Something cut into my strange yet blissful moment, dammit. It was a thought. Amelia was broadcasting loudly, and doing it right outside the bathroom door.

'Could ya not use ALL of the hot water in the parish?'

"Oh," I said, shaken back to reality by the random thought.

"What?" Eric said, he was confused but surprisingly not annoyed that our little moment had been broken. He was still supporting me up against the tiled wall of the shower.

"Amelia thinks we should save some hot water for the rest of the parish." Eric looked amused for a moment, registering what I had just said and then practically howled with laughter. Yep, it certainly was my favorite sound.

He kept laughing as he set me down on the tub floor, took the soap from it's dish and quickly washed the both of us off with his vampire speed - It was a very strange sensation - before turing off the hot water in less than two minutes. I was stunned. He just grinned back at me. He did it again while toweling me off. It took all of ten seconds for me to be bone dry and my hair to be up in a neatly twisted towel.... again, stunned. He then dried himself off, taking his time and being painstakingly slow as he dragged the towel over ever bit of himself. Wow.

All I could do was stand there and watch. There was no way I was being modest and looking away while Eric the Great was on display. He did this on purpose, I thought. Devious bastard.

The smirk he had on his face, as he bent over one of his legs, allowing his rather fabulous rump to be shown off, proved my assumption. "Eric," I said, "I'm cold."

His head shot up immediately, it was a bit out of concern and a bit out of wanting to see what happens to a naked woman's body when she's cold. And yes, my puppies were saluting. I crossed my arms to silently tell him to stop staring. Behind him lay my robe. I guessed that, that also was planned. Deny Sookie clothing, that's certainly something Eric would do. He slowly reached behind him, not taking his eyes off me the entire time, and grabbed hold of the robe. He then walked over to me and gently placed it round my shoulders, I could only smile up at him. He was being attentive and sweet. I was silently freaked.

He felt it, and chuckled once more before wrapping his own towel around his waste and I was sad to see that glorious butt be covered up. It should be considered a crime to do so.

"Do you have work tonight?" I asked.

"Nope," he responded with a triumphant smile, it made me nervous. "Do you have work?" He asked back.

"Surprisingly, no." I looked down at my feet. "So, I guess we should hash a few things out?"

"You mean discuss the fact that I love you?" Damn, Eric was blunt. I had almost forgotten.

"Yes, that should be part of it..."

"You didn't say it back." He caught me, and he was serious now. His face was set, and I couldn't read an expression in his eyes, nor pick up a feeling through our bond. It made me nervous. My own feelings made me nervous and him being so freakin' frank about the whole thing made me even more edgy. Sweet Jesus.

"No..." I was being tentative, I didn't know what to say, or how to say it. Say anything really.

"You don't love me?" An eyebrow went up.

"No, don't say that! It's not that..." I cut myself off, I was treading on dangerous ground now. Emotional ground that I had to be cautious about. I don't know why. Old habits die hard I guess. Loving Eric is not an easy idea to grasp.

"It's not that?" He repeated my words, his trademark leer appearing back on his face. "So, it's not that you don't love me, you're just scared to admit it?"

I wished that he'd stop using the word "love". I couldn't think him capable of using such a word with someone other than himself. And yet here he was, he had said it more than three times in the past half hour. Eric was always someone who'd make up his mind and go for it. I just never expected me to be the thing he'd 'go for'. He was serious though, no doubt about it. I saw it in his face when he had first told me in the shower, and it scared the crap out of me. He was right. Why was this so hard?

"Come," he said, and picked me up in his arms, carrying me out to the bedroom. He was making a habit of carrying me everywhere. I didn't really like the idea of me just being expected to consent to wherever he wanted to go, but I wasn't complaining either. I just pretended he was my Rhett, and me his Scarlet. If only my house had a grand staircase. Oh, that'd be fun! I shook my head, I had to focus. Eric was expecting three little words from me, and I didn't know if I had it in me to give them. Shit, shit, shit.

---------------

After laying me out on the bed and placing himself next to me, with his elbow propped up on a pillow, he simply stared down at me for a long while. I didn't know what he was searching for in my face, but I was captivated. He still couldn't glamour me, but he could certainly lock eyes with me like no buddy's business. I assumed that whole glamour thing made vampires very adapt at eye contact.

"I don't expect you to say it back," he stated out of thin air. Why, oh why was I still shocked by the things vampires said? I should be used to being surprised by the unexpected by now, right? Wrong.

"Whu-what?" I stuttered. It was impossible to be eloquent around Eric when he was throwing phrases around like, 'I love you' and 'I don't expect you to say it back.' Was he trying to kill me?

"I know you already do." He smiled as he said that and I wanted to slap him. What the hell did he mean? How was he so sure? It seemed like he heard what I was silently thinking because the next second he said, "I knew the moment you spoke of the talisman and how you came to be at my house, I think I knew a little earlier than that, but I didn't register it until you finally explained it all." Oh great, Eric was in one of his honest moods.

