Edited 6/16/22.

A/N: This chapter contains mild swearing, blood, and implied sexual content.

***

A deer is tackled before it even realizes what's happening. The creature lets out a frightened noise when its body makes contact with the ground. A sudden fight or flight response is short lived though, because Marshall snaps a fragile neck in a quick mercy killing. The corpse falls limp in his grasp, its head lulling to the side in the dirt. The vampire doesn't hesitate when he rips into the creature's exposed flesh.

He feels a light spurt near the outer edge of his mouth, but he pays no mind to it. Fast breaths escape Marshall while feeding. His tongue laps up any blood that his throat can't hold. Warmth runs down into his stomach with every gulp. He sighs in response to finally quenching his thirst.

It's been a few weeks since his last hunt, and an ever present burning in his throat has finally subsided. For now anyway.

Crunching leaves in the nearby vicinity catch his attention. He gulps one more time to swallow any blood pooling in his mouth. His face feels a bit dirty, but he doesn't care at the moment.

Marshall's head snaps in the direction of whatever is invading his space. A predatory hiss is given in warning. A threatening sneer falls immediately, however, when he notices Paul peeking from behind a tree.

Brown eyes are wide in genuine shock.

Marshall swallows stiffly. He looks down at his fresh kill and is overcome by a wall of shame, the vampire uncomfortable at being caught in such a frenzied state.

The back of his hand settles against his mouth. It's an attempt to hide his bloodstained features. He looks off into another direction to escape a piercing stare.

"Hey- I'm sorry- there's nothing for you to worry about." Paul's voice is gentle. "I was looking for you, but I didn't think you were out feeding. Are you done?"

Marshall nods.

"Is it safe for me to come over?"

He nods again.

Paul is still cautious when walking closer.

Marshall takes a cloth napkin out of his pocket to clean his face. His boot's sole makes contact with the deer's carcass. He kicks it away from him with a gentle slide of the foot. By the time he's back to his full height, he's joined by his boyfriend. A wide gaze is now boring into the drained corpse.

"I'm surprised I didn't see it putting up more of a fight."

"They never do." The vampire sticks his napkin back in his pocket. "I kill my prey before I feed off them."

"Why?"

"So they don't have to feel any pain."

Paul looks up, catching his lover's gaze. Golden eyes are as radiant as always, but there's a hint of shame still lingering beneath them.

Delicate hands are used to cup Marshall's face. The pad of the younger male's thumb runs along the edge of the vampire's mouth. A faint trail of blood is wiped away. The digit is then dragged over soft, plump lips.

"There's no need for you to be ashamed of anything. You need to eat- that's natural. If anyone should be apologizing, it's me. I caught you at a bad time. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

Marshall shakes his head and offers a sheepish smile. "I just didn't want to scare you. I'm sure seeing me like that was a real turn off."

"Not at all- I actually thought seeing you in predator mode was kind of cool."

Both men share an easygoing laugh. The tense atmosphere melts into a carefree one. Paul wraps his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders. He leans down for a kiss, but Marshall pulls away.

"Eh, I wouldn't. Unless you want to taste blood."

"Honey Bun, if I want to kiss you, it's because I want to be affectionate. I don't care if you taste a little off."

Marshall doesn't receive the rough kiss he's expecting. Instead, a rather innocent one is planted onto his expectant lips. The peck is quick, but also fills his stomach with warmth. Butterflies burst from their cocoons to flutter inside of him as well. It makes him toy with his fingers.

Paul's lips come away clean, thankfully. The two share a fond glance at each other before walking away from a drained carcass.

They go in a specific direction, but it's not on a path that Marshall is familiar with. He looks at their surroundings to try and get a sense of where they're headed. Paul is leading though—he doesn't seem lost like his boyfriend.

The shifter must have either a date or an activity planned for them.

