SpookyGhost

It took you a moment to find your voice, “well, at least you think it’s cute, I guess… you have a nasty habit of making me trip over my own words.” You let out a soft laugh of your own.

He lets out a low hum in response, “consider it payback.” He responds playfully, his eyes slowly tracing over your features, fearing he may never have the opportunity to study you so close again.

“For?”

“Taking over my every waking thought.” Your cheeks grow warm as a flustered giggle tumbles from your lips, the melodic sound was enough to make Falk’s heart race. You fell into a comfortable silence, the soft crackling from the radio filling the empty air between you as he pulled out onto the road. 

It was a dark, cloudy December afternoon, you could tell that the storm rolling in wasn't going to be a nice one. The soft music lazily rolled through the speakers as you raced along the never ending highway. Falk let’s out a soft sigh, his arm stretching across the back of the seat. You sat rigid, your fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of the blanket that covered your lap. ‘Stop freaking out.’ you berated yourself internally. ‘We've been driving for almost two hours, he probably just wants to stretch.’ 

“You can relax, you know. I promise I won't bite.” He jokes with a chuckle. You clear your throat, attempting to force your posture to relax. He pauses for a moment, mulling over whether or not he wanted to ask a question that had been weighing on his mind for a while. “Why do I make you so nervous?” Your heart stopped. You didn’t want to look at him, feeling as if your eyes met his, he would know all your deepest secrets. There wasn’t anything you wanted more than to confess to him at that moment. You had so many questions you needed answered. There were so many nights you had fallen just shy of shattering every boundary you knew; how badly you wanted to feel Falk’s lips against yours, how you lingered on his every word, desperate for any way to keep the conversation going just so you wouldn’t have to say goodnight, you wanted to know if he felt the same.

“It’s nothing,” your voice was weak when it finally managed to tumble from your lips. “I’m just worried about us getting to the lodge before the weather gets bad, that’s all.” Falk’s lips press into a tight line. He knew you weren’t being honest with him, but he had decided to drop the matter for the time being. He didn't want to risk you shutting him out entirely. You forced your attention back on the road, your pulse thundering in your ears. It was then you had realized it had begun to snow. Thick white globs of precipitation fell from the sky heavy enough to obscure the highway in front of you. Falk tuts under his breath, “this weather is getting bad a lot quicker than I thought it would.” He manages to read the sign that sped past you on the highway. 

“We’re still over an hour away from the lodge.” Falk doesn’t miss the nervous tremor in your voice as you added your input. 

He offers you a gentle smile in response, hoping to find some way to ease your anxiety. “I know somewhere we can spend the night. It’s probably a good idea to get off the roads before it gets any worse.” 

The thought crossed your mind about how you hadn’t really eaten anything today, your nerves this morning making your appetite the furthest thing from your mind. “What about food?”

“I know for a fact that someone was there recently, I’m sure the cabinets are well stocked. But, I’ll find somewhere to stop off along the way, we can pick up any odds and ends we might need.” He reassures you. You tense as his arm falls across your shoulders. After a moment your body can’t help but instinctively melt into his warmth. You relax into his side, releasing a soft sigh as your shoulders finally relax. “I’ll take good care of you Mäuschen, I promise.” The thought of spending even more time alone with him made your heart race.

“I know you will.” You mutter in response. Falk gives your shoulder a soft squeeze, hoping you wouldn’t notice how fast his own heart was beating.

You leave the highway behind, traveling down winding roads completely surrounded by tall, dark trees on either side. Heading into the mountains, you should have expected that the only town to stop off along the way would be like this. The houses few and far between, miles of road stretching between each impossibly long driveway, concealing whatever dwelling that resided at the opposite end. You eventually pull into a gas station, the dull buzz of the lone sign in the darkness makes your stomach turn with anxiety. The parking lot was solid white, a thick layer of snow making the shop's dull red awning bow under its weight. Falk prattles off your favorite candy and drink combo from memory, catching you off guard. He can’t help but laugh at your bewildered expression. “What?” His question was laced with a chuckle, his playful expression drops to your lips before meeting your gaze once again.

“How did you remember that?” You ask softly. He shrugs, a lazy, full body movement that showed he would never reveal his secrets. “I’ll be right back, you stay here and keep warm.” He carefully takes hold of the blanket resting in your lap, pulling it up to wrap around your shoulders. His warm breath bounces off your skin, for a moment it felt like your heart had stopped. You don’t think you had ever been this close to him before, it was the first time you had noticed the way the corners of his eyes wrinkled when he smiled. You thought it was cute. Falk’s expression softens, a fond look settling across his features that makes your chest tighten. He sucks in a deep breath, snapping himself from whatever trance he had found himself in. He tightens his jacket around him before hurrying from the car and inside the store. You watched him through the wall of windows that lined the front, he tossed a smile over his shoulder as he shouted something in response to the clerk behind the counter. He returns shortly after, rushing back to the car with a few flimsy plastic bags slung over his arm.

“It’s not much, but it’ll do.” He smiles, leaning closer to you as he reaches to put the bags in the back seat.

“You are absolutely covered in snow.” You respond with a laugh. You reach out, brushing the fluffy powder from his head. You carefully push your fingers through his hair, combing the strands that had fallen into his face neatly back into place. Falk watches you curiously, he was happy to see you finally starting to let your guard down, even if it was just a little bit. You pause as your eyes meet his, a soft smile settling onto your features as he leans into your touch. You swallow thickly before you manage to find your voice again, “better get moving, we don’t want to get stuck on the side of the road somewhere.” You joke making him chuckle. You reluctantly separate from each other, Falk nervously drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he tries to keep his mind on driving. You rest your hand on the space in between the two of you, you notice Falk glance at your subtle movements out of the corner of his eye. You jump slightly as you feel his fingers bump against yours, your skin buzzed with electricity where your hands met.

“You’re freezing.” He remarks suddenly, his voice soft in the quiet space.

“I’ll be alright.” You respond quickly, neither of you making any effort to move away from the other.

“I’ll get a fire going once we get to the cabin.” His pinky links with yours, gently tugging your hand closer. You let your fingers slip in between his, your hand immediately getting enveloped in the warmth from his skin. You shift, shuffling closer to him. You hesitantly let your head fall to rest against his shoulder. He tenses slightly before relaxing into your touch, his thumb distractedly tracing through the valley of your knuckles.

“Whose cabin is this anyways? Is it really okay for us to spend the night?”

He chuckles in response, “considering it belongs to my family I think we’ll be okay.” Falk fills the rest of your car ride with stories of his trips here when he was younger. You hung on every word: fishing trips with his father, weekends hiking the mountains around the property, how every so often he would venture up on his own for some time alone with his thoughts. “I was planning on inviting you up here eventually, I guess mother nature decided today was as good of a day as any.”

You glance at him curiously. “You were going to invite me up here?” He nods in response. “Why?”

“Considering that every time I find myself here my thoughts always seem to wander back to you.” Your cheeks grow warm at his confession, he gives your hand a soft squeeze. “This place is very important to me… and it’s something I’ve always wanted to share with you.” He pauses for a moment, searching for something else to say. “Try to be up for the sunrise in the morning, I think you’ll see why this place is so special.” He adds on with a smile.

The gravel driveway crunched under the car's tires, the tall trees groaning in the strong gusts of wind. Falk pulls the blanket around you before helping you out of the car. He wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side to help shield you from the cold. He ushers you inside first before following close behind you with your small haul of groceries. It’s dark inside the cabin, the small living room being only illuminated by the pale light of the moon that streamed in through the window. Falk curses as he trips over something in the darkness, fumbling along the wall until eventually stumbling across a light switch. The lamp in the opposite corner of the room filled the space with a dull orange glow, finally allowing you to see the details of the space around you. A well loved leather loveseat sat in front of a neatly kept fireplace, a heavy crocheted blanket draped across the back. A box of expensive looking cigars sat on one of the side tables, a small stack of books sat on the other next to a cup of crochet hooks and knitting needles. Family photos crowded the mantle, the small shiny frames overlapping one another to make space for all of them. Curiosity gets the better of you as you approach them to get a better look, rubbing your hands over your arms to try and dispel any remaining chill from the outside as you examine each photograph. Falk watches on with an amused smile, leaning against the doorframe as you slowly look between each one. Your hands dropped away from your shoulders, folding them neatly in front of you as if you were at a museum, the sight makes Falk chuckle under his breath. You couldn’t keep the smile off your face as you traced over his familiar features, the teenager smiling back at you from behind the glass a scrawny, awkward precursor to the fine man he eventually grew into. It was apparent that Falk’s family had been coming here his entire life; a barefoot laughing boy propped on his moms hip, the next one a few years older, proudly showing off the fish he and his father had caught at the lake, younger versions of all the High Clergy members sat around a bonfire with beers in their hands. “Quite the place you got here.” You remark, shooting a soft smile over your shoulder when you notice his staring.

“I should bring you up here during the summer,” your cheeks grow warm as you watch his eyes flicker over your form, “I can only imagine how beautiful you would look surrounded by all the fireflies.” He lets out a quiet chuckle, studying you for another moment before shaking himself from his thoughts. “I’m going to put this stuff away, I’ll get a fire going, and we can see what we can scrape together for dinner.” He chuckles.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” You respond with a smile.

Falk made quick work of getting a fire started, you watch the flames dance from your position cuddled up under a blanket on the loveseat. A mug of tea warms your hands, a radio crackles softly from the kitchen. You hear the shower turn off in the other room, Falk emerging a few minutes later in a pair of sweatpants cinched tightly around his waist and a baggy t shirt that was drowning him in its dark blue fabric, a faded logo you didn’t recognize neatly swirled across the front in white font. You nod in his direction, “little big on you, aren’t they?” You ask playfully, making him chuckle.

“My shoulders are a little too broad for one of my mother’s nightgowns.” He rebuttals causing you to let out a laugh of your own. He continues to make small talk as he makes his way into the kitchen, every so often his head poking back around the door frame to shoot you some flirtatious smile. He eventually brings you a steaming bowl of soup, carefully handing it to you before collapsing into the cushions beside you. The loveseat dips under his weight, causing your shoulder to knock against his. You were painfully aware of how his body pressed to yours, wishing you had the courage to reach over and take his hand again. “Chicken noodle, fresh from the can.” He jokes with a smile. You thank him softly, sipping at the hot, salty broth. You sat in a comfortable silence as you ate, both of you watching the fire contently. Every so often you noticed how Falk would glance at you out of the corner of his eye, moving as if he wanted to speak only to settle back into the familiar quiet, as if disturbing the peace would make everything fall apart around him. You help him clean up after dinner, taking care of the few dishes you had created in the process. A strong gust of wind rattles the windows, Falk notices you tense as the lights flicker slightly. He responds by simply turning up the radio, taking your hand, and sweeping you into his arms. He glides you across the floor, swaying you in time with the music that filled the room. You can’t stop the surprised giggle that slips past your lips, allowing him to lead you through clumsy spins. Falk trips over his own feet, offering you a bashful smile as you rest your hand on his chest to steady him.

“Easy there, Casanova.” You laugh.

“It’s been such a long time since I’ve danced with anybody,” he admits with a shaky breath, “forgive me if I’m a little rusty.”

“If it makes you feel any better, you’re the only person I’ve ever had the chance to dance with, so I don’t have much to compare it to in the first place.” Falk pauses, glancing down at you curiously.

“I see you at the parties at The Abbey all the time, surely–”

“No one’s ever asked me.” You respond bluntly, hoping he would drop the subject. That part was true, no one had ever asked you to dance. The part you were neglecting to tell him was how that was more than likely caused by the fact you had a tendency to tuck yourself away in some concealed corner, hoping tonight will finally be the night you share more than some fleeting, flirtatious glances with the man that managed to occupy your every thought.

The current song that was playing faded to silence, the soft popping of the old radio filling the dead air in between the station’s selections. “Well, that simply won’t do, now will it?” He straightens himself up, a mischievous glimmer in his eye. He smooths his hands down the front of his shirt. He offers you his hand, your heart racing at the sight of the charming, lopsided smile that you had been in love with since the beginning. He states your name softly, you had never heard it spoken more beautifully than in that moment. “Can I formally request a dance, Mein Herz?” Your fingers brush over his palm, his skin warm against yours  as his hand fully engulfs yours. The trumpet from a big band ensemble lets out a few lazy whines before the rest of the instruments join in, your heart pounds in time with the drums steady rhythm. Falk wraps an arm around your waist, easing your body against his. He moves you in time with the melody, a few quick steps across the floor that turn into a romantic sway, pulling you just the slightest bit closer. You couldn’t keep your eyes off him, the fear of tripping over your own feet long forgotten under Falk’s intense gaze. He wasn’t going to let you fall, not without being there to catch you. His fingers knead into the plush of your hip, his thumb languidly tracing through the valleys of your knuckles. He looks down at you with complete, unapologetic adoration. “You are so beautiful.” He states softly, his voice barely loud enough for you to hear over the radio.

“I'm nothing special.” You rebuttal in a similar tone.

“You are to me.” Your heart raced at his confession, butterflies erupting in your stomach at such simple words. You reluctantly part from one another, Falk’s hand lingering on your waist, wanting to keep you within arms reach for as long as he possibly could.

“That was nice,” you couldn’t seem to tear your eyes away from him, “thank you.”

He offers you a simple smile in response, but the sight was enough to make your breath catch in your throat. “Anytime,” he leans down to bring his face closer to yours, his warm breath bouncing off your lips, “you’re quite the dancer.” You let out a soft laugh in response, playfully pushing his shoulder. You cover your mouth, unable to suppress the yawn that escaped you. “We should probably get to bed, I want to get on the road as soon as we’re able to in the morning.” He carefully pushes a strand of hair out of your face.

“You’re probably right.” Your chest tightened slightly, you were having such a great night with him, you wish it didn’t have to end so soon.

Despite Falk’s protests, you would be sleeping on the couch. “You’re a lot taller than I am, you need the space.” When he finally realized you wouldn’t budge on your decision, he reluctantly began gathering whatever spare blankets he could find. 

“If you need anything at all, just come wake me up.” He informs you with a soft smile.

“Alright.” You whisper in response. He sways on his heels slightly, searching for anything else to say.

“Well, goodnight…” He pauses before letting your name tumble from his lips, savoring every syllable as if he would never hear something so sweet again.

“Goodnight, Falk.” He gives you a small nod before disappearing into the bedroom, the door shutting with a soft click behind him. You stared up at the ceiling, the light from the fireplace making shadows dance around the room. You nestled into your pillow, your eyes already beginning to grow heavy as warmth began to seep into the blankets. You inhaled deeply, catching the scent of the burning logs and something incredibly familiar. You ran your fingers along the edge of the blanket Falk had given you in the car, the smell of his cologne a comfort in an unfamiliar place. It didn’t take long for you to drift off.

When you awoke the room was pitch black, a few embers clung to life in the otherwise dark fireplace. You shiver as you sit up, it was a lot colder in here now that the fire was out. You jumped as a branch bangs against the window, anxiety slowly creeping its way into your chest as you struggled to get your bearings in the night. Your eyes landed on the bedroom door just down the hall. You didn’t want to wake him, but there was no way you would be getting back to sleep between your rapidly growing fear and how absurdly cold it had gotten. You let your feet drop to the floor, the hardwood like ice beneath you. You grab your blanket, wrapping it around your shoulders. You quietly pad up the hall, stopping in front of his door. You opened it just a crack, cringing as the hinges squeak. You could make out the faint outline of him in bed, the left side of the large mattress completely open for you to slide into. You bolt inside as you hear another loud thwack of a branch against the window. You shut the door behind you, tiptoing around the room in hopes you wouldn’t wake him. You carefully peel back the blankets before slipping in beside him. You lay on your side facing the wall, your body completely rigid as you listened for any signs that you had disturbed him. You let out a sigh when you hear him snoring softly next to you. Your body relaxed into the plush mattress, your achy back finally getting some relief as you settled in. It was much warmer here than it had been in the living room. You let out a squeak when a large hand comes to rest on your waist. Falk’s arm slides around you, grumbling something in his sleep as he pulls you closer. Your heart hammered against your ribs, your eyes wide as you feel Falk’s body press flush against yours. Your hand comes to rest on top of his, debating for a moment whether or not to try and sneak back to the living room. Getting out of the cold seemed like a good idea at the time, but you hadn’t accounted for what you were going to do when Falk woke up the next morning and found you sleeping beside him. You nearly jump out of your skin when you hear him sigh your name, his voice raspy and thick with sleep. His grip on you tightens, burying his face into the crook of your neck. He relaxes as he settles against you, his soft snores alerting you to the fact that he was still asleep. He was so warm, the feeling of the steady rise and fall of his chest lulling you into a state of ease. Your eyes quickly began to grow heavy, melting into the mattress, the weight of Falk’s arm blanketing over you as he continued to hold you close. You begin to drift off, hearing a soft ‘I love you’ tumble from Falk’s lips before sleep takes you.

You wake up the next morning to the first light of dawn creeping in from a window beside the bed. Now that it was day, you had the chance to take in the details of your surroundings. All of the furniture was the same warm-toned wood, more pictures like the ones that decorated the mantle covered the wall. A heavy, dark green comforter blanketed the bed, you could spend all day wrapped up in the warm, luxurious fabric. The closet was filled with thick winter jackets, snowshoes, backpacks, and other outdoor gear. Falk stirred behind you, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck with a soft groan. Your body goes rigid as you feel him stretch, he freezes mid motion when he realizes he’s not in bed alone. You don’t say anything, you don’t even breathe, unsure of how to breach the conversation of you being in his bed. “I guess that wasn't a dream I was holding you in my arms last night, was it?”  The sound of his raspy morning voice makes your heart race. “Lucky me.” You could hear the lazy smirk laced into his tone. 

“Well, good morning to you too.” You respond sleepily. Your chest tightens as he chuckles, the deep rumble vibrating through your back.

He pauses for a moment, his thumb languidly stroking over your hip. “Did I, um…” he mulls over his words, searching for the right way to ask you what was on his mind. “Did I say anything in my sleep?”

Your mind immediately races back to the hushed confession that tumbled from his lips. “You might have.” You respond hesitantly.

Falk chuckles, cursing under his breath. He fully thought he had dreamed the whole thing; the feeling of your body pressing against his, the subtle, sweet scent of your perfume, the whole moment was permanently burned into his memory. Those three simple words fell so easily from his lips, now he would have to follow through on his confession. “I meant it, you know.” You’re unable to stop the smile that slowly spreads across your lips. You roll over to face him, your heart racing at the stunningly chaotic scene before you. His hair stuck up every which way, the fading remnants of tired circles under his eyes slowly disappearing as he became more awake, the stubble on his face noticeably darker than it had been yesterday. His expression softens, nerves being replaced with adoration as he studies you. He reaches out, hesitating for a moment before his hand comes to rest on your cheek. “I want to wake up like this every morning with you and only you.” Your breath hitches in your throat, the seriousness of his tone unmistakeable. “You told me you don’t think you’re anything special, Mein Herz, that couldn’t be further from the truth. You’re all I can think about from the moment I wake up in the morning until I fall asleep at night. There’s nothing I want more than to make you all mine, but every time I try to get close you always just end up slipping through my fingers.”

“Falk, I…” You trail off. You wanted to be with him more than anything, but there was still part of you that feared all of the unknowns.

“There you go again, second guessing yourself.” He points out with a teasing smile. His thumb trails along your jaw, his golden brown eyes slowly tracing over your features before landing on your lips. He states your name softly, his warm breath bouncing off your skin. “I am absolutely crazy about you… I just need to know how I can prove that.” He swallows, his arm wrapping around your waist to pull you closer to him. His attention turns to the clock on your nightstand, seeing it was still incredibly early he shoots you an excited grin. “Come on.” He hurries you out of bed, helping you shrug into one of his jackets. You clumsily step into a pair  of way too big boots by the door. Falk opens the door, taking your hand as you step out onto the porch behind him.

“Wow.” Was the only thing you could manage to say. The sun burned gold as it clawed its way over the mountain peaks in the distance, the rays of early morning sun warm on your skin. You turn to Falk to find him already staring down at you. “It’s beautiful.”

“This is the closest thing I’ve been able to compare to your smile.” He whispers. Your eyes widen, heart racing at such a simple, genuine confession. “And it still doesn’t even begin to come close to how absolutely stunning I find you.” A warm hand slides over your cheek, you can’t help but lean into his touch. He says your name in that perfect way only he can say it, “I’m in love with you, I don’t want to spend any more time running away from that.” He carefully tilts your chin upwards, your eyes fluttering shut as his lips slot against yours. His fingers slide into your hair, his free arm wrapping around your waist to pull your body flush against his. You felt weightless, like your body was floating on a cloud. Electricity buzzed from the top of your head to the tips of your fingers. Your heart was beating so quickly there was no way he couldn’t hear it, your pulse blocking out any other sound around you. You separate from the kiss breathlessly, getting lost in his eyes the moment they meet.

“How would you feel about staying the rest of the weekend here, with me?” He asks hesitantly, a hopeful glimmer in his eyes.

“You want to stay?” You can’t keep the excited smile off your face at the thought of being able to continue your peaceful existence in the woods for the next couple days.

“Only if that’s alright with you.” He gently cradles your face in his hand, languidly trailing his thumb over your cheek.

Your eyes flash down to his lips momentarily, making him chuckle. “Well, if you keep kissing me like that, I’m sure you won’t have any issue convincing me.” You squeal as he pulls you back to him, his lips crushing against yours in another mind numbing kiss. Excited to spend the rest of the weekend getting to hold you tightly in his arms.

You held a thick piece of cardstock in your hands, flipping the maroon-colored paper between your fingers as you walked. You found a letter taped outside your door upon returning from your duties. Upon further inspection, you learned that you were being invited to become a fully inducted member of the church. A process that you were excited to partake in but still left you with a feeling of anxiety bubbling up in your stomach nonetheless. The letter highlighted that you were welcome to pick a mentor for the occasion; whether that be a fellow sibling or a superior was entirely up to you. Everyone you had met around the Abbey had been incredibly kind and welcoming, but you weren't sure if they were the right people to ask about this. You paused as you finally found the door you had been searching for. ‘Father Charles Greywolf’ printed neatly on the bronze nameplate that sat at eye level. You reached out, hesitating momentarily before timidly knocking on the dark wooden door. Your heart felt like it would beat out of your chest, a nagging thought in the back of your head making you wonder if this was all a mistake. Given how busy he was, you weren't even positive he was here, let alone if he would be willing to take on such a task. Maybe you should just turn around and head back; you could always make it around the corner, and no one would know–

The door opens, and any doubts you had were immediately swept away when you met Charles's warm gaze. “Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?” He chuckles, opening the door wider to invite you inside, bowing slightly as he motions you to enter. “Come in, Engel.” He studies you curiously, unable to tear his eyes away from your much smaller form as you dart past him. He can't help but breathe out a chuckle as he watches you timidly look around the room, finding the sight rather cute. His office was warm; a fire crackled happily in the fireplace, the lazy, romantic sound of some big band ensemble drifted from his record player. “It's late.” He remarks simply, laughing softly when he notices how his voice makes you jump slightly. He takes a couple of long, slow strides towards you, your head having to tilt back in order to meet his eyes. Your breath hitches as he wraps your delicate hand in one of his massive paws. “Is everything alright, Schwester? You seem tense.”

“I just have a lot on my mind… figured it wouldn't hurt to take a walk.” You respond with a soft smile; one Charles meets with his own. The sight alone was enough to make your heart flutter.

“Forgive me; I didn’t mean to pry.” He gently takes your chin in his hand, carefully tilting your face in order to have your eyes meet his. “It’s important to me that you're safe, that's all.” His thumb ghosts over your cheek, carefully tracing over your features for a moment before releasing you. “Please,” he motions to one of the plush chairs at his desk, “make yourself comfortable.” He wordlessly prepares tea for the two of you. The sight of him so gently handling the delicate china starkly contrasts his firm, hulking appearance. You notice him glance at you, your gaze snapping forward, when you realize you had been caught staring. “Now,” he starts, returning to his desk as he waits for the kettle to boil, “what can I help you with tonight, my dear?”

You hold up the card that had been left outside your room, a quiet ‘oh’ slipping past his lips as you set it on the desk in front of him. “This was at my door when I arrived home.” You explain simply; you could tell from his amused expression that he already knows what this could be about. “I was hoping I could ask you to be my mentor if you aren't too busy?” You ask, your eyes slipping away from his gaze, your cheeks growing warm now that you finally spoke the question aloud.

“I would be honored, Schwester.” He responds, a soft smile spreading across his lips. “I'll take good care of you, don't worry.” The simple reassurance was enough to send a shiver down your spine, the sweetness in his tone unable to cover up the flicker of the flirtatious smirk that passed over his features. 

He stands as the kettle begins to sing, and you can't stop your gaze from trailing after his strong form. There was something about being near him that made your heart race. He glances over at you, smiling slightly, when he catches you staring again. “I don't bite, you know,” he starts with a chuckle. “If you have any questions, you can ask them.”

You thank him softly as he hands you your teacup, “it's not necessarily a question…” you trail off, carefully tracing a finger around the porcelain. “I guess I'm just nervous about the whole process… I don't really know what it entails.”

“I see.” He nods in response. “Well, I can assure you it's a very simple ceremony, albeit a bit long.” He explains. “You shouldn't have anything to worry about, Schwester. It’s a day dedicated to you… to celebrate you… to spoil you.” you glance up, freezing when you meet his gaze. There was an unmistakable hunger under his eye's usual warmth. A fact, paired with Charles' seductive lilt, that had you squeezing your thighs together in an attempt to dull the throbbing at your core. “But, if you're still nervous, we could always do a little trial run.” 

It took you a moment to find your voice, “I’d like that.” You cursed internally at the noticeable tremor in your tone.

“We could go now if you'd like.” He offers.

“Oh, I wouldn't want to keep you–”

“Please, Schwester.” He cuts you off with a chuckle, the subtle smirk that has laced its way across his features making your heart race. “If anything, I should be apologizing for selfishly wanting you all to myself at such a late hour.” Your teacup clatters slightly as you place it on its saucer a little too hard, your skin burning as you struggle to steady your thrumming pulse. He stands, offering you his hand. “Come,” he commands simply, “let's ease that racing mind of yours, Engel.” He tugs you gently from your seat as your hand slips into his, nestling your arm into the crook of his elbow as he leads you through the darkened halls.

The ceremony room was much warmer than you had expected, the noticeable difference in temperature hitting you like a wall as you stepped through the door. Your attention was immediately drawn to the ceremonial basin that sank into the center of the room, the edge lined with half-burned candles and empty bronze vases that awaited fresh cut flowers, the sweet scent of incense still hung in the air. “Now,” you jump slightly as Charles starts to speak, “it's essential, on the day of the ceremony, you're not to lift a finger.” He carefully brushes your hair behind your ear. “Anything you need, tell me, and I'll take care of it.” He chuckles at the sight of your flustered expression. You glance up at him, silently asking for permission to explore the room. He nods, signaling it was okay for you to look around. You slowly venture away from him, cautiously approaching the tub's edge.

“During the ceremony… Am I going to go fully underwater?” You ask, a slight nervous tremor to your tone.

“Yes, but it's very quick, I promise.” He approaches your side, his hand settling onto the curve of your waist as he pulls you closer. You stared anxiously at the bath, Charles quick to notice your apprehension. “What is it, Engel?” His deep, soothing voice rumbles from his chest.

“Nothing, just a bit nervous about that.” His thumb soothingly strokes over your hip, a soft hum passing his lips.

“It's entirely up to you… But I wouldn't be opposed to getting into the water to show you what the whole ceremony entails. It might help you relax if you know what it will feel like.” You glance up at him, a patient, reassuring expression having settled across his features.

“Can we?” The words seemed to echo off the dark stone walls despite your voice coming out barely above a whisper.

“Of course.” He responds simply. He hums pensively, glancing in between you and the tub. “Here, you'll catch your death wandering around in wet clothes afterward.” He chuckles. You glance at him, curious as to what he had in mind. He shrugs out of his jacket; you cannot stop yourself from admiring his strong, broad shoulders. You found yourself in this position a lot more frequently than you cared to admit. Whether Charles was leading Mass or instructing one of your classes, your mind always seemed to wander to how his hands would feel roaming over your body and how overwhelming being crushed underneath would be. The thought alone was always enough to turn you into a flustered mess if you happened to lock eyes with the man of your affection. Your breath freezes in your lungs as you watch his fingers land on the top button of his shirt, his hands flexing under the room's low, glowing light as he carefully undoes each fastening. Nothing more than a tiny sound squeaks out of you as you struggle to find some way to respond, but you were far too focused on trailing after his fingers as they expertly remove the garment. He laughs playfully, observing you as he shrugs himself out of his shirt, your expression only growing more flustered as you were unable to stop your gaze from wandering over his body. “Is there something you'd like to say, Engel?”

You clear your throat, unable to meet his gaze, but finally able to tear your eyes away from him. “I'm afraid if I did say something, it would be far from appropriate, Father.” You admit a noticeable tremor in your tone.

“Shame,” he murmurs, “now you've got me curious about what's going on in that pretty little head of yours.” He chuckles. Your breath catches in your throat when he takes your chin in his hand, you hadn't realized he had closed the gap separating you from him. “There's a space for you to change over there. I'm going to light some candles; make it a little easier for us to see here.” He chuckles, making you smile.

You accept the shirt, your heart racing as your fingers grab onto the soft, warm fabric. “Are you sure you don't mind?” You ask softly.

“For you, my dear,” his hand drifts from your chin to cradling your cheek, “anything.” You swallow thickly, his stormy grey eyes tracing over your features.

“Excuse me, Father.” Your voice comes out barely above a whisper.

“Of course, take your time.” He smiles softly at you before releasing you from his grasp. You slip behind the privacy screen at the opposite side of the room, every so often hearing the soft fwip of Charles lighting a match. You slipped out of your clothes, your cheeks growing warm as the smell of Charles's cologne overtook your senses: a warm earthiness paired with the sweet musk of incense. You shrug into its warmth, the sleeves reaching far past your fingertips. You take your time fastening each button, your heart racing as you prepare to step out in front of him again.

The moment his eyes land on you, he can't stop the smile from settling on his lips. Charles has had his eye on you for a while. He remembers the first day you had met; it was practically burned into his memory he thought about it so often. You had slipped into the seat right in front of his lectern, one of the thin straps of your sundress slipping off your shoulders. He remembers tripping over his words and looking like a fool the first time his eyes met yours. Hearing you laugh for the first time made his heart stop, and he swore it was one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard. Every day since then, every shy smile, every time he heard your melodic voice, he only fell for you more. Now, here you stood in front of him, dressed in nothing but one of his shirts. He'd be lying if he said the sight alone was enough to make him a bit ravenous. “Okay,” his heart pounded at the sound of the nervous tremor in your tone, and he could almost hear your pulse in your voice. “What's next?”

He holds out his hand, beckoning you closer. “Come here, Engel.” The moment your fingers ghost over his palm, he tugs you closer. “I'm going to walk you through the entire ceremony. We can stop at any time, alright?” He soothingly runs his thumb over your knuckles. You nod in response, his calm, reassuring tone only drawing you in deeper.

“You're sure this isn't too much trouble?” You ask softly.

Charles chuckles, kicking off his shoes, neatly orienting them at the edge of the steps leading down into the shallow pool. “It's no trouble at all, Schwester.” He takes a few steps into the water, allowing you to make your way in at your own pace, his hand a comforting weight in your own. You suck in a sharp breath before dipping your foot into the water, noting how smooth the stone steps felt under your bare feet. You don't miss the smirk that tugs at the corners of Charles’s lips as he watches your face scrunch up with every slight descent deeper into the basin.

“It's cold.” You remark as the water rises up your legs.

“Unfortunately, that's one thing I can’t do much about.” He responds with a playful expression, one you can't help but return. You let out a startled squeak as you slip slightly, Charles' hands wrapping around your waist to steady you. “Careful, Engel… Don't go falling for me that easily.” He teases with a wink. His arm wraps securely around your middle to keep your body pressed tightly against his, your hand resting against his chest. “We’ll be here for a little while; you should at least be comfortable.” He kneels in the water, easily lifting you from the floor to set you on his thigh. “There, now you just try and relax…” he pauses, getting lost momentarily as he studies your delicate features, “I'll handle everything.” His arm moves to support behind your shoulders, his free hand gently taking yours, his thumb soothingly tracing over the valley of your knuckles. His gaze remains locked on yours as he gently eases you back, observing for any signs of panic. He can't help but smile softly as he notices you relax into his touch, how your skin almost seemed to glow under the low candlelight, how your hair floated aimlessly through the water. “You are so beautiful, Schwester.” He whispers, making your cheeks grow warm. He releases your hand, dipping his fingers into the water to pour some over the crown of your head. The carefulness which he held you made your heart race. Charles couldn't tear his eyes off you, his expression tender with an unmistakable underlying hunger at the sight of you so vulnerably displayed in his arms before him.

Charles slips the rosary that hung around his neck over his head. He clutches the beads tightly in his hand, whispering a few words of prayer over them before easing you from the water and draping them around your neck. He places a hand over your heart, the cold bite of the metal cross making you jump slightly. “Credo in deum,” he starts in a low tone. He cups his hand, the cross still heavy against your chest as he pulls away, dipping it into the water to pour some over your head as he prays over you, “patrem omnipotentem.” Your body tenses as he lowers you a bit deeper. You grab onto his arm; you feel him stiffen under sudden contact. “Is everything okay, my Engel? Would you like to stop?”

You shake your head softly, “No… no, we can keep going.” Your voice trembled as you spoke, whether from your nerves or the cold of the water finally beginning to settle into your bones.

Charles breathes out a laugh, a soft smile finding its way to his lips. “That's my girl.” He praises you sweetly, your heart flutters at his declaration. “You can hold on to me as tightly as you need to. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise.” He whispers before returning to the slow, rhythmic motion of carefully pouring the water over you, taking extra care not to splash your face accidentally. “Creatorem caeli et terrae,” despite his low tone, his words almost seemed to echo off the walls. His deep, even cadence lulls you into a state of ease with every passing breath. “Et in Iesum Christum, filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum,” his grip on you tightens, your body pressing flush to his. Your eyes meet his, a stormy grey that still somehow managed to hold an undeniable amount of warmth. A promise. “Qui conceptus est de spiritu sancto.” A promise to bring you as close to divinity as this mortal plain would allow.

