoodie in days. Possibly weeks.” Two looked down at himself then, frowning at the hoodie that Ivy had once snagged from him. He remembered the way it left his wrists cold, and the paper he had left in the pocket. Two supposed he would never find out what that was about, and it bothered him. He’d now spent almost four weeks fixating on everything he could’ve done differently. Every word he could have said, every question that would go forever unanswered. Certainly not hung up. Not at all.

“It’s my favorite hoodie. Your point?”

“Forget it. Just consider fucking the brains out of some stranger,” Three said, like it was the most casual suggestion one could make.

“Have you been fucking the brains out of Vessel, lovey?” Two asked, smirking at the blush that spread across his friend’s cheeks. Smitten.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” he whispered as they arrived at the shop. He tugged the door open for Two and swept inside after him.

“Trust me, you don’t have to tell. I know.” If he was honest with himself, he’d say he was a bitter asshole. But, Two liked to hide from himself, so he wouldn’t say he was bitter. He was a roommate annoyed by public displays of affection. And moaning from across the hall. It didn’t bother him that Vessel continued to come over, it bothered him that there was no Ivy in tow. He watched as his friend took his lover to bed, and Two snuggled with his cat. He never yearned for affection, or intimacy, previously. And he’d lie and say he still didn’t want it, even if he felt the phantom touch of Ivy’s fingers in his hair and his sharp teeth on his throat. He thought about Ivy like he was a disease with no cure. He’d chase away thoughts of his winged creature with thoughts of pressing his affliction into the mattress, soft hands squeezing wrists. He shook his head at his own thoughts, pressing his knuckles into his eyes to pull himself from the depths of rumination.

“You gonna be a good boy and sit like a rock for me?” Three asked as he got his station ready.

“Please. Do not call me a good boy,” Two sighed, hopping up onto the tattoo chair and letting his legs dangle. He could think of someone he’d like to call that. But, alas, he was gone, and Two was stuck with memories and a sort of wanting that carved at his soul. “But, yes, I’ll sit like a rock.”

“Rock hard,” Three whispered.

“You are on one today, brother,” Two hissed, but it made him laugh. He gripped the hem of his shirt, tugging it over his head and tossing it on the bench by the wall before laying back in the chair. He studied his friend. “Has Vessel seen your scar?”

“… No.”

“How?”

“Do you want the intimate details of my sex life?”

“Is that at all the question that I asked?”

“So basically, I bend him over-”

“Three!” Two yelled, slapping his hands over his eyes.

Three laughed as he moved in to clean Two’s skin. “I just don’t let him see my back, silly. I’m not ready to talk about that, yet.” Two nodded at that.

“You’ll have to show him one day,” Two said, looking at Three with sad eyes. He wouldn’t want someone to see his, either. It was too much.

“And I will,” Three said seriously before Two heard the vibration of his tattoo gun, and Three’s gentle request to begin.

“I welcome thy torture.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Three giggled, dipping into his ink cup full of blush pink. Two soaked in the relaxed comfort, the pleasant pain, the music in his singular headphone- the other one worn by Three. He focused on the lyrics, the beat, the drums, instead of letting his mind wander off to the two beings that had been haunting him as of late. He still hadn’t told Three of his apparition; he didn’t really know where to begin. ‘Oh hey, I have this freaky winged thing that is trying to steal my mind. Wanna go smoke a blunt?’… didn’t really roll off the tongue easily. Three would probably just tell him to accept its beckoning hand and go where the wind took him. Two had a feeling the wind would take him to a place he couldn’t crawl out of. No thank you.

Suddenly, he remembered something Three had said to him a while back- that Vessel had been talking in his sleep. Perhaps, Two suffered from a very strange and personal sort of sleep paralysis, and Vessel did, too. He decided he’d mention it when they got home later, in the most vague and nonchalant way he could muster. He didn’t want to be locked up in a psychiatric facility, in any case.

After a while, Three let Two stand up to stretch. He admired what had been done of the color in the mirror. “Looks so good,” he whispered, and he could see Three’s bright smile in the reflection of the mirror.

“You’re lucky you have so much muscle on your chest, or else it’d hurt like a bitch,” Three said, poking at Two’s non-inked pectoral with a long finger.

“It definitely hurts, lovey,” Two said with a laugh, moving to lay back down in the chair. He let Three work in silence from then on, gaze locked to the ceiling.

“Three,” Two started as he helped his friend clean up his station when they were finished.

“Hm?”

“Do you think Ivy is okay?” He asked quietly.

“Oh, Two,” Three said gently, frowning at the aforementioned like he pitied him. Two didn’t want pity, he wanted closure. “I’m sure he is okay. Vessel said as much, anyway.”

“What if Vessel is lying?”

“You have to let him go,” Three whispered, moving to where Two stood like a statue and taking his hand, interlacing their fingers.

“I never even had him, in the first place,” Two said softly, his voice hardly even there. He squeezed Three’s hand, desperate for an anchor when his mind was all rough waves. Three grabbed Two’s backpack without letting go of him and dragged him out of the shop, walking all the way home with their fingers linked like a lifeline.

When they arrived home, Vessel was already there, long limbs stretched across their couch with Pitch Perfect on the television. “Do you make it a habit to break into people’s homes?” Two asked, acid in his voice- which was ironic, because Two had broken into countless peoples’ homes. At this point it was more than a habit for him, it was a job.

“Who pissed in your cereal this morning?” Vessel teased, a wide grin spreading across his face, brandishing sharp fangs and perfect white teeth.

“You, probably.” He dropped his backpack by the stairs and wandered to the kitchen, pulling out leftover pizza from the fridge and eating it cold. He was starved from all the calories he burned, and pizza wouldn’t hold him over for long. He needed blood.

“Three, Two needs to get laid,” Vessel said, his eyes trained to the TV as Three crawled into his lap, their long limbs tangling like branches.

“Can you guys shut the fuck up?” Two growled. He figured his cold pizza would be much better enjoyed in the comfort of his bedroom, with his cat purring by his side, but there were things that needed to be discussed. Things that were far past weighing on him, and were now crushing him like a hydraulic press. “Vessel?”

“Yes, tiny?”

“Don’t call me that,” Two hissed as he took a seat on the couch opposite of the two lovers. “Do you have nightmares?” Vessel swung his head at Two, making him cringe inwardly. Despite his practice- if it could be called that- he still lacked in the department of conversation. Words and queues were fickle and slippery.

“Um. No?” Vessel sat up, nudging a very exhausted Three from his lap. “I don’t dream, at all.”

Fuck.

Two could do nothing but stare. Coincidence? It had to be. What better explanation could there be? Were they cursed? Did they have the same ex hookup that decided to place a hex on the both of them for not calling back?

“Oh.” Two forced out. “Like… nothing at all? Like you’re falling into a void?”

“Yeah just like that. … Why?” He ran a hand through his hair. Two couldn’t fathom how Vess wasn’t noticing his sudden panicked state. Maybe he was stoned.

“I just heard you talking in your sleep, that’s all.” He bit into his pizza, but suddenly his appetite had vanished.

“God! He does that every night. I have half a mind to tape his mouth shut!” Three yowled, earning a gentle slap on the back of the neck by Vessel. “Hey!” He whorled on his lover, tackling him down onto the couch as they both giggled. Two felt like he had been drenched in ice water. He just watched their simple affections, nausea rolling in his stomach. Where did his and Vessel’s dreams go? And why are Three and Vess so adorable? He shook his head at himself, standing to toss his half eaten pizza in the bin and disappearing to his room.

Ditto bounded up the stairs with him, meowing excitedly. He ducked into the bathroom for a quick shower, brushed his teeth and pulled on some sweatpants that were stained with Three’s red hair dye. He curled into bed, holding his purring cat in his arms. Tonight, he would try sleeping- because he could feel that familiar ache in his belly that he needed to stave off, for now. He closed his eyes, heart thumping in expectancy. Where are you? he thought. All he could see was blackness, like his winged creature had abandoned him, too. Maybe it was afraid of something- but what?

Just as sleep began to cloud his mind, his phone pinged loudly, waking poor Ditto with a start. He fumbled through the dark, swatting at his rumpled bed sheets until his fingers found his phone. The bright screen forcefully dilated his pupils, making him squint. And the message had him tilting his head. It was simple- just an address.

From Ivy.

Chapter Text

Two briefly weighed the pros and cons of stealing Vessel’s car. He did have his license, so it wasn’t illegal on that front. But, still illegal. When had Two cared about the law anyway? He swiped the keys from the hook by the front door and hoped Vessel wouldn’t eat him for it.

The address that Ivy had sent him was an hour away, he made it in forty five. He sat now, in Vessel’s car, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. Before leaving he had changed into jeans and a black jumper- he didn’t know what to expect and it frightened him. What did you even wear to the occasion of showing up at a random address? Probably not hair dye stained sweats. He shot a text to Vessel about the grand theft auto, just so he didn’t call the police, and then exited the car and walked to the door. Two didn’t really know what he was expecting, but it was just a house. Quaint and simple. Whose house?

His hand hovered over the white wooden door, unable to force his muscles into submission and knock. Fuck this, he thought. He wasn’t even sure why he came all this way. Ivy disappeared, like he was never real to begin with, and Two came crawling back without a second thought. Pathetic. He dropped his hand, digging Vess’s car keys from his pocket to go right back the way he came, and the door opened.

“Two,” came the voice that had become the one he heard inside his head. To the surface, he ripped any morsel of confidence and surety that he had curled up inside of his wretched body and looked up. Up into moon bright blue eyes, into messy waves of hair, into invisible freckles and soft lips. Language had escaped him, much like it always did, when Ivy was there. He just stared into the universe, the force that he reckoned with, the moon that wrapped its magnetism around him, infinitesimally.

“I’m sorry,” Ivy whispered, and Two could see the shy display of small fangs in his mouth. It made him want to run away, it made him want to hide from what was undeniable.

“No,” Two said, weakly. “No, you don’t have to apologize.” But didn’t Ivy hurt him? Didn’t he wonder, day and night, why he just left with no trace? Two was stuck, teetering between the facts. Ivy abandoned him, and Three, without a glance back. But, he had been dealt a terrible fate. His humanness, his soft, warm soul was taken from him. Two didn’t think he could muster the confidence to be angry with him, even if he felt the ache of his absence every moment since he’d left.

“Come in?” Ivy asked gently, opening the door wider. Two wanted to ask whose home it was, because it wasn’t Ivy’s- unless he lived a double life outside of the tiny apartment he rented with Vessel- but he had more pressing matters on his mind. He’d ask later. He followed Ivy into the house, nerves skittering down his skin like electricity.

As Ivy and Two took a seat in the living room, Two found he could bring no words to the surface. He didn’t know where to begin. Why had Ivy even asked him here, in the first place?

“I shouldn’t have ran away,” Ivy started, gaze trained to the floor from where he sat a few feet away from Two on the couch. “I just- I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t know how to face it.”

“Trust me, I understand. No one blames you,” Two mumbled out, wrapping his arms around himself in an anxious embrace. “I was worried that you weren’t safe, that’s all.” Ivy ruminated on that for a moment, running a shaky hand through his hair.

“It was Vessel,” he said suddenly, so so quietly that Two wasn’t sure he could trust that his brain had heard him right. And Ivy still wasn’t looking at him.

“What?” he said, voice flat and disconnected.

“Vessel turned me.”

“What?” Two repeated, shock settling into his bones. “What the fuck do you mean?” he hissed, anger sizzling in his veins. Vessel? Why? Why would he hurt Ivy in that way? He didn’t know how to make sense of it, and Ivy wasn’t talking- he looked lost in the void of a past life. One where he was his own.

Ivy opened his mouth to speak, closed it, turned to Two and opened it again. “You have to understand, I was very sick. And… I was refusing treatment. There really wasn’t much hope. Vessel thought that he was saving me, by doing what he did.” Ivy said it all with a sense of emptiness that Two had never heard from him before, it was foreign and disturbing. He stared into Ivy’s familiar eyes, but he wasn’t sure he recognized him. He was reeling with the information, unable to make sense of it all.

The signs were there, though, weren’t they? Two noticed from the day that he met Ivy that there was something that he was hiding, something lying beneath the golden light that radiated off of him. “I’m- I’m so sorry I didn’t notice,” he choked out, eyebrows drawing together as his heart broke, just a little bit. “I had no idea, I’m so sorry.”

“Two, I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want pity, or help. I wanted-” he stopped there, and Two was waiting on the edge of any word that Ivy would offer him. “I just wanted. And before you ask- yes, I am horrified by what Vessel did. I don’t think anything will change that. But, I can see his intentions. I can see that he was desperate to save me, and this was the only way he knew how. He loves me, more than anyone ever has.”

“Ivy,” Two whispered, voice breaking. He could feel the pain that rolled off of Ivy in rivulets like rain. He was too stuck trapped inside of his own turmoil, that he couldn’t see the darkness inside of his friend. Because he was his friend, right? He never referred to him as that before, but it felt right. “You don’t have to run from me, ever. Okay?”

“I won’t. Not again,” Ivy said, an unspoken promise twisting in the rough sound of his voice. “I needed time, I hope you can understand.”

“I do! I do.” He wanted to tell Ivy that he missed him, that he thought of him everyday, that he wished he had accepted Ivy sooner. He didn’t, though. He just scooched closer, opening his arms in a silent question. Ivy collapsed into him, holding him tightly- and Two thought he’d like to never let him go again. Two ran his hands up and down Ivy’s back, through his hair, down his arms, trying in naught to chase away his pain. “I was so worried about you,” he whispered. “Was just thinking of you, sitting somewhere alone, and hurting.”

“I wasn’t alone,” Ivy told him. “This is my family’s house.”

“Oh?” Two was puzzled. Surely Ivy did not tell them of his affliction, because that would be… questionable.

“No, they don’t know,” Ivy answered for him, without hearing the question. It was easy to blend in, as the only outward tell was the viciously sharp teeth- but whatever arcane sorcery made them what they were, also worked to hide their fangs if they weren’t to be seen. They were still there, it was more so that a person’s mind was nudged away from the fact and they didn’t notice.

“Where are they now?” Two asked.

“Sleeping? It’s three in the morning,” Ivy said with his familiar soft smile, but this time his teeth were no longer blunt.

“Oh.” Two whispered, a blush spreading across his face. Shit, he’d hardly kissed the man and he was bringing him home to meet his parents? Two was certainly feeling his known habit of turning and running. And Ivy noticed, pulling back from their hug to chuckle in his face.

“Relax!”

“I’m sorry I’m a little frightened by the fact that I just stole Vessel’s car to drive here in the middle of the night to your parent’s house!”

“You stole Vessel’s car?!”

“Not the point,” Two deadpanned, glaring at the humor and shock that swirled in Ivy’s gaze.

“You’re smitten,” Ivy said with a smile, wrinkling his nose as he teased.

“Shut the fuck up,” Two hissed, but he smiled back, regardless.

“No really, I’ve never had a man commit grand theft auto to come see me before,” he prodded, poking Two in his hard chest.

“You annoy me,” Two growled, making Ivy laugh, like he always did when he said that. “I’m serious.” And this time, he laughed along with him. “And I am not smitten. I am… a concerned friend.”

“Oh?” Ivy giggled. Two bristled, staring into Ivy’s pretty blue eyes with a deer in the headlights look on his face.

“Are you flirting with me?” Two asked, voice flat. He felt like he might jump right out of his skin, not because he didn’t want it- it was because he wanted it so badly that his mind started to do all sorts of weird things. And he didn’t know how to deal with it.

“Nope,” Ivy said, popping the ‘p’. But he grinned like a fucking feind. Two felt hot all over, his face like fire. “Are you flirting with me?”

“Nope,” Two whispered, eyes locked on Ivy’s bright smile, his tiny sharp fangs. “Can I tell you something?”

“Mhm,” Ivy hummed, leaning closer into Two’s space, his legs crossed beneath him.

“You look very hot with these,” Two told him, poking his sharp canine with a finger. Ivy jolted backwards as his face got redder.

“Yeah?” Ivy asked, sighing out the word, relaxing from the sudden touch and melting back into Two’s orbit.

“Yeah,” Two said, voice low.

“You shouldn’t flirt with me in my parent’s house, Two, it’s in poor taste.”

“I do a lot of things in poor taste.” He pulled Ivy into his lap, chasing the warmth that he had enough of imagining for the past weeks- he wanted something real. It seemed Ivy was on the same track, pushing his face into the crook of Two’s neck and pressing soft lips to his skin.

“Missed you,” Ivy hummed, kissing Two’s throat gently. “I’m sorry I didn’t call.”

“I might hold that against you,” Two murmured. “Jury’s still out.”

“I wouldn’t blame you,” he said, biting at Two’s skin gently. Two would love to get lost in the feel of Ivy all over him, but he had to metaphorically dunk his head in ice water and pull back from Ivy’s mouth.

“As much as I adore your mouth, sweet creature, we have much to talk about,” Two told him.

“You’re the one that pulled me onto your lap,” Ivy said with a glare.

“Can we not have a conversation with you on top of me?” Two quipped, making Ivy blush. Shyness was new. “I need to know how you are, how you’re dealing with it all.”

Ivy squirmed in his lap- seemed he was like Two in that way, uncomfortable with serious conversation. “I’m… dealing with it.” Two raised his eyebrows, urging him to continue. “I don’t know, Two. I’m terrified, I guess. I don’t recognize myself, and everything is so intense.”

“That’s normal for fledglings,” Two interrupted momentarily.

“Every touch is like fire on my skin, every sound is too loud and I feel like I can smell fucking everything. I can smell you- your blood. And I can feel you, like you’re a part of me. It’s overwhelming- and not even in a bad way. It just is.”

“I know, I know. It’ll calm- or, really you’ll get used to it,” Two explained, running his hand in soothing strokes down Ivy’s back. “And what about Vess? Have you spoken?”

“Briefly. I promise, I’m not mad at him. I just feel like whenever I see him I’ll remember all the pain and the blood. He tried to help me,” his voice began to shake, but he didn’t hide his face. “He tried, but I ran from him. I was so confused. I didn’t even know where I was running to and fuck I probably looked like a lunatic racing down the street with blood all over me.” He cringed outwardly at that. “I thought- I don’t even know what I thought. I just wanted you. And even after I came here, all I wanted was you. I just didn’t- I couldn’t let you take care of me. I needed to take care of myself. I needed to be away from the reminder of what happened. Do you understand?”

“Of course I understand,” Two said softly. “I’m sorry I was so cold to you, before. That’s really all I thought about, while you were here.” Two wanted Ivy to realize that he had changed him, in a kind way. In a way that made it easier to breathe, when everything else was so hard for so long. Ivy had breathed fire inside of him, making him feel.

“I melted your cold heart,” Ivy teased, wiping at his watery eyes. “You really are so different, now.”

“I think that is because you have neglected me,” Two said flatly, but he was only joking. He didn’t want to be cold with Ivy anymore. Not since he saw what it was like to be without him. So, if Ivy would accept his simple affections, he’d give them- even if that was the only thing he’d ever accept. Two didn’t care, as long as they could chase away each other’s fears, and find solace in something safe.

“Have you been warm with Three?” Ivy asked, quirking a brow at him.

“Yes… but, maybe not Vess.” Ivy frowned at that. “Ivy, you should see them! They’re fucking like rabbits!” Ivy went wide eyed for a second, and then laughed so hard tears spilled out of his eyes.

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” Ivy said breathily after sobering from his laughing fit. “I’m sure that’s fun to live with.”

“Ah, yes. So fun to hear Vessel getting his back blown out while I’m yearning for my long lost lover,” Two deadpanned, then jerked his head back at what had come out of his mouth. Too much, too serious. Ivy blinked at him, and they stared in intense silence for a few moments. Two was suddenly yearning to smack his head against a wall repeatedly. “Sorry. That was… not what I meant. Dramaticized retelling of the events that took place.”

“Always dramatic, you,” Ivy teased, pressing a gentle kiss to the tip of Two’s nose. Two felt his old self fighting for control- the one that would pull away from Ivy’s soft touches and only speak when necessary. It was difficult for him to be so carefree, to let go of his apprehension and just be. Ivy wanted him without his armor, Two was just having trouble shucking it off. Ivy noticed his shift in demeanor, and began sliding off of his lap to sit in front of him again.

“Nooo,” Two whined, like a petulant child. He wouldn’t let his past win, he could thaw his ice for something so important. Ivy needed him- or, maybe not him, but he needed support- and he wouldn’t turn from it. He’d given Ivy his blood, he’d handed him all of his mess on a silver platter, he could give him whatever warmth he had, too. “Come here,” Two urged, or maybe begged.

Ivy gnawed on his lower lip, a tiny fang peeking out as he seemed lost in contemplation. “Do you want to come to my room? It’s late.” Two briefly considered how old he was, because he wasn’t sure why he was acting like a teenager who was about to lose their virginity when he was only asked a simple question. It wasn’t like they hadn’t slept together before. Something about it just seemed more intense, like an omen hanging over their heads in the dark. Two swallowed- unfortunately audibly. And Ivy’s gaze was trained on the bob of his throat. Fuck. “Or you can sleep in the guest room!” Ivy said with a laugh, gauging all of Two’s embarrassing nervous energy.

“Ah- No! No, I want to. Do you think Vessel will shoot me if I don’t return his car, though?”

“I don’t think Vessel has a gun.”

“You don’t think he has a gun. Not the same thing as him not having one.”

“Shut the fuck up! Vessel will be fine, he’ll probably be too busy with Three to even notice it’s gone,” Ivy said, grabbing Two’s hand and pulling him up from the couch. Two tried not to think about the possibility of running into Ivy’s parents at some point as he was being led to his bedroom. Two was a creature that dined on blood, and this was scandalous to him. Ridiculous.

Ivy opened the door to his bedroom- his childhood bedroom. It was as though nothing had been altered, all of his teenage angst littering the space. It was tidy, but… eclectic. There were band posters all over the baby blue walls, and ripped up set lists that were written in Sharpie. Two wondered if they were his own bands’, or from gigs he had attended. And there were his guitars, neatly lined up. It made Two’s heart ache, but also made him feel incredibly awkward. He didn’t think this is a place where his tainted soul belonged. It was sanctified in innocence, in a life that Two did not know. Though, he wanted to. Maybe, in this place of peace, with Ivy’s warmth beside him, his apparition would not find him.

“Oh, let me find you something to sleep in,” Ivy whispered, moving to rifle through his dresser. He pulled out sweatpants and moved to his closet for a t-shirt. It was some shit written in that metal band font that no one could read. Ivy giggled as Two stared at it.

“It’s merch from a band I was in after I graduated. Shit was nasty metalcore, mostly just groans and squeals. But the gigs were fun,” Ivy explained, shoving the clothes into Two’s arms and pointing him towards the bathroom- adding that there were spare toothbrushes in one of the cabinets. As Two shut the door to the bathroom, he had to lean against it for a moment- overwhelmed with the domestics. He’d spent weeks, mourning the loss of warmth in his bed, and now he was here. Changing into Ivy’s old clothes at his parent’s house. He wasn’t entirely sure how he got here from meeting some guy with pretty blue eyes at a nonconsensual house party. He was in far too deep.

As he returned to Ivy’s room, clothes changed and teeth brushed, his heart thumped wildly. Ivy didn’t say a word as he dipped out of the room to do the same- like this was normal. Like this was something they always did. Two wanted to scream. But, instead he crawled into Ivy’s warm bed and waited for his moon to return. Maybe it could be something they always did.

Chapter Text

Two woke to thirty-seven missed calls from Vessel. And two hundred text messages. Probably wasn’t a good night to leave his phone on silent.

“Hello,” Two said, voice rough with sleep as he called Vessel back.

“What the fuck! What the fuck! What the fuck! What is wrong with you!?” Vessel screamed, so loud that Two felt a once-slumbering Ivy squirm beside him.

“Apologies, the matter was… important,” Two said, flipping over on his side to blink at Ivy’s sleepy eyes. Ivy mouthed a ‘good morning’- though it was probably noon.

“It better have been fucking important. Give me my car back, you psycho!” Vessel was fuming, and Two couldn’t blame him. He’d get over it, though.

“I will!” Two growled.

“Now!”

“Fine!” And he hung up, tossing his phone to the other side of the bed. “Good morning,” he grumbled, a headache already starting in his temples from Vessel’s screaming. Boy really had some pipes.

“You deserved that, thief,” Ivy teased, pulling Two into his embrace under the covers. Two obliged, tucking his head underneath Ivy’s chin and sighing into his chest.

“I should go, lest Vessel puts all my shit in trash bags and throws it onto the lawn,” Two huffed, pulling himself back from the hug.

“Wait,” Ivy whispered, giving Two a look that could only mean trouble. Before he could ask him what he was meant to be waiting for, Ivy pressed his lips to Two’s. He froze, for a moment, stunned by the sudden contact, but he melted to Ivy’s flames quickly. He kissed him back, softly, pressing his hand to the side of Ivy’s face and brushing his cheek with his thumb. The touch sent nerves tumbling in Two’s belly, shivers running down his back like tiny strikes of lightning.

“I can surely wait, but I don’t think Vessel can,” Two whispered, before biting at his bottom lip. That was the wrong choice, because it only stoked Ivy’s need. He hummed against Two’s mouth, a soft, pleased noise that Two wanted to bottle up and hold forever. He’d do anything to keep him making those sounds.

“Fuck him,” Ivy hissed, licking his tongue into Two’s mouth with a fervor that Two wasn’t sure he could keep up with. He met his teasing tongue with his own, pushing Ivy over onto his back and getting in his lap for a change. Ivy was so eager that it made Two’s head spin, and he was certainly aroused. His fingers dug into Two’s hips as he abandoned his mouth and kissed along his jaw, breathing heavily the whole time.

“Are you okay?” Two asked with a nervous laugh, body bent over Ivy’s.

“No,” Ivy mumbled. Two startled, but before he could pull back, Ivy was grabbing his face.

“Why not…?” Two whispered, blinking down at the man beneath him.

“I want you so badly I could die,” Ivy said under his breath, eyes wide with emotion. Intense emotion. Two would venture to guess- and hoped- this was his first intimate connection since he had turned. And he was sure Ivy was feeling everything, in a way that scalded his skin and made it hard to breathe. If pleasure could actually kill someone, Ivy would be the first to go. Ivy pushed up onto his elbows, chasing Two’s mouth like it was a fix. Two could feel his obvious hardness beneath him, and he wondered what sort of sound Ivy would make if he rolled his hips against him. And then… metaphorical ice water dumped on his head- a whole ocean of it.

“Oh my god! I’m not going to fuck you in your parents house!” He whisper yelled, flames licking across his face like he’d just spent days in the sun. Ivy let his head fall back against the pillows, eyes twinkling with humor.

“They’re not here, idiot! And who said you’re going to fuck me!?” He yowled, laughing like an idiot.

“Don’t act like you weren’t twenty seconds from begging,” Two hissed, leaning down to nip Ivy’s throat.

“Fair enough,” Ivy whispered, voice rough with lust as he let his head fall back so Two could continue his mouthy perusal. Considering they were alone, Two let his earlier thought take over, his body submitting to the motion before he could think it over. He rolled his hips, biting down on the delicate skin of Ivy’s neck. And Ivy moaned, soft and beautiful, like nothing Two had ever heard before.

“Jesus fuck, what are you doing to me?” Ivy whined, fingers squeezing Two’s waist like it would tether him to reality.

“I’m not doing anything,” Two said with a laugh, retreating from the crook of Ivy’s neck to kiss him properly. It was hot and desperate, not like when they had kissed before. This was intimate in an unfamiliar way. Ivy was like fire beneath him, pliable to Two’s movements, following his current like he was put on this earth to do just that. He was so noisy, moaning repeatedly as Two continued to move his hips to the rhythm they created.

“I think I’m going to die,” Ivy said against Two’s lips, guiding the movement of his hips with his hands. “I think you’re trying to kill me.” Two laughed at that before sliding his hand up Ivy’s throat and holding him just beneath his jaw.

“I would never,” Two whispered. “Then I’d never be able to touch you.” Ivy whined at Two’s words, kissing him again like his life depended on it, like this was salvation. Two squeezed his throat incredibly gently, just a whisper of a touch. He was painfully hard, his body shaking with need. It was all consuming, pure pleasure pumping through his veins- his muscles flexing against the carnal desire he felt. He’d never wanted anything more than he wanted Ivy, and he knew he’d felt that way since the night that he met him- even if he pushed him away. He had pondered the noises Ivy would make for him, the way his body would feel beneath him, if he’d beg for it, if he’d do anything for Two- like Two knew he’d do for Ivy, in return. It was nothing like he was expecting, it was so much more. There wasn’t anything he could liken to Ivy’s touch, it was uncharted and unmatched. And he couldn’t fathom that Ivy wanted it all, just as badly. So badly, in fact, that he was audibly ruined- and Two hadn’t even gotten his hands or mouth on naked skin yet. They were both fucked.

“Fuck,” Ivy whimpered, his hips bucking involuntarily as Two worshipped him with his lips, their bodies and mouths meeting and parting to the rhythm in their minds. “Oh, oh, fuck.” The words fell from his mouth like they were ripped from him, like he couldn’t fight against it. And Two could feel the way he was trembling- could hear his heart beating so fast. “Please,” he said, voice strained, and then he was pulling himself from Two’s mouth and shoving his face up into his shoulder, biting down onto the muscle there as he moaned loudly, his strong hands forcing Two to move slower along his clothed arousal.

“Holy shit,” Two whispered in shock. “Did you just-”

“Shut the fuck up, please, shut the fuck up,” Ivy panted, his and Two’s hips stilling suddenly, like they were frozen in time. Ivy let his head fall back against the bed, his chest rising and falling rapidly with quick breaths, his eyes half lidded. Totally blissed out.

“I adore you,” Two told him, smiling wide and leaning down to kiss him sweetly.

“You’re not… mad?”

“What the fuck? No. That was incredibly hot,” Two said, unable to stop kissing him. It was like an addiction, at this point. Ivy obliged, for a while, kissing him slow and gentle as he rode the waves of his lingering pleasure. Two still wanted more, but now wasn’t the time- or the place. He crawled out of Ivy’s lap, laying down beside him and deep breathing through the desire that clouded his brain.

“I’ve never felt anything like that before,” he whispered, a blush spreading across his cheeks. “I promise I do not make it a habit to cum in my pants…”

“I wouldn’t care if you, or if you didn’t,” Two said honestly, chuckling gently at the embarrassed look on Ivy’s face. “As long as you’re getting there,” he told him, looking into sleepy blue eyes. Which suddenly went wide.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry! I’m an asshole,” his gaze went pointedly down to the erection that pressed against Two’s borrowed sweatpants. “I just got so overwhelmed.”

“Oh my god, you sweet creature, I don’t care. That was for you,” Two said gently, leaning forward to kiss his nose. “And I really need to return Vessel’s car. I can’t make you bust in your pants if I’m dead.” Ivy squealed at that, slapping his hands over his eyes and yelling at Two to shut up.

“God, please, give Vessel his car back and leave me to my embarrassment,” he whined. Two kissed him once more, for good measure, and assured him again that there was nothing to be embarrassed about as he crawled out of the bed. He moved to help Ivy clean himself off, but he shooed him away.

“Will you come over, later?” he asked gently as he collected his clothes and Vessel’s car keys from atop the dresser, nervous for his answer.

Ivy frowned. “I don’t think so. Not yet,” he gave him a sad smile. And Two understood, wholeheartedly. He hated to leave him there, it felt terribly wrong. But he had a wrong to right, and he knew he’d see Ivy again soon. Fate wouldn’t have it another way.

****

There was only a door between him and the wrath that was surely on the other side. He braced himself before turning the doorknob, his own anger towards Vessel simmering low in his belly. Vessel was yelling before Two could even step fully through the entrance.

“There you are! What were you thinking?” he growled, and it reminded Two of a disappointed parent- like the ones he saw on TV, because he wasn’t paid enough mind by his father to feel his disappointment.

“I could ask you the same thing, Vessel,” Two hissed, hanging the keys on their hook and kicking his shoes off, remaining as calm as he could be in the face of Vessel’s anger.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” He sauntered closer, long legs eating up the space that separated them as Three continued to sit wide eyed on the couch. “Hm?” Two stared into his ocean water eyes, and he wondered if it would click for Vess before he even had to say anything.

“Back the fuck up,” Two said, craning his neck. Intensity was foreign to him no longer, all the anger that lay dormant in his body rushed to the surface.

“Tell me what you meant,” Vessel said, malice in his voice. This went far beyond stealing a car, and Two knew Vessel had figured that much out.

“I said back up.” Two placed a strong hand on Vessel’s chest, nudging him backwards. His hand was wrapped around Two’s wrist before he could even register it, yanking him forward so hard he stumbled over his feet. Vessel flipped him around, Two’s back scraped against the edge of a low table by the door before slamming into the wall behind him. Well, shit. “Get the fuck off me,” he yelled, trying in vain to shove Vess’s much larger frame off of him.

“Tell me,” he hissed, like a serpent. When Two caught his gaze again, he wasn’t sure he recognized him. It was like the person he knew had dissipated entirely.

“Is this what you did to Ivy? Huh?” Two questioned, his voice breathy as he tried to break free from Vessel’s grasp, but his arms were pinned and his legs couldn’t do much in this position. “Fucking shoved him against a wall and took what didn’t belong to you?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Two couldn’t help but shudder at the sound of Vessel’s voice, it was serpentine and commanding. He could feel his shirt sticking to his back with blood from being thrown against the table- Ivy’s shirt. Ruined. “I was trying to help him,” he said, leaning down into Two’s space until they were eye level. Two seized his moment, throwing his weight so their foreheads smacked together and Vessel’s hands spasmed from the pain, releasing his hold. Vessel fell backwards, landing on his ass and pressing a hand to his forehead.

“I said don’t fucking touch me,” Two spat. “And don’t touch Ivy, either. Do you know that I let him feed from me? That I held him through the pain that you caused? That he’s terrified of you?” Two couldn’t stop the vitriol that rolled off his tongue, even as Vessel looked up at him from the floor, dazed and dejected.

“Okay, okay, okay, stop!” Three yelled, running into the foyer to put a stabling hand on Two’s shoulder. He shrugged his friend off, his breaths coming rapidly as a trickle of blood slid from the gash on his forehead down the bridge of his nose. Three went to help Vessel up, as Two just stared.

“You’re bleeding,” Three said.

“I know,” Two whispered, dragging his hand across the sticky blood on his head.

“No, on your back.” Three let go of Vessel, who huffed like a racehorse. “Let me look.” Two skittered away from his touch, glancing warily at Vessel. He knew their fight was over- for now- but Two was still in the interest of not showing him his back.

“Stop fucking moving!” Before Two could swat him off, Three forced him round and lifted the back of his shirt, exposing the gash along his mid back. And his most closely guarded secret.

“Oh, fuck,” Vessel whispered, like he was miles away.

“It’s not that bad,” Three explained, poking at the skin around it.

“No- No that’s- How-” Vessel panted out the words, and Two whipped around to look at him, finding him pale and wide eyed like he’d just seen a ghost.

“What the fuck is your problem? Never heard of a squeamish vampire,” Three prodded, letting go of Two’s shirt and moving to lead him into the bathroom. But, Vessel snaked a hand around Two’s wrist, stopping their motion.

“That scar- on your back, how long have you had it?” His voice shook- with not just fear, but full body terror. It spread into Two’s being, making his legs tremble with a premonition that hung in the air between them. What did Vessel know?

“Since I was turned. The people who turned me- they branded that into my back,” Two explained, voice wavering with discomfort and anxiety.

“No they didn’t.”

“What? Yes they did, they-”

“I’m telling you that they didn’t.” Before Two could open his mouth, and tell Vessel he didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about, the man in question was shucking his shirt off- revealing a pale and muscular torso, free of any tattoos. He turned around fully, and any breath that Two’s lungs held wooshed right out of him, his head spinning.

There, right along Vessel’s spine, between his shoulder blades was a scar just like Two’s own. But, this one was just a singular line. One.

“How? That doesn’t make sense,” Two stuttered out as Three went robotically still beside him, their shaking fingers interlaced. “I don’t understand,” he whispered, his mind warring with what he thought he always knew. Vessel could’ve been turned by the same people- but he’d said it wasn’t them that did this, and Two was leaning towards believing him. He just didn’t know what it meant.

“You were marked,” Vessel said as he turned around, and Two had never seen him look so afraid. He’d seen his joy, his anger, his exhaustion, his sadness, but never this. It unsettled Two down to the core of his being, his skin crawling with fear and confusion.

“Marked?” Three asked, squeezing Two’s hand like maybe it would wake the both of them from this nightmare and take them back to a time before- a time when they were drunk and giggling on the bathroom floor of their old apartment, a shitty tattoo gun stabbing into the arch of Two’s foot. They’d never get back there, they’d never be baptized in ignorance again- blind to the horror of the world and its sharp teeth.

“I can’t explain, I have to show you,” Vessel told them. And Two knew that whatever it was he was about to witness, would change him beyond anything he’d already faced. The walk to hell was long and unforgiving, and there was always one more thing hiding in the dark.

Chapter Text

“We have to get Ivy,” Vessel said, turning the key in the ignition. Two was given a few minutes of grace to lick his wounds and change out of his bloody borrowed shirt, but then he and Three were herded into the car with zero explanation.

“Why?” Two asked from the back seat, his whole body shaking like he was being taken to his death.

“Because I have a theory, now be quiet,” Vessel snapped as he pulled out of the driveway, his knuckles starkly white as he gripped the steering wheel.

“Is this kidnapping? Are we being kidnapped?” Three squeaked, turning from the front seat to blink scared blue eyes at Two.

“You got in the car willingly, dumbass,” Vessel hissed, driving in the direction of Ivy’s parent’s house.

“Should I have brought a weapon?”

“No, Three, you don’t need a weapon.”

“Because I won’t be in danger, or because you already have one?” Vessel didn’t answer. Extremely comforting.

They drove the rest of the way in haunting silence, Two’s mind going completely blank. He couldn’t bear to worry over what was going to happen, or he’d collapse under the weight of it all. When they arrived at Ivy’s house it was dark, the full moon covered by gray clouds.

“You guys stay here, I’ll get him,” Vessel proclaimed, hurrying out of the car before Two could tell him that was a terrible idea. He shoved his small body between the two front seats and watched through the windshield as Vessel knocked, and waited, and waited, and there was his moon, opening the door and looking just as confused as Two felt. It seemed they were arguing, and Three winced at Two’s side. Ivy disappeared into his house, shutting the door in Vessel’s face, and Two assumed that was the conclusion. A few moments later, he opened the door again, looking blue in the face and continuing to spew unheard vitriol at Vess.

Eventually, they sated, and Ivy followed Vessel back to the car like a sad puppy. Two scrambled back into his seat before Ivy opened the door and crawled in.

“This is about to be the worst fucking field trip of my life,” he grumbled.

