"Ouch!" I hit my funny bone and then got in a fight that I promptly lost. Before I knew it I was buried in a pile of shirts and dresses that I had to dig my way out of.

'Oh, right. Closet again.'

I opened the door a sliver and winced at the brightness of the room. It wasn't even direct sunlight that was hitting me but it still gave me an instant headache. I shut the door quickly and rubbed my temples.

For the most part I seemed to be back in human form. I did still have my fangs, but they were shorter and duller than they normally were when I was feeding. Still, my all-blood diet seemed to have left me oversensitive to the sun. I never handled the sun well but normally I just felt weak and sunburned with incredible ease, I didn't actually have to hide from it wholesale.

I slumped back into my "bed", musing over the options. It was tough to say with any certainty but I had a feeling that there was still quite some time to go before sunset. This time of year days could last well over twelve hours. Thanks to severe exhaustion I was able to sleep that long once, but I was too human to nap the whole day away twice in a row. Lying around the rest of the day doing nothing sounded incredibly boring and uncomfortable but it was the best way to continue pretending to be a normal vampire.

'...Nope. Can't take it.' I'd just have to take my chances and hope no one was home. Boredom wasn't the only reason, either. Maybe it was because of the sun or because Sookie wasn't around to tempt me with her sweet blood but I actually had human needs I felt I needed to deal with. Water, for one. Food wouldn't be bad either. I'd still pick Sookie as a snack over food or water but I was sensitive enough to the sun already, I didn't fancy seeing what going full vamp during the day would do to me.

I didn't dare exit the closet just yet. Thankfully it was a well-stocked closet and I was able to slowly find the things I needed for an excursion. Stockings came first to protect my skin, then socks and pants over them to thoroughly block all light, and a belt to keep the pants from slipping.

For my top I started with the oversized T-shirt I was already wearing and then pulled on the sweater from the night before. Then a second sweater for good measure because I didn't like how thin the weave was over my arms. I was feeling hot at this point but I put up with it. Hot was better than burned.

I made a lucky find in some satin opera gloves. They were too thin to stop all sunlight from coming through but I figured they had to be at least as good as wearing sunblock.

My face was what I was most worried about but a wide-brimmed sun hat promised fairly good protection from the sun overhead. A silk scarf thin enough to see through made for a decent veil of sorts, providing me still more protection. The final key was a pair of enormous sunglasses. They covered up half my face and I wondered if they were part of some sort of Halloween costume but they did their job well. With them on I hopefully wouldn't suffer another headache from the light.

With great caution and trepidation I stepped out from the closet into Sookie's bedroom.

"Huh. It worked." Worked so well in fact that I wondered if I hadn't overdressed, wearing the equivalent of plate armor against a puppy dog. Not that I dared take anything off just yet. Maybe when the sun was lower.

I made my way into the bathroom and shut the door against the sun before removing my veil. There were no glasses handy so I drank straight from the tap. I was human enough again to drink the water but I had to be careful to take small sips. Anything more than that and I started to choke on it. For the life of me I couldn't think of a good reason why, it wasn't like blood and water were all that different in consistency. Well, I'd already left common sense behind with the whole half-vampire business anyways.

I wasn't sure whether or not to be proud of my accomplishment. On the one hand I'd figured out how to go around outside of my closet during the daytime, something perhaps no other vampire in the world had done, but I wasn't sure that was worthy of praise. In human terms walking across a room and drinking from a faucet weren't big accomplishments, the second even pushed good manners.

"Ai!" I barely left the bathroom before retreating back inside with heated cheeks. My face wasn't burnt, but it wasn't too far off. Sort of like walking barefoot on hot pavement. I could handle a few seconds of the hallway's indirect sunlight but long exposure was not a good idea.

'Right, no forgetting the veil.' I set it back in place, hoping that it wouldn't slip accidentally. Maybe it was best to head back into the closet and wait for dark.

I headed downstairs instead. There was still a pile of clothes to deal with before I could even lie down in there. Stretching my legs a little sounded good too.

The coast was clear, no Gran or Sookie in sight. My senses were duller during the day but I was still pretty sure the house was empty.

I padded down the stairs, whisper-quiet thanks to the socks and pantyhose I was wearing. The front door looked forbidding, the sunlight outside scorching-bright even through my sunglasses, but there was plenty to explore inside the house. The kitchen in particular caught my eye.