His hand finds its way to your face; you gasp as your chin is tilted upwards. He purrs your name, a sound that causes a shiver to run down your spine. A droplet of water trails down your neck, the water ice cold against your burning skin. “I'm afraid I've found myself teetering on the edge of temptation with you, my dear.” He whispers. “Every time I'm in your presence, I can do nothing but desire you carnally.” You don't miss the growl that laces its way into his tone, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of your hip. His lips hung just out of reach, every hot, shaky breath against your skin only further proving how greatly he struggled to restrain himself. “Will you allow me to claim you here before the eyes of God?”

Your mouth fell open, but no sound came out, your mind racing as you desperately searched for any way to respond. “You want… me?” 

“More than you could ever imagine, Mein Herz.” He confesses, his thumb trailing along your jaw.

“Then–” you suck in a sharp breath, struggling to steady yourself. “Here, before the eyes of God, I give myself to you.” Without another moment of hesitation, Charles’ lips crash into yours. Your body pressed flush to his, both arms keeping a strong, secure hold on your much smaller frame. You melted into him, the warmth of his skin pressing to yours, turning you into putty in his hands. The breath was knocked from your lungs as you're suddenly fully submerged beneath the water, Charles's lips still pressed fervently against yours. As quickly as you went under the water, you were pulled above it again. You separated from the kiss with a gasp, your arms wrapping around his neck as Charles’ forehead came to rest against yours. His hands wrap around the backs of your thighs, lifting you effortlessly from the water in one swift motion. He guides your legs around his waist, pulling your lips back to his as he carefully approaches the steps. The echoing of the splashing water roared through the room, your soaking forms leaving a trail of puddles in their wake as Charles carried you to the center of the room. He grabs his jacket from where it lay discarded, haphazardly draping it across the stone tile to give you something to lay on. He carefully cradles your head, his body fully encasing you in its warmth as he blankets over you.

“I have never seen a woman as beautiful as you, Schwester.” He whispers, pressing a few chaste kisses to your lips.

“Charles?” He softly hums at the sound of you so sweetly saying his name.

“What is it, my darling?” He purrs.

Your heart raced as you let the confession thoughtlessly tumble from your lips. Your senses are so purely overwhelmed as his strong body presses to yours; the only barrier separating you is the thin, ice-cold fabric of the shirt that clings to your skin. “I've fallen for you, Charles Greywolf.” Despite looking ready to devour you whole, he steadies himself, allowing whatever nervous ramblings that filled your head to spill into the otherwise silent room. “Since I've met you, I…” your chest heaves with every trembling breath as you let your true feelings for him come forward. “I've wanted a night like this more than anything else.” His fingers push between yours as he pins your hand over your head, the other resting against his cheek. “Where your focus is on me… and no one else.”

He quirks an eyebrow at your final statement, a playful smirk passing over his features. “As if someone could ever pull my attention away from you.” Your cheeks grow warm at the sound of his seductive tone. He squeezes your hand, “I haven't been able to think about anyone else since the day we met, Mein Herz.” He smiles softly, chuckling at the soft squeak he hears slipping past your lips as he steals another kiss. “I want to make you feel like the most sublime creature on the face of this planet because you deserve nothing less. I'm the lucky one for being allowed to spoil you.” Hot lips trail along your jaw; you can't help but let out a soft moan as he experimentally nips at your skin. He meticulously undoes every button of the last remaining piece of clothing separating you from him, every newly revealed patch of skin getting the utmost care and attention, your sweet whimpers echoing through the room as Charles left a trail of dark possessive marks down your body, it was enough to make your head spin. He carefully guides you upwards, just enough to slip the clothing off your shoulders. He cradles your face in his hand, a tender expression in his eyes as he studies your features. Charles couldn't believe the sight before him, the woman he could only dream of revealing his true feelings for, displayed so perfectly in front of him, laying atop his clothes, bearing the mark of his teeth on your flawless skin.

He presses a palm to the inside of your thigh, coaxing your legs apart with ease. His lips pressed to yours in a kiss that steals all the breath from your lungs; you keen into his touch as you feel his fingers tease at your entrance. You grab on tightly to his shoulders; he chuckles from his position suspended above you. He pulls back just as he pushes his thick digits inside you, causing you to moan loudly into the otherwise silent room. Your cheeks burned, the sounds of your pleasure echoing off every surface. “Such a pretty voice, Engel.” He coos, his fingers curling against a spot inside you that makes your thighs tremble. You bite hard into your bottom lip, trying hard to suppress your lewd whines as Charles’ thumb presses to your clit. He tuts quietly, gripping your cheeks tightly in his hand. “I want to hear you, my darling. Show me how good I make you feel.” He murmurs in a hypnotic purr.

As if on command, your lips parted, a sharp gasp escaping you as his fingers dragged deliciously over your walls. You moan his name, pulling his lips down to meet yours. Every meticulous curl of his fingers sent a jolt of white-hot pleasure through your entire body; he was so easily able to coax you right to the edge of release with a few small movements alone. “That's it, pretty girl. Let go for me.” He tempted, his tone intoxicatingly seductive as he felt your body tense in his arms. He cradles you against his chest, keeping a firm hold so as not to let you squirm away. The sound he tears from you as your climax finally surges forward is simply unholy. Charles's lips find yours, doing little to muffle the sound as he pulls you through the most intense high you've ever had. He mumbles sweet words of praise against your skin, goosebumps erupting across your exposed flesh as the thin sheen of sweat coating your body cools. Charles fumbles with his belt, haphazardly freeing himself from the confines of his pants.

He pins you beneath him, a growl bubbling up from his chest. His grey eyes meet yours, dark clouds of lust muddying his usually warm expression. He hums as he presses his lips to your pulse; you feel his sharp teeth graze over your skin as he smirks. “Such a pretty thing you are, Mein Herz.” You moan, fighting against his iron grip as he sinks his teeth into a particularly sensitive spot on your neck. “I can't wait to devour you whole.” He lets out a sound somewhere between a chuckle and a growl. He settles himself in between your thighs, collecting your slick on the head of his cock as he teases at your entrance. He eases into you, feeling every inch fill him so completely. He curses as his hips settle against your soft skin. You let out a soft whimper as he shifts, feeling the head of his member hit deliciously deep inside you. His hands trail across your body, memorizing every curve of your torso as he drinks in the feeling of you pulling him in. You were perfect, a divine creature sent here just for him, and he wasn't about to let you leave this room until you understood that. 

Strong forearms cage you in on either side of your head, Charles's lips slotting against yours to muffle your sweet cries. Every roll of his hips made your body jolt in pure ecstasy. You reach for him desperately, trying to find any place to hold onto him to pull him closer. He whispers sweet words of praise in your ear, his low, gravelly tone coaxing you closer to your climax with every passing second. He hums, pressing his lips to one of the dark love bites he left in his wake. “Tomorrow, everyone will know you belong to me, seeing your pretty skin all marked up like this.” He chuckles as he feels you shiver in his grasp.

“What a shame that’ll be.” You giggle. In one swift motion, Charles flips himself underneath you, his hands settling on your waist as he pushes you into his lap. The moan you let out is obscene, your thighs trembling as you collapse against his chest.

“What’s the matter, my love?” He asks with a teasing smirk. Before you have a chance to respond, Charles lifts your hips, pulling out to the tip before slamming you back down again. He groans as your teeth sink into his shoulder, a futile attempt to muffle your cries of pleasure as he repeats the motion. His fingers lace into your hair, giving the strands a firm tug as he forces your gaze to meet his. “I want to hear how good I make you feel.” He lazily traces over your features, earning another shrill moan from you as he pushes as deep inside of you as he can manage.

“Charles.” You moan his name, your thighs trembling with every long, harsh thrust.

“Come undone for me, Mein Herz.” He whispers before crushing his lips against yours. Your body goes rigid as your climax washes over you. Charles pulls you flush against him, fucking your mercilessly from below as you writhe against his hold. He growls against your lips, his hips stuttering as his orgasm creeps up on him. He presses a kiss to the end of your nose before resting his forehead against yours. “Promise you’ll be mine, Mein süßes Mädchen.” His chest heaves with every labored breath. You nod, only managing to breathe out a ‘yes’ in response before he pulls you into another mind-numbing kiss. He curses against your lips, his fingers pressing harshly into the soft flesh of your hip. His hips jolt as he slowly rolls them a few times, hissing at the overstimulation. He struggles to steady his breathing as he comes to a stop, wrapping his arms securely around you as he traces shapes across your back with his fingers. You nuzzle your face against the crook of his neck, breathing in his skin's sweet, musky scent. “How are you feeling, my love?” He asks softly.

“Tired.” You admit with a bashful giggle, one he meets with a chuckle of his own.

“Well, if you’d like, I have a big empty bed with our names on it… if you’ll have me, of course.” Your cheeks grow warm at the thought of spending the night wrapped up in his arms.

“That sounds fantastic.” You smile, hesitantly pressing your lips to his. He notices the flash of hesitation in your expression, “Are you sure–” He cuts you off before you can finish your question.

“I am in love with you, Mein Herz.” Your voice dies in your throat as his confession. He gently caresses your cheek, smiling as you lean into his touch. “It would make me so incredibly happy to wake up tomorrow morning with you in my arms.”

“Okay.” You whisper. “Then let's get out of here.” He chuckles, easing you off him to help you clean up. He helps you dress before whisking you up in his arms, allowing you to nestle against his chest as he carries you back to his quarters. He pulls back the covers, pulling you into a tight embrace and kissing your forehead before leaving you to get comfortable. He places a glass of water on your nightstand before slipping under the covers beside you. He pulls you into his arms the moment you reach out for him, gently carding his fingers through your hair as he tucks you protectively against him. Your eyes grow heavy, his chest's steady rise and fall threatening to lull you to sleep. He tilts your chin up, whispering a goodnight against your lips before sharing one final kiss, allowing you to drift off in his arms moments later.

He takes your hand to help you step out of the van. “Allow me, love.” He whispers, insisting on handling your luggage for you. “You just let me handle everything, yeah? There's no need for you to be so stressed, my dear.” He whispers in your ear, pressing a kiss to your cheek as he drags both suitcases behind him.

Falk:

“What's wrong, Mäuschen?” Falk asks softly, his hand immediately slipping into yours when he notices your unease.

“I'm just a little nervous, I've never flown before.” You explain, watching intently as his long, articulate fingers trace along the outline of your palm.

He lets out a small hum in response, a gentle smile winding across his lips. “I see.” He carefully intertwined his fingers with yours. “Would you like to know a secret?” He leans in close to you, giving your hand a squeeze as he whispers between the two of you. “I'm terrified of heights.” He admits with a chuckle. “If I can make it through I know you can. Plus, I'll be here to hold your hand the entire time.” He winks at you playfully.

Matthew:

Matthew was an expert at dealing with your nerves, often catching early signs of panic way before you did. He watched as your shoulders gradually began to rise as you waited in line for TSA. “Can I take your bag, Schön?” He asks softly. You nod, allowing him to slip the backpack from your shoulders, slinging it over his arm alongside his own. You sigh as his thumbs pressed into your tense muscles. “Just try and relax, I'll handle everything.” He whispers in your ear. He made sure you were well taken care of: holding onto your ID and boarding pass so they wouldn't get lost in your stuff and you wouldn't be anxious about dropping it, he was careful to keep people from bumping into you.

He groans as he stuffs both of your carry ons into the overhead bin. “There we go, safe and sound.” He smiles down at you, patting the now closed door. He slides into the seat next to you, taking your hand in his. “How are you doing?”

“Much better.” he smiles, bringing the back of your hand to his lips. “Thank you for helping me.”

“Of course, you're my top priority, I have to take good care of you.”

Charles:

You couldn't sleep. Your nerves about your flight in the morning getting the better of you. “What's wrong, honey?” You jump as Charles' sleepy voice suddenly grumbles behind you. Rubbing his eyes with a yawn as he sits up at your side, slinging his arm over your shoulders. “You've been tossing and turning for hours.” He points out gently, knowing you would try to deny anything was wrong so he could get back to sleep.

“It's silly.” You try to argue, he just crushes you against his chest in response, his skin warm as you nestle yourself against him.

“-’s not silly, lovey.” He mumbles, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “You can talk to me about anything, you know that.”

“I'm just nervous about our flight tomorrow. What if something goes wrong, of we forget something, it I lose my boarding pass, or my phone-”

“I'm not going to let any of that happen.” He stops your racing mind with a soft chuckle, smiling at you reassuringly. He lays down, pulling you back under the covers with him. “I'll take good care of you, meine herz. I promise.”

Roel:

“Are you almost ready? We have to head out to meet the others.” Roel says as he enters into your bedroom, backpack already slung over his shoulder.

“Yeah, I'll be right out, I'm almost ready.” He paused at your glum tone.

“Is everything alright, my love?” He sets down backpack, walking up behind you in order to wrap his arms around your waist. Your hands settle on top of his, relaxing into the feeling of being pressed against him.

“Just a little nervous.” You respond simply.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” You smile at his immediate support.

“Just being with you is already making me feel better.” You respond softly, your arms sliding over his shoulders as you turn to face him.

“Good,” he smiles down at you, “let's keep it that way, yeah?”

“That's really why you're banging on my door at the ass crack of dawn?” You ask in an annoyed tone, crossing your arms over your chest. “Well, I'm going to tell you right now, you're not getting in here without a fucking warrant-” He cuts you off by firmly saying your name.

“I'm not here to arrest anyone.” He explains in an attempt to try and diffuse your hostility. “I'm just here to check in. Are you in trouble? Do you need help?” He whispers, eyes darting between the door and your less-than-pleased expression.

You let out an aggravated sigh, “Mike, listen… the only reason I'm not running you off my property right now is because you've helped me out in the past. If I needed your help, I would ask for it. I'm not going to let you show up here and harass me or any of them because some fucking backwoods country bumpkin wants to demonize a different way of living.” You take a deep breath, seeing the genuine concern on his face. “This… isn't like last time; they wouldn't hurt me. I'm safe, promise.” He looks at the door and then back at you.

“If you even get the feeling that something is wrong, you call me.” You nod.

“Get back to the station. Your wife would be worried sick if she knew you were out driving right now.” You nodded to his vehicle, watching him descend the stairs before heading back inside the apartment. You stepped through the door, kicking off your boots and hanging up your coat with a sigh of relief now that the situation was over.

“Thank god, you're safe.” Vessel pulls you into his arms, his voice thick with worry. “What did he want?”

“Someone called to report an unfamiliar vehicle and four suspicious individuals entering my house last night; he was just swinging by for a wellness check.” You reassure him. “He might be a bit of a hard ass, but he means well. I'm sure he won't give you guys any trouble.”

“Bit of a sour start to our first morning all together, isn't it?” III chuckles, making the rest of the group laugh.

“And here I was, looking forward to cuddling up with you.” Vessel purrs, the tension from your unexpected visitor quickly melting away as they all attempt to soothe your nerves.

“Nothing is saying that can't still happen, Ves,” II responds with a smile. You see a devious smirk quickly pass over Vessel’s features. You yelp, and your feet are lifted from the floor in one swift movement. Vessel easily tosses you over his shoulder to carry you towards your bedroom. You giggle as he gently tosses you on the bed, quickly being surrounded by warmth as the boys pile around you. You lay sandwiched between II and IV, III holding one of your hands in his as he lazily plays with your fingers. Vessel’s hand possessively wraps around the curve of your waist as he reaches over II, needing to be somehow able to touch you. It didn't take long for your eyes to grow heavy, returning to sleep for the last few hours of dawn as the new day's light began to melt away the cage of ice that had covered the surrounding trees. 

You smiled as you woke up, pressing into the body's warmth behind you with a soft hum. A strong arm wrapped securely around your waist, his thumb rubbing slow, languid strokes across your hip. You reach over to find the other side of the bed empty. “-’s just you and me, lovey.” Vessel purrs. You let out a soft, pleased sigh.

“Is that so?” you ask in a slightly teasing tone, your voice still thick with sleep. Was that your plan all along? Get me in bed all alone?” He meets your playful smirk with a chuckle of his own.

“You’d like that, wouldn't you, sweetness?” he whispers, his grip tightening on your waist. Your cheeks grow warm, goosebumps erupting across your skin as you feel his lips brush over the shell of your ear. “Trust me, my first time with you isn't going to be some messy little hook-up in your bedroom.” He chuckles. “I plan on worshiping you like the divine creature you are.” A shiver runs up your spine as he presses his lips to your pulse. “Until then, we just have to be patient, don't we?”

“Fine.” You sigh in mock annoyance, making Vessel laugh softly. You rest your hand on top of his, languidly tracing the spaces between his knuckles as you allow yourself to melt into his warmth. “Where are the others?”

“They're making you breakfast. We all want to make sure you have a better day after starting on the wrong foot.” He explains softly.

“You’re sweet, " you say with a smile. “The power came back on?” He lets out a hum of approval.

“Clicked on a little while after you fell asleep.” You lay there for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of Vessel’s body molding against yours. You sigh as you attempt to roll out of bed. “And where do you think you're going?” He chuckles, tightening his grip on your waist. You roll over to face him, the playfully grumpy expression on your face making him smile. “Trying to run away without giving me a kiss? That's how it's going to be, hm?” You giggle as he pulls your lips to his.

You could get used to mornings like this. After leaving your lungs burning for air and your head spinning, Vessel lazily helped you get out of bed. Scooping you up in his arms to escort you towards the kitchen. “Well, good morning, beautiful.” III stood at the stove, bacon sizzling in the pan in front of him, IV at his side cutting up fruit and tossing it into a bowl, and II sat at the table drinking a steaming cup of coffee.

“Good morning.” You greet all of them. Vessel sets you down on the floor before collapsing into one of the other chairs that had been dragged into the kitchen. IV approaches you, holding out a piece of fresh fruit for you to bite into. He rests his hand against your cheek, carefully running his thumb under your eye.

“Eyelash.” He whispers with a chuckle. He holds it out on the end of his fingeMakemake a wish.” A smile creeps across your features at the simple request. You think about it momentarily before closing your eyes, wishing that every morning could be like this with them, and blowing the eyelash away. Your eyes flutter open to meet IV’s curious gaze. He presses his lips to your forehead before returning to the task he was completing prior.

“You hungry?” You smile as III wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you into his side.

“Starving.” You respond, giggling as he squeezes you against him, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

“I'll have breakfast done shortly, love.” You stand up on your toes, sharing a kiss through his mask before allowing him to finish cooking.

“Well, good morning, baby.” II quickly caught your attention, a warm hand settling against your waist as he pulled you into his lap. “Thought you forgot about me.” He teases with a chuckle. “My pretty girl is getting so much attention.” He squeezes your hip as his gaze lazily trails down to your lips.

“Trust me, that’s not remotely possible.” You giggle as his forehead bumps against yours, holding his lips just out of reach.

“Good,” he whispers, “because after holding you in my arms this morning, I can't seem to think of anything besides you.” Your eyes flutter shut as his lips finally brush over yours. You feel II’s legs tense underneath you as you hear IV let out a sound almost akin to a growl from across the kitchen.

“Relax.” III states in a warning tone. “You can spend time with her, too.” You watch IV’s shoulders soften under III’s intense, almost corrective demeanor. “And II, keep it respectful, yeah?” III stood like a wall between the two men, ready to launch into action at the first signs of a fight.

You hear II make an annoyed sound of approval. The fact that he seemed to be acting like a child who had just been scolded by a parent almost made you laugh. You press your lips to his cheek, “I'm going to see if they need any help.”

“Don't let them work you too hard, love.” He jokes with a wink. You laugh, shaking your head as you hop off his lap. You walk up to III, crossing your arms behind your back.

“Head chef.” You address him seriously.

“Yes, love?” He responds with a chuckle.

“Where would you like me to help?” You ask, following III’s gase as it trails over to IV. He nods in his direction, smiling at you as you walk away.

IV tenses slightly under your touch, your hand resting on his shoulder. “Everything okay?” You grab a bowl from the cabinet in front of you and place it on the counter to pour the fruit into.

“I'm sorry,” he apologizes quietly, keeping his eyes trained on the cutting board. “Guess I'm just a little jealous.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” IV sighs, his shoulders softening as he lets some tension roll from his body.

“No, you're absolutely perfect, love.” His eyes finally meet yours, the corners crinkling slightly as he smiles. “I just need to get out of my head, I'm afraid.” He finishes with a chuckle. Your heart skips a beat at the sound of him saying your name, “promise you're still my girl?”

“Of course.” You say, shooting him a flirty smile. “Besides, you still have to take me out on that date.” He chuckles bashfully.

“Yes, I do. I just want to make sure I think of something special first.” He gently nudges your shoulder with his own. “My girl deserves only the best.” Your cheeks grow warm, the two of you sharing a small glance before finishing breakfast in silence.

“All set, sweetheart?” III asks before clearing your dishes from the table.

“I can bring my own plates to the sink; I'm not helpless, you know.” You joke.

III chuckles as he strolls up to you, “And why should my pretty girl have to lift a finger?”

“You're such a flirt.” You tease with a flustered giggle. You sigh, standing to answer your phone in the other room.

“Thank god I got a hold of ya’.” The momentary panic that had bubbled up in your chest at the sight of the contact that flashed across your phone quickly died at the familiar calm tone on the other end of the line.

“Henry, is everything alright?” Henry McMann owned the dairy farm up the road; you had grown close to him over your time running the store.

“Everything's fine. Tree fell and put a damn hole in the barn roof. I was hoping I could convince those boys you have staying with you to come down and help; I could use their pickup truck to clean up the place.” Your eyes narrowed at the request.

“How did you know they were staying here?” You question.

“Whole damn town’s talking about it, kiddo. Hell,” he starts to laugh, “at least three people have called up here this morning asking if we've heard from you.”

“You weren't the one that sent the police here, were you?”

“No, ma’am,” he responds immediately. “Your business is your business. As long as no one's getting hurt, I frankly don't give a damn what you're getting up to.”

“Let me see if I can get Vessel to come talk to you; he'll be able to help.” After some gentle convincing on your end, you managed to get him on the phone. Vessel might be wary of strangers, but despite his icy exterior, he couldn't turn down someone who needed help. After a while, he carefully hung up the phone and wordlessly approached the others.

“Let's get going; we have some work to do.” You weren't exactly sure what Henry could have said to Vessel that made him agree to head out there, but you were happy for whatever it was. Pulling up at the farm always provided this strange sense of home. Seeing Henry waiting on the porch, a dark pipe lazily perched against his lips, was a sight you'd witnessed a hundred times at this point.

“Thanks for showing up.” Henry’s hand claps into Vessel’s with a firm shake.

“Thank you for giving us the opportunity to.” Vessel responds simply. “Why don't you show us this barn.”

The tree hadn't damaged much but couldn't remain across the barn’s roof. “We need to get the sheep to the other building before we do anything.” You caught Vessel silently nodding at III, who quietly slipped from the group. You stood by as the pair formulated a plan, Henry seemingly impressed by Vessel’s initiative to help. You startled at the bleating from behind you, turning to find that III had successfully managed to herd all the sheep together.

Vessel calls your name. " Why don't you take Henry inside so you can both warm up? The more people out here, the more dangerous it'll be.”

“You don't have to tell me twice.” Henry chuckles. “You boys drink coffee? I'll get a pot started.”

“That would be great, Henry, thank you.” Vessel responds before his attention turns to you. “Go on, love. We won't be long.” The sight of his smile was enough to put you at ease. If you were being honest, this whole interaction was going a lot better than you thought it would. You were expecting Vessel to be cold and Henry to be abrasive, but the two seemed to be getting along just fine.

“Oh, wait, they're going to need some chain.” You sent Henry inside, insisting you would be right in. You were just going to jog back over and tell them where to look in the– You skidded to a halt as you rounded the corner. IV stood under the tree, his jacket discarded on the truck hood and his sleeves pushed up to his elbows. His muscles strained under the weight of the colossal trunk; with a groan and one strong push from his legs, he lifted the tree from the barn. You hear him curse before pushing the tree forward, causing it to crash loudly to the ground. You watched him grab onto his hand, droplets of blood dripping from his fingers into the pure white snow. You were immediately consumed by panic seeing him hurt, the inhuman strength you just witnessed being pushed from your mind. You yell for him, rushing forward to see the damage. “Are you okay? Let me look.” The wound wasn't anything terrible, a gash left behind by what you were assuming was a sharp branch, just enough to cause him to bleed. “Come on, let's get you cleaned up.” He wordlessly followed you, allowing you to rush him inside and past Henry to the bathroom. You kicked the door shut behind you, pulling out the first aid kit from under the sink. IV stared back at you with confusion in his eyes, apprehension rolling off him in waves as he waited for you to address what you had just witnessed. He was snapped from his daze by you softly saying his name, “Can I see?”

“Yeah.” He sighs, placing his injured hand in yours. “I'm sorry you have to play nurse,” he chuckles. I wasn't expecting that bark to be so jagged.”

“It's no problem; it's what girlfriends are for.” He breathes out a sigh of relief as you smile at him. The silence still hung thick between you as you carefully cleaned the wound, being as gentle with him as possible. “So, you're strong enough to squat a tree?”

“I guess, on a good day.” He responds in an awkward attempt at a joke.

“Can you… Can all of you–?” You make a vague flexing motion, making IV chuckle.

“To an extent, yeah.” He leans closer to you, a smugness lacing its way into his words. “I would like to point out, however, that I am quite a bit stronger than II, thank you very much.”

You smile coyly at him, “As long as you're strong enough to sweep me up in your arms, that's all I care about.”

“You're acting like that would be much of a problem.” You swallow thickly, your heart racing as your eyes meet his.

“Try to sit still while I get you wrapped up, alright?” He laughs at your abrupt change in subject.

“Yes, love, whatever you need.” He leans in, gently pressing his lips to your forehead

“Is he gonna make it?” Henry asks, unbothered by your usual frantic chaos rushing through his living room, reading yesterday's paper in his recliner.

“Yessir, just a scratch,” IV responds with a chuckle.

“We're going to see what else they need help with; we’ll be back, " you explain before heading out of the house. You step onto the porch, pulling your jacket around you to try to shield yourself from the frigid wind. You squeal as IV effortlessly picks you up and tosses you over his shoulder.

“See? No trouble at all.” He teases before turning you into a more comfortable position, holding you close to his chest. By the time you had gotten back to the barn, Vessel and II had made quick work of chopping up the tree, the back of their truck filled with neatly sliced logs ready to be moved elsewhere.

“There you are! You were gone so long we thought she had to chop your damn hand off.” II chuckles.

“No, he got lucky this time.” You joke, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“You mind going to check on III? Tell him we're just about done.” You nod, running off towards the other barn. Upon entering, you couldn't help but laugh, watching III attempt to calm the panicked sheep.

“I'm not trying to eat your flock; I'm just trying to help.” He attempts to bargain to stop the bleating.

“Want some company?” You ask with a smile.

“Please.” III chuckles in response.

“I'm surprised they don't like you; Henry’s sheep are usually very sweet.” You muse, patting the top of one of their fluffy heads as you pass.

“I tend to be rather scary to livestock animals… for one reason or another.” He responds vaguely.

“Well, Ves wanted me to tell you they're just about finished.” He slides to the ground with a sigh, patting the empty cushion of hay beside him.

“Good, that gives me a couple minutes to spend with you.” He responds in a flirty tone. You tumble down next to him, allowing him to pull you into his side. “How's your day going, baby?”

“Well, I'm spending it with you, so I can't complain.” You say with a smile.

Your heart raced as he leaned in closer to you. “Glad to hear it.” His gaze drops to your lips, slowly tracing your features before meeting your eyes again with an eye-crinkling smile. “Do you think, um– Do you think I could maybe steal you away for myself tonight..? Only if you want, of course.” The memory of III confessing how he just wants to get you alone bubbled up in the back of your mind, making your stomach flip.

“If you can manage to get me away from the others.” You joke with a giggle.

III releases a sound somewhere between a growl and a chuckle. “Oh, don't worry about that, pretty girl. I'll make sure everyone knows you'll be spending the night with me.”

“Alright, III, bring them back in!” You hear Vessel call from outside. He stands with a groan, offering you his hand to help you up.

“Alright, everyone, let's make this as painless as possible.” He calls over the hoard of bleating sheep. He was surprisingly efficient at the task, rounding up the entire flock into one solid group to lead them from one building to the other. You noticed how he quickly spotted anyone who fell out of line, nudging them back with his knee as he barked to keep moving.

You jump as Vessel places a hand on your waist, “I think that went well, don't you?”

“I think you're right.” You smile softly, leaning into him as you share your hushed conversation. “Thank you for giving Henry a chance; he's pretty much family.”

“I can't say no to you,” he breathes out a chuckle. You asked for my help, and I'll always be there to give it to you… and, I guess, Henry doesn't seem so bad.” He playfully nudges your shoulder.

“You boys hungry? The wife and I would like to make you some dinner to say thanks for helpin’ out.” Vessel looks to the others for a response.

“Well, you know I could always eat.” III chuckles with a shrug. 

You hear II sigh, somewhat relieved, “Would either of you like help in the kitchen?”

“No, you've done more than enough. All of you.” Henry confidently walks up to Vessel with a look of determination. “After today, I can tell just how much bullshit those reporters are trying to fill everyone's head with. You're a good group; if you ever need anything, just let me know. Just make sure you take good care of my girl.”

Vessel smiled, genuinely shaking Henry's hand. “Thank you; I really appreciate that. And, trust me,” despite the mask covering his face, you could feel Vessel’s eyes shift to you. I plan to.”

You stood side by side with May, Henry’s wife, in the kitchen, helping her wash vegetables for dinner. “Those boys seem very sweet on you.” She gracefully dances around the subject. Your cheeks grow warm as you struggle to think of a way to explain your four boyfriends. “They're all very handsome; you'll have to come by and tell me about them sometime.” She whispers giddily.

“I’d love to; they're all amazing. I'm happy you finally get to meet them.” You jumped at the loud boom of laughter from the living room, smiling at the sound of the group.

“I think Henry likes them too.” She chuckles.

May insists she can finish up the cooking herself before sending you out into the commotion. You couldn't get over how lovely they all were, genuinely enjoying their time sitting in Henry’s cramped living room. The house was full of laughter, stories, and all the small things you missed about being at Henry's farm. The hours flew by, and before you knew it, you were comfortably tucked into the truck's cab, settling into III’s lap while Vessel drove towards their camp. III wraps his arms around your waist, chin settling against your shoulder. “How's my pretty girl?” He whispers.

“Good.” You reply with a pleased sigh. “Tired.” You follow up with a chuckle.

“Do you still want to spend the night?” A shiver runs down your spine at the feeling of his warm breath against the shell of your ear.

“Of course.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mhm.” She draws out her hum, giving you a playful smirk. 

“I, um… excuse me, ladies, there's something I forgot to handle.” You respond with a bashful chuckle before slipping away. “I am such an idiot!” you exclaim to yourself. You jog down the hallway. Hopefully, there weren't too many people down at the front gate. You had been waiting for them… for him to come home for weeks.

The Autumnal Equinox was always a bit hectic around The Abbey. Sabbats always tended to get everyone a little too rowdy, and this time would be no different. You heard shouts from the kitchen and orders to make sure all the chefs had enough prep for the special meal The Abbey prepares for the Siblings every holiday. The Great Hall doors were open, and last-minute decorations were meticulously placed around the room. It seems like everyone is putting in their best effort to make the celebration of the Equinox something special.

However, you couldn't have been less concerned with the party if you tried. There had been only one thought in your head about seeing him again for weeks. The members of the High Clergy had been traveling to spread the word of the church for the past couple of months, which shouldn't have affected you and your role in the library. But, it got awfully lonely while they were away. You had your friends around The Abbey, of course, and the rest of the Siblings that resided here were all kind and wonderful people, but something was still missing.

You managed to get to the gates just in time to see them heading up the long stone driveway to The Abbey’s entrance. You wiped your hands down the front of your habit, your palms growing clammy as your eyes landed on Falk, a smile on his face as he talked with Attila. His gaze turns to you, his long strides gradually slowing to a stop as his eyes meet yours. His grin softens, a fond expression settling over his features as he studies the image of you standing before him. He claps Attila on the shoulder before parting from the other man, adjusting the strap of his bag where it had twisted before starting in your direction. He stops a few steps in front of you, both of you memorizing the image of the other all over again as you both struggle to find the right words to say. You can't help but smile slightly as you study his features. You hadn't realized how much you missed getting to see his face every day until right this moment: warm golden brown eyes that captivated you yet put you entirely at ease, the subtle sharpness of his smile that never failed to make your heart race, the slight shadow of stubble that covered the lower half of his face, you missed all of it. “How are you?” He finally speaks, snapping you from your trance-like state.

“Good,” you suck in a deep breath to steady your pulse, “better now that you're home safely.” Falk breathes out a flustered chuckle at your response.

“Well, I had to make it back to my favorite Mäuschen, didn't I?” His hand comes to rest on the top of your head, gently patting your hair. Your heart pounded as you glanced up at him through your lashes. He removes his hand from your head, his fingers gently combing through your hair to push some loose strands behind your ear. His hand grazes over your skin, coming to rest on your cheek.

“Father Falk?” Your voice trembled slightly as you spoke, the words bubbling up in your throat as you struggled to tear your eyes away from his. “I, um…” The warmth of Falk’s hand leaves your cheek at the sudden shout of his name, a group of Siblings barreling out of The Abbey doors now that someone has alerted them that the High Clergy had returned home.

“You, what, Maus?” he asks in a low tone. The intimacy of how he leaned in to speak to you, to ensure you knew that you had his full attention, sent a shiver down your spine.

“I'm just really happy you're home, Father.” You tried to muster your most convincing smile, but Falk saw through whatever façade you attempted to put on. As the crowd approaches, you attempt to slip off, only for Falk to catch your hand in his.

“You can stay, you know.” He remarks, offering you a patient smile.

“I'm afraid I’d probably just get in the way,” you respond with a weak, slightly defeated chuckle. “If you find yourself with a moment to breathe, you know where to find me.”

“Will I see you tonight?” You glance at him curiously. “For the party?” He finishes.

The party had already begun to slip from your thoughts. You opened your mouth to respond, only to be drowned out by the hoard of Siblings who had finally made their way down to where you were standing. Your hand slipped out of his as you took your chance to disappear into the chaos.

You hurriedly made your way back to the library, pressing your back against the cool wood as you allowed the door to slam shut behind you. You sigh, letting your head thud against the barrier. “I missed you.” You finally allow the confession to tumble from your lips once you find yourself alone.

