Archive of Our Own ^beta

The thing that makes East coast winters unbearable is without a doubt their high winds; prevalent gusts leaving nothing but a lack of feeling in frigid digits and a lingering discomfort to which the average-complainer–feels is on-par with that of frostbite. The brave few that dare leave the house are obliged to make note of this because, despite the temperatures plummeting below freezing, there’s still a means to go out and get things done. In Ray’s case, it’s the obligation to come into work after being roped into another “I owe you” shift-coverage, likely due to acclimate weather rather than whatever excuse the previous caller left hanging on the telephone wire.

Bully for him. Picking up a monotonous five hours to be spent soaking, developing, and stopping film would just pour into an ever-flowing stream of rapport. A greater opportunity to get an additional paid-time-off which would be indulged in Ray’s near future. Whenever he crossed that bridge, he decided there’s nothing more appropriate than to spend that possible free-time within the comfort of his own home on days like this; bordering abysmal, specifically within that of the weather-department. At the time, he didn’t even care much. The meteorologist on the radio implied that the snow was really only supposed to come down around the time he’d be getting out of work. When he’d first peeked out from half-cracked blinds, it looked more like a layer of frost. The sight was a stark contrast to the harrowing forecast that was being tossed around from station to station.

He was quick to get dressed, but he gave his roommate the courtesy of a haphazard, good-bye note in relation to his whereabouts. Ray’s short manuscript read: “Be back soon! Callout at work. Text if you need anything.”

Gerard usually didn’t stir until the later hours of the evening, anyways. They always downplayed their unusual sleeping habits as a weird side effect that aligned with being undead. Despite the numerous times he got into specifics, Gerard’s explanations tended to bounce between life and death. On some counts he would sum up the root of abnormal sleep-habits being a fucked up circadian rhythm that was out-of-whack prior to falling into an endless existence. That and the fact that sleep never came to him as easily as one would hope. It wasn’t a major concern on the opposite end, though. Ray didn’t mind. He'd probably catch them sooner or later, whether it be walking through the door after work or whenever Gerard decided he wanted to leave the basement. Either way, Ray was currently holding out hope for means of an early release. He was solely banking on the implication of severe weather to get him out of working the full duration of his shift.
. . .

The latter had been a bit far-fetched. Lucky for Ray, his shift was short-lived. The five hours spent developing photos were more than tolerable. Why his manager couldn’t just call it the moment the weather started to take a turn would forever remain a mystery. Business was slow–no surprise there. It turns out when roads become slick and icy, people are less likely to leave the house out of the impending doom that goes hand-in-hand with the possibility of skidding into oncoming traffic. The macabre aside, his shift ran smoothly. The moment it was time for Ray to clock out, he had already wrapped up what he was doing. As soon as the eerie glow of the darkroom’s red-light was out of eye-shot, his attention was already drawn to the mass of white outside the store-front. The sight of snow was jarring, just as it was blinding. What was once a series of flurries in the early morning became a pretty major inconvenience within the contexts of Ray’s trek to his car, let alone a few slivers of his dignity. He almost bit the curb on his way out of the building. The sudden shift in gravity was enough to rob him of any semblance of admiration towards the tundra that had built itself up while he was tucked away developing film beneath saturated red lights.

The singular instance of nearly slipping and falling was enough for him to become overly-cautious. The surplus of powder on his windshield only ended up raising more means of concern. It was enough to cause a normally second-nature drive to turn overly-cautious. Seriously, fuck the East Coast and its bullshit Nor’Easters. All that free-falling precipitation coating the streets had left behind a sheet of black-ice rather than a fresh blanket of powdered snow.

The East’s sudden cold-front was enough to leave even the most tolerant of men seething. Steam was practically rising off Ray’s head by the time he trudged through unshoveled snow and made it over to his and Gerard’s doorstep. During the length of his short walk, he was frantically fishing his house keys out of the trenches of his jacket’s pockets, trying to save his bare hands from any more unnecessary exposure to the cold. He hadn’t even been out of his car for that long and already, much to his dismay, he was beginning to feel the brittle cold seeping into the fingertips of his un-covered hands. It was that goddamn wind, unrelenting and all the more unpleasant as it whipped against the backside of his heavyweight parka. After spending an unreasonable amount of time scrambling for what was now held between his fingers, Ray didn’t dare let another second pass before unlocking and trudging through the door.

What he was met with was everything he could have possibly hoped for–the thermostat’s temperature creeping up to a sweltering high, a standing-lamp, and a warm-white glow that radiated throughout the house’s interior. He’d probably have to turn down the heat once he became acclimated to how hot it actually was, but right now, Ray could not be bothered. Instead, he stood in the entryway, making sure to keep as much snow as he could from making the floor more wet than it already was. Carefully, Ray shucked off his jacket, calling out for Gerard, who most definitely was awake. If they weren’t upstairs, they were without a doubt in the basement, preoccupied with something else. If anything, they were probably downstairs painting. Gerard had the habit of getting swept up in their work.

