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Nothing had gone right.
The lights didn't sync up properly to the music. He started singing the wrong lyrics for the wrong song, not realizing their set list had been altered and the order of the songs had shifted. The strings on iv's guitar broke not once, not twice, but 3 times. His mic cut out on several occasions. The speakers randomly went out in the middle of a song. The crowd wasn't feeling it. They were quiet and there had been little that would move them. Even iii's stage presence wasn't enough to get any significant reaction from the crowd when normally he kept them eating out the palm of his hands. One of the backup singer's almost fainted from heat exhaustion when what little cool air that reached the stage stopped flowing. A strap on his mask broke and he had to quickly rig it in the mere seconds between songs least it fall off mid performance. Their techs had been working overtime to try and fix the issues as they arose but it was all too late and the ritual was considered a failure.
Vessel stood backstage, his fists balled up tightly as he listened to his head tech go over the issues they had found, the quick fixes that had been made that certainly weren't going to last, and the list of equipment they needed to replace immediately verses what could wait for a bit. He was tense as iv inspected every guitar, fixing the strings on the ones that had broken and making sure none of the others would have the same mishap. He grinded his teeth, jaws clenched so tightly shut that his jaw ached, as ii and iii discussed what went wrong and what they could possibly do to prevent it from happening again at the next ritual. He folded his arms across his chest and dug his nails into his biceps as their touring manager told him merch sales from their booth were at all time low and barely any stock moved. He had to repress a growl as one of the backup singers told him the posts surfacing on social media were far from pleasant and people were being hyper critical of the ritual.
His voice remained calm with each reply he made and his movements stayed fluid and effortless. But his anger was clearly on display in the subtle body language he displayed. His fellow vessels and stage help made way for him as he walked through the backstage area. He was careful to not stomp his feet or move to hurriedly. The venues crew stared on in amazement and wonder, not seeing the signs he clearly displayed of his anger but simply seeing a man remain cool, calm, and collected in the aftermath of a devastating storm. But his bandmates and his crew knew better. This was a carefully crafted calm before the storm. And so when he left the venue before everything was taken down and ready to go, no one said anything.
*************
Sleep had come easily that night for her. Her normal tossing, turning, and laying in bed for hours awake just wondering why she couldn't shut her mind off despite being so exhausted were no where to be seen as she laid in Vessel's bed, covered with plush blankets, soft sheets, and resting her head on some of the most comfortable pillows she had ever had the pleasure of using. The last thing she remembered thinking was that she needed to ask Vessel where he got his pillows from.
Her sleep was dreamless. Just quiet and peaceful.
She didn't wake when the front door of the manor was opened so roughly Vessel thought he broke the hinges. She didn't wake to the sounds of him storming through the downstairs to the kitchen, opening and slamming shut cabinets as he looked for a quick meal to eat. She didn't hear the sounds of harsh footfalls ascending the stairs and making their way to his bedroom. She didn't wake when the door was pushed open so roughly that the knob left a dent in the wall and slammed shut so hard that the frame groaned and threatened to crack from the force.
Vessel stood at the door, staring at his occupied bed. She had never taken him up on his open invitation to stay the night at the manor. He had expected to come home to an empty house and an equally empty bed. But he stood there in the dim light that filtered through the curtains of his room watching as she peacefully slept through his outbursts. He clutched the glass in his hand so tightly he swore the glass should have broken in his palm as he slowly made his way to stand at the bedside.
She looked so peaceful. Her face was serene and beautiful in the low light. The slow and steady rise and fall of her chest was a stark contradiction to the heavy rise and fall of his own. Her relaxed body mocked him as every muscle in his own body tensed more. It was clear that she was at peace in her slumber while his mind was a raging storm brought on from the nights events.
He sat the glass down on his nightside table, never taking his eyes off of her. His mind wondered into places he knew it shouldn't while she lay asleep in his bed. He thought of how much it would take to wake her up if she had slept through his entrance not only into the manor but into his room. He shrugged off his cloak, letting it fall to the floor before he took his mask off then his rings and necklaces, setting them next to his glass before he reached out and gently cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb along her cheekbone and noticing the smear of black paint that was left in its wake. He stared at it, transfixed on the mark he had left on her skin and how wonderful it looked. And his mind wondered further, imagining other marks he could leave on her.
I'm always here if you ever need to blow off some steam.
Even if it's in the middle of the night.
Of course.
What if you're asleep? Wouldn't I be bothering you?
Of course not! Who doesn't want to wake up to an orgasm?
He remembered the conversation they had had weeks prior and a grin slowly spread across his face. She looked so lovely. And as his mind raced with ideas. All he knew for certain was that he wanted to dishevel her in every way possible. Before him laid a feast and he was more then happy to partake in the meal.