You slide into the chair at your desk, smiling slightly as you see your handwriting on a tented index card. You pick it up, absentmindedly twirling it between your fingers as you allow your eyes to trace along the delicate gold letters etched into the book cover that sat atop the pile of reserved texts you had set aside by request. “Excuse me.” You scream as you're startled from your thoughts, clapping a hand over your mouth as you turn to look at who had approached the desk. Falk stood before you, his shoulders shaking slightly as he struggled to contain the laughter bubbling up in his throat.

“I'm sorry, Father–”

“No, really, I'm sorry; I thought you would have heard me come in.” He chuckles, gliding forward until he’s standing right in front of you. His forearms come to rest on the desk, his crooked smile making your cheeks grow warm as he casually leans in closer to you. “Surely I'm not that scary looking, hm?” He adds with a playful smirk.

“You're not scary at all, you just surprised me, that's all…” you trail off, fidgeting with the edge of one of the book covers as you pull the stack closer to you. “I happen to think you're rather handsome.”

“Is that so?” His grin widens slightly as his gaze scans over your features. “Well, coming from someone as beautiful as you, I'm flattered.” Your heart slammed against your ribs when you finally registered his compliment. His hand was warm as he took yours, thumb slowly running over the valleys of your knuckles. He breathes out a laugh at the difference between his massive paw as it engulfed your delicate fingers. His attention turns to your face; the subtle intensity behind his eyes keeps you firmly in place. “I don't believe I got your answer before we were interrupted earlier.” His expression softens, gently squeezing your hand when he feels your fingers trembling against his palm. “Will I be seeing you tonight?” Your mouth grew dry as you struggled to form any words in response. The question was so simple, yet Falk’s tone was so incredibly intimate as he spoke to you.

“I'll be there.” You finally managed to squeak out.

He lifted your hand slightly; his breath was warm against your skin. “Hopefully, I'll be able to steal you away for a dance then.” His eyes flicker over your features before he brings your knuckles to his lips. “Until then, Schwester.” He wordlessly scoops up the books you had placed on the desk between you, giving you one final lopsided grin before hurrying from the library, leaving you dumbfounded.

You couldn't believe it when you stood in front of your mirror. You were truly no better than a teenage girl getting ready for prom. You glanced at the chaos that had ensued behind you: a mountain of dresses covered your bed, practically every pair of shoes you owned scattered the floor, various piles of tried-on and later discarded jewelry, leaving you still standing in your bathrobe as you agonized over what to wear.

You had just finished putting on your earrings when there was a sudden knock at your door. “One second!” You call in response, grumbling as you trip over your shoes on your way to the door. You freeze as your eyes land on Falk, your gaze darting to the vibrant bouquet he held before returning to his charming, lopsided grin. “Falk?” You can't help the shy smile that slowly spreads across your features. “What's this for?”

“Well, I couldn't show up empty-handed. Now, could I?” He responds vaguely, slipping the bouquet into your hands.

“Well, that all depends on why you're here, doesn't it?” He chuckles at your playful tone.

“I'm here to ask if the beautiful young woman in front of me would do me the honor of accompanying me to the Equinox celebration tonight.” He motions to the gift he had presented to you. “Hence the flowers.” You share a laugh, carefully spinning around the bouquet in your hands to admire the vibrant oranges, golds, and reds.

“You… you want to take me?” Your voice came out soft, barely above the whisper, as if you spoke any louder, you would snap yourself awake from a dream.

“If you'll have me.” He responds with a slight nervousness in his tone. He holds out his hand for you to take, a hopefulness in his eyes as they meet yours.

“I think it might be the other way around.” You reply coyly, your cheeks growing warm as your fingers ghost over his palm.

“Please,” you can't help but giggle as he takes your hand and guides you through a spin. He smiles as he drinks in the sight of you. You're absolutely beautiful,” your breath hitches in your throat as he gently trails his knuckle across your jaw. Walking in there with you on my arm feels almost too good to be true.”

“Let me just grab my shoes, " you said as you began to turn. Feel free to come in, but I'll warn you it's a bit of a mess…” he glanced at you curiously. “I couldn't figure out what to wear.” You both exchanged a laugh.

“Well, I think you look incredible, Mäuschen.” You mumble out a flustered ‘thank you,’ Falk sticking close to your side as you head into your dorm. You set the bouquet in some water, deeply inhaling its sweet scent. “I'm glad you like them.”

“Thank you for bringing them for me; that was very sweet.” He shrugs nonchalantly in response, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Like I said… I couldn't just show up empty-handed.” He takes a few steps forward, allowing him to resume his usual position towering over you. “I honestly wish I had prepared a bit more.” He chuckles.

“Getting to spend the night with you is all I could ever ask for.” You admit softly, your eyes trailing to the floor.

“Well then, my dearest Maus,” he takes your hand, carefully bringing your knuckles to his lips, “why don't you grab your shoes so we can enjoy our evening?” Your heart pounded; you were sure Falk could hear it. You reluctantly separated from him, picking up the pair of heels you had decided on. Falk’s hand was warm as it came to rest on the small of your back. “May I?” He asks, taking hold of your shoes. He drops to one knee, taking your hand in his for a moment to bring it to his shoulder. He carefully moves your dress out of the way to delicately lift your foot. He easily slips your shoe on before resting or on his thigh, fastening the strap around your ankle and asking you if everything felt alright before repeating the process.

“Thank you.” You smile down at him. Electricity danced across your skin, where he lazily ran his thumb across your ankle. He takes your hands in his as he stands.

“Ready?” You nod in response, your grin widening as you watch him slowly trace over the contours of your face. “Beautiful.” He mumbles before breathing out a bashful chuckle. He tucks your hand into the crook of his elbow, “Let’s get going.”

You found yourself leaning into Falk’s side as you walked, hiding your face against his shoulder as you laughed at another one of his dumb jokes. You could hear the party raging up the hallway as glasses clinked together and the excited laughter and shouts of the entire Abbey broke apart the otherwise tranquil autumn evening. When you entered the room, it felt like every pair of eyes had landed on you. Falk squeezes your hand before confidently stepping forward. “Falk!” The crowd's attention quickly diverted as Attila greeted the two of you. He claps Falk on the shoulder, greeting each other jovially in German before turning his attention to you, “Sorry about all the staring.” He chuckles. 

“I thought I had prepared myself for that on the walk over here.” You respond with a laugh of your own.

“Just go have fun, don’t worry about them.” He leans closer to you to whisper, “Falk certainly isn’t.” He jokes. You glance at him over your shoulder, your heart leaping into your throat as you meet with his kind, adoring gaze. Attila straightens up, “I’ll see you both later.” He dismissed himself abruptly, surely trying to see as many people as possible before the night was over.

You turn to face him as Falk softly says your name. “Would you like to dance?” He offers you his hand, waiting patiently for you to accept his invitation. As you set your hand in his, a smile finds its way to your lips.

“I'd love to.” He tugs you in the direction of the dance floor. You can't help but laugh as he sweeps you into his arms, your heart fluttering as your hands rest against his chest. He takes your hand in his, the other settling against the curve of your waist.

“You look nervous, Mäuschen.” You share a playful grin.

“Can you blame me?” You reply softly.

“If anything, I should be the one that's nervous.” Your body instinctively begins to sway with his as he leads you around the floor.

“And why's that?” He carefully leads you through a spin before pulling you back to him.

“I showed up to a party accompanied by the most beautiful woman in The Abbey.” His arm fully encircles your waist, tipping you back towards the floor. “I just hope I don't manage to make myself look like a fool in front of you.” 

Your cheeks grow warm at his compliment, a soft laugh slipping past your lips. “Trust me, you don't have anything to worry about.” Your breath catches in your throat as he shoots you another charming, lopsided grin. His gaze drops to your lips, lingering there momentarily before meeting your eyes again.

You danced with him for hours. The pair of you never seemed to tire as Falk effortlessly spun you around the room. Your nerves quickly slipped from your mind, the jealous stares of other Siblings being entirely lost to the warmth that burned in your chest every time Falk made you laugh. Eventually, you noticed the once-raging crowd beginning to thin as the night started to wind to a close. “Why don't we get out of here?” Your pulse races as Falk whispers the simple question in your ear. You nod, laughing as he takes your hand and hurriedly leads you through the crowd.

Falk sighs loudly as he pushes through the door into the chilly autumn evening. Goosebumps immediately erupt across your bare skin, the oppressive heat of the party inside being sucked away from you in an instant. He turns to you with a soft smile, shrugging out of his jacket to draw it across your shoulders. He cups your cheek, allowing his thumb to stroke over your skin as he studies you languidly. “What?” You ask with a bashful smile.

“You're beautiful, Mäuschen.” He responds with unhesitating tenderness. “I'm sorry if you catch me staring. I just can't help myself sometimes.” He pulls you to him, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. You wandered aimlessly around The Abbey’s grounds, just enjoying being in each other’s company. Neither of you wanted your time together to end, finding any excuse you could to lengthen the conversation. You paused at the distant rumble of thunder, jumping slightly when a raindrop splatters across your cheek. Falk grabs your hand, waiting for you to gather up your dress. You groan as you remember you're wearing heels. Falk chuckles, stepping closer to you to scoop you up in his arms. You let out a delighted squeal, your arms latching around his neck as he jogs off with you in his arms. It didn't take long for both of you to be completely soaked through with rain. He sets you down outside the greenhouse, the first unlockable door to shelter you came across. “I'm sorry about your dress.” He apologizes as he feels around the top of the door frame for the key.

“It'll dry.” You reassure him.

“I figured we could dry off here for a little while, wait for the rain to stop.” He explains as he finally slips the key into the lock. “I thought going for a walk would have been romantic.” He chuckles.

“Falk?” His attention turns to you as you softly say his name. “Would you like to dance with me?”

He chuckles as he nods. “I would love to, Maus.” He steps closer to you, “Here, let me help with your shoes. I don't need you getting stuck.” He meticulously helps you out of your heels, struggling to contain the grin that spreads across his face as he watches you step down to your normal height. You can't help but laugh as Falk gives you a low bow, offering you his hand. You gingerly lift your dress as you curtsy in response. Raindrops trailed down your skin; Falk swore you almost seemed to glow under the moonlight. He hums into the silence of the night, both of you moving in perfect synchronicity as you waltz through the wet grass. Falk bows once more as your dance finishes, bringing your knuckles to his lips before lifting you from the ground easily. The inside of the greenhouse was warm, immediately enveloping your whole body in a blanket of humidity as you hurried inside out of the rain. He carefully takes his sleeve, wiping away whatever water he could with his soaked shirt.

“Come here; I know where they keep some towels.” Falk smiles as you take his hand. You shake the handle of the supply closet, giving it a harsh twist before it finally gives way. It wasn't much, a few hand towels tucked beside a rickety old sink every used to wash up after a day of harvesting. You timidly raise your hand, carefully pressing the towel to his cheek to wipe away the ceremonial paint that now ran in dark gray streaks down his neck. Falk freezes under your delicate touch, his hands settling on the curve of your waist as he allows you to clean him up. As you slowly uncover his handsome features, a soft smile finds its way to your face. Falk was struggling to keep his eyes off of you; everything about you was just so perfect. The subtle curve of your lips as you cared for him just about made his heart stop.

“You'll catch a cold if you're stuck in that dress much longer.” He tuts, moving one of his hands to your shoulder. “Your skin feels like ice, Maus.” 

“I'll be alright-”

“There you two are! What the hell do you think you're doing out here in this storm?” It was Roel. The two of you startled apart; you yelped as you tripped on the long skirt of your gown. Falk’s hand shot out in an instant, steadying you, and he pulled you into his chest.

“How did you know we were out here?” Falk asks in a confused tone.

“I was doing a grounds check. Trust me, this wouldn't be the first time I've found someone hooking up out here, and I'm sure it won't be the last.” He chuckles. “But, from the fact you two look like a couple of wet dogs, I'm assuming this wasn't part of your plan.” You could tell from his teasing tone that Father Roel wouldn't let either of you live this down any time soon. The three of you rush back inside The Abbey, Roel giving Falk very clear instructions to ensure you get home safely before parting ways.

“Let's get you into something dry, hm?” He offers you his arm, and you gladly accept it as you lean into his side. Your hand slides into his, giving it a gentle squeeze to try and ease some of the tension that rolled off of him in waves. He seems to snap himself from his thoughts as he turns to glance at you. “I'm sorry I made such a mess of our date, " he suddenly admits with a chuckle.

“I don't think you made a mess of anything. Falk, I'm having a wonderful time with you tonight.” Your steps slowly come to a stop.

“After I got you caught in the rain and probably ruined your nice dress.” He responds incredulously.

“It's just a dress.” You rebuttal. You turn to face him, and despite how hard he tried to hide it you could see the worry laced into his features. Your hand slowly rises from your side, hesitating for a moment before it gently comes to rest against his cheek. Falk’s warm, golden brown eyes find yours. “I wouldn't change anything about how tonight has gone.” Your confession poured past your lips before you could stop it. “While you were away, I can't even begin to describe how much I missed you. Now, you're home. You asked me to one of The Abbey’s most important parties, and I got to spend the entire night wrapped up in your arms… Falk Maria Schlegel, I love being around you. Getting caught in some rain isn't going to change that. There isn't anywhere I would rather have spent my night than by your side.” He barely gave you enough time to finish your sentence before his lips were on yours. The air was instantly knocked from your lungs, your hands fisting into Falk’s shirt in order to keep yourself upright and to pull him as close to you as you could manage. His strong arms wrap around your waist, lifting you from the floor, leaving your toes barely skimming across the stone tile. His shoulders heave as he struggles to catch his breath, his eyes searching yours as you finally separate for air. You slide your hands over his shoulders, realizing he was making no move to set you down. Slowly, a lopsided grin spreads across his lips.

“You missed me, hm?” Your cheeks immediately begin to burn at the statement.

“Shut up.” You manage to respond through a flustered giggle. You let out a pleased hum as he pressed his lips to yours in a few short, sweet kisses. “Take me home.” You command.

He quirked an eyebrow at you, a playful smirk toying at the corners of his lips. “Yes, ma'am.” He sets you down for a moment to readjust his hold on you, his arm sliding behind your knees as he pulls you back into his chest. Swaying you with every step, Falk carried you back to his quarters so you could enjoy the rest of your evening alone.

“I would love to.” He responds a little too quickly; you hold back a laugh as you watch him cringe slightly at his actions. “I mean, if it wouldn't be too much trouble.” He adds on with a bashful chuckle.

“No trouble at all; I was just about to make some tea.” You nod for him to follow you inside. He ducks through your doorway, shoving his hands in his pockets as he curiously looks around your house. You couldn't help but watch him from the kitchen, smiling softly as you saw him delicately pick up whatever knick-knack had caught his attention, being as careful as possible with the fragile object before setting it back perfectly in place. Ever since the two of you met, Vessel had always held a special sense of caution around you, knowing how intimidating his massive stature could come off; everything he did was settled with a particular degree of care. You're snapped from your thoughts by your kettle beginning to sing.

You sat side by side on your couch, the breeze through the open windows sending a chill through your apartment. The trees danced in the wind, welcoming in the oncoming storm with open arms as dark clouds began to roll in from the distance. Your mug of tea warmed your hands, and a bowl of freshly washed fruit was set between you as you asked Vessel how things were back at the camp. “You should come back with me; I'm sure everyone would love to see you.” He offers with a soft smile.

“I would–” you were cut off by the sound of thunder rumbling, “love… to…” You couldn't help but let your gaze trail to the window, finally noticing that the storm was moving in much quicker than you or the weather channel could have predicted. You swallow thickly before turning your attention back to Vessel, you didn't have a lot of time left. “Um, but it'll have to be some other time.”

“Love, what's wrong?” He sits up from his reclined position, moving closer to you subconsciously when he realizes your nervous state.

“It’s stupid, Ves, promise.” You chuckle, your hands squeezing into fists at another growl of thunder. A warm hand comes to rest on your cheek, your eyes meeting the slits of his mask. His thumb trails across your skin, “storms just make me a little nervous, that’s all.”

You see him start to speak, but he quickly pauses, contemplating whether or not to say whatever has crossed his mind. “If you like,” he begins slowly, “I could always stay until it passes.” He offers, and you feel your pulse begin to race.

“I'd really like that, Ves.” You respond softly. You exchange a coy smile.

“I’ll keep you nice and safe, love, don't worry.” He teases with a soft chuckle, making your cheeks grow warm.

“Trust me, I didn't have any doubts in the first place.” He stands holding out his hand for you to take. He helped you shut all your windows, allowing you to collect your emergency candles and flashlights in case the power went out. You can't help but smile as you watch him organize what you had handed him neatly on your coffee table. “You’re sure you don't mind staying? This could go on all night; I wouldn't want to keep you.”

He hums, slowly striding over to you. “Let me think, go back to camp to spend the night alone in my cabin or to be curled up here with you?” He pretends to ponder over his options for a moment. “I think the latter sounds a little better, don't you?” He glances down at you with a playful smirk.

“You're sweet.” You respond shyly. Over the time you had known Vessel, the two of you had grown rather close; you were someone who he found himself slowly deconstructing the walls he had built up around himself for, and he was someone who you felt effortlessly connected to from the moment you met him. Although neither of you would admit it, through your growing friendship, something else began to grow out of it as well. After breaking through his cold, rigid exterior, you discovered that Vessel was quite sweet. It was in the little things you noticed: how he would always make sure to hold doors open for you, offering you his arm through rockier parts of trails on hikes, how he would absentmindedly comb his fingers through your hair as you lay together, reading outside. Everything about being with him just felt so right.

The two of you quietly prepared dinner together, Vessel humming along with the radio as he finished up the last few dishes. A smile spreads across his face as he catches your gaze lingering on him. You quickly dart your eyes back to the pan on the stove, your cheeks growing warm at the realization you had been caught. You jump slightly as you feel a pair of large, warm hands settle on your waist. “Smells good,” he remarks simply.

“Let's just hope it tastes good, too.” You giggle.

By the time you sat down to eat, the rain was pelting against the windows. As you look outside, you twirl your fork nervously between your fingers, the trees blowing violently in the wind. A bright flash of lightning exploded across the sky; you jumped at the sudden boom of thunder that shook the room. Vessel took your hand, his thumb soothingly running over your knuckles. “If it makes you feel any better, I'm not the biggest fan of storms myself.” You shoot him a playful, skeptical look. “I'm serious!” He exclaims with a chuckle.

“Sorry,” you respond with a giggle of your own, “I'm just surprised. I feel pretty silly about the fact I'm scared of thunderstorms-”

“You shouldn't be; it's cute.” He pauses as the compliment tumbles from his lips. You can't stop the bashful smile that immediately spreads across your features. Vessel tries to speak, but no words manage to find their way out. “I'm sorry.” He finally manages after a moment.

“Don't be.” You glance up at him, his shoulders visibly relaxing as your eyes land on the slits of his mask. You gently squeeze his hand, “I'm really happy you're here, Ves.” You admit softly. He studies you momentarily, noticing how you seemed to lean into him for comfort when the storm outside became too loud for you to ignore.

He states your name gently, tugging you closer by your hand as he straightens up from his reclined position on the couch. Your heart pounded in your chest as his lips hovered just a little too close to yours. “It's alright, I've got you, love.” He wraps an arm around you, pulling you into his chest as he shoots you a sharp smile. Your cheeks burned, and you were sure your heart was pounding loud enough he could hear it. You relaxed into his embrace, allowing your body to mold against his. Vessel’s thumb languidly rubbed over your waist, making electricity danced across your skin where your shirt had lifted up. “Did I ever tell you about the time III managed to get both of his boots stuck in the mud, so he had to walk back to camp barefoot?” You shoot him a confused look, laughter slowly bubbling up in your chest as you thought about how mad III must have been.

“No, I don't think you have.” Vessel holds you close as he does his best to distract you from the weather outside. Telling you whatever story he could think of that would make you laugh. IV dropping an entire pot of pasta on the floor, a bear making off with a basket of II’s laundry, the countless numbers of times Ves has smacked his head in a doorframe or a hanging light, anything to keep a smile on your face. “You need to be careful; you're going to end up hurting yourself one of these days.” You giggle.

“That won't be such a bad thing if I have a pretty little thing like you to nurse me back to health.” You playfully swat at his shoulder, making him chuckle. You hide your face against him, his hand gently cradling the back of your head. “I’m sorry, I can't help myself. You're absolutely adorable when you get all flustered.”

“Well, you definitely don't have any trouble accomplishing that, do you?” You glance back up at him through your lashes, a nervous yet coy smile reaching your lips. 

“What can I say?” He starts, his voice barely above a whisper. “I want to make sure you feel special.” Vessel swallows thickly, his hand brushing over your cheek as his fingers slide into your hair. You let out a small startled sound as you’re suddenly plunged into darkness. Panic immediately begins to bubble up in your throat as it becomes apparent just how bad the storm had gotten; the wind rattled the glass panels of your windows, the rain pelting against your roof made the room entirely too loud yet somehow impossibly quiet as the background humming of all your appliances had been cut. “I'm right here, lovey; I got you.” You're snapped from your thoughts by Vessel’s deep voice rumbling close to your ear.

“I'm sorry,” you apologize with a soft chuckle, your voice trembling slightly as you speak, “I feel silly–”

“There's no need to, sweetheart.” He reassures you, carefully cradling you against his chest. “It's a bad storm; there's nothing wrong with getting a little anxious.” He presses a finger below your chin, angling you to look up at him. “I guess I just need to do a better job of distracting you, hm?” His knuckle trails along your jaw, your hand fists into the soft material of his sweatshirt at another loud crack of thunder.

“Ves?” you state his name softly, you feel his lips ghost over yours.

“Yes, love?” He responds in a similar tone.

“Distract me.” He tips you back into the plush couch cushions, allowing a growl to slip past his lips. In an instant, Vessel ensnared every one of your senses; his large hands were warm as they gripped desperately at your waist, fingers skimming bare skin where your shirt had ridden up. His weight blanketed you, firm muscles pressing into the plushness of your body. The taste of sweet, herbal tea mixed with the slight bitterness of the paint that adorned his lips. You could feel the edge of his mask dig into your skin, your mind numb to the sensation as you found yourself unable to focus on anything besides the feeling of Vessel’s lips on yours. A flash of lightning lit up the room, glowing orange through your eyelids; a loud boom of thunder followed it. Vessel feels your grip on him tighten at the sound; he breaks away from you for just a moment to whisper sweet words of reassurance against your lips. “You're alright, sweetheart; I'm right here; I got you.” He keeps your focus on him, your lips buzzing as the two of you finally break apart for longer than a few seconds. Vessel chuckles, running a thumb over your tender bottom lip. “Sorry if I was too rough, I've been waiting a long time to be able to do that.”

“Same here.” You giggle bashfully. “And you weren't, I really like… I really like the way it feels when you kiss me.” You admit breathlessly. He continues to hold you close for the rest of the night, pulling your lips to his as a distraction whenever the weather picked up again. After a while, you struggled to suppress your yawns, the warmth of Vessel’s arms making your whole body melt into his touch.

“Let’s get you to bed, lovey.” He whispers, slipping an arm behind your knees to lift you from the couch effortlessly. You wrap your arms around his neck, sleepily pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you for staying with me, Ves.” He can't help but smile, turning to press a kiss to your forehead. He lays you in bed, carefully situating you under the covers. Your hand slips into his; he brushes some hair out of your face as he studies you with a gaze of pure admiration. “Do you have to go?” You ask quietly as if speaking too loud would somehow break your perfect evening.

“Not if you don't want me to.” You slide back across the mattress, gently tugging him into the bed beside you. He hesitates at first, thrown off by eagerness to have him beside you. He wraps an arm around your waist, pulling your much smaller form on top of him. You tense slightly as a boom of thunder erupts from outside, the storm finally on its way out. You glance up at Vessel only to be met with a soft smile as he gently caresses your cheek. Without a word, he pulled your lips back to his, and suddenly, the storm outside didn’t seem quite as scary anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He chuckles, shooting you a flirtatious grin. “Of course I'm jealous. My favorite girl is spending time with another man, my brother nonetheless, how scandalous.” You can't help but giggle as he winks at you. You return to your current task while Charles explains your predicament.

“So now, she's stuck cleaning up her mess before everything falls apart on us.” Charles chuckles, patting you on the back.

A finger is placed under your chin, Matthew gently tilting your face until your eyes can easily meet his. “That's a lot of work for one little rabbit.”

Your cheeks grew warm as his gaze held you firmly in place. “I can manage, don't worry,” you replied.

“After you finish here, I'd like you to come see me, alright?” His eyes slowly trail to your lips.

“Of course, Father. Can I ask why?” Your voice trembled slightly as you spoke.

“I need some help with a ritual,” he smiles sharply at you. “It's one I think you'll enjoy, especially after such a stressful day.” 

“I'll be there,” you grin coyly. “But you need to let me finish my work for that to happen,” you giggle.

“My apologies, Schwester.” He chuckles before straightening up. “I look forward to seeing you later.” 

Charles chuckles as his brother disappears down the hallway. “You're certainly in for a fun evening.”

“And how exactly do you know what he has planned?” Your heart thrums in your chest at Charles' amused expression.

“Matthew isn't a complicated man to read once you get to know him. He enjoys expensive alcohol, good quality cigars… and making the woman he's found himself enamored with completely melt in the palm of his hand.” He finishes with a chuckle. 

Your cheeks grow warm. "You really think Father Matthew is—” You cut yourself off as you shake your head. Never mind, I don't have time to worry about that now.” Charles smiles down at you, watching you scribble away at the paperwork in front of you.

Hours had passed, and you were still nowhere close to being done. You sat up straight in your chair, rolling your shoulders back with a groan as you stretched. You didn't understand how someone could make such a mess in a single day. You glanced up at the sound of heels quickly hurrying down the hallway. “I heard you got stuck with a pretty big mess.” She smiles.

“Claire, thank God.” You could have cried at the sight of her. She looked over the spread of paperwork in front of you, covered in red cross-outs and arrows, frantic notes written in the corners so you could somehow organize it.

“Wow, I knew Roel was bad at picking assistants, but this is impressive,” she laughs. She bumps you with her hip, pushing you out of your chair. “Get out of here; I'll handle the rest,” she winks.

“Claire, I can't let you—” she says, cutting you off by waving her hand at you.

“Nonsense, this is the first time Falk has taken a vacation in years; you deserve the time off, too. You've already been doing this for hours, so I can finish it. And besides,” she shoots you a devious smirk, “I heard someone is in for a nice little evening with Father Matthew.” You sucked in a sharp breath, not expecting her to bring that up so casually.

“How did you know about that?” You ask with a bashful chuckle.

“You have to call Attila’s office to schedule a time at the mensa,” she whispers in response.

“The mensa?” You ask in shock. She nods slowly, shooting you a knowing grin.

“That’s all I know,” she says in response to your confused expression, holding up her hands to show she was innocent. “But you probably shouldn't keep him waiting,” she smirks.

“I owe you for this.” You thank her as you gather your belongings.

“You can fill me in on your evening tonight over lunch, and we'll call it even; how's that?” She smiles.

“You got it.” You laugh in response before hurrying off to meet Father Matthew.

You knock tentatively against his door, hearing him quietly call you inside. He smiles at the sight of you, rising from his seat as he smoothes his shirt. “You came.” Your heart fluttered in your chest as you fidget nervously with your fingers.

“Of course I did. Do you really think I'd turn down an invitation to spend time with you?” He chuckles, slowly walking around his desk to approach you. Your breath caught in your throat as your eyes met his, his finger slipping under your chin to hold you in place.

“I'm glad,” he smiles sharply down at you, “because I plan on taking up a lot of your time tonight, schwester.” Your knees felt weak, your mouth hanging open to speak, but no words managed to find their way out. He slips his hand into yours, studying you carefully. “Are you ready?” 

“As ready as I'll ever be.” You respond with a nervous giggle. The two of you strolled side by side through the darkening hallways of the Abbey, the late afternoon sun leaving the corridors burning in their warm orange light.

“I don't want you to be nervous,” he says suddenly, feeling the anxiety behind all your excitement. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

You shake your head, making him smile in response. “You're perfect; I just don't know what to expect.”

“I'll be right by your side through every step of the process, and we can stop at any time.” Your cheeks grow warm as his arm slides around your shoulders, pulling you into him slightly as you walk. “If anything, I should be the one who's nervous,” he admits with a chuckle.

“Oh yeah? And why’s that?” You prod curiously.

“I have to make sure I'm up to your standards.” He responds vaguely with a wink.

Father Matthew holds open the heavy door to the cathedral, allowing you to slip inside ahead of him. It was always a strange experience being in the chapel after hours. You could hear a pin drop in the silence; even your breathing seemed to echo off the room's impossibly high ceilings. You jumped as the door slammed shut behind you. Father Matthew stands at your side, offering you his arm as you begin your procession down the aisle. You pause at the altar's edge, Matthew looking down at you when he senses your hesitation. You look up at him with large doey eyes that could have easily brought him to his knees. “Is it really okay?”

His hand slips into yours, carefully bringing your knuckles to his lips. “I would be honored to have you standing beside me.” He moves on to the first step, waiting for you to decide to join him. You slowly set one foot on the white marble step, taking a deep breath before allowing the other to join. Matthew smiles down at you, delighted by your acceptance of his invitation. He takes a moment to study you as you stand in the middle of the altar: your much smaller hands in his, the way he could see your nerves begin to settle whenever your eyes met his; the sight brought a smile to his face. “Now, for the hard part…” he trails off with a playful smirk. “You're not allowed to lift a finger, understand? He slowly lowers himself to one knee, forcing you to look down at him. “Anything that you need, I will take care of.” Your heart hammered in your chest as your mind raced. The feeling of Matthew’s warm hand slipping into yours snapped you back to reality. His gentle smile and warm brown eyes immediately pushed down the nerves that were bubbling up in your stomach.

“Yes, Father.” Your eyes flickered around his features, everything about him only drawing you closer. Goosebumps erupt across your skin as his fingers trail down the outside of your leg. He places your hand on his shoulder, steadying you as he lifts your foot from the floor. He carefully undoes the buckle of your shoe, easing it off your foot before mirroring the process on your other leg. He stands, neatly placing your shoes to the side. The marble was cold under your feet; you touched your chest only to feel your heart racing under your palm. You let out a startled yelp as he suddenly scoops you in his arms. You can't help but giggle slightly, burying your face in the crook of his neck as he gently sways you with every step. He sets you on the edge of the mensa, one arm wrapping around your waist as his free hand cups your cheek. He presses his forehead to yours, gazing down at you longingly.

“Matthew?” You state his name softly.

“Yes, Engel?” He whispers, his lips brushing over yours as he speaks.

“Can,” you swallow thickly, your mouth growing dry as you work up the nerve to ask, “Can you kiss me?” He breathes out a soft chuckle.

“Funny, I was about to ask you something similar.” You share a coy smile as his lips carefully slot against yours. Your arms slide over his shoulders, tugging him closer as you memorize what it feels like to kiss him. He tasted faintly of sweet wine and tobacco, his calloused fingers rough against your skin as he slowly pushed up the hem of your dress. You whine softly as he parts from you, making him chuckle. “Patience, Engel. We can't get too far ahead of ourselves.” He presses a chaste kiss to your lips before separating from you entirely. He skillfully moved around the altar, grabbing everything he would need from memory. You inhaled deeply, making a pleased hum at the sweetly perfumed oil he set at your side. He drapes a deep maroon silk cloth over the mensa, your eyes fluttering shut as his lips capture yours. He cups your face carefully in his hands, his thumbs stroking over the peaks of your cheekbones. “Can I undress you, schwester?”

“Please do.” You respond breathlessly, making him chuckle. His hands squeeze around your thighs, your supple flesh dimpling under his fingertips. He slowly slides up your dress, the palms of his hands memorizing the feeling of your body's curves as he passes over them. You were so soft in his hands; watching goosebumps erupt at his touch was intoxicating. 

“Arms up.” He instructs, allowing him to ease the fabric over your head. He allows himself a moment to just drink in the sight of you, a sound akin to a territorial growl bubbling up in his throat. He takes your chin between his fingers, “So pretty, Schwester.” You shiver as his fingers trail down your neck. He smiles as he hesitates over your pulse, feeling how it thrummed under his touch before continuing on his path over your shoulder. He easily undoes the clasp of your bra, guiding the thin straps from your shoulders delicately as if you would shatter at the slightest wrong movement. You press your lips to his; you can feel Matthew smile as he melts into the kiss. His hands slide under the curve of your ass as he effortlessly lifts you from the mensa; your arms fling around his neck as the action causes you to let out a startled yelp that quickly dissolves into a flustered giggle. “Guess I need to remember my own strength.” He chuckles. He wraps an arm securely around you, holding you against him as he works the thin, delicate fabric of your lingerie down your legs. His hands felt hot against your bare skin, massive paws that engulfed the curve of your hips. You felt drunk off the euphoric buzz you were already experiencing, Matthews's attentiveness making your pulse race. He paused momentarily, taking hold of the glistening silk cloth, offering it to cover up while he finished setting it up. You instinctually lean into his muscular chest as he pulls you to him from behind, lips trailing up the sensitive skin of your neck before stopping just below your ear. His hand slides across your stomach, the silk cool against your otherwise bare body. “I'm going to take good care of you, Engel.” You shiver at the feeling of hot breath against the shell of your ear.

Your body jolts slightly as the first drop of oil splatters across your shoulder. The liquid was warm as it dripped down your skin. You let out a soft moan as Matthew’s strong fingers press into your aching muscles. “Good girl.” He whispers. You can't help but squeeze your legs together at his praise; you catch your lip between your teeth as you hear him chuckle, noticing the effect such a simple phrase had on you. He trails a finger across your jaw, turning your head to allow his lips to find yours. “Such a pretty thing you are, Engel.” You catch the sight of the triumphant smirk that had plastered itself across his features, reveling in the way you melted under his touch. Every compliment a praise for giving into your body's need for pleasure, Matthew simply couldn't get enough of the image of you. A sacred Madonna placed upon the altar, of which he was the only one bestowed with the grace of God to lay a finger on her. He vowed to care for you like the divine being you were. The way you arched into his touch, your sweet sounds gradually became louder and more fervent, making it hard to stay in control. He's snapped from his thoughts as you softly call his name, placing yourself on your knees before him. The hardwood of the mensa was hard under your body, your mind too clouded with arousal to acknowledge the discomfort. Matthew stared back at you with blown pupils, his eyes nearly black as he fought against his primal urge to take you right here and now. But he couldn't deny how gorgeous you looked presented before him. The deep red of the satin complimented your soft skin; it cascaded off your body like a crimson waterfall. Your hair is already slightly tousled; your cheeks flush with warmth.