“Gee? You up?”

Ray briefly poked his head around the corner to see if he could catch a glimpse of another figure. He raised a brow up in inquiry at the lack of a response as he knelt down to remove his boots. He hadn’t even gotten to undoing the right one’s lace by the time he was met with two feet planted firmly before him, already feeling the intense gaze of familiar eyes peering down at the sight before them. If it were anyone else, he would have jumped out of his skin, but low-and-behold, the abrupt presence was the answer he’d been looking for.

“Fuck, man. We gotta put a bell on you or something. You can’t be doing that the moment I get home.” Ray managed to get his snow-ridden boots off, frowning when he saw how much water the floor had collected from melting snow. “Like, have some decorum, you know?” The thought of his socks getting wet led him to action. It served as a means for him to move out of the front of the vestibule. Gerard took it as a hint that it was time to move into the living room.

“If you put a bell on me I’m gonna start bringing you dead things while you’re sleeping. You can go through all that trouble, but proceed with caution.” There's a short pause before they continue, toes tapping against the floor as the observation parted from their lips. “I noticed it when you came in, but you’ve got this heady smell on you–like urban snow.”

Gerard’s face twisted at the observation as they draped themselves over the nearest armchair, leaving Ray to scratch his head. Leave it to them to say something weird and off putting. He couldn’t tell if this was Gerard's way of telling him to hit the showers which Ray found rich coming from them. Then again, maybe they were making a general statement based on a heightened sense of smell. Whatever Gerard was trying to imply, Ray still turned to face them, biting his cheek as he took them in. He made a mental note of Gerard’s tousled layers–strands of red just out of place, contrasting their black base. He couldn’t tell if they were up for long or if they just rolled out of bed when he’d arrived.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ray moved so he was within close proximity, sitting on the available arm of the chair Gerard made himself comfortable in.

“No, no, I’m not digging on you or anything like that, dude,” Gerard sniffed, their pointer-finger tapping the side of their pixie nose with a light hum. “I just mean I can smell like . . . the atmosphere on you. Like you know when you come in from a long day of being out in the heat, you got a smell on you? In this case, you smell like the outside, but more like whatever scents the snow picked up. Earthy. Little bit of exhaust from the car. Snowmageddon out there, right?”

It was another one of those neat little tricks Gerard had developed after he’d been turned. The scent thing was pleasant, though. Gerard particularly liked it when Ray came home smelling like the sun.

“Makes sense. Exhaust's probably not far off. I had to sit in my car for a bit because I was dreading walking back out into the cold. But yeah, Snowmageddon. I didn’t think it was gonna come down this hard until way later. The initial forecast really fucked me over because I almost ate shit when I was leaving work. There was barely any salt on the sidewalk when I was walking out.”

“Oh man, I would pay to see that–you sliding around like a cartoon man. Did anyone else see or did you not notice because you were holding your head down in shame?” The laughter that emitted from Gerard was contagious. Ray was not immune to the warmth of their personality, let alone the way they smiled and revealed a pair of fangs that were too big for a mouth made up of small teeth. Ray could sit and talk like this all night, but the only thing in the moment that was capable of pulling him from the major distraction was the sudden, cold contrast that was the extrinsic state of Gerard’s being. He was cold to the touch.

Ray only became hyper-aware of it because one of their frigid hands moved to grasp at one of his own mid-laughter, causing Ray’s collected demeanor to falter. Despite the abrupt contact, he took it in his own hand, giving it a light squeeze before holding still.

“Dude, your hands are fucking freezing. No wonder you have the heat up all the way. I’m turning that down, by the way. I’m gonna be sweating like a dog if it stays up at…whatever you set it to.”

“76.”

“76. Sure, okay, Gerard. Not gonna happen. You feel colder than usual, though. Did you eat today?”

“Sorry, I just figured you’d appreciate coming home to the house being all toasty and shit. Makes me feel like a doting housewife. I have nothing better to do, anyways. Can you blame me, though? I can’t necessarily feel what it’s at right now. I’m fucking freezing.” They frowned at their last retort, scratching the side of their face.

“I woke up a few hours ago and picked up where I left off on my last painting. I can still hear my Breeders CD playing downstairs. I was just going to nuke that last bit of blood in the microwave, but if you’re offering,” Gerard’s ramble trailed off before their eyes wandered from Ray’s hand to his sweater-clad arms, sighing at the unfortunate sight in front of them.

