Vessel X Reader/OC (Sleep token)

Chapter 22

He takes a deep breath.

"Let's go somewhere quiet, eh?" He suggests, and takes me back to his tent.
I chew my nail, anxious, and avoid eye contact with him.

"Alicia told you that I was not going to let you go for her own gain. That was cruel, and I despise her for it. But it's not incorrect. I have tried, hard, to plead with our god, but he has very little mercy to give. Sleep feels that it is necessary that you stay here indefinitely. You committed multiple acts we consider crimes, and he feels this is adequate punishment. Besides, he sees the potential in you, should you convert."

"So you'll keep me captive here, forever?"

He clears his through.
"Indefinitely, yes."

"It's forever, isn't it?"

"It looks that way."

I stare at him, in complete shock.
"Why would you lie to me, for all this time?"

He steps closer to me, and shows me his palms. They're covered in horrific scars and cuts, new and old.
"I tried to change your fate. Praying, blood sacrifices. I hoped we'd never had to have this conversation. I love you, Iris, but I wanted you to go back where you belong. Believe me, I did not choose this."

I stare into space, in complete shock, for a few seconds, and he takes a step closer, presumably planning to comfort me, or something. I glare at him, and he doesn't take another step.

"I know it's not easy to see right now, Iris, but you're one of us. You know our religion is no fairy tale, you've seen everything first hand. I don't believe your car breaking down and you finding us was anything other than fate."

I quickly pour a glass of wine, and chug the glass. I calm myself down, and drink more to avoid a panic attack, all while Vessel watches me carefully.
"What can I do to help?" He asks me, tilting his head.

"Can you have never existed?" I ask him, and he stays quiet. His mask is on, so I don't really see if I've hurt him, but the silence really is defeaning.

"I just don't understand why you kept it from me this long."

"I told you, I tried to fix it. And even after, I hoped maybe you'd make the decision to stay on your own."

"And if I did make that decision, would you have ever told me I didn't have a choice?" I ask him, pretty much ready to stab him.

He takes his mask off, places it on the piano, and sighs.
"I don't know."

"Can I ask something else?"

"You can."

"If he wanted me dead. Could you do it? Would you?"

He sighs again.
"I can have another tent built for you. Take as much time as you need to process everything, you have Persephone, and I'm here if you need me. Alec and Joff, too.

I fold my arms.
"So you'd do it?"

"Of course not. But he would not ask that of me. I might be loyal, but there's mutual respect between us. It's in his best interests that the woman I love is unharmed."

"I don't feel unharmed, Vessel."

He looks down, slightly.
"I couldn't have been there every time someone wanted to hurt you, though I did try."

His face makes me feel so damn guilty, and I breathe a big, heavy sigh.

Vessel takes my knife out of his pocket, and throws it to me. I catch it, and look down at it.
"If you run, I have to chase you. But there's a sure way to get out of here. I can't come after you if you slit my throat."

"We've been here before. I couldn't stab you even if I wanted to. You're too strong."

"I won't resist."

"You'll stand still as I cut your throat?" I ask him, and he nods once, confidently.

I look down at the knife, and back up at him.

I think about it. Of course I do. I look at his face, again, and angrily throw the knife at him, just cutting his cheek. He barely even flinches.

"I'm not a killer. And you know that. Not really. You just want to give me a choice to kill you so you can say it's my choice to be here."

"I wouldn't dream of manipulating you. You know I love you, I can't make that much clearer." He says, quietly, as he wipes the blood from his cheek.

"This is too much." I say, still trying to keep calm.

He sighs, sits on his bed, and runs his fingers through his hair, looking stressed and frustrated.

"I don't have much else to say." Vessel says, and buries his face in his hands. I felt pretty crappy too. I guess none of this is his fault. But, at the same time, fuck him.

With a heavy sigh, and I assume with the help of alcohol, I find some bandages and kneel beside Vessel.

I take his hand, and he's so shocked that he says nothing. Gently, I clean the cuts, and wrap them up.

"You're not angry?" He asks, confused.

"I'm fucking infuriated. But these cuts are nasty."

"I really wish things weren't like this." He says, quietly.

"Change the record." I snap at him, and he nods.

"Fair enough. Meaning well has no benefit to you."

I stay quiet.

"I want to give you something." He says, and removes one of the two thick silver rings his has on his finger. "I've had these for as long as I can remember. They're a part of me."

He holds his hand out, asking for me to give him mine, and I think about it. I get up, and walk out of the tent.