“Schwester,” his husky voice echoes through the empty chapel. “Will you allow me to cleanse your body of sin and anoint you here before the eyes of God?”

“Yes, Father.” You cup his face in your hands, pulling his lips back to yours. Matthew's hands are on you in an instant, lifting you from the mensa with a growl as he guides your legs around his waist. He crushes your body against his, easily able to maneuver you until he has you lying how he wants against the cold wood.

“So beautiful.” He whispers sweet words of praise over you as he dedicates time to massaging each tender muscle. You can't help but let out a soft whine as his hands begin to trail up your thighs. He paused at the edge of the fabric that covered your body. He glances up at you, silently asking for permission to continue. You nod, giving him a soft smile. He leans over you, placing a soft kiss to your lips. “Remember, we can stop at any time, okay?”

You take his face in your hands, smiling softly as you study the sharp contours of his features. “I don't want you to stop.” You whisper against his lips. Matthew freezes, his heart pounding in his chest. The way you looked at him with such fondness, how gently your palms rested against his cheeks.

“I…” he swallowed thickly, warm brown eyes drinking in the sight of yours. “I’m in love with you.” He confesses, his voice trembling with nerves.

You breathe out a laugh, a smile instantly stretching across your features. “I love you too, Matthew.” You let out a delighted squeal as you feel his strong hands wrap around your hips, his lips crushing against yours as he pulls your body closer to his. You let your head fall back, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth as Matthew trails wet kisses down your neck. One of his hands slowly slid up the outside of your thigh before it dipped below the cloth that covered your body, trailing over the curve of your hip. He hikes your leg around his waist.

Your fingers tangle into his hair, a strangled gasp escaping you as you feel Matthew’s teeth bite down roughly on your neck. “Just relax, sweetheart; I'm going to take good care of you.” He coos, pressing one more kiss to your lips before letting the satin fall from your body to the floor. He whispers sweet words of praise in your ear as he slowly starts to tease your entrance with his fingers. You fist your hands in his shirt, gasping softly as you feel him ease his long, thick digits inside of you. Your back arches off the hardwood, Matthew’s warm palm immediately pressing into you for support. “I've got you, Engel.” Your mind was already clouded with pleasure; Matthew was an absolute expert in his craft, as he seemed to know exactly where to touch you to drive you insane.

You pull his lips to yours, kissing him feverishly as you hold onto him anywhere your hands could manage to reach. “Please,” you whine against his lips. “Need you.”

He chuckles softly, “My, my, what an impatient girl you are, schwester.” He cups your cheek as he presses another ferocious kiss to your lips. “But I’m happy to comply with such a pretty little thing.” He makes quick work of undoing his belt, haphazardly kicking off his pants as he pulls his shirt over his head. He moved with urgency, easily hoisting himself onto the mensa to pin your smaller form beneath him. His gaze rakes hungrily down your body, drinking in the sight of every curve. You squirmed, feeling your cheeks grow warm under his intense observance. “You are just so perfect, Mein Herz.” He cups your cheek in his hand, peppering your face with kisses as he eases himself inside of you. You cry out, your nails digging deep crescents into his biceps as you grab onto him. He hushes you, “You're doing so good, sweetheart.” He groans, cursing under his breath. You feel every inch of him push inside of you, stretching you to the point you were worried you might break. You whine, your thighs trembling when he finally settles his hips against yours. Matthew lets out a shuddering breath, another curse tumbling from his lips at how tightly you squeezed him. He buries his face into the crook of your neck; the feeling of his hot breath against your skin sends a delicious shiver up your spine.

You let out a loud moan as he slowly rolled his hips. Matthew let out a low growl at the melodic sound, repeating the action, smirking slightly as your loud moans echoed through the empty chapel. He gradually increased his pace, hitting a spot inside you that made your toes curl and the edges of your vision go white with every sharp thrust. “Fuck,” he curses gruffly. He sits himself on his knees, wrapping both hands around your hips. He manages to somehow push even deeper inside of you; you scream his name, Matthew groans at the sound. He grabs your face in his hand, making your eyes meet his. “So fucking pretty.” He growls. You groan as he pushes his thumb past your lips, greedily pulling the digit into your mouth with your tongue. “That's my girl.” He praises you with a smile. He picks up the bottle of oil, tipping it just enough to let a few drops of oil splatter across your stomach. He eases his thumb from your mouth, using his strong hands to massage oil over your bare skin. You weren't sure how much longer you would be able to last, every snap of Matthew's hips sending you closer and closer to the edge.

“Schwester,” Matthew growls, not slowing his pace. He could feel your body start to twitch in his hands, your body moving against his as you raced towards your climax. “Do you give yourself to me before the eyes of God?”

“Yes, Father.” You weren't sure how you managed to push the words past your lips, barely able to form a coherent thought let alone a sentence.

“Do you… fuck,” you both can't help but smile at each other, the seriousness of the ritual long pushed from your mind, completely absorbed in the fact that you were here with each other. “Do you wish to be absolved of your sins in exchange for pleasure?” He purrs, his tone only making the coil in your core wind tighter.

“Yes, Father.” He lets out a hum of approval. He dabs holy oil on his thumb, supporting himself in his forearm as he leans over you. You close your eyes, Matthew’s hand warm against your skin as he marks the sign of the cross on your forehead.

“I absolve you, Schwester.” He says with a sharp smile, his hips beginning to stutter as he struggles not to fall over the edge. His lips crash into yours, making you moan loudly into his mouth. You feel his hand slide down your torso; you cry out as his fingers begin to draw tight, quick circles on your clit.

You moan his name, “I'm close–” You’re cut off by another moan that he effortlessly rips from your lungs.

“Cum for me, Engel.” He whispers against your lips. You felt the pleasure building up inside of you until it finally snapped. You screamed his name, your nails clawing down his back, undoubtedly leaving deep red scratches in their wake. Matthew followed not long after, your name tumbling from his lips mixed with curses in both German and English as his hips stutter to a stop, his member pulsing against your sensitive walls as he releases himself inside of you. He drops his weight on top of you, making you groan. Both of your chests heaved as you struggled to catch your breath.

“You're in love with me, huh?” You smile, Matthew chuckles at your question.

“I am.” He props himself up enough to meet your eyes. “I hope that's not a problem.” He teases.

“I'm just trying to figure out why it took some fantastic sex ritual for you to confess that to me.” You laugh as he litters your face with kisses.

“You are incredibly beautiful,” he kisses your lips softly, “confessing to you through worship seemed like the only right way to tell you.” Your cheeks grow warm at his sweet words.

You carefully press your lips to his, “I'm in love with you too.” He smiles, cradling you in his arms.

“How about I get us cleaned up, and we head back to my room for some dinner.” He offers, gently tucking some hair behind your ear.

You can't help but smile in response, “I'd like that.”

“It was wonderful seeing all of you. Don't be afraid to stop by and chat sometime if you'd like.” He smiles as he gets ready to head off. Your cheeks grow warm as you catch him looking you over one last time before leaving.

“He so has a thing for you.” One of them pipes up immediately after he's out of earshot.

“Will you shut up? He does not.” You respond immediately with a groan.

“I'm sorry, did we not all just see him check you out?” There was a collective murmur of agreement amongst your group. “You've had a crush on Falk for forever, and he clearly likes you. You should tell him!”

“I'll think about it, okay?” You snap back just to get them to drop it. “I have to go; I’m on chapel duty tonight.”

“Well, that gives you plenty of time to think then, doesn’t it?” She jokes. You roll your eyes, saying your goodbyes before heading off to complete your nightly chores.

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Falk sighs as he enters his office, falling back against the door as he shuts it behind him. The sight of your flustered expression still burning in the forefront of his mind brought a smile to his face. He shook his head, unwilling to entertain the thought at the moment. There was still work to be done; he couldn't allow himself to get distracted. He removes his formal vestments, washing off his ceremonial paints before sitting at his desk. He leans back in his chair, staring out the open window as his mind wanders. Falk has had his eye on you for a while, always trying to keep a respectful distance. But, to put things simply, he found you too captivating to resist for long. He noticed all of your coy smiles and bashful glances, your lips always so pretty and perfectly glossed. Part of him wondered how that gloss would look as it smeared over– Falk shook his head, clearing his throat as he shut down the thought. Part of him felt guilty having such sinful thoughts about you. You were a kind, respectable young woman. Yet, he always ends up back at the same place, his hips stuttering as he ruts into his palm, your name shamelessly falling from his lips, sweat coating his brow as he imagines how his fingers would sink into your pillowy hips. He curses as he finishes, his head tipping back as he struggles to catch his breath. He cleaned himself up, taking one last look at the paperwork on his desk and deciding it wasn't worth the trouble; he wouldn't be able to focus on it right now if he tried. He headed toward the chapel; he had to set up for mass in the morning anyway. The physical movement would be a nice break from the monotony of signing forms and a welcome distraction from his racing thoughts.

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You sat on your knees inside the confessional, tracing small circles over old leather seats with a polishing cloth. You always dedicated the utmost care to the chapel whenever it was your daily task. You would be here a lot later than most of the other Siblings, taking time to care for the woodwork and the other less prominent cleaning areas that still needed some love. You heard the door open, figuring someone was coming in for late afternoon prayer. “Schwester, you’re here late.” You froze at the sound of Father Falk’s voice behind you.

“I could say the same for you, Father.” You glance at him over your shoulder, his tall frame filling the door frame of the confessional. He peers at your work curiously, making you giggle. Falk’s heart raced at the melodic sound. “No one ever remembers to take care of the leather.” He holds out his hand for you to take. Your fingers tremble as they ghost over his, letting him help you up from kneeling on the floor. He smiles as he studies your smaller form, trailing a knuckle along your jaw.

“Always so dedicated.” He coos. “This is why you’re my favorite.” He chuckles at your flustered expression. You take his arm, letting him guide you through the empty chapel. “I need to choose some music for mass in the morning. Would you like to help me decide?”

“Of course.” You smile softly at him, your skin glowing under the kaleidoscope of colors flowing through the stained glass windows. The dark wooden walls made the room feel eerie, the only source of light besides the sun and the sporadic groups of candles still lit from this morning. The altar itself becomes a tomb of darkness, the large brass pipes of the organ shining like teeth from some glorious eldritch monster before you. Falk’s hand slips into yours, noticing your apprehensive expression.

“You look nervous, little maus.” He chuckles.

“The chapel just feels a little different at night, Father, that’s all.” You respond.

“I can assure you,” he turns to face you, bringing your knuckles to his lips, “the only thing that bites in here, Schwester, is me.” He chuckles. You swallow thickly, knowing the statement was supposed to be a joke, but the thought was enough to have heat pooling between your legs. He separates himself from you to prepare his music, leaving your attention to wander around the altar. You couldn’t help but stop and admire the carvings that adorned the mensa. “You can touch it, you know,” he chuckles, watching you study the wood closely with your hands neatly tucked behind your back, “I promise you’re not going to burst into flames or anything.” You shoot him a teasing smile before allowing your fingers to trace over the intricate work.

“It’s gorgeous; I’ve never gotten to look at the carvings up close.” You remark in awe.

“I’m surprised you haven’t,” he slowly strides closer to you, “Father Charles loves to romanticize the old rituals they used to perform.”

“I wonder what it would be like to sit up there.” You state blankly, not expecting a response.

“Would you like to see for yourself?” You nod slowly, waiting to see just what he would do. He stands before you, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. Two warm hands find their way to your waist, his palm curving perfectly to the contours of your hip. You tensed under his touch, your heart pounding in your chest. You're lifted from the floor and set on the edge of the mensa in one swift movement. The wood was cool under your fingertips; Falk couldn't help but study how your plush thighs settled against the dark, nearly black surface. You looked out over the endless rows of pews, imagining what they must look like full of spectators.

“So this is what they saw in their final moments, huh?”

“Final moments?” Falk repeats back under his breath. He chuckles, his hand trailing across your cheek as he brushes some stray hair from your face. “What kind of rituals do you think these were?” He asks softly, a playful smile on his lips.

“Sacrifices?” You respond slowly, shooting him a confused glance. He shakes his head.

“No, Mäuschen, these ritually focused more on…” he trails off, his eyes raking over your much smaller frame in a way that made heat pool in your core. “Pleasure.” He finishes finally. He can't help but smirk as he notices the way you squeeze your thighs together in response to his words. He stands in front of you, placing a hand on either side of your hips, caging you in his arms. You're forced to look up to meet his eyes, warm golden brown irises that almost glow under the low candlelight. “A Sibling would be brought in here for an evening of indulgence, expected to confess their deepest desires so they could be cared for properly. But, of course, that was only experienced if one found themselves to be a favorite of a particular High Clergy member.” His words from earlier ringing in your ears, ‘This is why you're my favorite.’ You swallow thickly, unable to break yourself away from his gaze.

“Why, um,” your voice shook slightly as you spoke, “why did they stop doing these rituals?” Your heart pounded, your skin feeling hot as you desperately tried to ignore the arousal that burned in your core.

“They haven't.” He responds bluntly with a sharp smile. “If I were better prepared, I would offer to demonstrate.” Your grip tightened on the table at his statement; Falk chuckled softly as he decided he'd had enough fun flustering you for the evening. “Come here Mäuschen, we still need to choose that music.” He helps you down from the mensa, his hands lingering on your waist for a little longer than they should have been before you both finish your chores in the chapel for the evening.

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You were finding it impossible to get to sleep. Your mind kept wandering back to your meeting with Falk earlier that night. How he could easily move you around as he wanted, how large and strong he was compared to you, you could still feel the way his hands brushed against your thighs as he easily caged you in at the mensa. You squeeze your thighs together, the throbbing between your legs quickly returning at the thought of him. You hadn't realized until tonight how massive his hands were, still feeling their warmth on your waist. You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth, thinking about how his hands would feel traveling across your bare skin. You slipped a hand under your shirt, squeezing your eyes shut and letting out a soft groan as you massage your breast, your other hand toying at the waist of your pants. This wasn't the first time you had thought about Falk like this, but who could blame you? From the moment you two had met, he had absolutely captivated you. You had never met someone so sophisticated and mature who treated you with such respect. He was a romantic, handsome, and, if the rumors are true, incredible in bed. You try to stifle a whine as you start to rub slow circles on your clit, your fingers already slick with your arousal. His name tumbled softly from your lips as you chased your rapidly approaching high. Your hips buck into your hand as you carefully slide two fingers inside of yourself. You tried to imagine how deep his long fingers would be able to reach, the thought alone enough to make your eyes roll back in your head. He would treat you so well; you just knew it. Your moans grew louder and more desperate the closer you got to your climax. Your back arches off the bed, his name falling repeatedly from your lips like a prayer as the tightly wound coil inside of you finally snaps. Maybe now you will finally be able to sleep.

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Falk stood frozen outside of your bedroom door. He came down here to apologize for how he had acted earlier, saying something like he had to you was out of line. He should know better. He was just about to knock on your door when he heard your voice moan his name. He stills, knowing he should leave but unable to move from the spot. He doesn't dare even breathe, listening closely to see if he could hear more of your sweet sounds. His mouth grows dry as he listens to your soft whines; he wonders what sounds he might be able to coax out of you. He would love to take his time with you, meticulously toying with every part of you he could get his hands on just to see how you would respond to his touch. His member pressed painfully against the confines of his pants, the throbbing only growing more intense as he listened to your soft sounds grow louder as you approached your climax. He stuffs his hands in his pockets, his whole body rigid as he listens to your gasps and cries; he can hear your bed frame creak in time with the thrusts from your fingers. He had to suppress a growl in his throat at the thought of how much better you would feel if it were him taking care of your needs. His heart leaps into his throat, all the air getting punched out of his lungs as he hears you cry out for him. Your fervent moans bordering on screams as you repeatedly call his name through your peak, a delighted sigh trailing off the end before you fell utterly silent. He hurriedly straightens himself up and heads away from your dorm, not wanting to risk anyone catching a glimpse of the situation. He hurries back to his room, his heart still hammering in his chest as your sweet voice rang in his ears. You were thinking of him through the heights of your pleasure; his face burned as the realization of what he had just done occurred.

Falk sat in bed, thumbing through a novel he had read dozens of times, just looking for a distraction. Getting to sleep proved impossible, his mind always managing to wander back to the sound of your sweet whines. He snaps the book shut, removing his reading glasses and placing them on his nightstand. He massages the bridge of his nose with a soft groan. He turns off his lamp, nestling himself into his pillows before staring at the plain white ceiling. His whole body buzzed with arousal; he lay rigid in bed as he resisted the urge to give in to his temptations. However, with the day he had with you, it was nearly impossible for him to resist. “You perverted old man.” He chuckles, chastising himself. “What would she say if she knew you were thinking about her like this?” He knew he should feel ashamed, but after hearing your needy cries for him, he was sure you wouldn't mind; you may even be flattered that the thought of you alone was enough to get him off. He rests a hand on his bare stomach, fidgeting with the waistband of his fleece pants. In moments like this, he thought of you more often than he would care to admit, but he simply couldn't help himself. The sweet smell of your perfume, the curves of your body, the flirtatious glimmer that always managed to find its way into your eyes, you could bring Falk to his knees without much effort at all. He hissed softly as he finally rubbed his hand over his clothed member, wishing desperately that it could be you taking care of him instead. He took his time, imagining how your body would feel in his hands and what sweet sounds he could coax out of you. His mind wandered back to the sight of you on your knees in front of him in the confessional, the way your pretty sundress rose up to show the plushness of your thighs, making his cock twitch. He slowly pushed his pants down his hips, his erection slapping against his stomach as it was finally freed from its confines. He gives himself a few tentative pumps, groaning at the welcomed friction. All he could think about was how pretty you would look riding him, how your heat would pull him in, how cute and pathetic it would be when your legs finally gave up, your thighs trembling from over-exertion, allowing him to flip you over and fuck you stupid into the mattress. He curses, growling your name as he finishes, his hot release coating his pale skin. The otherwise silent room was filled with the sounds of Falk’s heavy breathing as he came down from his high. Cleaning himself up and settling into bed again, he lay awake, wondering if you were still thinking about him.

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Sitting through Mass the following morning proved to be a nearly impossible task. You couldn’t look at Falk without the thought of him towering over you as you sat on the mensa flashing through your mind. You squeezed your thighs together, silently praying that Mass would end soon so you could find some sort of distraction. Your breath freezes in your lungs when your eyes meet his, “we ask that you please stay for monthly confession. Of course, a simple check-in will suffice as well.” He continues his closing remarks. You wiped your hands on your thighs, your palms suddenly growing clammy. You knew there was no need to confess that you had been having such indecent thoughts, but you could feel the admission resting on the tip of your tongue. Something about being in the confessional made it utterly impossible for you to keep any secrets. You dwelled in your seat for what felt like hours as you watched the rest of your fellow Siblings slip into one of the five confessionals. You had no idea who you would be met with on the other side of that door. By the time you approached the confessional, you were one of the last people left in the chapel. The wooden door creaked as you pulled its heavy circular handle. Slipping inside, it only took a moment before you were plunged into darkness, your eyes slowly adjusting to the booth's low light. Your knees land on the plush pad, your breathing shaky as you trace along the lattice pattern of the screen that separates you from whoever sits on the other side.

“Forgive me, Father,” you suck in a deep breath before continuing, “for I have sexualized an older man.” Your cheeks burn as the admission tumbles from your lips.

The figure on the other side of the screen straightens up, clearing his throat softly. You could feel his eyes on you despite not seeing his face. “Is that so?” Your blood turned to ice in your veins; it took everything you had to not bolt out of the confessional as you realized it was Falk on the other side of that screen. “May I ask who the object of your lustful thoughts may be, Schwester?” You could hear the smirk in his voice. Falk had realized who had stepped into his confessional the moment you began to speak. Your confession itself was enough to send a shiver up his spine; he began to wonder just how much you would be willing to admit to him.

“I have a feeling you already know the answer to that, Father Falk.” You respond boldly, making him chuckle. What a clever little Maus you were.

“Well, I’m truly flattered if that’s the case.” You found yourself smiling, fidgeting with your fingers as your heart began to race. “Although I wish I could have seen how cute you must have looked confessing that Mäuschen.” He grew silent for a moment, debating whether or not he should push his luck and ask what was really on his mind. “How often do you think about me, Schwester?”

“More frequently than I would care to admit, Father.” You lean in close to the screen, and Falk can feel your warm breath against the shell of his ear. “I’m ashamed to say I… I was even thinking about you last night.” The nervous tremor in your voice was just enough to drive Falk insane, a primal hunger growing deep inside of him as he listened to you describe the deepest fantasies about him. Your soft, melodic voice made him ache with need, wanting nothing more than to feel your bare skin under his fingertips, allowing you to give in to every single impure thought you had ever had about him. “I feel terrible; I hope there’s some way I can make it up to you.” You stifle a giggle as he clears his throat, adjusting himself in his seat. Falk’s hands were fisted in his vestments, your words leaving him unable to think straight. Your legs trembled, both due to growing tired from kneeling and from the arousal that was quickly pooling in your core. Falk’s stomach plummeted at the sound of you exiting the confessional. He still couldn’t say what he wanted to tell you even after all that. That thought was quickly swept away at the sight of you slipping through the door on his side of the booth. 

“Well, this is certainly a surprise.” He chuckles, reaching out to take your hand. He runs his thumb soothingly over your knuckles, studying you briefly before tugging you closer. His large hands travel over the curve of your waist and down the outside of your thighs. “What do you plan on doing now, my brave little Maus?”

“What’s my repentance, Father?” You ask with a seductive grin. He raises an eyebrow, a smirk slowly stretching across his features.

“On your knees, Schwester.” He orders gently. You do as he asks, your eyes never leaving his as you sink to the floor between his legs. “You want to repent, do you?” You nod, hazy eyes fluttering shut as he reaches to cup your cheek. You had done nothing wrong, and Falk could tell from your expression that you knew that. He traces his thumb along your bottom lip, your willingness to let him have complete control over the situation making the urge to claim you as his grows even more significant. He pushes his thumb past your lips, groaning as your tongue glides over the digit. “Such a pretty little thing you are, Maus.” He looks at you hungrily, his free hand working on removing his vestments. He pulls his thumb from your mouth with a pop, taking a moment to undress himself as much as necessary for the task. You hum contently as he rests a hand on the top of your head, your cheek resting on his muscular thigh as Falk takes a moment to just drink in the sight of you. You pull your bottom lip between your teeth, hesitantly reaching out to run your hand over his member, which was only separated from your palm by the thin cloth of his boxers. Falk quickly covers his mouth with his hand, trying to stifle the hiss that threatened to escape him at your gentle touch. He didn’t want to come undone before you so easily, but that proved a much more difficult task than he anticipated. He cups your face in his hand, keeping your eyes locked with his as you familiarize yourself with the contours of his body. His erection was hot in your hand; you felt his fingers twitch against your jaw as you traced your finger along one of the thick veins that trailed up from the base of his cock. He curses under his breath, his hips bucking slightly under your hand. You tug at the waistband of his boxers, silently asking permission to remove the only barrier separating you from him. You swallow thickly, your eyes tracing over the tattoos that wound up his arms as he removes the last of his clothing. You slowly peel yourself out of your dress, Falk’s breath hitching at the sight of the lingerie set that perfectly hugged your curves underneath.

“I figured I should make things a little more even.” You remark with a seductive smirk. Falk sits up, reaching behind you to undo the clasps of your bra with ease.

“I definitely won’t complain.” He chuckles, guiding the thin straps from your shoulders, the lacy fabric falling to the floor. He allows himself a glance at your nearly naked form, groaning at the sight of your beautiful body on display for him. His finger trails along your jaw, his lips hanging just out of your reach. “Can I kiss you?” He asks softly.

You can’t help but giggle slightly, “I mean, you’ve practically seen me naked; I don’t think kissing could hurt.” He lets out a chuckle of his own in response.

“You have a point Maus,” he rakes over your features with a hungry expression, “I’m just glad I finally get the chance to taste you.” Falk’s lips crash into yours; you can't help but let out a delighted sigh. Your fingers trembled as your hands ghosted over his skin. He hums against your lips, covering your hand and pressing your palm to his chest. You could feel his heart pounding. He pulls back from you slightly, his lips brushing over yours as he speaks. “You don't have to be nervous, Maus; I'm all yours.” He whispers before pulling you back into another mind-numbing kiss. You smile as you feel his body tense under your touch, your hands slowly trailing down his torso until your fingers bump into his boxers. Your lips leave his, trailing across his jaw. He groans, his hands coming to rest on your waist. He squeezes your hips as you place a kiss on his neck. Your fingers dip into the waist of his boxers, easing them down his hips as your lips trail down his body. Falk couldn't take his eyes off you; you were so captivatingly beautiful that he didn't dare look away. He bites his fist as he tries to stifle a groan as you wrap your hand around the base of him. Anyone could still be in the chapel; anyone could step into the confessional at any time, but the risk of potentially getting caught only made you want each other more desperately. Your eyes never leave his as you wrap your lips around the tip of his member. He squeezes his eyes shut, biting hard into his bottom lip as his head drops back. “Good girl.” He praises you softly, cursing under his breath as you allow more of him to slide over your tongue. You squeezed your legs together, the quiet moans that you effortlessly pulled from him making it impossible for you to ignore the throbbing need that was quickly growing in your core. His skin was hot against your tongue; you wanted to savor every single sound you coaxed out of him, making sure to take things slowly. He cradled the back of your head carefully in his hand, wanting to touch you somehow. You noticed his breathing quicken, the groans tumbling from his lips coming much more frequently than when you had started. “Mäuschen,” he calls softly, “be careful, I’m not finished with you yet.” He chuckles, easing you off of him with a hiss. His head hits the back wall of the confessional with a soft thud as he sits, catching his breath. His thumb soothingly stroked your cheek, eyes finding yours with an expression nothing short of pure adoration.

“I’d like to take you back to my room if that’s alright.” His request hung heavy in the air for a moment, your heart pounding in your chest.

“You’re not worried about people seeing us?” You ask. It’s not like it was uncommon for Siblings to be seen slipping into High Clergy members' quarters; if anyone happened to see you, they probably wouldn’t care anyway. But, there was something about his invitation. Falk wasn’t inviting you back to his room for some meaningless one-night stand.

“Why would I be worried? Anyone who sees us is just going to know you’re mine.” He tilts your chin gently with his knuckle, offering you a sharp smile that sends a shiver down your spine. “Stand up, meine hertz.” You do as he says, allowing him to place his hands on your waist to pull you closer. Your breath hitches in your throat as he presses a kiss to your pulse. His fingers ghost over you, causing goosebumps to erupt on your skin as he memorizes the curves of your body. Electricity danced across your neck, each kiss making your mind grow cloudier. Your legs threaten to give out underneath you as he sinks his teeth into you. You let out a soft whine, your fingers tangling in his hair as he assaulted your neck. “Beautiful.” He traces around the dark purple mark with his finger.

“I'm hoping there's more where that came from.” You giggle in response. Falk smiles, his fingers massaging your hips as his lips find yours in the quiet intimacy.

“Coming from the woman worried about people seeing us together.” He teases with a chuckle.

“Oh, I was worried about that for your sake.” You can't help but smile as he steals a few chaste kisses, unable to deny himself such a simple pleasure now that he's gotten a taste of it. “But, if you're okay with people knowing about us–”

“Us?” He offers you a devious smirk. “You want there to be an us?” He asks curiously. Your face burned as you realized the confession you let slip out into the darkness.

“I-um,” you stutter, searching desperately for any response but coming up empty-handed.

“A pretty little thing like you interested in an old man like me,” he chuckles, grabbing your chin between his thumb and finger, “it almost sounds too good to be true, Mäuschen.”

“I definitely wouldn't consider you old, Father.” You respond with a soft laugh. Falk smiles, his hand warm against your cheek as he carefully caresses the side of your face. His eyes slowly trail over your features, memorizing how you looked at him; your pupils were blown with lust, yet your gaze held a softness, an admiration, that Falk couldn't miss. He guides your lips back to his, your body immediately melting into his embrace. He shivers as your fingers trail over his chest. He found your hesitancy adorable, enjoying that he knew he would have to control the situation, given your apparent nerves.

“Get dressed,” he mumbles against your lips, “I want to get you out of here. You buzzed with excitement as you righted your clothes, taking a deep breath to steady your pounding heart. You turn when you hear Falk softly call your name, stepping closer to him to allow his hands to slide over the curve of your waist. “Beautiful.” He states softly as his eyes hungrily rake over your body. His large hands wrap around the back of your thighs, steadying you as you lean down to kiss him. He feels goosebumps erupt across your skin as he slowly slides his hands upward, his calloused palms hot against your body as he slides over the curve of your ass. His fingers hook into the waistband of your panties, carefully guiding them down your legs. “You're not going to be needing these.” He chuckles, stuffing the delicate fabric into his pocket.

“You dirty old man.” You tease him with a smile, sliding your arms over his shoulders.

“Your dirty old man.” He corrects with a smirk and a smile, his hands returning to their task of distractingly running over your thighs. “How about we get out of here, Maus?” He asks in a seductive tone.

“Yes, Father.” You respond with a coy smile, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth. Falk chuckles in response, enjoying seeing you relax into such a happy, flirty state. You giggle as Falk hugs you from behind, pulling you flush against him as he leans down to press his lips to your cheek.

“Little minx.” He whispers, reaching past you to open the confessional door. You let out a soft squeak as a gentle smack lands on your ass, prompting you forward and making Falk chuckle. You step into the empty chapel, your heart pounding in your ears loud enough to drown out the soft clacking of your shoes against the tile floor. Falk was by your side instantly, his hand slipping into yours as you were met with the same warm, comforting smile you were used to seeing from him. Being with him puts your nerves at ease; the way he speaks so kindly towards you, how he gently places a hand on the small of your back to guide you out of the way of oncoming people, allowing your mind to swim in all the possibilities of what might be in store for you upon your arrival at Falk’s quarters. His actions let you know he would take good care of you; that fact alone was enough to make your knees weak. His body parted from yours to unlock his door, quickly slipping the heavy wrought iron key into the lock before retaking your hand. He tugs you into the dark entryway—your heart races as you lose sight of him when the door shuts. You're eventually able to make out the faint shape of his silhouette; you freeze as he suddenly closes the distance between you. Your back presses flush against the cool wood, Falk’s lips crashing against yours. He wastes no time picking up where you had left off, his fingers ghosting over your thighs as he gathers the flowy fabric of your dress in his large hands. “Keep this on for now, Mäuschen.” He instructs gently. “You look cute.”

You grab him by his collar, pulling his lips back down to yours. Falk lifts you from the ground with ease, guiding your legs around his waist as he effortlessly carries you to his bedroom. He sets you gently on the floor. His hands move to unbutton his shirt; you stop him as a seductive expression spreads across your features. “Can I?” You ask softly, toying with the top button of his shirt. He nods quickly in response, his hands falling away as he watches you, slightly in shock that you would do something so bold. You slowly unfasten every button, Falk struggling not to grab you and toss you on the bed, the feeling of your knuckles so delicately brushing over his torso making his skin burn with need. You push his shirt off of his shoulder, your hands trailing down his strong arms as you push yourself into him. He curses as he feels your tongue glide over his neck; he tangles his fingers in your hair, groaning loudly at the feeling of your sharp teeth pressing harshly into his skin. 

Falk chuckles, grabbing your face in his hand. “I see someone else is a little possessive as well, hm?” He smiles, a devious glint in his eye. He winces dramatically as he prods at the mark you left behind. You lean closer to him, eyes never leaving his as you gently kiss the spot.

“You’ll have plenty of time to make me all you want later, I promise.” He smiles teasingly.

“And why can’t I do that now?” You challenge.

“Because,” he starts in a low tone, tilting your chin up with his finger as his lips hang just out of reach. “I’m much more concerned with caring for you, Maus.” He steps forward, guiding you backward until the back of your knees bump against the edge of his bed. “Lay down.” He orders firmly.

“Yes, sir.” The words tumble from your lips before you can thoroughly think them through. You freeze, cheeks burning as you wait to see how he would respond.

“Sir?” he asks in response. You fall back against the mattress, and Falk's larger form easily cages you underneath him. He studies you hungrily, running a knuckle down your pulse. “I could get used to that.” He chuckles, watching the way you squirm underneath him. “Is that alright with you, sweetheart?” He asks softly.

“Yes, sir.” You respond in a similar tone.

“Good girl.” He whispers with a sharp smile before he pulls your lips back to his.

Falk kissed you like a man starved, the sweet taste of your lips intoxicating as he sought to consume you: body, mind, and soul. He wanted you to think of no one else, only him. The way your hand fists into his hair as he sinks his teeth into your plush thighs, leads him to believe he's doing a pretty good job. Simply put, Falk believed you deserved to be worshiped, the ground you walked in sacred, just for being allowed to be under your foot. Giving you anything less than his very best would be a sin. You shiver at the feeling of his long fingers holding over your exposed skin, pushing your dress up to your hips to put you on full display for him. He could have spent hours marking you as his. Every dark purple mark he added to the growing collection just looked so pretty against your soft skin. You jolt as his thumb brushes over your clit, letting out a soft whine as you try to push yourself into his hand. Falk chuckles, cupping your sex with his hands as he brings his face up to yours. “Needy little thing, aren't you, Maus?” He smirks. You let out a soft whine, your nails digging into his broad shoulders as he begins to slowly circle your clit. “Is this what you wanted?” You nod, quiet moans tumbling from your lips. Falk slowly his motions; he can't help but chuckle as you adorably pout up at him. “Use your words.” You swallow thickly, his commanding tone making your heart pound.

“Yes, sir.” You respond quickly, and Falk smiles sharply. His lips crash into yours; you moan into his mouth as his fingers suddenly pick up their pace. He used the chance to slip his tongue inside your mouth; you let out a pleased hum, your body arching off the bed to push into his. He studies your features with a smug expression as he pulls back, your pupils blown and your lips puffy from the intensity of how he kissed you.

