It was happening again. That terrible twisting in her stomach that sent her crashing onto her knees painfully. She was glad the room was dark, the sole lit candle long since burned out. She had been woken from her oddly peaceful sleep in desperate need of a drink. Though this wasn’t the thirst she had thought it was. She grunted louder than she hoped wrapping her hands around her middle gritting her teeth against the bottomless pit forming in her body. Of course it had to happen now, not when they were out in the forest or literally anywhere else. She cursed herself for putting off feeding for so long, idiot.
“Imogen?” Her name was called so gently she could cry. The silent room filled with rustling as her travel companion stirred awake. Her lavender eyes lifted to see Laudna sitting up in their shared bed looking around still a bit dazed.
“I-I’m alright. Just needed some water.” She did her best to smile and hide the pain clearly echoing itself into her features. She watched as Laudna’s gaunt face dropped in concern when her eyes found her. It was weird, being able to see in the dark. Just a small perk from becoming an undead thing, she thought bitterly smirking to herself a bit.
“Imogen, you’ve collapsed on the floor, haven’t you?” Launda was at her side carefully unraveling her from her curled up position. “I can see the pain on your face. When was the last time you… you know?” She always wore her emotions on her face. Imogen knew Laudna still blamed herself for Imogen becoming a vampire, knew it was a bit of trigger from her past. She also knew Laudna compared herself to the briarwoods and how similar their stories were becoming. Of course Imogen did her best to comfort and assure they were nothing alike, maybe some details were adjacent to one another, but the two stories were entirely different. Delilah made Sylas a vampire for herself, Imogen became a vampire to give Launda some of her humanity back. It was different.
“I uh,” Imogen swallowed thickly feeling an animalistic need to jump on her partner. “I’m not sure.” She was speaking past fangs now, slightly lisping unused to their new length. She bit the inside of her cheek fighting off the urge to pin Laudna to the ground and sink her teeth into her flesh.
“Imogen do.” Laudna paused unable to meet the hungry glowing lilac staring at her. “Do you need me to?” Her spindly hand gestured to her shirt pulling the sleeve of her maroon tunic up past her elbow.
“Laudna.” Imogen choked out lurching as Laudna reached her wrist forward. Gritting her teeth hard Imogen sat back pushing the extended arm away. “I’m still getting used to this. What if I-”
“I’ll stop you. Please. I can’t see you like this.” The warlock cut in worry written all over her body.
“I can’t.” Imogen shakily stood with help from the other magic user. “Let’s just go back to bed.” She stumbled letting herself fall onto the creaky mattress. Pain racked through her body curling into the fetal position near in tears.
“I want you to.” The mattress dipped as Laudna climbed into bed. She carefully moved Imogen so she was laying on top of herself, her head tucked into the crook of her neck.
“I. Can’t.” The moon cursed sorcerer hissed out through her teeth. There was no way she was going to feed off of Laudna. No way. She knew the risks, what could happen. Everything could go wrong so quickly it-
The intoxicating smell of blood suddenly filled the air. Imogen shot up coming to straddle the warlock across her hips. Red ran down a long exposed arm from a very small cut placed on the wrist just above the veins. Imogen felt herself get angry, furious at what Laudna had done. It all quickly melted away as her stomach yanked against itself angrily begging her to feed.
“I give my express permission to do what you need to do to my body.” Slowly Laudna moved her hand into Imogen’s face. She was so earnest it made Imogen sick, in a literal sense. Her stomach wanted and her mind filled with guilt.
“You don’t have to.” Still Imogen snatched her wrist at a fast speed jerking the body under her forwards just enough to elicit a wince. Her eyes fell from the dripping red to see Laudna staring at her a little in pain, a little in awe. “You’re not obligated.” She whispered into cool, not cold, skin running her tongue from the bottom of dripping red up the wound itself. She sighed closing her eyes tasting for the first time petrichor, autumn leaves, crip air, and honey. Her body buzzed instantly wanting more. She needed more.
“I don’t-don’t feel obligated. I want to help you.” Laudna was breathless, even Imogen could tell. Half lidded her slightly glowing eyes met deep, nearly black, brown staring up her squinting against the dark.
“You swear?” She was using all of her focus to stay where she was. To let the red drug slipping from Launda’s wrist run without her impeding it’s path.
“Cross my heart.” Laudna smiled up at her without a trace of fear. Of course she did. She trusted Imogen so blindly it made the vampires stomach swirl in a way only she could create.
“Alright then. If you start to feel woozy or anything weird just. Stop me by any means.” Imogen opened their connection. ‘I’ll be here just in case.’ She spoke calmly smirking a bit at the nod from the flushed woman underneath her.
