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[gallowseyes]

George has decided that he likes this time of year best of all. It's cold, but he dresses in warm layers, and there are decorations everywhere, bright lights and singing. In the time that he comes from, Christmas had been a more solemn affair -- good food, yes, but hours of church, too. This is more like Twelfth Night but for weeks and weeks. He's bought a few little gifts for Lee -- books and clothes and things that he thinks will make him smile -- though the biggest gift he has for him has not required any wrapping. They've bought a tree into the apartment, decorated with little shiny things and lights. He likes the lights best.

Today, he thinks, Lee looks tired, and he's been thinking about a promise that he made weeks ago. When Lee comes to sit next to him on the sofa, George lets him curl close and then he holds out the razorblade he's been loosely holding in his cupped fingers, presented without comment to see if Lee takes his meaning without being told.

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[atehimrightup]

Christmas has never really been a thing for Lee. His parents didn’t bother much with it when he was a kid, not until his sister came along and then it was all for her. Lee was fine with that; she deserved it.

After he left home, he just kept his head down through most of it. All the sparkly joy left him feeling miserable and hollow, and he mostly just wanted it over with.

Things are different now that he has someone to share it with. He gets to teach George about all the dumb little traditions that come along with the holiday, most of which he’d only heard about. It’s nice.

But then he starts to feel hungry, then hungrier, and the days start to pass in a bit of a fog. He doesn’t want to go out and kill anyone so close to Christmas, and he’s not having much luck yet with other avenues.

He won’t let himself get as sick as he did before, but it’s starting to wear on him. He looks pale and bleary-eyed, cheeks slightly sunken.

After deciding to ignore it for another night, he curls up with George and breathes in the scent of him, even if it makes his teeth itch. Some of the tension drains out of him at the closeness, only to return when he opens his eyes to see the razor blade being offered to him.

He stares at it for a moment and then pulls back so he can look at George’s face, his own eyes wide with surprise.

[gallowseyes]

He'd been expecting a reaction something like this, so he's prepared. He tilts his head, dark eyes soft and warm and fixed on Lee's face.

"We talked about this, love," he says, gently.

[atehimrightup]

“No, I— I know we did,” Lee says, feeling his cheeks flush. It’s splotchy on his pale skin, like there isn’t enough blood in him to properly blush. “I just— I wanted to keep you away from it all.”

He got the impression that was what George wanted, and Lee wants to give him everything. He wants to do whatever he can to not scare George off. The lights from their Christmas tree reflect in George’s soulful dark eyes and Lee swallows hard. He’d do anything not to lose this.

[gallowseyes]

"I know that. And you have. But we did talk about this and, for the record, I absolutely remember what I said." He turns the razorblade carefully between his fingers. "And this is something that I want to be able to give you, love. It doesn't have to be sex, this part. It can just be about me making you feel..." He pauses, searching for the word he wants for a moment. "Held."

[atehimrightup]

Lee stares up at George as if he’s hung the moon, eyes wet and bright. It’s not as if he thought that George was making empty promises, or that he wouldn’t actually be willing. Lee just didn’t really let himself consider it as an option, wanting to keep George entirely separate from this monstrous part of him.

But then George keeps talking and the final word takes Lee’s breath away. He’s stunned into stillness, lips parted as his mouth hangs open. A tear wells up and spills down Lee’s cheek and for a long moment he has no idea how to react to such kindness, especially not when it’s aimed at the darkest part of him.

Words continue to fail him so he surges up to kiss George hard on the mouth, one hand finding his cheek.

“You’re incredible,” he breathes out, climbing into George’s lap and kissing him again, softer this time.

[gallowseyes]

"I just love you," says George, like it's the easiest, most simple thing in the world. Lee settles in his lap, kissing him and one arm slides around his waist, holding him close. "When we talked about it, I said it was like you making me take pills for a headache." His eyebrows pull together in a soft frown. "You said it makes you feel better."

[atehimrightup]

He says it so easily, like it’s simply fact, and Lee has to swallow again the rising lump in his throat. Every day, over and over again, he’s stunned that he gets to have this man in his life, loving him and accepting him and caring for him. It’s more than Lee ever dreamed of for him.

“That isn’t quite the same thing,” Lee admits with a soft huff. “You can buy Tylenol at the store, no bloodletting necessary.”

He smiles warmly, cradling George’s cheek, then reaches down to gently take the blade from his fingers. The thought of tasting George’s blood makes his eyes darken, heart beating faster in his chest.

“It does make me feel better,” he says quietly, swallowing hard and pressing a kiss to George’s forehead. “You always make me feel better.”

[gallowseyes]

"Well, you've got your own personal supply," he says, leaning into George's cheek. "Easier and cheaper." He smiles, soft and warm, when George kisses him, his eyes going to the razorblade. "You could use your teeth, but I thought this would be...neater. I like this sweater."

