Eric POV

Could it be? This sweet angelic woman is a virgin? That would be the case―first being stranded, then losing my ability to fly, and dealing with a strong-willed telepath. Her virginal status does not change my desire for her. I want her more now than ever. Knowing that I will be the first to have her―in every way―puts an irremovable smile on my face.

"So, are you?"

"Does it matter?" She must take my smile as me laughing at her.

"Not in the least. Especially if you have no desire to be my lover."

"No, I'm not planning on that. So I guess you'll never find out." The corner of her lips twitch. Is she teasing me?

"I think I shall retire. You should get some rest. I look forward to continuing our conversation tomorrow."

I laugh to myself as I see her hands have made their way to her hips. She stands defiant, like a warrior's wife.

"What conversation? We won't be speaking of my sexual history again. In fact, I'd rather you just keep in mind that we're only going to be friends and nothing more." Never say never.

"As you wish." I turn to leave for the confines of my cave.

"Eric, wait?"

"Yes."

"I'm not ready to be alone yet. Could you stay, please?" She must be frightened. Why else would she want me to stay?

"Are you afraid of something?"

"No, I just don't want to be alone. I'm not tired and I enjoy your company. Is that okay?"

"I will stay as long as you want me to, Sookie."

"Thanks. I don't know how you do it. How can you stand to be alone for so long?"

"I preoccupy myself with… other things."

"Like what? If you don't mind my asking."

"I do not mind, but I would rather not discuss that with you now. We are 'only friends'. Lovers tend to share more with one another, I find. Do you not agree?"

"You know, Eric, I'm not as clueless as you think. I know a thing or two."

"Is that so? Please, enlighten me."

She huffs and throws her arms across her chest. Defiant.

"Maybe I should be alone. I think I'll head back to the shack. Thank you for dinner." Then she mumbles as she gets up from the ground, "At least I remember my manners."

"And I do not? What did I do that was so untoward? Please tell me what I must do to get back into your good graces," I say mockingly.

"Oh piss off! You know, you play like you're so cool and you know everything when you don't know the first thing about anything."

"Now, Sookie, you are not making any sense. Please try again, this time so that I can understand you." I laugh. I could not help myself.

"I'm bored. I'm going to bed. I can't believe I thought I could be friends with you. You! A vampire for crying out loud. How did I ever get so lucky?"

"Are you that unhappy with me?"

"Yes. I… never mind. It's not worth it. You've made things very clear to me and now I'll go wallow in self-pity until we get out of here."

"Please tell me what you are going on about. You make no sense."

"I can't say it. It's too embarrassing. I've already been humiliated enough tonight."

"Oh, is this about your virginity or my seeing you naked?" I think I know the answer to this but I want to hear her say it.

"Both."

"Ah. Then take heart and know that you have no reason to be embarrassed. You are a beautiful woman, Sookie Stackhouse. Any man would be honored to have you as a companion. You are smart, interesting, and very brave. You should be proud of yourself. I am."

"What―why would you be proud of me? You hardly know me."

"Because you could have given up days ago. You could have given in to your loneliness and decided to quit looking for food and shelter." As I did.

"I would have given up. You stumbling into the shack when you did gave me hope, until I found out you'd been here so long, and that you bite." She is quiet for a long moment. "Do you think we'll ever get off this island, Eric?"

I can answer her honestly and say that I would not like to go back to a world without her. I know that once we return to our lives… but, I will not think of that now. We are here and it does not seem that we will be going anywhere for quite some time.

"We will get off this island if I have anything to say about it, but I would rather we not. My life is full of responsibility that I can do without for a while. Being in charge can be tiring. I kind of like being here. The quiet soothes me."

"I know exactly what you mean. The silence is what's keeping me sane. All day long I hear what everyone else thinks. To not have to keep my guard up around you is heaven. I can relax around you. Not that I should, but I can."

"You still don't trust me?"

"I really don't have a reason not to trust you. You haven't revealed too much about yourself so I can't say that do I trust you. I don't know?"

"I have not harmed you, nor have I lied to you; in fact, you would go hungry without me. What more reason do you need?"

"You're a vampire, Eric. I need plenty of reasons. And you, likewise, would go hungry, without me. Like I said, we're going to be here a while so why not talk to one another?"

"Because, Sookie, once we leave here anything I have told you could be used against me."

"Who would I tell about you?"

"It… there are people who would use anyone who is close to me, against me. Do you understand?"

"I guess so. So what are you some big bad vampire dude in the real world? Like the vampire godfather or something?" She laughs but does not realize how close to the truth she is.

"Not quite, but I am important enough that I would not want to put you in any danger."

"Um, thank you?"

"You think you should thank me for that? My dear, you have no idea of how things operate in the real world do you?"

"No, I don't. I'm just a dumb redneck waitress from a small town in Louisiana. Why don't you tell me what I should know?"

"Pfft!"

"You can't worry about things that haven't happened yet and besides, I can take care of myself."

"I do not doubt that, Miss Stackhouse."

"Why do you do that? Sometimes it's just plain Sookie, Sookie Stackhouse, or you call me Miss Stackhouse."

"My moods change. I call you what I see fit at the time. When you behave as though you can take on the world, I call you Miss Stackhouse. Sometimes I feel closer to you than I should and I call you 'Sookie'. If it bothers you, I will simply refer to you as Sookie."

"No, it doesn't bother me but you should know that I prefer to be called Sookie."

"And it would be important for me to remember that, huh?"

"See, you can be so sweet, joking and kind at times then other times you can be so condescending. I can't tell which is the real you."

"I am the real me. Why would you suggest otherwise?"

"You seem unreal to me. Take the first time we met, you seemed lost and disconnected. Now you seem larger than life. You're not afraid, you are sure of things and you scare the living hell out of me." I have to laugh at her last description of me.

"You really have no reason to be afraid of me."

"I don't?"

"No."

"You bite."

"So do you."

"I don't think you can compare one of your bites to mine. I don't drink blood when I bite."

"You could. Bite me."

"No thanks. Not a vampire, as I keep telling you."

"You do not have to be vampire to bite me, Sookie."

"Why do you want me to bite you?"

"Do it and find out."

"Hmm… don't think so. I feel like you're messing with me and I'm missing the punch line here."

"Not messing with you, yet."

"Oh boy… now you're flirting with me. What more will the night bring?" She smiles and I feel a tightness in my chest. It is a new feeling and one that I do not like.

"Sookie, would you like to dance?"

"There's no music."

"I can hum something. So, is that a yes?"

I stretch my arm out to take her hand in mine. She stands―reluctantly―then tightens her grip. I pull her closer to me and get that same bothersome feeling in my chest. I begin to hum a tune from the old days and we move in time with the melody. Her body is perfectly attuned to mine and we sway back and forth, drawing circles in the sand. I am content and all thoughts of home are far from my mind.

"So, Eric, what else can you do? I know you're fast, and have keener senses than I do, but what else can you do? Do vampires have special powers or something?"

"Why, because humans do?"

"Well, look at me. I can read people's minds. Can you do that?"

"No I cannot. You are interrupting my humming. Be quiet, woman."

"Now it's woman. I thought you were sticking to just Sookie?"

We laugh and continue to dance under the light of the moon and stars.