Disclaimer: All characters belong to Charlaine Harris.
A/N: I meant to have this up a few days ago, but the carpeting in my bedroom has to be torn up and new flooring put in so I've been working on clearing everything out of the room (I haven't made much progress yet). Anyway, here is chapter three hopefully; it's not as sappy as the title makes it sound.
Theme 3: Light
POV: Sookie
Rating: T
You Are My Sunshine
"Do you ever miss being able to go out in the sunlight?" I don't know what made me ask that question. Perhaps it was because, for the first time in a long time, I had spent a good part of the day sunbathing while Eric slept. I realized it was one of the things I had never really talked with any vampire about before.
"It's not exactly normal to miss something that would inevitably kill you, is it?" responded Eric, "Asking a vampire if they miss the sunlight is like asking a human if they miss having bullets shot at them."
"But I didn't ask you if you miss the sunlight. I asked if you missed being able to go out in the sunlight. There is a difference."
Eric let out an almost human sigh, "Yes, there is."
I waited for him to answer my original question but he remained silent for so long that I finally felt the need to prompt him, "So?"
To my surprise, Eric looked almost hesitant to answer. Finally he said, "I never did until I met you."
"Until you met me?" I couldn't understand how I could have made a difference.
"When I smell the sun on you, I wish I were able to see you in it. You must be a glorious sight to behold." He began. I could feel my cheeks turning red. He sure could say the right things when he wanted to, " You are beautiful at night, don't misunderstand, but there are times when I think I would give anything to see you with the sun shining in your hair and the glow the natural light would bring to your skin."
"But I've heard it said that a girl's best light is candle and/or moon." I replied in a manner that came out more challenging than I meant it to.
"Even if that were the truth, Dear One, I would still cherish the sight of you in the sunlight, because I know how much you enjoy it."
I lowered my eyes as I replied, "Well, while it is true that I love the sun, I have to admit that I have come to enjoy night a lot more since I met you."
"Is that so?" I didn't have to look up to know that he had a classic Eric leer on his face.
"Well, now that you ask, maybe, I'm not so sure," I teased, "I guess we'll just have to put it to the test."
"That, My Lover, I will be very happy to do."
He scooped me off the sofa and began to carry me to my room but I had other plans in mind, "Wait!"
"What's the matter?" he asked, looking puzzled, "I thought you wanted…"
"I do" I cut him off, "I was just thinking, the spring nights still get pretty chilly and we've always seemed to have pretty good luck together in front of the fireplace and Amelia's gone for the week. So, I just thought…."
"An excellent idea, lover. Certainly firelight would have a similar effect to candle light, yes?"
Blushing furiously, all I could do was nod.
"Very well, then. I will build us a fire and then get to work reminding you exactly how much more you now enjoy the night."
Oh did he ever show me. Not only that, but he made it his mission to remove any doubt I might have had over whether I had been completely ruined for normal human men. At the moment, it didn't matter to me in the slightest. Who needed normal human men when they could have a 1000 year old Viking vampire?
As we lay stretched out by the fire some time later, Eric turned his head to look at me, "Since tonight seems to be a night for honestly, Lover, I must say that I also enjoy the night more since I met you. And maybe I have no need to miss being able to walk in the sunlight, because when I see you, lying next to me after we've made love, the image I have in my memory of the sun, does not compare to you."
"Well, then" I said, trying to cover my embarrassment, "you must not have a very accurate memory of the sun."
Eric laughed, "Have you forgotten, barring any curses, a vampire's memory is infallible. So, if I tell you that you shine more brightly than the sun, then you can bet that, even though I haven't willingly seen the sun in over a thousand year, I mean every word of what I say."
How is a girl supposed to respond to something like that? I chose the easiest route I could. I turned a blushing smile toward Eric and let a wave a contentment wash over me before I fell asleep, feeling safe and protected within the circle of his arms.
Ending A/N: The theme for the next chapter is: Dark. I do already have it started so, with any luck it will be up soon. I expect it to be closer to the length of the first chapter.