“You look nice,” Two commented, gaze tracking over Ivy’s white polo and black jeans that fit perfectly over his thighs.

“I was about to go out to dinner with my parents!” He yowled. “Where the hell are we going anyway?! And, thank you,” he smiled at Two, acknowledging his compliment sweetly, before turning his wrath upon Vessel again. “This is beyond fucked.”

“I don’t know what it is about you three and getting in my car willingly and acting like I picked you up and put you in here!” Vessel shouted, continuing onto the route to their destination. Which was still a mystery.

Two turned to Ivy, lifting his eyebrows at him in a silent question, to which Ivy shook his head gently. And Two didn’t know what the fuck that meant. That he was uncomfortable? Or that he was fine and don’t push the subject? He took his hand, interlacing their fingers in hopes that it would offer Ivy a sense of safety. Two wouldn’t let anything happen to him- not when they were together. He lifted their joined hands and pressed a kiss to Ivy’s knuckles, trying to swallow down his fear and be strong. It wasn’t working.

“How certain are you that Vessel is not going to murder us?” Three asked, poking his head into the backseat, like Vessel wasn’t right beside him.

“I’m like fifty-fifty right now,” Two said, rubbing his thumb on the side of Ivy’s hand as he turned to stare into the darkness outside the car window. Vessel was taking them to the middle of nowhere, it seemed. “He’s your boyfriend, though, I think you should know whether he has it in him to murder you or not.”

“You guys do know I can hear you, right?” Vessel snapped, turning onto a dirt road. Perhaps they were getting murdered. Two decided that if these were his last moments, he might as well spend them right. He leaned across the middle seat and kissed Ivy, right on his lips. Ivy went still for a moment, stunned by the surprise contact, then relaxed into Two’s affection, kissing him back gently and quickly.

“What was that for?” Ivy asked with a laugh.

“I think we’re going to die,” Two deadpanned, moving back over to his side of the car with his fingers still intertwined with Ivy’s.

“Aww, you guys made up!” Three squealed, still with his head poked into the backseat. “Did you freak nasty?”

Oh my god.

“What!?” Ivy yipped, a flush spreading across his cheeks.

“You need to be leashed,” Two growled, leaning forward to bop his friend on the forehead, effectively making him depart the backseat.

“What the fuck is a freak nasty?” Ivy questioned, pinning Two with a hard stare.

“Considering I am not in the business of doing that, I couldn’t tell you what it is.” Ivy laughed, but it was cut short by the sobering moment of Vessel putting the car in park. Two couldn’t see much outside the tinted windows, it was so dark and the landscape around them was infested with tall trees. “Come, let’s walk towards our deaths,” Two said wryly, clambering out of the car as the other three did the same.

When he got out, and his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could see it. Hiding behind the monstrous trees that dipped their branches onto the roof like fingers, was a mansion. It was beautiful, and decrepit. Abandoned long ago. It stood alone, ornate and isolated. Two wondered what sort of hermit lived here in the long forgotten past. As he stared at its limestone columns and veins of black decay, he felt dread dance down his spine, forcing goosebumps to the surface of his chilled skin.

“Why are we here?” Ivy whispered, like he was afraid to wake the slumbering beast of a house. His question went unanswered. Vines erupted across every surface, forcing their roots into each crevice and climbing all the way to the top. It seemed unnatural. It felt familiar, pulsating an arcane energy that Two recognized like he recognized himself- because it was him. Something about it was connected to him, on a level that went beyond the surface. He and the mansion were one and the same, abnormal and unclean. It called to him like the moon, like his apparition, like blood. Intrinsic in a way that calmed his racing heart momentarily, and had him taking slow steps forward.

The four of them walked side by side down an overgrown path, pink flowers bursting from vines that snaked around the ancient flagstones that were set into the earth. Two couldn't look away from the daunting picture before him, and it seemed neither could the others. It loomed over them like an omen, like whatever would happen when they entered would irrevocably change them.

Vessel suddenly halted their silent progression, looking much calmer than Two felt- he wasn’t sure he’d ever feel calm again. “Ivy,” Vessel started, still staring up at shattered glass windows and cracked limestone. “Can you show me your back?” he asked, his breath creating a fog in front of him as he turned to look at where Ivy stood by Two’s side.

“What?” Ivy squeaked, his voice sounded so small- like how it sounded when he begged Two to save him with blood slithering down the column of his throat. Two had to swallow his nausea and his animalistic instinct to grab Ivy and Three and run far away.

“Please, show me your back,” Vessel said gently. He could tell Ivy was terrified of him, and Vessel looked a little broken at that. His hands fisted at his sides, like he was holding himself back from reaching for him.

Slowly, Ivy turned around, his calloused fingers gripping the hem of his polo and pulling it up over his shoulders. Two’s eyes tracked the slight suggestion of back dimples, the flexed muscle that was divided by his spinal cord, his shoulder blades- and the gap between them. He should’ve been expecting it at this point, the branded scar. One long brutal line, and one in the shape of a V. Four. “I- I don’t know what it means. It was there after I turned,” he whined, his back muscles fluttering with shaky breaths. Two moved forward to tug Ivy’s shirt back down his body- Vessel had seen what he needed to.

“Three?” Vessel said, pivoting his body to stare intensely at the redhead. Three obeyed, turning and lifting his shirt just like Ivy had, exposing the three lines that marred his skin.

“What’s going on?” Ivy whispered, his voice drenched in panic. “Two?” he whined. It was more of a beg, more of a desperate plea for this not to be real. Two knew what he was asking, though. He nodded sagely at his moon, his mouth set into a grimace as he confirmed Ivy’s suspicions. All of them, marked. All of them, preparing to walk whatever path that beckoned them beyond the threshold of this mansion.

“Come,” Vessel commanded, his voice going to that same unfamiliar place as before. Two briefly wondered how Three was feeling right now, watching his partner become someone wholly different. He grabbed his friend’s hand, squeezing it hard before dropping it, and they continued on. They walked up a small set of wrecked wooden stairs onto the front porch, and stared at the double doors. Right above the doors, etched haphazardly into the cracking limestone read This place will become your tomb. Ivy glanced wary eyes at Two as he read the inscription.

“Oh, fuck no. Are we going to die? Are we already dead?” Three whispered, as Vessel’s tall and strong frame reached for the doorknob. Two couldn’t rip his gaze from the words above the door as pure, instinctual horror closed his throat. He should run, they all should, but he needed answers. He needed- even if it was the dumbest decision he’d ever made- to see this through. There was a thirst inside of him to see what lay beyond the door, to discover what slumbering beast might be across the threshold.

Vessel opened the door, the creaking sound grating against Two’s ears and making him shudder. The smell of rot assaulted his senses, disgust clogging his throat. The once veridian paint on the walls was peeling off in large sheets, the tiles shattered beyond recognition of what pattern laid there in a time before. Ivy‘s hand shoved into Two’s, Three clinging to his hoodie sleeve as they followed Vessel deeper into the dark, damp depths of the home.

They passed through the entryway in apprehensive silence, avoiding the spiral staircase that went up into a higher level of hell, and stepped into the wide expanse of a destroyed living room. The light of hellfire danced its orange flames across the walls, licking light along every rotted piece of furniture. It burned in the fireplace, eternal flames crackling and splaying heat across Two’s skin. Two had a feeling they had gone past the edge- that where they were was not of the realm they had been in before they crossed underneath the inscription above the door. This was a place beyond, a place below.

A lone, wooden chair sat with its back facing the unnatural fire, and Vessel took a seat- like a king to his throne, a deity to his rightful place in front of his followers. Because Two, Three and Ivy had followed him into hell, into suffocating silence and decay.

“What are you doing?” Three hissed, trying to move towards his lover, whose eyes had gone glazed over in a trance. Two thought he looked much like a sinner in worship, turning doe eyed to a God that would not save him. Vessel shoved a hand out, and Three stopped his progression.

“Just wait,” he said, voice like acid as he shucked off his shirt, tossing it to the ruined floor. Then, he closed his eyes, and Vessel dreamed. His mouth moved on unheard words, his long fingers curling into the armrests of his chair. The muscles on his chest and stomach flexed against an unknown, inner battle. Ivy ducked farther into Two’s side, making himself small as Three just watched in horror. Not one of them knew what to do, they didn’t know what they were looking at or what it meant.

“Should we wake him up?” Ivy whispered, watching as Vessel convulsed through shuddering breaths.

“No,” Vessel said, but it wasn’t really Vessel. Two knew, intrinsically, that whoever’s voice that was did not belong to the man that he knew, though it moved his lips.

“Where did Vessel go?” Two asked, sweat beginning to slick his skin from the heat of flames and the fear in his body.

“He is sleeping,” he said, his familiar mouth moving but it wasn’t him speaking. His eyes were squeezed shut, but the more Two stared, the more his visage became blurry. Wavering like he was incorporeal, like his body was splitting between two planes of existence. The usual fixed picture of Vessel’s handsome face was disrupted like the repeating shutter of a camera lens. His eyes, once just two, now six, then back to normal in rapid succession. In his peripheral, Two could see Ivy cover his mouth with his hand like he was going to vomit. Two wasn’t far off from that point, but he was in control.

“Who are you?” he questioned, watching as Vessel bared his teeth in anguish, his legs splayed wide, muscles fighting against his captor.

“Sleep,” He whispered, voice calm and silky despite the state of His body.

“Sleep? That’s your name?”

“I do not have a name,” He hissed. “That is what I am.” Two felt his heart rate tick up to a speed that made his head spin. He stumbled backwards, but Ivy was there to keep him upright. Sleep. He recalled the void he fell into every night, the concerned questions from Three about his sleep talking, about his nightmares- the ones he did not have. He was not sleeping, he was being fed upon by a parasite.

“What do you want with Vessel?” Three barked, his voice cracking in panic.

“Vessel belongs to me, as do you. He is my host, as are you.”

“I don’t belong to you!” Three screamed, and Two watched as a single useless tear slid down his cheek.

“Do you think that the four of you met by chance? That it was a happenstance of time and place?” Sleep purred, His fingers turning black like the void of space, like emptinesses, like nothing. It spread up His arms, slowly, painting Vessel’s body into the night itself. “Everything that happens, is because I bid it. Everything you are, is because I created it. You should kneel, allow me to baptize you in wrath- in power.”

“We won’t kneel,” Two growled. There, behind Vessel’s inhabited body, was something he knew. Something familiar, something akin to his soul. His apparition, floating in the space between heaven and hell. Its wings were splayed, feathers ripping from its flesh and floating through the atmosphere. It was not tactile, he could see the flames in the hearth burning bright right through its body- like it was only half there, like if he reached out to accept its beckoning hand, it would dissipate into nothing.

“Let me tell you a story,” Sleep said, voice dripping with command. Ivy clung to Two’s side, shaking like a leaf in the wind- like a wayward feather rattling against the force of something much stronger. “Maybe, you will learn not to call out to a God, without knowing who will answer.”

Two waited for Sleep to begin His story, but instead he was gripped by something spiritual, something he couldn’t outrun. He felt his knees crack against the split floor tiles, cutting into his skin, before everything was black and nothing was real.

And Two dreamed.

****

An anguished sob, a man curled into a ball on the floor, a dark bedroom. Two did the only thing he could think to do and ran forwards, trying in vain to scoop the man off the floor- but, he couldn’t touch him, and the man couldn’t see him. Ocean water eyes blinked right through him, full of tears and pain.

“Vessel?” he whispered, falling backwards onto his ass as he skittered away from the macabre scene. It was Vessel, but younger- and Two knew something was horribly wrong. He looked around the room, which was foggy in his gaze. It didn’t look like the quick glance he got of Ivy and Vessel’s apartment back in London. This was somewhere else. A piano tucked into the corner, a mess of papers scattered across a desk, rumbled dark blue bed sheets, and an empty bottle of prescription pills sitting like an omen on the carpet.

“Vessel, what did you do?” Two panted, but his friend wouldn’t hear him. Because, Two wasn’t there- and this already happened.

“No, no, no,” Vessel cried, curling in on his half naked body, sweat dripping off his skin. He was much skinnier, Two could see his ribs moving as he heaved out sobbing breaths. “Please,” he whined, spit sliding out of his mouth. He pushed two long fingers into his mouth, gagged, and didn’t vomit.

“Please, I changed my mind,” he screamed into nothing. No one was coming to save him, and Two could only watch on in horror. “God, please, I don’t want to die. I don’t want to,” he begged.

Two felt the hot slide of tears on his own face, his stomach aching against his need to help him- to do anything, at all. To call someone, or hold him to shush his crying.

“Mom?” he cried, voice breaking like a child. She wouldn’t come, no one would. He was alone. “Please- God, please save me,” he whispered, the fight going out of his limbs as he rolled over onto his back. He bared his blunt white teeth- no fangs, only human- and relaxed his muscles, because there was nothing else he could do. Silent tears slid down his cheeks, dripping onto the carpet, the movements of his belly breathing slowing.

Then, he did the strangest thing. His eyes flew open, like he was looking up at something that wasn’t there. He was so, so scared. Young and alone and afraid.

“Will you save me?” he whispered to something Two could not see, lifting his head from the floor. Then, his eyes squeezed shut again and his head fell back with a sickening crack, and his belly stopped moving with breath.

Chapter Text

Two awoke to blinding pain, tiles cutting against his skin and the warm drip of blood sliding down from his nostrils. He rolled over onto his back, groaning as the wrecked floor bit at him through his jacket, a splitting headache pounding in his temples. He forced his eyes open, and they burned against the light of hellfire.

“Welcome back,” Sleep purred, and now Two could hear the waking groans of pain from his two other companions on either side of him.

“Ivy,” Two whined, pushing himself off the floor and reaching for his moon, wiping the blood off his lips. He turned to Three and held his hand out to drag him near. They both looked terrible, but they were alive, and that’s all that mattered.

“There is more,” Sleep’s voice boomed, dragging Two’s attention away from his friends to where Vessel’s body still sat writhing on the wooden chair, flames from the hearth licking behind his shoulders like wings. Two’s apparition had gone, and he didn’t know if it had been there to protect him or to beckon him towards death once more.

“But, I don’t think your weak flesh can handle anything else. You will bear witness to the rest- you will come to understand why all of you belong to me. I can feel my host’s body dying, and that would do me no good.”

If Two was stupid, he’d jump forward and beat the life out of the devil, but then he’d be beating the life out of his friend- and the devil didn’t lose. So, he stayed put, fists clenching in barely bridled rage.

“You will return. And you, Second Vessel, will sit and accept my hand, like the First has already done, many times before.” Two wondered how many times Vessel had done this, and for what?

“What if I don’t?” Two growled, wiping the blood from his face with the back of his hand.

“Then, you die.” Vessel’s body slumped to the floor, then. The light of the fire shutting out like it was never there, like all the oxygen had been sucked from the room. Two ran to him, gathering his sweaty skin into his arms- like he had wanted to do in his dream.

“Vessel?” Three whispered from Two’s side, grabbing his hand. Two could hear that his heart was beating, but it was slow.

“We need to get him out of here,” Two said, pulling the dead weight of Vessel further onto his lap, dragging shaky fingers through his sweat-dampened hair. “You’re going to be okay,” he told him. “You’re okay, Vess.” Two wasn’t sure if Vessel could hear him, but he soothed him, anyhow. Ivy sidled in at Two’s side, offering to help lift their friend up.

As four, they crawled out of the depths of hell, like Dante in his Inferno, and they did not look back. They stumbled out from beneath the inscription, the morning sun blinding their eyes, the heavy weight of Vessel weighing down Two and Ivy.

In a way, the mansion had become their tomb. The death of one version of each of them, emerging anew in joined terror- in traumatic revelation. Nothing would be the same, ever again.

****

Two drove the four of them to a nearby hotel, paying for two rooms and compelling the receptionist to disregard that they were covered in blood and grime. He didn’t like to compel humans for mundane reasons, but they couldn’t very well have the cops knocking on their doors for suspicious behavior.

Vessel had woken up before they arrived, but he hadn’t said a word. His eyes were haunted, his skin still patchy with what looked like black paint- Two didn’t want to ponder over what it really was.

Three dragged Vessel into their room, telling the others he was going to clean him up and then they could talk. Two held the next door over open for Ivy, and trudged his exhausted body in behind him.

“Do not lay in that bed,” Two barked, making Ivy turn wide eyes at him. “Shower first.” Ivy raised his hand in mock salute and disappeared into the bathroom. Luckily for Two, he had shoved clothes into his backpack before departing from his home last night, so he had something for himself and Ivy to change into. They took their showers, then sat quietly on the edge of the clean white bed, minds reeling with the events that took place.

A few minutes later, a knock sounded on the door. Ivy got up to let Vessel and Three in. No one seemed able to say a word as they all crowded onto the bed. Two listened to the other three just breathe, and he was happy that they were all together.

“Okay, I’ll start. What the fuck was that?” Three spoke, cutting through the tension in the room, staring hard at Vessel.

“He showed you what it was,” Vessel whispered, his eyes already beginning to water with tears. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know He had you guys, as well. I would’ve done something sooner if I knew, I swear.”

“Vessel, no one blames you,” Ivy said, reaching across the bed to take his hand.

“You, of all people, should blame me for this,” Vessel told him, cringing away from Ivy’s gentle touch. Two gathered Ivy in his arms, resting his chin on his shoulder.

“We can talk about that another time. But, what’s done is done. You didn’t know it would lead to this. Right now we just need to know if we’re in danger,” Ivy explained calmly, melting into Two’s gentle comfort from behind him.

“You guys are disgusting,” Three whined, jokingly.

“Are you forgetting that I had to listen to you fuck Vessel for a month straight?” Two snapped, making Ivy go rigid in his hold for a moment. “Speaking of, how did you guys not know about the marks sooner!?” he yelled.

“Vessel likes to fuck with his clothes on or the lights off… I thought he was just insecure…” Three said plainly as Vessel slapped his hands over his blushing cheeks.

“Why are we talking about my sexual habits after an ancient deity just used my body to speak to you,” Vessel cried out in embarrassment, and incredulity.

“It was a fair question,” Ivy said, leaning his head against Two’s.

“So,” Two started, squeezing his arms tighter around Ivy’s middle. “Do we go back?” They all went silent, stuck in their own ruminations.

“Well, you heard the guy! He said if you don’t you’ll die!” Three yelled, breaking the silence.

“Any chance He was bluffing?” Two asked, wincing at Vessel’s immediate ‘No’. “Okay… so we go back. And find out things that’ll only fuck us up further? Great plan.”

“We’ll come up with a real plan,” Vessel said. “Just, not now. I feel like I haven’t slept in ten years.” Two nodded at that, separating himself from the warmth of Ivy’s back as they all crawled off the bed.

“Sleep, we’ll go back home, and we’ll figure it out,” Two said, accepting Vessel’s open arms, hugging him tightly. He never hugged Vessel before, but right now he needed the physical confirmation that he was real- that he was here and he wasn’t going away. He felt the weight of Ivy and Three joining the hug, in all its long and strong limbed haphazard. And he felt safe, he felt at home.

Three and Vessel dipped out of the room, bidding Two and Ivy goodbye, leaving them to the cold and silent hotel room. Two fell onto the bed, arms splayed and sighed up at the ceiling. “What the fuck.”

“What the fuck is right,” came Ivy’s deep, sleepy voice as he laid beside him. “You are so brave,” Ivy whispered.

“I’m not,” Two responded, covering his eyes with his hands and trying in naught to ignore the aching pain in his stomach. It’d been too long since he’d fed. “Can you tell me about your lessons?” He asked, desperate for a distraction.

“Of course,” he said, flipping over onto his back and staring at the ceiling. It reminded Two of when he met Ivy, and then his and Ivy’s birthday, when they laid out in the grass and stared at the full moon. This time, they had missed the moon, but they’d catch it again, and they’d bask under its glow together.

“I have this student, she’s called Stephanie, and she doesn’t know a thing about guitars. She couldn’t find a rhythm if it smacked her in the head. I’ve worked with her for quite some time- eight sessions maybe? And still, nothing. But, fuck, she loves it! She doesn’t care that she sucks, or that she’s doing everything wrong. She’s having fun, despite it all.” Two listened intently to Ivy’s story, and for some reason he felt emotion clogging his throat.

“I think that’s important,” Ivy said, rolling onto his side to look at Two, who continued staring up. “You don’t have to be perfect, to be satisfied. You don’t have to be good to be happy. If you love something enough, it makes getting everything wrong, at first, worth it. Stephanie might never learn how to play a guitar properly, but she will always find joy in it, regardless of if she fumbles every note. Because she loves it.” Two swallowed audibly at that, blinking through tears. Well, fuck Stephanie, Two thought. Making a grown man cry.

“I know that you struggle to accept love, because you think you don’t deserve it- because you think you’re unclean. But, Two, I see the way you care. You are loved, even if you might get everything wrong,” Ivy said, his voice a low hum in Two’s ears. It took away his pain, for the time being, hitting him somewhere raw and real. He wanted to tell Ivy he didn’t deserve him, that his hands were not worthy enough to hold him. He didn’t, though. He looked over at twin blue moon eyes, soft and sleepy, and grabbed his face. He kissed him, like it was a promise, like it was an acceptance of all the things he thought would never be his.

Two felt as though he never had anything to call his own- not even his body- but he had Ivy, and Three, and Vessel, and they would never give up on him. Regardless of his coldness and his anger, they accepted him, and he welcomed them right back.

Ivy crawled on top of Two, kissing him softly. No hunger lay beneath, just gentle affection with no goal to chase. It was just them, and the quiet room, where nothing evil could reach.

“You will be the death of me,” Two whispered against Ivy’s sweet mouth before licking his tongue in. Ivy chuckled gently, sitting up in Two’s lap and collecting the bottom of his shirt to pull it off. Two stared, unabashedly, at his soft and muscular body. He wasn’t cut, like Vessel was, but he was strong. He placed a hand beneath Ivy’s left pectoral, feeling the way his heart thumped quickly before sliding it down to flexed stomach muscles. As Ivy looked down at him, Two could see a dream in his blue eyes- a dream where Two could hold him like this, forever.

“You look like you want to eat me,” Ivy said, wrapping his fingers around Two’s wrist and moving his hand across his warm body. Well, that wasn’t exactly what Two had been thinking about, but he also wasn’t not thinking about it.

“Oh, and I do,” Two whispered, dragging a thumb across Ivy’s nipple, making him shudder. “You can’t just crawl on top of me and take your shirt off and expect me to ask you about the weather.”

“Are you accusing me of seducing you?” Ivy questioned, the fingers of his free hand ducking into the waistband of his sweatpants before pulling out again. Fuck.

“I don’t know, but whatever you’re doing, it’s working.”

“I know,” Ivy hummed, rolling his hips against Two’s hardness. Nerves fluttered around in Two’s skull, making his tummy flip. He didn’t know what to do with the object of his desire sitting in his lap- open and wanting. He didn’t want to fuck it up, or move too fast, or too slow. All he knew was that he wanted Ivy, badly. In a way that tormented him- in a way that made it hard to take a satisfying breath. He stared up at gently parted lips, soft naked skin and he believed that there was nothing else in the world that he needed more than this.

“I want you,” Two said, though his voice shook with nervousness. He pulled away from the grip Ivy had on his wrist to squeeze his waist with both hands, pressing his fingertips gently into the flesh there. “I want to touch you,” he whispered, like it was a dying wish. “Can I?”

“You can do anything you want,” Ivy told him, voice low and breathy, and that made Two go lightheaded. It wasn’t like he hadn’t imagined what he would do in the case that he got his hands on him, he was just scared to fumble now that they were here. Two was lost in his mind, and Ivy was staring down at him with pupils blown wide, lust and affection pouring off of him in rivulets- feeding into Two’s restless energy. Ivy was a menace, to his core. And Two had missed him so much. He could forgo his nerves, shove them in the back of the vault in his mind, and make Ivy feel everything. He nudged Ivy off his lap, gently, laying him on his back and hooking his fingers into his waistband, but halted before pulling all the way.

“Is this okay?” Two asked quietly. He wondered if Ivy was nervous, too. He didn’t look nervous, but Two had no idea how far Ivy had gone, in the past. For now, he’d keep it to just hands, as long as Ivy wanted as much, and they’d talk again later.

“Absolutely,” Ivy purred, holding himself up by his elbows as he looked down at where Two hovered between his legs. Two tugged, finally, and tried to fight against going wide eyed.

“Fuck, you’re big,” he mumbled, pulling Ivy’s pants completely off and tossing them to the floor, leaving him entirely naked. Ivy went all adorably red in the face, smiling bashfully. Two pressed kisses to his thighs, to the soft hair of his navel, right up the central line of his body until he was able to suck at the delicate skin of his throat.

“Kiss me?” Ivy asked, and Two couldn’t be happier to oblige. He moved up Ivy’s warm body, meeting his lips to kiss him passionately. He kept their laps perfectly apart, turning Ivy into a desperate mess beneath him.

“Are you okay?” Two asked, nipping at Ivy’s bottom lip.

“Yes,” he hummed. “Would be better if you were touching my cock.” Two laughed at that, sliding off of Ivy to lay on his back with his head on the pillows and pulled him into his lap- mimicking their earlier position.

“So pretty,” Two whispered, touching him everywhere except for where he wanted it. He dragged soft fingers up Ivy’s thighs, making him twitch with need.

“Please,” Ivy whined. Two bit down hard on his lip and slid a hand slowly up Ivy’s shaky leg. He watched his pretty face as he pressed a thumb to the underside of his cock, putting slight pressure as he dragged it all the way up his length before swiping the bead of precum off his slit. Two released him, popping the wet pad of his thumb into his mouth, tasting him. He stared Ivy in his eyes as he pulled his finger out, licking his lips to savor the salty flavor on his tongue. Ivy looked down at him like he could think of better things Two could do with his mouth, and Two would love to oblige- but, not now.

“Two-” Ivy started, his chest heaving on quick breaths.

“Yes, moon?” Two purred, still keeping his hands from Ivy’s cock. He scratched his nails against the soft hair on his thighs, squeezing gently.

“I’m not gonna last,” he declared, and Two almost laughed. He had barely laid a finger on him, and he was already panicking about his hair trigger.

“That’s okay,” Two told him, reaching up to pull Ivy down into his orbit and kissing him softly. “That’s totally okay with me,” he repeated, mumbling against Ivy’s lips. The kiss became desperate as Ivy shed his apprehension. He sat back up, grabbing at Two’s hand and placing it back on his thigh.

“Needy,” Two hissed before finally wrapping his fingers around Ivy’s base, squeezing his silken skin gently and stroking up. Ivy let his head fall back, reacting to Two’s light touch like it was affecting every synapse in his body. Each press of a finger forced small, needy sounds from his throat. Two couldn’t fathom how he had the ability to make someone react in that way, and all he wanted was more. He wanted to take and give until they were both spent, until there was nothing left.

“Fuck, it still feels so intense,” he said, his hips twitching against the need to thrust into Two’s fist. Two let go, moving his hand to his own face to spit into his palm- unfortunately no lube in his abandoned mansion exploration backpack, a shame.

He grabbed Ivy again, working him gently with spit and pre, watching every facial expression that he made. Ivy’s confidence to feel and seek his own pleasure bled into Two’s composure, washing away his nerves to clear space for unabashed want. It was possible that Two wouldn’t measure up to whatever Ivy had experienced in the past, but he was sure no one in the world was as devoted. No one else in the world saw Ivy in the same moonlit glow as Two did, and he’d hold that special silvery feeling close to him forever. He’d protect his moon from whatever beasts sauntered in the dark- from whatever pain that made a home in Ivy’s skull, and he would please him like it was a mission set forth by God Himself. Nothing was as important.

“I adore you,” Two whispered, his body trembling with adrenaline. He stroked faster, revelling in the way Ivy turned to putty for him, abandoning all control and leaving it in Two’s hands. Ivy looked down with a grin,
tiny fangs and all, and Two thought he’d drop dead at the sight alone. He couldn’t help but smile back, gaze roaming the minuscule freckles that dotted along the bridge of his perfectly sloped nose.

Ivy’s hands slid down his own body until his fingers were spasming on his thighs, moans and filthy words rolling off his tongue repeatedly. Two removed the hand that had been stroking him, placing it over the back of Ivy’s and interlocking their fingers. He pulled Ivy’s hand to his own cock, curling his fingers around it, puppeteering his strokes with the movement of his own wrist.

“Fuck,” Ivy sighed out, looking down at their joined hands as Two made him jerk himself off, twisting his hand on the upstroke. He leaned back, his free hand planted behind him on the mattress, his hips pressed forward as the muscles in his torso worked to keep him in position.

Eventually, Ivy found his own rhythm, thrusting gently into his own fist as Two held his hand but no longer mocked his movements- he was doing it all by himself, and Two felt lightheaded watching him. He let pleasure chase away the pain and the fear, leaving only him and Ivy and peace. He needed the closeness, needed the sounds Ivy offered him to drown out the events they’d both gone through.

“I missed you,” Two whispered, squeezing his fingers against Ivy’s hand, feeling the way his tendons flexed beneath his palm.

“I missed you. So much,” Ivy muttered, his voice rough with sex as he pleased himself. “Thought about you every day.”

Two found he liked listening to Ivy stutter through his words as he worked himself up, so he kept him talking. “Yeah? Did you touch yourself, Ivy?” he asked, low and sensual, finally letting go of Ivy’s dutiful hand to squeeze his thighs that were straddling Two’s waist.

“Yes,” he whined, his hand moving faster, his hips stuttering in their movements. He sat up fully, pressing his free hand to Two’s chest, grasping at his shirt desperately.

“Me, too,” Two hummed, grabbing Ivy’s free hand and pulling it to his mouth to kiss each one of his fingers, worshipping him in the way he yearned to while he was away. “Did you think of me?”

“Yes,” Ivy moaned out the answer, making Two want to squirm against his restlessness. Ivy was so fucking hot, and Two was ready to fall to his knees for him at any given moment. He imagined Ivy, alone and achingly hard, teasing himself with Two’s name falling from his lips.

“Did you? Think of me?” Ivy directed the question back at Two, making him grin like a fool.

“Always,” Two whispered, trailing his gaze from Ivy’s pretty face all the way down to the veins in his hand that were puffing up from all the work he was doing.

“Fuck- I- Fuck,” he whimpered, growing restless as his hand stroked at a brutal pace. Two licked the tip of Ivy’s middle finger, swirling his tongue and not daring to take his eyes off of him. He didn’t want to miss a single second, he wanted to commit it to memory and savor every filthy, desperate word that fell from his mouth.

“Let go, Ivy. I’ve got you,” Two told him, nipping gently at his finger. Ivy listened, letting his head fall back as he seeked blissful oblivion. “Look at you, you’re so good,” he praised, pulling the palm of Ivy’s hand to his mouth to drag his sharp teeth against rough skin. He bit down, softly, and Ivy hissed at the feeling.

“Please, touch me,” Ivy pleaded, letting go of himself to grab Two’s hand. Two didn’t argue, he spat into his palm again and wrapped his fingers around Ivy’s cock. He could feel his shudders, every twitch and every muscle spasm as Two stroked him. Ivy cupped Two’s face with his hand, pressing his thumb to his lips.

“Open,” Ivy whispered, eyes half closed as he stared at Two’s pouty lips. Two obeyed, opening his mouth halfway as Ivy dragged the pad of his finger against his teeth, feeling the sharp points of his fangs. Two growled quietly as he pumped Ivy’s hot, wet skin faster. He pushed his tongue out, letting Ivy set his thumb against it. He just explored, sliding his finger up Two’s tongue and back to press against his fang again. He closed his mouth around the finger, sucking gently and swirling his tongue. Ivy lost sight of his perusal as the pleasure grew to be too much and he squeezed his eyes shut against it.

His moans were desperate, his hips trembling as his orgasm built and then crashed like a wave, his cum spilling across his abdomen and dripping down Two’s fingers. “Oh, God,” he sighed, pulling his hand from Two’s mouth and sliding it around his neck, squeezing gently. His chest heaved against rapid breaths as Two stroked him one last time and brought his messy hand to his mouth. He lathed his tongue across the sticky cum that coated his fingers, listening to Ivy whimper through the aftershock of his release. Two swallowed down his flavor, and Ivy collapsed like dead weight on top of him.

“Good boy,” Two purred, running the fingers of his clean hand through dark blonde hair, pressing kisses to the damp strands as his arms wrapped around his trembling body. “Are you okay?”

“I’ve never came so hard in my life,” Ivy mumbled against Two’s chest, making him chuckle gently.

“It’s a vampire thing,” Two whispered into the top of Ivy’s head, squeezing him hard and holding himself back from shaking him- because he was so cute. “It’s even better with fresh blood in your system,” Two told him, and Ivy lifted his head at that, quirking an eyebrow down at the man beneath him.

“Oh?” Ivy questioned. Two just smiled at him, mischief in his eyes.

“We’ll get to that.” He pressed a kiss to Ivy’s swollen lips, not wanting to release him. But, alas, he did. He helped Ivy clean himself off and put his clothes back on for him before taking him to bed and clinging to him like a koala.

“Twooooo,” Ivy whispered from his place in the crook of his neck.

“Yesssss?”

“Let me get you off, too,” Ivy whined.

Two laughed quietly. “You can get me off another time, I’ve never been so exhausted in my life,” he told him, holding him tightly. He ignored the ache in his belly, and drifted off to his dreamless sleep, with peace wrapped up in his strong arms.

Chapter Text

“We have to go back,” Vessel declared from the backseat of his car as Two drove them back home. Ivy was dozing in the passenger seat, his lips slightly parted. Two kept looking over at him, just to make sure he was real.

“We do,” Two agreed wryly, fumbling with the dial on the dash to turn down the music that Three was playing.

“Do you know what He will show us?” Vessel asked, reaching across the backseat to grab his lover’s phone, presumably changing the playlist.

Two thought for a moment, apprehensively remembering what Sleep had shown the four of them the day prior: Vessel, begging for salvation and finding it inside of something malevolent. “No,” he said plainly, running a hand through his hair that had grown too long.

“He doesn’t seem to have as strong of a grip on Ivy and Three. We have to make sure He doesn’t sink His claws in them, too.”

“And how do we do that?” Two asked, peering into the rear view mirror to find Vessel staring contemplatively out the window.

“By letting Him use us.”

“Oh.” Two swallowed audibly, white knuckling the steering wheel. He still didn’t know what this all meant, or what his role was. Perhaps Vess didn’t know, either. Ivy yawned then, pulling Two from his thoughts, and looked over at him with sleepy blue eyes.

“Are we home yet?” Ivy said, voice rough with sleep. Two’s tummy did a little flip at the word ‘home’. Because he knew Ivy didn’t mean his apartment, he meant Two’s house.

“Close,” Two mumbled, nerves tickling across his skin. He needed to talk to Ivy alone, and soon. About what they did, and what it meant. Two briefly wondered how he went from total numb monotony to eldritch terrors and hotel room hookups that had him pondering the question ‘What are we?’. Silly.

“Did you guys sleep okay?” Three asked, and there was a certain undertone to his question. Two flitted his panicked gaze to Ivy’s, who was smirking like a fool.

“Yep,” Two squeaked, and Three busted out laughing, slapping at the back of the seat in front of him.

“I guess it’s only fair that I am subject to your sex sounds!” Three yipped through a laugh as Vessel playfully smacked at his arm to get him to calm down.

“You heard?” Ivy quipped, and Two saw a blush across his cheeks when he peeked over at him.

“You weren’t exactly being quiet, lovey,” Three told him, and Ivy giggled at that. Two felt as though the hellfire from the mansion had followed him and was now setting his cheeks ablaze. He squirmed in his seat, trying to focus on the road.

“Also, we didn’t have sex,” Ivy added, leaning his head against the side window.

“Does he really need to know that?” Two hissed, his palms sweating against the steering wheel.

“Yes I do! Tell me more,” Three purred, making Vessel cackle.

Ivy flipped round in his seat, then, to face Three. “So-”

“No!” Two shouted, setting off a cacophony of giggles in the car. “At least wait until I’m not here to have your gossip sesh, you heathens!”

“Fine, fine,” Three conceded as Ivy turned back around. Two finally pulled into their driveway, and practically ran in the house to get away from the embarrassment.

“Hello, sweetheart!” he said, scooping a meowing Ditto into his arms and kissing her soft head. The rest of them stumbled into the house behind him.

“Alright, talk. Now,” Vessel said, leading the way to the living room. Two trudged behind, setting Ditto down on her paws. Two sat next to Three on the couch, facing Ivy and Vess on the other.

“I know you all saw how this began. And I will be honest, I don’t know how it’s connected to the three of you. We will have to figure that out. I should’ve said something, I should have told you guys.” His voice sounded pained as he spoke, like regret was eating him alive. Ivy wrapped his arms around Vess, who was frozen like a statue. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Two whispered, wishing he could offer Vessel the same physical comfort that Ivy was able to. “Can I ask, what does Him inhabiting you… mean?” Two wasn’t sure how to phrase the question, but Vess nodded slowly.

“He makes me turn people- and, before you ask, no that is not what happened with Ivy. That’s a different story. One that is between me and Ives.” Ivy looked up at him then, but there was no fear in his eyes, just understanding. “And He feeds from me- not physically, I suppose. More of a transfer of energy.”

“What’s the end goal?” Two asked.

“That, I do not know. I’ve asked, I’ve pleaded to understand, but He won’t offer me anything. If I don’t listen, he takes things from me. I’m sorry, that’s all I can say- it’s too much.”

“You don’t have to say it all,” Three told him. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”

“Okay,” Vessel nodded, wiping at his watery eyes and finally hugging Ivy back. “I don’t know how much time we have to go back. I’m sure I’ll start noticing something is off if it’s been too long.”

“I think you both should stay here, for the time being,” Two urged, meeting Ivy’s gaze. “Just in case.”

“Safety in numbers?” Three asked with an awkward laugh.

“Something like that,” Two responded.

“Maybe we should just get it over with?” Ivy added, leaning his head on Vessel’s shoulder.

“No, I need time,” Two whispered. He didn’t want to face that hellfire now, or ever. But, he’d do it if he had to- if it meant keeping Three and Ivy safe. “Give me a week, unless He calls upon us sooner.” Vessel nodded at that, reaching up to run his fingers through Ivy’s messy hair.

“Okay. One week, and then we walk the gauntlet again,” Three said, staring down at where his feet were planted on the carpeted floor.

“I have more dire needs, anyway,” Two mumbled, standing from the couch. He needed to leave, to find someone who didn’t deserve the ground they walked on. Lest he be left to pilfered blood bags. Only Three was privy to the exact techniques Two used to feed, and he’d like to keep it that way- at least for now. Though, it was much harder to sneak out when the other two now paid attention to him. He was a wraith no longer, he was watched- and cared for.

“Yeah I can tell,” Vessel huffed, grabbing the remote to turn on the TV.

“Huh? What’s that mean?” Ivy questioned, pulling away from his cuddle with Vessel to look at Two.