Taking a deep breath she sat up stretching her back against the tearing hunger in her middle. Launda wan’t just something she drained. She was special, and deserved to be treated as so.
Gently Imogen pressed a kiss the palm of the hand in hers. She left butterfly light kisses all the way down her forearm licking her way back up to the slowing wound letting her mouth consume it sucking hard dragging as much blood as she could letting her eyes flutter shut sighing heavily as the taste hit her tongue.
In seconds her mouth was awash with honeysuckle sweet red. It coated her throat rushing to the pit in her stomach doing fuck all to fill it. It wasn’t enough, the small cut was nothing. She was going to have to bite. She pulled back unlatching from Laudna. She could hear the beating of her human heart as it sped. Could feel as her head filled with excitement at what was about to happen. Imogen opened her eyes shifting so she was over Laudna’s middle. She leaned down placing a chaste kiss to her cheek, her jaw, let herself travel around her neck searching for the strongest pulse point.
A part of her knew what she was doing was unnecessary. She didn’t have to touch her like this, didn’t have to kiss her the way she was. But Laudna didn’t say anything, didn’t protest as Imogen laced their hands together pinning them above Laudna’s head.
‘This okay? I know you have a thing with your neck.’ Imogen continued her motions fighting the voice in her head telling her bite and bite hard.
‘This is okay, I like when you get bold with me.’ She could hear the smirk in her voice as they spoke in their sacred space. ‘Though maybe we steer clear of the neck.’
‘Of course, darlin’. Keep your hands here.’ Imogen sat up undoing the first Botton of Laudna’s tunic sliding it down off her shoulder exposing a pronounced collar bone. She wanted nothing more in the world than to sink her fangs into that beautifully unmarked flushed skin. “You’re beautiful.” The words slipped from her mouth out into the air lighting both of their faces a deep scarlet. She cleared her throat moving her hand up to recapture Laudna’s wrist. Her lips ghosted over a jutting collar bone. She teased the tips of her fangs over the skin feeling her center pulse at the gasp that left the warlock at her mercy.
She couldn’t fight the hunger anymore. She finally gave in sinking her teeth into Laudna. A soft whimper filled her heightened hearing followed by deep chest filled sighs as lava hot blood cascaded into her mouth. She felt like she was drinking from the fountain of youth. The pit in her stomach began to fill and disappear in a way she’d never felt before, granted she hadn’t been a vampire all that long. It was different. Everything with Laudna was different.
‘Imogen.’
Laudna made everything so much better. So much brighter and lovely. She made all the pain dull, the aches cease. She was wonderful like that.
‘Imogen I’m getting dizzy.’
The world was so much more bearable with Laudna by her side. With her there, anything seemed possible.
“Darling please, I-I can’t-”
Laudna saved her life, she’d gladly give her own as many times as she needed her to.
“I-Imogen.” Like she was suddenly surfacing from under water the voice rang out in her head. Imogen shot back seeing Laudna breathing heavily. Her eye lids fell opened and closed in a clear fight to keep them open. She was pale and staring off towards the ceiling.
“O-oh no. I-I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” The lightning sorcerer jumped off the bed feeling the wear and tear from the fights that day fade away. Diving into her backpack she fished around finding a health potion quickly pouring it into Laudna’s slightly agape, gasping mouth. “Laudna.” She spoke sitting at the renewed humans side.
“I’m.” Her shallow chest expanded and fell exhausted after one word. “Alright.” She cracked open her tired eyes and smiled at Imogen. ‘Just dizzy.’
“I’m sorry. I could’ve-”
‘No. None of that nonsense. Nothing happened, best not to dwell. Let’s just sleep.’ Laudna raised her hand to Imogen’s quivering lip pulling it down with her thumb. “Looks like you got enough, that’s good.” She sighed weakly pulling Imogen to lay on top of her.
“I think I’m gonna stay up a while. Make sure you’re alright.” The vampire spoke into a cool, not cold, neck shivering as fingers began to card through her hair. She blushed at a kiss placed to the top of her head.
It didn’t take long for Laudna to pass out. And Imogen was okay with that. She stayed awake the rest of the night keeping watch over her Laudna. She feigned waking up feeling her heart thrum as she was chastised by her partner for not sleeping. She felt her stomach flutter as Laudna held her face in her hands and inspected every inch of her face reaching for any signs of… well Imogen wasn’t sure. She was sad as they lost that contact easily settling back into their normal morning routine to join their friends in the main thoroughfare of the spire by fire.