Sleep Token Vessel One-shots

Confession (pt. 1)

"I saw Vessel with a fangirl earlier. She was all over him." iv chuckled, shaking his head. "Fans just don't understand limits sometimes, huh. Like, come on. You don't even know him. Weirdos, the lot of 'em. Sometimes..." he continued, ranting on and on. You nodded politely, but truly you weren't able to pay attention. You enjoyed listening to iv talk generally, but this had struck a chord with you.

You and Vessel had been close friends for almost a full year now, as you had been traveling consistently with the band to help out with technical things. Even though neither party explicitly hinted at anything more than friendship, the tension between the both of you was difficult to ignore. Friends and band members would joke, especially iv and iii, at the romance between the both of you, but the conversation would always get brushed away somehow. It wasn't really a priority of yours to begin a relationship, and you were certain Vessel would never be interested in the likes of you. However, anytime you considered being with someone romantically, Vessel always managed to surface in your mind. Anyone else flirting or trying to get close with you was uncomfortable, only your friendship with him truly felt right.

Really, the thing was... you were scared. Scared of what would happen if you got rejected. Fearing distance if things didn't work out- he just meant so much to you. Vessel was always there when you needed him. The only one that seemed to understand you through and through. The only one who knew how to comfort you, who understood what you've been through and how you express yourself. He never judged you, always knew how to make you smile, and constantly filled your heart and mind with peace. He meant everything to you; you couldn't even begin to comprehend losing him over a failed romantic attempt. You couldn't stand to bear the thought of things being awkward between you two- but at the same time, the thought of him being with someone else was agonizing.

As you sit, running your hands through your hair, you flip through these thoughts over and over in your mind. Finally realizing something was up, iv paused and looked at you with concern. "Y/n? Everything okay?" he muttered quietly so no one else would overhear. "What? Oh- yeah everything's fine. Just not feeling too well physically. I'm gonna go lay down I think. Sorry." you spout as if rehearsed, and yet all too quickly. Iv nods, eyebrows furrowed in a mix of concern and confusion. "Alrighty. Hope you feel better  soon lass." he pats you on the back gently.

"What's wrong, y/n?" says a familiar voice behind you. You turn quickly to face Vessel, who's towering over you suddenly, as per usual. The sight of his familiar, concerned face and the remembrance of the information you just heard caused a deep pang to vibrate through your chest. "Nothing, Ves. Just not feeling well." you mutter, avoiding eye contact. Of course, this doesn't fool him- he knows you all too well for that. "Come talk to me?" Vessel asks, resting a hand on your shoulder.

There's no way you could say no to talking with him now, so you let him lead you outside. You're terrified, but exhausted from keeping your feelings inside. You're practically losing your mind at this rate, so you convince yourself there's no way the outcome of being honest with your best friend is worse than how you feel now.

So finally, trembling with anxiety, you turn to him and look him dead in the eyes. "Ves, there's something I need to be honest with you about."

To be continued...