“Tiny is on the verge of ripping someone’s throat out,” Vessel explained with a laugh, and Two just growled. His stomach ached painfully, his tongue sticking dryly to the roof of his mouth.

“Oh.” Ivy stared wide eyed at Two, like he was studying him for an outward tell. He wouldn’t find one, it was more of an energy that he exuded. And, because Vessel knew it, he could feel it, too. Ivy had known bloodlust when he turned, but that was it. Still just a clueless fledgling, and Two longed for that feeling, in a way. Before horror and pain found a home inside of his sinew, and he was ignorant. Ivy’s eyebrows drew together. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. Just need to go out.”

“Where?” Two didn’t answer, he just walked out of the room and left the house as a headache thrummed inside of his skull.

****

It took some time to find a target, and then some more time to realize he’d chosen poorly. The thing was, Two didn’t have much foresight for his own safety. Over the years of being an apex predator, he’d forgotten that he could still be prey. Even with Sleep, he wasn’t afraid of the hunt, he was afraid of his inability to protect. Death was a privilege, one that one day might be his, if he didn’t reevaluate his priorities. He tried his best to rid his city of pests, to protect what was kind and helpless. And he never protected himself.

Now, the cold metal of a gun barrel was pressed to his temple, and he was beginning to realize he was afraid. He’d been in situations like this before, where loss of life was imminent, and still he did not falter. He figured that if he couldn’t make it out, that it was his time. But, right now, it was certainly not his turn to meet eternal silence. Not when Ivy was waiting for him to return, and he didn’t know that he was Two’s peace. Home wasn’t a place, or a feeling, it was a person- an Eden created just for Two, and he’d crawl back bloody if he had to.

“Why are you here?” The gunman hissed, shoving his weapon harder against Two’s skull.

“To ask you a question,” Two hummed, blinking at the brick wall behind the man. He was in a basement, on his knees like a prisoner. He’d been a prisoner before, and he’d made it out. He could do it again.

“You broke into my house to ask me a fucking question?”

“Do you want to hear it?”

“I’ll call the police!”

“You won’t,” Two said, looking up at his captor. He could feel the trembles in his hand shaking the gun he held.

“And why not?”

“Because I saw you,” Two’s assumption was confirmed by the way he was shoved suddenly to the ground, his head cracking against the cement floor. The man crawled on top of him, slamming his fist into Two’s jaw with a rage that was only held inside someone who had been caught. He was much bigger than Two, and his head was swimming with the force of the punch. He thrashed as best he could, throwing his weight wildly until he was able to flip over. He blinked through the blurriness in his vision before putting everything he had in him into the punches he railed down with.

“Fucking peace of shit,” Two growled, grabbing the man’s throat and squeezing with every ounce of strength he could muster. He’d bite, if not for the compromising and unsafe position that’d put him in and he couldn’t get his eyes to focus enough for compulsion- thanks to his presumed concussion. So hands it would be. He watched as his captor’s face went purple, and prayed to something holy that this would be the end. If only he had been more devoted to religion. A shot rang out, and in that moment Two didn’t know if it hit him. He skittered backwards out of instinct.

The man was lost in precious seconds of disorientation as his blood returned to his brain, and Two was running. He raced up the stairs, tripping over his own feet as he half crawled out into the main floor of the house. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, the screen shattered almost beyond recognition, and sent his location to Three. It had to work, or Two was well and truly fucked. Weight slammed into his back, and he heard his phone smack into the floor somewhere far away as he toppled to the ground. The man sat on Two’s thighs, gripping the back of his head and forcing his bloodied cheek to the tiles.

“What did you see?”

“I saw you drop a pill in that woman’s drink,” Two choked out, tasting blood in his mouth.

“I’m not a murderer,” he said, like he was convincing himself of the fact. As though saying it would preemptively wash his hands clean of sin before taking Two’s life.

“No, just a rapist,” Two spat, forcing his head to turn against the hold on it and staring into evil grey eyes. His head was spinning, his lungs aching against half breaths. If he died, he hoped Three would take care of Ivy and Vessel- that they’d all take care of each other. The man wrestled his gun out of his waist band and placed it against Two’s temple, once again. Two could hear the twitch of his finger against the trigger. The man was a monster, and still he balked in the face of murder- funny that.

Two had possibly one second to realize that the man really didn’t have it in him before the magazine of the gun was slamming into the side of his head. Everything went dark, and quiet, like the void he was so familiar with. A weight was released from him, and voices of people he loved sounded inside of his head. Was this death? Hands, soft and warm, a trickle of blood down his top lip. Wings, gown, scythe, Three. Three was in his face, shaking him awake.

“Two?” he yelled, his eyes wide and panicked. “Oh thank God,” he sighed as Two blinked up at him. He didn’t have time to process what had happened before he was pulled into lanky arms and dragged out into the cold night.

Chapter Text

Two groaned in the backseat of a taxi, wrapped up in long arms. His memory was foggy as he faced the worst headache of all time, and his stomach swirled with nausea.

“Um, are you boys alright?” the taxi driver questioned nervously.

“Yep!” Three said with an awkward laugh. “This one had too much to drink!”

More like not enough to drink. Nothing at all.

“Lovey, what were you thinking?” Three whisper-hissed, pressing a kiss to Two’s sweaty forehead.

“I wasn’t, clearly.”

“I mean- usually aren’t you more prepared than this? How did that even happen!”

“Three,” Two started, pulling away from their tight hug to blink at him, with eyes squeezed half shut in pain. “How was I supposed to prepare for this when we were dealing with Sl-…. what we were dealing with.” Two remembered to pay attention to the fact that they weren’t alone, and the driver kept flicking his eyes at them through the rear view mirror.

“Good point.”

“I know it’s a good point. Now isn’t the time to talk about this. Just be quiet before I vomit on your shoes.” He leaned down then, tucking his head between his knees and squeezing gently.

Three half carried Two out of the taxi once they arrived home, and shuffled him into the house- Two groaning like a zombie the whole time.

“I have so many questions for you, but I feel like I was just deposited in the African safari for five days and then trampled by a group of elephants. In the morning, we need to talk about this,” Two mumbled out slowly, uncomfortable with leaving the night unresolved. He couldn’t bear serious conversation right now, though, so he trudged up the stairs on shaky legs as Three agreed to hold off after tossing him his shattered phone- that he somehow rescued.

“Holy shit, what happened to you!?” Ivy yowled as Two opened the door to his bedroom, thanking whoever that Ivy had the lights off.

“‘M fine.”

“You’re not!” Ivy stated, hopping off the bed to inspect the awful state Two was in. Which, he wasn’t quite sure what exactly he looked like, but he was sure there was blood on his face. “Did you… um… feed?”

“No, moon, I did not. I got my ass handed to me,” he hissed, shucking off his dirty hoodie and tossing it into the hamper.

“Are you okay?” Ivy whispered, setting a gentle hand on Two’s scuffed up and swollen jaw. Two froze at the touch. Half because it hurt, and half because he didn’t feel like himself. He was far from the starvation he had experienced before, but he still felt the foreboding fingers of bloodlust pinching at his skin. “What do you need?”

Blood.

“A shower,” he said, but he felt his body sway as he tried to back away from Ivy and move towards the bathroom.

“Can I help you?” Ivy asked quietly, and maybe Two swayed a little bit from his sweetness. He wanted to say no- wanted to keep his wretchedness far from Ivy’s silver light. He nodded, nonetheless, because he wasn’t sure if he could make it to the shower without tumbling to the floor. And, maybe, because he yearned for Ivy’s touch, that always seemed to calm the flames of his anger and fear.

Ivy took his hand, and when Two stumbled on his first step towards the door, Ivy took a pause. “How does a bath sound?” Ivy questioned. “I’m not sure how long you can stand in the shower before your forehead meets tiles.”

“Bath. Perfect.” Two mumbled, letting Ivy settle him onto the bed as he went to run the bath.

When Ivy came to collect him, Two had to force his eyes to open. He followed him dutifully into the bathroom, and they both met an awkward moment of staring in front of the bathtub. Ivy had never seen Two naked before, and they were both thinking it. When they had showered before, they both kept their gazes perfectly trained upwards or away, allowing for no glimpses of skin. This seemed different. Two decided to make the move, gripping the hem of his shirt and pulling it off.

“Wow, that’s very pretty,” Ivy commented, pressing a finger just below Two’s pink ascension lily. Two thanked him, before tugging off his sweatpants and boxers in one unsanctimonious pull. Ivy gulped. Audibly.

“Uh- I can leave… if you want. You can just shout, if you need me? I guess I don’t really need to be here. But- like- only if you want me to-”

“Ivy! Shut up,” Two whispered, giggling a bit at his awkward panic. “Stay. Please.” Ivy nodded, wide eyes locked onto Two’s for a moment. Two turned, slowly, his head swimming. He maneuvered himself into the bathtub, somehow without slipping, and hissed at the blessed heat and soapy water that enveloped his skin. He sank, until it was lapping at his collarbones.

“Let me clean your face,” Ivy said, grabbing a hand towel from one of the cabinets and returning to kneel at the lip of the tub. He dunked it into the hot water, and urged Two to come closer, running the towel gently over his bloodied and bruised skin. Two closed his eyes, letting himself sink into Ivy’s care.

“Not worthy,” Two mumbled, keeping his eyes shut as he leaned against the lip of the tub. Thankfully he was small and could contort himself to fit comfortably.

“Of what?”

“Of you, my moon,” he whispered. Ivy didn’t respond, he just let the towel drop to the floor with a wet slap and pressed his mouth to Two’s. Two lazily licked in, letting a soft groan of satiation out as the heat of the water soothed his pain slowly.

“You taste like blood,” Ivy hummed, pulling away just a little bit. “Why aren’t your wounds healing?”

“Because I haven’t fed.”

“Oh. Right.” Ivy said robotically, like he felt silly for asking. “We can figure something out tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” Two whispered, squeezing his eyes shut against his lingering headache. Ivy got up then, reaching up to collect the shampoo, then kneeled back down on the floor. He gave Two a questioning look, to which he nodded, turning around to give Ivy his back. Ivy set his gentle hands into Two’s scruffy blonde hair, scratching fingertips against his scalp. Two never thought this sort of kindness would belong to him, and he was on the verge of refusing it. But, then Ivy ran soapy hands down the nape of his neck, and lower, to the space between Two’s shoulder blades.

“You don’t belong to anyone,” Ivy said, feeling the marred skin of Two’s namesake, pressing gentle, safe hands against his past. Despite the revelation, the mark would always be tied to what happened to him, and it would always bring dread to the surface of his skin. Only now, the dread was coupled with newfound fear. It went past the rumination of horrors in a past life, and nestled deep into the unknown of the present. And there Ivy was, caressing the ugliness that Two himself couldn't bear to face.

Two was silent as Ivy moved away from the scar and continued unhurriedly scrubbing his hair. He leaned backwards into the touch, his heavy eyelids begging to close, his chest rising and falling so slowly as peace washed over him- like the eye of a storm. Behind him, and in front of him, laid battles that needed to be fought, but here he couldn’t conjure fear. Not with Ivy, not with affection being breathed into his darkened soul.

“Do you want to tell me what happened, love?” Ivy asked gently as he massaged the back of Two’s neck. Two’s tummy did a little flip at the term of endearment, and he went briefly wide eyed at the tiled wall in front of him.

“Not now, if that’s okay?”

“Of course it’s okay. I understand. Rinse your hair for me?” Two obeyed, ducking his head into the warm water and running his hands through it until it was washed clean.

“I used to hate baths when I was a child,” Ivy said, smiling smally as Two continued to soak in the warmth, the water lapping around his body from his movement.

“Why’s that?”

“Whenever I developed the ability of self awareness- which was probably too early for my mum’s liking- I thought I was too old for them. Not that it really mattered, but it did to me. I always wanted to be a grown up, when I was young. I wish I could tell past me to relax and play with my toys a bit longer,” he explained, laughing a bit at the end.

“Ah, so it’s not all that it chalked up to be?” Two asked, letting Ivy’s smile infect him so he was grinning too.

“Oh, not really. I mean with ancient deities and a knack for blood… wasn’t really what I was expecting. How about you?”

“Me? I always expected to be a vicious vampire,” Two joked. The water was growing cold, but he didn’t want to make Ivy stop talking. In fact, he wanted to listen to him talk for an eternity if that was allowed.

“You’re not vicious,” Ivy said, rolling his eyes.

“I can be.”

“Maybe I can be convinced,” Ivy whispered, showing off tiny fangs with his flirtatious grin. Two felt his cheeks go hot. He wished he could tell his brain to stop being such a prude.

“What were you expecting? When you were younger?” Two smoothly changed the subject, even though a conversation in that regard needed to happen- if they were going to continue their trysts.

“I wanted to be a vet. Though, I feel like every kid wanted that. Because puppies, of course. But, then I took up guitar, and fell in love with writing and performing.”

“And what happened there, moon?”

“Reality,” Ivy laughed. He now sat fully on the ground, his arms resting against the porcelain edge of the tub, and he looked tired. “Are you ready to come out?”

“Mhm,” Two hummed, and Ivy jumped up to grab him a clean towel from the cabinet. He stood, water sluicing down his naked and aching body. He hoped Three could find his patient side, and give Two the grace to sleep all day tomorrow- effectively putting off their very important conversation. So many conversations. How did he get here?

As Two stepped out of the tub, Ivy wrapped him in the towel, making Two go all embarrassingly gooey at the affection. He’d never, in his life, experienced something like this before. Any past romantic encounters were just sex, no care or innocence. It frightened him, because he didn’t know what to do with it. All he wanted was to give it all back, tenfold, but he wasn’t sure how. Though, slowly, through every encounter, he found himself learning. It was subconscious; little habits or actions he picked up to show Ivy that he cared- even if his words didn’t always speak it.

In the end, Ivy was wrong, because Two did belong to someone- or, perhaps something. He belonged inside of the warm embrace of friendship, and Ivy’s safe hands. It was everything he had wanted, and too much all at once. A family, an eden, just for him. A place to call home, that wasn’t physical- but so much more.

Chapter Text

Conversations were not Two’s forte, exactly. He preferred hiding, sinking beneath depths of cowardice. But, he could emerge, he could change his ways- molding himself into someone else, for himself. He wasn’t changing for the sake of others, he was changing for the sake of acceptance within himself. So, he tore himself from the grip of dreamless sleep and got himself ready to face discomfort. Hopefully a shirt wasn’t part of the dress code for that. Now that he didn’t have to hide his scars from his two bonus roommates, he didn’t care for a shirt.

“Good morning, lovey!” Three yipped from the kitchen as Two came into view. “Coffee?”

“Yes. And a lobotomy if you provide those services,” Two said, his head still throbbing. He ran gentle fingers over the rough bruise on his jaw, and winced at the pain. “Also it’s not morning, it’s two PM.”

“Oh,” Three said, spinning around to look at the clock on the stove before collecting his and Two’s coffee mugs.

“Late night?”

“Erm… do you not remember me dragging your tiny ass in and out of a taxi?”

“Well luckily I’m tiny, I suppose. Anyway, about that… I have to ask-”

“It’s taken care of,” Three said, matter-of-factly. He handed Two his mug, that had little black cats on it, and sat down on the stool at the kitchen island. Two decided standing was preferable, his legs shaking a bit with the apprehension that he was too exhausted to feel last night.

Last night. Ivy had called him ‘love’. What did it mean?

Not important. Not important. Not now.

“Taken care of… how? You killed the guy?”

“No! What the fuck? I’m not you.”

“You say that like I’m evil. I’m not evil. Where is Ivy?”

“He’s got lessons. You’re not evil! I’m not saying that.”

“What are you saying?”

“I compelled him to forget the whole thing. Crazy how easy that is. And wiped your blood with my hoodie. You owe me a new one, by the way. Now it’s time for my questions.” Two groaned, but at least was partly satisfied with Three’s resolution of the situation. Though, that monster was still out there, and that didn’t make Two feel at ease.

“Where is Vessel?”

“Sleeping! Fuck, what is this? Where’s Waldo?”

“Did he have a long night?” Two asking, raising his eyebrows in insinuation.

“Hmm, yes and no. Stop changing the subject! How did that happen?”

“How did what happen?” Two slurped his coffee, then stole Three’s to see if it tasted any better. It didn’t.

“You’re kind of impossible, do you know that? How did you end up with a gun pressed to your head!?”

“You know, that’s a good question. I wonder where he got that gun.”

“Oh my god! Shut up.”

Two chuckled. “Sorry. I’ll be straight up, now. I didn’t have time to do my… usual research. I was too distracted- with Sleep, and. You know. Ivy. Whatever. I just saw him, and his evilness, and I decided it wouldn’t be too hard to take him down. Turns out I was wrong, big whoop.”

“Big whoop? Big whoop!? You almost died, Two!” Three was genuinely angry, and Two had almost never seen him like that before. It snapped him out of his flighty mood, forcing him to dial in on the seriousness of the situation. Of course, it was serious. He himself thought he was going to die, but he was being selfish. He didn’t want to die because he didn’t want Ivy and the others taken from him- he wasn’t thinking about them losing him.

“You can’t put yourself in danger like that. Not anymore.”

“I have to-”

“No, you don’t!” Three cut him off. “You’re all hung up on this like it’s your purpose, and it’s not. Just because something awful happened to you doesn’t mean you need to right some sort of universal wrong. Do you understand?” Three was so serious, bordering on threatening- and his tone shoved Two into all the things he chose to hide from. In the back of his mind, he knew that he saw this as a debt that he owed. A payment he made to rectify what he had lost. Protecting others, in the way he never was.

“I understand,” Two whispered, and Three’s anger frightened him. He yearned for gentleness, like a child. Once given, he began to lean into it more and more- relying on a soft touch to slowly stitch back together his open wounds. He’d left his wounds open to the elements for far too long, leaving them to fester without care. He was filled with a rot that wouldn’t be cleansed, even if he wanted to become someone new. Three didn’t seem like he wanted to offer Two gentleness right now- he was upset with him, and Two didn’t blame him.

Three got up, leaving Two standing alone in the kitchen with his black cat mug, reeling from his own poor decisions. Last night, he was too caught up in his own desperation to consider how his best friend might feel. That he feared for Two, and didn’t want to lose him. Guilt pinched at his skin, and all he wanted was to lace up his gauntlets of carelessness- his armor of stoicism. Three didn’t expect much from him in the past, because Two never offered him anything. But, now, things were different, and Two had expectations to uphold. Arguments to settle, conversations to pick through until they were well and truly laid to rest. No running, no hiding, no armor that froze his skin and turned his heart to ice.

Two had been stripped bare, standing in rough waters with waves of emotion lapping at his weak legs. It was as though the night he met Ivy was the night he woke up from some horrible nightmare. The night he was born into a life where everything was confusing and beautiful all at once. Pain he’d never felt before- only because he had the joy to couple with it. He realized that true pain couldn’t be felt without something to lose. The scales of suffering could not be measured without its opposite. Everything was intense, everything was unvanquished. And Two felt he was fumbling around blindly to understand what path he was meant to walk.

****
Ivy returned home after some time, with his guitar case in tow. He never brought it over, before- had always stopped at his own apartment to leave his things and then came to Two’s house. It was small, but it meant something.

“Hello, Tiny,” Ivy greeted, then bounded up the stairs with his things. Seemingly to deposit them in Two’s room- which was a whole other thing. It was no longer Two’s bedroom, it was their bedroom. The thought was conflicting in Two’s mind, a sort of change that brought him warmth and honey-coated nerves. And, a sort of change that had anxiety tickling his skin. He wouldn’t say it was sudden- Ivy moving in- but, he’d say it was not discussed thoroughly enough. It was just something that happened, and there was so much they needed to talk about.

Two stood from the couch, placing a crumpled sticky note where he left off in his book and leaving it on the table in front of him. His heart raced like he was going to his death, not walking up the stairs to initiate a conversation with his… friend? No, friends didn’t jerk each other off or wash each other’s hair. Probably not friends. But then, what?

The door to his bedroom was open, and Ivy was there tapping on his phone in the bed. He looked up as Two entered, moon bright eyes crinkling at the edges with a smile.

“How did your lessons go?” Two asked, moving to lean against the desk under the window.

“Pretty good. My student is interested in writing his own music, so I’ve been imparting my wisdom- albeit I don’t have much.”

“And when do I get to hear the music you’ve written, moon?”

“Hm. Probably never,” Ivy teased, tossing his phone onto the bed somewhere as he assessed Two’s body language. “Are you okay?” he asked, his smile dropping slightly.

“Yeah. I’m sorry, I just- I wanted to talk to you.” God, why is this so hard? Two scrubbed at his eyes with his knuckles and wanted to groan in retaliation for his headache.

“Oh?” Ivy sat up in the bed, crossing his legs beneath him as he blinked apprehensive eyes at Two.

“Just with… you moving in temporarily and everything. And what we did the other night. I don’t know, I thought it was worth talking about,” Two whispered, almost barely audible as he stumbled through an unprecedented moment in his life. He went to fidget with the hem of his shirt, and remembered he wasn’t wearing one. He felt as though a shirt was definitely the dress code for this conversation, so he turned to the closet and grabbed one as he waited for Ivy to respond.

“Yeah, of course,” he started, and he sounded nervous. “Did you- Do you regret it?”

“What?” Two hissed, his eyes going wide for a moment. “No! No, not at all. Do you?”

“No,” Ivy whispered. “Sorry, I thought that’s where this was going.”

“Oh, Ivy, no. I didn’t mean to make you nervous. I just thought that if we were going to… continue what we’re doing we should talk about it first,” Two said, pushing up on his hands that gripped the edge of the desk to sit atop it, his short legs dangling. “Listen, I’ve never um… been in a relationship before- not that I’m saying that’s what this is. Unless you want it to be? Ah! Oh my god, I’m saying I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. Too fast, too slow? I need you to help me out here.”

“It’s perfect, and that’s fine- that you’ve never been in a relationship before. I’ve been in a few, but that doesn’t mean that I know what I’m doing, either. I mean, this is entirely different. You’re different- in a good way. In a way that makes me feel like a stupid kid, with a silly crush. But also there’s a lot of… history between us, I guess? You know, with Sleep. He said we didn’t meet by happenstance- and I always felt that. Something is between you and I, and it always has been.”

“Like this was meant to happen?” Two asked, emotion lodging in his throat. He wanted to curl into Ivy’s embrace and hide from the world, he didn’t want to hear his moon utter the name of what haunted them. He wanted to press kisses to every inch of his body and never let anything hurt him.

If Two knew one thing about himself, he knew he never cared for anything like he did Ivy. Even when he was human, and affection should’ve come naturally to him, he felt immune to it. Not one person had made him feel the sort of love sickness that Ivy did- and maybe, that was the whole point. Maybe, Ivy was the only one there would ever be for him, and he was just waiting.

“Yes. Like it was meant to happen,” Ivy whispered, staring at Two like he was having the same sort of revelation- like Two was the only important thing in the entire world, and everything else was just orbiting around him.

“What if it’s tarnished by Sleep?” Two asked gently, finally done with his forced separation as he moved to sit next to Ivy on the bed.

“Fuck him. If he forced us together, he cannot force us apart. I’m yours, and He will have nothing to say about it.”

“So you’re stronger than an eldritch terror, is what you’re saying?” Two joked, taking Ivy’s hand from his lap and intertwining their fingers.

“What I feel for you, is stronger than anything,” he said, then wrinkled his nose. “Cheesy.” Two chuckled at that.

“So are we…” Two began, not quite sure what to say next. The whole thing made him itch, he wished he could just bypass this step and kiss Ivy all over his pretty face. But, he wanted to do things right, and stop hiding.

“Boyfriends?” Ivy said, smiling a huge stupid smile that made Two’s heart rate kick up with adoration.

“Yeah, that,” Two said, rolling his eyes in mock carelessness. The truth was, he did care. Way more than he ever thought he would, and Ivy knew that. Ivy knew him from the second he met him, because he was meant to. It was mapped in the stars that they gazed upon that first night, prophetic and unavoidable. No matter how hard he pushed Ivy away in the beginning, nothing would have stopped them from reaching this point, and Two was glad of it. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his immortal existence regretting pushing away the one thing that made him feel human again. So, when Ivy leaned in to kiss him softly, Two didn’t take it for granted. He let Ivy suck him into his unrelenting tides, and savored every soft moment- and every uncomfortable one, too. Because all moments were important, and all moments could slip through his fingers like sand against the force of gravity, if he wasn’t careful.

“I can feel you in here,” Ivy mumbled against his lips, grabbing Two’s hand and pressing it just under his pectoral.

“Your heart?” Two whispered, dragging his lips against Ivy’s desperately.

“No. My soul,” he sighed out the words, like he wasn’t even conscious of saying them. And Two thought he’d melt into a puddle at his feet, then. He’d spend an eternity living inside of Ivy’s soul, learning everything there was to learn about him. He wanted to know Ivy like a scholar, like it was his life’s work to adore him.

Two kissed Ivy like it was the last thing he’d ever do, like his soft worship could tell Ivy all of the things he wanted to say but couldn’t form his mouth around just yet. There was that voice in the back of his head, still, that Ivy wouldn’t want him once he knew everything. That despite the scars on their backs that threaded them together through the ether and unknown quantum realms, Ivy might let him go. So, he still kept that steel door in his mind locked, and hoped his desperate, fumbling love would be enough for now.

“There’s something else we should talk about,” Two mumbled, pulling away from his affectionate communication with lips and teeth and tongue.

“What’s that?” Ivy asked, letting go of his tight grip on Two’s t-shirt and pulling from his magnetism.

“Sex,” Two whispered, flames licking across his cheeks.

“Um, I think I know what sex is. Birds and the bees and all that,” Ivy joked, and Two glared at him.

“Yeah, like I was just about to explain to you what sex is, you idiot.”

“Actually, that sounds hilarious. Can you please explain what sex is to me?”

“You annoy me.”

“I know,” Ivy said, grinning widely and showing off pretty white fangs. “If your question is if I’ve ever… received, the answer is no.”

“Okay,” Two said gently, taking his answer in stride. He didn’t want to overwhelm him, or make him uncomfortable. But, he needed to overcome his own embarrassing discomfort and take control of the situation. “Is that something you’re open to? If not it’s okay, truly. I don’t care, and I mean that. All I want is you, just how you are.”

“Yes, I’m open to it, silly. You’re so cute when you’re nervous,” Ivy said, planting a kiss on the tip of Two’s nose. “But, I think slow is the best course of action.”

“Of course. Whenever you’re ready, moon.”

“Why do you call me that?” Ivy asked quietly, his pretty eyes going all glazed over with adoration. It was all sickeningly sweet- and foreign to Two. And just as he was about to answer, someone was knocking on the door.

“Yes?” Ivy called, and Vessel busted in.

“Hello, lovebirds. Sorry to interrupt, but we are out of time.”

“Out of time?” Two asked, freezing cold fear shooting down his spinal column, ice licking between his vertebrae. So soon? It didn’t make sense.

“It is your turn to take your seat,” Vessel said, and he had that look in his eye. That look that reminded Two of the way his friend’s visage had melted and warped, until six haunted eyes were staring back at him. Two looked at Ivy, and saw the same fear that he felt in his lover’s eyes. This was it, his reckoning, his time to meet with the shadow that pressed weight on his shoulders. He tried to remember what Ivy had said, that he didn’t belong to anyone. But right now, as he was being called towards something he couldn’t outrun, he felt the shackles of submission close around his wrists. Three walked into the room then, his familiar soft blue eyes now wide with the premonition that hung between the four of them. This was a battle they were fully unequipped to face.

Chapter Text

Ivy

Ivy knew what this was- he knew it from the moment he spoke those words. That Sleep could not force him and Two apart. But, God, he would try.

“It’s going to be okay,” Ivy whispered to Two in the dark backseat of Vessel’s car, but his promises were empty. His words were feeble in the face of something he did not understand, something he couldn’t reckon with. Ivy thought in clean cut, methodical patterns. There was no pattern here, just stones that Ivy could step upon with uncertainty, and hope he was right. Unfortunately, this time, he was. Sleep didn’t want to see him happy, He wanted to force him into submission- all of them.

Two stayed quiet, his big blue eyed gaze pointed away from Ivy and out the car window, watching as the world whisked on by.

“Vessel?” Three spoke up, though quietly. Ivy was still getting accustomed to his new hyperactive senses- his ability to feel connected to everything and anything. Like now, the seat of the car was itchy against his back, and the smell of vanilla air freshener was too strong in his nostrils. But, he could smell Two, as well. Not his shampoo or his cologne, just him. He could hear the quickened thump of his boyfriend’s heart, and the fabric of his jeans being squeezed anxiously between his fingers. His presence was often overwhelming for Ivy, in this altered state he found himself in. He didn’t resent it, though. He didn’t resent much. Throughout his life, he learned to accept things as they were. And accepting his feelings towards Two was the easiest thing he could’ve ever done.

“I’m working on that,” Ivy heard Vessel say as he tuned back into their conversation. “There’s only so much I can find out, and most of it is my own assumption that it’s tied to this specific God in the first place. The only thing I can think to do is find others like us, and I’m not even sure they exist. Vampires, sure, but Marked? I don’t know, my love. I just don’t know.”

“So we are just throwing Two to the wolf?” Three asked, his tone frustrated in a way Ivy had never heard before. His friend’s outward joy and excitability seemed to be wearing thin, and Ivy could understand why.

“There’s nothing we can do. If we refuse Him, there’s no telling what will happen. Do you really think He will just kill Two and be done with it? Three, I think we are special to Him. For… some reason. He chose us, which only means He will use outside factors to get us to comply,” Vessel explained.

“Like Lily,” Two said, his voice a dull void of nothingness. Ivy had well and truly experienced Two’s detachment, and it frightened him. Ivy had never met Lily, but he heard stories. Mostly from Three, talking about their ridiculous prank war, of sorts.

“Yes,” Vessel confirmed. “Like Lily, or Ivy’s parents, or God knows what else.” Ivy felt a chill go down his spine at the insinuation, but he knew Two. He knew his unyielding loyalty, his instinct to protect even when it meant sacrificing himself. He’d seen it time and time again, and he hated that it had come to this, but he knew Two would always put himself on the line before anyone else.

“So we’re fucked,” Three surmised, reaching towards the volume dial on the dash to blast his preferred death metal and drown out the thoughts that were likely eating him alive.

The rest of the car ride was spent in agonizing silence, other than the music. They didn’t speak to each other, Two didn’t even look in Ivy’s direction. As they pulled into the forest of their shared despair, Ivy leaned across the backseat to press a kiss to the side of Two’s head. A silent comfort, a reminder that he wasn’t alone.

Ivy and the others shuffled out of the car, their frames being swallowed by all encompassing darkness. He looked up at the mansion, in all of its beautiful decay. Its aura of familiarity brushed against his skin that was dotted with goosebumps. His tomb, his lover’s reckoning, his best friend’s place of unholy worship. Nausea swirled in his stomach as they took foreboding steps towards the house, and Two was there, shoving his large hand into Ivy’s and holding him tightly. Two’s simple affections were less infrequent now, but that didn’t mean Ivy ever took them for granted. He was proud of Two for pushing past the brick walls he had built around himself and allowing himself to request support.

“What would happen if we just set this bitch on fire?” Three asked at Ivy’s side, his towering frame forcing Ivy to look way up to quirk an eyebrow at his friend.

“You’re an idiot,” Ivy hissed.

“Is that not a fair question, fledgling?” Three asked, full seriousness.

“There’s an eternal flame burning in there, if you didn’t notice. I don’t think this circle of hell is going to fall from fire,” Two muttered as his steps sounded up the stairs to the porch.

“Any final words?” Vessel asked, his long fingers wrapped around the doorknob as Ivy’s gaze skittered across the inscription above the door.

“What the fuck? You say that like he’s going to die!” Three yowled.

“Apologies, I mean- is there anything you want to say before we go in there?”

“No,” Two said, voice as cold as ice. And when he looked at Ivy, he didn’t recognize that gaze. Ivy had grown accustomed to Two’s coldness, and was unyielding in his efforts to pull forth his warmth- but it seemed entirely lost now. The Two that he knew wasn’t in there, his eyes were all glazed over in a trance that made Ivy’s hands tremble. Ivy wanted to tell him something- something incredibly important, but Vessel was opening the door, and the silence of a place between realms was suffocating in his ears. So much so that he forgot what he wanted to say to Two, and his feet were moving on their own accord, deeper into the labyrinth.

The smell was noxious, turning Ivy’s stomach and forcing a headache to pound in his temples. He clung harder to Two’s hand, like it was his only lifeline to the world that he knew outside of this place- like it was the only thing reminding him that the man beside him was the same man that saved his life, even if he felt so different. Two let go of him, then, and Ivy felt his heart break just a little bit, like a wounded animal that was left helpless. He watched the strong shape of Two’s back as he walked assuredly towards what beckoned him, leading the way through rotted halls until hellfire was blinding Ivy’s sensitive eyes.

Two seemed to know exactly what he was doing, like his movements were tried and true- though he’d never done this before. He sat in the old, beaten up wooden chair, and Ivy thought that if he looked close enough he’d see scratch marks on the arm rests from Vessel’s restless clawing. As Two closed his eyes and began to dream, Ivy sidled into Vessel’s side, dread consuming him.

“Does it hurt?” Ivy whispered to Vess, fighting against his instinct to look away from Two’s form.

“Yes. Terribly,” Vessel said, and Ivy could hear all of the familiarity laced into his words.

“How can we help him?” Ivy asked, swallowing audibly and squeezing his eyes shut for a moment against tears that threatened to spill.

“We will be there for him when it’s over.”

“No one was there for you, before,” Ivy said, wrapping his arms around Vessel’s waist and holding him tightly.

“I didn’t want you to be.” Ivy was about to respond, but then Two’s lips started moving in unspoken words, silent pleas.

“There’s something you should know,” Two said suddenly, his voice clear and strong despite the anguish on his face. It wasn’t him- it wasn’t the quiet, nervous tone that Ivy knew so well. His lover was captivated, being fed upon by something malevolent- using the mouth that Ivy was so familiar with to speak words that Two would never say.

“The First Vessel is not like you,” Sleep said, His voice sizzling across Ivy’s skin like acid. He wondered if the others felt Sleep in the all encompassing way that he did. Like He was speaking directly into Ivy’s ears, His energy being forcefully shoved down Ivy’s throat. “He is something else entirely.” Ivy looked at Vessel then, saw the muscle in his jaw tense. No one said a word as Two’s body fought against the hold Sleep had on it.

“You’re hurting him,” Ivy blurted. Pointless in the face of the devil, but he could feel Two’s pain like it was his own. He could feel the desperation to tear his skin and pull the parasite out and set it ablaze.

“He is asleep,” Sleep purred, and as Ivy watched Two’s mouth move, he could see it changing. His face was morphing much like Vessel’s had, like there was something beneath. It wasn’t really there, like if he reached out to touch Two’s lips, the cross marks across them would disappear. Ivy’s muscles strained against the pain he felt for Two, and the instinct to grab him from the chair and run.

“What is Vessel?” Three whispered, his painful gaze trained onto Two’s writhing body.

“He is Ascended,” Sleep whispered as Two’s stomach heaved on quick belly breaths, though they were silent. “He traded his place in the afterlife for something else, he bartered with the devil. He clipped his wings, he fell so far.”

“You clipped my wings,” Vessel hissed.

“You answered my call,” Sleep said, His tone bordering on angry- like He and Vessel had some history with bickering. “The point of it all is that I chose the rest of you. I chose for you to follow The First. You are mine, you are his.”

“They don’t belong to me,” Vessel growled, stepping away from Ivy’s weakening embrace like he was ready to pounce.

“They do. They found you, they found each other. In their suffering they will find retribution- power.” The eternal flames licked from behind Two’s visage, capturing Ivy’s attention as his mind spun with confusion. He didn’t think the terror that inhabited Two would speak plainly. They’d only be leaving here tonight with more questions, if they left at all.

“The Second Vessel has felt great pain,” Sleep began anew. “It is entwined with his being, rooted in the core of his soul. Whether he believes it to be true or not, he is in need of me. And I, him.”

“What do you need him for?” Ivy questioned, his eyes burning with unshed tears.

“He will come to understand, as will you all. He is hungry, I can feel his anguish. His instincts will serve me well, and if they do not, he will suffer for it.”

What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

“I will not make you all Dream this night, as I believe The Second Vessel would forgo his existence before I can show you something worthwhile. Make no mistake, I do not call upon you for the sake of conversation, or terror. You are important, you are infinite, you are ignorant to your own existences- and you will obey me, or perish to the power that you hold.” The flames shut out, and Two screamed. Screamed like he had been drenched in acid, like he was face to face with the void of death, of unrelenting and all-consuming agony. It was terrible, echoing off the ruined walls and slicing against Ivy’s ear drums.

Ivy ran to him, and Two screamed again as Ivy set a hand to his arm. Visceral, uncontained panic. Ivy had never heard anything so loud. The tears he had fought against for hours, for weeks, years, spilled. He choked on a sob as he tried once again to collect Two in his arms, but his love’s eyes were squeezed shut and he was fighting against him, like Ivy was there to hurt him.

“Two- Two, please,” Ivy whined, vaguely aware of Vessel and Three standing at a distance behind him. His heart was shattering into tiny fragments as his knees pressed against the broken tiles on the ground. “Two, listen to me,” Ivy begged, his voice being drowned out by the sounds of agony that wracked Two’s small frame.

“He’s in pain, Ivy. He doesn’t know where he is,” Vessel explained, setting a gentle hand on Ivy’s shoulder.

“Can you help him, please?” Ivy asked desperately, his entire body trembling as burning hot tears rolled down his cheeks. It’d been so long since he cried- other than when he changed, and he wasn’t himself- and it was all boiling over now. He felt so helpless, so weak in the face of Two’s invisible enemy. This wasn’t something he could save him from, and it was ruining Ivy from the inside out.

“I- I don’t know how. When it happened to me- the first time- I was just lost, and it took a while to come out. Eventually, I got used to it. But, the pain never goes away- the feeling of being completely outside of yourself never gets easier.” Two’s cries quietened as Vessel spoke, and Ivy was able to wrap his arms around him. It was an awkward, uncomfortable hug with the way Two was slumped in the wretched wooden chair. As Ivy sat there, trying in vain to sate Two’s trembling, he saw symbols carved in the chair. Little lines and circles, geometric patterns that made no sense to him. And the claw marks- so, so many lesions from desperate nails in the wood. With a grunt of effort, he pulled Two fully into his arms and detached him from whatever arcane energy that the chair held.