Ray waved his free hand dismissively before running his thumb along Gerard’s knuckles. “I don’t mind. Not like we’re gonna be leaving the house anytime soon with the snow pile-up outside. Who knows when the snow plows will get to that mess”.

“Probably not until tomorrow morning, I'd assume. All I heard were salt trucks when I first woke up. I can stick with the microwave meal, though. Seriously.”

“No, I’m serious too–if you gotta eat, you gotta eat, man. I’d rather have you in here and well-fed than out there jumping the postman. We could settle down and watch a movie or something after. Then you can get back to painting and your Breeders album.”

Gerard was silent as he slid down in his seat, letting go of Ray’s hand to let it rest under his chin with light contemplation. Their lips pursed into a thin white line.

“I’m not gonna jump the postman. I told you, I’ve still got leftovers. It's better than nothing. Also that CD stopped playing. I hear it spinning around down there. I was probably just going to switch it out for an Oasis CD or something, I dunno. I came up ‘cause I needed a break anyways. Seriously, though, I’m not feening for a fix over here.”

The sudden dismissive nature on Gerard’s end was apparent. It was a recognizable pattern that Ray picked up on since they moved in together. They always seemed on the fence when it came to feeding, more so when the pool of people close to them were thrown into the mix. It was like clockwork. It was hard to ignore how he’d always end up dancing around the matter. He’d grow skittish, but the conversation never really lasted long enough to turn into any kind of stand-off. Gerard would either go off and figure it out on his own or they would come around eventually and take what they were offered. It was no problem being on the giving end. Ray had no problem being on the giving end, considering the multiple times he’d been a willing blood donor. The task itself was ephemeral, afterall.

In hindsight he never understood why it was such a big deal when Ray never raised any major complaints on his end. Maybe every once in a while he’d feel a bit woozy after letting Gerard drink from him, but that seemed to be the worst of it.

Initially, it was hard to imagine Gerard’s perspective, especially when it was one Ray would never experience first hand. For the longest time, he had no clue what they thought of the whole ordeal. Prior to having it explained, Gerard obviously had a vast amount of underlying thoughts on being undead, let alone having to drink blood in order to survive. For the longest time, they just never went into detail as to why they couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes at the mention of being offered exactly what they wanted. When Gerard finally aired out his grievances in relation to the whole situation, it made more sense. Gerard went on some long tangent, talking about how they refused to become expectant, let alone needy.

Gerard said it was comparable to a house-cat being permitted to free-graze past being a kitten in the sense that letting them do so ended up doing more harm than good; changes in appetite and overeating, being the closest parallels to Gerard’s state of affairs.

Even with the peculiar simile, the whole ordeal still wasn’t enough to turn Ray off from the idea of letting Gerard drink from him. In fact, Ray always felt like it was necessary to mention how they’d come a long way from fledgling cravings, developing an admirable amount of self-restraint on his end. The subject matter always seemed to rear its head under the guise of a one-sided issue, anyways. Every once in a while he’d feel a bit woozy after letting Gerard drink from him, but that seemed to be the worst of it. They always compensated for it by getting his blood sugar up via some drink kept around in the fridge. That and making sure he was getting enough rest straight away. As quick as Ray was to open a vein to ensure Gerard had something to eat, Gerard was always quick to dote on Ray once he rode out whatever high he’d been chasing during events prior. Ray kept it to himself, but that was part of what made the task worthwhile. He didn’t necessarily mind doing it if it meant he could assist Gerard. Though the actual task itself was so physically demanding, Ray harbored no disdain towards going through the motions. If anything, in his honest opinion, it felt good to be needed. It felt good to take care of someone else.

. . .

He snapped back to their conversation, subtly trying to shift Gerard’s attention away from what seemed deep thought. “I’m just saying I’m here if you want it, that’s all. Just think about it, and if you do, take your time. If not, don’t stress. We can watch a movie and I can warm up that mug you were mentioning earlier if you wanna just chill out.” Ray leaned down, reassuringly pressing a kiss atop red-roots. Marlboro reds and days of unwashed hair’s past. It was all Gerard.

The gesture earned a half-smile from them. Gerard moved awkwardly to pat Ray’s cheek before getting up from where he was sitting. “C’mere, the armchair is getting uncomfortable and I wanna keep talking to you without having to crane my neck.” They’d already opted for the sofa–patting one of the cushions for Ray to take the seat next to him. Ray obliged, tugging at the collar of his sweater. The heat from the un-changed thermostat was definitely starting to creep up on him.

Ray chimed in, bringing up one of his suggestions. “So did you want to watch a movie?”

