Chapter Text
It wasn’t the sound of the bedroom door opening and closing that actually woke Sam from his sleep.
Neither was it the soft treading of footsteps, or the second, much quieter this time, sound of the front door swinging shut and locking.
The cooled bed sheets on the opposite side of the mattress and the faded scent of his partner was what alerted him to their absence.
He blinked one eye open blearily, squinting despite not needing to. His throat and lips were dry, indicating the AC had been turned on at some point. Probably by Darlin’. He thought, rolling over and stretching.
It wasn’t the first time he had woken up to an empty bed in the middle of the night, so he wasn’t that freaked out by it. Sometimes his partner liked to - as they put it - “fuck off somewhere random” to reorder their cluttered thoughts. Sam understood it.
He sat up, grabbing his phone, not bothering to put on the bedside lamp, and swung his legs around to get out of bed. The house was still dark and he wondered for a few moments if something had happened, until he reached the main living space and a dim light peeking through the front window curtains caught his eye.
Sliding into some worn sneakers, he put his keys into his pocket and unlocked the door. The porch was unlit, but the wavering glow of Darlin’s cigarette illuminated their hand and face.
Their eyes flicked over to him but they didn’t turn in greeting, so he kicked the door shut behind him and came up to lean on the deck railing beside them.
“You alright, Darlin’?”
They nodded, taking a long drag and blowing smoke out of their nose, “Just…wanted a cig.”
“Ah.” He chewed on his lip, unsure of what to say. “Did something wake you?”
Maybe a bad dream or something?
“Call it my cursed need for nicotine.” The joking tone was there but Sam couldn’t help but notice that it was absent from their face. From their eyes.
“Are you sure-”
“Fine.” They interrupted, sharply, “I’m fine.”
He sighed inaudibly, watching their jaw tense as they left the cigarette dangling from their lips. They saw him staring and raised an eyebrow.
“What, you want a drag?”
Sam shook his head, “Nicotine doesn’t work on me, not since being turned.”
Darlin’ hummed, “You could do it anyway.”
“Without the drug hit? Don’t that take away half the fun?”
That got a smile, “I’m sure we could figure out a way to make it fun.”
“Teasin’ me with a good time, Darlin’?” He reached out, tugging them in close by the hem of their worn jacket. Even from this distance he could smell the smoke on them where it was sunk into their clothes, saw the tobacco staining on the tips of their fingers, and resisted burying his face into their neck.
You smell damn good, baby.
“I might be.” A glint of white canine nipping their lower lip as they brought the cig up again. Sam’s head fuzzed over and he caught their wrist.
“Wait a second.” He took it from their grasp.
“Changing your mind, cowboy?”
He paused with their wrist still in his hand, tilted his head down and lapped gently at their fingertips, sucking the bitter essence away until his tongue was pleading for more. They drew in a shaky breath as he pulled back, letting their hand fall back to their side.
The paper felt familiar brushing against his lip. Gently, he inhaled inwards, feeling the heat of the smoke rushing to warm his lungs. The back of his throat twinged slightly from lack of practice but he held it anyway, tilted Darlin’s face up to his own.
A thumb swiping their mouth, pulling their lower lip down so he could see the glisten of their saliva. He waited until they were practically vibrating from anticipation because finally kissing them, exhaling as they opened their mouth in response.
Darlin’s moaning was almost catatonic, filling his senses with sound and touch and smoke until Sam thought he was paralysed.
He tasted tobacco again on their tongue and brought up a hand to steady their chin as he kissed them, his dominant hand laced over their shoulder complete with a half-used cigarette.
They swore against his lips, hands finding his chest to pull him in further. The height difference wasn’t a lot, but it was enough.