“You’re safe,” Ivy whispered to Two as he began to exit the room. “Nothing is going to hurt you,” he said. Two wasn’t light, and Ivy’s muscles were straining against his dead weight- but he’d be damned if he let him go. He’d sooner sit his ass in the chair himself before he let another hand touch Two’s sweat limned skin. As Ivy carried Two out of the hell they had discovered, he remembered a time when Two would never allow himself the comfort. Not that he had much to say about it now- but Ivy had been restless in his efforts to erode Two’s shields, from the moment they met. And nothing was more important to him than the way Two accepted him- the way he melted his ice, just for Ivy. The night, the days, the sun and the moon herself belonged to Two. And Ivy’s soul did, too.

Chapter Text

Two woke, bleary eyed and feeling like he’d just been hit by several buses. But, the ache in his stomach was gone, and the particular headache he got when he was starved was blessedly missing.

“What happened?” he croaked, finding he was in Three’s bedroom as his eyes finally adjusted to the daylight that streamed in through the gaps in the curtains.

“Erm- How much do you remember?” Three asked from where he stood at the bedside, like a dutiful mother hovering over her sick child.

“I remember walking up to the mansion, holding Ivy’s hand… and… nothing,” Two whispered, scrubbing at his eyes with his knuckles as he sat up, untangling himself from all the blankets that surrounded him. “Did I feed? Please tell me I didn’t bite anyone, Three, please.”

“No, lovey. I gave you a blood bag and you gobbled that shit up. But, you probably don’t remember.”

“What else happened that I don’t remember?” he asked, and by the look on Three’s face, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be cured from his amnesia. But, alas, Three filled him in on all the blanks, and Two was left reeling with hardly any words to say. All of it needed to be unpacked, probably written down. And discussed between the four of them until they could make sense of something.

“I- I don’t understand. Vessel remembered what he said when Sleep had him.”

“You’d have to ask Vessel about that one,” Three said with a shrug. The door creaked open, and Two expected one of his bonus roommates to walk in, but it was his precious cat. Ditto jumped onto the bed, purring loudly as she curled into Two’s lap. He scritched her black furred head, and let her soothing rumbles heal him for the moment.

“Anywho, ancient deity aside, I think we should do something fun tonight!” Three said excitedly, plopping down in the bed and laying his head next to Two’s thigh.

“Please, no party,” Two groaned.

“No, no. No party. I was thinking we could go to the pub, or or or bowling, or oh! Mini golf? Hm.. Museum? No, I’m too jittery for a museum. Park? Picnic! Does that sound too domestic to you? I don’t know, can’t we just do something human for once? Instead of crawling around in a black mold infested demon house?” Two couldn’t help but laugh at his friend’s rambling.

“We can do anything you want, just don’t expect me to jump for joy over it,” Two said, tugging gently at a strand of Three’s bright red hair.

“Ugh. I hate making decisions.”

“Ask Ivy.”

“Okayyy,” Three said, dragging himself out of bed and grabbing a joint from atop his dresser on the way out. Two enjoyed some quiet moments with his cat and had an idea.

“Hello?” he said when the line was picked up.

“Hi! What’s up? Are you okay?” Lily chirped back.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Well, not really. “I know it’s last minute and everything, but I um- Do you want to hang out tonight? With uh- me and my roommates?”

“Roommates plural? Boy, it hasn’t been that long since I’ve seen you, since when did you pick up strays?”

“It’s Vessel. Three’s boyfriend. And Ivy. My- uh- boyfriend,” Two mumbled.

“Boyfriend!? Oh my gosh!” Lily squealed. “You must tell me everything.”

“Well, not right now, okay? Are you busy tonight or what?”

“I’ll be there. Can’t wait to meet him,” she said excitedly, and Two was just a jumble of nerves. “I’ll be over later.”

“Please don’t bring hair dye to put in Three’s shampoo bottle.”

“No promises,” she said slyly, and hung up the call.

****

Later on, Two was sat on the couch watching Ivy and Vessel engage in pregame antics. In the end, they had decided to go to a pub that had an arcade inside. And Ivy and Vess were keen on getting at least a little drunk before going, because they claimed it was more fun that way. Two was to be the designated driver, which he didn’t mind. He was known to be a bit of a control freak, and would rather be sober to make sure nothing got too out of hand.

“Two come here!” Vessel called from the kitchen as Ivy’s giggles echoed. Two trudged over to them and found Ivy doubled over in laughter, and Vess with tears on his cheeks.

“What’s so funny?”

“Ivy just told me-” he cackled, interrupting himself. “He told me, that the first time he got drunk he threw up on the fucking girl he had a huge, diabolical crush on. Threw up on her! Can you believe that?”

“Mortifying,” Ivy said through a laugh, standing up to wipe his watery eyes.

“Did she still like you after that?” Two asked, smiling in amusement at Ivy.

“She never liked me to begin with!”

“Fuck, that is mortifying,” Two said, and Ivy fell against him, his body still shaking with drunken giggles. “I think you guys took the pregaming too far.”

“Certainly not,” Vess said, his eyes glazed over from drink and humor. Two was glad to see them like this, because he knew as soon as their fun night was over, they’d have to dig up all that haunted them, once again. He wouldn’t mention it tonight, even if everything loomed over him like his own shadow. He wrapped his arms around Ivy, and laughed along with him until the front door opened and Lily called her greeting from the foyer.

“Lily!” Three said, assumedly from the stairs.

“Three!” Lily squeaked. She had used the pair’s new names without question once Two had told her all that happened, and how his real name just didn’t feel right to him anymore. His sister and her unwavering loyalty warmed his heart then and now, still.

She walked into the kitchen, following the trail of laughter, her blonde hair curled and bouncing as she flashed a smile. “Hello! You must be Ivy,” she said, exuding the overall aura of a ray of sunshine. Always.

“Hi, Lily! Nice to meet you,” Ivy said, giving her a bright smile right back. Two felt that they’d get along, with their blinding light. Lily returned the sentiment and introduced herself to Vessel, as well.

“So, how do you put up with my brother?” Lily asked, ruffling the hair atop Two’s head. He scowled at her.

“Honestly? I’m not quite sure,” Ivy joked. Two scowled at him, now. “Kidding! I just tell him what to do, he’s a great listener.”

“Yeah fucking right he is,” Lily said with a laugh as Three offered her a shot. She accepted, knocking it back at the same time as Three took his. Ivy settled into Two’s side, leaning his head on his shoulder while Lily caught up with Three. As Two took it all in, he was overwhelmed with sudden emotion. A sense of rightness that curled into each notch of his bones. It calmed every restless part of him, every horror that made a home in his brain. He felt totally at peace, fully at home, here with people who loved him and would keep him safe. Ivy pressed a kiss to his cheek then, like he knew exactly where Two’s thoughts had gone. Two turned, kissed him on his mouth, and ushered their group out of the house to the car.

Once they arrived at the pub, Two was briefly nauseated by all the neon colors and black lights as Ivy tugged him around by his hand. He tried his best to enjoy himself, but it was all foreign to him. He mostly watched as the others played games and took shots together. Lily and Ivy seemed to be getting on well, and it made him feel warm inside despite his lingering shadow of discontent.

“I’m gonna kick your ass,” Ivy said to Three as they walked up to a Guitar Hero machine, tugging Two from his downward spiral.

“Fuck you! Actually- yeah you probably will,” Three said, slinging the plastic guitar over his shoulder as Ivy selected a song.

“Three used to play bass,” Two told Ivy, trying to playfully damn his cockiness.

“What?!” Ivy blurted, looking at Two excitedly.

“We were in a band,” Three explained, like it was nothing. To which Ivy just continued to gawk.

“You’re joking, right?”

“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” Two said with a laugh, his cheeks burning hot at the sudden attention aimed at him.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ivy screeched. “Did you sing?”

“Oh fuck no. No way. Drums.” Ivy just stared at him for a moment, a certain emotion twinkling in his pretty eyes.

“It was a big deal to me. Kept me up almost every night with their cacophony in the garage,” Lily said at Vessel’s side, glaring daggers at her brother. Honestly, he’d never live that one down. He could admit he was an asshole when he was younger, especially when he and Three thought they were hot shit.

“You and I will be talking about this later,” Ivy promised, grinning at Two like a fiend before he turned to dial in on the game. As Two watched Ivy absolutely crush Three, he realized he’d never seen Ivy play an actual guitar, and that fact needed to be amended- immediately.

“I’m out of practice, and I’m drunk,” Three claimed as their scores tallied up on the screen.

“I’ll let you have that one, lovey,” Ivy conceded, relinquishing the guitar and putting it back on its stand. Two thought he looked beautiful in all the multicolored light, and despite the noise inside the building, his focus was entirely dialed in on Ivy.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” he half shouted at Two, taking his hand and leading the way back to the bar.

“I’ll tell you everything you want to hear later, moon,” Two told him, hopping up to sit on a barstool while the others ordered more drinks. He really was exhausted, but they were having fun, and he was comfortable in their presence. If he pushed away the sorrow that was always with him, he could lean into the way they made him feel alive. So, he stayed as long as they wanted, making sure they didn’t get too hammered. He practically had to force Ivy and Three to drink some water, and their drunken nonsense made him chuckle.

Eventually, his four companions seemed to be getting tired, so he gathered them all out to the car and drove home. Lily had already planned to crash on the couch, and Two had already planned to make breakfast in the morning.

“Are you gonna be sick, Ivy?” Two asked as he herded him up the stairs once they were home.

“No! I would never throw up on anyone I have a crush on. Ever,” Ivy said, slurring his words and hiccuping at the end. Two laughed, harder than he had in God knew how long.

“Right, okay,” Two said through his giggles, continuing their laborious crawl to their bedroom. “You guys okay?” Two called to Vessel and Three, just to be sure.

“I’m going to regret this in the morning,” said Vess.

“You certainly are,” Two confirmed, then finally pulled Ivy inside the room after Three shouted that he was okay.

Ivy flopped down into the bed, belly first. “The chair,” he mumbled into the mattress.

“What?”

“The chairrrr.”

“What chair?”

“There’s something wrong with the chair,” he said, and when Two tried to ask him again to clarify, he was snoring softly. What the fuck did Ivy want with a chair?

Two fought his exhaustion a little longer to take a quick shower and when he returned, Ivy rolled over onto his side and cracked open his eyes.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said. Liquid courage, Two supposed. The compliment made him feel warm all over, and shy.

“Thank you,” Two whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I don’t want to sleep, I want to look at you.”

“Flirt,” Two said, pulling on sweatpants before crawling into the bed. Ivy shuffled over to him, pushing his face into Two’s chest and pressing a kiss to the tattoo on his pectoral.

“I think you put a spell on me,” Ivy mumbled, his warm lips brushing Two’s skin as he spoke.

“Hm, why’s that?”

“You’ve turned me into some sort of love sick puppy,” he whispered, kissing Two’s soft skin again.

“I think it’s the other way around,” Two said, chuckling at Ivy’s drunkenness. He dragged his hand through the hair on the back of Ivy’s head, letting the strands intertwine with his fingers until Ivy was snoring softly once again.

As Two closed his eyes, he begged for peace to find him. He wouldn’t be so lucky. He saw flashes of hellfire, sharp teeth, ruined wings. The scene in his mind’s eyes wasn’t like the one he was used to, this one was evolved. And when he tried to run from it- to open his eyes and find serenity elsewhere- he couldn’t shake himself awake. He was lost, he was caged. He couldn’t remember what it felt like when Sleep held him in His claws, but he imagined it felt much like this. It felt like a threat, a knife pressing to his back to force him forwards- to force him to obey.

Please, let me go, he begged. Nothing would answer him, there wasn’t anything worth calling out to. There wasn’t anyone, or anything, that could save him from the fight within his mind. And now, he began to realize, his apparition was on the other side of the battlefield. His side.

Chapter Text

“So are you going to tell me what happened between you and Ivy?” Lily questioned before crunching into the bacon Two made.

“It just happened. I don't know, there isn’t really much to say,” Two said from the stovetop as he continued to cook. The other three were still sleeping, which left him to be prodded by his sister alone.

“Do you think he’s good for you?”

“Of course he is. I just don’t think I am good for him.”

“He chose you for a reason, Two,” she said. Two turned to his sister, then, and found her blue eyes serious.

“I’m just worried that I’m… too much for him. That my past and everything that comes with it is too much.”

“You’re not too much.”

“To you, maybe. To him? I don’t know. I’m just scared to fuck it up, Lily,” he said, his chest tightening. Ivy was everything he wanted, and everything he didn’t deserve to have. He’d be downplaying all he felt if he said he was overwhelmed. It was more than that. Stress and anxiety had worked itself into every fiber of his muscles, the weight of past and present horrors sitting heavy on his back. With Sleep, and his warring mind, and Ivy, and his hunger- it was all beginning to feel like far too much for him. It was like wind at his back, pressing him forward- pressing him into someone that he used to be. Someone that ran when things got hard.

“Then don’t fuck it up,” Lily proclaimed. Fucking prophet of the century.

“Thanks, asshole,” Two muttered, making Lily giggle. He heard the footsteps of three grumbling vampires coming down the stairs. Or, two grumbling vampires- because Vessel wasn’t like them. Whatever the fuck that meant.

“Good morning!” Lily said brightly. Ivy smiled all big and sleepy at her and it made Two feel abhorrent. Because Ivy was beautiful, and it was torture. “Unfortunately, I really need to go. It was nice meeting you, Ivy! Hopefully I’ll see you again soon.”

“It was nice meeting you, too!” Ivy said, giving Lily a quick hug before she trotted out the door.

The three of them dug into the food Two had made, and Two gave them the grace to finish their meal before he brought up what desperately needed to be discussed.

“Ivy, love,” Two began, leaning back against the kitchen counter.

“Hm?” Ivy hummed from where he sat at the island.

“You said something about a… chair… last night?”

“Cuck chair!” Three yelled suddenly, making Two go wide eyed.

“No, not a fucking cuck chair,” Two growled.

“A chair? Uh. Oh! Yes the chair,” Ivy said darkly.

“What’s wrong with a cuck chair?” Three asked innocently, and earned a flick on the forehead from Vess.

“The chair at the mansion. It had little symbols carved all over it. Some freaky arcane shit, I don’t know,” Ivy explained, his thoughtful gaze trained to the countertop.

“Runes,” Vessel told them, and Two quirked an eyebrow at him to continue. “I don’t know what they mean, but I’m sure it’s an incantation of some sort. For example, Sleep can communicate with me- in my mind- when I’m in the space between awake and asleep, but He cannot actually use me as a host unless I am there. Sometimes I slip, and His hold on me is stronger. Like when you and I got in a fight, Two-”

“A fight?! What fight?” Ivy interrupted, his incredulous gaze flicking between Two and Vess.

“Not important right now. As I was saying- He can manipulate my thoughts, and persuade my actions, but He cannot fully take me unless I’m there. In the chair. So, obviously that leads me to believe the runes have something to do with it. As for what they mean, though? I have no clue.”

“We need to write them down,” Ivy said, his tiny fang biting into his lower lip.

“I’m not going back there willingly,” Three stated, no room for argument.

“I’ll go alone if I have to. It’s driving me crazy, I can’t just let it go,” Ivy said.

“I’ll go with you,” Two told him. Which was dumb, because he certainly did not want to go back. But, there was no way he’d let Ivy crawl around in that hell hole by himself. Ivy nodded at him, offering him a small smile. Two turned his attention to Vessel, then. “Why don’t I remember what happened?”

“Er, I don’t know.”

“Seems like there’s a lot of things you don’t know, Vess.”

“Don’t get bratty with me. I’ve been in the dark this whole time, too, you know? I have always remembered what happened, I have no clue why you wouldn’t. Maybe because I’m different?”

“That’s a whole other thing. What does that mean?” Two asked, hopping up to sit on the countertop by Ivy.

“You heard him. I traded my life,” Vessel said, his ocean water eyes going downcast, his voice sad and far away.

“I’m sorry,” Two whispered.

“No, it’s fine, Two,” Vessel said, but his mood had darkened. Two remembered the helplessness he felt when he was shown Vessel’s past- his overwhelming need to protect him. He never really had friends, other than Three, so he didn’t know what to do to rectify this. He slid off the counter and went to where Vessel stood, opened his arms, and Vessel went in. The hug was a little suffocating, since Two was much smaller, but he found in his attempt to comfort Vessel- Vess was really comforting him.

“I’m sorry that no one was there for you,” Two whispered, his cheek pressed to Vessel’s chest.

“I’m sorry, too,” Vessel said, running his hands up and down Two’s back. It was strange, in a good way- in a way that told Two that maybe he wasn’t so alone.

Sleep was right, He brought them together because of their suffering. But, He was wrong to assume they wouldn’t find solace in it. The four of them knew pain, intrinsically, at its core. Even if they knew it in different ways, different capacities, they needed each other. Healing began when an outstretched hand was taken. And this was Two, taking Vessel’s hand, and silently promising that he wouldn’t let go. Tethered, knitted together by a needle threaded in the hands of something bigger than them.

“Are you guys just going to hug for the rest of today?” Three asked, jolting Two from his thoughts.

“Perhaps,” he hissed. To say Two had been touchstarved for the better half of his… entire life would be an understatement. Vessel didn’t seem to mind, he just held Two like he knew that he needed it. Even if the embrace began in the inverse sense. Then, he squeezed Two’s side suddenly, and Two let out an embarrassing squeak before jumping away from him.

“Bitch,” Two said, and Vessel giggled. He turned to his moon, who still looked quite exhausted. “Tomorrow we’ll go back to the mansion, and you can scribble all the runes you want.”

“Yay!”

“Ew, why are you so excited to go back there?” Three questioned.

“He’s a nerd,” Vessel responded. “Besides, it should be safe as long as your asses don’t touch the chair.”

“Evil cuck chair,” Three whispered, earning a glare from all three of them.

****

“Will you play for me?” Two asked Ivy later on, gesturing to his guitar case that sat on the floor of their bedroom.

“Depends, will you play for me?” Ivy asked with a smirk.

“Considering I don’t have a drum kit, no, I will not.”

“Touché,” Ivy conceded, sliding off the bed to take his acoustic guitar out of its case. He eased back onto the bed, guitar in his lap, and began strumming. It was melancholy, a complex tune that made Two feel a little lost, alone. He watched as Ivy’s practiced fingers moved, the muscles and tendons all following along the patterns that he didn’t even have to think about to display. Two’s gaze followed up his strong forearms, over the heather grey of his t-shirt, to his gaze that was cast down upon his hands, his lips in a focused little pout. Ivy nodded his head gently to the sound, a barely perceptible movement. Two found himself back down, staring at his hands, the curve of his thumb.

“Did you write that?” Two asked once he had finished.

“Yeah,” Ivy whispered, and kept plucking around on the strings. Mindless strumming born from years of practice, of expertise. “There’s lyrics to it. But, I’m not a singer.”

“No?”

“No. I’m a screamer,” Ivy said, and Two felt like he’d been gut punched.

“Yeah?” he said, laughing a little as his cheeks burned embarrassingly.

Ivy looked up at him then, and realized his innuendo. “Oh my god! Get your mind out of the gutter,” he hissed playfully.

“Sorry, sorry,” Two said sheepishly. “It was beautiful, really. You’re very talented, Ivy.”

“Thank you,” Ivy said, leaning down to lay the guitar back into its case.

“So, are you?”

“Am I what?”

“A screamer?” Two asked, feeling suddenly confident. Ivy just smirked at him, a wide, sultry display of sharp fangs and straight white teeth. “You’re pretty cute for an apex predator, you know?”

“Cute?” Ivy asked, wrinkling his nose a bit, his fangs still bared. It made him look like a cat.

“Yeah. Adorable, actually,” Two prodded, and Ivy was standing up and pushing Two flat to the mattress. He stood at the foot of the bed, hovering over Two’s prone frame, his hands pressed to Two’s strong arms.

“What are you doing?” Two asked, his voice pitched low as Ivy slid his hands down until they were clamped on Two’s thighs.

“Making a point,” Ivy whispered, his gaze wild. Hungry.

“You’re just being a brat,” Two told him, but he let Ivy have his way, for now. He knew he could take over any second and make Ivy melt to his touch. Flames danced beneath Ivy’s fingertips, making Two’s skin burn hot to the electricity of his touch. Ivy pressed against Two’s thighs, making him spread his legs. Two was pliable for him, but he was in control.

Ivy’s talented fingers fussed with the button on Two’s jeans. “Is this okay?” he asked.

“Yes,” Two hummed, his heart racing. Two curled his fingers into the bottom hem of his shirt, pulling it off as Ivy unbuttoned his jeans and tugged them down his thighs.

“All the way off,” Two told him, and Ivy listened, pulling them completely off- with a bit of a struggle, because they were so tight.

“Move,” Ivy instructed, and Two wanted to giggle at his commanding tone. Cute, he thought. He allowed Ivy to play his game, scooting backwards in the bed until Ivy could kneel between his legs. He leaned down, lowering his head to kiss the soft skin of Two’s thigh. Two’s hand went to his hair, tugging gently when Ivy bit down, sharp teeth pressing against delicate skin. Ivy dragged his searing kiss and bites up until he was pulling down the waistband of Two’s boxers, pressing his teeth to the brunt point of his hip bone. He bit hard, just enough to break a little bit of skin.

“You okay?” Ivy mumbled. And when Two whispered his ‘Yes’, Ivy lathed his tongue over the tiny amount of blood he brought forth at Two’s hip. He moaned quietly at the taste, and moved to the other side, making a twin bite mark on Two’s other hip. Two hissed as he bit harder, balling his fist in Ivy’s overgrown hair. Ivy released him, looking up at him from his place at his lap. His pupils dilated and constricted rapidly as he stared, his lips slightly parted as he panted.

“God, my love, you’re starving,” Two whispered, and Ivy’s eyes moved back down, to where Two’s blood had dripped into the hollow right by his hip bone. He licked it up, sending shivers down Two’s spine. Ivy continued his mouthy perusal, kissing and nipping at Two’s warm skin, his hand just barely skating over the hardness trapped beneath his boxers. Ivy hummed little pleased sounds, lost in his exploration.

“I want to taste you,” Ivy whined, opening another tiny wound on Two’s side with his teeth, making him twitch against the feeling. Two was eager to please him, even if it probably wasn’t advisable.

“Come here,” Two urged, and Ivy sidled up his body, connecting their mouths. Two wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to the feeling of kissing him. Every time it was like getting pulled beneath the waves of desire, of unyielding devotion. It felt right- like home, like stars aligning. They panted into each other's mouths, drinking in each tension-filled release of breath.

“I’m gonna make a mess of the bed,” Ivy whispered.

“I don’t care, moon,” Two told him, licking into his mouth, chasing every emotion that Ivy elicited from him. Two wanted to worship Ivy like a God, like he was his salvation- like every tremble in his body was from a moving sermon that Ivy whispered into his soul. Two’s mind’s eye was clear as he squeezed his eyes shut and kissed Ivy like he was a lifeline- it was just them, in the dark, practicing their own private religion.

“You can take me, Ivy,” Two said, his voice low and rough. “I want you to.”

“Are you sure?” Ivy asked, pulling back from their joined mouths to look into Two’s big blue eyes.

“Yes,” Two said, and he’d never been more sure of anything. His response sounded more like a beg, than an acceptance- a desperate plea for Ivy to cleanse his skin, to tug him away from sorrow and push him into pleasure. Ivy moved to his throat, licking a long stripe along Two’s pulse point, a tiny sound of desperation passing between his lips as he set his teeth against his skin.

“Bite, Ivy,” Two told him, his tone commanding. He held his control, and relinquished everything else to Ivy’s safe hands and visceral need. There was nothing more important to him, nothing of equal value.

Chapter Text

Ivy hummed a quiet, predatory sound as he set his teeth to Two’s skin, and Two’s body trembled with the anticipation of his bite. He presumed Ivy was full of nerves, since he hadn’t sunk his teeth into anything since he’d turned.

“You’re okay,” Two whispered, feeling Ivy’s slight apprehension like it was his own. The nudge seemed to be enough, because Ivy struck him. Two huffed a breath through his teeth, hissing at the onslaught of stinging pain. Ivy went still at the sound for a moment, then slid his hand into Two’s hair, petting him gently- offering comfort without words. Two leaned into it, squeezing his eyes shut, his muscles pulling tight until the venom worked its course, and he began to relax. Ivy growled against his throat as the pain slowly melted away, turning Two’s skin to liquid fire- sensual, aching heat.

It was new and intimate for the both of them, since Ivy was one of two vampires to ever feed off of Two, and Two’s blood being the only blood Ivy had tasted- thus far. Two wasn’t one for possessiveness, but at least right now he didn’t quite like the idea of Ivy’s teeth being buried in the skin of anyone else. Certainly not when his venom made Two feel a sort of pleasure that was unprecedented, incomparable to anything he’d ever known.

“Fuck,” Two sighed out, his eyes still held shut against the all encompassing sensual heat that washed over him. “You are something else,” he whispered, his voice rough. Ivy moaned repeatedly as he swallowed Two down with desperate fervor. He slid his hands down Ivy’s sides, absorbing the trembles that wracked his lover’s body. Ivy had one hand planted to the mattress and was holding himself up by his knees, and Two wished he’d let his weight fall into his lap- desperate for the friction. Though, it seemed Ivy had other ideas.

Ivy removed his hand from Two’s hair, blindly sliding down between their bodies until his fingertips were pressing into Two’s taut stomach muscles. Lower, still, painstakingly slowly he reached Two’s navel and let out a small whine.

“You can touch me,” Two whispered, removing one of his hands from Ivy’s side to tug his own boxers down, giving his moon the freedom to do as he pleased. Two’s breaths were coming fast, his head fuzzy with anticipation of the moment. He’d only known his own hand, for a long while, and the thought of Ivy’s was enough to make him moan without even being touched yet.

Ivy’s hand moved down until his fingers finally brushed Two where he needed it, and Two was nothing against his magnetism. He reacted to Ivy’s touch like bioluminescence, warmth glowing alive beneath his skin as Ivy wrapped his hand around him and stroked up, once, gently, slowly. It was divine- the feeling, the emotion that was like flames licking across his entire body, setting him alight.

“Wait,” Two mumbled, and Ivy quickly moved his hand away. “Sorry, no, you’re fine, just-” he said, reaching to fumble awkwardly through the drawer at his side table- careful to not move the feeding vampire atop him- and pulled out a bottle of lube. He squeezed some into his own hand and reached between their bodies, slicking himself for Ivy. He grabbed Ivy’s hand that rested on his hip, pressing against the wound he left there and eliciting a buzz of electric ecstasy from the tiny puncture site. He guided his hand back to his cock, and Ivy took him fully, then.

Two briefly considered that he’d die, right then and there as his lover stroked him and supped at the source of his life. It was overwhelming, and Ivy himself was enough to send Two reeling on any given day. This was far more than anything Two could conjure in his mind. He felt a warm trickle of blood slide down his skin, escaping the hold of Ivy’s mouth and certainly making a mess of the bed. He didn’t care, nothing could matter to him right now- not when he was consumed by pure, unabashed lust.

The room was filled with their joined sounds of pleasure, the air around them hot and thick with tension. Ivy stroked Two’s skin slowly, almost nervously.

“You’re doing so good, moon,” Two praised, his voice shaking with adrenaline. Ivy moved his hand faster, then, gaining confidence from Two’s words. He bit down harder, growled a little louder and Two couldn’t help the gasp that tumbled from his mouth. “You’re perfect,” Two told him. “So perfect.”

Ivy took a few deep pulls, his swallows audible as deep sounds vibrated in his chest. Two wasn’t surprised to learn he was a screamer, since his pleasured noises were surely guttural. Ivy released him, muttering a raspy ‘Fuck’ into the space between Two’s neck and shoulder. He was panting loudly, and Two set his hands to either side of Ivy, feeling the way his rib cage expanded with each huffing breath. He set his tongue to the bite wound, cleaning the mess he had made of Two’s neck. His tongue dragged down, to where the blood pooled in the hollow of Two’s collar bone and he licked it up, pressing his teeth against him- lost in his oral fixation with Two’s skin.

“Viscous creature,” Two whispered, and Ivy only nipped at his clavicle harder, making Two chuckle at his fiendish behavior. Ivy moved away from his spot at his chest, looking down at the space between their bodies for a moment, watching as his hand moved on Two’s cock. Two’s hips bucked on their own volition, his muscles straining against barely contained spasms as the pleasure threatened to consume him entirely.

Ivy looked up, staring at Two’s parted lips for a moment, drinking in his sounds before he pressed their mouths together. He switched hands, pumping Two’s hot, slick skin quickly and licking his bloodied tongue into his mouth. Two was lost in the taste of it, sliding his tongue desperately against Ivy’s. He placed a hand to Ivy’s jaw, halting the movement of his mouth.

“Open,” Two whispered, mimicking what Ivy had said to him on a different night where they were lost in each other’s intrinsic ecstasy. Ivy obeyed, showing Two his crimson coated teeth. Two lifted his chin, dragging his tongue along Ivy’s teeth, feeling the sharp points of his fangs. He tasted himself there, and he couldn’t get enough of it. He kissed Ivy like he was oxygen, like each slide of their lips and tongues was a full, dizzying breath of air.

“You have to slow down,” Two whined, his hips stuttering to meet Ivy’s quick strokes. “I’m gonna cum,” he mumbled against Ivy’s mouth. “Ivy- Ivy,” he begged, and Ivy let him go suddenly, leaving Two breathless as he stared up into bright blue eyes. Even in the darkness of their bedroom, Two could see the devotion in Ivy’s gaze, the depth of feeling. This wasn’t about chasing mindless release, this was worship- holy in a way that would have Gods bowing to them. To Ivy himself, in all of his sanctified silver light.

His moon didn’t say a word as he moved backwards down his body until his hands were planted on Two’s strong thighs, easing them apart slightly. He bent down, kissing the small bite wounds on Two’s hips and waist- pressing pure, unconditional affection against his lover. Ivy looked up, peering at Two through the dark blonde hair that fell over his eyes. “Can I?” he asked quietly, shyly.

“Please,” Two whispered. Ivy lowered, setting his tongue at the base of Two’s cock and licking a long stripe all the way up, his breath blowing cold against Two’s heated skin. He took his time, exploring Two with his tongue before he finally took him into his mouth and eased down. Two did all he could to hold back from thrusting into his warmth, his body aching with pent up energy. He reached down, sliding his fingers into Ivy’s soft, sweat dampened hair, pulling it back from his forehead. His other hand was pressed to his own mouth, and he bit gently into his palm to quiet his sounds as Ivy took him fully, swallowing around his length.

“You will kill me, sweet thing,” Two mumbled against his palm, and Ivy let a precious little sound out, vibrating all the way down Two’s hardness. He gripped Ivy’s hair harder, tugging restlessly at the strands as he forced his hips to stay still- to not buck up into Ivy’s mouth. Ivy let his hands slide over the slope of Two’s hips, to the dip of his small waist, squeezing and digging his nails in as he swirled his tongue. It was torture, in the most beautiful way. Everything Two wanted, and nothing like he had imagined. His mind could not create something like this, something so intense and new.

“You’re so good for me,” Two hummed, fighting past his mind numbing pleasure to offer Ivy the praise that made him melt. He whined again, and Two just couldn’t help the movement of his hips, pressing harder into his lover’s mouth, but remaining gentle. Two was used to roughness- enjoyed it- but this was different. This was uncharted territory for him, and in the midst of overthinking, he realized that was the whole point. He didn’t have to think, all he had to do was feel. What he and Ivy were doing was not based on right or wrong, correctness or fuck ups- it was pure love making, the melding of their atoms, a connection beyond words.

The stars, the moon, everything beckoned them to this moment and to all the moments before. As Ivy pleased him, breathed soft affection into his soul, Two knew that there was nothing that could’ve strayed him from this path. Meant to be, prophetic, undeniable.

“Please,” Two begged as Ivy’s nose brushed his navel, his breath tickling his sensitive skin. He swallowed once, hollowed his cheeks, pressed his tongue in just the right spot, and Two was whispering a warning- in case Ivy wanted to pull off. He didn’t, he stayed put, pressing his strong hands to Two’s hips as he came. Two kept his hand pressed to his mouth, muffling his sounds as the aftershock sent him into blissful oblivion. Waves of soul-consuming pleasure rolled through him as he whined desperately, tears pricking in his eyes from the overexertion.

Ivy pulled off, swirling his tongue at the tip to clean him off, much like he did at his throat, earlier. He lifted his head, blinking softly at Two and obviously fighting a grin.

“You’re beautiful,” Ivy whispered, making Two smile bashfully. Of course, now, he was blushing. He sat up, dragging Ivy into his shaky arms and squeezing him tightly.

“Thank you,” he said, so quietly.

“For what?” Ivy asked, a chuckle laced into his question.

“For showing me what that can feel like, when it means something, when it’s gentle,” Two told him, and Ivy pulled back to look him in his eyes. Two could tell he felt the weight of his words, the insinuation inside of them.

“It means everything,” Ivy said, and Two wondered if Ivy felt the same intense word that he was feeling. He wouldn’t say it, not now. He just hoped Ivy knew that there was nothing he wouldn’t do for him, nothing that would tarnish what they had.

They sat in their embrace for some long, quiet moments, neither one of them feeling any pull to move away.

“I think I have earned a reward,” Ivy whispered.

“Oh?”

“You don’t think so?”

“No, certainly you have. What do you want, moon?”

“Tell me about your band,” Ivy said, prodding Two gently on his side with a finger. Two laughed. Of course Ivy would still be hung up on that.

“It really wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“I don’t care! Tell me about it! All the details, please.”

“As you wish,” Two said, separating himself from Ivy so he could look at him as he spoke. “I played drums as a teenager. Didn’t really write or anything, it was just something to do. And when I met Three, he already knew how to play bass. Had learned on guitar when he was young, and picked up bass sometime along the way. We had some other friends- or, Three had some other friends that were musically inclined. And also delinquents, like us. We wrote some shit, played a few shows. It went on for a bit after we graduated, and I really enjoyed it. But, university got in the way of things. And then… you know what happened. Three and I just lost the drive to create, after that.”

“I’m sorry,” Ivy frowned. “I understand that. I think if it weren’t for the lessons being my full time job, I would’ve lost the drive as well. That’s so cool, though, Two! I’m sure you and Three had a lot of fun. Do you have any videos?”

“Yeah, I’m sure I can find some, somewhere. Later, though?” Two asked, suddenly very aware of his casual nakedness, and his exhaustion. Ivy had bled him dry, in a literal and metaphorical sense, and he yearned for rest.

“Later,” Ivy agreed, grabbing both of Two’s hands to pull him from the bed. He went through the motions, helping Two clean himself up, tugging clothes on his body that still shook from the adrenaline crash, quickly changing the bloodied bedsheets.

“Thank you,” Ivy said as they laid down in bed.

“I don’t know what you’re thanking me for, but you’re welcome,” Two mumbled sleepily, his eyes already falling closed.

“The blood,” Ivy whispered, tucking himself close to Two. Two wanted to tell him that he didn’t need to say thank you, that it belonged to him, but he was already being dragged into his abyss of sleep. Nothing haunted him that night, nothing trapped him inside of a restless purgatory. He was at home, fully at peace.

Chapter Text

“It feels wrong to be here in the daylight,” Two mumbled as he exited the driver’s seat of Vessel’s car- that he borrowed, not stole.

“It’s beautiful, in a creepy, spine-chilling sort of way,” Ivy said, shouldering his backpack. Two shielded the burning sun from his eyes with his hand, taking in the monstrosity before him. It felt dead to him, in the light- like it only awoke at night. Everything was still, frozen in the wasteland of passing time.

The mansion’s fissures of black decay showed in stark relief against the limestone, like rifts in the void of heaven. For the third time, Two’s shoes pressed against the pink flowers that made their home between the flagstones. They were strange little flowers, he’d never seen them in any place other than here. He pulled his phone from his back pocket and knelt down to take photos of them. Everything and anything could give them information, even if they were just plants.

Ivy and Two continued down the path, their footsteps loud in the all encompassing silence of the forest. Not a whisper of wind pressed against the boughs above them, no creature made a sound. Two wondered if perhaps the animals knew this was no place for their innocence. It was as though the land was diseased, a plague of horror setting its claws to the grass and forcing even that to submit, too.

“Do you think people have died in there, Two?” Ivy asked as they ascended the steps, and the inscription loomed above their heads.

“I think anyone who sets foot in there dies, in a way. Death is what you make of it,” Two said, taking a full breath in through his nose as his fingers closed around the door knob.

“Death is infinite,” Ivy whispered, following Two inside as he opened the door. Sunlight streamed in through the shattered glass windows, setting the destruction aglow. Dust motes floated in the air, like tiny spirits wishing to be set free from their prison inside the rotted halls.

It was hard to make sense of anything that was inside, it was all covered in a thick layer of debris and cobwebs. He could tell that it was surely grand, in a time before. He tried to imagine the people that lived here, when it was a home. How many feet had walked this corridor before his? It was impossible to know.

“Don’t wander,” Two said, grabbing Ivy’s hand and tugging him gently onwards, glass cracking beneath their feet as they walked. When they made it into the room they seeked, the fire was not alive. The hearth was cold and desolate, the ash inside holding no evidence of twinkling embers. Ivy didn’t let go of Two’s hand as he moved to the chair. The wooden thing sat like an omen, like an immovable object in the path of Two’s destiny.

There were grooves in the wood grain of the arm rests, whittled out by desperate fingernails. He wondered how much of it was Vessel’s doing, though some of it had to be his own. As Ivy scanned over the runes, Two could feel the memory of his panic- the crushing weight of absolution. He couldn’t recall what happened, but there were glimpses of the emotion he felt when he sat there, before.

“Can we please be quick about this,” Two said, his heart beginning to race as sweat gathered on his forehead and slid down his spine.

“Yeah, sorry,” Ivy whispered, pulling out his phone to take photos. “What the fuck?”

“What?” Two said, feeling particularly jumpy.

“The screen’s just black,” Ivy said, turning his phone screen so Two could see. It was, in fact, just black.

“Er, is it dead?”

“Do I look stupid?”

“No.”

“It’s not dead! It was plugged in the whole drive here!” Ivy pressed the power button a few times, then dug Two’s phone out of his back pocket. Nothing.

“Fuck’s sake,” Ivy sighed, pulling his backpack off and kneeling down on the broken floor tiles to dig through its contents. He brought out a notebook and a pen, and began furiously scribbling the runes onto the paper. Two stood over him, agitation making his bones ache.

“Ivy, love, we should go,” Two said, keeping his gaze trained onto Ivy’s kneeling form. He felt if he turned around, he’d find the damned souls of whoever haunted this place staring back at him. The thought made a shiver course through his muscles, eliciting an inescapable itchiness over his skin.

“One second,” Ivy hissed, crawling across the dirty floor to get every possible angle of the chair. Two wasn’t sure how he’d read his own scratches of ink- the paper looked like a geometry equation gone wrong.

A few minutes passed, a few more sheets of paper filled with lines and dots, and Two’s patience was wearing thin. “Come on,” he prodded, leaning down to place a hand on Ivy’s shoulder.