He gripped the covers and slowly pulled them down, revealing more of her to him. The thin material of her top did little to hide her breast and the thin straps looked like they would break easily with the slightest tug on them. He paused long enough to make sure she wasn't going to wake up before he continued, pulling the blankets down further to reveal the matching shorts she wore, clinging tightly to her hips and leaving little for his imagination. He admired the curves of her body as she shifted and rolled over to her side, her back facing him as she curled up from the loss of warmth the blankets had provided. He frowned at the loss of his view but as his eyes traveled down her body to rest on her exposed thighs he grinned again. She looked so soft and so delicate and he knew this was a gift from his god. For what use was an angry vessel to a god whose dominion was over sleep and dreams?
His hand reached out, gripping her thigh tightly. He bit his bottom lip as he watched the way her flesh spilled out between his splayed fingers. His other hand rested on her hip before it slide under her top and traveled up along the soft skin of her side. It sent a shiver down Vessel's spine as he enjoyed the warmth and softness under his hands. He slowly climbed onto the bed, carefully watching her for signs that she may wake up. But when he saw none he tightened his grip on her and flipped her over to rest onto her back before he laid down next to her.
He didn't care that he was still covered in paint. It wouldn't show up on the dark linens that were on his bed. All that he cared about was that it would show up on her skin like a map of all the places his hands had been. He pressed a soft kiss against her cheek as his hand travel across her stomach to her hip before it made its way under her top. Slowly his hand traveled further up, his fingers barely touching her before he grabbed one of her breasts. He moaned softly against her cheek and when she still didn't stir, his smile turned into a more sadistic grin. "Oh my sweet doll. You're so good to me," he purred against her ear.
He shifted on the bed, moving to hover over her as he worked a knee between her legs and pushed them apart so he could settle between them. He propped himself up on an elbow as he leaned in and roughly kissed her lips. His free hand pushed her top up, not taking it off, before he grabbed a breast again and gave it a firm squeeze. His hips slowly grinded against hers seeking any friction he could get and he groaned against her mouth in satisfaction.
His lips traveled along her jaw and down to her neck, planting sloppy kisses and leaving behind a trail of black paint. He bit into her neck just hard enough to not wake her, careful not to break the skin, and sucked a bruise into her. He continued planting wet kisses along both sides of her neck, leaving behind a trail of small bruises from each bite. His grip on her breast tighten as he massaged it, grinning when he felt her nipple harden against his palm. He trailed his kisses lower, pausing long enough to glance at her neck and admire the marks of paint and bruises left behind in his wake that were barely visible in the low light. And she slept so peacefully through it.
He returned to trailing his kisses down her chest towards her breast that had been untouched and unmarked by the paint from his hands. The nipple had hardened and without a second thought he dipped his head further down and took it between his teeth, pulling it taunt before letting it go and wrapping his lips around it to suck on it. Her other breast was still in his hand as he pinched and tugged at her nipple. All he got in response from her was her back arching slightly and a soft, sleep-filled sigh escaping her lips. It was music to his ears as continued, his tongue flicking over one nipple while he rolled the other between his index finger and thumb.
His hips never stopped grinding into hers and it wasn't long before he noticed a subtle roll in her hips that finally turned his attention away from her breast. He planted a soft kiss between her breast as he looked up at her. "Does my doll want something else?" he purred lowly, knowing he wouldn't get a response. He chuckled lowly to himself as his hips bucked roughly into hers. Another soft sigh rose from her that made him grin as he started kissing down her torso, shifting as he traveled further down.
He hooked his fingers under her shorts waistband and slowly inched them lower, taking her panties down with them, biting at her hip where the band had previously sat and sucking a small bruise into her skin. He kissed from one hip to the other as he slowly tugged her shorts further down before he roughly yanked on them. He stopped as she stirred, shifting in the bed and muttering something under her breath that he couldn't quite hear. He planted a soft kiss on her hip, watching as she settled back down continued sleeping.
He sat up and shifted her legs so he could fully remove her shorts and toss them to the side to land by his cloak on the floor. He bite his bottom lip as he looked at her. There were trails of black paint smeared across her body from her neck down to her hips were he had been, the trail getting lighter as the paint rubbed off of him. He grabbed her legs and spread them as he shifted and slide further down on the bed before laying down again.
He bit into the soft flesh of her inner thigh, kissing the bruise that was forming before he trailed more kisses and more bites up to her hip then repeating on the other thigh. When he was satisfied with how many marks he had left on her he dipped his head down and kissed her slit. He planted several more soft kisses before he slide tongue between her folds, humming at the taste and smiling against her as he continued.