"No, Eric, that would mean the talisman loves you, not I," I said sarcastically as I waved a finger at him. He opted to ignore my little jab and grabbed hold of my finger with his mouth. He snapped it closed so fast I thought he was going to bite it clean off, but he just suckled on it while making little humming noises with his eyes closed. It was incredibly erotic, and I don't know why, but it was working for me. I pulled my finger out of his mouth before he could strangely excite me any further. I was still determined to get this out. What 'this' was, I didn't know exactly, but I had to say something.

"Mmm," Eric said, his eyes still closed. I ignored him and continued to work out what I as thinking.

"I was relieved once I realized it was your house Amelia's talisman had sent me to. A first, I was pissed, but I was immediately calm there, and knew I was no longer in danger. That meant a lot at that moment." I decided I couldn't say right out to Eric that I.... loved him - gulp - but I could try to explain my joy at knowing he was my rock, my safety, my go to person. Literally.

With everything that was unstable in my life - most of that everything being my relationship with the supernatural world - Eric was stable. However ironic that may be; he knew what to do, and how to get things done and always seemed to be there for me when I needed him. These were the things I could say, and to me, they were as good as those other silly little words. Eric of course knew this, which infuriated me, but it was empty anger. Still, accepting that and voicing it left me extremely vulnerable. I didn't know if I wanted to be left that exposed again.

"Sookie I can't read what's happening inside that head of yours, but I can feel you and your emotions. I understand, even if you don't want to believe that. The big, bad Viking gets it. I've always thought you were crazy for trusting me, but now that I'm actually asking, you're holding back?"

"It's not that easy Eric."

"I've lived for more than a thousand years Lover, I get the difficulty bit of life." Each syllable dripped with sarcasm. I couldn't help but grin before becoming serious once more.

"Yes, but I haven't. I don't have your experience, or your skill at simply dealing with things. I'm just..."

He cut me off, "I know," He said as he cupped his hand round my face and looked down at me, mind melding with my eyes. He opened his mouth to say something else, but then thought better of it and stopped.

Dammit, the one time I wanted to know what he was thinking and nothing. Blank. Zip.

"Do you want to know why we've been having rather... interesting experiences together?"

Yes. Yes. Yes! "Yes, why do you know?"

"I believe so."

"Then spill buddy! You practically made me orgasm with just a look in front of a witch and two vampires!"

He laughed but explained, "That's part of it. Think of where our strange dejavu connections have been occurring... The first time was in the bathroom. I wasn't going to follow you in there, I was just struck with the need to be with you. Once I entered, I froze, entranced. When you locked eyes with me I almost convulsed."

"Well I certainly did, so why?"

"The memories. My memories of when I was here. They're so sharp now, and with your acceptance being the final piece, they become almost tangible. The other times where out in the living room and here in the bedroom. Both hold immensely significant meaning with me; and with you, I remember them so vividly they reoccur mentally."

"It was rather physical with me," I pointed out sheepishly.

"I noticed that, yes." He smiled down at me, smoldering. How he could smile like a cat who had just gotten inside the fish bowl and still smolder? I knew not.

"So, did you have to send me into spasms in front of company, or could you just not control it?"

Eric turned his eyes up to the ceiling in mock pondering and put a finger to his chin. That was as good as 'yes' to me and slapped his hand. "Oh come on, seriously?"

"I wasn't sure the effect I could project onto you, but after what happened in the bathroom - you did say you wanted me to try it again - I tried, and low and behold, it worked."

"But at that particular moment? Really Eric?"

"Really," he said it with a leer. If I wasn't so comfortable I'd of gotten up off the bed and left. I don't know if he felt that, or if his possessive Vampire nature was kicking in, but he put a hand on my stomach just then, and it worked to keep me from leaving. Not that I was going too, like I've said; with Eric, my body tends to do what it wants.

Though some questions were answered, I didn't feel that we had accomplished anything. I was still being headstrong and Eric, unwavering.

"How about, we just see how this goes?" I said.

"How what goes?"

"This! You staying here, taking car of the bar, me... dealing."

"Accepting," he prompted.

"Y...es. Accepting."

That was all Eric needed to hear. He beamed down at me. I doubt that he was actually proud of me, more of himself for getting me to cave. I made a silent deal with myself. If Eric and I could get through Sam's recovery period without - incident, then maybe this would all work out? I hoped it would, because as scary as it seemed, I think I did actually love Eric. Sweet Jesus, help me.

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A/N: Obviously in the Sookie Stackhouse world, Eric and her need to have a good sit down. I really hope that talk happens in book 9 cause its killing me, really. All those unanswered questions. Come on kids! you know you love each other. Oy-vey.

Thanks for reading, and all the fab comments. TXGal gave me such a nice review, I almost got misty eyed. :-)

*blows kisses to everyone*