Small jokes and casual flirting fill up the silence. A hand settles over Marshall's bonding mark a few times. It seems like an unconscious gesture that's done to appreciate the scar's existence. Like Paul is admiring the fact that he was even able to put it there—or have someone to put it on.

He can't physically do so, but Marshall turns away to hide a phantom blush encompassing his entire face. Paul seems to understand the gesture because he rakes his fingers over the spot more often. It's met with the same bashful reaction.

Marshall sighs when the scent of the ocean hits his nostrils. The two arrive at a desolate strip of the beach where a few large rocks dot the sand. Paul starts stripping a few feet from the water. He doesn't stop until he's down to his underwear: a pair of navy formfitting briefs. He chuckles at the suggestive expression thrown his way.

"We can fuck later, you little minx." The shifter looks up at a nearby cliffside. "I wanted to take you cliff diving."

That makes Marshall excited in a different way.

He doesn't need much more coaxing than that to start stripping himself. The vampire is left clad in a pair of his own formfitting briefs. They're a deep red rather than blue. Clothes are folded and set off to the side near a collection of smaller rocks. After, golden eyes look up at the cliffside.

It's definitely bigger up close.

It may take a little while to reach the top on foot. If he were to use his actual speed though, they could reach their destination in a matter of seconds.

Marshall pulls his gaze back down, making eye contact with his boyfriend. "If I told you to climb onto my back, would you?"

"Depends. What're you going to do?"

"Run. Very, very fast."

Paul smirks. He does as told and jumps onto his imprint's back. Strong legs wrap around the male's smaller waist. Warm arms wrap around his shoulders and neck, hands clasping around the opposite elbow. Marshall takes hold of both thighs propped against his hips. His grip is light enough to not be painful, but firm enough to keep Paul rooted against the speed.

The vampire looks around once more to make sure there are no people. Both men disappear from sight, beginning their ascension.

Marshall can feel Paul looking around as they move at inhuman speed. Despite loud rushing wind, excited hollers can be heard against it. The vampire's wild grin comes alive. He can feel his mate's heart rate picking up. His limbs tighten in response to the fast movement, but his body language remains lax. Heartfelt laughter and growing smiles continue all the way up to the top of the cliff.

Quick movements come to a halt a short distance away from the edge. Paul is set down with ease. He scoops Marshall up into a tight hug, euphoric adrenaline still pumping in their veins. A simple embrace turns into playful kissing. Small snickers are mixed in as well.

Both men continue holding hands when walking forward. Such a drastic change in altitude makes light wind feel much stronger. The sky is masked in light gray clouds. An occasional ray of sunshine peeks through. Birds are flying in a v shape in the distance. Below them, waves are crashing against the rocky surface of the cliff itself. The surrounding water is murky but still beautiful to look at.

"So, how are we doing this?" Marshall asks with his focus still drawn to the horizon.

"Together."

A larger hand squeezes his own. Their fingers intertwine like clockwork, extreme heat meeting extreme cold. Differences in temperature cause a pleasant warmth to settle against their palms. Marshall shifts his attention over to his mate.

Paul is looking out at the waves. A small smile is planted on his face. Dim reflections of surrounding clouds can be seen in the saturated brown of his irises. After a moment, he looks over at his imprint. The two look between each other's eyes before gazing back out toward the sea.

Marshall shuffles in his spot to quell some building anxiety. He can feel Paul's heart rate spiking through his hand. They take a couple of steps back. Clenched hands tighten against each other. Before either of them can back out, they make a running start for the cliff edge.

And then they're falling.

The descent feels like it's going in slow motion. Wind against their bodies is fast, and it tousles their hair. Arms involuntarily shoot upward in an attempt to keep themselves from plummeting further. Free hands clasp against the air around them to grab something out of reflex. Crashing waves come closer and closer.

Until suddenly, they're gone. And both men are underwater.

