Chapter Text
A few weeks ago, Vessel would have said, if asked, that he was good at sleeping. A weird brag but one that was more or less part of his unofficial job description as Sleep’s vessel. He connected with his god in his sleep; there he got explanations, instructions, and comments on his progress. It was the channel of all forms of communication with Him, either through dreams or by visiting the dreamscape. Now, what had been easy for years, ever since he had agreed to serve, had become a source of anxiety.
Sleep had always encouraged his rest, especially back in the beginning, after He’d called on a graduating Vessel, who rubbed his sensitive eyes beneath his glasses and needed very little convincing to give up worrying about figuring out a future with his less-than-useful diploma. Vessel would sleep half the day away but wake with a better understanding of his duties and purpose. That eventually transformed into a more or less normal sleep schedule but Vessel rarely had trouble sleeping. When he did, it was usually past anxieties keeping him up and He was more than happy to ease His vessel into undisturbed rest. Plus, Vessel had his blankets and nests, which were his favorite places in the manor he got to claim after he’d taken on his role.
Early on, Sleep kept emphasizing how crucial rest was, which led to Vessel purchasing new bedding. Then blankets. Then a daybed. Then more blankets and pillows. Making the house homelier was more enjoyable than he thought it would be. Soon, there were several blankets in almost every room with either a couch, a recliner, or a bed. Sleep sent His approval whenever Vessel began to build a comfortable space for himself to read, play video games in, or lie down while listening to music. And when he nested for sleep? It was the closest he got to his deity, in that sort of intangible embrace, enjoying the gentle pressure of warm layers as he drifted toward His realm.
Lately, his rest has been growing shorter, as if the god didn’t want him to waste time in His realm. Vessel tried not to be disappointed. He missed the company and the easy warmth that came with drifting closer to Sleep. It was still warm but it was missing something, something hard to grasp. Vessel was craving something. It was just at the edge of his perception and he couldn’t put a finger on what it was but he felt empty, or rather, emptier than usual.
That’s how Vessel woke up way earlier than he wanted and went downstairs to get started on his day. Early grocery shopping usually meant a smaller crowd, so he didn’t mind that much, although he could have done without the strange sense of- anticipation? Coldness? Shakiness? He wasn’t sure but it settled in his bones and made him more anxious as he sipped his coffee and added some more vague items to his list. He had been more tired and anxious lately, which didn’t help with planning meals and wanting to go out into town to be around people.
All in all, going on a grocery trip was not Vessel’s favorite part of the week but there he was, pulling his basket after himself, tapping on the handle to the beat that shielded him from the rest of the store. His headphones were great for pretending he didn’t hate feeling like he was somehow intruding on a public space and for shutting out the beeps, murmurs and annoying in-store radio. The proximity of moving bodies made his skin crawl but at the same time, he felt an odd relief in being somewhere other than a house that’s been feeling too empty lately. That hard-to-describe lonely feeling caught up with him from time to time but it had been particularly strong, especially with his disturbed rest and small fear of abandonment from Sleep being a bit distant. If he weren’t in public, he would have sat on the floor, taken off his headphones and glasses, and rubbed his eyes to try and get his bearings. As for the moment, he only nudged the bridge of his glasses with his knuckle and glanced toward the middle aisle, squinting, then back down at his basket. He had the basics for the week and would eventually have to make another trip soon anyway.
Cutting his trip short was tempting but he wanted to check out the middle aisle first since it sometimes had craft items that would catch his eye and give him ideas for his next project or he’d find some other trinket worth picking up if for nothing else, to spend a bit more time out of the house and not run home like he wanted to each time.
There were the usual paints and pens, kitchen utensils, and small appliances but there was also a folded-up, fuzzy square that made Vessel’s eyes momentarily widen with excitement. He recognized the flutter of Sleep’s affection when he picked up the blanket and stroked the material, getting a feel of whether or not he liked it. It was soft but not too thick and felt nice against his skin. The base color was a darkish blue but the fuzz was lighter toward the ends. And the pattern. Vessel felt like his inner child won the shopping trip. He tried hiding his joy as he traced the shapes of stars and planets in different colors, each with a white lining, since, as the package indicated, the white parts glowed in the dark.