“Later. We can wrap up the last leg of Velvet Goldmine. As much as I thoroughly enjoy seeing Ewan McGregor’s glitter-covered dick, I don’t feel like staring at the TV right now”. Gerard moved closer to fill in the little bit of space Ray had unintentionally left between the two of them. From what Ray could tell, it was like he was trying to soak up as much of his body heat as possible and in return Ray was met with their cold contrast. He’d get up and turn the temperature down eventually. He kept telling himself this. Right now, Gerard felt like a cold compress even through the fabric of his outside clothes. That was enough to keep his mind off the sweat beginning to trickle down his under-arms. Ray felt a light tug on the sleeve of his sweater which grabbed his attention.

“Yes?” His eyes shifted from Gerard’s face to the fabric pinched between a pale complexion.

“I made up my mind, by the way.” Gerard let his hand drop, their face within closer proximity by time Ray connected two-and-two.

“No shit.” Ray cracked a smile. When they repositioned themself to fall right into his lap in order to give themself more leverage. That alone answered the un-asked question stirring in the back of his head. Gerard moved so he was now straddling Ray. It was obvious that they were both on the same page, but he still felt as though it didn’t hurt to ask.

“Alright, shoot. What’s your consensus?” Ray moved his hands to rest comfortably on the small of their back–not pushing desire just yet.

“You had me hook-line-and-sinker when you offered the first time. I pretty much made up my mind when you came to sit next to me on the armchair,” Gerard hummed, already moving to press a kiss just shy of Ray’s mouth. His actions earned a quick reciprocation in response. Ray’s grip shifted with a sudden sprawl of fingers straying from the expanse of Gerard’s back and down towards their hips. They’d both be getting something worthwhile out of this. It was a matter of fact at that point, and as if it were second-nature, Gerard allowed for his arms to drape haphazardly over Ray’ shoulders. They let his jaw go slack well into the kiss. On numerous occasions were just like this–only for the occasional, awkward bumping of teeth to pull them from building fervor, leading to a momentary fit of laughter. Right now, it just felt right. It was like everything was falling into place, even more so with Gerard’s free hands moving to rake through pillow soft curls. Their fingers combed through his hair, nails dredging along Ray’s scalp with a lack of direction. Gerard’s eyes were barely cracked open, half-lidded as they bit down on spit-slickened lips. Ray felt the demeanor shift, as well as the hands on either side of him try to make their way under his shirt.

“Toro.” Gerard muttered, the stellar grip on Ray’s hair tugging at the length in hand so he’d look up at him. “I need you to ditch that sweater A-S-A-P. Like bad.” His voice went anemic by the end of his demand, almost as if they were talking through a sigh.

Wordlessly, Ray was already on it–halting his touch and moving to peel his sweater off to humor Gerard’s request. As soon as it was off he tossed it aside. He was back to paying attention to Gerard in full.

“What do you want, Gee? Talk to me,” he looked up at them, one hand returning to its station at his hip while the other moved to cup their face. The latter stayed there until he began to run the pad of his thumb along their bottom lip. Gerard made their intentions all the more obvious when they started to grind on his belt. It caused a reactionary groan to escape Ray when he felt the friction against his jeans.

Gerard wanted to capture that very sound and keep it cupped in his hands like a butterfly. Confined and fluttering, all to himself.

Ray kept running his thumb along their bottom lip, feeling the heat pooling in his stomach as they proceeded to move on him. There was a hanging silence on Gerard’s end, a sign for him to interject. “Got it. Great. But, use your words, I’m not a mind reader,” Ray retorted, pushing past Gerard’s mouth to feel their fangs press against his unscathed thumb.

“I thought it was a given.”

Gerard piped up, muffled around Ray’s finger before he removed it. Without it in his mouth, they could get their point across, uninterrupted. This time when Gerard spoke, it was a sultry, sweet tone shifting to overflow with fresh-squeezed ardor. They were so assertive when they knew exactly what they wanted. Gerard wordlessly let their hands drop down to Ray’s exposed chest, feeling the dampened skin beneath their palms. It was almost as if they were blindly mapping out the expanse of it. They knew the surface-area well, afterall. Gerard’s cold touch was enough for Ray to squirm ever so slightly beneath them. It only led to Gerard’s thumbs getting to work, trekking from Ray’s traps, straight down to exposed nipples that hardened with his catastrophic touch. Gerard wanted to devour him right then and there.

Gerard’s tone was assertive. Their eyelids were heavy as they stared down at the vision pinned under them.

“I wanna hop up on top so I’m facing you when you fuck me. Wanna see your face the whole time. We can do it on the couch, or move if you’re so inclined, I don’t care, I just know for a fact that I want you bad.”