“Okay, okay,” Ivy said, closing his notebook and sliding it back into his backpack. “Are you okay?” he asked as he stood, his eyes looking a little glazed over.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just don’t like how this place makes me feel. Are you okay? You look strange,” Two said, narrowing his eyes at Ivy, grabbing him by the chin to force him to stay locked onto his gaze.

“What?” Ivy asked, and then blinked hard, once, twice- like he was trying to clear himself from some sort of fog.

“Nothing, forget it,” Two whispered, taking Ivy by the hand and pulling him out of the room, away from the chair and its pulsating aura of malevolence. There was certainly something trying to take hold of Ivy, and he wouldn’t be having that. They departed quickly, and once they crossed the threshold, Two stopped Ivy’s descent.

“Look at me,” he said, and Ivy did, pinning Two with his moon bright eyes- just as Two knew them to look. He figured if they spent any longer there, Ivy would’ve been lost.

“What’s wrong?” Ivy questioned, his brows furrowing.

“You didn’t feel weird in there?” Ivy thought on that for a moment, frowning in contemplation.

“No,” he said, but Two knew him, and he knew Ivy was only trying to convince himself of that fact. “Let’s just go home. I got what I needed.”

“How do you plan on making any sense of that?” Two asked as he drove them home, looking sidelong at Ivy and the splayed notebook in his lap.

“Well, I’ll start with recognizing any patterns within the shapes. If you look, there were definitely runes strung together, in sentences. I wrote them that way. If I’m lucky maybe Vessel will have something to go off of. And, if I’m not lucky, I’ll go cross eyed staring at a maze that has no end point.”

“There’s certainly an end point,” Two said.

“The only problem is getting there.”

When they arrived home, Three was gone at work, and Vessel was crawling around on the floor like an idiot playing with Ditto.

“Are you okay, mate?” Two asked as he walked into the living room, laughing as Ditto playfully clawed at Vessel’s tattooed arm.

“Your cat is a menace!” he exclaimed as she sunk her tiny teeth into his hand.

“She’s not. She just doesn’t like you,” Ivy said, sitting on the couch, not even bothering to rip his gaze from the notebook for a second. “Vessy?”

“Hm?”

“Can you look at this for me?” Ivy asked. Two moved to sit beside him as Vessel detached a fiendish Ditto from his forearm and sat on Ivy’s other side.

“Why’d you not just take photos?” Vessel quipped, taking the notebook from Ivy’s lap and tracking his eyes over the pages of black-inked scribbles.

“Something was interfering with our phones, we couldn’t use them,” Two supplied, setting his face against Ivy’s shoulder.

“It doesn’t make any sense to me, Ivy, I’m sorry. I wish it did.”

“It’s okay,” Ivy said, but he sounded a bit defeated. He chewed on the end of his pen, scanning over everything he wrote.

“I can try and find something online, if you’d like?” Two asked. He didn’t like to see Ivy so bummed, and this was important.

“Yeah, you can try that, I suppose. There has to be something more, the chair can’t be the only evidence of runes in existence.” Two pressed a kiss to his forehead, taking the notebook from Vessel’s hands and leaving them to do his own research.

He spent a long while, digging into anything he could find- code, mythology, mathematics, but nothing matched up. There wasn’t a trace of these symbols on the internet, no photos. Which, didn’t mean they didn’t exist elsewhere, it just meant whatever power the runes held was able to temporarily disable electronics. Perfect. Two groaned at his computer screen, his eyes blurring as he scrolled and clicked, and found absolutely nothing.

“I give up,” he muttered to himself, shutting down his computer and heading off to shower the day off of his skin. He let the heat of the water cleanse the panic that his muscles remembered, but his conscience did not. It was like Sleep dug his talons in, and disconnected Two from himself, biting through his wires. The room held the memory of what happened to him, what Sleep spoke through his mouth, and the feeling of being there followed Two all the way home. He couldn’t outrun it.

It bothered him, to feel so apart from his own self. Control was important to him, always had been- even when he was a kid. He needed it, to keep his sister safe, to keep himself from tripping off the thin thread that he walked across. There were so many things in the world that were uncertain, so many atrocities that could happen in fleeting, precious seconds- and Two knew it all, intimately. So, the loss of grip on his mind was grating against him, making it ever harder to live each day- despite the light he had found.

After toweling himself off, he found his own gaze in the mirror. His big blue eyes stared back at him, and they looked the same as they always did. The same eyes his mother had, in the photos he saw of her. He fidgeted with his nose piercings, the ones he had since he was fifteen. Ran his finger over his lips, the same ones that smiled at his baby sister when he was a child. He was still himself, yet born anew in revelation. It was hard to coexist with the fact that all of these things happened to him, to this body- the body that once only knew innocence and laughter.

He dragged his fingertips across his jaw that was scratchy with stubble, down to the quickly healing bite mark on his throat. He pressed his touch to the scar, which would likely be gone in a day or two. Ivy had him relearning everything, rerouting his mind, realigning his stars. His pain wouldn’t disappear, his looming shadow wouldn’t dissolve, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t room for something else- something that made the hard days worth it, even if just for the offering of a bright smile.

He got dressed, went to his room and found Ivy already slumbering in bed. He wanted to wake him, to tell him something, anything at all- just to feel his warm comfort in the night. In the end, he didn’t tell Ivy anything, didn’t nudge him awake. He just tucked his tired body against his lover, and prayed to whatever benevolence was out there to keep him safe from his own mind.

****

Two woke to urgent mumbles, hands pressing against him, urgent in their prying. He peaked open his eyes and Ivy was kneeling beside him, shaking him.

“I understand it,” Ivy whispered, golden morning light washing over his naked torso. He sounded like he had been awake for a while, fully alert.

“Understand what?” Two groaned, sitting up in bed and scrubbing at his eyes.

“The runes,” he said, and practically jumped out of bed. “I understand, now. I understand.” His behavior set alarm bells off in Two’s head. Something wasn’t right.

“Ivy, slow down, please,” Two urged, but Ivy was already on the floor, digging his notebook out of his bag and laying it down in front of him. He began writing, like he was in a trance, letters scrawling across the page.

“Hey,” Two said, moving to where Ivy knelt and grabbing his hand, halting his furious writing. Ivy looked at him, and Two felt his heart sink to his stomach, his blood going cold in his veins.

Ivy wasn’t there, the moonlight in his eyes was shut out, eclipsed. Ivy tore his hand from Two’s grasp, his hollow eyes like graves as he stared Two down, predation in his gaze.

“Where did you go?” Two asked, his eyes burning with helpless tears. There was something beneath, something below the layers of Ivy’s skin, feeding upon him- forcing his hand. And Two didn’t know how to banish it, how to bring his lover back from the realm he was lost in.

Chapter Text

Ivy

“English opening, ah,” Vessel said, squinting his eyes at Ivy’s chess pieces. Ivy knew he would win, he almost always did, and Vessel loved to humor him.

“What’s your opening, Vessy?” Ivy asked, looking at Vessel’s concentrated frown.

“It doesn’t matter what my opening is, you’re gonna beat me anyway.” It didn’t take long before Ivy had him in check, and Vessel was grumbling about how Ivy spent too much time playing chess on his phone.

“Again?” Ivy asked, donning a smug smile. Vessel flashed his fangs, grinning right back and knocking all of Ivy’s pieces off the board. “I’ll take that as no,” Ivy surmised, frowning down at his four wooden pawns that tumbled to the floor.

Ivy leaned down to pick up the pieces, placing them back on the board, lining up the black and white in their spots- for when Vessel was ready to take him on again. He heard Vessel open the fridge, groan, and close it.

“We have no ice cream,” he stated, like it was blasphemous that he didn’t find what he wanted.

“Well, did you buy ice cream?”

“No. Will you come with me to get some?”

“Sure,” Ivy obliged, going off to his bedroom and pulling on his dark green zip up that Two bought for him. It made him feel all stupidly warm inside, though he could admit he missed the ill-fitting one he’d stolen when they had met. Two probably thought it was an accident. It wasn’t. Ivy wasn’t one to deny himself things that he wanted, and he knew he wanted Two like a fix, even then.

Vessel and Ivy walked in comfortable silence to the shop, the setting sun turning the sky to the shade of blushing cheeks. Ivy wished the sun would stay around a little longer, to warm his skin and touch its light against the city. He tried to focus on his love of the sun, and not the headache that began to thrum in his temples.

“I have to tell you something,” Ivy said as they stepped into the shop and made a B-Line for the freezer section.

“What? That you hate ice cream?”

“Certainly not.” He stood at Vessel’s side, letting him choose whatever he wanted. He didn’t really care what flavor it was, as long as Vess was happy. “Two and I kissed last night.”

Vessel whorled on him, but his shock seemed to be at least a little bit feigned. “Did you now?”

“Mhm,” Ivy hummed, trying to stomp down on his childish glee. It was silly, really, how giddy it made him feel. It was just a kiss. He’d kissed plenty of people, done way more than that with plenty of people. But, it wasn’t just a kiss, was it? Something happened between him and Two, something that felt like a lock clicking into place- or, perhaps out of place, opening a doorway into a depth of feeling that Ivy had never known. He’d say he’d been in love before, probably, but there was nothing comparable to Two’s affection- his willingness to be vulnerable with Ivy, despite the closed off person he was known to be. So, no, it wasn’t just a kiss, it was a tide rushing in, high water flooding every synapse.

“I’m sorry. Am I supposed to be surprised by this? I’ve never seen you so down bad. You practically wag your tail anytime he speaks to you,” Vessel said, a gentle laugh laced into his words. Ivy went wide eyed at him, his cheeks growing warm.

“Shut the fuck up, no I do not,” Ivy hissed. “Pick your damn ice cream.” Vessel finally made his decision and they went to check out, hurrying back home before his ice cream melted.

“What if it wasn’t as good for him as it was for me?” Ivy asked, his ass on the floor and his back pressed to the couch that Vessel lounged on. They were passing the ice cream back and forth, watching something on the television that Ivy couldn’t even pay attention to because his headache was becoming mind numbing.

“I doubt that to be the case. He doesn’t seem like one for meaningless kisses,” Vessel told him, reaching down to grab the tub of ice cream from Ivy’s hands.

“Is Lukas still coming over?” Ivy asked, massaging his temples with his thumbs. Lukas was Vessel’s friend from university, and he was fine enough. Ivy just wasn’t sure he would be able to hold a conversation much longer. His migraines were becoming more frequent, more inescapable. He was always exhausted, and he was having trouble hiding it. Vessel knew things were getting worse, it was hard to keep things from him, when he knew Ivy so well.

“Yeah, think so. He always takes his sweet ass time. But, he’s bringing his Switch. I might not be able to beat you in chess, but I’ll murder you in Smash Bros.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” Ivy mumbled, batting Vessel’s hand away when he offered him the ice cream again.

“You okay?” Vessel asked, sliding off the couch to sit on the floor next to Ivy.

“Yeah. I’m sorry, but maybe you could tell Lukas not to come? I have a killer headache,” Ivy asked quietly, and he knew Vessel wouldn’t argue.

“Of course. Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine, really,” he said, but when he forced his eyes open, he saw tiny black dots in his vision, morphing his friend’s face when he turned to look at him. Vessel was saying something, grabbing Ivy’s face, shaking him, but Ivy felt as though he’d been shoved into the abyss of hell. Hot and empty, the ringing of shrieking bells in his ears.

“Vessel?” he tried to say, he wasn’t sure if any sound actually came out. It felt like a nightmare, when he’d try to scream for help, and nothing would come out, his throat suddenly useless. “Vess?” he tried again. He hoped Vessel could hear him, even as he fell into a thick, stifling void of nothingness, he was still calling out to Vessel.

Somewhere in the ether, somewhere in eden, he could feel the weight of eyes on him. Familiar eyes, ones he had known for centuries, a millenia. They had looked at him- saw right through him- in every lifetime, in every rift amongst realms. He stared right back, into eternity, into nothing at all and everything all at once. Whatever it was, it was meant for him, infinitely. He was shoved head first, into death itself, into another world that he thought he’d made peace with.

Peace could be made, as well as it could be broken. Shattered beyond recognition, when he had found something bigger than it. Something more than the warm belief in Gods, in life as it was. He’d broken through something unknown, something heated and full of life, like the sun. More than peace, more than life, more than Gods. It wasn’t his time to die.

Breath flooded his lungs, like a riptide. The smell of metal infiltrated his nose, overwhelming in its intensity. It took a while for the agony to set in, like a tiny spark turning into flames erupting across his skin. Wildfire shooting through every tendon, every vein, his sinew turning to acid.

With a sudden start, he felt a hand pressed to his chest, and he was tearing it off of his skin, forcing his eyes open. He wasn’t really sure where he was, or the name of the person in front of him. His eyes looked panicked, like waves in a vicious sea.

“Get away from me,” he growled. But, who was he? What had happened? He could feel the throb of visceral pain at his throat, the rush of blood escaping him. He was being approached, calming words uttering from a mouth that he was sure that he knew, but couldn’t put a name to. He pushed himself off the floor, heavy breaths wracking his frame.

“What did you do?” he said, his voice sounding small in his ears. “What did you do to me?”

“I saved you. Your heart stopped,” the man said, his voice like one Ivy had known. It started to become clearer, the fog slowly dissipating. And he wanted no part of it. He ran, like the fingers of fate were pushing him further. He ran to the only place that he knew, at that moment. The only person that he could fully remember. He didn’t believe that Two could fix this, but he was desperate enough to seek him- desperate enough to crawl back to him, bloody and lost.

Chapter Text

“Ivy?” Two whispered, staring into his lover’s lost gaze, trying his best to inconspicuously grab the notebook from the floor. He figured if he could get it away from him, he would have better luck pulling Ivy back to the surface.

“I understand it,” Ivy repeated, his voice sounding miles away. Two slid the notebook closer, not breaking the contact of their eyes- even if the look he got back made his stomach roll with nausea. He’d spent months learning Ivy, his emotions, his body, his expressions. The frown he wore when he was concentrated, or how he stuck his tongue out a bit when he laughed. Maybe, if Two didn’t know him so well, he wouldn’t be able to notice the fog Ivy was under. But, no, Two knew him like a Christian knew a psalm, like a musician knew their chords. The memorization that muscles held, the pathways between neurons.

“Understand what?” Two asked, forcing his voice into one of confidence- of control, even if he felt like a rug had been pulled out from beneath him. Helplessness was familiar, and never had it gotten easier to endure. He needed to keep Ivy talking, to find out where he had gone, and how to get him out.

“The runes,” he said, blinking slowly at Two. He didn’t sound afraid. His answer was sure, saturated in revelation.

“How do you understand them?”

“I was shown.”

“By who?” Two questioned, finally pulling the cursed notebook behind his kneeling form.

“What are you doing?” Ivy hissed, falling back into that evilness that Two saw in his eyes- his unrelenting need to complete his task. He reached behind Two, snatching his notebook back. It wasn’t as though he wanted to hurt Two- or at least he didn’t think so. It was a frustration borne of need, a hand forced by something omnipotent.

“Stop it, Ivy,” Two warned, though he wasn’t sure if it meant anything. He didn’t think he could bring himself to physically stop Ivy, if it came to that. Ivy bent to his work again, bent to the will of whatever had a hold over him, scribbling letters on the page. Two waited, for a few, desperate precious seconds before begrudgingly pulling himself off the floor. He did the only thing he could think to do, and ran to get Vessel.

“Vess!” he yelled, his panic beginning to squeeze at his lungs. His control was slipping, and Vessel came out of his room, ocean water eyes wide. He looked like he had been sleeping, his hair a tousled mess, shocked awake by Two’s beckoning call.

“What? What’s wrong?” Two didn’t answer, he only grabbed Vessel’s hand and tugged him down the hall to his own bedroom, nudging him towards Ivy.

“What are you doing?” Vessel asked Ivy, to no response. The only sound in the room was the scratch of pen against paper and Two’s panting breaths. “What’s going on?” Vessel asked Two, then.

“He’s in some sort of trance,” Two explained. “I’m not even sure he knows who I am… I couldn’t protect him.” His voice cracked as he spoke, helplessness flooding into his veins, barely contained panic squeezing down on his trachea. He watched as Vessel knelt beside Ivy and placed a hand to his forearm.

“Ivy?” Vessel called. Ivy didn’t turn to look, it was as though he couldn’t even hear him. Vessel grabbed his face, forced him away from the paper.

“Let me go,” Ivy growled.

“Do you know who I am?” Vessel asked, squeezing his face harder in his grasp to keep him focused.

“Do you know who you are?” Ivy retorted, sending a chill down Two’s spine. There was insinuation beneath his question, a question that Vessel had likely asked himself a million times before since he had forsaken his life to something that only wanted to consume him.

“Is it Sleep speaking?” Two asked warily, going to where Ivy and Vessel were kneeling on the floor. Vessel had said that Sleep couldn’t take over a host if not for the chair, but what if Ivy had done something to change that? What if his transcription of the runes had altered something that now could not be revoked?

“No. It’s definitely Ivy,” Vessel said, and Two felt at least a fraction of relief in his tense muscles. “It’s like he’s opened a gateway into something, and knows more than he should. Did something happen at the manor?” Vessel spoke directly to Two, but stared right at Ivy, holding his face tight in his grip. The eye contact seemed to calm him, disorienting him from his mindless drive to transcribe the runes.

“Not really, no. He wrote down the runes, and he looked a little strange, but when we left it went away. That place makes me feel strange, too, I didn’t think too much of it, I guess. I thought leaving would sever the connection. I should’ve never brought him there, Vessel,” Two said, running his fingers through the short strands of his hair, tugging restlessly.

“It’s my fault, I told you it would be fine,” he said, regret laced into his words. But, he was calm, and it helped sate the flames of panic that licked at Two’s skin.

“Ivy, do you know who I am?” Vessel repeated.

“No,” Ivy whispered, and his gaze flitted from Vessel’s, landing right on Two’s. “You can understand, too. If you let it in,” he said. It was like an arrow knocked and loosed, right into his throat, pinning him to his spot.

“What are you saying, moon?” Two asked desperately. “Let what in?” Though, deep down, in the core of his being, he knew what his lover spoke of. His apparition. The opposite side of the battle field, he supposed. Ivy didn’t answer his question. Likely, because he didn’t know the answer. He seemed to be wavering between states of existence, slipping between the folds of universes. An internal fight, where he stood between two opposing sides, caught in the crossfire.

“Vessel, I think he’s trying to help us. Or- not him, but something else. Someone else,” Two said, taking Ivy’s face from Vessel’s hands, dragging his thumbs gently over his cheekbones- trying in vain to chase away the restlessness inside of him.

“It doesn’t matter, Two, we have to pull him out,” Vessel urged, like Two didn’t already know that. He stared into blue eyes, dull like someone had shut the light off from behind them, and felt completely hopeless.

“Come back,” he whispered. “I know you can hear me.” He grabbed Ivy’s hand, that was limp in his grasp, the sounds of his labored breathing filling the room around them. He guided Ivy’s hand under his shirt, to his own heart, pressing cold fingertips just under his pectoral.

“Do you remember when you woke me up, that morning you disappeared? You kissed me and told me not to forget it? I could never forget it. Four weeks you were gone and four weeks I spent reliving it, every second. I remember you like I’ve always known you, do you understand? I need you to remember me, okay?” Two said, forcing Ivy to feel the thump of his own heart, the weight of his own soul. He released Ivy’s face, and to his surprise he didn’t look away. He just stared, with eyes like lunar eclipses.

“You can feel me in here, remember?” Two asked, still putting pressure on Ivy’s chest, desperately tugging on the thread of his consciousness. He slid his other hand up the back of Ivy’s shirt, his skin cold and slicked with sweat. The rough surface of Ivy’s scar met his fingertips, and he traced the shape gently.

“You don’t belong to anyone,” he whispered, repeating the words that Ivy had said to him. Words that had calmed Two’s restless nature- that he had needed to hear for years, for longer than he’d ever admit. For Two, it wasn’t just about his humanness, or Sleep, it was so much more than Ivy knew. And he had the sense that Ivy needed to hear it all, too. Right now, and years ago.

Vessel had gone silent at Two’s side, like it was just the two of them. Two and Ivy, and the ghosts between them. He let go of the hand he had pressed to Ivy’s own, pulling out from beneath his shirt and holding his face again. Gently, reverently, like he was something to behold. Ivy kept his hand against his chest, his back muscles flexing beneath Two’s fingertips- twitching in agitation.

“Come on,” Two said, his voice pitched low with desperation. “Remember me,” he said, continuing his soft trace of Ivy’s scar. Ivy’s eyelids fell closed, his dark lashes fanning out against his skin. And Two’s gaze touched each one of his freckles. Invisible- but not to Two.

“Is he sleeping?” Vessel whispered, his voice sounding rough with emotion.

“I don’t know,” Two replied, smoothing back the sweat-dampened hair that fell across Ivy’s face. His breaths came quicker, trembles building inside of his muscles.

“Ivy?” Two asked, and his moon was tipping forward, pressing his brow against Two’s shoulder, his frame wracking with silent sobs. “Hey,” he began, trying to pull Ivy back from his place in hiding, without success.

“Two,” Ivy whispered through his cries, like an answer to every question, like a breath of air into Two’s otherwise asphyxiating lungs.

“Ivy,” he hummed, setting his hand flat to the scar on his back for a single moment, relief flooding every tense part of him. Two wrapped his arms around him, shushing the anguish that consumed him. “You’re okay. You’re okay, I promise.”

It took some time before Ivy was holding him back, but the moment he locked his arms around Two, there was no force in the world that could keep them apart. “It’s okay,” Two soothed, pushing his other hand up underneath Ivy’s shirt and petting up and down his back.

After some time of soothing touches and calming words, Vessel joined their hug. A pile of tears and broken pieces, a thin thread of fate binding them together. Two didn’t urge Ivy to speak, he intimately knew what sort of inner torment he was battling.

“I love you,” Vessel whispered against Ivy’s shoulder. Two knew that Vessel had almost lost Ivy once before, and he could imagine the horror. He decided now wasn’t the time for selfishness, that Ivy and Vessel needed each other. He slowly detached himself from Ivy’s tight grip, and Ivy went to Vessel like he was a lighthouse in the dark, curling into his long limbs and whimpering his desperate sobs. For as long as he needed, for as long as they all did.

Two knew that despite the means of access, the information Ivy had written was important. But through it all, through everything they had been forced to discover- all of their minds were more important. Ivy’s safety meant more to him than the looming threat over their heads. And it always would, no matter the danger he had to put himself in to ensure it.

Chapter Text

The four of them were able to find some sense of normalcy in the days that followed. Two returned to his books- and, unfortunately blood bags- and Three had a schedule full of tattoo appointments. Ivy wasn’t quite ready to set his mind to his lessons again, and Two could understand why. Vessel went back to whatever Vessel did- which was a little bit of everything. Odd jobs and such; music reviews for online magazines, piano features for some smaller bands. Seemed the poor not-vampire couldn’t sit still long enough for an actual job. Like Two could talk, really.

As soon as he was old enough to work, he did. Hopped around a few retail places, and had to quickly get used to the dirty looks he’d get from older customers. Seemed they didn’t like his piercings and dark eye makeup- he didn’t care, it gave him a laugh. It wasn’t as though his father didn’t shovel money in Two and his sister’s direction, like that somehow made him a good parent. If they wanted something, they got it, without a question. Some sort of half assed reparation for leaving two children to fend for themselves.

The money Two made for himself was for his own sense of independence, and to save in case something did happen to their father and he needed to take care of Lily. Nothing happened to their father, and Two continued to work up until he turned- so, he had a decent amount of savings. And sometimes, he’d get a random emailed deposit from his father, with some ridiculous sum of money. It was guilt, disguised as being kind. Two was sure his father thought that by giving him money, that he couldn’t be upset with him. That the more he helped Two financially, the less of a grudge Two would hold against him for his childhood. Two hadn’t seen him in almost ten years, so no, it didn’t work that way.

He accepted the money, though, because he wasn’t that evolved. He never claimed to be righteous, in any case. Apparently his father’s approach with Lily was different, though. He contacted her frequently, trying to beg her pardon for his sins. She was strong, and much more independent than Two had ever been. She never accepted his weak attempts at retribution. Their alienation from their father began far before he was actually well and truly out of their lives, and Two wouldn’t be there to mourn him at his funeral- whenever that day came.

There were countless times that Two needed a father, and even more times that he needed a mother. He sought guidance where he shouldn’t have, accepted poisonous affections from people that had no right to give it to him. There wasn’t any amount of monetary compensation that could make up for what had been taken from Two. His childhood, his innocence, couldn’t be bought. Of course, his savings would eventually run out, and his father would stop trying- or, die- and he’d have to figure something out. It wasn’t in his nature to use his ability of compulsion to slither through life, avoiding any sort of responsibility. This thing that he was was not a gift; he wouldn’t allow himself to find comfort in it, like other creatures of his species did.

A job wasn’t the matter pressing on him at the moment, though. For now, Ivy’s notebook had been hidden away. Not one of them set eyes on it, for fear of losing their own minds, too. Only Vessel knew where it was, and that was fine for the time being. They all knew they’d have to look at it at some point, if they were going to make any sense of the situation they had found themselves in. It could wait. Ivy was still recovering and Two was still afraid.

“How did you and Vessel meet? I can’t believe I never asked that before,” Two asked Ivy as they walked in a park near their house, the warm sun bathing their backs.

“I can imagine why you never asked before. I’d say we’ve all been a bit distracted, no?” Ivy said with a laugh, squeezing Two’s hand with his own.

“I’d say,” Two agreed, looking up at Ivy, drinking in his lover’s clear and contented gaze. “So?”

“So, Vess went to uni in Nottingham, and I was playing a show there. At The Bodega. Have you been there?”

“Nope,” Two replied, tugging Ivy off to a sun soaked patch of grass away from the sidewalk. They sat, and Ivy kept talking.

“I guess Vessel was a fan of the headliner- or, friends with them, really- and he ended up helping us pack up after the show, because you know him. Very polite,” Ivy giggled. “Anywho, he dropped a guitar case on my foot-”

“You’re joking, right?” Two interrupted, a laugh waiting in his throat for whenever Ivy confirmed the joke. He didn’t.

“No! I’m being serious. Broke my toe and everything! He was practically the only mother fucker there with a driver’s license that was sober, and he drove me to the hospital. Poor thing was so apologetic, I thought he was gonna cry on the drive there. To be fair, I was screaming like a cat that had its tail stepped on, probably freaked him out.”

“I can’t believe that, you have to be lying,” Two scoffed. It all sounded ridiculous to him, but it seemed fitting that Ivy and Vess would’ve met in this way. Of course it couldn’t be anything normal.

“I’m not lying! He stayed the whole time with me at the hospital, when none of my shitty bandmates showed up. He even had to meet my parents, which was hilarious. ‘Hi, I’m Vessel. I just met your son and broke his toe, how are you?’” Ivy mocked, unlacing his fingers with Two’s to gesture with his hands.

“And then what?” he asked, his fingers finding a tiny white flower in the grass that had its stem broken off. He tucked it behind Ivy’s ear as he spoke, smiling softly to himself.

“And then he got my number, and kept checking in on me afterwards, and we played video games together while I was limping around for a few weeks. I had to get surgery on the toe, chipped a tiny piece of my bone right off. Not cute.”

“Certainly not cute,” Two agreed, feeling all sickeningly sweet inside as he learned more of Ivy’s past.

“We grew close through mostly phone calls, because London was quite far from him. Though, he went quiet one day, and for days after that. I went to Nottingham once I had had enough of his silence. He was in a dark place,” Ivy explained, the laughter draining from his voice as he recalled that time in his life. “I brought him back to my parent’s house with me, and he stayed with us for some time. It wasn’t right for him to be alone, and my parents offered him care without question. Eventually, he and I moved out together, and that’s that.”

“That was very kind of you, and your parents, Ivy. He loves you so much, you know?” Two said, watching as two birds flew a loving dance through the trees.

“I know. I love him, too. And to think I only had to break a toe to know him.”

“Ehh, what’s one broken toe?” Two joked, grabbing Ivy’s hand and pressing a kiss to his palm. “I wish I had as exciting of a story as to how I met Three, but unfortunately he just annoyed the fuck out of me in year eleven until I befriended him. I didn’t have any friends, other than him.”

“No?”

“No. Through no fault but my own, I suppose. Three is not one to quit, and for some reason he was inclined to come round my house every weekend and talk while I said all but two words. It was the most special thing to me, as a teenager, but don’t tell him that.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” Ivy said, taking Two’s hand and giving him a palm kiss in return. “I would’ve been your friend, just so you know.”

“You wouldn’t have.”

“Oh, but I know it to be true. You’re like the tides, and I’m like the moon. That’s why you call me that, is it not?”

“Clever, Ivy,” Two remarked, momentarily wishing to be the sun, so he could touch Ivy all over, too. Two wondered if Ivy’s secret freckles would make more of an appearance after being drenched in sunlight for a while. “Do you want to go home?” he asked.

“No,” Ivy replied, moving to lay his back in the grass. Good, Two thought as he unabashedly tracked his gaze over his boyfriend’s relaxed form. It was nice to see him like this. More than nice. It was a rare, blessed gift- these peaceful moments. He would never rush the time spent just breathing each other’s air, sitting in a tiny bubble of comfort that was made only for them.

“I think you should meet my parents,” Ivy said, like it was a casual thing to suggest. Which, of course it was- they were dating. And it was far more serious than anything Two had ever experienced prior. Still, his heart began to race like he was being hunted.

“Oh?” he squeaked, then cleared his throat like an idiot.

“You don’t think so?” Ivy asked, and he sounded a bit saddened.

“No! No- I think that’s a great idea. I’m just… That’s very new to me. I’m worried I will fuck it up.”

“You won’t. And I understand. We don’t have to do that now, if you’d rather not. I just-” Ivy pushed up on his elbows, then, looking seriously at Two. It made his nerves worsen, like tiny sparks of lighting on his skin.

“You’re important to me. And I want them to know you.”

“Of course. Yes, of course. I want to know them, too,” Two said, forcing himself to calm down, if even by a little bit. He may have learned easiness with Ivy and Vessel, but he still was burdened by his lack of proper communication throughout his life- especially with parents. He was bound to screw it up, and doing anything that might upset Ivy made his stomach feel sick.

“Is that a yes then…?”

“Yes, it’s a yes. I won’t disappoint you,” Two agreed, and regretted the second part. Possibly the first part, too. He was stumbling through all sorts of firsts, with Ivy, and it was all difficult to navigate. But, the bright smile Ivy offered him was enough to make it worth it, in the end.

****
Three

The constant buzz of his tattoo gun was supposed to numb his mind, allowing him to work in perfect, focussed silence. Lately, it wasn’t having its usual effect. He still was sure to do his finest work for his clients, offering them something beautiful to be proud of. It always set his heart alight that he might have helped someone feel more comfortable in their own skin, or even just created a piece of art that made them smile from time to time. Right now, though, he wished they’d talk more so he wouldn’t have to be alone in his mind. Perhaps they couldn’t keep up with him.

It was becoming exhausting, tattooing for hours on end and listening to the same thoughts play over in his head, unable to reach that state of content he was used to while working. Of course, it made sense that he couldn’t keep his mind on track. He was not only something other than human, but being chased by a creature that could not be defined by linguistics or corporeality. And not to mention, the more he learned about his partner, the more questions he had. Questions that seemed as though they’d remain unanswered, because Vessel was as lost as Three was.

“Does Ivy seem like he’s doing okay?” Three asked, lucky enough that Vessel was his client today, and he didn’t have to worry about talking too much. Vessel had his moments, where he could meet Three tenfold in conversation, or he’d just listen. Either way was just fine.

“I think so. I mean, it was certainly his first time feeling the effect of Sleep- or, possibly not Sleep. I don’t fucking know. Regardless it had to have given him a shock. Two takes care of him well, though. Disgustingly cute, those two,” Vessel said, resting his head on his arm as he laid with his tummy down on the table. Finally, Three was able to work on his back, and he’d be sure not to disappoint.

“They are cute. Do you think it’ll work out?”

“Why wouldn’t it?” Vessel quipped, sounding a bit affronted.

“I’m not trying to say that it wouldn’t. Listen, you’ve known Ivy for a long time. You know that he’s a big ball of sunshine, and Two just… isn’t. I love him like no other, and I also know him like no one else does. I’ve seen him grow up, the way he reacts when things get scary. I don’t know- I want it to work out for them. I just hope Two worked through his shit enough to be ready for it, and isn’t kicking it to the side. It’ll only come back to bite him.”

“Well, careful there. You might be speaking it into existence,” Vessel muttered as Three pulled a long line of ink through his skin. Ah, he sat so good, it was like a dream. “I understand what you’re saying, though, I do. But, life hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Ivy, either- not that it’s my story to tell. He’s just learnt how to cope with it.”

“And I’m saying I don’t think Two has learned how to cope with it, I think in his attempt at not hiding, he’s actually… hiding. Fuck, do you think he’d be mad at me for saying this?”

“I absolutely think he’d be mad at you for saying that,” Vessel said with a gentle laugh, careful not to move too much.

“Fair enough,” Three mumbled. It wasn’t his relationship, anyway. Not to say he wouldn’t be there for Two if he needed it, but he wasn’t going to seek the conversation out. He had too much on his mind as it was, and Two and Ivy seemed to be doing well, if their public displays of affection had anything to show for it.

It was funny for Three, seeing Two all enamored. He’d use a lot of words to describe Two throughout their friendship, and enamored would’ve never made the cut. Sometimes he thought Ivy might’ve casted a spell on his beloved, stoic best friend- because he was certainly changed. The right person can do that to someone, Three supposed. Two had never had a partner, since before Three had met him and onwards. It wasn’t as though he was opposed to affection, he just wasn’t interested in the intimacy that came with it. Even if Three didn’t agree with the reasoning, he could understand it. Intimacy meant exposing yourself to someone, stripped bare in honesty- and Two always thought himself too broken to let anyone see the cracks. Until Ivy.

Three had always been Two’s opposite, in many ways. Relationships being one of those. He’d been in many, and loved to live in the circle of someone’s life for however long- even if just for a few weeks. Learning new people was his favorite thing, seeing the world through as many different lenses as he could. Though, none of them seemed to fit quite right. It didn’t break his heart, or make him cry, it just meant he wasn’t looking in the right place. He made peace with the people that he loved, until he didn’t love them anymore, and moved forward. He didn’t take it for granted, the people that he knew, the places they took him to. It was all important. And thus far, the lense beside him now, was the clearest one he had peered into- even if imperfect.

Perhaps imperfection was important, strife only made room for growth. If he never felt the drive to fight for something- someone- before, then it wasn’t worth the effort. It wasn’t right for him. Vessel took work- it wasn’t easy, fleeting moments of fun. It was passion, and fear. Safety, and confusion. With every answer that Vessel gave him, came another question, prolonging Three’s everlasting thirst to know him, even if there were so many blanks. To Three, this wasn’t about experiencing life through someone else, it was about experiencing it with someone else, navigating the dark with the light of four blue eyes. Three’s, like the subtle ripples of a sated lake. And Vessel’s, like the rough tides of the Atlantic, reflecting the depth of everything below.

Chapter Text

“Ivy, why don’t you have any tattoos?” Three asked from the couch opposite Two and Ivy. They were all gathered in the living room, watching Ivy’s favorite horror film. But Three seemed more keen on talking than actually tuning in. Two didn’t mind, he’d already seen the film at least four times since he’d met Ivy.

“I dunno. I guess I never really thought of anything I liked enough to put on my body forever,” Ivy said with a shrug.

“He’s scared of the pain,” Vessel suggested, earning a scoff from his friend.

“I am not!” Ivy yipped, continuing the lazy patterns he had been running down Two’s legs with his fingers. It made Two feel like he was going to jump out of his skin, because Ivy was overwhelming in all the best ways. Two considered what Vessel had said. Was Ivy afraid of pain? He didn’t have any piercings, and it was a bit strange that he didn’t have any tattoos. He seemed the type to have a few.

“Are you, though?” Two questioned. Ivy was sat between his legs, his back to Two as he brushed his skin gently.

“Am I what?” Ivy turned his head then, and his eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of their living room. Like the sun reflecting its glow off the moon, ever connected to its opposite. Suddenly, Two’s question had nothing to do with tattoos or piercings, and everything to do with something much more intimate.

“Afraid of the pain?” Two whispered, like the question was only for Ivy’s ears. Personal, and private. Ivy blinked at him, a bit of realization dawning on him as Two’s question sunk in. Two wanted to giggle at Ivy’s softly parted lips, his nervous gaze.

“No, I’m not afraid,” he said back, his voice pitched low like Two’s. Like a secret passed between them. Two couldn’t help himself, he winked at his lover, grinning widely.

“Flirt,” Ivy huffed, turning back around to direct his attention onto the movie, but his fingers didn’t stop their perusal. Each press of his fingertips was like a brand, tiny heated sparks erupting across Two’s skin. Fucking Spongebob could’ve been on the television for all Two cared, he wasn’t watching. He was locked onto Ivy’s hand, how he started his touch at Two’s knee, sliding all the way down his shin, and back up again. Over and over, until he was reaching back further, the pads of his fingers meeting the cut off of Two’s sweat shorts and ducking beneath- only to drag all the way back down. He had to know what he was doing, right?

Ivy scooted backwards, nudging Two’s legs further apart, cementing their bodies closer together. Two was leaning back against the armrest, and he briefly considered throwing himself off of it, if only to be set free from Ivy’s sensual torture.

“Are you comfortable sitting like that?” Two asked, his voice coming off a lot more rough than he had intended. He was only being caring, of course. Ivy had been sitting straight up for half the movie at this point, sideways on the couch so he could face the television.

“Very,” Ivy answered without even turning around, squeezing his long fingers around Two’s ankle for a moment.

“If you ever want anything, I’d be happy to do it for you,” Three said, even though the tattoo conversation had long passed. Two was glad of it, maybe it’d distract Ivy enough to get him to stop turning Two into a ball of aroused flames.

“Yeah, I think that’d be fun. Can I see what you’ve done on Vessel’s back?” Ivy asked, scratching his fingernails down Two’s calf. Heathen.

Vessel obliged, standing and turning his back to Ivy. He pulled his shirt up over his shoulders, displaying the unfinished ink there, cast aglow from the light of the television. It was the linework of a wolf, posed defensively. Its head stopped right below Vessel’s scar, its teeth bared in a show of strength.

“Oh wow,” Ivy whispered, and Two hoped he wouldn’t stand to see it closeup. After all, his body responded in any way a body would when aroused, and he didn’t need the whole world to know.

“It’s very beautiful,” Two commented.

“Thank you!” Vessel and Three said at the same time, making Ivy giggle.

“Two, why is your face all red?” Vessel asked as he sat back down on the couch. Curse his friend’s heightened eyesight. And his own easy blush.

“It’s hot in here,” Two said, and he felt Ivy’s body shake against him with silent laughter.