For all his fury earlier in the night that still settled deep within him, he took his time. The night was still young and there was no reason to rush. He enjoyed the way her hips would roll slightly when he flicked his tongue over her clit before he sucked on it. He loved how her thighs would close around his head instinctively when he teased her entrance, slowly circling it before he slide his tongue inside to taste her better. The soft sighs and low moans that escaped her were the loveliest melody he had ever heard each time he took a long and slow lick. There was no need to rush his pleasure. He would get his soon enough.
He reached up with one hand to grip her breast roughly again, using his arm to keep one of her legs open for him. His other hand slid up to trace his middle finger around her opening, teasing her some before he slowly slid it in to the last knuckle. He moaned against her as he felt her walls tighten around his finger. He pumped it in and out in rhythm to his licking for a moment before he slide his ring finger in. He shifted on the bed, getting onto his knees before he sat up and leaned over slightly as he worked his fingers in and out, pressing his palm to her clit to give her some friction where he knew she liked it the most. He kept a slow, steady pace as he watched her. Her hips were rolling more and there was a steady string of soft moans coming from her lips as her back arched more. He was careful to not work her to an orgasm just yet. He knew it would be what woke her and he wanted to enjoy her some more before she came to consciousness. When she woke up he wanted to be buried deep inside of her chasing his own pleasure and release with reckless abandon.
He curled his fingers inside her, teasing her walls and coaxing them to relax more. He let her breast go and with his now freed hand he worked at undoing his pants. It didn't take him long to undo the buckle of his belt. He didn't bother to take it off and instead worked on undoing the button of his jeans and getting the zipper down enough that he could push them down with one hand just enough to free his cock that was aching for attention. He continued working his fingers in and out to a slow rhythm as he wrapped his other hand around his cock and started slowly stroking himself, watching her the entire time to make sure she wasn't going to wake up until he was ready for her to.
After several minutes he finally couldn't take it anymore. He pulled his hand back from her, holding it up to look at how his fingers and palm glistened in the low light from her slick and mixed with the remaining paint on his hands. He would help her clean up the mess of paint he had left on her when he was done. He shifted on the bed once more, pushing his pants down and taking them off, kicking them to the floor before he crawled between her legs again. He propped himself up with a forearm as he gripped his cock and lined it up with her entrance. He gave her a gentle tease, dipping just the tip in before pulling it back out. He rested his forehead against hers as he lined himself up again. "You are so perfect. My sweet, little doll," he moaned.
With a single fluid motion of his hips he sank into her until he was fully buried inside of her. He let out a low moan and shuddered as her warmth surrounded him and her tight walls clenched around his cock as she adjusted to him. He gave her a moment, listening to the way her breath increased and the long, soft moan that she made as her hips bucked up slightly. His first few thrusts were slow and deliberate. He was savoring how she felt around him as he pulled almost all the way out only to slowly sink back in. She felt divine. And she looked divine as her breathing picked up even more and her body reacted, covered in his black paint and the bruises he had left on her soft skin.
But it became increasingly more obvious that the slow and gentle pace wasn't enough as he picked up his speed. Each thrust got harder and more forceful as he he got faster. He kept his forehead pressed against hers, wanting to see her expression when she came to and realized that just as she had finally taken him up on his offer to spend the night in the manor, he had taken her up on her offer to relieve some stress in the middle of the night. He wanted to watch her eyes open, filled with sleep and pleasure. He bit down on his bottom lip as he moaned loudly, chasing after the high that would come with his release.
Her body bounced under him from the force of each thrust and as her moans got louder and her hips bucked and rolled more to meet each thrust he knew she would be waking up soon. He was getting lost in how good she felt, her velvet walls clenching tighter and tighter around him with each thrust. He kept himself propped up on a forearm, sweat beginning to bead on him and mix with his paint as he worked himself into a lust fueled frenzy. His moans quickly turned into desperate whimpers, needed his release as each thrust got harder and his pace quickened to a bruising speed that left him unsure of whose hips would be more sore in the morning, hers or his.
"Wake up doll," he coaxed through loud moans and pathetic whines as he raised himself up onto his palms to give himself more leverage to try and go deeper. "Let me see those pretty eyes."
It wasn't long before she came to, her eyes slowly opening as a loud cry ripped from her throat. Her walls clamped around his cock like a vice forcing him to slow down just enough to ruin his quickly approaching orgasm. She looked just as beautiful as he thought she would. Her eyes half lidded from both sleep and lust as she came undone underneath him, just barely coming to before falling head first into bliss. It was just enough to keep him from being angry at the loss of his own release.
He slowed down and let her come down from her high, his hips now slowly rolling into hers so she could enjoy how he felt buried inside her. He kept himself propped up on his palms watching her expression as she bit into her bottom lip and rolled her hips up to meet his. Her hands reached up to lace her fingers together behind his neck as she looked up at him. "Mmm, good morning to you too," she cooed softly.
