Smother the Flame in Your Heart // Danny x Sam

Part VII

Word Count: ~3600

Warnings: vampire stuff; brief smut

Hope this was worth the wait ;)

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For the first time in a long time, life was good for Danny. He felt genuinely content almost all the time now–it didn't matter what happened at work or with his family or the little issues with the apartment that, until very recently, had felt akin to a prison. His entire existence felt lighter now with Sam in the picture and that wasn't something Danny had ever anticipated or expected from any relationship. But, he realized, that may have been because none of his other relationships had involved what he was sure was nothing short of a soulmate. Perhaps hokey and overly romanticized, but it was true–Sam was his soulmate. Sam challenged him, helped him have fun, listened to him, shared with him, explored with him. All the things that Danny wanted and he didn't have to hide one single part of himself. Sam accepted and loved him as a whole being. It was a real, whole relationship.

Including real dates, which Danny found himself enjoying far more than he ever had in the past. Definitely because it was with Sam, but also because Sam liked doing just about anything–Danny never had to think too hard or plan too much. The bonus being nearly every date ended with sex–Sam was insatiable.

Almost as insatiable as Danny, but he was doing an excellent job at holding back no matter how much Sam encouraged him to just let go and give into his ultimate desires. He thought, anyway. There'd been nothing even close to a slipup. However, when the Kiszkas roped him into a little weekend road trip to what Josh called "the big city" for Sam's birthday, Danny knew it was another massive hurdle. Every time he was with all of them, the urges crawling in his brain began to scream.

Sam, as usual, could feel the tension emanating from Danny, both in his energy and in how tightly he was holding himself while they sat in the backseat of Josh's car. He held Danny's hand, both trying to keep his boyfriend grounded but also himself. He couldn't help it–he kept getting jealous. Each time Danny went off to get his fix with someone else, seething envy, hot anger and even some dark, twisted despair brewed in his body and mind. Worse was that each time Danny was with his brothers, that envy and betrayal grew until it felt like vines wrapping around his heart, squeezing tight.

He never wanted to upset Danny but bottling his emotions was unnatural for Sam. Sometimes, mostly because Danny wouldn't even outright tell him why he was heading out of town for a night, Sam wanted to throw an actual tantrum. He wanted to demand his boyfriend go to him for absolutely everything no matter what, because Sam could handle it, because Sam wanted it. But Danny was skilled in self-control, so Sam tried to be too, time and time again.

It got better once the ride was over. Walking through the streets of the city, popping into shops, revisiting museums, lunch, drinks–all of it was good. Very good, actually, and Sam felt a conscious, profound sense of gratitude for his life. For his brothers, his whole family, and now Danny. He could hardly believe that it was going on six months that he'd had a real, actual boyfriend, the sort of person that was better than he'd ever imagined. Stranger than he'd ever imagined too, but that was partly why he loved Danny so much. Beyond the whole vampire thing, Danny was an unabashed dorky weirdo. He never took himself too seriously but he took the important things in life seriously. Danny took him seriously and Sam knew that Danny prioritized his happiness more than his own, something that was incredibly novel and curious. Sam always had a bit of a hedonistic streak–instead of Danny faulting him for it, he encouraged it. He knew that for a fact when Danny gave him his birthday gifts–a sizable bag of incredible smelling weed and a whole slew of different edibles.

"Holy shit," Josh remarked, leaning over the table so far that it looked like his entire upper body was going to make contact with their half-eaten plates of sandwiches and their beers. "Look at that haul." He looked at both Sam and Danny while he sat back down. "Sammy, you really hit the jackpot with this one."