“It’s really not,” Three corrected. Wingman of the fucking century.

“I would ask you if you’re sick, but I suppose you can’t be,” Vessel continued, and when Two looked over at him, he was wearing a humorous smile. It seemed Three and Vessel would bid him respite, because they turned their focus back to the film, allowing Two to melt in private.

Ivy’s fingers traveled back to Two’s shorts, touching the skin just beneath the bottom hem, then further up until his palm was flat against his thigh, hidden beneath Two’s pants.

Two squeezed Ivy’s sides with his legs, moving until his mouth was right beside his ear. “You’re being cruel,” Two whispered, so quietly, and Ivy went still.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I do something?” Ivy teased, squeezing the flesh of Two’s thigh, before moving back down his leg for hopefully the final time. Two stayed where he was, sitting up with his front almost touching Ivy’s back, his face beside Ivy’s. He found the bottom hem of Ivy’s shirt, and slid his hand up beneath it, passing his fingers over each rise and fall of his anatomy. He could feel the flex of his muscles as he breathed, the way his skin pulled taut across his rib cage. Moving up, he traced the rough skin of his scar, the world around them entirely lost.

Two knew Ivy was no longer watching the movie, either, as he pushed another hand under his shirt and dragged his touch around him, until his palms were flat on Ivy’s stomach. He let his thumb slide over the soft hair on his navel, gentle and teasing. Ivy cleared his throat, turning his head around and almost bumping Two’s face in the process. It took his intense glare for Two to realize he’d stopped tracing his fingers down his leg, and now was only grabbing his shin.

“I’m sorry, did I do something?” Two mocked, and earned incredulous wide eyes from his boyfriend.

“What are you guys whispering about over there?” Three whined. “Don’t leave me out of the gossip.”

“It’s not gossip,” Two said, circling his arms around Ivy’s middle and swiftly lifting him from the couch. “Fuck your movie,” he said, placing Ivy on his feet and taking his hand, dragging him out of the room.

The stairs were much too far for Two’s liking, and the hall bathroom was right there. He opened the door, pulling his lover inside behind him, and Ivy was on him. He was kissing him desperately, like a fiendish thing, and it took a moment for Two to catch up. He did, though. He met Ivy tenfold, pressing him against the door, his hand blindly finding the lock on the handle and clicking it into place.

“If you wanted this, you could’ve just said so,” Two said breathlessly against Ivy’s lips, his hands landing on his waist and squeezing.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Ivy retorted. He was like an animal, leaning down to claim Two’s mouth with his own, pulling him into a downward spiral of lust. Two wanted skin on skin, he was sick of touching through clothes. He twisted his fingers into the bottom of Ivy’s shirt, helping him pull it off before Ivy hurriedly did the same for Two.

“You know, you didn’t have to lock the door. Three and Vessel know what we’re doing,” Ivy whispered, using the hands he had pressed to either side of Two’s face to halt their kisses.

“I suppose you’re right,” Two said, chuckling a bit. Ivy smiled down at him, and Two was briefly stunned by the happiness he saw in his gaze. He still hadn’t gotten used to it- the way Ivy seemed to want him, just as much as Two did. It didn’t make sense to him before, and it still didn’t. But he’d be stupid to question it.

“Pretty,” Two hummed, pushing his fingers into the flesh at Ivy’s waist. “Like the moon.” The fog of lust pulled back like a low tide, just for a moment. Just long enough for Two to revel in what he had found, what he’d always been searching for- even if he didn’t know it.

“And you, pretty like the sun,” Ivy whispered. “Now kiss me, please,” he said, and Two had no issue obliging. He pushed up on his tiptoes, even if Ivy wasn’t that much taller than him, he still had his persistent need to be closer. Ivy’s strong arms circled his waist, lifting him gently as he licked into his mouth, humming his beautifully soft sounds of pleasure.

It didn’t take long before his tides were pulled higher, and he was battling to keep his pent up arousal at bay. He’d allow Ivy to take the lead, since he was perfectly content with just kissing- and also fully up to not just kissing. None of it mattered, really, not when Ivy’s warm, naked skin was pressed to his own and it made him feel alive.

Ivy made up his mind, it seemed, and was tugging on Two’s waistband. “Go on, sweet creature,” Two mumbled, and Ivy slid his hands back up for a moment, scratching his fingers against Two’s scalp. He moved down again, tugging on the neatly tied bow that held Two’s pants up- but, not really, they sat low on his hips regardless.

“Just so you know,” Two began, as Ivy nudged him backwards so he could pull his pants off. “You’ve been teasing me for the better half of that entire movie, so if I cum the second you put your hands on me- that’s your fault.”

“I was not,” Ivy lied, and Two caught his little smirk before he was pulling him fully against himself, his erection pressed to Ivy’s thigh. “I was only petting your leg.”

“Yeah, and wiggling against my dick,” Two chastised, though it was only playful. Ivy didn’t respond, he only chuckled before connecting their mouths again, kissing him like he was drowning, and Two’s lips were the surface of water.

Two couldn’t help the moan that left him as Ivy lifted his leg, just barely, creating friction between their bodies. Two rolled his hips, desperate for more now that it was being supplied.

“You’re needy,” Ivy whispered, though he was setting his hands to Two’s hips, guiding him in his movements.

“And you’re mean-spirited,” Two said, his voice breathy and rough. Two was big on control, and was used to being the dominant one in sexual situations. But something about this- something about the way Ivy was speaking to him- pushed him into a state where all he wanted to do was let go of it all. The feeling was strange, though not unwelcome. He knew Ivy’s hands to be the safest ones that ever touched him, so he didn’t doubt that if he did let his control slip, that Ivy would take care of him. He’d have his time to take Ivy in the reverse sense, it just wasn’t what he needed right now.

“Can you- Uh, can you-” he stammered, not sure how to communicate his needs effectively.

“Can I what, love?”

“I don’t want to be in control,” he whispered nervously. “I just- I want you to do whatever you want… to me.” It sounded foreign coming from his own mouth, he’d never spoken like that before. And the way Ivy’s eyes widened for a moment made him want to run away. He sobered his gaze, almost instantly, and kissed Two once before responding.

“I can do that,” he said. “If that’s what you want?”

“Yes, it is. Please, it’s what I want.” His tone was whiny, bordering on begging, though he knew he didn’t have to beg.

“You don’t have to say please. But, I like the way it sounds,” Ivy hummed. Though they hadn’t had many encounters like this before, it was still interesting to hear Ivy speak to him like that. It was certainly a newfound enjoyment of his, and a realization that things didn’t always have to be black and white. It could be push and pull, instead- an affirmation that they could both get what they wanted, in any way they wanted it.

Ivy tugged on Two’s hips then, forcing him to create more friction against his leg. “Can you say it again?”

“Please,” Two whined, falling free of his nervous apprehension to submit to Ivy. His lover continued guiding his movements, until he was letting go and Two was doing it all on his own, seeking his own pleasure.

“Good,” Ivy whispered, taking Two’s chin in his hand and tipping his head back to claim his mouth again.

“Ah- Ivy, can you touch me?” Two asked, growing tired of his restless rutting against Ivy’s leg. It felt good, but Ivy’s hand felt better. Ivy didn’t respond, though, he just kept slotting his mouth to Two’s, sliding their tongues together messily. It took a while for Two to understand.

“Please,” he urged, and felt Ivy smile against his mouth.

“There you go,” Ivy praised, sliding his hand between their bodies and taking Two’s cock into his grasp. Now that he was allowing himself to push into his submissive state, he didn’t hold back his sounds like he usually would. He gave it all to Ivy, relinquishing everything he had grown used to keeping locked up, for reasons that were too much to ruminate on right now.

“There’s um-” he whimpered through a moan he couldn’t stop, taking Ivy’s lip between his teeth for a moment. “There’s lube in the drawer, I bet.”

“Why would it be there?” Ivy asked with a laugh, but detached himself from Two to look, anyway.

“Because Vessel and Three live here,” Two supplied, feeling like he needed to lean against the wall as his heart thumped wildly. Ivy found what he was looking for, and squeezed some into his hand before placing the tube on the countertop. Two expected him to return to his earlier position, but it seemed he had different ideas. He moved behind Two, settling against the wall opposite the mirror, and pulled Two backwards until he was flush against him, staring at his own starkly naked reflection.

“Oh,” Two sighed out, but didn’t have much time to think the position over, before Ivy was wrapping his slicked fingers around him, making him fall into oblivion yet again. He was looking down, watching as Ivy’s hand moved, placing his own hand over the one Ivy had pressed to his stomach. It was a perfect, all encompassing embrace. Entirely vulnerable, and yet he wasn’t afraid.

“Look,” Ivy told him, and he listened, lifting his head to watch what they were doing in the mirror. He met his own gaze, his half lidded blue eyes, his kiss swollen lips, his hair that was beginning to look sweat slicked. He traveled down, to the rapid rise and fall of his chest, to where his and Ivy’s hands were pressed to his flexed stomach muscles, and finally to the source of his soul consuming pleasure. Ivy was practiced, and perfect, touching Two in a way that had him wondering if maybe benevolent Gods did exist- and Ivy was one of them.

“Do you like it?” Ivy asked.

“Like what?” Two mumbled, dragging his eyes up until he was meeting Ivy’s intense stare in the mirror.

“Me taking control?”

“Mhm,” he hummed, nodding his head as he bit into his bottom lip with his teeth. His own blood didn’t taste the same when it wasn’t on Ivy’s tongue.

“I wasn’t sure if you would,” Ivy whispered, quickening his strokes, forcing Two’s legs to shake against the effort to hold himself up.

“It’s so good,” Two said, his words slurring all together until he wasn’t sure if he actually said any words, at all. Ivy laughed gently, though, so he must’ve understood. He wasn’t used to being the one dazed and fucked out, even when Ivy had gotten him off before- it wasn’t like this. Nothing had ever been like this.

The weight of his own body started to become too much, and he was leaning fully back against Ivy, who was almost entirely holding him up with one arm now circled around his waist. Two held a tight grip on his forearm, unable to even thrust into Ivy’s fist as his pleasure built rapidly.

“Baby, you gotta stand up,” Ivy said gently, chuckling at Two as he melted into Ivy’s body, moaning repeatedly.

“Fuck it, let me fall on the floor,” Two said, forcing his eyes to remain open so he could watch Ivy’s hand on his cock. It added a whole new level of ecstasy, viewing it all in this way. He felt Ivy press his mouth to his shoulder, and looked up at their reflection to find him staring down at his own dutiful hand. He dug his teeth into Two’s shoulder, dragging forth a little squeak of surprise. It wasn’t a real bite, but it stung in a way that had Two wishing for more. Now wasn’t the time, though.

“I don’t even have to tell you to let go, you’ve done it all on your own,” Ivy said, his lips brushing Two’s skin as he spoke. It felt like fire, trailing down and sending shivers down his spinal cord. “I’m so proud of you,” Ivy told him, twisting his hand at just the right moment, making Two feel like there wasn't anything he could do but fall to the floor. He didn’t think anyone had ever spoken those words to him before, and the feeling swelled inside of his chest, making it ever harder for him to breathe.

“Thank you,” Two whispered, though he wasn’t really sure why he said it. It just felt right. He tilted his head back against Ivy’s shoulder, and his lover stood up fully to kiss him. “Thank you,” he mumbled again through the kiss, and probably a few more times. He didn’t know what he was saying at this point, Ivy’s hand was moving fast and heat was building low in his stomach.

“Stand up for me,” Ivy urged, disconnecting their mouths. Two did his best, though he knew he was seconds away from falling off the edge. He stood on his own, no longer leaning against Ivy.

“I’m going to do something, but if you don’t like it- if you feel trapped- then tell me, okay?” Ivy asked gently.

“Okay,” Two agreed. He knew whatever Ivy was going to do wasn’t going to be that wild, it was only a precaution to ensure he didn’t overstep any boundaries. He stepped forward, forcing Two to move forward with him and placed a hand on his back.

“Put your hands on the counter,” he instructed, and Two listened. Ivy bent him over, leaning down across his back, placing his free hand over Two’s hand that gripped the countertop. Two arched his back against the weight of Ivy settling atop him, and looked down at the floor. “You okay?”

“Yes, moon,” Two whispered, and Ivy picked up his pace, turning Two into liquid heat beneath him. “I’m-” the words caught in his throat. Ivy’s lap was pressed to Two’s ass, and it caused a desperate, confusing feeling to consume him. He wanted more, he wanted to feel Ivy inside of him, fucking him beyond the blissed out state he was already in. It was hunger more than anything he’d known, more than how he longed to bury his teeth in flesh, more than instincts as a whole. Two realized, as Ivy forced his hips to move against him, that he was starving. Not for blood, not the starvation he was used to. Something else, entirely.

“Ivy-” he whined out, squeezing his eyes shut. He lost his ability to string together sentences as Ivy held him in this tight embrace, and stroked him with his perfect hand, hitting every single nerve in Two’s body with each movement.

“I know,” Ivy said, before setting his sharp teeth to Two’s shoulder again, biting him roughly. And Two came to the gravelly sound of his voice, to the feel of his boyfriend’s weight against his back, his teeth breaking his skin. He opened his eyes, watching his cum drip off of Ivy’s fingers to the floor, his huffing breaths filling the room.

“Oh god,” he whimpered, and he was looking up at the mirror, at the sight of Ivy’s smug face, and his own glazed over eyes. “Fucking christ.”

“God, you’re so hot,” Ivy whispered, dragging his tongue across the tiny wound he created on Two’s shoulder, lapping up his blood. He slid his hand down Two’s length once more, and Two let out a tiny squeal from the oversensitivity, moving his hips backwards against Ivy’s lap- it was an attempt to be away from his hand, but only caused Ivy’s clothed erection to press against his ass. He couldn’t win.

“Don’t get used to me being a little bitch for you,” Two muttered as Ivy finally removed his weight from his back. Two stood up fully, with his hands still pressed to the counter top. He hoped he could play it off as casual, when in reality he thought he’d hit the floor if he let go.

“Ah, but you’re so good at it,” Ivy hummed as Two watched him in the mirror. He backed up to lean against the wall, tracking his gaze all over Two’s form from behind.

Two let go of the counter, turning around to go into Ivy’s arms. Or, more so, stumbled into Ivy’s arms.

“I didn’t even fuck you and you can’t walk straight,” Ivy commented, earning a glare from Two.

“Bitch,” Two mumbled, and Ivy let out a sweet laugh that twinkled like bells in Two’s ears. Ivy held him for some time, absorbing the trembles that still coursed through his muscles from the aftershock and pressing gentle kisses to the top of his head.

Eventually, they separated, and Ivy helped Two pull his clothes back on after they cleaned themselves up. Two then looked up at him, opening his mouth to speak as Ivy tied up the strings on his sweatshorts.

“Before you say sorry,” Ivy interrupted, staring down at him with serious blue eyes. “I don’t expect you to get me off every time I do it for you, and vice versa. Okay?”

“Okay,” Two nodded, gnawing on his bottom lip that still tasted faintly of blood. He wondered how Ivy knew where his mind had gone. Though, now that they both were of the same species, Ivy knew how overwhelming everything could feel with their heightened senses. Especially when they were still learning each other. So he didn’t say sorry, he just pushed up on his toes and gave Ivy the sweetest, most loving kiss he could muster. That also served as a promise for more, for both of them to reach ecstasy together- at some point.

Two unlocked the door, and stepped out into reality. He heard Vessel and Three’s voices from down the hall and when he and Ivy walked into view, they went quiet.

“Did you have fun?” Three asked, wiggling his brows in mischief. And Two shrieked, he couldn’t have stopped the sound if he tried.

“No!” he said, like Three was his parent- and this was mortifying. He grabbed Ivy’s hand and pulled him up the stairs to their bedroom, his lover cracking up laughing the whole way- even as Two collapsed in bed and shoved his burning hot face into the pillows.

Chapter Text

“Should I take my piercings out?” Two asked, staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror as Ivy shaved what little stubble he had on his face.

“No! My parents aren’t freaks. Actually, funny you mention that. I got you something,” Ivy said before splashing water on his face to clean off the leftover shaving gel. He departed the bathroom, leaving Two to stand and look at his own appearance. He fiddled with the gauges in his ears, tried to smooth down his mess of blonde hair.

“Here!” Ivy said excitedly as he returned, pressing a little black box into Two’s waiting hands. He opened the box, finding a tiny silver chain. He didn’t want to make Ivy feel affronted, but he didn’t know what it was for.

“Err-” he began, picking up the chain between his finger tips.

“It’s for your nose piercings,” Ivy explained, smiling gently as Two examined it. “I thought it’d look cute on you.”

“Cute?” Two smirked before turning to face the mirror and somehow attach the tiny chain to his piercings with his not so tiny fingers.

“Okay- I thought it’d look sexy, but I wasn’t going to say that when we are about to go to my parents house,” Ivy said through a laugh.

“Thank you, lovey,” Two whispered, stepping back to look at the chain laying right above the tip of his nose. It did look nice, and it was so sweet.

“Ah, perfect,” Ivy told him as Two turned to face him. He pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, and then mumbled something about how they needed to leave soon. Two wished they didn’t have to, he wished they could just stay here in the comfort of their home.

Two wouldn't tell his sweet, adoring boyfriend how much he was dreading this. He wouldn’t bring down the smile on his face, ever, if he could ensure that. He had spent too long fighting against his cold nature, to screw it up by giving Ivy his bitterness. It wasn’t worth it. Ivy had taught him that there was growth in discomfort, that there was something beyond the peaks if only he tried a little bit harder to crest them. This was uncomfortable, and made him nervous, but the outcome would be redeeming- or at least he hoped so.

Vessel didn’t mind Two borrowing his car, anymore. So long as he didn’t steal it. Or wreck it. Two drove, with the music turned down low, just listening to Ivy talk.

“I guess I never really came out to them, I just brought a guy home one day when I was eighteen, introduced him as my boyfriend and that was that. I know I’m very lucky that they’re accepting people,” Ivy said. Two couldn’t compare his own situation to Ivy’s, so he didn’t.

“You are very lucky. I’m glad you felt safe enough to
do that,” Two told him, glancing sidelong at him. Ivy spoke the rest of the car ride, placing Two into a comforting trance with the soft rumble of his words. As they pulled into the driveway, though, reality was washing over him.

“Is it too late to tell you I’m nervous?” Two asked, following Ivy up to the front door. He remembered the last time he had been here, when he had come to the realization that Ivy’s magnetism wasn’t one he could ever break free of- not that he’d want to.

“You’re allowed to be nervous. Hey, maybe they’re nervous, too. I dunno,” Ivy shrugged, and Two wanted to run back to the car.

“Doubt that,” he whispered, and Ivy was opening the door. He led him to the kitchen, Two’s heart racing like he was being hunted.

“Hello!” Ivy’s mum said brightly, pulling Ivy in for a tight hug. She was covered in freckles, much more noticeable than Ivy’s faint ones. She offered her hand to him, and he was glad she didn’t try to hug him.

“Hi, Two, nice to meet you,” she said, blinking kind green eyes at him. He could tell his name felt strange in her mouth, but she didn’t comment on it. He shook her hand and returned the sentiment, smiling gently at her.

Fuck, he didn’t know what to do with himself. Where did he put his hands? Was he standing weird? Was he supposed to tell her that her home was nice? Or that her son was the most beautiful creature in the world? No, probably not that one. That’d be strange.

Ivy seemed to notice Two’s awkwardness. He took his hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing. “Where’s dad?” he asked, pulling Two over to the countertop, so he could lean against it and stop standing like a beanpole.

“Work,” his mum grumbled. “He’ll be here shortly and we can eat. Two, I hope you like chicken curry. It’s Ivy’s favorite.” Two knew that, he had made it for him multiple times.

“Yes, that’s perfect, Mrs-”

“You can call me Sara,” she interrupted, and Two only nodded. Ivy jumped into conversation with his mum, letting Two feel out his anxiety until he opted to join in. Even though the thought was partly mortifying, he hoped Ivy had told his parents of his… social issues. He didn’t want to seem rude, or bored. He was just simply lost.

“Two likes to cook,” Ivy said, and Sara’s green eyes were on him. She seemed so kind, and gentle like Ivy. Of course she would be the one to raise such a lover boy.

“Do you?” Sara asked, interest in her tone.

“Yeah. I learned when I was young.” Though, it was out of necessity to care for his sister. He didn’t say that. “A lot of it is from YouTube tutorials though,” he said with a small laugh.

“Hey! No shame on that. I do the same thing. I think some people have a knack for creating things in their mind, knowing exactly how much of each ingredient to put when. Not me, I’m just good at following instructions,” she said, and Two was relaxing into the familiar conversation. Topics that he understood.

“Me too. Without someone else’s recipe I think I’d be serving Ivy dog food on a plate,” Two joked, making Ivy and his mum chuckle. He heard the front door open and close, and Ivy’s dad was joining them in the kitchen. Two reacted first, offering him his hand. They exchanged the usual sentiments, and Two found that his dad was kind, too. Of course he was.

They moved to the dining room, and Two ate in his usual silence. The way that they didn’t urge him to speak too much told him that Ivy did in fact inform them of his anxieties. He just listened as they spoke, catching up with each other’s lives.

“Oh, Ivy, while you’re here I have some boxes I want you to go through. Your father has been on a cleaning rampage and he wants to know what he can get rid of,” Sara said.

“Mmkay. What kind of stuff?”

“I don’t know. Looked like your old trophies and some clothes.”

“Trophies for what?” Two asked, then felt like a scared mouse in a trap when they all turned their eyes on him.

“Jui jitsu,” Ivy offered, and Two blinked at him.

“Huh? You did jui jitsu?”

“Yeah,” Ivy smiled. Smug little thing.

“And you didn’t tell me?” Two questioned. He was incredibly interested, so much so that he forgot about how nervous he was for a few moments.

“You didn’t tell me about your band, Two,” Ivy hissed playfully.

“Ivy is too humble. He was very good, and I wish that he hadn’t retired from it,” Sara chastised, pinning Ivy with a mock disappointed look.

“Yeah and I’m sure you had so much fun chauffeuring me around to tournaments, mum.”

“Hey, if I remember correctly, that was mostly me,” his dad interrupted, and all three of them laughed. Two just looked between them, feeling like he was sticking out like a sore thumb. This, most of all, was what he had been dreading. The talk of childhood, the reminder that he didn’t get to have one.

“Did you play any sports when you were younger?” Sara asked as Two found Ivy’s hand underneath the table.

“Oh, no. Wasn’t my thing,” Two explained, curling his fingers into Ivy’s.

“Well I’m sure your parents were glad to not have to cart you around,” Ivy’s dad said with a laugh, and Two watched, like it happened in slow motion, as Ivy pinned his dad with a stare, shaking his head imperceptibly.

“Robert-” Sara began, and Two realized he couldn’t do this. He couldn’t sit at the dinner table and eat like regular families did. It was innocent. A simple, normal joke. Though, the way everyone reacted was anything but simple, or normal.

“Oh, Two, apologies. I forgot,” Robert attempted, and it only made Two feel like he was going to throw up, all over Sara’s nice table runner.

“No- Um it’s fine,” he mumbled. He noticed that he was clawing at Ivy’s hand, and that the room was suddenly far too warm. Why were they all looking at him like he was fragile? Like he was crystal, and they could see right through him. “Actually, sorry. I’ll be right back. Sorry,” he said, releasing Ivy’s hand and pushing away from the table, fleeing like a child.

The problem was, he didn’t really know where to go. But, he remembered where Ivy’s bedroom was, so his shaky legs carried him there. He went in, collapsing against the door as he shut it behind him. All of Ivy’s posters and set lists watched on as panic consumed him. Discomfort emerged in the feel of tiny bugs crawling across his skin. He really didn’t want to throw up on Ivy’s carpet, so he swallowed roughly, setting his hands to his stomach in an attempt to push down on the nausea.

The thought that they were all sitting there, at the table, in the aftermath of his departure only made it worse. Many times, Two wished that he was normal, that he was like other people. Like Ivy, or his mum. But, this time was worse than most others. He was twenty eight years old, crying on the floor of his boyfriend’s childhood bedroom. It made him want to laugh, the obscenity of it all.

He pressed his hand to his mouth, muffling his sounds of pathetic anguish as he drew his knees up to his chest. Two knew, intimately, what it felt like to be in a room full of people and still feel so desperately alone. And he’d spent a long time running from the feeling, ignoring how horribly he had been fucked up. He expected for this meeting to be uncomfortable, entirely foreign. What he didn’t expect was for all of it to snap some chord inside of him and plunge him into the depths of a past life. Or, into the depths of a life that he yearned for, since he was small.

Two could hear Ivy approaching from outside the door, he had easily become familiar with the sound of his lover’s steps. He took deep, shuddering breaths through his nose, trying to calm himself down. He didn’t want to be seen like this, a tiny ball on the floor, crying all because of some silly joke. Though it wasn’t the joke that upset him, really.

All of his sad attempts at piecing himself together before Ivy opened the door shattered the moment it happened. Ivy opened the door, and his waves crashed and broke. There wasn’t a lungful of air to take, like all of the oxygen had been sucked from the room. He made a quiet, broken noise as Ivy went to the floor and pulled him into his arms.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Ivy repeated, holding Two so tightly. His gentleness made Two cry harder, an outpouring of every rotted, diseased part of him. He knew Ivy’s parents could probably hear his fractured sobs, his gulping breaths of air, but there wasn’t a force in the world that could stop it from coming out.

“Two- Two, I need you to look at me,” Ivy urged, petting his hands up and down Two’s shaking back. “Look at me, love.”

Two was tethered to Ivy’s voice like an anchor to a vessel, it was the only thing he could understand. He lifted his head, his face soaked with tears as he stared into twin blue moon eyes. “I can’t- I feel like I can’t breathe,” Two gasped out, dragging his hands down his own throat and chest, like it would somehow free him of the fire that was consuming his lungs.

“Here,” Ivy said, taking Two’s hands and setting them to either side of him, to his softly expanding rib cage. “Breathe with me,” he whispered, so calm, so gentle. Two curled his fingertips into Ivy’s shirt, closing his eyes as he tried to match the pattern of his breaths, choking on small whimpers that couldn’t be held back.

“You’re okay. You’re here, and you’re breathing. I’m here, and I’m not going to let you fall, okay?” Ivy said, and it sounded like everything he had ever wanted to hear. Like everything his child self needed to be told. Two was always there to calm Lily’s panic, but no one had ever done the same for him. How many nights had he spent, alone in his bedroom, gasping for air- wishing that someone was there to stop him from falling?

“I’m sorry,” Two whimpered, hiccuping through his faulty attempt at following Ivy’s breathing.

“No, there’s nothing to be sorry for, Two. Just breathe.” Ivy took a deep, slow breath in then, and Two followed it, as best he could. He let it out, hissing through his teeth for as long as it took for Ivy’s diaphragm to relax. They went on like this for some time, until Two was quiet and his tears stopped falling.

“Two,” Ivy began, his voice barely a whisper. Two opened his eyes, peering at Ivy’s serious gaze. “I know I can’t take away what happened to you, I can’t fix it. But, I also know that I’m here now, and I won’t leave you alone. You don’t have to shoulder the weight by yourself, let me have some of it. Let me help you.”

Without words, Two obliged. He offered Ivy his weight, his years of loathing, and accepted the gentleness pushed into his unworthy hands. He let Ivy soak into him, like a river of serenity, a constant flow of peace.

Eventually, the two of them departed Ivy’s room, and Two didn’t have the energy to feel embarrassed as they went to Sara. She didn’t say a word about his outburst, or his puffy, bloodshot eyes. She only pushed a warm mug of tea into his hands, and they talked. The three of them, like a family. Two spoke of things that made him happy, of comforting, safe memories. Like Three, and the day he adopted his sweet cat. He listened, and spoke, for a long time. Until his breaths were clear, and his mind was far from panic. Until Sara went off to bed, and Two was laying his head in Ivy’s lap on the couch, dozing off to the feel of gentle fingers in his hair.

Chapter Text

When Two was a child, he was a superstitious thing. Learned behavior from too many alien movies, likely. Even to this day, his foggy memory painted pictures of him crawling into bed with his mother at night, afraid he was going to be abducted right from his twin bed. She might’ve kissed his forehead and told him not to worry, or shushed him and carried him right back to his own bedroom. He couldn’t remember.

Something had always stuck, though. His mother had a doll, from her own childhood. A little porcelain freak show, if Two could be so honest. It scared him, like many things did. Though, he didn’t think this fear was borne of childish ignorance. It felt inhabited, like its tiny glass eyes watched him as he tiptoed through his mother’s bedroom. Before she passed, it was all blurry- just flashes of his mum in her bed, and her doll sat on the shelf by the closet. After she was gone, though, he only grew more afraid.

His father never moved the wretched thing from that shelf, and every time he went to weep into his mother’s empty side of the bed, the doll watched him. When he grew older, more aware of the world around him, he still couldn’t shake it. He learned that aliens would not come into his home and take him, he learned that there were no monsters under his bed- and still the doll’s gaze dotted his skin with goosebumps.

When he was sixteen, and Three was round one night, he told him of the doll. Of its horrible gaze from atop the shelf. Three told him he was silly, and suggested he just move it, so it would no longer haunt the room that stayed perfectly the same after his mum was long gone. In the end, he couldn’t do it. He’d stare into its tiny fragile face, and turn to leave it as it was. As it always had been. It was a fear he could not conquer.

And now, more than ten years later, he was feeling his same childish fear poking at his skin, forcing hands against his throat. The notebook was a simple thing. Inanimate, of course. And yet it felt inhabited, like his mother’s doll. Like it had eyes, too, and was watching him, waiting for him to lose in the war of curiosity. He was sure the doll was in its place, still watching. Still waiting, because he never could bring himself to touch it. But, that was then, and this was now. At some point, his cowardice had to be set free, kept forever tethered to his childhood home. He had to cut the ropes loose from his ankles, he had to lose the war.

The notebook sat closed on the kitchen counter, and his three companions stared at it in unnerving silence. Vessel had decided it was time, after they all took some days to recover their minds.

Ivy gnawed on his bottom lip, and Three looked warily between all of them. Vessel just stared down at the book, like it was an answer to everything he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“What if we set it on fire?” Three suggested.

“What is your obsession with setting things on fire?” Ivy quipped, anger in his tone. Two knew he wasn’t angry at Three, it was the apprehension eating away at him.

“I dunno. Seemed like a good idea,” Three mumbled, shrugging his shoulders.

“We can’t burn it, we need to know what it says,” Vessel whispered, his voice calm in the face of uncertainty, as it always was. Two remembered Three’s summary of the events that unfolded when he was under Sleep’s grip. How He insisted that they all belonged to Vessel. Perhaps, He was right, but not in the sense that Vessel was their captor. He was their anchor, settling their minds without even having to speak. It was just him.

“Well, go on with it then,” Two urged, even as his hands trembled at his sides. He didn’t have a mother to run back to, only a haunting path forward.

Vessel set his hands to the notebook, like it was something holy- like it was something that should not be disrespected. He pushed his finger between the cover and the first page, but halted before continuing.

“Ivy, are you okay?” he asked, looking over at where Ivy stood at Two’s side. Two could feel the waves of uneasiness lapping inside of his lover, and he wished he wasn’t so powerless against it.

“Yep,” Ivy squeaked.

“You don’t have to be here for this, you know?” Two assured, blinking his saddened eyes at the side of Ivy’s face, because he wasn’t turning to look.

“I know that. I’m choosing to be here,” he said, and Two went a little stiff at his tone. It was bordering on bitter, but Two just had to remind himself that it was the fear talking, not Ivy. “Just open it.”

Upon permission, Vessel flipped open the cover, and had to sift through pages of handwritten guitar chords and lesson notes until he was met with the haphazard scrawl of harsh black ink. Below each rune, was the letter that coincided, strung together in words and sentences.

Vessel began to read aloud, his strong voice clear as he spoke.

“And throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

No one said a word as he flipped the page to another set of runes and letters. The silence was like glass trembling against the force of an earthquake, threatening to shatter when the seismic shifts became too much.

“Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” Vessel whispered, his voice beginning to lose its constant rhythm of calmness. If Vessel was their anchor, then everything else was tidal waves, vicious troughs, threatening to submerge them all. Two knew that one day the waves would break and pull back from the sand, leaving him in the wake of it all.

“They’re bible verses,” Three said, his words sending prickles of icy awareness down Two’s back.

“Close it,” Ivy said suddenly, panic in his tone. Vessel did as he was commanded, shutting the notebook and pushing it back away from his body, like it had the ability to cause him physical harm.

“What the fuck?” Two hissed. Those were the only words he could bring to the surface, and each one grated against his dry throat.

“The devil and his angels,” Vessel repeated, his lost gaze trained to the omen on the countertop.

“He said you clipped your wings, you fell so far,” Ivy whispered. Two couldn’t remember that, so it must’ve been his own mouth that spoke those words, though it wasn’t his voice.

“I think it’s setting a path,” Vessel said, looking up at Two. Two felt captivated, swimming in the blue-green waters of Vessel’s eyes, and all the pain that they held.

“What does that mean?” Three questioned, but Vessel only stared at Two for long, drawn out moments. Moments that they’d never get back, revelation that they’d never get to hide from.

“It’s telling us where to go,” Two said, and Vessel nodded at him. It was hardly a perceptible movement, but it was there.

“And where is that?” Ivy asked, his voice sounding miles away, even if he was only a foot to Two’s left.

“Hell.” Vessel’s voice was clear as he said it, dripping in horrid, immovable resolve.

“What the fuck are you talking about? How do you know that’s even a real place? Let alone a place you can get to. How do you suggest that we go to hell, Vessel?” Three ranted, looking between Two and Vessel like they were absolutely out of their minds. Which, of course they were.

“We die,” Two said, and there was Vessel’s nod again, his affirmation that Two was on the right track. Of course, Two didn’t know what that meant, or how to achieve it. It was like the words were pulled from within him, like some other version of himself knew more than his current mind did.

“You two-” Three began, pointing one long finger between the both of them. “-are fucking insane. I want absolutely nothing to do with whatever you’re on about. I have never wanted anything to do with this. You’re both fucked up. And you know what?” He whirled on Ivy, then.

“You’re fucked up, too. I haven’t been touched by this- this fucking eldritch terror that you speak of, and I won’t be. I’m done with it. To hell with the scar on my back, I don’t care. Leave me out of it.” He was angry, enraged in fact. It all seemed like words he had been wanting to say, but didn’t have the courage to. And Two could understand that. What he couldn’t understand, though, was why he pinned anything on Ivy.

“You need to calm down,” Two suggested, anger simmering in his veins.

“No! You need to let this go. You keep pushing and look where you end up- your boyfriend gets his mind taken over. Does not one part of you think that’s your fault, Two?” Three spat his name at him, like it burdened him to say it, like it was poison on his tongue.

“You say that like you know anything, at all,” Two hissed. Ivy and Vessel were silent as Two and Three’s argument progressed. They hadn’t fought like this since they were teenagers, since they were dumb and immature.

“So, what then? Are you going to admit that it’s your fault that Ivy is fucked? I mean, after all, he wouldn’t have that scar on his back if not for your blood.”

“It’s not his fault,” Ivy whispered, his voice small.

“Yes the fuck it is! You need to wake up, Ivy.”

“And you need to stop speaking about him like that. I understand you’re angry, but pointing fingers at everyone else isn’t going to magically remove the scar that’s on your back, too. Calm down,” Two urged, taking slow steps towards his friend.

If this were a year ago, he would’ve thrown punches and asked questions later. Anger had always been intense for him, and he learned to revel in it, at the time. Just to feel anything at all. He resented Three for his tone, for his accusations, but he knew that deep down he was afraid. And this conversation would go nowhere if all Three could do was yell in a state of petrified panic.

“Don’t fucking tell me to calm down! I’m done with your shit, all of you.” Three’s eyes were wide, his cheeks blotchy and red as he stepped backwards away from Two.

“You realize we can’t just not carry through with this, right? There’s lives on the line here, and not our own,” Vessel interjected.

“That was an assumption that you made. You haven’t even tried to refuse Him. You all keep going down this path and see where you end up. I’ll bring flowers to your funerals.” He turned to leave without another word, and they let him- left reeling in the sudden silence of his departure.

“What the fuck was that?” Ivy asked, looking shaken.

“He’s just angry. He’ll calm down and we can have a real conversation. I think his fist was two seconds from slamming into my jaw,” Two muttered, emotional exhaustion beginning to weigh on him.

“He said a lot of shit, Two. Are you okay?” Vessel moved towards him as he spoke, soft and calm.

“All of that was a lot of shit. I can’t even think right now.”

“What happened to Ivy wasn’t your fault, it was mine,” Vessel said in hushed tones. Two could feel his guilt like it was radiating off of him.

“No,” Ivy interrupted. “What happened to me wasn’t anyone’s fault. Whatever he says isn’t going to change the fact that I don’t blame you- either of you- and it certainly isn’t going to change what I am. Don’t go there.” Ivy took Two in his arms, then, finding solace in his embrace.

“Burn the fucking notebook,” Ivy said, and Two looked up from his place at Ivy’s shoulder to watch Vessel nod his head.

“As you wish,” Vessel replied, taking the notebook in his hands like it was some sort of venomous serpent, and departing the house to the back garden.

“Don’t be mad at Three,” Two whispered as he ducked his head into Ivy’s chest, seeking his warmth. “He didn’t mean what he said.”

“I should be the one telling you not to be mad at him.”

“I couldn’t ever be. I know he doesn’t want this life, but is there really anything we can do about it? Refusing Sleep just to test the waters seems like a really stupid idea.”

“And going to… Hell doesn’t seem like a stupid idea to you?” Ivy asked incredulously, stepping back from their hug to look Two in his eyes.

“Well, of course it’s a stupid idea. And certainly not a fully thought out one. We have to talk about it, and what it means. All of us. Because, unfortunately for Three, he doesn’t get to just throw a tantrum and be done with it. We are bound.”

“Just give him time.”

“I don’t know how much time we have, moon,” Two whispered, and his own words sent a chill right through his bones. Time was immeasurable, and it wasn’t long before it sunk its teeth in Two. It was a battle he had been fighting since before he could remember. Wishing for more time with his sister as she was growing up, wishing for it to stop erasing his mum’s face, the sound of her voice. And now, wishing for it to be infinite so he wouldn’t have to be taken from what he had found. Time didn’t feel pity, it didn’t wait around for one to come to terms with the end.

“It’ll be okay. We will figure it out,” Ivy said, like he could be certain about anything. Two longed to know what that felt like. He was always caught up in the infinite amount of ways things could go wrong, and how rarely it went right.

“Nothing lasts forever,” Two said, his voice hardly a whisper as he stared into his universe- into everything, all at once. He didn’t have to come to some sort of world shifting revelation to know that he loved Ivy. It was always there, hiding in his soul. He loved him, even before he knew him, and he’d love him until they were ash and dust. In the next life, and all the past ones, too.