He kept turning it around in his hand, stroking the material, checking the label for the size and care instructions. It was nice and he could see himself draping it over his back while curling up in his chair or as a lower layer when he used multiple blankets for sleep. His hand was already moving to put it into his cart. He supposed it wasn't like anyone could stop him and Sleep never told him off for spending on himself and his comfort. It was, in a way, an offering, too. Vessel hoped that maybe it would help him sleep better.
When he turned to start pulling his cart toward checkout, he found himself face to face with a short man with startling blue eyes. Vessel froze and blinked, surprised, then flushed, both from not knowing how long the stranger had been watching him and the bright scrutiny of the open expression he directed at him.
“Um- sorry.” He tried passing the man but he put out an arm to stop him, so Vessel once again froze where he stood, trying to figure out what he did wrong.
“Wait.” Vessel pushed an ear pad half-off his ear and stopped his music, waiting for the man to speak. “I’ve been looking for you.” He alternated looking into Vessel’s eyes as if he was searching for something.
“Me?” Vessel looked around him, trying to make sense of what was happening. “I- I don’t work here.” He pulled his headphones off to rest on his neck and gave the man a frown while he pushed his glasses up.
“No.” The man turned to look behind himself. An old man was browsing not far from them. He turned back and gave Vessel a look. “He sent me to you.”
Vessel glanced at the shopper behind the blue-eyed man and pushed his glasses up again, feeling even more puzzled. “He did?”
The man turned to look again and waved toward Vessel between them with a chuckle. “No, not that guy.” He leaned forward and Vessel couldn’t help leaning down a bit, too, to hear him half-whisper. “Sleep.”
“Oh.” Vessel unconsciously squared his shoulders and stood up straighter. “Oh.” Sleep didn’t say anything to him about sending someone. He had barely been talking to him lately.
“I’m Two.” The man put a hand on his chest which made Vessel notice his matte black nail polish. “Well, ‘His Second vessel’ but ya know.” He shrugged, letting his hand fall away, and gave Vessel an expectant but encouraging smile.
“Oh, right.” Vessel fiddled with the sleeve of his hoodie and moved his gaze between II’s eyes and everything else around him, feeling very much out of his depth. “I’m Vessel.”
II simply nodded. “Well, nice to meet you, Vessel, and sorry for interrupting your shopping.” Vessel didn’t miss his glance into his basket, which was blocked by the blanket at the top. When he didn’t say anything, II looked up at him and tilted his head to the side with a small smile playing on his lips. Vessel didn’t know what to make of it, so he averted his eyes and checked the time on his phone. He really wanted to go home now. “Sleep showed me a house in a dream, said it’s ours?” The last word had a rising intonation as some of II’s uncertainty seeped through.
Vessel nodded, then leaned down to lift his basket and glanced behind II, toward the cash registers.
“Uh-” He gestured between his hand and self-checkout, hoping to produce a coherent sentence. “I’m gonna check out.” Great. To the point. He felt his face burn at his clumsiness but II simply nodded and waited for him to lead the way.
At the end of checking out, Vessel fumbled with his wallet and card because of course, he did. Leaving the store, he hugged his shopping bag to his side as if it would protect him in this new situation. Sleep sent another vessel and He didn’t tell him. Vessel was too tired and anxious to feel anything other than confused and a little hurt by it.
He managed to stutter through explaining to II how he takes a bus to the edge of the forest and then a path that’s fairly clear, then the two of them sat, Vessel awkwardly hugging his bag and watching traffic slowly disperse as they left the inner town, II watching his quietly distressed expression from the corner of his eye. He didn’t try to make small talk, for which Vessel was grateful.
When they got off the bus, Vessel simply started walking, then slowed down, so the other man would have the chance to catch up with him and take in his new surroundings as they went. Vessel fumbled with his keys when, at last, they walked up the stairs to the porch and mumbled a ‘fucking hell’, more as a scolding to himself than out of frustration with the lock. II either didn’t hear or was nice enough to pretend not to notice.