The idea of mind-over-matter applied within the context of drinking blood. It didn’t apply to sex. They could be as needy as they wanted in that department so long as it was okay with Ray; and Ray was definitely on-board with Gerard’s promiscuity. Their words were so bold. They were a verbal equivalent of a rod of electricity that shot from the top of Ray’s head, and went straight to his cock.

It took a second for him to realize Gerard was staring, waiting for some sort of acknowledgement. Ray gave an affirmative nod, curls bouncing as his head bobbed eagerly. He was already getting swept up in what was yet to come. “Fuck yes!” Gerard exclaimed, thrilled by Ray’s input, not to mention his own budding excitement. It was like any semblance of a stoic demeanor had been whisked away by the sight of Ray’s stirring junk. There was no hiding the shamelessly pitched tent in his pants.

In Gerard’s eyes, it was almost cruel how Ray’s full cock was still hidden from sight, tucked away by the denim confines of his skinny jeans.

They were determined to change that with the swift movement of hands that were already trailing downwards to meet his hips. By the time they reached his groin, they were practically framing where they could see the outline of Ray’s cock. “Fuck, man.” He uttered, tongue gliding along the jagged edges of their teeth in thought. His hands moved to undo Ray’s belt, the one thing separating Gerard from wrapping an assertive hand around Ray’s dick: his pants. Gerard’s thick brows were quick to furrow with annoyance.

When Ray tried to give them a hand, all they did was swat at him. There went Ray’s generosity streak.

“I’ll deal with that,” Gerard snapped.

“Fine,” Ray muttered, hands raising in defeat before trying to move his own hand back to where it was prior. He wanted to supply Gerard with means of adoration, just as they had moments ago. He wanted to supply them with touches that would wind them up–fluster them and knock them down a few pegs, but Gerard seemed to have other plans. Ray was fully aware of the hyper-focus gracing their expression as they were hastily trying to get him in a state of undress.

He was back to trying to get his finger to push past Gerard’s lips. He could at least do something for them while they were preoccupied. “Here, bite down,” he offered his thumb once more. It was supposed to be blood-drinking with a side of sex, not the other way around.

“Nuh-uh.” They tapped Ray’s thigh. Gerard needed him to reposition himself in order to get his pants all the way off. They were obviously unamused, more focused on the latter. When Gerard put their mind to something, they became unrelenting. He wasn’t going to budge until Ray was stark-naked in front of him.

“What did I–” Ray was cut off by the absence of body-weight on top of him. Gerard was now standing in front of him, arms crossed over their chest. Ray watched as their lips curved into a frown. Gerard was going to die on this incline, whether they liked it or not.

“It would’ve been way faster if you had just let me take them off myself,” Ray stated matter-of-factly. He lifted his hips so he could shimmy out of his jeans, discarding them. They were added to a growing heap of clothing at the couch’s end. His underwear followed, cock springing free from the fabric–flushed and hard from Gerard’s prior coaxing. He gave a sigh of relief, head tilting back to rest on the couch’s supporting cushions. Ray followed up with a ‘come here’ motion. It was enough for Gerard to go silent, a top row of teeth clamping down on a soft bottom lip. Stubborn as ever, they rolled their eyes. Gerard went ahead and dropped their own pants down to their ankles.

“Whatever”, they muttered, going right back to straddling Ray.

Ray’s hands knew their place–cupped eagerly around Gerard’s ass, thumbs pressing into tender flesh as they resumed their previous expenditures. Gerard had already opted for cultivating hedonism–chasing the high he’d sought for as he watched Ray strip down to his socks. They’d been robbed of enough contact already.

Ray felt flushed with fever, groaning as Gerard ground against him yet again.

“Fuck, Gee, what happened to taking up my offer?”

“Why, you wanna take me out to dinner first?” Gerard beamed, moving to press their nose right into the crook of Ray’s neck. They breathed against his skin, heavy, speaking right into the space he comfortably wedged himself into. Ray could tell they were aching to sink their teeth into him.

“Ever the gentleman, Ray Toro. It would be rude of me to decline. That being said–don’t mind if I do.”

Gerard bared his fangs, eyes shut as his tongue crept out to run along the side of Ray’s neck. They muttered into the flesh before taking any action. Saliva pooled within their mouth with another means of delay.

“I’ll count you down. Just tug on my hair if anything feels weird,” Gerard spoke sweetly, returning to their bloodthirsty demeanor straightaway. They were good at that. Gerard was like he was a man possessed, ebbing and flowing between personas. It was jarring how quickly they could switch between assertion and compliance. Ray had no room to complain. He found it made things all the more interesting. If only Gerard would stop taking their time and just bite him already.

“Got it,” he managed to choke out. Gerard’s teasing made it impossible to keep a steady head.

