angel

The bite marks he left throbbed in pain as he pushed his finger in the muscle. Darlin’ didn’t flinch. They kept their gaze on his eyes.

“Pain is proof. Love is sacrifice.”

Darlin’ nodded, tranced by his intense gaze.

They didn’t have anyone else to trust. In a desperate act of self salvation fuelled by loneliness, they clung onto him. They left the pack. Their parents are gone. He was the only one that stayed. That was enough. This must be “love”.

So if he’s saying it, then it must be true.

—-

“Bite me.” Darlin’ hissed into the kiss.

A lot changed in a short time. They found their way back to the pack. Quinn was long gone.

And they found Sam.

He showed them that life could be different. That love could be different. He stayed despite everything that happened and the mess they dragged him into.

But the one thing he hadn’t done was bite them. They understand his reasons and his past, so they never pushed him to do it.

But a part of them craved it.

“Pain is proof.”

They hadn’t felt pain with him. The delicious sting of fangs in skin, drawing blood and making them wince.

Something was wrong.

Sam was willing to try biting them. He wanted to override the trauma of his past and reframe what biting was in his mind.

Darlin’ was more than happy to help.

“Make it hurt.”

Love is pain, thrall. Don’t forget that.

That’s how it was meant to be.

So why was Sam hesitating?

He parted from the kiss, brows furrowed as he caught his breath.

With one hand he cupped their cheek, bringing their gaze to his.

“Darlin’…”

What was wrong? Did he change his mind?

“Bites… they’re not meant to hurt. They’re meant to feel good.”

Pain is pleasure. There’s no greater love when you’re on the brink of death, teetering on the edge of bliss. Quinn’s words echoed in their ears.

“I don’t-“, Darlin’ was confused. Why was he saying this?

Sam sighed, and they saw a flicker of pain in his eyes. A pit grew in their stomach. Without a word he led them to the couch, away from the door they were in front of moments before. Darlin’ sat down, eyes never leaving his face as they tried to read him and figure out how they fucked up this time.

After a quiet moment drawn out by a deep breath from Sam, he spoke, hands never leaving theirs.

“Vampire bites are magic, in a way. If you do it right, and if the recipient is someone you love, it should feel like pleasure. There shouldn’t be any pain. Pain only happens if you intend for it to hurt.”

Darlin’ frowned. Everything he said was different than what they thought was the truth.

“I don’t know what you were told before from… but that’s not how it’s meant to be. You don’t have to be in pain for the love to be there.”

The realisation dawned on Darlin’. He’s gone, yet his teeth still sunk into them. They never fully escaped his grasp. His shadow still lingered.

And it hurt.

Their thoughts were interrupted when Sam cupped their cheek again. “Darlin’, look at me.” He whispered. Darlin’s eyes were glassy when they met his gaze. “It’s okay. You’re you. No part of you was tainted by him. We can find our own kind of love together. That’s all it is. There’s no standard, there’s no “normal”. It’s just different.” He kissed them soft and sweet.

Darlin’ nodded, mind still trying to catch up, but their body relaxed. They trusted him, and their body knew that.

He grazed his fangs along their neck, drawing out a delicious shiver. “When I bite, it’ll feel like nothing else. Pure pleasure, no pain. Unless you want it, of course.” He nibbled, earning a small moan from Darlin’. “It’s not one-sided. It’s not about me getting what I want. What I want is for you to feel good.”

Their hands gripped his shirt in anticipation.

“Do you want it?” He whispered, lips moving to theirs as he waited for their answer.

Darlin’ nodded.

And Sam bit them.

It was different than with Quinn. It was heaven. Pain but in the way they love. Pain that only happened out of trust. And very soon that pain faded, replaced by pleasure that had their eyes rolling to the back of their head.

This is what it’s meant to be.

Love is a little different with Sam, but it felt right.

—-

Sam quickly learnt their preferences when it came to biting and feeding. They love the sting of pain that came when fangs sunk into skin. They love the mark that is left behind - the hickey that blossoms on their neck.

Hickeys are the only wounds made from love. They’re different from the bruises and scars Quinn gave them.

And they never wanted it to fade.