[atehimrightup]

Lee’s cock twitches in his sweats at the mention of him using his teeth, and he swallows hard and does his best to keep his expression from betraying how much he’d like that. A razor blade will be cleaner and safer, less painful, and most importantly, it’s what George is offering to him. Lee couldn’t ask for anything more.

“You should still take off the sweater,” Lee says, licking one of his canines and biting his lip. “I wouldn’t want to mess it up.”

His gaze darkens further, falling to the jumping pulse point in George’s neck. He feels a little like an animal, but he reminds himself that it’s okay. George is offering. He’s willing.

“You’re the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” he breathes out, not for the first time. “God, you’re beautiful.”

[gallowseyes]

He doesn't quite hide it and George catches the look. Honestly, he doesn't mind when Lee bites him -- he likes it, even -- but he does want this to feel separate from sex, somehow. He wants Lee to be able to have this, when he needs it, too. He does, however, shift so that he can wrap his fingers in the hem of his sweater and peel it off, throwing it over the back of the couch.

"You're not so bad yourself," he says.

[atehimrightup]

George hasn’t made any move to kiss him, or touch him in any way that indicates he wants sex while this is happening. Lee isn’t sure how to feel about that. He likes it when sex is involved; everything tastes better. But he understands if George doesn’t want to combine them, not anymore.

Lee leaves his own clothes on and nods, taking a breath and shifting a little so that there’s space between his hips, easing the pressure on his cock and making their position less suggestive. He smiles at George more sweetly, kissing his cheek and then looking down at the blade held between his finger and thumb. His other hand comes to rest against George’s collarbone, skimming along to find a spot at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, away from any tendons. “Here? And you’ll push me away if you want it to stop?”

[gallowseyes]

Stripped to the waist but still warm and comfortable, so happy with Lee's weight in his lap, George rests his hands on Lee's thighs and squeezes gently.

"I will."

He didn't anticipate it happening, but he can promise, all the same.

[atehimrightup]

George looks so relaxed that it settles Lee a little, reminding him that he doesn’t have to be so ashamed of this. He doesn’t have to hide. It’s a lot to process after years of doing exactly that, and he stares at George with awe in his gaze before finally nodding.

He leans in to give George a soft kiss on the mouth, then trails kisses down his neck to the spot he’s chosen. After pressing one more reverent, worshipful kiss there, he lifts the blade and makes a cut that’s small but deep enough for blood to pour out freely, running in a crimson rivulet down to his collarbone. Lee’s eyes darken and he sways forward, chasing the drop with his tongue until he can close his mouth over the wound.

Warm blood leaks onto his tongue and Lee lets out a whimper. It’s not enough to completely sate him, but it feels like a balm. Almost instantly, he relaxes against George’s chest and suckles at the wound, swallowing when his mouth gets full and then licking at it again, coaxing more blood from the cut, resting his hand on the opposite side of George’s neck.

[gallowseyes]

The blade is so sharp that he barely feels the cut, and then Lee's mouth is on him, soft sounds of pleasure slipping out of him, and George suspects it might be the single most sensuous thing that's ever been done to him, even thought they're both still wearing clothes. He tips his head back, giving Lee all the room he needs, one hand still on his thigh, the other tracing up his spine to keep him close.

[atehimrightup]

Warm, rich blood trickles down his throat and Lee has to ignore the voice inside of him telling him to bite down, to eat, but it’s easy. He would never hurt George like that, but the urge is still there.

Instead he focuses on the taste of him, cupping George’s jaw and pulling his mouth away from the cut to press red, sticky kisses along his neck, soft and worshipful. As he does, blood wells up anew and Lee’s mouth goes to the cut again, licking it clean.

The blade is still held carefully in his free hand and he makes another small cut just under George’s clavicle, immediately licking the sting away and moaning as blood pools onto his tongue. He swallows and shudders against George’s hand, feeling like life is being breathed back into him.

That’s just what George does. He makes Lee feel so alive.

[gallowseyes]

Weirdly, George isn't sure that he's ever felt so safe. He believes Lee utterly when he says he would never hurt him and he's so grateful that he can give Lee this, that this is a way that he can help. He's turned on, half hard, but that's not what it's about. It doesn't have to be about sex. It can also just be an act of love.

He smoothes his hand against Lee's spine through the soft stuff of his t-shirt, making soft, soothing noises.

[atehimrightup]

They’re both turned on. Lee can smell it on George, taste it in his blood, but this is so much more than sex. This is intimacy beyond measure, with George giving up his body in a way that is so specific to Lee and only Lee. It a gift that he isn’t sure how he can ever repay.

