It started happening almost every night.
A knock on the door — soft, deliberate.
Daniel would rise from his bed, heart pounding like a drum, and open the door without hesitation.
And there would be Lucian.
Always Lucian.
With his dark hair, icy blue eyes, and that unreadable expression that made Daniel's knees weak.
At first, they just kissed.
Long, slow, breathtaking kisses that left Daniel dizzy and clinging to Lucian's shirt, desperate for more.
But it didn't take long before kissing wasn't enough.
The first time Lucian pushed Daniel back onto the bed, climbing over him with careful restraint, Daniel welcomed him eagerly, pulling him closer, needing to feel him.
Lucian's body was strong, solid, but he moved with much tenderness. As if he didn't want to hurt Daniel by using too much strength or being too brusque.
Their kisses deepened, grew rougher, needier.
Daniel learned the taste of Lucian's mouth, the way he liked to tease before he devoured, the way he growled low in his throat when Daniel kissed him back just as fiercely.
Lucian's hands wandered — down Daniel's chest, over his hips, slipping under the hem of his shirt to touch bare skin.
Daniel gasped at every new sensation, trembling with a mix of fear and overwhelming pleasure. The dreams Daniel had been having had prepared him somehow, but they were nothing compared with the real thing.
No one had ever touched him like this before. No one had ever wanted him like this before.
Lucian broke their kiss just long enough to whisper against Daniel's ear:
"Tell me if you want me to stop."
Daniel shook his head frantically, pulling him back down.
"I don't want you to stop," he breathed.
Lucian smiled against his mouth, and Daniel realized — he loved that smile. The rare, soft one that seemed to be only his.
The nights blurred together in a haze of heat, soft moans, tangled sheets, and whispered words.
Lucian was insatiable — tireless, relentless.
It was as if, once he had permission, he couldn't get enough of Daniel. They would spend entire nights wrapped together, kissing, touching, and slowly — so slowly — exploring each other's bodies.
Sometimes, when things got too heated, Lucian would pull away, breathing heavily, staring at Daniel with burning eyes.
"I don't want to hurt you," he would whisper.
Daniel never knew if he meant physically or emotionally.
Maybe both.
But he didn't care. He would pull Lucian back down, kissing him with everything he had, needing to feel him, needing to have him.
He wanted Lucian like he had never wanted anything in his life.
And Lucian wanted him, too.
That was clear in every kiss, every touch, every whispered word in the dark.
Sometimes, after they had collapsed into each other's arms, Lucian would drink from him.
It started with a single bite at the base of his throat — sharp, burning, then blissful.
Daniel would moan softly as Lucian fed, feeling a strange, almost erotic pleasure from it.
Lucian was always careful, always gentle, licking the wound closed afterward and holding Daniel close until the world stopped spinning.
Daniel always felt a little weaker afterward so Lucian would feed him a few drops of his own blood in return. Daniel knew a vampire feeding his blood to a human was forbidden. Also, stealing vampire blood was punishable by law. Worst case scenarios, you could get a death penalty.
Probably one of the main reasons was the powerful healing qualities that vampire blood had. Everyone was aware that you could literally save human lives, and Daniel himself had experienced it too. But, vampires, in spite of their low numbers had managed to control society to such a degree that no one dared to use their blood in any way. Or demand it.
The fact that Lucian would give him his blood so readily was rather surprising. Sure, Daniel had never told anyone about them sharing their blood or even about him sleeping with a vampire. None of Daniel's friends knew about it. And, unless Lucian said otherwise, he wasn't going to tell anyone about the two of them.
But even in their growing intimacy, a shadow hung over them.
Sometimes, Daniel would catch Lucian staring at him when he thought Daniel wasn't looking.
A heavy, tormented look that made Daniel's heart ache.
And sometimes, when Daniel pressed a hand to Lucian's chest, feeling the steady, unnatural stillness of his heart, he would remember — Lucian wasn't human.
Lucian wasn't his.
Not really.
They were playing with fire.
And it was only a matter of time before they both got burned.
—
One evening, after a particularly intense night together, Daniel lay sprawled across the bed, his body deliciously sore, his heart full.
Lucian sat on the edge of the mattress, watching him with a small, fond smile.
Daniel reached out sleepily, tugging on Lucian's hand.
Then Lucian lay down beside him, gathering Daniel into his arms.
They lay like that for a long time, tangled together in the soft glow of the streetlights filtering through the window.
"Why do you look at me like that sometimes?" Daniel asked quietly, his voice muffled against Lucian's chest.
Lucian stiffened slightly.
"Like what?"
"Like... you're sad. Like you're afraid."
Lucian didn't answer right away.
His fingers threaded through Daniel's reddish hair, slow and rhythmic, soothing.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and rough.
"Because I am afraid," he admitted. "I'm afraid that I won't be able to protect you. That being with me will put you in danger."
Daniel lifted his head, frowning up at him.
"From what?"
Lucian's mouth twisted into a grim smile.
"From others like me. From the world I belong to."
Daniel bit his lip.
He had always known, deep down, that there would be consequences. That this wasn't a fairy tale. That being with a vampire was dangerous.
But knowing it didn't make him want Lucian any less.
"I don't care," Daniel said stubbornly. "I want you. I…I really like you," Daniel finally confessed.
Yes, he liked Lucian. Romantically. There was no denying it anymore. But…did Lucian feel the same way?
Lucian closed his eyes, a pained sound escaping him.
"You don't understand, Daniel," he whispered. "Vampires like me... we're not supposed to get involved with humans like this. Sure, there are exceptions, but I wouldn't want you to become an exception."
"Why?" Daniel asked. "What being an exception mean?"
"It means you wouldn't be able to lead an ordinary human life. It means you would have to leave everything you know behind and venture into my world and I don't want that for you. I have seen the kind of impact this decision has, and it was devastating."
Daniel didn't press any further. It was true he liked Lucian, but what they had right now was enough for him. A purely physical relationship with a hot vampire was a good enough thing for Daniel. For the moment.
"I understand," he said, burrowing his head in Lucian's chest. "I don't need more than this.
Lucian held him tightly and kissed the top of his head.
"Alright," he whispered.
For now, they had this.
Each other.
For now, that was all that mattered.