Rainbow of Love

Red.

The color of my blood as it dripped down my arm. Their ice blue eyes, fully dilated, followed the trail of crimson beads dribbling onto the ground. For a vampire, they were quite self-controlled. I’d been injured before in their presence, of course. It never caused a problem. But it was not their hunger that was problematic. It was mine. I didn’t believe love at first sight existed until I glanced upon their face. An androgynous mix of features unique to them and them alone. I pined in secrecy, knowing that a creature as beautiful as them could never love a mortal, ravenous, lonely thing like me. They turned to walk away from my injury, as they always did. A polite sniff of the air was all they gave. But I stopped them. I held out my wrist, right where the goblin’s sword had slashed it. An offering. I knew they would not hurt me. They were too gentle for that.

“I don’t understand,” they said, taking my hand in theirs. My blood dripped onto their fingers.

I dared not blurt out how I really felt, or what I really wanted. Taste me. So I said nothing. But somehow in that silence, they seemed to comprehend. Slowly they lifted my wrist to their lips, maintaining my gaze as they did. Their eyes seemed to wonder if this was really what I wanted. It was.

Orange.

The color of the dawn as it peeked over the horizon. We sat atop a mountain, watching the day break. I ran my fingers over the scar at my wrist, the familiar white ridge I always touched when I didn’t know what to do with my hands. They passed me a steaming cup of tea, our campfire crackling happily at our feet. I stole a glance at them, the sunlight casting a glow across their porcelain skin. Vampires were too beautiful to be real. How could we have been friends for so long, traveling together and having adventures, yet I still could not confess my feelings? They seemed to not care romantically for anyone. Not men, not women, nor anyone in between. But they enjoyed my company, and that was good enough for me. Maybe this was enough.

“Remember that time back in the north woods when you let me drink your blood?” they said.

Heat flushed into my cheeks and I started intently at the sunrise, hoping the reflected colors would disguise my blush. “Yes.”

“You tasted like that,” they said, gesturing to the sky.

“Oh,” I mumbled, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. “Is that a good thing?” They laughed as if I had suggested something truly absurd. What I wanted to ask was, do you want more?

They dragged their hand through their silver hair and pushed it out of their face. “I think about it all the time,” they said in a low voice. They avoided the question I asked, yet somehow told me exactly what I wanted to know.

Yellow.

The color of the sand as it glimmered on the beach. They playfully pushed me into the oncoming wave and I crashed into the sea. They were laughing as I came up from the water. My long hair was tangled in a bird’s nest mess, the salty water stinging the tiny cuts in my fingers from picking blackberries. I felt so human. Perhaps a mermaid would better suit them. I’d given up hope that it’d be me. Who was I anyway? A lowly woman such as myself could hardly compete with the other magical creatures that inhabited this land. They dove into the water and held their breath an unusually long time. Perhaps they had found a mermaid to love after all. But eventually they surfaced again, very much alone.

After our frolic in the ocean, we retreated to a shaded spot on the beach. I tried to comb my fingers through my mess of hair and made little progress. “Let me,” they said. Before I could protest, they’d seated themself neatly behind me and began to weave their fingers through my tresses. 

Miraculously, they untangled my hair in record time, taking care not to pull and yank at the knots. My skin tingled, shivers running down my spin to feel their gentle touch. They braided my hair back into a neat plait, then rested their chin on my shoulder.

“All better,” they whispered.

I could feel their breath hot on my neck. Bite me. My heart was racing, my blood pumping through my body like lightning. It was like they could sense it. They somehow knew. Bite me, gods damn it.

“Lyra,” they whispered. My name was so sweet on their tongue. “Ordinarily I can abstain–”

“Don’t,” I murmured, cutting them off.

They exhaled in relief, like a wave smashing through a pier. Their lips touched my neck, followed by two small pricks as their fangs bit into my skin. Their arms wrapped around my waist, holding me in place as they drank from me.

I melted into the sensation, wishing for nothing more than for them to want me and me alone.

Green.

The color of the moss as it cradled their body. Vampires don’t bleed like humans do. When they are stabbed, like Ren had just been, the gash oozes a dark, tar-like substance akin to ichor. Stupid, pesky imps constantly ambushing travelers on the road. I wrapped their wound quickly, but they’d still lost more of their lifeforce than was wise to lose. They were weak, feeling faint, and became incoherent. When was the last time they’d eaten? I could hardly recall.