Ray swallowed hard against the feeling of Gerard’s mouth against his skin. He kept counting down from three in his head. If he didn’t feel their teeth in his neck within the next few seconds, he was surely going to implode. The leisurely pace Gerard moved at was starting to creep up on Ray’s nerves. He felt boundless, yet he was stuck waiting on them. He knew once he got past an initial bite, he’d be home free instead of wracked with anticipation.

Right now, all he could do was hope Gerard would do more. He was completely at their will, but something in the back of Ray’s contemplated giving up and fucking Gerard right then and there. His jaw clenched. Ray’s body felt like a rubber band, taut, ready to snap at any given moment. The frustration was welling up inside of him.

“Did your mom ever teach you not to play with your food,” Ray snapped through gritted teeth. His outburst was cut short by teeth sinking into the side of his neck.

“Fuck!” He cried. The moment Gerard’s fangs sunk into his flesh, the initial sting was sharp and electrifying. Ray’s mouth fell open. The abruptness on Gerard’s end was surprising enough to coax an audible groan out of him. Once he’d gotten over the shock of being bit, Ray's head tilted upwards. The feeling quickly transformed into something deeper, more sensual. Gerard’s bite was an intoxicating mix of pleasure and pain. It blurred the line between ecstasy and danger.

He’d been so caught up in the waiting game that he hadn’t even heard Gerard count down from three. His breath hitched and suddenly it felt like he was free-falling. The world around him grew hazy and all that Ray could focus on was a soothing pressure. It was a kind of magnetic pull he couldn’t help but surrender to. He’d forgotten the rest of what he was going to say by the time Gerard started groaning into his neck. It didn’t matter anymore, anyways. Ray could finally run on auto-pilot. He was pliant, malleable at the hands of pleasure.

He’d never felt a gentler touch than that of death. The deeper Gerard’s fangs sank, the more the bite grew into a seductive embrace. Ray's body hummed with pleasure, something that felt like devotion. Ray had never stolen a sweeter exchange than one with teeth meant to destroy him.

He could get off to the whines escaping Gerard alone. The way they kept their jaws hooked in place felt like a release. The paradox of it all made it so compelling–the vulnerability on Ray’s end, the power on Gerard’s. The danger and desire of it all. The line between predator and prey was being dissolved with intimate connection. The tingling of the bite seeped into the skin and spread deep into Ray’s bones.

The steady flow of blood felt in sync to Ray’s heartbeat. Each rhythmic throb left his pulse quickening. The feeling of tender pressure against his neck was heady. The euphoria was ever-familiar.

Gerard was too swept up in the taste of Ray to have any sort of reaction. The moment his blood had coated his tongue, he was wracked with exhilaration. Drinking from Ray was more than just the satisfaction of hunger–it was a visceral experience that consumed every inch of their being. The taste was rich and metallic and the sensation was luxurious and decadent. It surged through Gerard and left pleasure to course through their body. Each gulp was an indulgence that transcended hunger. It wasn’t just substance filling their body, but a high that settled deep within them.

Ray could watch Gerard like this all day. He could live with their mouth glued to his neck for all eternity. If it weren’t for the desperation on his end, he would let them take as much as they’d like.

“Gerard–”

Ray could feel drops of crimson trickle down the side of his neck when Gerard released him. Heat settled in their stomach, pooling alongside the blood Ray was eager to provide him with.

The silent communion between nourishment and ecstasy was fleeting.

“Huh?” They slurred, lips remaining pressed against Ray’s neck. The sudden lack of pressure made Ray’s mind swirl.

“You’re driving me insane, I need you to do something else. You can keep drinking, I’m all good on that end. I just need–you know, what you said earlier.”

He prayed they would understand.

A beat.

“Okay.” they huffed, silence tailing their one-worded retort. Gerard’s sudden change in tone ran a chill up Ray’s spine. It filled the air with an almost palpable tension. Ray wanted to speak until he felt Gerard licking his wound. He was left with his mouth agape, grappling for words.They sealed the bite before he could get anything out, quickly parting with the bitten side of his neck. He brought a hand up to the bite, gliding pristine fingers through drying blood. The loss of its original vibrancy was apparent.

“I said you could keep drinking, why’d you close it?”

Gerard ignored the inquiry, going ahead and pressing their chest to Ray’s. The new warmth radiating from Gerard engulfed him. It always happened when they were able to drink from a fresh source.

Gerard stopped themself before taking anything further. Their expression changed with epiphany. They got up and off of Ray in one foul swoop. Once again, Gerard was within reach, yet untouchable. It left Ray scrambling as they walked towards the direction of the bathroom.