I had munchies on my mind, but finding a snack wasn't easy. Even with my fangs only half elongated my tastebuds were changed enough that nothing in the cupboards looked appetizing. Neither bread nor crackers classified as food to my instincts and sense of smell.

I had more luck with the fridge. The pork chop looked like something I could stomach but I didn't feel like cooking. I finally hit gold with the freezer.

"Ice cream!" And they had so many varieties I didn't know where to start. Pre-apocalypse civilization was the best.

I scooped a little ball of seven different flavors into a bowl and then took a seat in the darkest spot in the kitchen I could find. It still wasn't all that dark so I maneuvered the spoon under my silk veil, taking care not to get any strawberry ice cream on it.

"Mmm." It was magical. I couldn't swallow it while it was hard for some annoying reason but letting it melt on my tongue worked just fine. I went back for another spoonful of the same. Maybe it was the vampire in me but the redness of the strawberry ice cream appealed to me as much as the flavor did.

"Angela, you're awake?"

I nearly tumbled off my stool thanks to Sookie's surprise exit. Apparently she'd been outside rather than gone, cutting the lawn of my nose was correct. "Umm, yep? Days are like, really long right now."

"You can't eat that!" She snatched the bowl and spoon away, not seeming to notice that I'd already taken a bite.

"But I'm hungry…" I tried not to sound whiny about it but getting the bowl snatches straight from my hands was a hard blow.

"It'll make you sick as a dog. Vampires can't eat food."

Apparently not wanting to waste the ice cream, she started eating it herself right in front of me. Oh what a cruel girl she was, and to think I'd thought her so sweet. Sure she was sweaty from her work outside and was likely craving something cold but that bowl was supposed to be mine. Perhaps now was the time to reveal my secret.

Sookie's mouth twisted right as she looked at in contemplation. "I guess if you're that hungry you can bite me again."

I loved it when she said that. So long as it wasn't True Blood I actually didn't mind a blood diet at all. Even the side effect of being extremely sensitive to sunlight was worth it. And I could tell now that she wanted this too. I wasn't sure if she just liked the benefits of my blood or if she actually liked being bitten but she seemed to enjoy the process nearly as much as I did. I'd thought at first that she was just forgetting to mention True Blood as an option over her blood but now I could tell it was anything but accidental.

"Sounds great!" I replied, fangs quickly sprouting to full length. I wasn't certain telling her I was part human would cut off my blood supply but I wasn't willing to chance it. Not even ice cream was worth giving up my Sookie-snack. Especially now that I was nearly certain she was up for giving me blood pretty much whenever I needed it. "But, could we maybe go somewhere a little darker? I don't want to take the veil off here."

She polished off the ice cream with remarkable quickness and then led me back to her bedroom. "So that outfit actually works for keeping sunlight out?" she asked as she shut the shades.

"Mostly. Sunblock would help too if I could find some. The gloves and veil are a little thin."

"Huh. I'm surprised no other vampires have tried that. Or at least I don't think they have." I hummed at that. "Well, do you think you'd want to do this sort of thing more often? Walk around during the day?"

I was hesitant to answer for fear of revealing my unusual condition but practicality won out. "Yes, I think I do want to. Daylight lasts such a long time… it's boring to try and just sleep for all of it." I wasn't very energetic during the day but I could at least manage some things. It didn't take much energy to watch movies after all.

"Hmm, you might've given me some more ideas on what to buy you for clothes. We might be able to find a sun-protective outfit that fits a little better."

That was an intriguing idea but I had other more immediate concerns on my mind. Once she finished shutting all the shades I removed my veil.

"You okay?" she asked.

"It's still a little bright." It wasn't scorching but I felt like I was blushing so fiercely it hurt.

"Maybe if we got under the covers?"

I was a bit scandalized at the suggestion. Feeding from each other felt intimate enough already without doing something like that, but on second appraisal I couldn't deny that it was a practical solution. It was also more comfortable to drink from her in a bed than standing on my tip-toes so I couldn't protest on that point either. "Sure."

We were both slow about it but we each crawled into her bed and pulled the sheet and covers up over us. I had to take off my sunglasses but then I was able to see clearly. I could pick out the flush of blood in her cheeks as she blushed in the darkness and the swell of her hip, half-turned away. She was a confusing mix of reticence and eagerness.

I didn't leave her waiting long, climbing atop her before sinking my fangs into her tender neck. Her sweat was salty and surprisingly not unpleasant but it was soon replaced by her even more delicious blood. She gasped and then held me close as I drank deeply. Perhaps it was my imagination but I swore I could taste hints of the ice cream she'd just eaten and it made it all the more interesting to devour her.