After they had my blood at the beach, we’d somewhat unceremoniously gone back to the way things had always been. Deer, rabbits, and occasionally sheep were more than acceptable sources of nourishment. They didn’t need human blood. Aside from occasions such as this when they were too weak to procure an animal.

“Ren,” I said, propping them up in my arms. “Can you hear me?”

They mumbled something in reply, but I could hardly make it out. A took a deep breath then pulled up the sleeve of my shirt. I gently eased their mouth open and slid my wrist under their fangs and pressed the tips into my skin. My blood flooded into their mouth and I tilted their head back so it slid down their throat.

I fed them until I became weak myself, at which point they’d regained enough of their strength to understand what was going on. They pulled my wrist from their fangs and pressed the edge of their cloak into it to stop the bleeding. 

My blood stained their lips red, a stark contrast to the verdant forest around us. “Why’d you do that?” they asked. I couldn’t tell if they were angry with me or simply confused.

“I can’t lose you,” I whispered.

What I meant was, I love you.

Blue.

The color of the sky as it held the multitude of stars. Stargazing was one of their favorite pastimes. And how could I say no as the tiny specks of light lit up their eyes. They were the kind of vampire that didn’t mind spending time in the sun, yet they were, of course, much better suited for moonlight. I ran my fingers nervously over both scars on my wrist.

I had to tell them. I had to say something. I was burning up inside, consumed by a lust and a passion I wasn’t sure could ever be reciprocated. I weighed the risks of ruining everything with my admission. In the end I decided that everything falling apart was a better fate than continuing to live alongside them and keeping my feelings hidden. I turned to look at them, to tell them the truth, only to see that they were already gazing at me. Me. And not the stars.

“Lyra,” they whispered, their eyes heavy with something I had not seen before. “Can I kiss you?”

“Yes,” I breathed, my body freezing in a panic. This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening.

They cupped my jaw in their hand and leaned in to kiss me. I felt their fangs brush against my lips as we kissed. They were so gentle, so soft. As usual, it was my hunger that could not be stopped. I kissed them harder, deeper. I pushed it further and further until the tip of their fang pierced my lip. Their whole body stiffened as they tasted my blood. They froze, unsure what to do next.

I thought they might want to suck on my lip, or perhaps bite into my neck. I invited it of course. But they wanted something else. Something they had not tried yet. Something they later told me was even better.

Purple.

The color of the wildflower as they placed it behind my ear. “Is that really why you want me to turn you?” they asked. “So you can be beautiful like me?”

“I suppose,” I replied sheepishly.

“You’ve always been beautiful in my eyes. You don’t need to be like me in order for me to find you exquisite.”

“But, but…” I hemmed and hawed.

“Lyra,” they said seriously, staring at me.

“Ren.” I took a deep breath and sighed. “You never seemed to desire anyone, ever. I wasn’t sure the reason. Perhaps you weren’t even interested in romance and relationships. Perhaps you’d just not met someone you cared for. How could I have guessed that you’d fall for me? Not when other vampires and all sorts of other beautiful magical and fae creatures are out there. I’m just a lowly human. A peasant girl grown up into whatever I am now. What could I possibly have to offer you?”

They took my hand in theirs, running their fingers over the scars at my wrist. “It is not beauty or magic that draws me into someone. It is the quality of their heart. Their gentleness, their kindness, their generosity. You gave to me so selflessly, in moments when nothing was asked of you at all. It was not what you gave that led me to love you, but rather the spirit you embodied in your willingness to give it. There is nothing more beautiful than that. I only wish there was something I could give you in return.”

I laughed at the absurdity of their statement. “You’ve already given me everything.” I leaned in and kissed them. “Being yours is more than I could have ever asked for.”

They kissed me and I felt them smile against my lips. Then they pulled my hair back behind my shoulder and began to kiss my neck. They wrapped their arms around me even tighter, pressing me into them.

“Taste me,” I whispered.

They obliged, sinking their fangs into my neck and drawing out my blood. I shuddered, ripples of pleasure radiating from their mouth. I buried my fingers in their silver hair, thinking about all of the little moments that had brought us to this pinnacle of happiness.

I’d waited so long for a love like this. I’d waited so long for this rainbow to stretch across my skies.