“A temporary condition,” Karim joked.
“Karim,” Julien chided. “There’s nothing wrong with human. We were human once. And darling, we’ve known you were human the whole time, and we’ve enjoyed spending time with you.”
He said it like it made perfect sense. Luis’s head was spinning.
“Is this not something you want? As you are human, we are vampires. That could be a sticking point for you,” Julien said carefully.
“No,” Luis said quickly. “I meanyes, I want this. That you’re vampires doesn’t change anything except that–that you can help me with the blood thing.”
“Good,” Julien said. “And of course, whatever you need. But also, if you decide to go with alternative methods, you will never owe us this. Your blood and what we feel about you are separate, understand?” His hand came to tip Luis’s head up to meet his eyes.
“I understand,” Luis said.
“Good,” Julien smiled. He was so beautiful when he smiled. “Now, may I kiss you?”
“Yes,” the breathless answer came immediately.
Julien closed the distance and kissed him.
His lips were cooler than Karim’s, but he also tasted of mint. Julien kissed him gently, not in the tentative, unsure way Karim had, but like it was his way. His hand on Luis’s chin held him steady, guiding him by way of softness.
Luis sighed, opening when Julien’s kiss asked for more.
He kissed differently from Karim. Where Karim had made him burn from the start, this was a slow simmer, a creeping heat that started low and filled Luis.
Julien layered kiss over kiss, no start and no end, tongue slipping inside every so often to taste him.
It was drugging, almost like the bite haze.
Eventually, Julien pulled back so Luis could suck in needed air. His hand curled around the side of Luis’s head, holding him, gazing at him with clear affection.
“How was that?” Julien asked.
“Fucking hot,” Karim interjected.
Luis blinked, licked his lips. He tasted mint. “Um,” Luis said.
“You kiss the words right out of his head?” Karim asked.
“Shut up,” Luis said, blushing hot.
“Make me,” Karim said. He pushed himself up and shuffled closer. Before Luis could do anything, Karim was turning Luis’s head for another kiss. There was no hesitation this time.
The slow simmer went up in flames. Luis kissed him back, not submitting like he had with Julien, but trying to give back some of Karim’s own antagonism. When he felt the sharp tip of a fang, he nibbled at Karim’s lower lip in return before pulling away.
“Fuck,” Karim breathed. His eyes were dark. Hungry.
“So rough with him,” Julien said, and turned Luis back toward him. Then he was being kissed again, soft, soft, soft. It tingled down his spine, loosening the coiled adrenaline.
Luis blinked his eyes open when Julien finally let him go.
“We should stop here for now,” Julien said. His lips were wet, shiny.
Luis had done that.
“But it was just getting good,” Karim’s voice was deep.
Julien hummed. “I think I’ll go for a swim. Join me Karim.”