Chapter Text

Two allowed Three to have a day away, a day apart from the constant reminder of what haunted them. He knew a day would never be enough, but he was in a race against time without knowing where the finish line was.

He rapped his knuckles against Three’s bedroom door. “Three?” he called gently.

“Tiny heathen,” Three called back, and Two smiled to himself as he opened the door. Three was there in bed, a pile of dismay… and blonde hair.

“Oh, wow. I like it,” Two complimented, taking in the way the new silver tone of his hair complimented his icy blue eyes.

“Thank you,” Three mumbled. “Smoke?”

“Sure,” Two obliged. Three crawled from his mountain of blankets, long legs unfolding to cross the room. He cracked open the window and lit the joint he was holding, taking a deep drag before offering it to Two.

“When did you get it done?” Two asked, handing the joint back to Three before reaching up to run his fingers through the soft strands of his hair.

“This morning. You were probably too busy researching the earliest train tickets to Hell to notice me leaving.”

“Hey, stop that,” Two chastised. He shared the weed with him in silence, until it was gone, before breaking the ice between them. “Can we talk? About the other day?”

“Talk all you want, I have nothing to say.”

“Fine. I’m going to assume half of what you said was because you were scared, and angry. Because, you have to know that none of us want to do this. We’ve been dealt a shitty hand, and there has to be a way out.”

“How can you be sure there is a way out when we don’t even know what the way in was?” Three questioned, pinning Two with a serious stare.

“Fair question. I don’t know, Three. I don’t. What I do know is that I refuse to live like this. I refuse to lose my mind, I refuse to put Ivy in danger, I refuse all of it. I won’t sit idly by and let it happen because I am afraid of what comes next- and you shouldn’t either,” Two explained. He wasn’t sure if his attempts were even worth it, as Three already seemed disconnected.

“I think being afraid of what comes next is an understatement. It seems like death is what comes next- I mean, you said as much.” Three backed up to sit on his bed, and Two moved to lean against the wall in front of him.

“I didn’t mean we have to die… for real…”

“What the fuck does that even mean, Two!”

“It means that I’ve seen the other side. So has Ivy, so has Vessel. We’ve all touched it, we’ve been there. I think we can… get there again.”

“And still wake up?” Three scoffed. Two wondered if he did understand what he was being told, but refused to reason with it. In all fairness, it did sound insane. But, what wasn’t insane in their lives? This couldn’t be the hardest thing they’d ever had to digest.

“Yes. And still wake up. It’s just a theory, of course, but Ivy has had some thoughts-”

“Nerd,” Three interrupted.

“I think we are all nerds.”

“And what exactly do you expect to find, in the afterlife?” Three lifted his eyebrows at Two, widening his bloodshot eyes in mock curiosity.

“Answers? A way out?” Two guessed. He wasn’t really sure, but how could he be? There wasn’t any certainty in his life anymore. Not even with Ivy could he be certain, because he knew it could all go away. He’d seen enough horrid plays of fate to know that nothing was sacred, anymore.

“Three, I’m begging you not to walk away. I’m afraid that we are powerless against this, and I don’t- I can’t lose you, do you understand?” Three looked up at him then, really looked at him. As though he was seeing him as someone else, as someone Two had used to be. Even though Two had always felt it, he never had the courage to say something like that to Three. He never let him know how much he needed him there, because he hadn’t ever felt worthy of it.

“I can’t lose you, either. What happens when you can’t get back? What happens when you’ve gone too far and you aren’t just a host anymore, and you really belong to Him?”

“We pray it doesn’t come to that,” Two said, his voice coming off a little less strong than he had hoped.

“Pray to who?” Three questioned, and Two didn’t have an answer for him. If God did exist, He wasn’t looking at the four of them. No, His gaze was turned away from the scars on their backs and the manor that was intertwined with their souls. Maybe, it was because of what they were. Though, Two had a hard time reasoning with the fact that a benevolent God would allow such atrocities to happen to him and the people that he loved. Salvation wasn’t his to obtain, he’d realized that long ago.

Two went to sit next to Three on the bed, moving on from his question and beginning anew. “I understand that you are scared. But, there has to be a way out. And I can’t get you out if you don’t do this with us. I’m afraid that if you run away from it, it’ll only snatch you right back.” Three took some long moments to consider what Two had said, and eventually he laid his blonde head on his shoulder. He sighed, big and dramatic and Two had the overwhelming urge to squeeze him. If Two was right- though, maybe a tad hopeful- it sounded like a concession.

“I love you,” Two said, and Three quickly picked his head off his shoulder. He blinked wide, soft blue eyes at him.

“I love you, too,” he said. It wasn’t the first time Two had said it, but it was so rare that Three’s shock didn’t surprise him. He learned there wasn’t enough time in this world to hold back his ‘I love yous’, since he’d never know when it would be the last time he got to say it. “I love you so much, tiny heathen.” Three wrapped his long arms around him then, and tackled him to the mattress.

“Okay, okay, okay!” Two shouted, though he was giggling. “Don’t get too mushy on me. Let me go!” Three obliged, and Two crawled out of the bed, sobering from his giggles.

“Did you know that Ivy did jiu jitsu?” Two asked.

“Nope. That’s freak-ay,” Three said, and Two quirked a brow at him.

“How is that freaky?”

“Mate, he could put you in positions you never even thought possible,” Three deadpanned, and Two shrieked like a little girl.

“Oh my god! Oh my god. Stop that. Immediately. Actually, I’m leaving. Goodbye!” he choked out, practically running out of the room as flames licked at his cheeks.

“Freak-ay?” he whisper-hissed aloud to himself as he fled to his own bedroom. Now he couldn’t stop seeing it in his head, and he considered jumping out of the window because maybe then he’d be calm and blood wouldn’t be rushing to his dick. Perhaps it was a blessed thing that Ivy was out of the house right now, because he needed a nice long staring at the wall session.

Blessings only went so far, because there was a knock on his door.

“Yes?” he squeaked and Vessel walked in, like that was an invite to intrude. “Um. Hello, Vessel.”

“Why are you being weird? And why are you hard?” Vessel asked, looking Two up and down for way too many seconds.

“Ah!” he screeched. “What do you want!?”

“I was just going to ask how your conversation went with Three, but if you’re um- preoccupied, I can leave,” he said, and Two could tell he was holding back a laugh.

“I am certainly not preoccupied. You never get… random hard ons?” Two tried, but it fell flat and mortifyingly awkward.

“No, I do not,” and the laughter escaped him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, covering his mouth with his hand as he cackled.

“This is horrible,” Two whined.

“No, this is hilarious.” Vessel wiped at his watery eyes, a few squeaking laughs escaping him, still.

“Okay, well if you’re done talking about my dick. The conversation with Three went well, I think. He didn’t say it, of course, but I think he understands.”

“Good, good. I guess all that’s next is a plan. A real one, with everyone present. I suppose we can give it a few days, but alas. I have no idea.”

“I wish I could remember a time when I had any ideas, at all,” Two muttered. He didn’t think one brain was meant to hold so much confusion. Even the weed wasn’t helping his anxiety much, anymore. It was like a constant rope around his lungs, an indescribable weight on his back. He hoped, desperately, that he’d be able to break free of his bonds, and have one full day of easy breaths.

“Likewise,” Vessel said grimly, turning to leave. “Have fun with your dick!” he yelled gleefully as he walked through the doorway.

“I’m going to jump off the roof!” Two said back, matching his tone of voice. He could hear Vessel’s laughter even after he shut the door behind him and walked away. Stupid jiu jitsu and stupid dicks. Seemed even his heavy nerves couldn’t chase away his horniness. He wasn’t really sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. More likely, it was an ‘I’m in love with Ivy’ thing.

Nonetheless, he did not do what Vessel had suggested. He stared at the wall for a good five minutes, until his mind was painting pictures again, and he decided that wasn’t going to work. So, he went to his computer and did what he did best. Research. He found anything he could about what he planned to do- which, unfortunately, wasn’t much. Seemed as though not many people killed themselves for only a few moments so they could peer into the realms that existed after life ceased. A bummer.

He found some things, though. A few accounts of people that had briefly died and were resuscitated, brain studies, bible verses and their depictions of Hell. He saved anything he thought might be useful, to show the others later. He really couldn’t be sure if his and Ivy’s plan would work, but it was worth a shot, in any case.

Chapter Text

Three

“I don’t think there is any reason for two self respecting young men to be in a cemetery at this hour,” Three hissed, trudging behind his cryptid lover. He was cloaked in black, his hoodie pulled over his head, but each time he took a step Three could see the baby pink of his socks peeking out from under his jeans.

“I’m not sure we fall under that category, darling,” Vessel replied, continuing further into the dark. He looked like a wraith, with his confident gait eating up ground that was sanctified by the dead.

“Where are we going?” Three whined, the two shovels he was carrying growing heavier in his grip.

“Here,” Vessel muttered, and stopped dead in his tracks. The headstone was beautiful, ornate and expensive- a marble weeping angel atop a cracked pedestal. It stuck out like a pretty, sore thumb in this place. It was half abandoned, all of the graves around them overgrown like no eyes had touched them in decades.

“And who is this?” Three quipped. The headstone might’ve been expensive, but it wasn’t cared for. Whoever rested here certainly wasn’t someone who was still loved, or possibly remembered at all.

“This is the man who owned that manor, when he was still alive.”

“Like.. the manor?”

“No, Three, the other fucking manor that we travel to in hopes to speak to deities,” Vessel bit out, and Three giggled at his frustration. He enjoyed prodding him. Very much.

“Okay, and what business do we have with him?”

“Hand me the shovel,” Vessel requested, ignoring Three’s question. Three looked down at the things in his hands, up at Vess, and back down at the shovels.

“Wait-”

“I genuinely cannot believe it has taken you this long to question the shovels, Three,” Vessel said through a hissing laugh.

“Jesus Christ! I’m a vampire not a- a grave robber!” He whispered that last part, even though it didn’t make much of a difference if anyone overhead them, considering Vessel was taking the shovel from his hands and shoving it into the dirt.

“What the fuck are you doing!”

“Digging.”

“For what?!”

“Gold?” Vessel grunted out the mocking question as he shoveled.

“Well, this is going to take ten years.”

“The time will pass, anyway,” Vessel told him, continuing to dig. He was lucky he was strong, and had stamina for days, as well.

“Don’t be philosophical with me while you are upturning someone’s fucking grave.”

“Are you going to help me or not?” Vessel quipped, and what was Three meant to do? Probably run away screaming like a zombie hand had just shot up from the ground. He didn’t do that, he dug. And dug. For hours, until Vessel’s shovel made a hard, dull sound as it connected with something beneath.

“Shit.”

“Shit what?” Three cried out.

“I don’t know. I’ve never dug up a grave before. It’s kinda giving me the creeps.”

“The creeps? The fucking creeps?! We are committing a felony above felonies and you are creeped out?” A crow called out after Three’s rant ceased, and he had to slap his hand over his mouth to keep in his shriek.

“God forbid a man be weirded out by dead people,” Vessel said sagely.

“Oh, God forbid a man willingly seek out dead people.”

“Ew, Three.”

“Yeah, you’re right. That didn’t come out how I intended. Just- finish what you’re fucking doing so I can drown myself in the shower when we get home.”

Vessel continued, until the top of the casket was fully uncovered, and Three had a feeling much like he did when he first walked up the porch steps to the manor. Like he would never, ever come back from this. And yet, it felt like something he had to do, a path that he had no choice but to follow. Familiar in a way that was much like deja vu.

“Well, here goes it,” Vessel stated, like he was about to try and change the tire on a car. He couldn’t get farther from that. He used his shovel to pry open the casket, with lots of dramatic grunts and heaving breaths. Three didn’t help. Well, until Vessel shouted at him and he was scrambling to assist in breaking the thing open.

“Oh god,” Three whimpered as they succeeded, covering his mouth with his hand in fear that he’d vomit everywhere.

“Ah!” Vessel screeched, doing a funny little jumpy-squirming jig like he had bugs all over him. “Who’s idea was this?”

“Yours!” Three whisper-shouted. He couldn’t look away from the scene before him. He was content with not being well versed in death, and now it was right in front of his eyes. Yellowed bones, and the rotted scraps of whatever garments the man had been wearing.

“Mate, I think I’m gonna pass out,” Three whined as he tracked his gaze over each decayed rib bone.

“Who are you calling mate? You’ve been inside me,” Vessel muttered, and Three had half a mind to push him into the casket, just to see how angry he got. Seemed Vessel was already on that track, because he bent down, and shoved his fucking hands into the basin of decay.

“Ew, oh my god, ew. What are you doing?” Three swallowed roughly, watching as Vessel dug around haphazardly. Until he was pushing underneath the skeleton, his face contorted in disgust.

“Yes,” he sighed out, and gave a great tug, pulling something free from beneath.

“Sometimes I wonder how I got saddled with your freak show ass,” Three declared, and Vessel was cradling something in his hands.

“I’ll have you know, I am not a freak show. I’m a fucking genius,” Vessel said, smiling up at Three with dirt smudged all over his sweaty face. He was holding a book that was as gross and decayed as the dead man.

“Oh, great. Another book to haunt my nightmares and waking moments.”

“This isn’t just any book, darling. This is a journal.”

“So, what, it has this guy’s dirty hook up stories in it?” Three narrowed his eyes at the journal in Vessel’s dirty hands, and had no desire to touch it.

“No. It has his Sleep stories in it,” Vessel said, turning the nasty thing over in his hands like it was the Goddamn holy grail. Perhaps it was, but Three didn’t care much for the arcane. He decided he’d do what had to be done, but this stuff didn’t interest him like it did Vessel.

“Excuse me?” Three asked, blinking wide eyes at his boyfriend. Often, he wondered if any of these events were actually happening to him or if he was experiencing the longest pipe dream in history. “How do you know that, pray tell?”

“I was shown.”

“By who?” Three asked, quirking a brow at his mysterious, black shrouded lover.

“Doesn’t matter. I was shown it, and it’s actually here. It’s real. This could give us answers we never even dreamed of receiving, Three.” He didn’t open the book, maybe he was afraid something would pop out of it if he did. Three thought they should set it on fire, but knew better than to suggest that.

“Well, don’t get too excited. Because we need to cover this up, and the sun is not far off. Get going or you’ll be seeing the police and not your pillow, dear.”

“The police can suck my dick,” Vessel said, but he threw the notebook to the side and began finishing the job. When they were done, the sun was making its first appearance, bidding their sins a good morning.

Vessel scooped up the journal, like it was his newborn infant, and they started their journey back to the car, fog wrapping around their feet.

“You know we just left a freshly dug up grave in there, right?” Three quipped, easily matching Vessel’s quick pace out of the cemetery.

“Yeah, I know that. I’m not worried about it.”

“And… why not?” He prodded as they approached the car, and Vessel opened the door for him.

“Because I’m a vampire- or, not a vampire. Ascended. Whatever. I think I can avoid going to prison pretty easily. Besides, maybe no one will notice. I feel like our feet are the first to touch this place in a long while.”

“Wishful thinking,” Three muttered, crawling into the passenger seat. Though, in all fairness, when they were facing a trip to Hell, the police didn’t seem like much of a threat in comparison.

Vessel drove home, taking Three’s dirt covered hand in his own. Three listened as Vessel sang along to the music he was playing, it was his favorite sound.

Sometimes, when he saw Two and Ivy’s divine, precious interactions, he thought he was doing love all wrong. Because he and Vessel didn’t love like that. But, in the end, he knew there was no other person in the world he would follow into a cemetery and commit atrocities with. That’s what made them Three and Vessel, they didn’t have to be like anyone else. Three didn’t want to be like anyone else, he wanted exactly what he had next to him. Someone who kept him excited, and pushed him in the exact way that he pushed back. It was divine, in its own right.

Chapter Text

Ivy -Part One-

Sunlight was a gift, and not for what it provided for the earth- Ivy could care less about that right now. He was more interested in the way it peaked through the curtains, creating little beams of glowing gold on Two’s skin as he slept.

“I can feel you staring at me,” Two mumbled. Not sleeping, then. Whoops.

“What if I was just checking that you weren’t dead?” Ivy quipped, watching as Two cracked open his sleepy eyes to peer at him.

“Then you should be checking my pulse, moon.”

“Not sure I can be trusted with your pulse,” Ivy teased. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t develop an infatuation with Two’s blood. He didn’t care much that he hadn’t tried any other, because he knew nothing would taste better. Unfortunately for Ivy and his addiction, though, Two had informed him he couldn’t necessarily survive off of it. Blood sharing between vampires worked, but not like humans. It really only staved off the starvation, and also meant Two had to consume twice as much so Ivy could keep taking. He’d have to move on, and it sort of felt like taking the training wheels off- he didn’t want to, like a disobedient child.

“You know I’d let you eat me if I could,” Two whispered, watching as Ivy’s gaze roamed freely over his half naked body.

“I don’t want to eat you!” Ivy denied. He leaned down from where he was sitting beside Two, and kissed him right on his sternum. “I want to make sweet, sweet love to you.”

“Ew,” Two joked, and Ivy nipped at his skin in response. “Tell me something, moon,” Two began, running his fingers through Ivy’s hair and pulling to detach him from his chest.

“Hm?” Ivy hummed.

“What colour belt were you? In jiu jitsu?”

“You’re still on that?” Ivy giggled, and was he mistaken, or was Two blushing?

“I’m just curious,” he said, frowning in a way that made it seem like he was only trying to be casual.

“I had just gotten my brown belt before I stopped. Which was when I was twenty three. I started when I was seventeen, I think. Somewhere around then,” Ivy explained, and when he noticed the calculating look in Two’s eyes, he added that brown belt came before black.

“Wow,” Two said, his eyebrows drawing up. And maybe Ivy felt a little smugness inside of him, but Two didn’t need to know that. “And you competed?”

“Yes, often. Between that and music, I was a busy bee,” Ivy told him, trying not to smile at Two’s expressive face.

“Do you… remember anything?”

“What are you trying to get at here?” Ivy purred, and Two squirmed a bit.

“Nothing.”

“Liar,” Ivy hissed playfully.

“Are you going to answer the question, creature?” Two asked, rolling onto his back and putting his arms behind his head. Ivy felt suddenly hot all over after looking at the way his biceps flexed and his torso stretched with his new position.

“Of course I remember, creature. I wouldn’t be any good in a tournament now, but I don’t think you can forget that kind of stuff.”

“What if I said I don’t believe you?”

“Then I’d know you’re flirting with me, which would blow your cover, wouldn’t it?” Ivy prodded, in hopes to make Two squirm again. “I can prove it to you, if you’d like.” And there it was, Two did a little movement, like he couldn’t bear to hold his energy inside of him.

“I’d like that,” he whispered. It was adorable, how nervous he got. But, Ivy didn’t want him to be nervous. He wanted Two to fall free of his apprehension and take what he wanted- or, give what he wanted.

“Sit up,” Ivy instructed, and Two listened. He tried not to get caught on the sight of his boxers and strong, pale thighs as he fully kicked the quilt off of himself. What a difficult battle that was. “What do you know about jiu jitsu?”

“Erm, nothing,” Two admitted, his fangs peeking out as he gnawed on his lower lip.

“I figured. Before I do anything, you need to know that jiu jitsu is all about submission. So, manipulating the other person’s body until the pain is too much- called joint locks-, or chokeholds. The goal is to get your opponent to tap out, either because I’d break something or they’d go unconscious. If they don’t then they can get seriously hurt. Obviously, I’m not going to let that happen to you. I just need to make sure you understand what I’m going to do before I do it, okay?”

“Okay, I understand,” Two whispered.

“And, you’re okay with it?” Ivy asked. He needed full and clear consent, not because he would actually ever harm him, but he didn’t think flipping Two into a chokehold and not explaining anything to him first was a good idea, in any case.

“Yes, I am.”

“And what do you do if I put you in a submission or if you want to stop, at any point?”

“I tap,” Two said, interest twinkling in his big blue eyes.

“Good. And I’ll keep your arms free, but if they did happen to get pinned you could also verbally tap,” Ivy told him, leaning forward to kiss him once on the mouth after he assured his understanding. It didn’t seem Two would be satisfied with that. He leaned forward, chasing Ivy’s mouth like a fix, like a desperate, fiendish little thing. Ivy obliged to his soft worship, and Two crawled closer, slotting Ivy’s leg between his thighs. Ivy could feel Two’s need like it was pouring off of him in rivulets, he could taste it. This certainly wouldn’t be like any jiu jitsu match Ivy had been in before, not when Two was already making quiet, satisfied noises for him.

He let Two melt into him for a moment, before he was falling back into his practiced expertise. It helped, being so familiar with Two’s body, he knew exactly how to shift his weight so he could gain the advantageous position. Ivy swiftly wrapped his arms around his middle, taking him off the bed and to the carpetted floor. Two fought him, and he was strong, but this wasn’t a battle of strength. It was manipulation of muscles, knowing exactly where to put your hands and feet. And mindset, as well. Ivy was calm, seeing his play from four moves ahead, and Two was only trying to get out.

“You okay?” Ivy asked roughly as Two wrestled in his grip.

“Yes,” he panted, and Ivy flipped him, so they both were on their sides, Two’s naked back flush to his chest. Two kicked back against him, but it was in vain. Ivy wrapped his legs around Two’s, sliding one between his thighs and twisting his foot, locking into place like a coiled snake. Honestly, the wrestling was fun, and Two’s heavy breathing was like music in his ears, but it was as though his muscles had a mind of their own, and were only gunning for the win. The tap.

Ivy slid one arm up underneath Two’s armpit, holding him back against his chest, and the other went around his throat. Two held his chin underneath his elbow, so Ivy couldn’t secure his hold. He tugged at his forearm, trying to disconnect him, grunting from the effort. It was a decent attempt, but it wouldn’t last.

“Remember, no biting,” Ivy huffed out as he worked to hold Two’s body in place. He was only met with a growl, and more restless grabbing at his arm so he couldn’t sink in the choke.

Finally, Ivy’s arm slid beneath his chin, and Two fought for a few moments before he was dutifully tapping at Ivy’s bicep, and was immediately released. They stayed like this for a moment, their rough breaths filling the space around them.

“You still okay?” Ivy asked, his legs continuing to cling to Two’s.

“I’m okay,” he whispered, and his voice was breathy and rough. Ivy moved to release his legs, accidentally brushing his thigh against Two’s now obvious arousal.

“Oh, shit,” Ivy teased, and Two whined out a desperate- possibly embarrassed- sound. It wasn’t like it really shocked him that Two was turned on from this, but it didn’t make it any less exciting for Ivy. He’d happily spend an eternity learning the things that Two liked, just to earn that beautiful, soft cadence of his voice- not rough and straightforward like he spoke normally, it was something that was only for when they were alone.

“Do you believe me now, or do you want to go again?” Ivy questioned, though it was getting harder to focus as Two pressed his ass into his lap. Maybe, he’d feel less embarrassed now that he felt that Ivy was in the same boat as him; his entire body aching with the need to be impossibly closer.

“Again,” Two said, and Ivy smiled to himself before he was manipulating Two’s weight once again. Two fought better this time, like he was really determined to win. But, it didn’t take long before Ivy was turning him over, taking his back. Two pushed up on his hands and knees, and Ivy only crawled over his body and slid his arm around his neck. Two kept his head down, so his chin was tucked beneath his arm.

“You know what this is called?” Ivy asked, pressing his hips against Two. Two only grunted in response, still fighting against the chokehold. “Rear naked choke,” he said, and his arm slid home, squeezing against either side of Two’s throat before he was tapping. Ivy released the pressure, but still held his arm loosely around him.

“Is it bad that I really want you to fuck me right now?” Two asked with his hands and knees still pressed to the floor, and Ivy almost choked, even though he wasn’t the one with his back taken. He hadn’t expected Two to be so up front, but it was exactly what he wanted.

“I thought I wasn’t supposed to get used to you being a little bitch for me, Two,” Ivy purred. He had half a mind to rock his hips against him, since he was still caging Two’s body in with his own, one hand pressed to the floor and the other arm around his neck and shoulders. In the end, he figured dry humping would be cruel- and, in any case he didn’t want to influence Two’s decision by mindless arousal. He wanted him to be clear headed, driven by his need to be connected.

“Yeah, don’t,” Two replied, sounding like he was trying to convince himself of the fact.

Ivy knew why it came so easily to him, even if Two hadn’t realized it yet. His need for control was borne of desperation- in a sense. Ivy knew that Two was used to having to shoulder everything and keep himself drawn tight, to not get hurt, to not get too close to anyone. He’d not been given the option when it came to his own independence for so long; whether it be that he was forced to be alone, or forced into something he didn’t want. And Ivy would never force him to do anything, at all. He would never touch him with hands that were not safe, he’d never give him meaningless affection, if only to fill some sort of void in the both of them. There was no void, where Two was involved. What Ivy gave him was a space where he could let go, and stop holding himself to a standard that couldn’t be met without pain. He didn’t have to be in control, he didn’t have to be anything except for who he was, deep beneath the armor he had been putting on himself for years.

“Do you want me to fuck you, Two?” Ivy asked, and he was sure to put emphasis on how serious the question was. This wasn’t a hook up, this wasn’t a quick exchange of bodies, and it never would be, not with them. Not when Ivy wanted to show Two how much it meant, how good he could make him feel. He would never take his lover’s submission lightly, he knew how difficult it was for him to get to that point.

“I do,” Two breathed out, and Ivy slid off of his back, gently urging him to turn around so he could look into the eyes that captivated him since the moment they met, and even before that, he thought. When Two had blinked up at him that first night, the blue of his eyes was as familiar to Ivy as his own- like he had looked at him a million times before, only he hadn’t.

“Can I tell you something?” Ivy whispered. They both sat in front of each other on the floor now, like they were sharing secrets. It reminded him vaguely of another time when they were joined in sacrifice on the floor, when Two offered Ivy something that would keep his heart beating for eternity. His blood, and all in the same, his soul. Even though Ivy ran, it didn’t stop his never ending rumination on how he could ever repay Two for what he took, for what his lover gave.

“Tell me,” Two urged, his voice soft and breathy, as though he was desperate for anything Ivy would say to him. And he’d offer it all, with no worry that he’d have to take it back.

“I love you,” Ivy told him. He’d been telling him for a while now, only Two couldn’t hear him, for it wasn’t with spoken words. It was in the way he held him like he was something sacred, in the way he followed him like a light in the dark, the way he ran to Two when he had known no other path.

Two stared at him, as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing- like Ivy was a bright, full moon in the middle of the day. Where it shouldn’t belong, but it did, against all odds.

“I love you, too,” he whispered, so quietly, so honestly. And Ivy was sure he had heard him say it before, even though he hadn’t. It was in all the ways Two loved despite the hatred he had been shown.

“I love you,” Two said again, his pretty eyes watery with everything that Ivy felt, as well. It was like a prophecy unfolded, words spoken that fit right into their place. Ivy wasn’t so afraid of Hell anymore, not when he had Heaven right in front of him.

The late morning sun shined on Two, washing him golden and Godlike, and Ivy felt he should be praying. Not to anything known to others, but to something known to him and him alone. “Come here,” Ivy whispered, and Two shuffled closer.

He turned him around, so he was kneeling with his back facing Ivy, baring the namesake between his shoulder blades.

“You don’t belong to anyone,” Ivy said, leaning down to press his lips to the scar. “Not to me, not to Sleep. You don’t belong to your past, or anyone that made you feel like you owe them something. No one but yourself.”

“But I’m yours,” Two declared, like a preacher spreading the word of God. Ivy was his, as well. He had been, for so long.

“You are mine, in the sense that I will protect you and take care of you. But you are not something to be obtained. Your love isn’t an end goal, it’s not something I am fighting for to take from you,” Ivy mumbled against his warm skin, pressing soft kisses to the two rough scars. He hoped Two understood what he meant, because his mind was racing a mile a minute. He’d only take from him if he wanted that, anything else was a given, an offering.

“I have a hard time believing you are real sometimes, Ivy,” Two whispered into the space in front of him, and Ivy smiled against his back.

“Why’s that?” he asked, moving his mouth to his shoulder blade. There wasn’t enough time in the world for Ivy to touch him in the way he wanted to, in the way that Two deserves to be touched. With affection, so softly that it could bring tears to his eyes in reverence.

“Because no one has ever loved me like you do. I didn’t think I’d ever know the feeling,” Two said, like it was the relinquishment of a truth he held locked inside of him. Ivy pulled him backwards into his arms then, absorbing all of his body heat like he’d freeze without it. And, at that moment, he was sure that he would.

“I can assure you that I’m real- this is real,” Ivy said in hushed, honest tones. He kissed along the side of his neck, to the stretched lobe of his ear, making him shiver in his hold.

“Do you- Do you still want to-” Two stammered and trailed off. He was so at odds with his usual self when it was just the two of them. When they were alone, and Two nervously began to let his walls down.

“Yes,” Ivy purred, gently biting the curve of his ear. Two let out the tiniest whine, so quiet that Ivy wouldn’t have been able to hear it if he were human. “That’s what you want, love?”

“Yes,” Two answered, clear and resolved. Ivy wondered how often he had thought it over, since he had never done it before. He knew there would be plenty of nerves involved, and a lot of time to make sure he didn’t hurt him. He hoped overall, though, that Two was more excited than anything. “But, uh- can I shower first?”

“Of course you can,” Ivy mumbled, holding himself back from licking along the curve of his ear. He was like something holy in his hands, something he never wanted to let go of. He did, though. Two crawled out of his grip and gave him a few kisses that were disrupted by the smiles on both of their faces.

“I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere,” Two demanded before he dipped out of the door.

“Where the fuck would I go?” Ivy asked with a laugh, but Two was padding away, and all Ivy could do was sit and try to ignore the incessant throbbing in his pants. He considered going on his phone, or doing anything but stare down at his hands in his lap, but the anticipation was too much. So, he crawled into the bed and waited for his boyfriend to return, his heart beating like it might fall right out of his chest and ruin the sheets.

Chapter Text

Ivy -Part Two-

Two returned, sporting only a pair of black athletic shorts, his blonde hair darkened with dampness. Curse him and his five inch inseam.

“Hello, moon,” Two whispered, and Ivy felt like he was sitting on the bed waiting to lose his virginity. Which, of course wasn’t the case, but nonetheless he didn’t think he’d ever felt so nervous before.

“Hello,” he said shyly. Two came to the edge of the bed, and Ivy had a few moments to take in the shine of his silver nose chain and the anticipation twinkling in his big blue eyes before Two was connecting their mouths. He smelled delicious, like lavender scented soap, and under that he smelled like himself. Just his soft, pale skin and the blood that pumped beneath it.

Two crawled over top of him, pushing him down onto the bed. Ivy kissed him back slowly, deliberately like it was a language created just for them. He slid his hands down Two’s warm sides, until he was grabbing at the flesh of his ass through his shorts, and Two was offering him small sounds of pleasure. Ivy wondered why he bothered to put shorts on, at all, but figured it was for his own comfort, so he didn’t mention it.

“You can change your mind now, or later, love. At any point,” Ivy mumbled against his lips, unable to stop his hands from pushing up underneath the bottom hem of Two’s shorts, so his palms were set to warm skin.

“If I change my mind, you’ll be the first to know,” Two said, taking Ivy’s bottom lip between his teeth for a moment. “You tell me if you change your mind, too,” he whispered.

“I won’t,” Ivy assured, and he knew it to be true more than he knew anything, at all. Two continued their slow kiss before resting his weight on one hand to let the other one wander down Ivy’s body. He brushed his touch down his clothed stomach, until he was pressing gently against the hardness trapped beneath his sweatpants. The kiss grew hungrier, as Two continued his urging touches and Ivy was leaning up on his elbows to claim his mouth with more passion.

“God, you’re so fucking big, though, moon,” Two said with a quiet laugh, wrapping his fingers around him over his clothes.

“I will be gentle,” Ivy promised, but he knew there was no getting around the initial pain. It was like a bite, in that way. The sting of pain, that was only a promise for pleasure in a few heartbeats.

“Always gentle, you,” Two purred, sitting up to straddle Ivy’s thighs and pushing his fingers into his waistband. Ivy felt like he was vibrating all over, overwhelming heat coursing through his veins as Two undressed him painstakingly slowly.

First, he had to back off the bed to pull Ivy’s sweats off, and Ivy was a man in front of God himself as he watched Two do it, silent and still. Then, he grabbed Ivy by his hands, tugging him to sit up straight so he could take his shirt off, and the sunlight through the curtains was now painting them both golden.

“So pretty,” Two said, stepping forward to place himself between Ivy’s legs that hung off the side of the bed. Ivy squeezed him between his thighs, and they shared a moment of silent staring. The only sound was their shuddering breaths, and their loud heartbeats. Ivy had learned to tune out the sound of beating hearts, but never Two’s. No, he heard it like he heard his own, always. He heard it tick up in rate whenever he did something Two enjoyed, listened as it slowed whenever he was calm and focussed. It was like a metronome, a constant rhythm to keep Ivy grounded to the here and now.

Ivy moved forward, pressing his lips to Two’s chest, falling into the sound of his heart and the sweet scent of his skin. He kissed him like it was an addiction, like the soft press of his tongue to Two’s stomach was a fix of something he’d always been missing. And he had been missing it, even before he knew it. As Two dragged his hands down Ivy’s back and melted into his touches, Ivy knew he had been waiting for this for his entire life. Waiting for someone else’s fingers to set him alight with each tiny brush of movement.

“You are everything,” Ivy mumbled, dragging his kisses up until he was lathing his tongue over Two’s nipple. Two offered him a sound, and Ivy was desperate for more. He closed his mouth around the hard peak, sucking gently, peering up at him as he did it. Two hummed, quiet and yearning, and the sound vibrated right through Ivy’s being. He moved to the other side, teasing his lover with tiny licks, circling the spot with his tongue.

“Why does that feel so good?” Two whispered, dragging his hand up through the hair on the back of Ivy’s head, curling his fingers into the strands.

“Because it’s sensitive, love,” Ivy told him, and considered that Two had never had his nipples sucked before- had never felt the kind of slow, romantic worship that he deserved. Ivy could be slow, so slow that Two would become a desperate mess in his hands.

He sucked, and grazed his teeth gently, and Two was moaning for him. Still quiet, still holding onto his little thread of control. He could keep it wrapped around his finger, and whenever he was ready to cut it loose, Ivy would be there to hold him together- or break him apart, whatever he preferred.

It wasn’t long before Two had enough with the teasing, and he was moving for Ivy’s mouth again, bending down from where he was standing and pressing his hands to Ivy’s hips. Their breaths intertwined, panting into each other’s half open mouths. The world on the outside didn’t exist to them, like the room was burying the hours they were missing, the minutes and seconds they spent in unhurried affection.

Two pulled back, and Ivy chased his mouth for a moment, not wanting to release his lover from his tides. But, Two stood fully up and pinned him with a stare. His eyes, like the multifaceted surface of a cut sapphire, bore right into Ivy’s soul, not allowing him to hide a single thing. He dropped his gaze to Ivy’s lap, then back up again, a few times.

“Use your words, love,” Ivy urged, and Two was moving his hands from Ivy’s hips to slide his thumb just inside the waistband of his boxers, dragging the finger sideways across his tummy before letting the elastic fall back.

“I want your cock in my mouth,” Two said, and even though Ivy had asked for him to say so, it didn’t make it any less sudden, and arousing. His words rumbled through Ivy, pressing against his so-sensitive skin and making it harder to breathe. Like a perfect vice grip around his lungs, like Two was the only thing that offered him oxygen, at all.

“Go on, creature,” he hummed, and Two grabbed his hands again, only this time he pulled him up to stand. He was surprised, honestly, that Two wanted to do it that way, though he certainly would not argue. A blush flooded Two’s face, turning the perfect bridge of his nose pink as he sank to his knees. Ivy couldn’t help but smile down at him as he pulled his own boxers down, stepping out of them and kicking them aside.

“You’re sure?” he checked, and Two whispered his ‘Yes’ before he was pressing one hand to Ivy’s thigh, and the other was wrapping around the base of his cock. He moved forward, staring up at Ivy like he was something to behold as he pushed his tongue out to drag across the tip. Reverent, Godlike.

“I still believe you will be the death of me,” Ivy told him as he took some into his mouth, closing his lips and pressing his tongue to the underside. Ivy placed one hand over where Two’s was on his thigh, the other reaching down to curl into the strands of his hair. Ivy tugged gently as Two took him deeper, so slowly. His eyes were gently shut so his blonde lashes were fanning over his cheeks, Ivy didn’t think he’d ever seen something so beautiful.

Two stroked his hand up to where his mouth was, because he surely couldn’t fit it all in his mouth- at least not now. He kept pushing to take more, whining when he couldn’t anymore. The sounds pressed against Ivy, setting white hot flames of ecstasy across his skin. It was overwhelming, and perfect in a way that had him wondering if he’d ever want Two to stop, if he’d ever forget the divine feel of his wet mouth and the precise twist of his tongue.

“Look at me,” Ivy requested, and Two opened his pretty eyes, the tiny specks of silver in the blue seeming to glow right back at Ivy. “You’re so perfect, so good,” he told him, rocking his hips gently into his mouth, careful not to force more than he could take. Both of their desperate moans intertwined, filling the space around them until Ivy was sure he’d collapse. He flipped Two’s hand that was on his leg, lacing their fingers together and squeezing.

Two pulled off, his lips shining with spit as he used his hand to stroke Ivy’s full length, his fingers sliding perfectly over the sensitive head. Ivy’s legs were trembling, and he didn’t know how much longer he could last against Two’s sweet mouth, but he didn’t want it to end.

“You don’t have to be so gentle,” Two said, and before Ivy could ask him once more to be sure, he was taking him in his mouth again, pressing against the palm held to his own, squeezing Ivy’s fingers roughly. He thrusted, slow at first, building speed rhythmically until Two let out a tiny choking sound, and Ivy was trying to pull back. But Two quickly set the hand that had been stroking Ivy to his hip, squeezing him tightly and pulling on him to keep going. He dug his fingers into Ivy’s flesh on one side, not to keep him still, but to keep him fucking into his mouth.

“Jesus, fuck,” Ivy sighed out as Two continued to suck him off like it was everything he had ever wanted to do. And, maybe he did, but was too shy to say so before.

“Two, love, remember that hair trigger problem I have,” Ivy hissed as he felt the threatening tightening of his muscles, the inescapable heat in his tummy. Two didn’t seem to want to stop, but Ivy didn’t want this to be the finish line.

“Please, Two,” Ivy groaned, even though his hips kept moving. He never claimed to be responsible, especially not when Two’s mouth was so perfect, and he could feel the barely-there suggestion of his fangs on his hot, slicked skin.

Two began to pull off, tortuously slow, his eyes watery and staring up at Ivy, who probably looked a hot mess. He swirled his tongue on the tip, letting it rest in the hold of his mouth for a moment.

