Author's Note-I am still working on a long story and wanted to have at least something posted as it has been awhile. Today (9/2) is my birthday and I wanted to put something out for fun! This is a one shot story and I hope you enjoy it while waiting for my next, longer story that is coming soon. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!

This was the last thing wither of them had expected to be doing and yet, both found themselves oddly at home here in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the woods. In a simple tent where outside there was a second where their supplies were kept. A nearby firepit was housing a crackling, warm fire and for the next few days, this was where they would be calling home. To get away from their lives once in a while was a nice thing and they had vowed to do things like these more often. It had been years since she had gone camping and for him, well, he had grown up in rather rustic surroundings and had spent a great deal of time in and around nature.

Sitting on a log, she was toasting a marshmallow, waiting for the perfect amount of singe on it before turning it into a s'more. Graham crackers and chocolate was at her side, as was he as he stared into the crackling fire. "I hate eating in front of you, even after all this time…..you're really missing out." she said as she placed a wedge of chocolate with the marshmallow in between two crackers. Taking a bite, he watched the mess that was inevitable be created and looked amused as she tried to be ladylike about it. Sookie put three and a half s'mores away before she was finally at her limit and didn't look remotely abashed about it. With having the genetics she had, she didn't need to fear getting a little too chunky. Eric took a marshmallow from the bag and fingered it with a furrowed brow.

"People eat these?" he sniffed it and made a face. "The texture is….strange. And since I have long since been turned, I haven't had the pleasure to try too many of the latest food crazes…though I think that not being able to eat human food is a small price to pay for what I got in return." he threw the marshmallow to the ground and watched it bounce with a amused expression. And then he tossed another into the flames and watched as it blew up, dissolving into the flames.

"Enough playing the food!" she said with a giggle, taking the bag from him as he then turned to sample a scent of chocolate. There was a almost wistful look on his face. "What would happen if you tried to even taste food? I always wondered…"

"If I tasted or swallowed any food, the results wouldn't be pretty. I tried it once only a few hours after I was made and….I learned fast not to try that again. Think of all your stomach contents from one day of your average eating projectile-" he was about to get graphically descriptive but upon seeing her face, seeing her raise a hand to stop, he did.

"I get it, I get it…" she said, amused but there was a pang of guilt. "Sometimes I wish you didn't have to miss out on so much. I mean, food, and drinks…sunlight…" she took her slightly sticky hands and put them in his. They turned to look at the fire and she saw he looked wistful still but there was fire in his eyes. Literally, as the flames were reflected in them.

"Like I said, a small price to pay for what I have gained. The things I have seen and done, all the experiences have been challenging and enjoyable, dark and light….and besides, I wouldn't want to risk losing all this-" he gestured to his impressive frame, clothed in track suit pants and a tank top-"to sugars, fats and whatever else is bad for you nowadays." he turned and grinned at her. "You taste good and that's all that really matters to me anyway."

She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. "It is nice, not being troubled by mosquito bites anymore…" she used a tiny burst of light on a bug that was unfortunate enough to land on her bare leg. Only wearing shorts, a hoodie and flip flops, she incinerated the bug before it but. "There's only one kind of bite I tolerate." she said as she got to her feet, pushing her hair off her neck teasingly, sauntering off towards the woods. "Wanna catch me? If you do, you get a nip."

That piqued his interest and as fast as he was, she had her magic as well as her vamp speed to work to her advantage and every time he touched her, had her within his grasp, she merely blinked out of his grasp, only to reappear overhead on a tree branch or dozens of feet away in any direction. "Thus isn't fair!" he shouted to the heavens, trying to get a location on her through the bond. Trouble was, she kept moving and just when he thought he had her, there she went again and as he heard her laughter in the night air, his patience was clearly being tested. And she knew not to drive him too far in that direction. Not that he would lash out at her but she wanted this to be fun and didn't want to drive him too crazy. And so she stopped, reappearing at their campsite, seated on the log again and in seconds, he darted out of the trees and into the clearing, seeing her supremely smug look on her face.

