"You... really do love me?" said Megan, hesitant.

David sighed softly. "Yes. I guess I didn't want to admit it because... I mean... a human and a vampire..." he trailed off.

"Just because the Hunter in the movie didn't think it would work, doesn't mean he was right. Like you said, it's not real. What reason is there that a vampire and a human couldn't love?"

"Uh..." David thought about it. "I can't think of any, actually." He smiled at her. "Other than 'it's never been done before' but I guess that's not much of a reason, is it?"

"No, it's not much of a reason at all." She moved a little closer to him. He reached up and caressed her cheek softly. They came together in a hesitant kiss. Both of them had been with others before, but this was different. It was strange and new to them both, and not just because David was no longer quite human. They shared gentle kisses and soft caresses, each a little shy, a little awkward after how long they had been together without expressing their feelings. David took incredible care to be gentle, wanting very much not to hurt her. She was a little more bold, putting her arms around him and holding him tightly.

After quite a while Megan pulled back a little. She slid her hands down David's chest, and started undoing the buttons on his shirt. He smiled up at her and reached up to run his fingers through her hair. She ran her hands across the cool skin of his chest, then down lower, and she started undoing the button on his pants as well.

He let out a little yelp of surprise and scooted away from her. "You can't possibly want to... uh..."

"Why can't I?" Her tone was amused. "And 'because I'm a vampire' isn't a reason. You are capable, aren't you?"

He had that would-be-blushing feeling again. "Uh... I... as far as I know, yes. But... uhm... I'm, uh, cold down there too. I mean... you... uh..."

Megan giggled, a delighted little sound, and grinned at him. "Oh my. I guess there are some things you don't know. A woman can pleasure herself with ice, David. I haven't tried it myself, but I've been told it's quite enjoyable. Cold isn't a problem at all."

"Oh." He felt as though he ought to be red all the way to his toes, he was so embarrassed.

Megan giggled and snuggled up to him again, letting her hands wander. "It's okay. I just... I love you so much, and now that I've admitted it, I want to be close to you in every way possible."

He relaxed and slid his arms around her. "Yes. I want to make you happy, to do everything I can for you." He kissed her again, with tender passion.

They explored each other slowly, removing clothing to touch and caress. Her hands were warm as they ran across his skin, and in the warmth of the desert summer night his cool touch was pleasant. She pressed close to him, holding him against her, and he ran his hand through her hair. His face rested against her neck as she held him and he was suddenly vividly aware of her pulse, of her sweet blood scent, of his own hunger. The blood smell flooded his senses, overwhelming everything else. The urge to just do it, to just bite into her neck right then and take her blood was nearly irresistible. It would be so easy, so good...

He gasped and pulled back. With a sob he turned away from her and curled up on his side.

"David... what's wrong?"

"I hate this! I just want to be with you, to take care of you, and all I can think of is blood. Every night! Every night I can smell it, every night I think of it, want it, even when I've just fed. The hunger hardly goes away for an hour, and then it's back. I can't be close to you, I can't hold you and just think normal thoughts, I have to fight the hunger, fight wanting to just take your blood. That's why vampires can't love humans, because all they can think about, all I can think about, is blood. I hate it! I hate needing it. I hate myself." He started sobbing, tears streaming down his face.

"Oh David." She sat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, really it is. If you want my blood every day, you can take it every day, I'll give it happily."

"But I'd hurt you. I don't want to hurt you. To lose that much blood..." He sniffed, still crying.

She smiled down at him. "I'm a woman, David. I know a little bit about blood loss. I lose far, far more during my monthly cycle than you have ever taken. Losing blood every day is something I'm used to. It won't hurt me. And there are pills, supplements to help me build it back faster. I promise it won't hurt me."

He shook his head, still not looking at her. "But I could still hurt you. It's not just wanting it every day, it's wanting it all, to just take until there's nothing left. I could kill you."

"But you won't." Her voice was steady, her tone calmly factual. "I know you. I trust you. You are strong, far stronger than anybody else I've ever known. You've never once lost control yet, no matter how badly you needed it. And surely if you're taking a little bit every day it will be that much easier, the need that much less." She touched his cheek gently, wiping away the tears, and he looked up at her, saw her warm, loving smile. "It's okay." She took his arm, pulled him up. He gave in and sat up, wiping the tears off of his face. She leaned in, kissed his cheek softly. "You said the hunger does go away for an hour or so after. So come, take what you need, and we'll have that hour to just be us, David and Megan, and not vampire and human." She shook her hair back, and tilted her head to the side, baring her neck.

He hesitated. Her heartbeat was slow, she was utterly unafraid, but he still was, he was terrified he would hurt her. But he couldn't say no, couldn't reject her trust in him. So he slid his arms around her and kissed her neck gently, her scent flooding over him.

She put her hand to the back of his head in gentle encouragement.

He hesitated a moment more. But he knew that she was giving this willingly, and he felt his hunger demand it and those together were enough to overcome his reluctance. He closed his eyes and bit down.

The taste was wonderful, electrifying, as he had known it would be. And taking at her neck like this gave him more than he could get from her wrist, a flood of intense sensation. He drank deeply, and was lost in it, in the wonderful taste and feeling of it. But only for a moment, just an instant, and then his control returned. He fought down the urge to take it all, as he had so many times before, and it was easier than he had feared it would be.

Eventually the flow of blood slowed, and he didn't, as he knew he could, renew the fang marks and take more. Instead he pulled back, and looked at Megan, worried still that he had taken too much, that he had somehow hurt her. Her arms were still around him, and she smiled at him with a dreamy sort of smile.

"Mmm. That was even nicer, I think, than before."

"You're okay?"

"Yes. More than okay. I don't think I'd mind doing that every night at all." She straightened a bit and smiled again. She reached out and touched his cheek. Then she giggled, and wiped a little droplet of blood from the corner of his mouth. "You weren't quite so tidy this time though." She licked her finger clean.

He stared at her.

"Oh what? It's just blood! You're making this into something bigger than it needs to be. Didn't you ever cut your finger and then suck on it, when you were still human? Blood is just circulatory fluid. It carries oxygen from your lungs around your body. Or around my body, at least. Heaven knows what it does for vampires, since you don't breathe. But it's not something scary, and it's not something magical either."

He laughed, a little shakily. "I don't know how you can be so matter of fact about it."

She shrugged. "Probably because books have exposed me to other points of view besides the typical city-dweller paranoia about vampires. Maybe you're something supernatural, or maybe you're not, but either way there's no reason to make such a fuss about it. Now come on. We only have an hour or so without such distractions, you said. I want to enjoy that time to the fullest." And she pulled him in close for a long, deep kiss.

And if she tasted a lingering hint of her own blood on his lips, she certainly didn't mind.