He licks at the wound and then sits up to make one final, small cut right next to the first. The sight of that small crimson bead of blood running down George’s pale skin distracts him as he moves to set the blade down on the side table, just enough that it slices thinly across the pad of his index finger. He barely notices the sting, but he looks at the drop of blood on his finger and then uses it to sweep up the blood from George’s chest, careful not to touch the actual wound with his own blood.

Their blood mixes on the pad of his finger, George seeping into his veins and settling in his belly, and Lee feels dazed as he takes the digit into his mouth and sucks it clean. He stares at George’s face, cheeks hollow, then pulls his finger free and leans in to lap the blood from George’s neck and chest, licking and sucking at the wound with a content sigh as he holds his own bloody finger off to the side.

[gallowseyes]

He watches it all happen through a haze, warm and safe and soft. When Lee bends his head again, George lifts the hand on his thigh and pushes it into his hair, cradling the back of his head and sinking into the swipe of Lee's tongue over his skin. It ought to feel weirder, he thinks. Instead, it feels like home.

[atehimrightup]

The last few days has had Lee feeling tense and tired, stressed about what his body requires to keep moving, and now that all feels as if it’s been washed away. This won’t sustain him for long, but it buys it time. It relaxes him, makes him feel warm and safe, and above all, loved.

Lee remembers the horrified look on George’s face when he realized the full truth about what Lee was hiding, but George overcame it all because his love for Lee was so strong. Not only that, he freely offers up his body to indulge Lee’s unconventional needs.

He licks at the blood on George’s neck almost languidly and he knows, without a doubt, that he is the luckiest man in the world.

Eventually all three wounds stop bleeding and Lee steadfastly licks away every bit of blood he can find, pressing reverent kisses to each small cut. He feels a little drunk, smiling and licking his lips as he lifts his head. George is looking at him indulgently and Lee leans in to press their mouths together in a soft, lingering kiss.

“Thank you,” he rasps out, resting his hands on George’s shoulders as their foreheads rest together. “Fuck, I love you. Thank you.”

[gallowseyes]

"I love you too," says George, one hand still in Lee's hair, the other still stroking up and down against his back. He holds him close for a moment, their lips almost touching. "Does...did it help? You look better." He moves one hand, brushing his fingers against Lee's flushed cheek. "You've got more colour."

[atehimrightup]

It still feels like a shock to hear George say it, even though Lee knows it to be true. George loves him, really loves him, or they wouldn’t be here right now.

“Yeah, it helped,” Lee says in a low voice, smiling as George touches his cheek. He does feel better, more centered and alert, though he knows that it’s delaying the inevitable. He couldn’t live off of George’s blood forever, and wouldn’t ask for that even if he could.

But it soothes him, settles him, and reminds him that he’s loved. It reminds him that he’s home, and gives him more time.

“You’re so good to me,” he murmurs, sliding a hand into George’s hair and kissing him soundly. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

[gallowseyes]

"Good," says George because, honestly, that was all he wanted. When Lee breaks the kiss, George smudges their noses together, one arm around Lee's waist to hold him close. "Are you going to take it in the spirit that it's meant if I tell you that now I think you ought to take a nap?" He strokes his thumb against the side of Lee's face. "I'm assuming...You'll probably need to go out later, right?"

[atehimrightup]

“Nap time now that I’ve had my snack?” Lee quips, smiling as George’s strong arm curls around his slender waist, cradling him close.

“Not tonight,” he says with a slow shake of his head, relishing in the way the pad of George’s thumb feels against his skin. “Tonight I just want to be with you.”

The hunger is sated, if only briefly. He can’t imagine leaving this warm embrace and putting his mouth on anyone else in any capacity right now, not while he has George’s blood inside of him, nourishing him. He can wait.

Lee kisses him again, his bottom lip and then his chin, his cheek and the bolt of his jaw, nose nuzzling under his ear. “Are you going to nap with me?”

[gallowseyes]

"If that's what you want. I have nowhere else I'd rather be." There's a flicker of concern, but Lee knows his own body, knows his needs, and George has to trust that he won't let it go too long again.

"Do you want to stay on the couch or go to bed?"

[atehimrightup]

Lee sees the momentary furrow of his brow and the question in his eyes, and he smiles as he reaches up to brush George’s hair back from his face, thumbing at his brow. He presses a kiss to George’s forehead, then another to the tip of his nose.

“I’m okay. I promise,” Lee assures him, kissing him on the mouth before climbing off of his lap to stand, arms stretching over his head in a way that makes the shirt he’s wearing ride up over his belly. He feels flushed and warm, sleepy and safe, and it’s such a marvel.

“Bed,” he says as he holds his hand out for George to take, chin jerking toward the red lines on his neck and chest. “I need to clean those first.”