"You are such a little minx, aren't you?" he said, looking amused and, she noted, quite….invigorated by the chase. She beamed brightly, batting innocent eyelashes.

"You couldn't keep up…so you can catch me now…..maybe after a trip to the falls? They're only a short hike from here." her smile faded as she looked at the time on her cell. "You've got to get underground here soon before the sun rises….so maybe we could do the falls tomorrow night?" she paused. "I still can't believe you didn't want to bring the special camper Pam found…the light tight one."

"I wanted you to have the camping experience that you wanted and you said you wanted tents and I think things have worked out the last couple days, right? Tomorrow night is our last night and we can hit the water then. But there's several hours before I have to go under….."

"Then the falls tomorrow it is. This trip has been good for us I think. Getting away from everything and as much as I love our friends and family, it's really been a long time since we had time or just us. And I am glad you seem to enjoy yourself out here. I mean, I know you enjoy your cell phone and technology-"

"To a point, yes….but as much as I acclimated to things over the years…many, many years…." he continued with a almost faraway look on his face. "I have always had a affinity for the outdoors. No matter what climate. And I do like modern clothes, the things I wore back over the years…though I have to say even now, I have to shudder at things I see people wear. Willingly."

"Like the people who come into your bar." Sookie said with a grin. "Some of those fashions are….frightening. In a tacky and hilarious way, I guess. Maybe I should close my eyes and picture you in threads like those. Too tight leather, for one…fishnets….." she started to buckle with laughter, more so as she took in the look on his face. "Sorry, that's more towards the female set. Not always though, I've seen-"

"I think faerie Sookie's quite the sass box." he replied. "I once told you I like when she came out and it seems she comes out quite a lot."

She grinned back. "Well, look at who I have to deal with on a daily basis. Bad influences and what not." she said with a laugh, her smile fading. "I should have embraced that part of me a long time ago. I like feeling more….empowered. Figuratively and literally."

"What part of you would like to join me in there before I have to depart for the day?" Eric asked, a pouty look on his face that he knew she couldn't resist. Then again, he knew there was a lot about him she couldn't resist. Yep, he was that damn adorable. And the thing that got her was (in a good, oh so good way) that he knew it. Very much so, actually. "Though I do enjoy entertaining each and every part of you." he added. "Not just the faerie part."

It was refreshing that some things hadn't changed and as persistent as he was to always try to score with her, at least nowadays it was something she was always willing to partake in. "Let's go then, boy scout. Show me how to start a different kind of camp fire." she said before darting off into the carpet. A half hour later, not only had they fanned their own flames, but in doing so had destroyed the air mattress than any ordinary couple would never have been able to do. "Well, that was…" Sookie said during the afterglow of a epic session of love. "You once said you wanted to have passionate, primal-"

"I came through on that one, didn't I? not that I'm not talented in that area but I thought the setting was perfect….." he replied smirking. And judging by the look on her face, he had more than a adequately made her evening.

"Best camping trip ever." she said almost sleepily and as powerful as they both were, they had both done well at tiring one another out. Neither said anything more until the time came he needed to go to the hole he had dug earlier in the evening. Walking hand in hand to the hole, she knew she was going to need to full it on. No biggie, not with her powers. And stealing a last kiss under the stars, he reminded her of their plans for tomorrow.

"And I hope you neglected to bring along any swimwear. Your birthday suit will do nicely." the Viking said as he lay down in the hole, grinning at her, seeing her blush ever so slightly.

"God, do you ever stop?" she asked and with a couple gentle blasts of her magic, she had secured the piles of dirt over him and as much as it pained her to do it, the alternative of him meeting the sun was surely something she wasn't gonna want to risk happening. At least she had packed some books and her diary with her for this trip and surely tonight's entry was going to have some mighty interesting detains in it. But it wouldn't be the first time. She smiled to herself as she thought of what he would say if he ever got his hands on her diary. Then again, she trusted him not to look in it. She trusted him with her life, with every last ounce of her body and soul.

THE END