“Gerard?” Ray looked over the couch’s back. He caught a glimpse of the back of their head before they wordlessly ducked into the next room. Gerard was going to kill him. Not by the means of some horrific blood-drinking accident, but because they had left Ray alone with his cock fully hard between his legs.

He didn’t know what to do with himself or how long he would be waiting like this. It made him feel stupid, like all he could do was wonder what Gerard was doing in the bathroom. There was much to think about. He didn’t even know why they got up in the first place, let alone how long they planned to leave him on his own. They didn’t even say anything when they’d pried themself off him.

“Gee?” He called out one more time for reassurance. He received no response despite knowing they could definitely hear him. “I’m gonna do this myself if you’re not–”

Gerard re-emerged with something in hand. When they approached Ray again, he could see what they were holding. It was an open bottle of AstroGlide. Ray felt all the more ridiculous. Of course they were getting lube.

Gerard stood in front of him with his hands resting along the curves of their hips.

“Uh, chill it, dude. I needed a second to prep. Poking around your own asshole takes a bit of time. I was also going through one of our drawers to get this.”

They shook the bottle for emphasis, trapping their tongue under one of their fangs. Ray looked up at them from where he was sitting. Gerard had ditched the shirt he was wearing while he was in the bathroom. Porcelain skin was fully on display, save for blood smattered near their mouth and chin. Ray drank in the sight of Gerard. He couldn’t stop staring. The sight of them covered in his own blood was one to behold. Gerard’s looks were unrelenting in beauty. It was unforgiving in Ray’s temptation.

Gerard snapped his fingers in his face to further grab Ray’s attention. “Did you forget your glorious disposition,” They chastised. “Ray, you’re huge. I love you, but I am not splitting myself in two on your dick.”

The last half of their statement was siphoned by laughter. Its sound was barely contained. It was an eclectic mix between mischievous and sharp. It died down as soon as it started. Gerard began to make an effort to reassure Ray by closing the distance between them. They started by resolving Ray’s previous inquiries.

“You have another side of your neck, by the way. I closed that side because I planned on drinking from the other. You know I can’t get enough of you.”

Ray’s expression softened at the explanation. He watched Gerard join him on the couch again. He’d made himself comfortable, showing he still wanted to abide by their requests. Gerard tapped a finger to his lips inquisitively. They returned to their rightful place: directly on top of Ray. Gerard squatted down, squeezing a generous amount of lube into their palm.

Ray’s synapses fired. His eyes lit up at the sight. Gerard was quick to pick up on it. They let one of their hands rest against Ray’s pelvis. Their fingers lingered there, glance lingering for seconds too long. Everything had been building so slowly, like a whispered promise.

“Watch it. Don’t go fucking into my fist or anything like that,” Gerard warned. His voice was steady, unwavering when addressing Ray. Their crafty fingers wrapped around Ray’s cock, slicking it up with lube. His thumb wandered, teasing its leaking tip. Gerard loved to build him up. It was like he was conditioning Ray for a delicate dance of restraint and attraction.

Ray felt like he was on fire, burning from the inside out. The slow build, the quiet anticipation, had burst into something fast, something hungry. There’s an obvious growing urgency incapable of being contained. Ray needed to be seated, fully inside of Gerard. “Need you,” he muttered. His undercurrent of desire took on a magnetic quality. It was charged with anticipation and possibility. It was worse than when he had been waiting for Gerard to bite him.

“Now,” Gerard purred, falling forward to claim Ray’s lips for a kiss. Ray’s initial expression twisted at the sudden taste of metal. Right, Gerard was still covered in his blood. Ray pulled back for a second, moving in to steal one last kiss. His breath came in pants across Gerard’s lips before he pulled back one more time.

Ray grabbed their hips, lining himself up, and pushed himself inside. The searingly hot, vice-tight grip of Gerard’s body was incomparable to any sensation Ray had ever known. Ray had no room for thought, no time to second-guess and no bandwith left for anything that didn’t border on pleasure.

A reactionary exhale left Gerard. The stretch and the feeling of fullness was exquisite.

“Alright?” Ray asked in earnest.

Gerard nodded wordlessly, drinking in the sight of Ray flushed and sweating. He smiled down at him, hands moving to grab Ray’s behind him. Their legs were spread wide, reveling at the stretch of Ray inside him. He arched his back in hopes to try and manipulate his movements. Gerard wanted Ray to lose his cool. Ray had already so when he’d felt Gerard handling him.

Ray’s grip on Gerard’s hips became more apparent. His fingertips dug into the flesh as he fucked into him with newfound fervor. Ray’s cock gilded against his prostate, the friction sending a charge up their spine. They felt like they were teetering on the edge of something bigger. Every movement was sharp and intense. They both had been holding back for too long. Gerard could feel the heat of Ray’s skin. He could feel the quick thud of his heartbeat beneath him. Something deep inside Gerard wanted more. They wanted Ray to themself in every way imaginable.