“You just lay back and look pretty; I'm going to take good care of you.” He states softly. He lowers himself to his knees at the edge of the bed, wrapping his arms around your hips to pull you closer to him. Your legs rested over his shoulders, his fingers intertwined with yours. You cursed, your thighs squeezing around his head as he wasted no time allowing himself to taste you. He groans as you roll your hips, dragging the sweet taste of your arousal across his tongue. His fingers pressed harshly into the curve of your waist with bruising force. Your fingers slide into his soft hair, your breath catching in your throat as Falk lets out a low growl. Your back arches off the bed, tugging harshly at his strands as he licks a long firm stripe over your clit. Your soft moans only spurred him on; it wasn’t long before he could feel your thighs beginning to shake as they squeezed tightly against his ears. He hums against you, causing you to let out a strangled whine. You groan as you feel him gently press his fingers through your entrance. He pauses as you tense, allowing your body a moment to adjust to the feeling of how deeply his long, slender fingers hit inside of you. He praises you softly, his free hand pressing into the plush of your stomach to hold you in place as he rapidly brought you to the edge of release.

You moaning his name was the sweetest thing he had ever heard. His heart raced as you reached out for him, pulling him closer as your moans gradually became louder and more desperate with every thrust of his fingers. He presses his thumb to your clit, making you cry up as your nails dragged down his back. He hisses softly at the feeling, no doubt in his mind that thin red scratches would be littering his pale skin. Falk’s voice sounded foggy and far off as something inside of you finally snapped, pleasure crashing over you as you screamed his name. Your cries were muffled by his lips being crushed against yours, swallowing all of your moans as he drew out the peak of your climax as long as possible. Your body still shook as he eased his fingers out of you, effortlessly taking hold of your waist and guiding you into his lap. Your arms slide over his shoulders, your arms fluttering shut as your lips easily find your way back to his. He holds you up with one arm, using the other to shove off his pants clumsily. He moans as he feels the heat of your sex press against him. His hands slide over the curve of your ass, guiding your hips slowly back and forth over his cock. “How are your legs feeling?” He purrs teasingly, your hips keeping the same slow, languid pace as he massages your thighs.

“Shaky.” You admit with a giggle. You pull your lip between your teeth as Falk leaves a trail of kisses across your jaw.

“Think you have it in you to be on top, Mäuschen?” He whispers in your ear.

You start to nod before you pause, remembering Falk’s instructions. “Yes, sir.” Your voice trembles in anticipation.

“That’s my girl.” He praises softly. You shiver as his large hands travel over the curve of your waist, pushing your dress over your head at an agonizingly slow pace. He marveled at how your skin was molded under his thumbs; you were so much softer than he could have imagined now that you were in his hands. You curse as you ease yourself onto his length, your thighs trembling as you settle yourself in his lap. You buried your face into the crook of his neck, trying to muffle the lewd sounds that fell from your lips as he filled you so perfectly. Falk groans at the feeling of you squeezing around him, pushing down on your hips to ensure he is as deep inside of you as possible. “You are… Perfect.” He growls in your ear, making you whine as he rolls his hips. You slowly started to move yourself, Falk’s head thudding against the headboard as he struggled not to fuck into you. Everything about your body felt like it was made just for him: the way his hands fit along the curve of your waist, how easily your lips met his as you sat in his lap, you were everything he could have hoped for, and so much more. Falk’s heart stops as you take his face in your hands, angling his face upwards. His eyes meet yours, your gaze hazy and filled with need. If his heart weren’t hammering so hard in his chest, he would have sworn he had died. You were so beautiful, covered in deep purple love bites and marks from his teeth. You were the closest thing Falk had ever seen to an angel. He wraps an arm around your waist, his larger form allowing him to flip you underneath him easily. He pushes your knees to your chest, and your back arches off the bed as a strangled moan escapes from your throat. One of his hands wraps tightly around your waist, holding you in place as his hips snap against you at an animalistic pace. The other soothingly stroked your cheek, brushing away the tears that had started to gather along your lashes with his thumb. He presses the digit past your lips, the salty taste of your tears mixing with the sweetness of his skin. He leans down close to your ear, tilting your hips up in the process, causing him to hit a spot inside of you that had you seeing stars. He presses a kiss to your cheek before growling, “I have to make sure I fuck you stupid, so no one else will be able to satisfy you.” He chuckles, cradling your head in his hand as his lips trail along your neck. You were putty in his hands, every inch of your body burning with pleasure as he seemed to know exactly how you wanted him to touch you. He curses, resting your head on the pillows as he wraps both hands around your hips. His thrusts were becoming sloppy, gradually losing their tempo as he neared his climax. He falls forward slightly, his hand slamming against the headboard as he catches himself. Your skin seemed to glow under the low light; the thin sheen of sweat that had accumulated on your body made you shine in the darkness. Falk’s breathing was ragged, your moans and cries of his name melodic in his ears as he kept up his harsh thrusts. Sweat dripped from his brow, various tones of grey splattering across your bare torso as his ceremonial paint melted from his skin. Your legs wrap around his waist, pulling him as deep inside of you as possible. He lets out a sound between a chuckle and a growl. “Careful, Mäuschen.” He warns, his gaze darkening slightly as he studies you hungrily. “I might not be able to pull out in time.”

“Who said I wanted you to.” Your response hit Falk like a slap in the face. He tangles his fingers in your hair, crushing your lips against his as his hips slam into yours fervently. You screamed his name, your body going rigid in his hands as he mercilessly pounded into you. He wanted, no, needed to claim you as his. He curses under his breath, moaning out your name as his hips stutter to a stop. His kisses quickly become more tender compared to the ferocious energy they just held. He holds you in his arms momentarily, allowing both of you time for your breathing to settle. He takes your hand, soothingly rubbing his thumb over your knuckles and bringing them to his lips. He talks you through every little motion as he moves to get you both cleaned up, instructing you to relax so he can handle things. He handles you so delicately, pausing any time he notices you show signs of discomfort. He can take a moment to massage any tender muscles or readjust your position so you’re more comfortable. He crawls under the covers next to you, an arm circling your waist as he pulls you flush against his chest.

“How are you feeling?” He asks softly, soothingly massaging your waist.

“Incredible.” You sigh blissfully. Falk smiles, burying his face against your neck. “I…” you trail off, nervously fidgeting with the edge of your pillowcase. “I’ve had feelings for you for a long time.” Your confession hangs heavy in the otherwise silent room.

“So have I.” He finally responds after a few seconds. “Schön, would you… Would you like to stay?” You feel him squeeze at your waist, trying to pull you closer.

“I would.” You respond quietly. Your attention wanders to the clock on the bedside table, suddenly remembering that it was still the middle of the day and you had tasks you were expected to attend to. “Shit, I’m going to be late–” You’re cut off by Falk pressing his lips to yours, your eyes fluttering shut as you let out a delighted sight. He pushes you back into the mattress, fingers tangling with yours as he pins your hands above your head.

“You can skip out just for one day,” he asks breathlessly in between kisses. “Can’t you, Maus?” He didn’t give you any time to respond before he crushed his lips against yours again. You gave in without much of a fight. After all, spending your afternoon like this was worth the risk of getting in trouble.

“I’m not scared.” You snap back instantly, rolling your eyes. “It’s just,” Vessel didn’t miss the way the concern immediately crept back into your tone, “you’re so far out in the woods; what if something happens and no one can get out there to help.” His expression softens, reaching up to caress your cheek. You can't help but lean into his touch, his palm warm against your skin.

“If you’re more comfortable with us here, we’ll stay. Besides, do you really think I’m going to turn down a chance to spend more time with my girl?” Your cheeks grow warm as a flustered smile spreads across your lips. You still hadn't gotten used to Vessel so adamantly declaring you as his.

“Good,” you respond, trying your best to appear confident, “I need someone to keep me warm.” You smile coyly at him, making Vessel chuckle.

“Well, feeling bold today, are we beautiful?” His expression darkens slightly as a devious glint appears in his eyes. Your pulse immediately quickens as he offers you a sharp smile, his massive form towering over you, “You want to be in my arms, pretty girl?” He coos, making your face burn. He leans down, bringing his face in front of yours. “I'll hold you all night if that's what you want.” He whispers. He can't help but laugh slightly at your flustered expression, calling you cute as he straightens back up. “I'll be back in about an hour with the others. Let us take care of dinner tonight; you deserve to be spoiled for once.”

“Just be safe, okay? Everything always gets a little crazy around here on storm days.” He takes your hand, slowly bringing your knuckles to his lips.

“I'll be back before you know it.” He smiles sweetly. “Promise.”

While Vessel went to get the others, you took the time to make preparations. You were lucky enough to have the store beneath you; if you lost power, the fridges and your supply of ice would be sufficient to keep things cold for a while. You gathered all the candles and extra blankets from around your apartment, piling them up in one area with your other emergency supplies. You can’t help but smile when there’s a knock at your door. You squeal as III’s large hands wrap around your waist, lifting you effortlessly from the floor. “There she is!” He exclaims excitedly, spinning you around in a hug. You’re suddenly sandwiched between him and IV; you let out a pleased hum as III slots his lips against yours, IV peppering your face with kisses simultaneously.

IV nuzzles his face against yours as III pulls back. “We missed you, doll.” You spin around, slipping into IV’s arms, letting him hug you close as III starts bringing things into the kitchen. He sways you gently in his arms, taking a moment to memorize the feeling of you being pressed against him before pulling back. “I'm going to help the others set up.” He smiles, leaning down to kiss your forehead.

II pushes through the door, arms full of what appeared to be pillows, as he struggles to keep his grip on all of them. “Want some help with that?” You offer with a giggle.

“That'd be great, thanks.” He responds with a chuckle of his own. You smile coyly at him, your arms sliding over his shoulders as he saunters up to you. “And how are you doing today, beautiful?”

“Much better now that you're all here.” You respond softly.

He hums approvingly, “That’s what I like to hear.” He trails a finger along your jaw, carefully tilting your chin until he can easily kiss you. Even the gentlest kisses from II always managed to take your breath away, and now was no different. “You just hang back and relax, love. Let us handle everything.”

Your heart always felt so full whenever all five of you were together. You would never get sick of how lively the group of them made you and your home feel. “Here you go.” You smile as IV slips a glass of wine into your hand, collapsing onto the couch at your side. Vessel, II, and III were currently bickering over something in the kitchen, leaving the two of you alone for what felt like the first time in forever. “I have something for you.” He states softly. He takes your hand, rummaging around in his bag with the other until he produces a small, brown leather notebook. “Here.” He offers it to you; you can't help but smile at the gift.

“What's this?” You ask curiously. You open to the first page, and IV’s messy script is the first thing you see. ‘For my favorite girl, hopefully, this makes up for all the times I should have bought you flowers.’ You flip to the second page to find a perfectly preserved pressed flower. A bright orange bloom sat atop a stem of tiny green leaves; the date IV must have picked it, and the flower's name should have been written in the upper right corner. The rest of the book followed a similar pattern. A collection of vibrant reds, purples, and golds filled the rest of the pages. You could tell how carefully every flower was handled just by how it was presented to you on the page.

“Whenever I find a flower I think you'd like, I press it in a book. That way, you can keep them forever without them wilting.” The gesture was so sweet you blinked rapidly to clear the tears from your eyes.

“Thank you, IV, this is incredible.” You set the book carefully down on the table, reaching out and pulling him into your arms. He wasted no time melting into you, his arms circling your waist as he returned your embrace.

“You make me really happy, you know that?” You smile, burying your face into the crook of his neck.

“So do you.” You both reluctantly separate from each other. You rest a hand on IV’s cheek, smiling softly at him as you study how his features curve under the fabric of his mask. You carefully take his face in your hands, guiding him forward to kiss his forehead. He smiles, letting out a deep breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

“Dinner’s ready!” You both jump as you hear Vessel call from the kitchen. He stands, helping you from the couch. IV pulls you into his side, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

“Let's go before it's all gone.” He chuckles

You stood at III’s side, helping him clean up after dinner. “That food was amazing.” You remark, making him chuckle.

“I try my best.” He responds humbly. “Working with whatever we can grow or hunt, I want to ensure it, at least, tastes good.” You finish drying off the wine glass you had been using earlier, pushing yourself up on your toes to struggle to reach the top shelf. III chuckles; you freeze as you feel the warmth of his body creep up your back, nearly making you drop the glass in the process. “Need some help, love?” He whispers, making you shiver. His long arms can easily reach up to set the glass back in its spot. His hands find their way to your waist, lifting you from the floor to put you on the counter easily. “I can finish up here; you can just relax.” He chuckles as you pout in response.

“You cooked dinner; the least I could do is help with the dishes,” you protest. He places his hands on either side of your waist as he leans closer.

“I think the least you could do is let someone take care of you for a change.” He whispers, making your cheeks grow warm. He studies you, a playful expression growing on his face as he realizes your flustered state. His hands leave the counter, massaging your plush thighs before they slide to your back, pulling you closer to him. You felt so small in his hands, but he still easily towered over you from your position on the counter. He ran his hands soothingly up and down your sides. You forced yourself to stifle the soft whine that threatened to leave you at the feeling of his strong hands against your body. “You're always so worried about taking care of everyone else. When was the last time someone did the same for you?”

Your heart slammed against your ribcage, your thoughts growing fuzzy as you began to feel like putty under III’s touch. “But–” he hushes you softly as you start to argue.

“You deserve to be spoiled.” He says softly, lifting his mask enough to kiss you. “I want to make sure that you are.” You let out a pleased sound as he pushes into you. Your hands roam over his chest; you groan at the feeling of his muscles tensing under your palm. This kiss with III felt different than the others you had shared. This one was noticeably more intense and needy than when you kissed him. His fingers massaged into your muscles as he desperately sought to have you any closer to him than you already were. His breathing was heavy when the two of you finally separated; you could feel the way his hands trembled slightly against your skin.

“What's wrong?” Worry is immediately prominent in your tone.

“Nothing, doll.” He responds gruffly. “It's just if I keep kissing you like that–” he trails off with a chuckle.

“Too bad it's not just the two of us.” You respond under your breath. III’s gaze snaps to you, unsure if he had heard you correctly or not at first. You glance up at him through your lashes, and III could have sworn in that moment his heart stopped. You lean up, placing a gentle kiss on his clothed lips. “Hopefully, that’s not the last time you kiss me like that.”

“Trust me, you don't have to worry about that.” He smiles in response.

“Are you two done in there or what?” You hear II call, “Did we really have that many dishes?”

You giggle, “We should get back to the others.” He chuckles, nodding his agreement.

You found yourself seated in Vessel’s lap; your legs stretched over IV’s legs as he held your hand, your feet resting comfortably in III’s lap as he made easy work of massaging away all the tension in your muscles. II sat on the floor in front of the couch, holding your free hand in his own and bringing your knuckles to his lips every so often. You had thrown on a movie, some mindless holiday comedy that everyone seemed content with. You leaned into Vessel’s chest, letting your head fall against his shoulder. He smiles at you, carefully reaching up to tuck some hair behind your ear. “You less nervous now, love?” He asks softly.

“How could I be nervous? I have all of you within arms reach.” You giggle. He hugs you close, the two of you enjoying the chance to be so close to each other. Just as your eyes grew heavy, your apartment was plunged into complete darkness. “Shit.” You curse, attempting to hurry out of Vessel’s lap; you pause when he gently squeezes your hip.

“II.” He states simply.

“On it.” Before you could ask what was happening, a match was struck to life. But all the candles were on the other side of the apartment; there was no way he could have gotten over there–

“I'll get the stove started.” III stands, placing your feet in IV’s lap. “These two better do a good job of keeping you warm.” He chuckles, quickly pressing a kiss to the top of your head as he passes by.

You didn't have to lift a finger. Before you knew it, the wood stove was warming the living room, candles casting a soft orange glow over the entire space, and a mug of tea warming your hands as you sat sandwiched between IV and II on the couch. The night sped by as you found yourself playing card games, laughing to the point your sides hurt as you witnessed them bicker and repeatedly get caught trying to cheat. “I'm not counting cards!” II protests.

“You absolutely are!” III argues, “Don't think I can't see you counting on your hands!” II opens his mouth to respond, only for III to cut him off, “Disqualified! You are disqualified!” II groans, admitting defeat as he throws his cards on the table.

Vessel wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side. “You're looking a little tired, love.” You couldn't even attempt to argue as a yawn forces its way past your lips. “Let's call it a night.” He announced, helping you from the floor. “Goodnight.” Vessel leans down, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

“Goodnight, Ves.” You smile, slipping into his arms for one final hug. You exchange your good nights with the others, reluctant to leave them even though you would only be in the next room. You could hear them all get settled as you lay in bed, your apartment eventually becoming deathly quiet once again. You lay there for what felt like hours, and it had only been about 20 minutes when you checked the time. You sigh, sitting up in bed. You stare at the door, debating whether any of them were still up. You toss back your covers and leave your bed, wincing slightly as the floorboards creak beneath your feet. You carefully crack open your bedroom door, glancing into the living room only to find Vessel still awake, reading a book under the low candlelight. “Everything alright, love?” He asks quietly. It took you a moment to respond, surprised that he realized you were there.

“I just can’t sleep.” You admit sheepishly, opening the door just wide enough to reveal yourself. He closes the book he was reading, setting it on the end table behind him.

“Come here, sweetheart.” He beckons you closer with a nod of his head. You carefully maneuver around the others, who had found a comfortable spot on the floor for the night. Vessel opens his arms for you, allowing you to crawl into his warm embrace. You cuddled into his chest, the heavy weight of his arms around your waist immediately lulling you into a new state of comfort as you melted into him. He tilts his head back; you swallow thickly as you realize just how nice it would feel to have your lips trail along the skin of his neck. You quickly shook the thought from your mind as he blew out the candle. “What’s troubling that pretty little head of yours, hm?” He purrs. You were finding it hard to concentrate. Vessel’s body was so warm every ache in your muscles simply seemed to vanish as you allowed your fingers to trail over his bare skin. He smelled of damp earth, musky incense, and the subtle sweetness of freshly cut flowers.

“Can I ask you something?” You whisper, looking up at him despite the fact you could barely make out the outline of his face.

“Of course.” He responds in the same quiet tone. He adjusts his position, hoisting you up higher on his chest to bring your face closer to his. “You can ask me anything you like, love.”

You could feel his lips brush against yours as he spoke; the feeling was enough to send a shiver up your spine. “Do you think about me?”

“Love, the image of you never leaves my mind.” You can’t help but smile at his response. “I can’t even begin to describe how special you are to me.” He carefully cups your cheek in his hand, his thumb trailing across your jaw. “I must not be doing a very good job as your boyfriend.” He jokes with a chuckle. “There’s got to be some way for me to prove how crazy I am about you.” The edge of his mask bumps against your cheek as he pushes it off his face. His hand carefully cradled your head, guiding your lips down to meet his. You could feel his heartbeat racing under your palm. He kissed you hesitantly at first, his whole body rigid as he waited to see how you would respond to such a bold gesture from him. He had kept you at arm’s length since he met you, not because he didn’t care about you. It was the exact opposite. If he wasn’t careful, Vessel felt he could easily find himself becoming infatuated with you, something that could cost him dearly if you ended up stabbing him in the back like so many others had in the past. Yet, over the time he had known you and the short time you had been together as partners, your affection for him never wavered. Goosebumps erupted across your skin as Vessel slid a hand under your shirt, his tough, calloused hands rough against your back. “There isn’t a second that passes by where I’m not thinking of you; the sound of your laugh, the way you smile, the way you seem to fit so perfectly in my arms; I am always thinking about you.” He confesses breathlessly against your lips. You let out a soft hum of approval as he crushes his lips against yours again, struggling to stay quiet but not wanting to risk waking the others. You felt like you would die if Vessel stopped kissing you. He groans at the feeling of your hands timidly wandering his body, shaky fingers tracing along the outlines of his muscles as your lips melded perfectly to his. He kissed you until there was physically no air left in his lungs. You struggle to steady your rapidly pounding heart. You rest your hand on the side of his face, gently trailing along the peak of his cheekbone. He caught your hand in his, startling you slightly at the abruptness. He brings your knuckles to his lips. “No matter how much I would like to keep kissing you, you should probably get some rest, love.” He says with a chuckle.

“Now, how is that fair?” You ask coyly, “You make me wait all this time to kiss you, and I only get to do it once?” He tilts your chin up with his thumb. You could feel him smile against your lips. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” Your eyes flutter shut as you’re met with another euphoric kiss, “but you have to get some sleep.” You grumble out your reluctant agreement, placing one final chaste kiss on his lips before settling against his chest, your eyes feeling heavy as your adrenaline wears off.

You’re woken up the following morning by a knock at the door. You sit up, wiping away the sleep in your eyes as you try to make sense of your situation. You had fallen asleep in the living room last night after coming to see Vessel; you remembered that much. All four of them were already awake and much more alert than you were at the sudden disturbance. “Relax, I’m sure it’s just the plow guy or something.” You reassure them. You stand, shivering as all the warmth is rapidly stolen from your body. You unlocked your door, opening it just enough to peer outside. Your stomach dropped at seeing the police officer on the other side.

He greets you with a familiar smile, “Got a second to talk?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Unfortunately, no.” He chuckles before turning his attention to you. “Maus, you look beautiful today.” Your cheeks grow warm at his compliment, muttering out a hurried thank you as your eyes quickly drop to your lap. “No, the reason that I'm down here is because one of your students somehow managed to get themselves locked in a supply closet, and I was hoping you'd know where to find the key.” You watched Roel’s brows furrow in confusion, mouthing ‘supply closet’ and mulling over Falk’s request before his entire face lights up.

“Oh! Locked in the supply closet!” He points excitedly at Falk, hurryingly standing up from his chair. He froze, his head slowly turning in your direction as if he suddenly remembered you were in the room. “While I handle this,” he chuckled awkwardly, “Could I trouble you to run across town? Primo has some produce he’d like us to have, I forgot to mention it to you earlier.”

“Of course.” You eye both of them curiously as you slowly rise from your seat. They were up to something, you could smell it. Roel only sent you to the Satanic Temple across town when he needed you gone for a while. He knew Primo loved to visit with you for as long as your time would allow, and the temptation of his sweet hand blended teas, delectable pastries, and quiet conversations akin to sitting down with your eccentric grandfather in the warmth of his greenhouse, were often too good to pass up. But, you also knew how Roel acted when something was wrong, the fact that he was practically vibrating with excitement allowed you to relax slightly about the whole situation. “Good luck with your closet debacle.” Falk gently pulls you to him as you pass, placing a kiss to the top of your head. “I’ll see you tonight.” You say softly, smiling warmly up at him.

“Drive safe, maybe stay for lunch with Primo and his brothers, I’m sure they’d love to visit with you.” He says with a soft smile. You look between the two of them, pointing an accusatory finger at the pair.

“I don’t know what you two are up to, but don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone.” You warn.

“Yes ma’am, no stupidity here.” Roel replies, giving you a salut.

“That’s debatable.” You chuckle, shaking your head slightly. Falk’s hand lingers on your waist as you turn to leave, his adoring gaze trailing after you as you slip out of Roel’s office.

“Isn’t the whole point of having a codeword is to keep things discreet?” Falk looks at Roel with a mildly annoyed expression.

“Well, excuse me for forgetting a codeword we haven’t used in years.” He chuckles. “Now, I’m assuming you’re here for something having to do with my wonderful assistant.”

“I need your help.” Falk didn’t miss the smug expression that spread across his friend’s features. “Don’t start.” He warns.

Roel holds up his hands innocently, “I have no idea what you could be referring to… I just find it funny how the infamous casanova Falk is thrown off his game by one little Maus.” He teases.

“Can you help me or not?” He groans.

“Of course I can, but I need to know what you need my help with first.” He motions for Falk to sit across from him.

“What does she like to eat?”

“That’s seriously what you–”

“Just answer the question.”

“Well…” Roel proceeds to sit there and tell Falk all the foods he knew you enjoyed, some specifically how you enjoyed them cooked. “She likes her eggs over easy, but make sure you cook the white’s through fully, the texture makes her throw up.” He warns.

Falk chuckles, “she seems more like your younger sister than your assistant.”

“She’s had my back since the beginning.” Roel admits fondly. “I care about her a lot, so I plan on helping however I can.”

“I’m surprised you let your friend move in so easily.” Falk shoots him a joking grin.

“All I care about is that she ends up with someone who can make her happy, I think that’s something you’ll be able to deliver on.”

“You’re scheming and I wasn’t invited?” Matthew’s voice boomed as he kicked open Roel’s office door, both of the men’s attention snapping to him in shock.

“How the hell did you even find out I was here?” Falk asks confused, Matthew shoots him a knowing smirk.

“Your little girlfriend told me.”

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

You sighed as you pulled open the door to the key box at the entrance to the garage, skimming over the labels looking for the Abbey’s truck keys. The sound of Father Matthew’s motorcycle wheeling into the concrete box made you laugh slightly. “Finally running away, huh?” He calls to you.

“It’s a shame, that Satanic Temple is just really calling my name, you know?” You joke in response. You waited for him to get a little closer before continuing the conversation. “I’m surprised you’re not up there scheming with them.”

“Scheming? Who’s scheming?” You immediately piqued his interest.

“I don’t know any specifics, but Falk came into Roel’s office earlier talking about someone getting locked in a supply closet?”

“Those bastards!” He exclaims. “I take it they’re sending you elsewhere?” The question comes out as more of a statement, meaning he already knew the answer without you telling him.

“I wouldn’t be looking for the truck keys otherwise.” You chuckle. “Should I be worried?” You ask.

“No, if it was something serious they wouldn't be using the supply closet as an excuse.” He laughs. “Go enjoy your day out. If something does end up being wrong, which it won't, I'll get in touch with you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go see what exactly this master plan of theirs is.”

“Good luck, don't let them get too out of hand.” You finally find the keys you were looking for, snatching them up and spinning them around your finger.

“You're asking the wrong person for that!” He calls over his shoulder as he heads off. You pull yourself into the truck, smiling as it rumbles to life. You open up the center console, chuckling as you find an old pair of one of the High Clergy member’s sunglasses stuffed inside. A pair of cheap, silver plastic dad sunglasses that had been in there for god knows how long. You perch them on your face, laughing at your reflection in the rearview mirror.

“Alright, let's go see Primo.”

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“This is a disaster.” Falk groans, dropping his head into his hands. “I'm just trying to plan a simple date with my girlfriend and the whole Abbey–”

“Well, well, well. What do we have going on in here gentlemen?” Charles peers over the edge of his reading glasses, straightening out the pile of paperwork in his hands while he waits for a response.

“That's what this is about?” Matthew asks without acknowledging Charles. “You're all bent out of shape for a date-”

“A date?” Charles seemed much more interested in the topic at hand now that he knew it fell outside of the scope of the usual workload drivel. He pushes Matthew farther into the room, swinging the door shut behind him. “Is she here? Do we have time to set up?” He asks in a hushed tone.

“You wanted help.” Roel motions to Charles. “If you want advice I don't think you could get much more of an expert.” Falk couldn't believe he hadn't thought of going to Charles sooner. Roel knew you best out of anyone, that was no contest, the amount of time you spent with him Falk was sure that Roel probably even knew the tiniest details about you. But Charles, he was a romance expert. Having devoted most of his life to studying and analyzing romantic literature he wouldn't just have excellent advice for helping Falk plan a date for that evening, he would be able to help him set up an experience you wouldn't be able to forget. Charles looked a bit confused over the fact that it was Falk asking for help. His friend did have a bit of a reputation around the Abbey for being a charmer, he's left many a sibling a flustered, blushing mess in his wake. Seeing him so nervous about impressing you proved one thing to all of them. He was serious about you.

Falk looks between Roel and Charles before giving in. “I just want to make sure this feels special.” He admits to him.

“Well, let's get started then.” Charles responds with a smirk, excited to help set this plan in motion. Their first stop, of all places, was Attila’s office. Charles knocks on the door, the other three peering from behind him like a group of lost children. Attila opens the door and immediately lets out a sigh.

“What burned down this time?” He asks in an unamused tone.

“Nothing, yet.” Matthew responds cheerily. “We still have a couple hours to make that happen though.” Charles smacks him upside the head, earning a pained “ow” from his brother as he rubs at the spot.

“Falk is trying to set up for a date.” He explains. “I need to know if anyone's using the ballroom tonight.” Attila looks around the group curiously before pushing the door to his office fully open.

“Get in here.”

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You pulled up to the gate of the Satanic Temple, perching the sunglasses you had found in the car atop your head before jumping out. “Well, well, well. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?” You can't help but smile at the familiar voice.

“Papa.” You turn to face the older gentleman, his usual formal robes being traded in for a loose fitting t-shirt that read ‘Women love me, fish fear me’ in bold red letters across the chest and a pair of grass stained jeans. His skeletal Papal paint slightly smudged from the day so far. He lights up when his eyes meet yours, pulling you into a tight hug.

“What a wonderful surprise, mia bambina.” He pulls back from the hug, meeting your eyes with a seriousness that wasn't there prior. “Are they feeding you well?”

“Yes, Papa.” You laugh. “I'm actually here to collect any produce you have for us.”

“Of course, it's very typical of Roel to keep you away unless it's for business.” He jokingly chastised, waving a finger in front of him disapprovingly.

“Somebody has to keep him out of trouble.” You respond with a smirk of your own.

“And you're probably the only one capable of pulling that off successfully.” You both chuckle in response. “Do you have time to join me for tea?”

“Of course, Papa. I always have time for tea”

“Wonderful, I'll tell my Ghouls to load up whatever we have for your Abbey.” You take his arm, happily listening to him chat away about how he’s been keeping himself busy these days as he leads you to his greenhouse. He hums quietly as he takes his time preparing your tea, mixing various herbs in his mortar and pestle before dumping them into cloth tea bags. “What ails you today, my dear?” He asks. It was a familiar question at this point. Primo was not in the business of giving you some ordinary tea, oh no. Primo’s goal was for you to leave feeling better than when you arrived. The specialized mixture of herbs and whatever special magic he put into your drink always seemed to do just that. You pondered the question for a moment, studying his wooden apothecary box of various herbs despite the fact you couldn't read any of the labels.

“Got anything for a loud mind?” You ask with a soft smile. He chuckles, pulling out what you recognized as an anti anxiety blend along with another glass bottle you didn't know the contents of. He carefully combined the herbs before carefully dumping them into a tea bag and setting them in your water to steep.

“What's troubling you, bambina?” He asks. Groaning as he settles himself into the wicker chair across from you.

“Falk and I have started seeing each other.” You reveal with a bashful grin.

“Congratulations.” He smiles warmly at the news, his whole face lighting up as he leans forward to take your hands in his. “That's something that you should be celebrating, so what's making you hesitant?”

“It honestly just doesn't feel real.” You mutter. “I don't understand why he would waste his time-”

“Rephrase.” He snaps bluntly, halting your train of thought. “Being with you isn't a waste of time, try again.”

You sigh before restarting your sentence. “I don't understand why he's interested in me.”

“I want you to do me a favor when you go back home, pay attention to how he looks at you.” You shot him a confused look, waiting for him to continue. “I’ve known Falk and his family for many, many years, it was his father that actually got your parish involved with ours. That being said, I’d like to believe I’ve seen him experience moments of true happiness, and he had the same look in his eyes back then as he does whenever he looks at you.” You trace your finger around the rim of your teacup, watching the deep amber liquid ripple slightly at your movements. “I know you’ve had to put in a lot of hard work to get where you are now, I know you’ve spent a lot of your life fighting for survival, but you deserve to experience genuine love and tenderness. I know this isn’t something you’re going to settle into easily; you’re going to have doubts, you’re going to face challenges, but I think both of you know that the other is worth it.”

“I’m just worried he’s going to get to know me more and that’s going to change.” Your voice trembles slightly as you speak, your throat feeling thick as you fight to hold back your emotions.

“You’re really going to sit here and try to tell me that man isn’t one of your closest friends?” You glance up at him to find a playful smirk had settled on his lips. “The two of you are thick as thieves from what I’ve noticed.” He chuckles. He did have a point. When the time allowed, you and Falk generally did everything together. Helping prepare dinner in the kitchen, organizing returned books in the library, frequent trips to the farmers market, you had been spending a lot more time with him than you had realized. “Every time he joins you on visits you’re both always laughing and cracking jokes, it warms my heart really seeing you both so happy.”

“Primo?”

“What is it mia bambina?”

“I think I’m in love with him.”

“I’d be more shocked if you weren’t.” He responds, offering you a peaceful smile. “Now, I know you didn’t come out here just to pour over that with me, what trouble are they getting into now?” You can’t help but laugh, of course Primo wanted to know the daily gossip. You felt like a weight had been lifted off your chest after finally admitting your feelings for Falk out loud, now excited to see what the evening would bring.

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“You want someone to be playing the violin? What is this The Bachelor?” Charles exclaims at Matthew’s suggestion

“Do you watch The Bachelor?” Matthew shoots back with a confused expression.

“That’s not what’s important right now!” He groans. Falk sat in one of the chairs that had been pulled over, massaging the bridge of his nose as he let out an aggravated sigh.

“Hey,” he says in an attempt to get their attention, the group just continued to bicker amongst themselves. “Hey!” This time he had caught their attention as four pairs of eyes snapped to him. “Guys, I really appreciate all the help, but do you think this is something she’s going to enjoy?” A small smirk spreads across Roel’s lips, he crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against Attila’s desk. They all fell silent as they waited for him to explain. “Something so formal and put together would probably make her more nervous than anything.”

“It’s just dinner.” Matthew shoots back, confused by what Falk meant.

“But it’s so stuffy.” He can’t help but smile as the image of you smiling and laughing during one of your outings came to mind, his heart thrumming in his chest knowing that he could potentially be the reason you look like that was the spark he needed. “She’s eccentric… and bright…and loud…” he chuckles, “I just don’t think some fancy dinner would be something she would enjoy.”

Roel clicks his tongue, “You come all the way down to my office to ask for my help.” He walks up to Falk, making the motion to flick him in the forehead without actually following through on his threat. “You know what she likes, blödmann (Dumbass). Go set up your date for your girl.” He nods for Falk to get out of there. He was right, Falk was so worried about coming up short that he missed the glaringly obvious answer in front of him.

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As you pulled into the garage you were met with the sight of Roel waiting for you. You parked the truck, giving him a perplexed look as you approached him. “You didn’t kill him, did you?”

He chuckles at your question, “no, he’s still very much alive, don’t worry. He, however, did ask me to bring you to his quarters when you got back, he has a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?”

“You’ll like it, don’t worry.” He reassures you, motioning for you to follow him. The two of you chatted idly as you walked, you noticed how your heart began to race as you grew closer to your destination. “Have fun.” Roel shoots you a knowing smirk before leaving you to continue your short walk to Falk’s by yourself. As you grew closer to his quarters you couldn't miss the delicious smell that filled the air, it made your mouth water. You knock tentatively on his door, hearing him welcome you in with a loud ‘it’s open!’ You walk in, kicking your shoes off at the door, smiling as you watch Falk lean up against the doorway to the kitchen, pulling out a dish towel he had tucked neatly into his pocket to wipe off his hands.