Once inside, Vessel blew air out between his lips. His usual grocery trips were stressful, his anxiety didn’t go well with crowds and making choices on short notice, and now, after this unexpected meeting and all its implications, he simply wanted to hide away and possibly talk to Sleep, then figure everything out later.
“This is nice.” II was looking up at the wooden ceiling beams, one of Vessel’s favorite details of the house. “Cozy.” He stepped to the doorway to the living room, then the kitchen, while Vessel put down his shopping bag and placed the contents of his pockets onto the dresser in the hall. He gave a distracted hum and switched his sneakers to slippers, then stopped before going into the kitchen on autopilot. Stepping out of his slippers, he nudged them toward II with his feet, who just stepped out of his shoes and into the too-big pair, giving Vessel an amused smile.
Vessel pulled his hands into the sleeves of his sweater and clutched them into anxious fists. “Sorry.”
“No worries.” II's smile softened and he continued looking around, now stepping into the kitchen and taking in the plants, the organized clutter across the cupboards, and the colorful spots on the floor tile where the sun shone through the kaleidoscope foil Vessel put up on one window. He put his foot into the patch of light and Vessel watched as he smiled, first to himself, then, when he noticed him looking, to Vessel, before standing up straight again and walking past the other man to go into the living room.
Vessel watched him take in the windows, then quickly took the steps to his bedroom and back downstairs, not wanting to stay in only his socks, no matter how clean he kept his floors. When he got back, II turned toward the doorway, just to see him raise his brows at him in question, silently asking if he had said anything that he didn’t catch. II’s gaze traveled down to his feet and spotted the reason why he heard quick steps run up, then down the stairs.
“Cute.” He met Vessel’s gaze and the corners of his eyes crinkled. Vessel looked down at his own feet, chewing on his bottom lip. His other slippers, which he usually wore when he was in his pajamas, were dark blue and fuzzy, simultaneously clashing and making sense with his current outfit of a loose sweater and plaid pants.
“Thanks.” He worried his bottom lip with his teeth for a moment until he worked up his courage to speak. II wasn’t intimidating but he was a stranger in his space and he felt out of control of the situation. “We can go back to town to get you stuff if you want. Or- get your stuff.” Vessel pushed his glasses up by the bridge, taking a moment to look over the other man. He wore black cuffed jeans with a black shirt tucked in and kicked off in the hall was a pair of black slip-on shoes. Apart from his very blue eyes, Vessel noted his honey-blonde hair and the faint freckles that dusted his cheeks and nose. Small tattoos were scattered along his arm but Vessel didn’t want to stare too long to try and make out the designs.
II hummed, standing at the back of the couch, leaning his weight on his hands on either side of him, studying Vessel’s collection of video games, then his CDs and vinyl.
“I packed some bags but Sleep wasn’t exactly clear on how I’d find you.” He finally tore his eyes away from the record player on the shelf and looked at Vessel who immediately averted his gaze, feeling ridiculously self-conscious in his own home.
“I’m sorry.” He hated that he could only speak in a small voice. It only made him feel more incompetent. “I didn’t know.”
“Not your fault, mate.” II pulled his phone from his pocket, then let it drop back into it, patting over it with his palm. “I think I’ll go and grab my stuff now.”
Vessel nodded, unsure of what he was supposed to do. II stepped to him, then produced his phone from his pocket and turned it toward Vessel. The casual nature of the gesture caused him to reach for it before he realized the other’s intention but he quickly started typing and handed the device back to him. II checked that the contact was saved and gave Vessel a smile.
“I’ll see you soon.”
Vessel could only nod, once again, and wait until he heard the sound of slippers sliding on the parquetry in the hall, then the front door closing. Sighing, he lifted his glasses and pressed his fingers, still hidden in his sleeves, to his eyes, groaning softly. After a few breaths, he went to the kitchen to try and take his mind off the sudden change, grabbing his shopping bag on the way to unpack it and get his new blanket into the wash.