“Ray,” Gerard whined, leaning in as a warning. He was going for the un-bitten half of Ray’s neck.

“Mmmhm,” Ray acknowledged Gerard’s plea, giving him the go-ahead to take whatever they wanted.

Gerard stayed true to his word. There was no hesitation this time. Gerard’s lips didn’t even ghost over the site. Instead, his sharp fangs brushed against the skin before sinking straight in.
The tension snapped. It burst through the two of them like a flood, surging like a fire. The feeling would always be familiar, but still left Ray shuddering beneath Gerard as he fed. He could hear them slurping above him. He couldn’t blame them for being a messy eater. He’d forgive them for the unpleasant auditory experience when the inside of his eyes weren’t bursting from the blood being sucked out of his neck.

The heightened sensation from Gerard’s bite made every tiny movement all the more enjoyable. It made Ray more aware of his own body–how it reacted to Gerard. How every second and every feeling felt drawn out. He continued to snap his hips with utmost precision. He was unrelenting. He could feel his orgasm pooling hot in his stomach at the base of his spine.

“Fuuuuck”, Ray groaned. His cock continued to inch in and out of Gerard at an almost tortuous pace. He couldn’t help but thrust, given that he didn’t have much of an advantage with Gerard on top of him.

Gerard spoke again. This time their voice oozed high demand. They were at the point where they couldn’t breathe without moaning.

“Fuck, Toro, right there. Don’t stop,” they hissed, reaching for their own cock. Ray’s hand was already there. He wanted Gerard to unravel in time with him.

“Let me take care of you,” Ray tutted. The palm of his hand dragged over the head of Gerard’s cock, thumb moving over the slit. He gripped it tighter. Ray pumped it with the same punishing rhythm as his cock pounded into Gerard.

Gerard was coming apart, head thrown back, his vision black around the edges. With a final snap from Ray’s hips and the twist of his hands, Gerard was coming apart, head thrown back, his vision black around the edges.

“Holy shit”, Ray vaguely hears Gerard say. Gerard was clenched around him, resulting in Ray’s body involuntarily jolting. Every fiber of his being radiated with rapturous ecstasy. There’s no stopping it; he didn’t even realize he was shooting off inside Gerard. The force of his orgasm had slammed all thought and sense of reality from his body. Dimly, he registered Gerard had followed him over the edge.

It clicks as soon as Ray hears Gerard scream his name. He clenches as his release spurts between Ray and himself. They’re still for a moment, chest heaving as they look down at a spent Ray Toro beneath them.

Ray wordlessly pulled out, making his embrace available for Gerard’s convenience. Gerard collapsed on top of him, hands shooting forward to cup his face. Ray had the impression that he was going in for a kiss. His lips were puckered and ready, but Gerard shut the idea down entirely. They ended up turning Ray’s head to the side for easy access. He was quick to lick another fresh wound shut.

Gerard could hear a soft “Oh,” leave Ray’s mouth.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t forget,” Gerard cood, pressing an affectionate kiss to Ray’s forehead. They surrendered their grasp around his face right after.

Gerard allowed himself the privilege of laying his head on Ray’s chest. For a very long time, nothing existed in the hazy bliss save for the feeling of their bodies pressed together on the couch. The exchange of soft, tender, aimless kisses across each others’ lips and faces followed shortly after. When Ray caught sight of Gerard, absurd delight bubbled up from his chest. He couldn’t help but laugh. Gerard joined him before breaking what was a hanging silence between them.

“What’s so funny,” They hummed, raising a brow in question. Gerard found one of Ray’s hands with his own, lacing their fingers together before giving it a light squeeze.

“I need to shower,” Ray stated, shaking his head to correct himself. “You need to shower. You’ve got my blood all over you.” He felt the warmth of Gerard’s hand in his, scanning their features as he continued. “We can shower together.”

“You love it,” Gerard spoke flatly. Ray frowned. They were right.

Ray still made a good point. The two of them were sweat-slicked and covered in a mess of their own making. Ray pressed another kiss to his mouth, trying to sweeten the deal. Gerard hummed contentedly, pulling back with a smile.

“Yeah, okay, twist my arm, I guess,” Gerard quipped, keeping one of his legs firmly in place over Ray’s.

“We still need to turn down the thermostat, too,” Ray added.

“In a second. I’m so comfortable,” Gerard retorted.

Ray sighed. He was secured in a tender, loving embrace. It left Ray’s lips to twist with feeling. He pressed one more hard kiss against Gerard’s mouth. He knew he wouldn't be moving anytime soon if they were set on keeping him in place.