“What's all this?” You ask, unable to keep the lovestruck grin off your face.

“I wanted a chance to redo our first date.” He admits softly. He takes your hand in his, carefully bringing your knuckles to his lips.

“I told you, I had fun.” He smiles down at you, studying your features for a moment.

“Well, I guess you’re just going to have to get used to me spoiling you then.” He chuckles. He cups your cheek in his hand. “It’s important to me that you know how deeply I care about you Maus.” The way Falk gazed down at you was so warm, heat settled behind your cheeks as he slowly rubbed his thumb across your soft skin. “I went down to Roel’s office earlier to ask for help planning our date, I’m not going to lie I was really nervous about tonight.” You can’t help but giggle at his confession. He smiles, letting his eyes slowly trail over your features. “Before I knew it Matthew, Charles, Attila, all of them were involved. They wanted to book the ballroom, Charles wanted to find a violin player, it was going to be a whole production… and that’s when it hit me. You would hate that.” You share a laugh at his blunt statement. “So, my original plan has changed, I just need to finish up dinner and everything will be ready.”

“Whatever you're cooking smells incredible.” He wraps an arm around your waist, holding you close to him.

“It used to be my favorite dish growing up, my mother used to make it all the time.” He explains. “It was always a little different each time because she would throw in whatever she had lying around the kitchen.” He smiles down at you, his whole face lighting up as he recalls the memory. You stuck close to his side while he finished cooking, both of you sipping glasses of wine as you enjoyed simply being in each other’s company. As he finished cooking, Falk packed up the food and placed it into a sturdy wicker basket. He chuckles as he notices you watching him curiously, “I figured we could have dinner somewhere a little nicer than here.” He explains, offering you a hand to help you down from your position perched on the counter. As your feet hit the floor, Falk gently tugs you closer to him, pressing a kiss to the top of your head before collecting everything you would need to head out. Your heart thrummed in your chest as he took your hand, smiling softly as he brought your knuckles to his lips. You wound your way through the Abbey’s never ending maze of hallways, the two of you whispering giddy conversation as you walked, like two teenagers that were in the midst of cutting class. The warm breeze caressed your skin as you exited the building, you froze as you caught the sight of Falk studying you out of the corner of your eye.

“What’s that look for?” You ask, turning to him with a coy smile.

“You’re just… you’re so beautiful.” He says with a bashful chuckle. “I’m sorry for staring, I just can’t seem to look away.” Your cheeks grew warm at his compliment, your eyes snapping to the ground as you let out a flustered giggle.

“You know, you still haven’t told me exactly where you’re taking me.” His arm instinctually wraps around your waist as you tuck yourself into his side.

“Patience maus.” He smirks, “You’ll see when we get there.” You beamed at the sight before you, rounding a corner to find a large, plush blanket draped over the hillside. A bottle of wine sat in a bucket of ice, two matching glasses tucked neatly away next to it. “What do you think?” It wasn’t difficult to miss the nervousness that laced its way into his tone. You take his hand in yours, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“This is perfect.” You blink rapidly, trying to dispel the tears that were threatening to well up along your lashes. “You really went through all this trouble?”

“I told you, I wanted a redo for our first date.” He places down the basket of food, stepping closer to you and gently cupping your cheeks in his hands. He says your name softly, his golden brown eyes almost seeming to glow under the deep orange sunset, “I would give you the moon if I could. The most important thing to me is that you’re happy.” His thumbs languidly stroke across your skin, you were unable to tear your gaze away from him. You remembered what Primo had said, to pay attention to the way he looked at you. Your heart slammed against your ribs like a freight train, you had no idea how Falk couldn’t hear it. “You deserve the world, and if I can manage to give you even a fraction of that I’ll be satisfied.” Your knees nearly give out at the sight of his lopsided grin, pure adoration dripping from his expression.

“Falk…” your voice shook as you said his name. Your mouth opened to speak but no words ever managed to fight their way out. Your body moved before your mind had a chance to catch up. You buried your face against his chest, he immediately cradled you against him.

“You’re very special to me Mäuschen,” he presses a kiss to the top of your head, “I’ll do anything to make sure you know that.” The two of you stood there in silence for another few moments, Falk gently swaying you side to side as he held you in his arms. You reluctantly pulled back from him, already missing the warmth being pressed so close to him provided.

“The food’s going to get cold.” You sniff, trying to hide the fact his kind words made you emotional. Falk smiles, placing one last kiss to the top of your head before getting everything set up. The two of you quickly devolved back to your usual playful selves, currently struggling to hold back your flustered giggles as Falk fed you a spoonful of your dinner.

“I love seeing you smile.” He states breathlessly.

“Well, luckily for you, you don't seem to have much difficulty with that.” You respond with a playful grin.

“How was your time with Primo?” His voice remained quiet as he spoke, giving the simple conversation a whole new level of intimacy.

“It was good, it was nice to get to talk to him… I really needed it.” You reply with a nervous laugh.

“Is everything okay?” You froze at the genuine concern in his eyes.

“Yeah… it’s just–” Your mouth snaps shut as you swallow thickly. He reaches out and gently takes your hand in his, waiting patiently for you to decide if you wanted to tell him more or not. “I don’t understand why you want to be with me, I’m not anything special.”

“That couldn’t be any farther from the truth. Mäuschen, you are a kind and beautiful person… You’re my best friend.” He adds with a bashful smile. He shifts closer to you, cradling your face in both of his hands. “Every moment that I have to be away from you is absolutely torturous. You might not think you’re anything special, but to me, you shine brighter than the first light of day–” You jolt as a fat raindrop splatters against your cheek. You and Falk both look up to the sky only to realize it was starting to rain, and it was picking up quickly. You yelped as the ice cold water hit your skin, soaking through your clothes as you both hurriedly shove everything back into the picnic basket as quickly as possible. Falk grabs your hand, both of you laughing as you stumble in the direction of the Abbey. He pauses, your body thudding against his as he tugs you back to him. “Dance with me.” He states in a serious tone, leaning over to set down the basket.

“Right here?” You ask through melodic laughter. “But, there’s no music playing.” The look in Falk’s eyes made your heart pound. His arm slowly slid around your waist, pressing you flush against him, your free hand sliding over his shoulder.

“We don’t need it.” He says, giving you a lopsided grin. He looks at your intertwined hands, his thumb soothingly rubbing back and forth across your skin. “You’re shaking.”

“I’m a little nervous.” You admit quietly.

“Don’t worry, so am I.” Your body instinctually moves along with his as he begins leading you through a simple waltz. You found yourself laughing every time you tripped over your own feet, Falk always there to catch you without fail. Your clothes stuck to your skin, the rain fully soaking them through. He slowly spun you, the hand that held yours falling away to cup your cheek. Falk’s warm brown eyes met yours, a soft smile finding its way to his lips as he languidly ran his thumb across your skin. He mutters your name softly, “I can’t wrap my head around the fact you don’t think you’re special.” You found yourself leaning into the warmth of his palm. His gentle gaze held you in place as he debated whether or not to say what was really on his mind. “Because, I simply can’t imagine my life without you.” Your breath froze in your lungs as he gently tilted your chin up. His stare drops to your lips, you notice him tug at his bottom lip with his teeth. His eyes met yours again, silently asking your permission to cross the point of no return. You shifted, the faintest sight of a nod, but it was all Falk needed to close the distance between you. His lips crashed into yours, a startled gasp escaping you as you grabbed onto his shoulders to stop yourself from falling. After the initial shock you melted into the kiss, your eyes fluttering shut as you grew fully ensnared in everything that was him. The taste of the wine still lingered on his lips. One strong hand pressed into the small of your back, the other carefully cradled the back of your head, as if you would break with the smallest wrong movement. You felt your knees grow weak, and it took everything you had not to give in and just fully collapse into his arms. You're left in a daze as he finally pulls back, Falk steals a few more chaste kisses from you, leaving you a flushed, giggling mess in his wake before you bury yourself against his chest. He cradled you against him, swaying you slightly in his arms as you waited for your hearts to stop pounding. “Maus.” He suddenly speaks up. There was an undeniable carefulness in his tone as he continued with his question, “Would you like to stay with me? Just for tonight?” You swallow thickly, your pulse immediately beginning to race once again.

“I wouldn’t want to impo–”

“I don’t want to be away from you a second sooner than I absolutely have to. Will you please stay with me for the night?” He holds your chin between his thumb and finger, leading your eyes to meet his.

You nod, slowly at first, but gradually faster and with more confidence. “Yes.” You eventually manage to stutter out. “I would love to.” He held your hand tightly in his as you hurried through the Abbey’s candle lit corridors. Every so often a devious smile would pass over Falk’s face before he found a darkened corner for the two of you to share a few short kisses before continuing on your way. When you finally arrive back at his quarters he retrieves a pair of towels from his bathroom, draping the soft fabric over your head before delicately helping you dry your hair. He places one last lingering kiss to your lips as he leaves you in his room to get changed. You felt a bit silly about being nervous, but you couldn’t ignore the way your heart was pounding in your chest. You smiled at your reflection, the sight of you wearing Falk’s clothes making your cheeks grow warm. You wrapped your fingers around the doorknob, taking one last steadying breath before stepping back out into the living room. Falk stood leaning against the back of his couch, a steaming mug in either hand.

“I made us both tea. I don’t know about you, but I’m oddly…” He trails off as he searches for the right word to use.

“Nervous?” You offer.

“Yeah.” He nods with a chuckle. “Nervous seems like the right feeling. I figured this might help.” The warmth from the mug immediately spreads through your hands as he passes it to you, placing a quick kiss to your forehead as he wraps an arm around your waist and leads you into the bedroom. “What have you been reading recently?” He asks with a gentle smile, sensing you grow more tense as he shuts the door behind him.

“Charles has been recommending a lot of classic German literature recently.” You tell him, he hums pensively in response.

“I thought you were more interested in folklore?” He asks, sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for you to be ready to join him.

“I am, but it can’t hurt to broaden my horizons, I guess.” You laugh. You take a long slow sip of your tea, letting the heat seep into your chest as you try to steady your shaky hands. You step closer to him, Falk’s hands sliding over the curve of your waist once you were in reach.

“You don’t have to stay if you’re not comfortable.” He whispers.

“I want to.” You reassure him quietly. “I just can’t seem to get my body to move.” You chuckle. He smiles patiently at you, his thumbs massaging your skin in an attempt to soothe your nerves.

“There’s no rush, we can take all the time you need.” You found yourself shuffling a bit closer to him, Falk guiding you further into his arms. The two of you exchanged whispered conversation, sipping at your tea. Meanwhile, the dark purple comforter that covered Falk’s bed was starting to look more inviting by the second. You attempted to stifle a yawn without much success. Falk smiles softly, noticing that your anxiety had finally started to dissipate. He carefully takes your mug from your hands, his fingers intertwining with yours as he stands. He sets the tea on your nightstand before pulling back the covers. He brings your knuckles to his lips before guiding you under the blankets. You blink a few times as you’re suddenly plunged into pitch black darkness that was alleviated a few moments later by the soft orange glow of the lamp on Falk’s bedside table, the glass amber shade bathes the entire room in a warm, comforting light. You tense up at the feeling of Falk sliding into the bed next to you. “Would it be alright if I held you?” You nod, shuffling yourself into his waiting embrace. He tucked you safely into his side, your head resting against his chest in a way that let you hear the unmistakable racing of his heart, a sound that made you smile. It was reassuring that he seemed to be just as nervous as you were. “Try and get some rest meine hertz.” He presses a kiss to your forehead before picking up his reading glasses and perching them on the end of his nose. He flips open his book, appearing to have just started a new story.

“Do you remember when we used to read together all the time?” You ask, letting your eyes trail over the pages neat print.

“Of course I do.” He responds fondly. “For a while it was the only way you could get any sleep.” He chuckles, humming contently as you cuddle yourself against him.

“Could you… Could you read to me tonight?” Falk swears his heart almost stopped at the sight of your bright eyes gazing up at him through your lashes.

“Of course Maus,” he responds breathlessly, “anytime you want.” He clears his throat, making sure you could comfortably see the pages before starting the story. His voice always put you at such ease, the low, quiet tone sounded intoxicating when mixed with his strong accent. It didn’t take long before you were having trouble keeping your eyes open, Falk soothingly stroking your arm as you eventually drifted off in his embrace.

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You shot up in bed with a sharp gasp, your lungs burning like you had been holding your breath. Your alarm was blaring on your night stand, 8 in the morning, you had an hour until you opened. You got out of bed, listening carefully for the sound of your footsteps against the floor to make sure you really had returned from wherever the hell you had gone in your dreams. “I'm going crazy, I'm actually losing my mind.” You argue with your reflection in the mirror. “Some mysterious voice coming from my subconscious about trusting Vessel, of course I trust him. But what the hell is the way he's supposed to be showing me?” You decided to drop it for now with an annoyed groan, flying through your morning routine and jogging downstairs just as 9 o'clock rolled around. The day flew by, the steady stream of customers helping to distract you from the weird dream you had. You were just about to lock the door when the all too familiar pickup truck pulled into the lot. You smiled, pushing the door open and leaning against it as you waited to see just who had stopped by to visit tonight. You were a bit surprised to see II jump out of the cab unaccompanied, usually when he was sent to make supply runs he always had one of the others in tow. He strides over to you, reaching out to pull you into an embrace the moment you were close enough.

“I have a question for you.” He states softly once he pulls back, his hands still resting comfortably on your waist.

“And what might that be?” You smile, subconsciously leaning into him.

“Would you be comfortable coming back to camp with me?” You paused the moment the question fell from his lips. “Vessel already knows I'm inviting you, he's the one that brought it up in fact.” II chuckles, knowing exactly where your mind had wandered.

“I would love to.” He waits patiently for you to lock up, his hand slipping into yours, giving it a gentle squeeze as the two of you chat idly on your way back to the truck. You slid across the worn leather bench seat, II hopping behind the wheel not long after. He wraps an arm around your shoulders, leaning in to press a clothed kiss to your cheek.

“Are you warm enough?” You nod, letting your head fall to rest against his shoulder as he starts driving. His thumb languidly trailed back and forth across your shoulder, every so often he would glance down at you to see if you were still awake. You wound down endless back roads, slowly pushing your way down paths that had long since been forgotten until the group had ventured this far out into the woods. II attempted to dodge raised roots and potholes without much success, the makeshift road being filled with craters that rattled the pair of you around in the cab. You were thankful when the dirt path finally smoothed out, the trees opening up to reveal a large clearing with four cabins evenly spaced out around the circle. You recognized minimal details of it from the pictures you had seen in the paper. The cabin opposite the entrance was surrounded by flower beds of various sizes and states of growth, some containing a painter's palette of wildflowers, others filled with various crops that seemed to be growing very successfully. “That's IV’s cabin.” II must've noticed your impressed stare. “I will warn you though, if you compliment him on his gardening it will make him really flustered, so do with that information what you will.” He chuckles.

“Do you all have different jobs?” You ask curiously, II nods his confirmation.

“IV is the main one in charge of produce. III’s a fairly decent hunter, that's where we get the majority of the meat we eat. I’m in charge of the finances.” He lists off everyone's role around the camp. “And Vessel… well he's our spiritual advisor for a lack of a better term.” He chuckles. He pulls the truck up alongside a cabin that was more set back from the rest, it's dark wood almost blending in with the treeline.  “He’s in the middle of something, I'll take you to IV.” He smiles at you. He motions for you to wait, jogging around the front of the truck to open your door for you. He bows his head slightly as he offers his hand, you can't help but laugh softly at his actions.

“What a gentleman.” You grin at him.

“For you, only the best.” He winks. Your hand slips into his, his skin cool against yours. His eyes stay locked on your form as you hop down from the truck, the moment your feet hit the ground he's tugging you into his side, wanting to keep you as close as possible. “I'd like to be able to spend some time alone with you later, if that's alright.” The corners of your mouth quirk up in a smile at the slight nervousness you picked up in his voice. You glance up at him, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth before pushing yourself up to place a kiss to his cheek.

“I'd love to.” You whisper in his ear with a coy smile. Your attention was stolen by IV calling your name from across the clearing. II places a hand against the small of your back, gently nudging you in his direction. You meet him in the middle, giggling as he flings his arms around you and spins you in a hug.

“I missed you.” His eyes crinkle as he smiles, you found your cheeks growing warmth at the genuine joy in his voice.

“You did?” You ask softly.

“Yeah.” Goosebumps rise on your skin as you feel him gently knead at the softness of your waist. His eyes nervously dart from yours, tracing over a pattern he had found in the grass as he sucks in a deep breath. “I, um, I didn't get to say everything I wanted to you the other day.” You waited patiently for him to continue, seeing how nervous he was about choosing exactly the right words was honestly endearing in your eyes. “Do you think we could sit down and talk?”

“Of course we can, wherever you like.” You smile softly at him. He hesitantly removed his hand from your waist, carefully taking your hand and studying your reaction to make sure he wasn't doing too much too quickly. He led you to his cabin, shutting the door behind him and watching you with delight as you looked around curiously at all the small knick knacks and trinkets he had littered around the small space. His heart races when his eyes meet yours, he would never get tired of seeing the way your whole face lit up when you smiled.

“I want you to know that I really like you.” He blurts out, unable to stop the confession from coming out. “I might not be as experienced as the others, and I might take things slowly, but that's just because I don't want to mess this up.” His bright blue eyes scan over your features as he waits for you to respond.

“IV, I'm not worried about moving too slow or too fast, or whether or not you're experienced. I think you're very sweet, handsome, fun,” every compliment was punctuated with you taking another step closer to him. “I like you too, I want to see where things go, and I'm very excited to see how we get there.” He breathes out a relieved chuckle.

“I just don't want you to think that I'm not as interested as the others.” His arms slide around your waist, your instinctually slipping over his shoulders as he pulls you into him. His fingers ghost over your cheek, you lean into his touch, allowing him to carefully cradle your face in his hand. “You're so beautiful, every moment I've gotten to spend with you has been nothing short of amazing.” Your cheeks grow warm as he continues his assault of compliments. He seemed relieved to have gotten that off his chest, the usual playful glimmer returning to his expression.

“Well, I look forward to spending more time with you.” His gaze dropped to your lips for a moment before he hesitantly pulled away. He clears his throat, his eyes trailing to the window.

“Did you get to see the garden at all?” He asks, a slight nervous tremor in his voice.

“A little, but I'd love to see it up close. You have a very impressive green thumb IV.” He taps the toe of his boot against the cabin floor.

“It's nothing special.” He rebuttals bashfully. “But, it's definitely a lot better than what we started out with.” He starts to head towards the door, your hand slipping effortlessly into his as you trailed after him. He brought you to the edge of the flowerbeds, wrapping an arm around your shoulder to keep you close to his side as he pointed to all the various different types of produce and flowers he was growing, slipping in small fun facts every so often.

“I don't know how you can say this isn't anything special IV, this is incredible. You've really done an amazing job.” He froze, swallowing thickly as he looked down at you.

“Thank you, love.” He says softly. A soft smile finds its way to your lips as you watch his eyes slowly trace over your features. “Can I take you on a date sometime?” You can't help but giggle at the question.

“I would love that.” You feel him squeeze your waist, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he returns your smile. You both jumped slightly as someone shouted from across the field. II had III in tow, the taller man dropping off his pack of hunting supplies before quickly making his way over to you. IV leans down, placing a kiss to the top of your head before stepping away. You smiled as III approached, your heart immediately pounding in your chest at the sight of the streaks of sweat that had broken down his black body paint. You were unable to stop your gaze from raking across his exposed torso. Your cheeks grew warm as your eyes snapped back up to meet his, immediately noticing the playful glimmer in his expression. You nearly stumbled backwards as III’s long strides quickly landed him right in front of you, a strong hand landing on your waist to steady you as he caught your chin between his fingers with the other. Your eyes dart to anywhere but his, trying your best to hide your flustered state.

“Don’t get all shy on me now.” He chuckles. “How are you beautiful?” You manage to squeak out a ‘good’ in response. III leans down, the fabric of his mask soft against your skin as he presses a kiss to your forehead. “Have you shown her around at all?” He asked IV, his hand still lingering on your waist as he pulled away.

“Just a bit of the garden.” IV responds.

“Think we should give her the grand tour?” II suggests.

“I don’t see why not.” IV immediately perks up at the idea. You reach out, taking hold of IV’s hand, giving him a coy smile as you cuddle up to his side.

“Well, lead the way boys.” II and III share an amused look over IV’s surprised expression. It takes him a moment before he finally relaxes, giving your hand a gentle squeeze before he brings your knuckles to his lips.

It had been less than a year since they had arrived in town and the progress they had already made at their camp was nothing short of incredible. IV had grown a whole storehouse of crops, all of which were expertly preserved in order to maintain the four of them easily throughout the winter and early spring. You learned that he was hoping to learn how to make preserves out of the vast amounts of berries in the area. III showed you some of his easier to navigate hunting trails, explaining that he only hunts as needed and how important to him it is to use the entire animal whenever possible. The four of you wandered down trails, each of them pointing out spots where they would like to go to read or play music. “We should plan a day to hike out to the lake.” IV suggests.

“Maybe next summer, it’s a little too cold for that now.” II responds. “I definitely think we should at some point though, I really think you’d like it there.” You smile as III places a kiss to the top of your head, his presence at your side immediately being replaced by II who wrapped his arm around your shoulders as you continued walking. You had noticed how the three of them almost seemed to be taking turns being next to you, the thought alone was enough to make butterflies erupt in your stomach.

“I was wondering where you all went.” Your heart immediately began to race at the sound of Vessel’s voice. You turn to find him leaning in the doorway of his cabin, “love, would it be alright if I stole you for a second?” He nods for you to follow him inside his cabin.You swallow thickly, feeling nervous despite the fact you knew you had to reason to worry. You’re snapped from your thoughts by II pressing a kiss to your cheek.

“I’ll go start dinner while you’re in there.” He gives you a gentle nudge in Vessel’s direction, prompting you forward. He towered over you from his position leaning in the doorway, offering you his hand once you were in reach and guiding you inside. The inside of his cabin was simple; a small wooden desk with a chair sat in front of the window, a perfectly made bed with black sheets sat against the opposite wall, the large piece of furniture the focal point of the room. Across the room from where you stood you noticed a bookshelf tucked into the corner, the shelves filled with journals, textbooks, and various decks of cards. You could feel Vessel studying you, he watched your body language carefully, trying to gauge exactly how you were feeling in this very moment.

You jumped as he suddenly shut the door, a soft chuckle escaping him at the sight. “There’s no need to be so tense, love.” He steps up to your side, trailing a finger along the edge of your jaw as he leans down close to your ear. “I’m not that scary, am I?” He purrs, sending a shiver down your spine.

“I’m just a little on edge today, I guess.” You laugh softly.

“And why’s that?” He keeps you close to him as he moves. Settling himself on the edge of his bed, his hands coming comfortably to rest on the curve of your waist as he holds you in front of him. You feel his fingers gently push into you, moving you closer to him without much effort. The front of your thighs presses against the edge of his plush mattress, Vessel’s long legs caging you in on either side. You still had to look up slightly to be face to face with him, knowing you had met his eyes behind the slits of his mask as your heart began to pound in your chest.

“I have a feeling you already know the answer to that.” Your voice trembled as you spoke.

“Smart girl,” he praises, “I see you’re putting the pieces together quickly.” He ponders over what to say for a moment, carefully selecting each word in his mind. “He spoke to you last night, didn’t he?”

“Vessel, what was that?” You answered his question with your own.

“That was Sleep.” He states simply. A bewildered expression formed on your face, Vessel continued speaking before you had a chance to ask any questions. “I for the life of me can’t figure out how to even begin telling you about Sleep.” He admits with a bashful chuckle. “I hate to keep you in the dark, but can I please ask you to wait just a little while longer?” The booming voice echoed in the back of your mind. ‘Trust in Vessel, he’ll show you the way.’ 

“I trust you.” Your voice comes out barely above a whisper.

“When the time is right I’ll tell you everything, you have my word.” He promises, his hand gently cupping your cheek, his thumb trailing slowly across your skin. The cool material of his mask comes to rest against your forehead. He just held you for a moment, both of you relaxing into the comfortable silence that surrounded you. “I shouldn’t keep you too long, the others will throw a fit.” He says quietly, both of you dissolving into soft laughter.

“Vessel,” he hums in response to you saying his name.

“What is it, love?”

“I really enjoyed our time together the other night.” He froze, seeming almost dumbfounded by the words that had left your mouth.

“You did?” His response comes out timidly, as if he was dancing around those two simple words, worried it was the wrong thing to say. “Maybe… Maybe we could do something like that again sometime then.”

“I’d like that.” You smile softly at him.

Your fingers remained linked with his as he led you across the clearing, the other three members of the group working quickly to make sure everything was set up by the time you reached the table. You were handed a plate of something you didn’t recognize, but it tasted good. Your night became a blur of stolen kisses on your cheeks and laughter that easily bubbled up from your chest. “I believe II had something planned for the two of you tonight.” Vessel suddenly chimes in. “I think we should probably give them some privacy, boys.” He suggests with a patient smile. They each say their respective goodbye’s; IV pressing a chaste kiss to your cheek, telling you he’ll see you soon before darting off to his cabin, III pulls you flush against him, lifting his mask just enough to capture your lips with his own. He mumbles a quiet ‘goodnight’ against your lips, his hand lingering on the curve of your waist as he pulls away. You turned to face Vessel, he held out his hand for you to take. “I’ll walk you.” It didn’t take you long to see that II had snuck off to set up a fire, a log pulled the perfect distance away from the flames to sit on. “It looks like you’re in for a nice evening.” You could feel his eyes studying you from behind his mask. “It’s a shame we have to part ways.”

“We still have a couple minutes.” Your eyes dart down to his lips momentarily.

“It almost sounds like you don’t want me to leave.” He responds with a lopsided grin.

“I don’t.” Vessel presses a knuckle below your chin, tilting your face up to allow him the chance to study your features closely.

“Trust me love, if I had it my way I already would have stolen you for myself.” He chuckles, his thumb swiping over your bottom lip. “We’ll have our time… I’ll make sure of it.” He whispers. He cradles your face gently in his hand, his eyes wandering over your features in silence for another moment before he speaks again. “II, make sure she gets home safely.” You hadn’t noticed until Vessel had startled him that II had wandered back in your direction. “Have a good night, beautiful.” A pair of warm lips press against your forehead, and just like before, as quickly as he was there he was gone. A sense of longing ached deep in your chest, one that was quickly pushed down as II’s hands came to rest on your waist. He gently turns you to face him, hand cupping your cheek as his lips ghost over yours. Your eyes flutter shut, your racing thoughts coming to a screeching halt as you let the kiss consume you.

“I’ve been waiting all day to do that.” II mumbles against your lips with a soft chuckle. Heavy, warm fabric is draped across your shoulders, your fingers instinctually reach up to rub along the edge of the thick denim jacket. “I wanted to make sure you were warm enough. It’s a nice night, but it still gets pretty cold out here.” You found yourself cuddled into his side, the campfire keeping you comfortable despite the chill in the air. II excitedly pointed out every constellation he recognized, filling your mind with tales of adventure, the bravest heroes, the most passionate of love stories. “Right there, that’s Andromeda. She’s famous for nearly being eaten by a sea monster because her mother tried to say she was more beautiful than the sea nymphs.” You can’t help but laugh slightly at the absurd story.

“Well, what do you think?” II gives you a curious glance. “Was she prettier than the sea nymphs?”

“She definitely wasn’t as pretty as you.” You stuttered out a shocked sound in response, your cheeks immediately growing warm. “You’re really bad at accepting compliments.” He points out bluntly, a hint of a smile in his tone.

“I’m just not really used to getting them I guess.” You admit with a bashful chuckle.

“You’re unfortunately going to have to get used to that then.” He glances down at you, his bright blue eyes meeting yours and freezing you in place. “You’re beautiful, I’m not about to let you forget that.”

“I’m not upset at either of you, I’m just… confused.” You respond softly.

“It started off as simple crushes; me, IV, III, Ves.” You noticed Vessel’s shoulder tense as he was dragged into this conversation as well. “We all think you’re beautiful-”

“And very sweet.” III adds on. You can’t help the subtle smile that finds its way to your lips at their compliments.

“We could tell things had gotten a little more serious between you and III so we all decided to back off. But, I can’t lie to you,” II chuckled, “I’m a very jealous man. So when someone tries to keep me from what I want I don’t typically respond the best.”

“And I don’t feel right asking you to commit solely to me when you clearly have feelings for II, as well.” III adds his piece. You found it odd, there was no anger in his voice at the thought of you with his friend. “I guess what we’re trying to say is, um…” he trails off, looking to II as he searches for the right words to say.

“How would you feel about dating all of us?” Vessel breaks the thick tension with his blunt question. You felt like all of the air had been punched from your lungs, your heart jumping into your throat as your head snapped in his direction.

“Vessel, you can’t phrase it like that!” IV groans from his spot on your couch, dropping his head into his hand.

“What? She's a big girl, you don't need to beat around the bush.”

“Dating… dating all of you?” You finally mutter after a few moments of shocked silence.

“Obviously only if you're comfortable with that.” III stands from his seat, slowly stepping closer to you. “You don't have to say yes to any of this. It doesn't matter if you want to date only me, or if you would be okay dating all of us. Hell, after dropping this on you, there's a chance you might not want to see any of us ever again.” You didn't miss the nervousness that laced its way into his laughter. III was genuinely scared that this was going to fully push you away. “But, it's about what you want, that's the important part.”

“And you're all okay with this?” You would be lying if you tried to say you didn't find the offer very appealing. Every member of the group that sat before you drew you to them in one way or another, they were definitely an attractive bunch to put it lightly; III with his subtle intensity, who was always making you laugh, II who would turn you into a flustered mess with his sweet words, IV who’s easily excitable nature and blind confidence when it came to complimenting you made your heart thrum in your chest, Vessel who lets his hand linger on your waist as he maneuvers around you doing restock days, who holds your gaze for perhaps a little longer than necessary when wishing you goodbye at night. But, could you really handle four relationships? 

“The way we see it, we’d rather share you with others who we know are going to take good care of you than to be forced to hold our tongues about how we feel about you.” II explains.

“I…” you trail off as you look between the four of them. “I need some time to think.” Your voice shook slightly as you spoke.

“Of course.” Vessel responds. Without another word II, III, and IV stood, quietly said their goodbyes to you and left your apartment. Vessel hung back for a moment, waiting for III to fully shut the door behind him before breathing out a sigh. “I'm sorry that all of this happened the way it did. I kept telling them to wait to bring it up.” His gaze drops to you, who was silently fidgeting with your fingers as you leaned against the wall.

“I can always tell them to back off, love.”

“No, you don't have to do that.” You brush him off. “It's nothing to do with any of you, you're all incredible. It's just- it's me, that's what the problem is.” You tried to force a laugh to prove to Vessel that you were fine, his unchanging expression let you know immediately that he saw right through you. “You're all so wonderful, and the fact that you would be willing to make such a huge compromise.” You stare through the slits of his mask, believing you were meeting his eyes. “What if it's not worth it?”

You didn't have time to register what was happening before Vessel was in front of you, pulling you into a warm embrace.

“I know I might not be as… prominent with my acts of affection as the others.” He pulls back slightly, one large hand coming up to cradle the back of your head as your eyes instinctively rise to look at him. “But, considering II put things out in the open, I need you to know that I care for you viscerally.” The soft growl that found its way into his voice made your cheeks grow warm. “I don't want you to feel pressured into anything you don't want, but I need you to understand that there has not been a single moment since I met you that would make me think any of this wasn't worth it.” You blink slowly as a hand comes to rest on the top of your head, comfortingly patting the spot. “Would it be alright if I came and checked in tomorrow?” You nod, reluctantly letting your hands fall away from their position pressed against his chest as he stepped back, his warmth fading away with it.

“Goodnight, Ves.” Your voice cracked slightly as you tried to keep your overwhelming emotions in check.

“Goodnight love, rest well.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You watched the second hand on the clock tick, bringing you closer to when Vessel would usually make his nightly supply runs. You hadn’t managed to sleep at all the night prior, tossing and turning as you played through every scenario you could think of as you made your decision. At the sight of the familiar pick up truck rumbling into the lot you felt your heart race. “This is it.” You muttered out loud to the empty store. “No going back now.” He poked his head through the door before fully entering.

“You still open?” He offers you a playful smile.

“No, but for you I'll make an exception.” You giggle in response. He slowly steps inside and approaches the counter.

“How’d thinking on things go?” He rests his elbows on the counter, bringing him closer to face level with you.

You set a hand down on the counter, Vessel cautiously reaching out to take it in his own. He hesitates for a moment, his hand drawing back slightly as if he was preparing to pull away. His fingers were rough against the soft skin of your hand when he finally decided to take his, his thumb running languidly across the peaks and valleys of your knuckles as he waited patiently for your response. “I want to take things slow… but the thought of having all of you to myself is a little too good to pass up.” He breathes out a chuckle, flashing you a sharp smirk that makes your breath catch in your throat.

“Is that so?” He mulls over how to respond to your statement for a moment. “How about I make us dinner and we can sit down and talk about how slow you want to take things, just so we can make sure everyone is on the same page.”

“You want to cook me dinner?” You shoot him a playful smile. “Is it going to be edible?” He bellows out a laugh in response.

“You're funny, you know I've been told I'm a wonderful cook.” He points an accusatory finger at you, standing up to collect what ingredients he needed from around the store. “Just you wait and see, this is going to be the best damn meal you've ever eaten.”

The whole thing was a bit strange in the best way. If he hasn't told you so directly you would've sworn that Vessel thought of you as little more than an acquaintance. But now, you were sitting on your kitchen counter, a glass of white wine swirling around in your hand, rolling your eyes playfully at all of Vessel’s terrible jokes as he made the two of you dinner. He asks you where you keep your plates, you easily reach into the cabinet behind you and produce a pair, holding them out to him with a soft smile. He carefully plates the pasta he made, penne with bacon and spinach and some type of cream sauce he had pulled together with odds and ends from your pantry. “It smells incredible.” He saunters in front of you, trapping you on the counter by placing a hand on either side of your waist.