Air bubbles are floating up toward the surface. In the distance, Marshall can make out small sections of rock. A fish passes by without a care in the world. Sparkling seashells can be seen further down on the ocean floor, but salt water makes it a bit difficult to clearly see many shapes or outlines. He looks to the side and notices Paul looking around as well.

His cheeks are slightly puffed out; probably from holding pockets of air in the spaces between them. Shorter strands of hair float in the water. Whenever he turns, the strands follow. Tan skin is painted in a faint blue tint. It actually makes everything look that much more ethereal.

The couple continue to look out at the underwater world before breaking for air.

Although unnecessary, Marshall sucks in a deep inhale when they resurface. Paul does the same. Excited laughter is sprinkled throughout fast paced breathing. Golden eyes look up toward the cliff to really take in the distance they fell from.

Talk about one hell of a drop. And it was one of the most exhilarating things he's ever experienced in his life.

It takes a few minutes for them to calm down. When they do, they resubmerge themselves to have an easier time getting back to shore. Marshall leads as he's naturally faster than his partner. The vampire still makes sure to keep his speed at a reasonable pace so he doesn't leave Paul behind. It also gives the older male an excuse to take in everything at a slower speed than he usually would.

Pale fingers are splayed out, feeling the swish of water in between them. Longer locks of hair tickle the tips of his ears. Blue tinting on lighter skin is more saturated against his features. Observing multicolored tattoos in a different shade is an interesting spectacle to witness.

Marshall resurfaces for the final time when sand starts grazing his outstretched hands. He stands up, and water runs down his body at a fast pace. The ocean sits against his waist now that he's upright. Both hands are brought up to clear his face of salt water. Wet hair is pushed back, the action leaving his forehead exposed. A cool breeze is nice against his skin.

The vampire looks back at the sound of Paul walking closer. His expression is mischievous.

Quicker than he has any business doing half submerged in water, the shifter runs over. He grabs Marshall and picks him up bridal style. A single arm scoops up the vampire's legs. The opposite hand braces against the center of his back toward the bottom section of his wing tattoos. He's carried until they're back on dry land.

Paul sets his imprint on the sand as gently as he can. The shifter plops down as well. Lying back, he keeps himself propped on one elbow. Marshall sits cross legged. Deep breaths are felt against his knee.

They watch the horizon in silence while waiting for themselves to dry. Waves are a little more violent than before. Gray clouds have broken up enough for the sunset to peek through. Differing shades of orange, pink, and purple dot small sections of the sky. Marshall looks over at the sound of his mate chuckling.

"That was awesome."

"Hell yeah, we should do it again sometime." A delighted expression turns playful. "I have to say, I didn't know you could have such a girly scream given the circumstance."

Paul splays a hand over his chest. "You wound me, Marshmallow."

"Oh hush- you know I love you."

Tense silence settles between them.

"You- you do?"

Only then does Marshall realize what he's just admitted.

He definitely didn't plan on that coming out so casually. But he's been gearing up to say it anyway. With the day being so fun and amazing—it just felt right to say it in the heat of the moment.

Confidently, Marshall glances over at Paul.

The younger male's eyes are wide. A faint blush is spreading over his cheeks and along the bridge of his nose. Even the tips of his ears are red. His heart is hammering in his chest. And a radiant smile sheds light on growing elation.

"Yeah, I do."

Paul pushes himself up onto his knees. He doesn't give any form of warning before he grabs Marshall by the face with shaking hands. Their lips meet in a series of rushed, clumsy kisses. The shifter lets out small noises with every peck of his lips. Neither male minds the taste of salt water. If anything, it just makes this moment feel even more real.

"Say it again." Another kiss is offered. "Say it again, baby. Please."

"I love you, Paul."

Marshall is pulled to his feet. In his ecstatic state, the shifter envelops the other male in a tight hug. He twirls their joined bodies around in a small circle. When Paul laughs again, the sound is wet; almost like he's fighting off tears. When they make eye contact again, it's revealed to be the truth.

"I love you too, Marshall. I love you so much."