He could only chuckle as he started to pick his pace back up. He was far from being done now that his own release had been halted. He shifted his weight to one hand and with the other he gripped her throat, squeezing the sides just enough to make her feel light headed without fully restricting her breathing. She whined softly and let her head fall further back into the pillows, opening her neck up more for him. She moved her hands from behind his neck and gripped his shoulders tightly as each thrust got harder and faster as he worked back up to his previous pace, now only concerned with chasing his own orgasm.
Her nails dug into his shoulders and dragged down his biceps leaving red marks as the paint collected under nails. His stomach tightened, his own release approaching quickly. Normally he would have asked where she wanted him to finish but tonight he didn't care. His ritual had gone wrong in so many ways. Nothing had gone right. He deserved something good, something that would calm him and quiet the screaming voices in his head. He deserved to finish where he wanted to.
His moan turned into a loud whimper as he threw his head back, his hips slowing to a forceful bucking as he came inside her. Her walls clenched around him tightly again as she came with him with another loud bliss filled scream. Her walls fluttered around him, milking his cock for everything he had to give her. He let go of her throat and collapsed on top of her, wrapping one arm tightly around her shoulders as the other cradled her head against his shoulder. He panted, struggling to catch his breath as he shuddered still lost in the high of his own release. Her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.
Several minutes passed with him laying on top of her as he caught his breath and came down from his high. Finally, she patted his shoulder lightly. "You're crushing me darling."
He quickly let her go and propped himself up on one forearm. "Sorry doll," he chuckled as he leaned down and kissed her lips softly. She ran her fingers through his hair as she returned the kiss and hummed softly. When he broke the kiss he pulled out of her slowly, a shiver running down his spine as he did. He took a moment to look over her, biting his bottom lip again as he saw how many marks he left on her between the bruises and the paint and he watched his cum leak from her. "Made a bit of a mess of you didn't I," he chuckled as he laid down on his back next to her and pulled her close.
She snuggled into him, resting her head on his chest as she wrapped an arm around his waist and gave him a light squeeze. "Just means you get to help me clean up later." She smiled as she relaxed, not really caring about how much of a mess she was in the moment. "How was the ritual?" she asked as she lightly rubbed his side.
"I don't want to talk about it right now. Just let me bask in this afterglow," he said, trying not to sound harsh as he spoke. He felt her look up at him before she snuggled back into him and squeezed him again.
They spent the next hour in silence just enjoying each others company as they relaxed. Finally, they got up and went to the bathroom to clean up. As they were going back into the bedroom Vessel heard his bandmates come home. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before she rushed into the room and closed the door behind her letting him go downstairs to talk with them. He still had a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair was still dripping as meet them in the kitchen. They kept the conversation quick and to the point. As they were taking things down, they discovered that part of the issues they had were because of the venue not being able to handle their set up and needed to have their space updated. It won't change the ritual's outcome but it did make Vessel feel better to know the fault wasn't entirely on them.
He grabbed a couple glasses of water and told his fellow vessels he had company over. iii and iv shared an amused look between them as ii shrugged and told him to have fun as he turned to head back upstairs. At least he seemed to be more relaxed and much calmer then he had at the ritual's end.
When he walked back into his bedroom she had cut the overhead light on and was standing in front of the mirror inspecting the bruises. Some were worse then others but most would fade in a few days. The worst of them were on her thighs with one on her neck that would last for a little longer. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he kissed her cheek. "It's a good look on you," he chuckled as he met her gaze in the mirror.
She swatted at his hand and grinned. "You asshole. I'm going to have to wear makeup for the next week just to cover these up so my co-workers don't ask questions." She grinned as she spoke, trying to not laugh. It wasn't the first time he had left noticeable marks on her and it wouldn't be the last time.
He grinned before picked her up and carried her to the bed. He paused for a moment before he set her down on the top covers. He quickly pulled the sheets down and grabbed a blanket from his closet to lay on the bed before he picked her back up and placed her on top of the blanket. "Don't want you getting my paint all over you again when you just got cleaned up."
She chuckled and pulled him down to kiss him sweetly. "Such a romantic for a man that just left me covered in bite marks and hickeys."
"I try my best," he grinned as he stood up and pulled his towel off. He tossed it on the floor next to their clothes that he would have to pick up and wash in the morning. He walked over to cut the overhead light off before he made his way back the bed and climbed in next to her. He pulled her close as he rested on his side and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She tucked her head into him and he kissed the top of her head before he rested his chin there. "Thank you for tonight," he whispered softly.
"Did it help?" she asked as she snaked an arm under him so she could wrap her arms around his waist.
"Tremendously."