“And here you were questioning my culinary skills.” He feigns a hurt tone before a soft chuckle rumbles from his chest. “Come on beautiful, let's go eat.” He pulls away from you, your body trailing after his warmth. You pad your way into the living room, Vessel close behind as he carries your plate for you. You sat close together on the couch, angling yourself to better face him. “So, define slow.” He jumps in immediately.

“Let me at least get a couple bites in.” Vessel can't help but smile at your teasing tone. “I just… I don’t know. This is all so different I don't think I can really tell you what going slow even means.”

“Well, I can assure you that all of us care a lot about how you feel during all of this.”

“And I know that.”

“I think you're worried about more than just taking things slow, love. What's on your mind?” The softness to his tone immediately lulled your anxious mind into a sense of safety.

“I'm worried about things developing quicker in certain relationships than others, I just don't want that to cause any of you to fight.” You absentmindedly twisted your fork around in your fingers, studying it as you tried to put into words what was racing through your mind.

“That might happen, but if it does it's alright. Unfortunately that's just something we have to deal with.” He chuckles. “There's no doubt in my mind that you would be more comfortable moving a bit quicker with III than you would with me, he started flirting with you from the start. We all know that you're in various stages of getting to know us, we're more than willing to give you time to figure all of that out.” Hearing him being so reassuring made the heaviness weighing in your chest lighten considerably. “Is there anything else I can do to ease that pretty little head of yours?” You slowly shake your head no before pausing. You looked at the man before you, swallowing thickly as you mulled over an idea. Vessel was an enigma to you even after months of knowing him. He was aloof, quiet, but the few rare instances he let part of his personality break through you could tell just how wonderful he could really be.

“Dance with me?” The question hung in the air for a moment before Vessel wordlessly rose to his feet.

“I will warn you, I'm not much of a dancer.” He chuckles, outstretching his hand for you to take. His palm was warm against your fingertips; the smudged edges of his paint were a stark contrast to the pale skin underneath.

“What a shame, neither am I.” You giggle in response before he pulls you to your feet. He looks around the room, making a small sound of affirmation to himself before pushing your coffee table out of the way to open up the space. You walked over to a bookshelf in the corner of the room, clicking on your radio and letting the soft tune crackle to life. Vessel stood in the center of the room, hands shoved into his pockets as he waited for your return, a soft smile settling onto his lips.

“You look really beautiful today.” He says softly, one strong arm reaching out for you and wrapping around your waist when you were within reach. Your fingers intertwine with his, Vessel watching carefully as each delicate digit slotted between his own. Your cheeks grow warm as you timidly accept the compliment. You had never been this close to Vessel before, feeling the way his muscles tensed and shifted under the hand that rested on his shoulder sent a shiver down your spine. You were unable to tear your eyes away from him, the intricate detailing along the edge of his mask highlighting how wide and bright his smile was as he gazed down at your flustered form. The music you had turned on was non existent at this point, the only thing mattering at this point in time was Vessel finally allowing you the briefest glimpse inside his walls. You managed to trip over your own feet, yelping slightly as you stumbled into him. “Easy now, I got you.” He chuckles, helping to steady you on your feet. “If you're going to faint at least wait until I kiss you for the first time.” He jokes

“Already thinking about kissing me, huh?” You smile coyly

“It'd be hard not to with a pretty face like that.” You let out a flustered laugh, your eyes dropping to the floor. You jumped when there was a sudden knock on the door. You reluctantly pull out of Vessel’s grasp, his fingers trailing across your waist as he tries to remain connected to you until the last possible moment. You slowly open the door, not knowing who to expect on the other side so late. You froze when your eyes landed on III, who was nervously swaying his heels on the creaky wooden landing outside. The moment he realized you had answered he immediately began to ramble.

“I'm sorry, I know you said you needed time to think and I absolutely respect that. I just, I know we kissed, and if you decide you don't want to go through with this I don't want it to make things weird-”

“III.” His mouth snaps shut as you softly say his name. You look back into your living room, Vessel’s head rested in his hand, he seemed mildly annoyed to be interrupted. Not knowing how to respond, you simply pushed the door wide open, III’s attention immediately drawn to Vessel. “We were actually just talking about that.” His eyes widen slightly, his gaze switching between you and his friend.

“Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt-”

“I was just leaving, actually.” Your brows furrowed in confusion. You turn to face him as he walks up to you. He cradles your face in his hand, “tonight was wonderful, I hope we get to do this again soon.” He swipes his thumb across your cheek, leaving a thin black streak in its wake. “Goodnight, love.”

“Goodnight, Ves.” You respond breathlessly. You turn to face III, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth before reaching out and taking his hand, tugging him inside your apartment. His eyes stay locked on you as he follows you through the door, shutting it quietly behind him. “I really enjoyed, um… kissing you last night was really nice.” You let out a flustered laugh. “I don’t want you to worry that you made things weird.”

He chuckles, “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He stuffs his hand in his pockets, shifting his weight awkwardly. “I hope that talk you guys were having was a good one.”

“I think you’ll be very satisfied with the outcome.” You giggle. He gazes at you curiously, the usual playful sparkle back in his eyes when he realized he hadn’t scared you off.

“Is that so?” He saunters closer to you, his towering height and intense gaze threatening to make your knees buckle. “You let me know if any of this is moving too fast, okay?” He says sweetly, gently cupping your jaw.

“Okay.” You smile up at him. He trails his thumb over your bottom lip, his bright blue eyes darting around your features as he drank in the sight of you.

“You are simply gorgeous, love.” He whispers after a moment of silence.

“You flatter me too much.” Both hands slide around your waist, gently pulling you flush against him.

“I'm only telling my girl the truth.” He smiles. Your eyes flash up to meet his, the declaration of being his girl making your heart flutter in your chest. “Well, it seems like we have the night to ourselves. What would you like to do?” Wordlessly you take one of the hands that had settled against the curve of your hip, guiding him towards your couch. You threw on a movie, something mindless that you didn't need to pay attention to. Tonight was about spending time with III. No distractions, no hidden feelings, just you and someone who made you feel like a girl experiencing her first crush all over again. III takes you in his arms, laying back and pulling you on top of him in the process. One arm resting comfortably behind his head, the other slung over your waist as the two of you cuddled in a comfortable silence. “You know, I was really worried all of this would make you never speak to me again.” He speaks up after a while through a quiet chuckle.

“I was definitely a bit nervous about the idea, still kind of am if I'm being honest.” You laugh softly, absentmindedly tracing shapes against the soft material of his sweatshirt on his chest. “But, none of you have given me any reason not to trust you, so despite being nervous I feel like this is the right choice.”

“How you feel about this is very important to me, okay? If there's ever anything I can do for you love, just let me know.” He rubs his hand soothingly up and down your back, keeping you pressed close to him almost as if he was scared if he let you go you'd disappear. The two of you stayed up talking late into the night; you learned that III is more of a cat person than a dog person, his favorite color is red, and he would willingly disappear into the woods without a trace if it meant never folding laundry again. “It's such a dumb concept, I'm going to put the damn clothes on anyways. Why do they have to be folded and put away?” You hid your face against his shoulder, trying to hide the fact you had tears forming in your eyes from laughing so hard. You look up at him with a bright smile, the tangent dying in his throat as his eyes meet yours. He slowly sits himself up on his elbows, your body responding as it gradually slid into his lap. One of his hands pressed into the small of your back, keeping you held as close to him as possible, the other moving to cup your cheek.

“I haven't been able to stop thinking about kissing you since last night.” You admit in a tone barely above a whisper.

“Trust me, I wasn't doing much better.” He chuckles, his gaze briefly flashing down to your lips. “Everything about you… everything about you is just so perfect, and for the life of me I can't figure out why you give me the time of day.”

“Because you make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world.” Your voice shook as you spoke, you could hear your heartbeat thundering in your ears and you were nearly positive that III could hear it too.

“Because you are the only girl in the world for me.” He admits without a second thought. “I haven't been able to get last night out of my head. Of course I want to kiss you again, but this time I want to kiss you and mean it.” Trembling fingers rose to the edge of his mask, glancing up at him through your lashes asking for silent permission to raise his mask enough to kiss him. He nods, studying your nervous expression as you gently took the edge of the fabric and raised it to just below his nose. Your breath was snatched from your lungs as III crushed his lips against yours, your mind immediately swimming in the overwhelming sensation that was him. His lips subtly sweet as he eased your mouth open, his tongue carefully caressing yours, making sure to take things at a bear agonizing pace in order for you to be able to back away at any time. Your hands slid up his torso, III shivered under your delicate touch. You felt lightheaded as the kiss took over your senses; the euphoric feeling of his warm lips against yours, the deep, earthy smell of his cologne, his massive hand kneading at the softness of your hip. You both pulled away equally breathless, your hands coming up to his mask in order to readjust it into place before he had a chance to.

“I think you definitely meant it this time.” You giggle, your forehead falling to rest against his.

“There's going to be plenty more where that came from.” He winks playfully at you.

III decided to leave you for the night when you could barely keep your head up anymore. He scoops you up in his arms. You grumble in annoyance despite the fact you immediately begin to nuzzle your face against his chest. “Where are we going?” You ask through a yawn.

“I’m taking you to bed sweetheart, you need to rest.” He chuckles.

“-’m not tired.” You try to protest, your actions only make him laugh again before he presses a kiss to your forehead.

“Says the woman who can’t keep her eyes open.” You could hear his smile in his voice.

“I don’t want you to leave.” You admit softly.

“I know love, but you have a store to run, I’m afraid I’ve kept you up more than I already meant to.” He carefully maneuvers himself so he’s holding you in one arm, pulling back your blankets with his now free hand. He lays you gently into bed, his knuckles trailing across your cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” His head dips down, allowing you to share one more chaste kiss before he left you to fall into a dreamless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“They've seen pictures of us, love.”

“What? Those blurry, grainy sasquatch looking photos from the paper?” You sigh, handing him the bags. “Listen, I know you're worried. I know you just want to keep everyone safe, but you hiding yourselves away is only going to make people more suspicious.” You could feel his eyes studying your face.

“I get the slightest feeling that something is wrong we leave, do we have a deal?” He sticks out his hand to you, you clap your own into his without hesitation, giving it a firm shake. “I agree that people might be more comfortable with us being in town if we can exist in the same space without an issue… I just hope you're right about this.” 

“I'll be right by your side the whole time.” You exchange a soft smile.

“Are you closing early that day?” He asks.

“Of course, I have to get into costume myself.” You giggle. “I'll be closing at noon that day, but I can always reopen if you guys want to stock up afterwards.” You offer.

“It’s not that, I wouldn't want to trouble you.” He chuckles. “I was thinking maybe we could meet here before the festival.” 

“I'd like that.” 

“Then it's a date.” He bows his head slightly in dismissal before pushing out the door.

The next day the store was abuzz with excited children picking out glow sticks, mother's buying ingredients for their bake sale items, and last minute costume necessities for all the town's residents. “Miss (Y/N)!” You can't help but smile as a young boy with messy brown hair and a gapped tooth smile rushes up to the counter.

“Daclan, she's busy-” his mother starts, a bubbly school teacher you had gotten to know quite well since she had moved to town.

“Don't worry about it, Siobhan.” You chuckle, pulling the bucket of candy out from behind the counter and discreetly offering it to him. You lean down slightly, “if you don't tell the other kids I'll let you take two.” You whisper with a wink. He shoves his hand into the bucket before quickly and triumphantly retrieving his candy.

“Miss (Y/N), are you coming to the Fall festival?” He asks excitedly.

“Of course I am, I wouldn't miss it for the world.” You smile. “What's your costume going to be this year?” He starts rambling on about his skeleton costume as you ring the two of them up.

“Woah! Mom, look at him!” Your attention flashes over to the door to see Vessel frozen in place as every pair of eyes in the store land on him. As quickly as he caught their attention it was gone, the bustling energy returning once more as everyone continued their shopping. You motion him closer with a wave of your hand. Declan stared up at the large masked man in amazement. “What are you supposed to be?”

Vessel gives you the briefest of looks, not exactly sure how to respond at first. But, seeing the boy's bright smile and lack of fear, it warmed his heart. He leans down, resting his elbows on the counter to bring himself closer to eye level. “The Grim Reaper, pretty scary, right?” He says with a grin.

“Awesome!” Declan exclaims in response. “Mom, can we make a costume like his next year?” Vessel chuckles at the young boy’s excitement.

“Sure thing, honey.” She ruffles Declan’s hair. “Come on, let’s let Miss (Y/N) close up so she can get ready.” You exchange goodbye’s with her, Declan telling you that he hopes you get to see his costume before hurrying out the door.

“So far so good.” You remark as you lean against the counter, you and Vessel shifting to more easily face each other. “I promise tonight will be fun.” You reach out, grabbing his shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Well, if you talk so highly about this festival, I can't see any harm in giving it a shot.” You wait for your last few customers to file out of the store before locking up.

“Where's everyone else?” You ask, looking out in the empty lot for their truck.

“They're in back, I hope you don't mind.”

“Not at all.” You click off your open sign with a smile, motioning with a nod for Vessel to follow you out the front door. Your keys jingled in your hand as you struggled with the lock. “You'd think after all this time I wouldn't mess this up.” You sigh. The front door had a tendency to not shut fully unless things were maneuvered a certain way; the keys had to be slid into the lock a certain way, you had to push the door fully shut with your shoulder, you felt your cheeks start to burn as you struggled with something so simple in Vessel’s presence.

“Mind if I give it a try?” He offers quietly. You shuffle out of his way, the heat of his body noticeable against yours as he slid a little too close behind you. He jiggles the key slightly, slamming his shoulder into the glass pane’s metal frame, managing to slide the deadbolt into place. He pulls on the handle a couple times, making sure it's fully secure, before turning to you with a proud smile. “There, that should do it. He follows you out back, the other three members of the usual group lounging in the cab of the truck. IV was the first to notice you, perking up in his seat when his eyes landed on your approaching form. He nudges II, who looks up immediately from the book he was reading at the mention of your name.

“Where's your costume?” III asks in mock annoyance. He hops down from his place situated in the bed of the truck, his long strides allowing him to approach you quickly and pull you into his arms. He pulls back slightly, his blue eyes finding yours and making you freeze under their warm gaze. “Promise me I'll get you to myself for at least a little while tonight.” You could hear the smile he was wearing under his mask lace it's way through his words. Before you had a chance to respond the passenger door of the truck was kicked open, IV practically falling to the ground as he scrambled out. Your eyes darted up to three, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he gazed down at you. He gives you a quick wink before he steps back, satisfied with your flustered state. 

IV bounds up to you, excitedly taking your hands in his. “I can't wait to see your costume.” You jump slightly as a warm hand if placed against your lower back, you caught the sight of II in your peripheral.

“Well we have to let her go get changed into it first.” He chuckles. “It's good to see you, love.”

“Come on guys.” You chuckle, motioning for the four of them to follow you. “You can hang out upstairs while I get ready.”

It always made your heart swell every time they were all together in one place. The warm, me jovial energy that filled your apartment had you practically skipping to your room to get changed. You could hear the four of them continue to talk in the living room, just quiet enough to make it so you couldn't hear. You opened your closet, pulling out the neatly packaged bag that contained your costume. You shimmied into the tight dress, the stretchy fabric hugging all of your curves just right. Was this the most original costume in the world? Absolutely not. But, considering you were hoping to catch the attention of some masked men in particular this evening, you figured it wouldn't hurt to be a little cliche. You did your makeup as quickly as you could, a dark smokey eye that was finished off by you drawing a little black nose at the tip of your own with eyeliner. You grabbed the headband from your vanity, adjusting it perfectly atop your head before giving yourself one final once over in the mirror and heading back out to your waiting guests. The room fell silent the second you stepped through your door, four pairs of eyes locked on your small form. All of the sudden attention made you feel self conscious about your costume choice, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. You wrapped your arms around your torso, your cheeks warming as you looked between the four. “Does it look ba-”

You didn't have a chance to finish your question before they were all scrambling out of their various seats towards you. All of them reassuring you that you looked fantastic and apologizing for staring. Your small group prepared to head out, III hung back to wait for you, his monstrous form taking up most of the doorway. You smile up at him as you straighten up from pulling on your shoes. “You look beautiful.” He compliments you softly, making your cheeks warm.

“Thank you.” He slips his hands into yours, his lips warm through his mask as he places a soft kiss to your knuckles.

“Ready to get going?” You nod, letting your hand reluctantly fall from his.

You piled into their truck, you were currently squished in between Vessel and II, III and IV curled up in the bed. “So, you're all excited about this festival, what are we even going to be doing?” Vessel asks suddenly, breaking the silence in the truck.

“Well,” you start, “there's going to be a lot of food, hay rides, a costume contest, lots of vendors from around the town, a few rides, a haunted house. It's nothing spectacular, but I’m hoping it will make you guys feel more at home here.” You noticed him and II exchange a look over your head. It wasn't long before you pulled into the bumpy dirt parking lot of the fair grounds. III vaulted out of the truck, his heavy boots landing on the ground with a loud thud. You notice II shove him back slightly as he holds out his hand to help you out of the truck. He gives your hand a soft squeeze before dropping it, you were quickly surrounded by the four men, all of you chatting happily as you made your way up to the festival. The four froze, taking in the chaotic sight before then. IV reached out, slipping his hand into yours.

“There's a lot of people, huh?” He asks, startling back slightly as a child rushes past his legs.

“The whole town’s probably going to show up.” You explain. You lean on closer to him, “you alright big guy? We can always turn around and go back to my place if this is too much.” You squeeze his hand reassuringly.

“I think I can handle it if you're by my side.” You noticed his features soften as he smiles under his mask. Your cheeks warm, your eyes darting to the ground in an attempt to try and hide your flustered expression.

“Where should we start?” III slips an arm around your shoulder, you instinctually lean into his side.

“You're the expert, love, lead the way.” Vessel shoots you a sharp grin. The group stayed close to your side, forming a buffer between you and the rest of the crowd. You wandered from booth to booth, letting the boy's childlike wonder take over as they excitedly showed you small trinkets and hand made gifts they stumbled across. The booth of old ladies selling goat milk soap cooed over how adorable all your costumes were, slipping sweets into all your hands as you made your way out. You paused in front of a vendor selling handmade jewelry, you jumped slightly as a hand came to rest on your waist.

“That would look very pretty on you.” II’s gentle voice meets your ears.

“You think so?” You ask through a flustered giggle. II asked to see the necklace in question, the beautifully wire wrapped crystal sparkling in the gradually setting sun. “It is really pretty.”

“How much?” He asks without hesitation. The young woman running the stand told him the price, to which II shocked you by immediately purchasing the necklace. He steps behind you, your hand raising to the unfamiliar weight as it falls around your neck. “A beautiful necklace for the most beautiful woman in the world.” His warm breath bounces off your cheek as he speaks, sending a shiver down your spine. You glance over your shoulder, your eyes immediately finding his bright blue ones.

“You know you didn't have to buy me anything.” You see the corners of his eyes crinkle as he smiles.

“What if I wanted to?” You didn't miss the teasing tone that had laced its way into his words. You traced a finger along the cool metal wire, fully turning yourself to face him. You glance up at him through your lashes, struggling to find the right words to say to thank him. You pushed yourself up onto your toes, quickly pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Well, I think that’s very sweet. Thank you, II.” You perk up at the sound of one of the others calling your name, III appearing at your side and slipping his hand into yours.

“Mind if I steal her from you?” He quickly asks II.

“Not at all.” He holds up his hands with a soft chuckle. “I'm sure I'll manage to snag her back later.” He winks at you, making your cheeks grow warm.

“What a shame,” III leans down to murmur quietly in your ear, “looks like I'm going to have to beat them off with a stick to get you to myself.”

“Careful, you're all going to make me think you have a crush on me or something.” You tease in response, shooting him a playful smile of your own.

“Only a pretty little thing like you could handle something like that.” He winks. “I want to make sure you eat before IV gets over excited and drags you off to the rides.” He jokes with a smile. He tucks you safely into his side, helping you avoid the bustling crowd that surrounded you.

“Are you having a good time?” You ask him softly. He glances down at you, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiles.

“Yeah, I’m spending time with you, of course I’m having a good time.” You let out a bashful giggle, quickly turning away as you feel your cheeks grow warm. 

As the evening carried on you couldn't help but notice II grow more fidgety with every passing hour, occasionally leaning into Vessel to whisper something only for the taller man to clap him on the shoulder and give him a reassuring grin. You were currently sat in a circle on the ground, finding a nice place in the open field to settle down and have some good together. You laughed as IV expertly stole a bite of your corn dog faster than you could comprehend what had happened. “What's your favorite ride?” II suddenly chimes in from his position sitting across from you.

“I'm personally a big fan of the haunted house, I think all the cheap jump scares are fun.” You respond with a laugh.

IV makes an intrigued noise. “We should all go on!”

“Only two people can ride together, unfortunately.”

“Well, how about you ride with me then?” II winks at you, making you blush.

“If you think you can handle it.” You tease in response. II stands, offering you his hand which you eagerly accept. He hoists you from the ground, pulling you into his side and slinging his arm across your shoulders. Vessel tagged along with IV, knowing it would be the only way to stop him from complaining about how he wanted to go too, III elected to stay back to save your spot. You all chatted happily as you stood in line, the slow creeping pace allowing them to see a little of what the ride had in store for them.

Brown metal buggies horribly painted to look like wood creaked along the track, bat shaped hood ornaments were barely recognizable after years of dings and chipped paint.A repeating track of over dramatic screams and ghoulish moaning looped from the speakers. “Next in line, please!” The ticket collector barked, IV and Vessel stepped up first, IV practically vibrating with excitement as he waited for the all clear to get on. II’s arm slid around your waist as you stepped forward, waiting patiently for the next cart to wheel itself into place. “Y’all have fun.” He waves you on. II helps you step into the cart, your body thudding against the thin, leather covered padding on the seat.

“You’re not going to get all scared on me now, are you?” You ask in a playful tone.

“Oh, don’t worry sweetheart, I’ll be right here to protect you.” He returns with a smirk. Your body lurched slightly as the buggy started to move. You were hit with a blast of cold air as you crept into the dark space, II’s arm wrapping around your shoulders, you found yourself instinctually snuggling into his side. You jumped slightly, giggling over being startled by the second air cannon you had rolled past.

You rolled past a growling werewolf, “Look, you can see the wires.” You nudge him slightly, pointing upwards.

“I personally think it adds to the experience.” He chuckles, you can’t help but laugh yourself. “You’re so beautiful.” You feel your breath freeze in your lungs at his compliment. You clung to him as something shot out of the darkness at you, it took you a moment to recognize the plastic skeleton’s limbs rattling at you. Your eyes are drawn back to him as you feel a warm hand slip over your cheek. “And you thought I was going to be the one getting scared.” He chuckles, his eyes flashing briefly to your lips. “Cute.” He fidgets with the edge of his mask for a moment, stretching the black fabric away from his neck. “Can- can I, um…” He swallows thickly, his confidence immediately crumbling as you continue to cling to him for comfort. “Can I kiss you?” You nodded, your wide eyes glimmering in the dim light. Without hesitation II lifts his mask, his lips slotting perfectly against your own. Your hand slides over his chest, you could feel his heart pounding under your palm. As quickly as the kiss had started it was over, II’s mask already neatly back in place by the time your eyes fluttered open. You hide your face against his neck, hoping he hadn’t noticed your flustered appearance. “That was nice.” He suddenly chimes in, making you giggle. You both reluctantly shuffle away from each other as the exit opens in front of you, squinting under the bright lights. II offers you his hand to help you from the cart, your eyes meeting his as he smiles. Your pinky wraps around his as he lets his hand slip out of your grasp. You hear him laugh softly at your actions, allowing your fingers to stay linked.

“That wasn’t even scary.” IV groans as you approach.

“I never said it was scary, I just said I liked it.” You respond. Vessel smiles down at you.

“How was riding with II?” He asks with a chuckle. Your cheeks immediately warm at the question.

“We had fun.” You get out through a nervous giggle. 

“Well, look who’s back.” You can’t help but smile at III’s cheerful tone. He hoists himself up from his position on the ground with a soft groan. “How was it beautiful?” Your eyes trailed after the people that were starting to gather in the open field.

“It was fun.” You felt a pang of guilt in your chest as you thought about kissing II. “See anything interesting while we were gone?”

“There’s a pretty good band playing over there.” He nods somewhere behind you. “Want to go check it out?”

“Sure.” You can’t help but smile as you feel the warmth of III’s hand brush against yours. The two of you lazily strolled in the direction of the music that floated through the air. A local folk group was currently performing under a gazebo, a small dance floor set up in front of the stage. You laughed as III took your hand and spun you around in time with the music, pulling you to him and swaying you in his arms.

“Do you know how to dance?” He asks with a grin.

“Not very well,” you giggle in response, “but I feel like with you that won’t matter too much.” You found yourself easily falling into a rhythm with him, every small misstep and teasing comment from him made you both crumble into fits of laughter. You both paused, looking up at the sky with the rest of the crowd as fireworks started going off overhead. III continues to hold you close, your arms sliding over his shoulders as the two of you watch the display. He fully encircles your waist with one arm, his hand sliding over your cheek, turning your face in order for his warm lips to find yours. Unlike the kiss with II, III took his time letting the sensation of kissing you sink in. You felt so small in his arms, the gentle dominance he had over the kiss allowing your body to fully relax into his embrace as your eyes fluttered shut. He traces a thumb along your jaw before hesitantly pulling away.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” He rushes to apologize, his body relaxing at the sight of the soft smile that had laced its way across your lips. Your eyes meet his, bright blue irises scanned your features with an adoration you had never seen. “I really like you.”

“III-”

“There you guys are!” He jolts back from you, the sudden lack of warmth making you shiver. “We’ve been looking all over the place for you!” It was IV, he jogged up to you. “Vessel wants to get going.”

You found yourself in the cab of the truck between Vessel and IV, II and III electing to sit in the bed for the ride back to your place. Your mind raced as you played over both men kissing you over and over again in your head. You didn’t know what to do. On one hand there was II, his silent charm and the undeniable intimacy the two of you have has drawn you in from the beginning. But then there was III, who made your heart race and dominated every aspect of your senses whenever you were with him. Who, despite his monstrous size, was always so gentle with you. You were absolutely torn. You rumbled into the store’s parking lot, Vessel parking the truck around back. You stood at the bottom of your stairs in a small circle. “Well, I hate to admit it, but that was pretty fun.” Vessel grins at you, there were murmurs of agreement amongst the group.

“Do you guys want to come up for a bit? There’s, um, there’s kind of something I need to talk to you about.” You fidget with your hands as you nervously put the statement out there. You were going to deal with feeling conflicted the only way you knew how, by facing the problem head on.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Thank you Maus. I'm sure it's no secret that I think you're beautiful… I still just can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that someone so bright and full of life would want to spend their time with, well, me.” He states quietly.

“You're acting like you're a thousand years old.” You giggle.

“I'm still older than you by quite a bit.”

“And that doesn't bother me in the slightest.” His mouth snaps shut at your adamant statement. “I want to be with someone who makes me happy, who's going to be there to help me back up when I stumble, someone who I can see spending the rest of my life with. I don't see why something as silly as age has to be a factor in that.” He breathes out a laugh, a smile slowly creeping across his lips as he nods in response.

“I agree.” He states simply. “But, if you feel like we’re moving too fast you have to tell me. I'm not trying to pressure you into anything.”

“You're the last person I would expect that from.” After that the rest of your time at the cafe dissolved into much less serious conversations. Your feelings being relatively somewhat out in the open made it a lot easier to get to know Falk outside of the holds of work formality. “You know, you still haven't told me what you planned for the rest of the day.” You remark with a teasing smile.

“I would like to offer you a proposition.” He smirks. “We can go with my original plan, which I'm still keeping a surprise. Or, we can head back to the Abbey and enjoy a nice relaxing evening in my quarters continuing this.” He motions in between the two of you.

“I hate making decisions.” You groan, making Falk chuckle in response.

“If you want my opinion on the matter, what I originally had planned might be better for a different day.” He offers some support.

“Relaxing day at home it is.” You giggle. “It’ll give me a chance to change into something comfier.”

“I have some clothes you could borrow… only if you want to.” He rushes to add onto his statement, worried that asking you to get undressed at his quarters might come off the wrong way. “I just figured you wouldn't have to walk all the way to your dorm and all the way across the Abbey to get to my-”

“Falk.” You chuckle, squeezing his hand and snapping him from his rant before he had a chance to get started. “If you don't mind, I think that sounds nice.” He paid for your meals, both of you giddy and somewhat nervous about spending the rest of the afternoon together so casually. The moment you were back at the Abbey and out of the car Falk's hand effortlessly slipped into yours, guiding you through the halls as you talked about whatever came to mind. You stood at his side as he pulled his keys from his pocket. You glanced up at the sound of footsteps, glancing down the hallway only to see Roel, reading through one of the papers in the pile he held, as he slowly ambled in your direction. He glances up slowly, more than likely to check to see if anyone was in his path. His steps paused immediately when his eyes landed on you, Falk completely oblivious to the silent stare off you were having. Roel looked between the two of you, catching sight of Falk fumbling with his keys. His eyes widen before they snap back up to you. Your expression was clearly telling him one single word. Leave. He quickly turns on his heels and hurries off down the hallway just as Falk happened to look in his direction. Your shoulders relaxed as you heard the heavy key finally slot itself into the lock with a loud thunk.

“Sorry if it's a little messy, I wasn't expecting guests.” He chuckles before stepping inside. One thing you always remarked whenever you visited Falk’s quarters was just how comfortable the space was. The main sitting room was decorated with a plus couch, a matching love seat, and two recliners that were positioned in a semi circle in front of his hearth. In front of them a dark mahogany coffee table, a few candles sat in the middle, a relatively large unopened pile of letters on one side that you were beginning to realize represented the mess Falk was talking about. Sun catchers of various colors, sizes, and designs filled the windows, the stained glass making a kaleidoscope of rainbow beams that jutted across the room. “I’ll get some tea started, the dresser next to my bed has all of my lounge clothes in it. Feel free to pick out what you want.” You nod before scampering off to the bedroom, not wanting to make him wait too long. It was easy enough to find exactly what you were looking for, you decided on a faded black T-shirt with a band name you didn't recognize and a pair of gray, plaid fleece pajama pants. You had to roll the pants at the waist, Falk’s monstrous height making them entirely too long for you. You pulled the shirt over your head, the soft fabric clinging to your hips as it accentuates your curves. You fixed your hair as you gave yourself one last look over in the mirror. You softly padded into the kitchen, smiling as you heard Falk humming to himself as he filled the kettle up at the sink. He turns to you when he realizes you had entered the room.

“I hope these are alright, I can always go out then ba-”

“You look incredible.” The words die in your throat at his compliment. He takes a few slow steps closer to you, tentatively resting his hands on your waist. “I'm glad that old shirt still has a use,” he chuckles, “you look very cute in it.”

“Thank you.” You stutter in response, placing your hands on top of his when you couldn't figure out what to do with them. “Are you going to join me or are you planning on staying in slacks and a button down all day?” You ask in a teasing tone. He smirks down at you, giving your waist a gentle squeeze.

“If you wanted to see me strip you should have just asked.” He winks, chuckling as you grow flustered. “Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back.”

You sit down on the couch, looking around at all the pictures, books, and other various knick knacks that littered the room with a fond smile. You nervously fidgeted with your fingers as you couldn't help but glance at the pile of letters on the table. There had to be at least 20 letters all sent in the same cream colored envelope, it was addressed to Falk in neat script written in a deep red fountain pen. You squinted slightly, trying to see who had sent it. You could just barely make out a name, Alaric Schlegel. Your eyes snapped up to see Falk exiting his bedroom, a black T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, a matching pair of sweatpants hanging comfortably from his hips. A smile passes over his lips seeing your guilty expression. He knew what you had been doing without even having to ask. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been snooping.”

“You weren't Maus, don't worry.” He chuckles, collapsing into the cushions at your side with a soft groan. “If it was anything important they would've been put away.”

“Are they from your dad?” You couldn't stop the question from bubbling past your lips. Falk nods, picking up one of the letters in his hand before fidgeting with the edge of it.

“They are, I have some things that I need to take care of eventually… but I’ll tell you all about that when the time comes.” His golden brown eyes glimmered in the low light as he shoots you a bashful, yet excited look. He could see the curious expression on your face as you studied the letter in his hand. Due to the fact that all of the High Clergy rarely ever talked about their families openly he could only imagine the questions you would have. “I don't bite you know,” he chuckles, “if you want to ask me something you can.”

“I just don't want to pry.” You respond.

“It's not like you won't learn about it eventually.” He chuckles.

“Does he do what you do? Your dad?” You ask softly.

“He used to, he had a Parish of his own until he retired and moved to the mountains with my mom.” He explains. “I'm sure you saw, but his name is Alaric, my mother's name is Charlotte.” He scans around the room, making a small sound of approval before he darts up from the couch. He pulls a photo out of the chaotic mix of pictures that filled the small mantel above the fireplace. “This is them.” He hands it over to you, taking his place at your side once again, his arm resting comfortably across your shoulders. You're met with the sight of a slightly younger Falk, his expression drawn and stoic, his body half hidden behind the chair his father sat in. Your brows furrowed slightly as your eyes drifted to the next member in the photo.

“You really look like your mom, huh?” You remark, looking up at him with a warm smile. The woman that stood beside him was tall, slender, an almost effortless elegance to her presence. Her mousy brown hair swept up in an intricate up-do, a few pieces falling out to frame her face. Falk shared her nose, long and slender with a slight hook at the end. Her blue eyes sparkle like sapphires against her pale complexion, despite her lack of smile for the photograph she still radiated warmth. “She’s beautiful.” You remark in awe, causing him to chuckle.

“I'm sure she’ll be flattered, I feel like the two of you would get along really well.” He smiles in response. Falk’s father was at the center of the photo. A burly, barrel chested man with broad shoulders and a thick, dark beard. He looked like the physical embodiment of a bear. His hair swept back, his features held an almost bored expression as he sat tall in his seat. The brass wolf ring on his pointer finger glinted slightly in the light.

“If you don't mind me asking, why wasn't your sister in this picture?” You hand the small object back to him, allowing him to put it back in its proper place.

“She refused to have anything to do with my father’s Parish after she found out that I was going to be the one training under him and not her.” He explains bluntly. “If the time comes for… the festivities of us tying the knot.” He clears his throat, you couldn't miss the way his cheeks flushed slightly at the mention of marrying you. “She’ll show up, I am her brother after all, but she's definitely not going to be happy about it.” You swallowed thickly, your hands growing clammy at the thought of having to deal with somebody who sounded so intensely negative.