“You are a menace,” Ivy whispered as Two finally released him, and he reached down to help him off the floor. His thighs twitched, tired from holding himself up and vibrating with the anticipation of what he was about to release, but didn’t.

“I wanted to taste you,” Two sighed out, wiping the spit off his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Well, I want to fuck you,” Ivy purred, wrapping his arms around Two’s middle to lift him and carry him to the bed. Two was like water in his hands, going to wherever he was guided; which was on his back, his head resting on the pillows.

“Then fuck me, Ivy,” Two said, a demand in his tone. It made Ivy’s heart rate tick up even faster, his body growing impossibly warmer.

“Brat,” he hissed, moving over to where he now knew the bottle of lube to be in Two’s bedside drawer. Poor thing would have to buy a new tube after this.

As Ivy settled between his legs and began tugging his shorts off, Two let out a sudden giggle.

“What?” Ivy asked, briefly nervous that he did something stupid.

“Nothing. It’s just, whenever I imagined this before, it was me laying you on your back and prepping you. It’s funny to me,” he said, helping Ivy remove his own shorts as he spoke.

“The universe has a funny way of handing you things that you never knew you needed. And this, my love, you need.”

“Oh, do I?” Two teased, watching as Ivy squeezed some lube onto his fingers. The conversation seemed to chase away any lingering nerves inside of his lover, which was exactly what he wanted. He’d keep him talking the whole time, if he meant he’d be so open and relaxed.

“I think you do, do you think so?” Ivy whispered lowly as he used his clean hand to guide his legs further apart.

“Yes, yes I think so,” Two said, and his voice had lost its joking tone, and now was only dripping in pure, desperate lust. “I need you, Ivy,” he whined out, and Ivy pushed one finger to him, gently pressing, his muscles ready to sink in or pull away in a second.

“You okay?” Ivy asked, his gaze flitting between his own hand and Two’s blushing face.

“I’m so okay, please just-” he cut himself off as Ivy pushed his slicked finger inside him, and now he could speak no more sentences. He whined quietly, adjusting to the feel, his breaths coming in fast pants. And then he was moaning, sounds falling from his mouth like a perfect rush of water as Ivy pushed all the way in and curled at just the right spot.

“Oh, oh, fuck,” he mumbled, one hand flexing on the bedsheets while his other went to cover his mouth.

“Don’t do that,” Ivy urged, pulling his finger out to work in another, slowly, gently. “I want to hear you, all of it,” he said, and Two was such a good listener. He stopped traveling up to his mouth, resting his hand on his throat instead, likely absorbing the vibration of every moan that escaped him. Ivy had the thought in the back of his head that he’d like to kill whoever made Two think he had to do that, that he had to hold back anything, at all.

“Fuck, moon, that feels so good,” Two sighed out the words like they were torn from him, and Ivy caught the sight of him dragging his fingertips gently over his own cock. Not fully touching, as though he only wanted Ivy to do it.

Ivy could feel Two’s pleasure like it was his own, like their hearts were beating the same rhythm. If Two decided he just wanted him to do this, finger him until he came, Ivy would not argue. Any touch he could press against him would be enough, watching him fall apart was just as overwhelming as anything more could be.

“Do you know that I adore you?” Ivy asked as he pressed his fingers in, deep and precise. “Everything you are, everything you say,” he whispered over the sound of Two’s desperate whimpers of pleasure. Two squeezed his muscles tight, then, and Ivy pushed in harder, reveling in the mess he made of his lover. He didn’t expect him to respond, he could always feel Two’s love whether he spoke it or not, it was a connection between them. A chord that tethered their minds together, always.

“You’re doing so good, love,” he said, pulling his fingers out once Two was worked well enough, and his whole body was trembling with anticipation. He moved up, settling between Two’s legs to press their mouths together, and Two kissed him like he couldn’t ever get close enough.

“I love you,” Two mumbled against his lips, turning Ivy suddenly dizzy. That was sure to always knock Ivy off his axis with ease, an offering that could freeze time itself and make his mind unable to form rational thought. Especially because he knew Two so well, and knew that he didn’t offer things like that without the full weight of what it meant. Nothing was simple with him, nothing was without deep, soul consuming feeling. And Ivy didn’t want simple, he wanted to be threaded within Two’s being. All of the complexity, he welcomed it.

“I love you,” he told him, and he meant it more than he’d ever meant anything. He kissed Two sweetly for a long while, until he was restless once more and reaching between their bodies to drag his fingers along Ivy’s length.

“I want you,” Two whispered, his words laid out between them like a heavy promise, pushing past the mere suggestion of what they were about to do. It was more than that, because they were utterly powerless against the thread that bound them together. Squeezing tighter, so they could be as close as two people could get. Prophetic, undeniable.

Ivy pulled back from Two’s mouth, feeling his studying gaze on him as he pulled a pillow from beside him to slide underneath his hips and knelt between his legs. He kissed him from his knee, down to the soft skin of his thigh, until he was sucking bruises on his hips, biting to break a tiny amount of skin.

“Please,” Two sighed, and Ivy wasn’t only powerless to whatever force brought them together, he was powerless to Two himself. He sat back up after licking the small amount of blood clean from Two’s hip and took the bottle of lube from where it rested beside him. He squeezed a healthy amount into his hand, feeling like he couldn’t breathe as Two stared. Slicked himself, then passed his hand over where his lover was already slippery from his fingers, and Two squirmed for him- desperate in a way he’d never seen before.

“Tell me if I hurt you, okay?” Ivy said.

“Okay,” Two whispered, his gaze soft and clear. The trust that Two laid in his hands would never be taken for granted. The feeling of it all, resting on his shoulders, wasn’t suffocating. It was divine, and unbreakable. The other night, Two gave Ivy his weight, and he’d hold it forever. Now, as he was lining himself up, and afterwards, when he’d care for him like a loving ritual.

He continued to kneel, sitting up straight as he pushed in just a little, only to pull back out, watching Two’s face for any signs of pain. Ivy held him by the perfect slope of his waist, petting his thumb along his skin that was dotted with goosebumps, and hissed along with him as he pushed in further. Two took Ivy’s hand, squeezing his fingers, grounding the both of them.

It was like a trickle of water down his back, the first touches of pleasure as he worked him open. Thrusting in as far as he could, only to pull completely out and start again, and Two was letting his head fall back as he sighed out his mix of frustration and ecstasy.

“Are you okay?” Ivy asked, lifting Two’s leg gently by the back of his thigh. He looked down for a moment as Two’s oblique muscles flexed, his abdominals pulling taut with a sharp intake of breath.

“Yes, yes, yes,” he muttered out, lifting his head for a moment to look Ivy in his eyes as he said it. And then it was like a waterfall breaking free of its bindings as Ivy slid all the way into tight heat, and he was powerless to the world as a whole. Even if Ivy didn’t know the feeling himself, he knew Two was adjusting to the rough stretch of their joining, and he wouldn’t disrespect what Two was experiencing. He gave him time to relax into it, not moving, just matching the pattern of his breaths to his lover’s until he was moving his own hips and quietly asking for more.

‘More’ was funny, because Ivy would give him anything, at all. If Two laid there, open and on his back, and asked Ivy to give him his life, he’d willingly become a martyr. He’d go into God’s waiting arms, and tell Him that He left an angel behind on Earth.

“I want more, please, Ivy,” Two begged again, and Ivy leaned over his body, kissing him once as he rocked his hips slowly.

“I might break you,” he said gently, smiling against his mouth.

“Then break me,” Two whispered, dragging his tongue across the seam of Ivy’s lips. And what was Ivy meant to do, other than submit to his own aching muscles? He reached down to find Two’s hand again, dragging it up above his head to lace their fingers together, and he really moved this time.

“Oh, fuck,” Two hissed, squeezing Ivy’s hips with his thighs. Ivy found his pace, and Two was a divine mess beneath him, moaning like he couldn’t bear to keep it in.

“You take it so well, love, look at you,” Ivy praised, and Two slid his free hand into Ivy’s hair, pulling him down to kiss him roughly. Though, it wasn’t much of a kiss, not with both of their restless sounds and heavy breaths. They shared oxygen, shared euphoria as Ivy began fucking him harder, rougher. And Two continued to beg for more.

Two wrapped his strong legs around Ivy’s waist, so he was pushing in as deep as he could get. Two took it all like they were made to fit each other, like this was exactly where they were supposed to be, moving to a rhythm that only they knew.

“You’re so good for me,” Ivy whispered, his face pressed into the crook of Two’s neck. He set his teeth to his delicate skin, biting gently as he settled to a slower pace. Two squeezed his legs around him, forcing Ivy impossibly deeper, like he wanted to take until there was absolutely nothing left. And Ivy would let him take it all.

“I wanna see your pretty face,” Ivy mumbled after releasing Two’s skin from between his teeth. He reached back to Two’s leg, nudging him to let go. Two only squeezed harder for a moment, and Ivy hissed a laugh against his throat. “Let go, heathen.” Two listened, though begrudgingly.

“Good boy,” Ivy hummed as he pushed himself up to kneel between his lover’s legs once more. Two made a sweet, desperate little sound at the praise and Ivy was looking down to find him blushing even harder.

“Do you like that?” Ivy asked, setting his hand to the back of Two’s thigh, just below his bent knee. He rocked his hips slowly, deliberately. He didn’t want to rush a single second of just feeling him.

“Mhm,” Two mumbled, his eyes softly closed, his fangs digging into his bottom lip until Ivy could see the precious suggestion of crimson on his skin. Two opened his eyes then, like he could feel Ivy staring, and gazed up at him with the sight of total bliss swimming in his irises.

“Beautiful,” Ivy commented, squeezing Two’s thigh once before lifting his leg and bending down to hook his knee over his shoulder. Ivy went fully down, until he was able to lick his tongue across the blood on Two’s lips, folding his lover in a perfect, tight squeeze.

“Oh, fuck-” Two moaned against Ivy’s lips, his leg trapped between their bodies. “God, you’re gonna fucking kill me,” he hissed as Ivy built more force behind his thrusts. Two kissed him messily, desperately, every moan and filthy word muffled by Ivy’s mouth.

Ivy disconnected their mouths after some time. He couldn’t help himself, he needed to see his face. He pushed up on his hands, watching as Two’s head fell back against the pillows, his lips parted on gasping breaths. He pulled back, until his cock was almost completely out, before he was pushing all the way back in again, over and over. Just for that perfect look on Two’s face, the way he looked lost in everything Ivy was making him feel.

“Ivy-” Two started, but was cutting himself off with a whimper as Ivy hit him with a pointed thrust. “Fuck- it feels so good,” he sighed out, baring his pretty teeth for a moment as Ivy found a new rhythm.

“You feel so good,” Ivy told him, and he knew he wouldn’t last much longer against his tight heat. He was so consumed by the feel of him that he could hardly think, hardly whisper any more praises. There wasn’t anything to liken to this, and he knew it would be that way before he even got here.

If he did sort through his blissed out thoughts, he would find he probably should be wrapping his hand around Two’s cock- knew that it would send him tumbling further into oblivion. But Ivy wanted to see if he could make him cum without even touching him, and if his desperate whimpers were any indication, he certainly could.

“Let go, Two, I’ve got you,” Ivy whispered, and Two did as he was told, his muscles shuddering throughout his entire body, desperate sounds tumbling from his lips. He gripped Ivy’s flexed bicep with one hand, digging his nails into his skin. The other hand was twisting into the bedsheets beside him, and Ivy was half worried he’d just rip them.

“Can you touch me? Please, please,” Two sighed out, and so much for Ivy’s earlier goal. He couldn’t tell him no, ever. Certainly not when his sweet mouth was continuously using that word- ‘Please’. Ivy rested his weight in one hand, dragging the other back to press against Two’s cock, pushing it against his tummy. He only said he wanted to be touched, not stroked. And maybe Ivy wanted to be a bit of a menace.

“Oh, fuck you,” Two whined, but even just the hard press was enough to send him oblivion. Ivy flattened his hand, not moving it. Two let out a loud, broken sound, and Ivy was holding himself up further to watch his cum spill across his flexed stomach muscles.

“Oh, God,” it was hardly even a whimper, more of a broken, pleasured cry. And the way his muscles pulled tight all over made Ivy lose sight of his rhythm, just snapping his hips to the free fall of ecstasy.

“Don’t stop, please,” Two breathed out, even though he was completely broken apart. Ivy dragged his hand up, letting his fingers slide through the cum that coated Two’s stomach. He couldn’t help himself, he stroked his cock now, making him cry out from the oversensitivity, his walls twitching against where Ivy was buried in him. It was enough to push Ivy past the edge, too. He lowered himself back down, pressing his face into the crook of Two’s neck again, biting down on the muscle of his shoulder as euphoria flooded him in rough, soul consuming waves. His groans were muffled by Two’s skin in his mouth as he held himself deep, spilling inside of him.

It was like electricity across his skin, long lines of sparks connecting where their bodies met, and Ivy was squeezing his eyes shut as he allowed his orgasm to consume him. His body moved on its own volition, because he was no longer tethered to his mind. He was wrapped in the endless chord that bound him to Two, chasing every last drop of what he was being offered.

Two groaned desperately as Ivy kept fucking through the aftershock, until his own muscles were like water and he could hear both of their heartbeats thundering. Even if Two told him not to stop, he knew they were both done. He pushed and pulled out one last time, savoring every precious second of their connection. Maybe he’d die tomorrow, and he’d never get to show Two love like this again. Maybe, he’d die right now as he gently removed himself, each slide of skin on skin like setting fire down his veins.

“I think we’re going to kill each other,” Ivy huffed out, pushing to hold himself up by his hands and knees over Two’s frame. He could see each shuddering rise and fall of his chest and the beads of sweat on his pale skin. Ivy’s hypersensitivity to everything, since turning, didn’t stop at just smells and taste. It made it practically impossible to exist in the undertow of ecstasy, and this was only the first time. He didn’t think it was entirely out of the question that Two would kill him, eventually.

“How can anyone have sex as a vampire and not fucking explode?” Ivy asked, looking into Two’s fucked out blue eyed gaze. He was so beautiful, it was to the point that Ivy was sure he’d ruin him entirely- if he hadn’t already.

“I don’t know. That was my first time. And I did fucking explode,” Two mumbled, still shaking and lost in the waves of his orgasm. And Ivy hardly had to touch him. He felt a little smugness inside of him at that, and wondered how Two felt about it all- if he ever came from that sort of stimulation before.

“Are you okay?” he whispered. He’d love to get lost in his own exhausted pleasure, but Two was more important. He crawled off of him, going to lay beside him and forcing his own weakened muscles into submission to pull him into his lap.

“Yes. I’ll tell you all about it once I can get my mind to work,” Two mumbled, not even bothering to open his eyes as he laid like dead weight in Ivy’s hold. He would wait until later to ask him everything he wanted to ask, to sate his curiosity on Two’s feelings towards the whole thing. Right now, they just needed to take care of each other. “Are you okay, moon?”

“I think I just saw God,” he said, and now that they were both checked in, he closed his eyes and breathed through the aftermath. They’d both certainly have to shower, and change the sheets, but it could all wait. Nothing in the world could beckon him away from melting into his lover and listening to the sound of his rapid heart rate slowing. Nothing else could matter.

Chapter Text

Two stared at his naked body in the fogged up bathroom mirror for the second time that day- only this time his skin was covered in loving marks. Pretty purple bruises and tiny puncture sites from Ivy’s teeth on his hips and throat. They’d be gone in a few hours, though he didn’t want them to be. They were a reminder of Ivy’s worship, his unyielding attempts to show Two what sex could look like when it was kind and loving.

In the recent past, whenever Two looked at himself, he didn’t feel like he owned his body. He could feel strangers' hands on it, the way he was held onto like a possession. Something to gain from, something to take. Ivy didn’t take, he gave. He didn’t possess, he revered. He chased away the pain that was knitted into Two’s being, replacing it with something warm. So, now, when Two looked at himself, he didn’t recall any horrible past time. No one else’s eyes, no one else’s hands. Just his lover’s soft lips and gentle words; and the perfect, suffocating affection.

Afterwards, Ivy had washed him clean of the mess on his skin, kissed him with no end goal, told him repeatedly how good he was. How beautiful, how perfect. Two never thought those kinds of words would belong to him, it made him want to cry. He didn’t think he’d ever cried from something good before.

He held back his tears, though. Squeezed his eyes shut against the overwhelming emotion. He knew he could be vulnerable with Ivy, considering what they had just done. But, Two was still chiseling away at his own walls, and that just wasn’t something he could get himself to do. He didn’t want to talk about why it made him emotional, even if Ivy already half knew. It wasn’t the right time.

Ivy had stepped out after their shower to change the sheets, and Two was thankful for the few minutes alone. Not because he wanted to be away- in fact, he was sure this would only make the magnetism stronger, and he’d never want to be away again. But, because he needed the time with himself. The time to stand in everything he was, everything that got him to this point, and just feel it. Allow himself to feel happy, instead of thinking he didn’t deserve it. And, besides, he wasn’t naive. He knew the second he stepped out of this room, real life would continue. The threat that joined the four of them by their backs didn’t cease to exist, no matter how badly he wanted it to.

Saddened by the fact that he likely wouldn’t find the time to be alone in peace with his lover for a long while, he begrudgingly got dressed and exited the bathroom. It was time for serious conversation, for the exact opposite of what he just experienced.

“Vessel wants to talk to us,” Ivy said as Two entered their bedroom. He was tidying the room, and he was so adorable. It made Two want to bite him. Affectionately, of course.

“I know,” Two told him, moving to help pick up their discarded clothes from the floor. Vessel didn’t tell Two he wanted to talk, he could just feel it like an omen. Something he couldn’t outrun.

“How do you feel?” Ivy asked, walking up to Two and wrapping his arms around him, holding his head back to look him in the eyes.

“Sore,” Two said with a laugh. Ivy frowned at him, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose.

“I’m sorry, love.”

“No, it’s okay,” Two assured, smiling up at him. He meant it, it was fine. He’d expected it, in any case, and also knew that it would be gone soon as well. “Though, it is your fault for having a big dick.”

“Oh. My bad that I was blessed,” Ivy hissed, playfully affronted.

“You call that a blessing? I call that big dick problems,” Two teased, pulling away from their embrace to face their cryptid six foot two problem, waiting for them downstairs.

“I think it’s your problem. Not mine.” Ivy stepped in front of him, leading the way out the door.

“Ohhh, you prick!” Two giggled, smacking Ivy gently on his ass.

“Hey!” Ivy squealed, covering his ass with his hands and running down the stairs. Two descended the stairs like a normal person, laughing at his boyfriend the whole time.

“What are you creatures giggling about?” Vessel asked as Two entered the living room behind a still snickering Ivy.

“Two smacked my ass!”

“He said his big dick was my problem!” Two yowled, then jerked his head back involuntarily at what he said. It only made Ivy laugh harder, and Vessel just stared at him open-mouthed. “Sorry.”

“You guys freak me out,” Vessel said, but when he looked at Ivy and his shaking shoulders, he was chuckling too.

“I thought we were having a serious convo, why do you guys sound like hyenas?” Three grumbled as he walked in.

“Ivy said-”

“No! Don’t tell him what I said,” Ivy yipped at Two, wiping at his watery eyes.

“Wait, don’t leave me out. What did Ivy say?” Three whined, sitting on the couch next to Vessel, who was still giggling quietly.

“He said Two can’t take his big dick,” Vessel said, and Two thought his eyes were gonna pop out of his head.

“That is not what he said!” Two squealed, his cheeks growing hotter by the second.

“Oh my god? Ivy, why would you say that!”

“I didn’t say that!”

“Can you all shut the fuck up!?” Two shouted, and the three of them just stared at him for a moment, until they were doubling over laughing once again.

“Fine, fine,” Ivy said, out of breath. Two grabbed him by his hand and pulled him backwards to the couch opposite Vess and Three.

“Serious conversation. No talking about Two’s dick taking abilities,” Vessel surmised.

“Oh my god. Hold me back, I’m gonna jump him,” Two whispered to Ivy.

“I’ll help you,” Ivy told him, and they shared one last giggle before Vessel was standing up to grab an ancient looking journal from the coffee table.

“What’s that?” Two asked.

“Vessel robbed a grave for it,” Three informed. Like it was normal. Two had no doubt that Vessel actually did that. Didn’t even cross his mind that it could be a joke.

“Oh!” Ivy huffed, staring wide eyed at his best friend and the dirty journal. It had a symbol painted in white lines across the front. Like a crown, of sorts.

“It was owned by the man who owned the manor,” Vessel explained, and Two was very intrigued.

“What’s in it?” Ivy questioned.

“Come here, I’ll show you,” Vessel beckoned. Two and Ivy got up, moving to squeeze next to their friends on the other couch, and Vessel opened the journal. The pages were covered in fancy, ancient scrawl. Dirty and yellowed from decades spent exposed to oxygen, then decades spent buried underground.

Two’s eyes scanned the pages as Vessel flipped through them, until he landed on one specific page that was marked with a neon yellow sticky note.

“Read,” Vessel requested, passing the book to Two. Ivy tucked his face over Two’s shoulder, reading along with him.

I am visited, in my dreams. Every night, something uninvited is calling to me. It is time I question if it is my aging brain, time that I face that I am no longer who I was. Yet still, I have a feeling that my home is not mine. That I have built on something that should’ve been left undisturbed. He tells me that I have saved Him, that I will be the One to set things back to rights. But what are rights?

At times I think to let him have it, my mind. If only to be set free from the constant screaming. My wife and my children fear for me, as I fear for myself. I go somewhere, when I am asleep. Somewhere, I do not know. I am writing now as a documentation. To remind myself, perhaps. If I am to be lost to madness.

Vessel silently reached over Two, flipping to another page further into the journal, marked with another neon note.

It has begun that I am sleepwalking. Waking up in the attic, dripping sweat off my body. I tell Him that He can have it. That I am done. I don’t want what is promised to me. I don’t want to give Him what He asks of me. I know there is evil here. I know that I have made a mistake.

“Well, fuck,” Two whispered, a chill blowing over his skin like the breath of a ghost. Another page, another all too familiar story. Vessel turned to somewhere halfway in, where the ink scrawled until the rest of the pages were horribly empty.

I have done what I was asked. There is no choice. No choice. No choice. I remember a time where I was my own. Choices. My hands are cracked and bleeding. But it is done. The carvings are made, the words are sealed. My children and my wife made their choice. They left me here, in my despair. In my Sleep. My nightmare among awakeness. Tonight, my choice will be made by Him. My choice.

The four of them sat in silence for some time. Just staring at the last dot of ink on the page, sitting with the insinuation of what had happened.

“Carvings, words,” Ivy began, breaking the silence, and Two felt a tremble work through his bones. “He made that chair.”

“He’s One?” Two asked, looking up at Vessel’s steady gaze. “But. You’re One.”

“He died,” Vessel whispered, staring into Two’s eyes, waiting for him to make the connection, like he always did.

“You’re not the first One,” Two said, and Vessel nodded. “The others only did not succeed.”

“Clever, Two,” Vessel hummed. Two didn’t feel very clever, he felt horrified. He felt inhabited, like if he clawed off his skin there would be something beneath. Like he was never walking his own path, only one laid out before him for eternity.

“I’m gonna throw up,” Three whimpered. And even though he was being a total idiot, Two wasn’t far off from agreeing. He swallowed roughly, trying his best to cling to the warmth of Ivy leaning on him to chase away the sudden freezing in his bones.

“The cycle must end,” Vessel said, his words like steel. Strong and cold, rooted in immovable resolve.

“And it will,” Two agreed. He might’ve tried to sound like Vessel. To sound clear and level headed, but it came out flat. He wondered how Vessel could do it, how he could cope with what had been handed to him- what had been handed to all of them.

“I have something to confess,” Two whispered, reaching his hand up to card his fingers through the soft strands of Ivy’s hair. The three of them only waited in silence for Two to continue.

“I have been… visited. By something, as well. But, I don’t think it’s the same thing. I think it’s whatever- whoever- showed Ivy the runes-”

“Vessel was shown something, too!” Three interrupted, like he was excited to have something to share. Cute.

“Oh?” Two questioned.

“The journal. I was shown where it was, in my dreams. Well, not dreams. Somewhere in the middle,” Vessel explained, and Two felt a little dumb for keeping his secret for this long. Maybe they would’ve been farther into painting the picture, if he could only be more open.

“I guess I’ve not been shown anything, really. Just visited when I’m- like you said- somewhere in between sleeping and awake,” Two told them, continuing his soft touches in Ivy’s hair.

“I might have something to confess, too,” Three added, glancing wary eyes between the other three.

“What, you’re gay?” Vessel asked dryly.

“Fuck you. No-”

“You’re not gay? What the fuck are we doing then?” Vessel prodded, earning a flick on the forehead from his boyfriend.

“No! I am gay! Why am I even reiterating that. Jesus, anyway- I’ve seen it, too. What you all are speaking of. I just thought I was having some real crazy sleep paralysis.”

“And you didn’t think to mention?” Ivy hissed.

“Um, as far as I can tell, none of you thought to mention!” Three yowled.

“Touché,” Ivy conceded. “So, what does it mean?”

“I think it’s trying to help us. Has to be, right? I mean, why would it show Ivy the rune translation, and Vessel where the journal is? I don’t think Sleep would want us to know these things,” Two said, and he had been thinking that for a while now. At first, he was horrified by his apparition, because, of course he would be. Though, the more he learned, the more he wasn’t so sure to follow his earlier judgement. Maybe it’s beckoning hand wasn’t towards death, but towards salvation.

“I think you’re right, lovey,” Vessel agreed. “So, now we go along with your plan and hope we don’t get stuck on the other side.”

“Yay,” Ivy grumbled, shoving his face into the space between Two’s neck and shoulder. “Why can't we just do normal people things like commit tax fraud?”

“I think we are committing tax fraud,” Three pointed out, and Two nodded. Fortunately for Two, he never did get used to the comfort of ‘normal people things’. This was just another horror, something he couldn’t be away from.

He hated to make light of the situation, but it was hard not to when Ivy pressed a gentle kiss to the side of his neck. Reminding him, always, that he wasn’t alone. That he’d never be alone again. So, maybe he was thankful, in a fucked up, twisted sort of way. If it wasn’t for their malevolent deity, Two wouldn’t have found Ivy. Or any of them, he supposed. He wouldn’t have a family sitting in his living room, forcing him to find comfort in what was once an inconvenience to him.

Remembering the time that he hid away from them like a wraith was like remembering a book that he had read long ago. Like he was another person. He had hated that he didn’t belong with them, even though he did, all along. Here, pressed close to their unyielding warmth, he belonged.

Chapter Text

Vessel

Days had passed like the quick, silent steps of a fox. Fleeting, unable to be grasped upon. And now, Vessel’s steps were silent, though not quick. He walked like a wraith, a reaper coming to vanquish something that was stronger than him. The flagstones were as familiar to him as Three’s bedroom floor. Not safe, not comforting, but his feet knew each weathered crack, each dip and fall.

As he passed beneath the inscription above the door, he thought it might mean more now than it ever did. Because, he would die. He would be entombed in a sacrifice, his worth tested in the blood that he would relinquish.

“We go up,” Vessel muttered to his three silent companions, leading the way to the grand staircase. He could feel them behind him like tethers tied to his own bones, connected to him- connected through him.

He was not afraid, he’d long forgotten the feeling. Fear was an old friend, something he knew so intimately, only to be set free like the first soaring flight of a once caged bird. Maybe that's what’s wrong with him. Maybe, somewhere in the motherboard, his code was misaligned. Wires crossed and unplugged.

To him, this was immovable. This was his choice, the slow downward drift of his feathers. He clipped his wings, he fell so far; into depths and elevations that at some point, he had to stop questioning it. Madness was intertwined in a life he once lived, and forgone in this death he now walked in. Why try to make sense of something that was undefinable? Why try to find purpose in something he had no control over?

“Vessel?” Two spoke up, his voice rough like always.

“Yes?” He didn’t turn back to look at him as they ascended the squeaking wooden stairs, just continued their laborious progression through the labyrinth of decay.

“What if it doesn’t work?” Two whispered. Vessel could feel his fear like the taste of metal in his mouth. It had been something to get used to when he first met Ivy, the sense of his emotions flooding into Vessel’s own. His joy, like honey on his tongue; the smell of recently passed rain whenever he was sad. The worst was his pain, the physical kind. It was suffocating, acidic and throat clogging. He’d do anything to be rid of the taste, he’d do anything to carve out the agony that Ivy felt.

He hadn't expected it, of course, when he met Three. Ivy was the only one that shared his tastes and smells, sometimes a rhythm in Vessel’s mind, in tune with whatever Ivy was feeling. And then it was Three’s rhythm, the constant pulse of his energy. The citrusy flavor, the scent of something mouthwatering and exciting.

It took some time for Vessel to start noticing Two’s emotions, and not for lack of connection. The connection was there, only Two’s outward feelings were not. It was faint, like when you’re ill and nothing tastes right. Dull, nearly out of sight entirely.

Until it was overwhelming, building tenfold as the days went on. Dark chocolate and the scent of sweet flowers whenever Two and Ivy were in the same room. Vessel considered he knew that Two loved Ivy before Two even knew for himself. And even if sometimes the readings of his friends' emotions were suffocating, he was often thankful for it. He never told them. It was a secret for himself, and maybe that made him a bad person. He wasn’t sure.

“It will work,” Vessel replied, and felt the rough waves in Two settling just a little bit.

They went up, through circles of Hell trapped inside the manor, until they were clambering into the attic. It was stiflingly hot, despite the chilled air of the night on the outside. Sweat gathered on Vessel’s skin, turning the tattoos on his arms slick and shining.

“That’s harrowing,” Three hissed, his eyes glued to sigils painted in red along the floor boards, covered in a thick layer of dust and malevolent magic.

“Certainly,” Ivy squeaked, dancing his feet around the red lines like he was afraid to step on them.

Vessel considered it might be time for heartfelt sentiments, in the case that he also might become something trapped inside the manor. Though, something inside of him stopped him from speaking, his throat closing around the words he should be saying.

As he locked eyes with Three, he felt the words bubble up and fade away like morning fog evaporating against the sun. He was slipping, he was falling deep into predatory claws and teeth.

“Come on, let’s do it,” Vessel huffed at his lover. He didn’t need the metallic taste to know Three was terrified, he could see it in his eyes, in the barely there tremble of his hands as he moved forward.

“You should lay down,” Two directed, setting a match to black candles that littered the floor. Vessel watched him for a moment, the way he moved so assuredly, seemingly without fear, without apprehension. But underneath, Two was petrified. Not just now, not just when they met, but always. He hid it well, and Vessel would let him continue to do so.

Vessel sank to his knees, feeling the weight of useless armor on his back. It never mattered how much he tried to protect himself, he would’ve always ended up here.

“Are you sure about this?” Three questioned as he knelt before him, setting his hand beneath Vessel’s chin to force him to look at him. He cringed at whatever he saw there, at whatever darkness was lingering in Vessel’s visage.

“I am not weak,” Vessel responded, licking his tongue along his own fangs, setting his jaw, grinding his teeth.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“That is what you insinuate,” he said, the words grating against his dry throat.

“You will die,” Three whispered, placing enough emphasis on the words that it should’ve made Vessel feel afraid. It should’ve made him feel like prey, the instinctual need to flee. He only felt the chains locking into place behind him, the gates opening in front of him. There was no way back, only forwards.

This is what he was created to do. He’d died once before, let this one be the final. Let this be the flood.

“I will be what I am,” Vessel hissed, his words sounding serpentine to his own ears. He moved then, down until his back was to the rotten, red painted floorboards.

Three moved closer to him, unable to escape what would happen next. “I love you,” he whispered, and somewhere in the back of Vessel’s mind he was screaming- telling Three that he loved him, that maybe he was afraid. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was still him. Still the person that he was before he twisted his fingers into games of fate. The person that would’ve loved Three like he should have, like he deserved to be loved.

In the end, Vessel said nothing as Three leaned over him and sunk his teeth into his throat. He said nothing in retaliation of the burning agony, he didn’t make a sound. Silent, and screaming. Living, and dying.

He had laid on the floor dying once before, and his cries did nothing but damn him. His desperate pleas were to blame for this. Three drained him quickly, his deep swallows the only sound as Vessel’s mind started to drift away into the abyss.

As blackness swallowed him whole, he tasted Three’s sadness. Such a rare taste from his lover, such a horrible thing. This was their fate, all along, damned to love and to die. Three couldn’t resist it, he couldn’t tear the binding sutures from his skin. All he could do was drink, until Vessel was gone. Off to walk the familiar flagstones of Hell.

Chapter Text

Vessel

A choking sound ripped out of him until there was crimson splattering onto the crystal white sand. His hands were buried beneath it, his knees itchy against the grains. And he was still coughing, still spitting blood onto the ground, like something was trying to crawl out of him.

A crushing weight on his trembling naked back, the sound of tides rushing forth in his ears. And as he tried to push himself up in the sand, he almost fell backwards. Disoriented, but it was more than that.

The burning sun blazed against his back, casting his shadow on the shoreline before him. It was his shadow as he knew it, and a wingspan peeking out from behind his shoulders, turning the sand gray in the shade. A lone, black feather floated downward until it was snatched by the rising tide that brushed his knees.

It was not death as he knew it, this place was not where he had gone before. The sun was bright, causing him to squint at the light reflecting off the sand that went on for miles- for eternity.

Vessel felt that heavy pull backwards; from the weight of his wings, and the weight of his own mind. He thought it would be nice to lay down, to let the sun warm his freezing skin and sink into absolution. It felt like the hands of a lover, of a God, flat on his chest, nudging him back into comforting oblivion. Into the certainty of death.

Though, in the back of his mind, stuck like a cramp in his jaw, he knew he had a goal. There was a reason he was here, and there was a reason to get back. Three pairs of blue eyes, the taste of honey on his tongue.

“Why am I here?” Vessel asked into the endless horizon, and his voice was loud against the almost total silence.

“You are dead,” came a voice. Feminine and beautiful, curling into the spaces between his ribs and sending more feathers into the sand as he looked around for its source.

“I know that. But why am I here?” he questioned, pushing himself up to stand. He thought he’d fall backwards once he got there, but he held his wings now like they were always there, always a part of him. “Where are you?”

“I am in the water, in the sky, in the sand, in you,” she whispered, and Vessel wanted to nod along with her words; like he always knew what she said to be true. “Do you know me?”

“I know you,” Vessel hummed. It didn’t matter that he was quiet, for she could hear him even without words being spoken. “I need to end this, can you tell me how?”

“You know how, you don’t need me to tell you.”

“I was trying to get to Him, but you brought me here,” Vessel said, his gaze trained to the lapping waves in front of him.

“Have you been missing them?”

“Missing what?” Vessel asked, turning around to find nothing but white sand and the burning sun behind him.

“Your wings,” she said, and if Vessel could see her, she’d be smiling.

“Yes, but I know they are not mine to keep. I cannot stay here,” he whispered, even if he felt that internal pull towards sinking into oblivion. He had wanted it before, did he want it now?

No- there was something he had to return to. “Can you help me, please? Like you helped me find the journal?”

“I am helping you,” she stated. Vessel was starting to get a tad annoyed with his deity, if he was being honest. He had something to accomplish, something to set to rights. But, what are rights?

She began anew when Vessel remained silent, “Think about what He made you do, One. Did you ever understand it? Was there ever a clear end goal in the travesty?”

“No,” he whispered, the water lapping at his bare feet now. It was warmed by the light of the sun, beckoning him forth. He just didn’t know what was the right choice; into the water, or into the sand.

“He has been testing you. Your strength, your loyalty-”

“I am not loyal to Him,” Vessel growled.

“No, you are not. You are afraid.”

Her words hit him like an arrow between his wings, loosed into the long, rough scar on his back. He felt a sudden desperation, a pull from both sides. To go forth, or to go backwards.

He had been afraid, even before he was Ascended. Like an animal, baring its teeth in a feeble attempt at survival. But, did an animal bare its teeth because it yearned to keep living? Or, because it was the only thing it knew to do? Driven by instinct to continue whatever purpose it had on Earth, not because it wanted to see the trees and bask in the sunlight.

“I do not know what I am afraid of,” he whispered. It was fatally honest, like peeling back the layers of his skin, baring his weakest parts to nothing at all and everything all at once. “I would say I am afraid to live, that I do not want it. But, am I not afraid to die? Is that not why I am doing this? Because I don’t want it to be over?”

He’d wanted it all to be over once before- had yearned to be away from his own pain, his own mind. He thought maybe death would be peaceful, like sun rays washing over his bare, wounded skin. Maybe, he was afraid of death, if not by his own hand. A choice he could make, not to be taken by anyone else. A certainty that only he could claim.

“And what if it is both? You are afraid to live, and you are afraid to die? Do you think there is something on the precipice that you might miss if it is over?”

“I think so,” Vessel said, and the water before him looked different now. Like the shade of familiar blue eyes. Three pairs of eyes, citrus on his tongue.

“Do you understand why I brought you here?”

“Because you didn’t think I would be able to come back from Hell? That I wasn’t ready?”

“You are not ready, but you will be. Your fear is what makes you alive, One. Your fear to live, your fear to accept. Your enemy wants you just as you were, numb and weak-”

“I am not weak,” he said, and she let out a twinkling laugh.

“No, you are not. But, you were becoming too easy to manipulate. The tasks, the turning of others- they were tests for what He truly wants from you. He has lost too many others, He is running out of time. And so are you. So am I.”

He felt it then, a thirst for something. Indescribable, insatiable. He moved forward, deeper into the water.

“You are my last hope, do you understand?” She whispered, and there was desperation in her, too. Desperation for Vessel to finish this, though he wouldn’t be able to if he got stuck here. He had to get back. “Go,” she urged.

“Wait,” Vessel called, the water lapping at his waist now. “What about the others? What does He want from them? Why did He say they belong to me?”

“Go!” She yelled, and Vessel could do nothing but dive into the water, his question forever unanswered.

The tides sucked him down, dragging him beneath until his lungs were screaming. He tumbled through the nothingness, and considered that he made the wrong choice. Maybe the sand was the right way. Maybe he was destined to be buried.

His wings were so heavy now, like the weight of Gods on his shoulders as he sunk into oblivion. Though, even as the water forced itself into his mouth and he swallowed it down restlessly, he was filled with sudden resolve. A purpose that went beyond doing what he was created to do. He had been reborn, and he’d not waste his chance this time.

He drank down the water like it was Holy, like it was oxygen, until he could feel the pull of something else. Not the depths or the elevations, but something that felt like home.

He followed the feeling, until everything was quiet, until he tasted overwhelming relief on his tongue, and heard the three rhythms that were so much like his own. He was opening his eyes, gasping through the blood that was being forced down his throat. And this time there was no white sand, no water and no sun. Just terrified blue eyes staring down at him, and the scent of sweet flowers.