Work Text:
For some reason the room they’re sharing has a double and single, instead of two twins, so they do rock-paper-sissors for the double. II loses but he doesn’t mind too much. He has the feeling that if he gets into a double bed Vessel will probably sense it in through the aether and appear immediately. Then neither of them would get any sleep. As it is II is showered, curled on his side with his back to the rest of the room in less than half an hour. He falls asleep to the soft pattering sound of IV showering.
II wakes to the sound of a quiet yelp. He’s disorientated for a moment (hotel room after hotel room tends to have that effect) but then his eyes adjust enough to see IV’s silhouette sitting up in the other bed. II sits up too. He can see IV is shaking.
‘You okay, man?’ he asks, making him flinch.
‘ Shit ,’ he says, rubbing his face, ‘sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you as well.’
‘It’s okay,’ II says with a shrug, ‘another dream?’
‘Yeah,’ IV grunts, ‘it was- he was dead - a corpse - at the bottom of the sea, all bloated- I-’ IV stops hand going to his mouth, bolting from the bed to the bathroom.
II can hear him retching. He sighs. He doesn’t pretend to know the motivations of a god but he wishes Sleep would at least share around the shit. For IV, the dreams had started as soon as he’d become a vessel. II knew III had them sometimes too, though he wouldn’t speak about them. Vessel dreamt often but from what II had seen he didn’t seem to find them then distressing, quite the opposite. And II had never had them at all. He’s not sure if that makes him the most favoured or least.
II hears a toilet flush and IV comes back in from the bathroom. IV sits on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. II gets up, padding over. He touches IV’s shoulder and the other man leans against him. II pets his head awkwardly, trying to think what III did when he felt like shit.
‘Do you um, want me to sleep in the bed with you?’ he offers. They’d done this a couple of times before. When IV had been completely exhausted but refusing to sleep for fear of what he’d see. II seemed to work as whatever the opposite of a lightning rod is and laying next to him seemed to keep the dreams at bay. For a while at least.
‘Would you?’ IV says, sounding so pathetically grateful II feels himself flushing.
‘Yeah, sure, of course,’ II says, nodding. They lay down. II’s expecting it to be awkward but IV just rolls onto his other side without speaking. II stays lying on his back like a vampire, not wanting to move and disturb IV again. He closes his eyes figuring he might as well doze until IV falls asleep, then he can wriggle as much as he likes.
II wakes up slower this time. There’s sunlight creeping under the curtains, glowing pink through his eyelids. There’s shuffling next to him in the bed. II opens his eyes, rolling to see if IV is awake yet. IV smiles at him sleepily. II smiles back, relieved. IV shuffles closer, going up on an elbow. He leans across, grabbing II’s face in both hands.
‘Thank you,’ he says, laughing and giving him a sloppily affectionate kiss. II’s hips twitch forward. IV’s eyes go wide and round. Shit. II parts his lips to apologise. He just so fucking oversexed on tour that his body immediately translates kissing into sex, without any need for his brain’s involvement.
‘Sorry, man, I-’ II starts but IV’s expression has softened.
‘No it’s okay,’ he says, ‘we can do that if you want to.’ He kisses him again. Slowly this time and deeper. II groans as IV presses the entire length of his body against him. He’s warm from sleep and suddenly II wants him badly.
IV wraps his legs around II’s hips as he rolls them. His hands get tangled up in II’s hair as they kiss and lick and rut against each other. II’s not used to being between someone’s legs; it’s usually him spread out. But IV is on his back with his thighs cradling him, letting him rub and thrust down as he likes. He’s got one heel digging into II’s buttock and the other on the back of his thigh. II likes how hot his skin feels through his clothes.
Neither of them has made any attempt to strip off. They both know skin on skin is against the rules, though the line they’re currently zigzagging is about as thin as II’s straining underwear. This close together, II can feel IV’s cock practically throbbing as he rocks his hips. He’s going to give himself a friction burn on his cock at this rate but it feels so good he can’t seem to get himself to stop.
IV breaks the kiss for a moment to pant damply into II’s neck. II kisses behind his ear and down to where his neck meets his shoulder, making him shiver and squeeze him closer. IV is pulling at the t-shirt around his ribs. The fabric is sticking to II’s skin where he’s sweated through it at the armpits and between his pecs. He’s never regretted making a promise to Vessel as much as he does right now.
He’d like to come like this, into the hot space between his and IV’s bodies but he knows from experience he’ll get uncomfortable before he gets off.
‘Can I come on your stomach?’ he asks, licking at IV’s lips as he pulls back. It’s something Vessel does to him. Well, it’s usually over his cock and balls — to remind him who he belongs to — but he’s too shy to ask for that.
‘Sure,’ IV says, giggling as II snags his fuller lower lip between his teeth. With IV still giggling at him, II manages to get sat back on his heels. IV wriggles up his t-shirt obediently and the sight of him, smiling wide with his skin damp and flushed, goes straight to II’s cock. He pulls his underwear down a little too. Just enough to see where the line of hair from his belly button meets his pubes. II can see him bite his lip and can imagine exactly what he’s thinking.
II pushes his own underwear down enough to get his cock out, licking his palm and stroking himself for the first time. His eyes almost roll back in relief. He knows IV is looking at him but he doesn’t look up now. He knows he’ll get self-conscious if he does. He squeezes his own thigh with his empty hand, not trusting himself to touch IV now.
He groans, muscles in his thighs tensing as he feels his edge. He sees IV’s hand twitch towards him, wanting to touch, and that’s it. The orgasm rolls over him and he comes in hot stripes across IV’s stomach. He gasps feeling his shoulders sag as his whole body thrums. He groans, letting his head drop back.
‘I wanna finish you with my mouth,’ he admits when he straightens up. IV grins, biting his lip.
‘I won’t tell if you don’t,’ he says, thumb under his waistband. II helps him strip off the rest of the way before taking his cock in his mouth. He’s close already, II can tell from the breathless whimper and the salt taste at the tip of his cock.
He licks the underside, allowing both his hands to spread over IV’ bare hips. He’s already in trouble. He knows it right in the pit of his stomach. In for a penny in for a pound. So he might as well enjoy touching as much of IV’s skin as possible.
IV whines, hands grabbing at the t-shirt over II’s shoulders. He’s arching his back, pushing up into II’s mouth as much as he can. II relaxes his jaw, letting the hot, slick cock slide in and out of him. Then IV is crying out sharply and II’s mouth is full of hot, thick come.
II swallows before sitting up. IV is staring at him dazed. II smiles shyly, feeling embarrassed now the blood has left his dick to return to his brain. He flops down on the bed next to IV to avoid his eyeline.
‘What’s the boss going to do to me?’ IV asks, sitting up to pull his t-shirt over his head.
‘Nothing,’ II says, although they both know that’s a lie.
‘It’s that bad?’ IV says, pulling a face at him. II snorts.
‘Go shower,’ II says, sitting up too. He plants a light kiss on IV’s shoulder, leaning his cheek against him for a second. IV slips off the bed, padding out of sight, and II flops back. He covers his face, massaging his eye sockets with his knuckles. What a complete fuck up.
II doesn’t have the energy to move right then. The bed is warm and smells pleasantly of IV and the orgasm is still making him feel like he’s glowing from the inside out.
He knows he should get up and get his phone so he can at least ask III what the fuck he’s going to do. Though III’s more likely to laugh at him than help. Before II has gathered enough strength to get himself up there’s a heavy knock on the door. II’s eyes flick open because he knows without seeing who’s on the other side.