“I'm sure she won't be that bad.” You attempted to reassure both of you, but you weren't even sure if you believed yourself.

“Well, we won't need to cross that bridge for a while anyhow.” He smiles warmly at you,making your heart thrum in your chest.

“Yeah, you do have a point.” You giggle. His fingers trail over your cheek, brushing away some hair that had fallen into your face.

“We’ve got all the time in the world Maus, and I plan to enjoy every second of it.” You wanted to melt under his gaze. The gentle smile that adorned his lips as he studied your features caused you to grow flustered. Golden brown irises met yours before they dropped to your lips, quick enough that you almost missed it. You both jumped slightly as the kettle started to sing in the kitchen. “I'll go get that.” He chuckles awkwardly before pushing himself off the couch. He comes back a few moments later with two mugs of tea, yours prepared exactly how he knew you liked it. The two of you sat and talked for a while, growing more comfortable in each other's presence with every passing second. Your eyes darted in the direction of the door when there was a sudden knock outside. Falk glances up at the clock before cursing under his breath. Before he had a chance to answer it the door swung open, Attila trudging into the room.

“I think we’re going to need something a little stronger than tea after the day I've had, my friend.” A heavy glass bottle thuds loudly on the table as he sets it down. He opened his mouth to speak again, freezing when he noticed your small form tucked into Falk’s side. He states your name curiously, your eyes wide due to the fact you didn't know how to respond at the moment.

“This is why you should knock.” Falk jokes before turning his attention back to you. “I'm sorry Maus, I forgot what day it was.”

“We can always reschedule.” Attila suggests.

“No!” You exclaim, hurriedly standing up before Falk had a chance to protest. “If you already had plans, I'll go, I wouldn't want to be-”

“Sit down.” Attila waves you off. “Do you know how to play poker?”

“I'm sorry, sir?”

“Do you know how to play poker?” He asks again with more gustow on the second go around. You shake your head hesitantly, your brows furrowing together as you try to figure out just what the hell was going on here. “I'm sure Falk wouldn't mind teaching you.” He chuckles. You glanced to the side to see Falk wearing a similarly confused expression. “What?”

“You just… you don't seem too confused by the fact that I'm here.”

The words barely had time to escape you before Attila spoke up. “Does this mean he finally asked you out on that date?” Your eyes widen, your cheeks flushing the instant the question flew forward.

“I did, we went to lunch at that cafe…” Falk snaps his fingers as he tries to remember the name, both of them shouting it out in unison as it came to them.

“Well, it's about damn time.” Attila chuckles. “I swear, if I had to listen to you spout the same nonsense about how she was going to think you're gross because you're so old-” he's cut off by the sound of you giggling, a smile quickly stretching across his face at Falk’s annoyed eye roll. “It's true, but I can assume today went pretty well.”

“I guess you could say that.” You smile playfully at Falk, nudging his shoulder.

“Well, as long as you don't mind hanging out with a bunch of old men playing cards, you're more than welcome to stay.” He jokes in response.

“Do you want to stay?” Falk asks softly, making sure his voice was only loud enough for the two of you to hear.

“If you wouldn't mind,” he swallows thickly as your hand slips into his. “I'd hate to cut my time with you short.” He breathes out a laugh, a soft smile spreading across his features. Attila approaches the couch, two crystal glasses swirled with amber liquid.

“Do you drink?” He asks you.

“Sometimes.” He offers you the glass. It's cold against your lips, the dark liquid bitter as you timidly sip it. Your face scrunches up reflexively, causing Attila to chuckle.

“It's not for everyone.” Falk takes your glass from your hand, dumping the contents into his own so fluidly it took you a moment to process what would happen.

“I have some wine in the fridge, I'll grab you a glass.” His warm breath bouncing off your cheek as he whispered to you sent a shiver down your spine. You watch him stride into the kitchen, nervously rubbing the soft fabric of the pants you were wearing in between your fingers. Attila sits in the chair closest to the hearth, stretching his legs out with a groan as he basqued in the fire's warmth.

“I'm glad he finally said something to you, all of us were worried he was never going to ask you on a date at the rate he was going.” He chuckles, you jump slightly as he snaps you from your thoughts.

“I’m glad he did too.” You giggle in response. “I was in a similar boat, I guess him and I were just waltzing around the inevitable.”

“I'm just glad you both seem happy, the two of you have been nothing but smiles since I showed up.” You can't help the bashful grin that crosses your lips as you let your gaze drop to your lap.

“It's hard not to be happy when I'm with him.”

“I only have white wine, I hope that's okay.” Falk beams at you as he reenters the living room. You thank him as he slips the glass into your hand. The three of you grew silent as you heard Matthew’s voice boom in the hall, laughing loudly at something the other voice, who you quickly realized was Charles, had said. The pair pushed into Falk's quarters, arms filled with snacks, each of them carrying a case of beer at their side.

“Well, well, well.” You chuckled at Matthew’s greeting. “If it isn't little miss I-have-to-get-to-my-seat, I see that black dress caught some attention, hm?” He teases, making your cheeks warm. There was a sharp smack as Charles slaps him in the back of the head.

“Stop that.” He barks. “It's wonderful to see you again so soon.” He smiles at you.

“Same to you Father.” You respond with a polite nod.

“You don't need to keep being so formal.” Charles chuckles. “I'm sure you're not here for business.” You shake your head in response.

Roel was the last to arrive, a massive pizza perched on his shoulder, a plastic bag of energy drinks hanging in his free hand. He stops dead in his tracks when he sees you sitting at the center of the group. “Now just what the hell is going on here?”

“I'm replacing you.” You state bluntly making Attila chuckle.

“My own assistant,” he clutches his chest in lock pain, “I'm hurt.” You seemed to fall naturally into place amongst the rest of them.

Charles nods in your direction, “you want another?”

You glanced down at the empty bottle of beer in front of you. “Sure, why not, one more wouldn't hurt.” You were currently sitting in Falk’s lap, one of his arms loosely wrapped around your waist. His attention switched between your hand and his, helping you analyze your cards while you learned how to play the game. Matthew grabs another bottle from the pack, hooking his ring under the metal cap before cracking it off in one swift motion and handing it over to you.

Falk leans in and whispers in your ear. “Go all in.” He whispers. You lean forward, pushing your decently large pile of chips to the center of the table. Folding your hands neatly in your lap and smiling at the group of shocked expressions before you.

“Gentlemen.” You titter.

“I fold.” Roel pipes up.

“Me too.” Attila follows, throwing his cards down on the table.

“I fold.” Charles groans. Matthew curses under his breath before also tossing his cards into the middle of the table. “Falk?”

“Sorry Maus.” He chuckles before fanning his deck out nearly across the green velvet surface. “Unfortunately I can't pass up a royal flush.” He shrugs with a smirk.

You groan over dramatically. “You're the worst.” He laughs, giving your waist a soft squeeze.”

“Wait, what did you have?” Matthew asks, swatting at your hand as he tries to reach your cards.

“Me? Oh I had jack shit.” You laugh tossing your cards down to reveal that your hand was worth nothing.

“Attila, it looks like we found someone even you can't find a tell on.” Roel chuckles, Attila slaps his shoulder jokingly. “I should probably get heading out.” Roel groans as he stands, his eyes landing on you. “I'm sure you remember, but we have that meeting in the morning-”

“With the satanic church across town, I know.” You smile. There were murmurs and grumbles throughout the group of the various reasons they also had to be on their way, each of them bidding you goodbye until you and Falk were left alone in the room. You began collecting the empty bottles off of the table, Falk’s gaze snapping in your direction at the sound of clinking glass.

“Honey, don't worry about that.” He tries to take the bottles from your hands only for you to pull them out of reach.

“I'm helping, that's final.” A flirtatious smile laces its way across your lips. “You work too hard as it is, I think I can help clean up after a poker game.” You wink. He sighs, shaking his head with a smile of his own as he realizes there's no use in arguing with you. He organizes all the chips back in their proper slots, packing them away, both of you softly managing to clear the clutter from the table. He covers the velvet, the heavy wooden slab back in place, returning the dining room table to its former glory. “I should also get going unfortunately, I have an early morning tomorrow.” You state softly, leaning up against the edge of the counter. Falk walks up to you, one hand landing on your waist, the other wrapping around the granite to cage you in close to him. You grew flustered under his warm gaze.

“I had a wonderful time with you today.” He states in a low tone.

“I did too.” You smile back at him.

“Can I walk you back to your dorm?” He asks with a soft smile, a hopeful glint in his eyes. You nod in response, letting your hand slip into his as you make your way out. You studied the way your hand fit into his. His long, slender fingers wrapped around your much smaller hand like vines. Your thumb stroked over his warm skin, your eyes trailing along the prominent veins that stood out along the back of his hand. “Did you have fun tonight?” You're snapped from your thoughts when he suddenly asks you a question.

“Yeah, I had a great time.” You grin up at him, leaning into his side slightly as you walk. The walk back to your room was much too short for your liking, your door already coming into view as you rounded the corner.

“After you get off work tomorrow, would you want to come to my quarters, I'd like to make you dinner.” He blurts out, as if he didn't get it out right then he would've lost the nerve to ask you.

“You want to make me dinner, hm?” You squeeze his hand. “I love a man who can cook.” You couldn't help but smile as you watched him flush. You paused in front of your door, your hand still comfortably resting in his.

“It's a date then?” He brings your knuckles to his lips, you nod, shooting him a flustered smile. “Goodnight Maus.” He whispers, his warm breath fanning over your skin, causing a shiver to run up your spine.

“Goodnight.” You respond in the same hushed tone. His hand gently cups your cheek, his thumb stroking your skin. His eyes drop down to your lips, he swallows thickly before his eyes drift back to yours. He smiles, the warmth of his hand still lingering on your cheek as it falls away.

“Until then, meine Maus.” He nods, giving you one final hushed goodbye before he leaves you standing outside your door alone in the darkened hall.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“You weren't interrupting anything, don't worry.” Roel finally decided to speak up, deciding he had let you simmer in your embarrassment long enough. “Falk just swung by for a visit before Mass.”

“Will you be attending Mass this morning, schwester?” Hearing him speak even a single word in his native tongue sent a shiver down your spine, his voice growing slightly deeper at the language shift.

“Of course, I wouldn't miss one of your sermons for anything Father.” Roel snorts out a laugh, trying to cover it up by turning it into a cough. Falk either didn't notice or decided that it wasn't worth the trouble to acknowledge.

“Well, I always look forward to seeing that pretty face of yours in the front pew.” You sucked in a sharp breath at his words, managing to knock over Roel’s mug of coffee, sending it smashing to the floor. Your eyes widen before they snap up to Falk before immediately turning to Roel.

“I'm going to get something to clean that up.” You rush from the room, slamming the door shut behind you. You buried your face in your hands, stomping your foot against the floor a few times to quell the need to thrash around after making yourself look like a fool. You groan as you start down the hallways, hopefully by the time you get back Falk would have left for Mass so you wouldn't have to be face to face with him after that.

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“You’re going to give that poor girl a heart attack one of these days.” Roel chuckles.

“You're the one who encouraged me to flirt with her in the first place!” Falk exclaims in response, dragging a hand down his face. “Now look at what happened, she’s embarrassed, she’s probably going to do everything in her power just to avoid me after that.”

“If I remember right that's not something that wouldn't have stopped you befo-”

“This is different.” He snaps, cutting Roel off. He immediately raises his hand in defeat, knowing it was better to not try and poke at Falk’s temper.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to strike a nerve.” He leans back in his chair, eyes raking over his friend’s disheveled state. “You were up thinking about her again weren't you?”

Falk just shoots him a look. Of course he was, and Roel knew that was a stupid question to ask. It started off as something simple; glances that lasted a little too long, accidentally brushing his hand against hers. But, Falk’s little crush on his friend's assistant quickly grew into something much more than that. You eventually started coming around to see him, even outside of the errands you had to run for Roel. Your short conversations gradually became longer, you would go to see him to borrow books, he would invite you to his study for afternoon tea. “It’s wasteful to make a whole pot for myself, it'll get cold before I finish it.” He would always argue. “You know… I'm not a young man anymore Roel. It's foolish of me to even entertain the idea of courting her.”

“It doesn't seem to change the fact that she’s interested.” Falk struggled not to roll his eyes in response.

“Coming from you, I don't know how true that statement is.” He quips in response, causing Roel to chuckle.

“Listen, all I'm saying is it wouldn't hurt to try.” Roel states your name with a particular fondness as he tries to find the words to describe you to his fellow high clergy member, in his years of working with you he not only found an incredible assistant but also a friend. “She’s… a bit difficult to read, sometimes, I won't lie.” He chuckles. “But, I can tell. The way she looks at you, the way she straightens up and almost glows whenever you're in a room, my friend, that's the closest thing to being in love with another person I've ever seen.” He explains. Roel sighs, leaning back in his chair as he studies Falk’s somewhat disheveled state, it was obvious this was eating away at him. 

Falk was reaching the age and the point in his career where he was being expected to settle down. With his title, however, things worked a bit differently than your standard marriage. Falk being a high clergy member meant that there were specific traditions and rituals that were passed down throughout his family that he was expected to partake in. “Okay, hypothetically, let’s say her feelings are mutual. Is all of this something I could really ask of her?”

“Well, unfortunately my friend, that's a question only the two of you can answer.” The two men perk up at the sound of you chittering to one of your fellow Siblings in the hallway as you make your way back towards the office. “You seem to be pretty confident that she’s you Seelenbindung.” He continues quickly, in a hushed tone. Both of them listen cautiously for the click of the doorknob signaling your entrance.

“Listen, I know it sounds crazy, I know the whole soul tie concept is nothing more than an old wives tale-”

Roel cuts him off, jutting himself closer to the other man, “old wives tale or not, all of us can tell that there’s been something different about you. You're more irritable, high strung… all of that until she’s by your side.” The pair fell silent as you made your way back into the room.

“I should be heading out to prepare for Mass.” Falk pipes up cheerfully, but despite his pleasant demeanor you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Falk stands, nodding his goodbye to Roel before starting to walk out. He pauses as he reaches you, his eyes scanning over your much smaller form in a way that has heat settling behind your cheeks. “Schwester, I look forward to seeing you again later.” He gives you a wink before quickly slipping from the room. Your gaze landed on Roel, the shit eating grin already spreading across his features.

“Don't even start.” You groan, walking over to the puddle of coffee you had spilled and dropping to your knees to clean it up. You pause at Roel calling your name.

“Don't worry about that right now. Come, sit.” He motions to the chair across from him. You noticed the leather arm was still warm to the touch, the image of Falk sitting there flashing through your mind and making your heart thrum in your chest.

“Why do I feel like I'm about to get in trouble for something?” You ask with a nervous chuckle.

“What did we talk about last week?” You groaned, collapsing back in the seat, whatever professionalism you had immediately disappeared at his question.

“It's not that simple!” You exclaim in response. “What? You expect me to walk in here, bat my lashes, and tell him to take me to dinner?”

“That is exactly what I'm saying to you!” He booms, standing up with a force that sends his chair scraping backwards against the hardwood floor. “Do you understand how much that would make that man melt? If you walk in here and look at him with those big pretty eyes I think you could convince him to do a lot of things, personally.” 

“It's not like he would feel the same way.” You scoff, crossing your arms over your chest and turning to the window to hopefully hide the defeated expression on your face.

“How do you know?” He asks softly in response.

“Because he's a High Cler-”

“That means nothing and you know that.” You chew the inside of your cheek in irritation. He was right, you did know that. There was no rule against Siblings and High Clergy members starting relationships, it wasn't something your superiors believed in. This was supposed to be a place to experience joy in all aspects of your life, dictating who you can and can't fall in love with just never seemed to sit right with their ideals.

“I'm scared…” you finally admit, and he didn't miss the slight tremble in your voice as you spoke. “If he finds out it could ruin everything between us.”

“I think you need to remember this is Falk we're talking about here.” He finally sits back down with a soft sigh, resting his elbows on the dark wooden surface of his desk. “You saying your entire relationship will just disappear because he finds out you have feelings for him… well I'd say that's a little harsh, wouldn't you agree?” He did have a point. You were talking about the same man who sat there drying your tears and telling you that you still looked beautiful after spilling wine on your dress at a party, who would offer up his free time to go visit with the kids in the Abbey's daycare, who no matter the time of day or night always offered you a safe place to go work through anything with a warm fire in his hearth and a piping hot pot of tea ready in a moments notice. This was Falk you were talking about. Roel took your silence as a cue to continue. “Now, I know I'm just some old man who doesn't know anything.” A soft smile passes over his lips at the sound of you giggling at his joke. “But, I think you should go get ready for Mass, make yourself look all nice.” He glances down, scanning quickly over the planner he had open in front of him. “Oh, would you look at that, after Mass Father Falk just happens to have the rest of the day off.” He looks back at you, his eyes narrowing slightly as he leans in. “Are you feeling alright, ducky? You're not looking so good… maybe you should take the rest of the day off as well.” Your jaw fell open in shock as you tried to stammer out any words at all in response, but nothing came. He nods in the direction of the door, “get out of here, I don't want to see you until tomorrow.”

“Don't get mad at me if I just end up having a relaxing day at home.” You chuckle as you push yourself out of your chair. “But, thank you Roel.”

“Oh, don't you worry sweetheart. If I have anything to say about it you're in for a lovely afternoon with your little crush.” He smirks in response before turning back to his paperwork. You just simply roll your eyes in response, used to this kind of behavior from him after so many years working at his side.

“Goodbye Roel.” You call loudly as you swing the door shut behind you. You cleaned up your desk as you got ready to head out. Checking the time, you realized you had about an hour left to get ready before Mass, you decided that for once you would actually take Roel’s advice seriously considering it sounded like he was up to something. You found yourself standing in front of your wardrobe, agonizing over your outfit decision as you pulled out just about every article of clothing you owned. “Too formal, too formal, too formal.” You cursed under your breath. Your closet was filled with clothes suitable for meetings and business trips, but not much else. All of your casual clothes would be acceptable for Mass but you felt like it was defeating the purpose of making yourself look nice. You pulled out a plain, black dress. It was one of your favorites, it hugged your curves in all the right places. You stood in front of your mirror, holding the fabric up to your body. “I guess it's better than nothing.” You shrug, deciding to take the plunge.

You smoothed the dress down your legs, making sure your hair was fixed how you liked it and that you hadn't managed to already smudge your makeup. You stepped carefully into a pair of low heels taking one final deep breath before leaving the safety of your dorm. “Someone's got a hot date!” Father Matthew’s voice booms from behind you. You whip around, eyes wide as you hurry up to him.

“Keep your voice down.” You whisper aggressively at him. “I'm trying to not draw attention to myself.”

“Wearing that?” He smiles playfully at you. “Hun, I don't know if you've noticed but there isn't a single person in this room that hasn't checked you out at least once. You look hot, just accept it.” You groan, rolling your eyes before turning to continue on your way to Mass. “So who's the lucky guy?” He jogs to catch up with you, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he saunters at your side.

“I don't believe that's any of your concern, is it Father?” You quip, causing Matthew to grumble.

“You're no fun, Charles and Attila’s assistants always catch me up on their gossip.”

“Well, Rachel is the biggest gossip I know and Jeremy, even if he means well, can't keep a secret to save his life.” You wave to a few Siblings that greet you on your way into the chapel. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to my seat.” The phrasing of your words was enough to set Matthew off.

“Your seat, huh?” He chuckles. He leans in, looking around to make sure no one was trying to eavesdrop. “You got all dressed up because you knew you would be seeing Falk, isn't that right little bird?” The sudden color change of your cheeks gave you away immediately. “Well, don't let me keep you from the object of your affection any longer. Just make sure you swing by and tell me all about it later.” He winks before ducking into the crowd, disappearing before you had the chance to yell at him. You hurried up the aisle, hoping your usual seat would still be open considering the massive turnout this morning. You glanced up at the pulpit only to lock eyes with Falk. His mouth slightly agape as you watched him drink in the sight of you. You're snapped from your thoughts when a hand is placed on your back. You recognize the face you're met with, but just barely. You felt the need to cross your arms over your chest as he leered in your direction, your dress leaving you feeling exposed under his malicious gaze 

“Now how did I miss a pretty thing like you?” Your brows furrow at his mumbled statement. The hand he had on you now burning against your skin.

“Excuse me?” You step away from him, his arm smacking against his side as it falls away..

“What can't you take a compliment?” He chuckles, straightening himself up to make himself appear bigger. “Wait a second, I know you. You're Roel's girl, right?”

“I'm his assistant.” Your snap I'm response, eyes darting around, looking for an escape.

“It's a shame that you let that pompous asshole keep you all to himself.” He sneers, realizing that he wouldn't be able to win you over with what he considered charm. “I guess it makes sense that his lap dog would be such a stuck up bitch.” You took one step forward, ready to put this jackass in his place. Before you had the chance a body placed itself between you and the random sibling who had decided to give you grief. It takes you a moment to recognize the familiar sight of Falk’s vestments. “Father Fa-”

“Shut up.” He growls, pushing the now terrified younger man back with every step. “You are going to turn your sorry ass around and pack up your belongings, I want you out of here by nightfall.”

“Sir, I don't know what this is about-”

“Don't. Play. Dumb.” Every word dared him to try and come up with another excuse, you could feel the seething rage rolling off of Falk in waves. “Since it seems you don't remember, Father Roel is your superior.” The color drained from the man's face. Falk adjusted his stance, blocking you from his gaze when the man's eyes flashed to you. “Don't look at her. I saw your little stunt, the last thing I want is for a member of my ministry to be so shamelessly disrespectful and predatory towards any of the other siblings. You’re lucky I'm letting you just walk out of here after what you just called her, I suggest you get out of here before I change my mind.” Falk watches him run off with his tail between his legs, making sure he had left the chapel before allowing his attention to focus on you. “I'm sorry you had to see that Maus.”

“Thank you.” His mouth snaps shut, whatever he was about to say dying in his throat at your thanks. “I wasn’t sure how I was going to get out of that… I'm really happy you were here to protect me.” He breathes out a laugh, giving you a polite nod in response.

“I'll always be here to protect you.” You grow flustered under his warm gaze, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth before your eyes dart to the floor. 

“Father Falk, um…” you wring your hands nervously. You had to take matters into your own hands before Roel inevitably blew things out of control. You looked back up at him, your eyes meeting his warm golden brown ones. “Can I talk to you after Mass?” You couldn't do it, losing all of your nerve at the sight of his patient smile.

“Of course you can Maus. I'm free the rest of the day so we can talk as long as you like.” He chuckles. “I'll be looking forward to it.” He winks at you before hurrying up to the pulpit, doing his final checks before starting Mass. You quickly found your seat in the front row. Your gaze catching Falk’s as he greeted the congregation, you didn't miss the sight of the faint smirk passing over his lips as you locked eyes.

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You waited patiently in the pew, watching person after person approach Falk at the pulpit. Finally, as the last person left, you rose to your feet. You eagerly approached the altar, you could already feel your words tangling together as Falk’s eyes met yours. “Can I take you out to lunch?” You freeze when he beats you to the punch, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

“Yeah,” you let out a flustered giggle as you tried to string together a sentence. “I have the rest of the day off.”

“Perfect.” He gives you a lopsided grin. “I’ll meet you in the garage in a half hour?” You nod, swaying on your heels slightly.

“Works for me.” You blush as he carefully studies your features. “I’ll see you then.” You politely excuse yourself, trying your best to walk calmly out of the chapel. The moment the door closed behind you, you kicked off your shoes and bolted down the hall. Turning every corner perfectly from memory until you skidded to a halt in front of Roel’s office. You knocked firmly on the door, hearing him welcome you in from the inside.

“Well don’t you look nice.” He smiles at you. “How was Mass?”

“What did you do?” You point an accusatory finger at him.

“Normally you would be aiming in the right direction, but whatever happened, I have nothing to do with.” He explained, his tone perplexed. You froze on the spot, your arm falling slack.

“So you mean, you don’t have anything to do with him asking me out to lunch?” You asked, confused. 

He points to the chair across from him, “sit, explain.” You fall into the seat, recounting the afternoon's events to him. Roel stared back at you with a shocked expression, comparable to an old woman clutching her pearls. “That son of a bitch beat me to the punch.” He lets out an exasperated sigh.

“So you were planning something!” You exclaim.

“I may or may not have planned to slip you both an anonymous letter asking you to meet at a specific place at a specific time in order to… encourage you to spend some alone time together.” You can’t help but chuckle at the lengths he was willing to go to. “Guess I didn’t have to after all.”

“What am I going to do?” You groan, anxiously raking a hand through your hair.

“What do you mean? You’re going to go down there and have a wonderful afternoon with him.”

“It’s not that simple.” You attempt to argue.

“Oh, I think it might be.” He rebuttals instantly. “Just think of it like we’re talking.”

“I want him to, you know, like me, so no, I don't think I will.” You quip in response, causing Roel’s jaw to fall slack in shock.

“Wow, and after all this time I considered you a friend.” He feigns a hurt tone in his voice before it almost immediately dissolves into a chuckle, you letting out a soft laugh of your own. “But, in all seriousness, you don't have anything to worry about. You've been alone with Falk plenty of times, what about this is so different?”

“This is the first time him and I are going to be alone together without an excuse to hide behind.” You explain slowly, trying to pinpoint what exactly was making this so nerve wracking for you. “Before it was business meetings, or I was delivering something for you and it turned into a prolonged visit, asking to borrow books for my studies, it’s my turn to help with Mass for the week, there's always a reason that can just explain away why we’re together… This time it's just because we want to be together. There's no event to prepare for, no notes to go over. It's just the two of us, sitting across from each other at a table, with all the time in the world for him to realize that I'm nothing special.”

“You are more special than you could ever realize, I have a feeling Falk’s already figured that out.” He glances up at the time and then back down at you. “Do me a favor, go see Charles.” You shoot him a curious look. “He’ll give you a better idea of what to talk about. Falk and I might be friends but I feel like you're looking for more… more intelligent topics to discuss with him than what I could provide.” You share a laugh. Even if everything wasn't magically fixed like you were hoping, your talk with Roel did make you feel a bit better.

“Thank you Roel, for everything.” A tender smile passes over his lips before he stands up.

“Come here.” He beckons you closer, pulling you into a tight hug. “I know it's hard, but try not to be too nervous. I think out of everyone at the Abbey I know you better than most, and if he can't see how wonderful you are he's an idiot.” He stops down slightly, taking you by the shoulders as he brings his eyes level with yours. “Everything is going to be just fine.” You sucked in a deep breath, balling your hands into fists as you realized your fingers were trembling at your side. “You can do this.” He states firmly.

“I can do this.” You respond in a similar tone.

The short walk to Charles’ office felt almost insurmountable at the moment. Every second that ticked by only brought you closer to seeing Falk. You were excited, of course, but you couldn't stop the anxiety that drowned you as it bubbled up in your throat. You tap gently on the heavy door, hearing Charles call for you to come in. “What a pleasant surprise.” He smiles warmly at you, removing his reading glasses from their position perched on his nose and setting them down on his desk. “What can I do for you, my dear?”

“I'm sorry to bother you, Father, Roel told me I should come talk to you.” You fall comfortably into one of the worn leather chairs across from him, folding your hands neatly in your lap as you recount the events of this morning to him. Charles listened attentively, doing little more than give you an occasional nod or hum to show he was paying attention. “And now I have to go meet him downstairs in twenty minutes and it’s taking everything I have to not just run off and disappear because I'm so scared I'm going to make myself look like an idiot in front of him.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” He coos fatherly. “Don’t trouble yourself with thoughts like that. You're very smart and I'm sure the two of you have a lot in common, you shouldn't have any trouble keeping up a conversation with him.” He chuckles, reaching across his desk to pick up your hand in his. “I could tell you exactly what to talk about, what to say, things that are going to impress him. But, sweetheart, falling in love isn't about being perfect.” Your cheeks grew warm at the mention of falling in love. Falk was definitely a man you could see a future with down the line, that was something apparent from when you first acknowledged your feelings for him, but the road to get to that point was always so terrifying you had trouble finding the nerve to even try.

“I just don't want to mess this up.” Your voice comes out softly.

“You won't.” He reassures you. “You just need to go down there and be your usual radiant self and the rest will fall into place.” You give his hand a gentle squeeze, trying your best to put on a brave face. “You should get going, don't want to be late.” He pays your arm before pulling his hand back.

“Yessir, thank you for your advice.”

“Of course my dear, anytime.” You smile at each other before you get up, preparing to leave. Just as your hand slid over the knob Charles chimes in again, “and don't be such a stranger. I know Roel has you on a tight leash but the rest of us would like to see you from time to time.” He chuckles.

“I'll make sure to have a word with him.” You shoot him a playful wink in response before you slip out of the room. You tried your best to steady your racing heart as you made your way down to the garage. You paused as you reached the top of the stairs, Falk adjusting the cuff of his sleeve he had rolled up as he hurried in your direction. He glances up, freezing in place when his eyes land on you.

“Perfect timing, huh?” He chuckles. Slowly striding forward to close the distance between you. “I'm really happy you agreed to come with me.”

“Well thank you for asking.” You smile sweetly at him. “What's the plan for the day?”

“Well,” the two of you head down the stairs side by side. “There’s this hole in the wall cafe I like to go to sometimes. After that I have something planned, but it's a surprise.” He chuckles.

“Fine, keep your secrets.” You giggle. Falk pulls his keys out of his pocket, twirling the ring around his finger a few times before catching the keys in his hand with a jingle. He opens the door for you, taking your hand carefully in his own as he helps you lower yourself into the car. Falk walks towards the back of the car, you can't stop a smile from passing over your lips as you catch sight of him shaking his hands to try and steady his nerves before getting into the driver's seat. His eyes trail over you, you blush under his gaze.

“Sorry… I just can't get over how pretty you look.” You breathe out a laugh, your cheeks flushing at his compliment.

“Thank you Fath-” You freeze, cringing slightly as you realize you might be acting too formally.

“Just Falk is fine Maus.” He chuckles at your flustered state. “I think we’ve known each other long enough to drop the honorifics, don’t you?” You nod, fidgeting with your fingers in your lap.

“Sorry, I'm just a little nervous I guess.” You admit, looking out the window to avoid meeting his gaze accidentally.

“Nervous?” He asks softly. “Maus, I can promise you there's nothing to be nervous about.” He pauses for a moment, chewing the inside of his cheek as he pulls over whether or not to say something. “Would it help to know I'm a little nervous myself?”

“You?” It was hard to hide your tone of disbelief. “Why?”

“Well, it just so happens that the most beautiful woman I've ever met agreed to have lunch with me this afternoon. Now you're sitting here in my passenger seat and for the life of me I can't think of a single thing to talk about.” Your eyes widen slightly, your head snapping in his direction. You couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up in your throat, dropping your face into your hands as you struggled to regain your composure.

“I'm sorry.” You breathe through a fit of laughter, wiping your eyes with the heel of your hand. “I was so scared I was going to look stupid because I didn't know what to talk to you about.”

“I guess we just got ourselves all worked up over nothing then.” He chuckles. You notice his shoulder visibly relax, the prior tension fading away with ease as you both acknowledged how silly you were both acting. The silence you shared after that wasn't uncomfortable, if anything it was actually kind of nice. Falk turns on the radio, some random station crackling to life in the confined space. His hand leaves the knob, hovering in midair for a moment before he tentatively rests it over your own. “Is this okay?” He asks softly. You nod, carefully pushing your fingers in between his. 

“This is more than okay.” You smile back at him. You gasped as a small head jutted out of one of the windows of the car in front of you, a small hound dog letting his long ears flap freely in the breeze.

“I take it you're a dog person?” That was all it took. One question tumbled from Falk’s lips and any nerves left between the two of you melted away. You spent your long drive swapping stories of your various escapades around the Abbey, Falk told you about moments from his childhood that he still held onto with extreme fondness.

“You know, I've always been curious about what it was like for you and the other High Clergy members growing up, I imagine you were all under a lot of pressure.” You muse, your thumb tracing around one of Falk’s prominent knuckles.

“Eh, it's probably not that different. I went to school, had friends, I grew up like any other normal kid. It wasn't until I hit puberty that any changes really started to come up.” He chuckles at how effortlessly he referred to these changes. “It doesn't always go over very well when a 16 year old finds out they have to transform into a hideous beast once a month.”

“Hey, same here.” You joke. “Except I learned that harsh reality at 12 and instead of the super strength and the cool transformation my body just releases an alarming amount of blood once a month.” Falk laughs loudly, making you smile in response.

“Yeah, I guess that also has to really suck didn't it?”

“You really had no idea until you were 16?” You ask.

“It's not exactly the easiest thing to explain to a child.” He ponders over his thoughts for a moment before continuing. “To be honest, my parents weren't even sure the transformation was going to happen. See, you have families like Charles and Matthew’s. Both of them changed, and I think both of them started showing signs before I ever did. Attila is an only child, so is Roel.”

“And you?” You question, hanging on every word of his explanation.

“I have an older sister.” He responds.

“When did she first transform?”

“She didn't. At first my parents thought it was just some type of delay, there was no reason for her to have to take over from my father at the time so they figured it would be better to just wait it out. It wasn't until I started to show signs of my first transformation that they looked into it a bit more seriously. Apparently, nobody really knows why this transformation happens. There's been tests done with genetics, learned behavior that could awaken it, any rituals that would cause or stop it, nothing.” He absentmindedly fidgets with your fingers as he talks.

“So, they never figured it out?” He shakes his head in response to your question.

“No, she’s just as mortal as you are.” He sighs. “I'm sorry when you have to meet her, she still has a huge chip on her shoulder about it.”

“When I have to meet her, huh?” You shoot him a flustered grin. “Already planning on bringing me home to meet the family, huh?” You tease, lightly nudging his shoulder with your own.

“Sorry, it's way too soon for me to start talk-”

“I'm flattered.” You cut him off, watching the panic briefly pass over his features as he worries he said the wrong thing. “Our first date isn't even over and you've already decided I'm decent enough to meet your parents, I must be doing a damn good job at the whole small talk thing.” You both laugh.

“I can officially say this is a date, huh?” His deep brown eyes meet yours, the smirk lacing its way across his lips threatening to make you melt on the spot.

“I mean, if you want it to be.” You stutter in response, making Falk chuckle.

“I just wish I'd planned something a little more exciting, all things considered.”

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