Smother the Flame in Your Heart // Danny x Sam

Part VI

Word Count: ~2800

Warnings: none, just a little angst

<3 (or maybe </3)

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Getting through the rest of the holidays posed a real challenge for Danny. He knew it would be–he'd mentally prepared as best he could, but the balancing act between being a normal boyfriend and a blood-thirsty monster continued to rock his world with each passing day, each passing event. In the spirit of being a normal boyfriend, he planned as many fun, festive things for him and Sam as he could–a trip to the big Christmas village for more last minute shopping before the official Christmas day rolled around, a snow sleigh ride through the park, hot apple cider and feeding goats and alpacas at a local farmer's market.

The last thing was extra special–Sam meeting Danny's family at their annual New Years Eve game night. It was no Kiszka party, it was just Danny, his parents and his sister and a whole bunch of board and card games, which made Sam extra nervous. He had to face his own challenge–there weren't a slew of strangers to act as any kind of buffer. No, it was just him and the Wagners and he was left to suddenly worry about being judged, something he didn't often do.

But he knew the risk of being judged was a lot different than the risk of Danny going a little insane and not being able to contain himself, which was what he'd beautifully done a couple weeks prior. Since then, Sam realized Danny had very obviously made a point to interact with his brothers as little as possible. No going inside when he picked Sam up, no group hang outs, nothing at all, really. Sam felt like he understood. Yet, the understanding didn't make the seething jealousy that soaked his insides any less palpable. It all felt so juvenile and stupid–it wasn't like Danny could control his instincts or those base desires. It was all hormones and pheromones and Sam thought that, in a way, he should actually be flattered. Something in the Kiszka bloodline was apparently very appealing to Danny.

But then, Sam thought, if he hadn't been the one to run into Danny on Halloween and one of his brothers had, would Danny be with one of them instead? That thought was too much to bear whenever it assaulted his mind so, each time it did when he was around his boyfriend, Sam lunged from wherever he was sitting or standing and planted a big wet one on his boyfriend's face to remind him who they both belonged to.

After the vibrant festivities of Christmas and New Years, it had quickly become the season of capitalizing on romance. Danny and Sam were perusing through Walmart on a bitter cold Wednesday night and Sam hooked their arms together to explore the Valentine's Day aisles together. It was a little morbid, in a way, how much red and pink there was everywhere, all the heart-shaped things, when his poor boyfriend had the unfortunate, relentless urge to bite into stranger's hearts and drink their blood until it ran red down his chin. Well, Sam silently corrected, that was a bit much. Danny was the sweetest boy he'd ever known–his gleeful adoration of the cheesy Valentine's Day decor and toys was testament to that.

"I bet you went all out for Valentine's Day with your girlfriends," Sam said, coming up behind him, who was inspecting a lavender-colored rabbit with hearts stamped on its feet. "You definitely seem like the type."

"It's cute. Girls like it," Danny told him, turning around to shove the rabbit in Sam's face. "You want him? Or her?"

Sam grabbed it and pulled it down, freeing his field of vision to survey the other choices of plushies. "I like this one," he said, retrieving a baby pink stuffed dog with floppy ears from the top shelf. "Which one do you like?"

Danny plucked the one right next to it, the crimson dog of the same plushie breed, and tapped its nose against the one in Sam's hands. "This guy. They go together."