Despite the daylight I felt very much vampire as I drank her essence. My instincts were in full swing and combined with the way she seemed to very much desire me to continue sucking it was a dangerously long time before I drew away. She looked happy at what I'd done but also dazed and far more pale than usual. Her lips even seemed a touch blue, though even my eyes couldn't tell for sure in such poor lighting.

Had I taken too much? I couldn't say, but it seemed like getting my blood in her sooner rather than later would be a good idea.

Thanks to my multiple layers reaching my wrist would be difficult. It would have to be my neck then. I was fearful about doing that before since it might lead to her taking too much of my blood but right now I had blood to spare.

I positioned myself carefully to keep from ruining the sheets and then made a short cut on the side of my neck. Sookie wasted no time latching on. I wasn't sure if it was arterial action or her intense sucking but she immediately started taking so much blood from me that I felt lightheaded. Dizzy even, like the whole world was spinning around me. Holding on to her chest was the only thing that kept me grounded.

In the end it was my swift healing that saved me. I was too dizzy and Sookie too focused but eventually my neck healed enough that the flow of blood slowed to a trickle and then nothing at all. Thankfully Sookie wasn't quite desperate enough for more to reopen me with her little human teeth but it seemed a close thing. I had half a mind to give her some lessons on self control but for the moment I couldn't bring myself to fault her. I felt connected to her, body and soul.

I licked her neck for any remaining trace of her blood, then a few more times for good measure. She giggled as if ticklish, head turning down perhaps to reprimand me. Instead, through chance, our lips met. We both stilled, at least until my mischievous tongue darted out unbidden to taste her lips.

We both drew back from each other as far as our little blanket fort would allow. I wanted to say I was sorry right away but instead I just lay still like a frightened rabbit in front of a wolf. Eventually though I regained my wits enough to speak. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

"It was my fault too," she said. "It was just an accident. It's so dark under here I can hardly see anything."

'Right. Dark.' For her at least. I could see her embarrassed face all too clearly, and there was something strangely fetching about it. "I'm not into girls."

"Neither am I," she replied.

There was silence for a time before I found the courage to say what I was feeling. "Do you mind if we lie next to each other? Just for a little while?" I wasn't interested in girls but after sharing so much blood with her I felt connected to her in a way I'd never been with anyone else before. I still loved my sister more but I felt something strong for Sookie that I couldn't yet describe in words. For now, so soon after feeding, I was just certain that I didn't want to let her out of my sight just yet. Close bodily contact in particular felt… reassuring.

"Okay," she whispered.

I scooched close to her and captured her in a hug, one that she didn't take too long to return. We lay there contentedly for a time but after feeding I felt hotter than ever. And so, with great care not to shift the blankets and expose myself to sunlight, I started removing layers. Even without looking I could tell Sookie was bemused by the activity but she stayed silent as I pulled off my pants and socks and upper layers. I was over-hasty though and one layer too many came off.

'Oops.' The shirt and two sweaters were a tangled mess that I didn't fancy sorting out. 'It's fine,' I decided, taking up my position on top of her like I had the last time we'd exchanged blood in bed. It was too dark for her to see me under the covers and it wasn't like we were skin to skin. There was still her shirt and bra between us.

Or… maybe just a shirt. I wasn't sure why she'd gone without. The heat, perhaps? I supposed since she was on her own property with no boys around that was entirely her prerogative, even with a bust her size. It did make our chest to chest contact feel quite weird though, even more so when we moved. As such I straddled her and and hugged her tighter to keep her from squirming. There was still breathing to consider but I at least was only taking a breath every couple of minutes.

We stayed like that for quite some time, soaking in the feeling of togetherness and the bond we'd forged with blood. The only times I moved were to occasionally nuzzle her neck only to halt before I bit her again.

Gran's voice called up the stairs. "Sookie, are you up there? Sam called asking about you."

"Sugar," swore Sookie. "I'm late for work. I plum forgot."

After a brief peek determined it was just after sunset she jumped out of bed with me in her arms. 'Has she gotten even stronger?' I wondered. I'd had daydreams before of men lifting me like this but Sookie had no problems carrying me even with one arm, hardly even seeming to notice the weight. I'd worried I might've damaged her by taking so much blood from her earlier but it seemed that my donation in return had fixed her up better than ever.

Realizing that I was dressed in only panties and pantyhose she abruptly set me down on my feet and turned away. "Uh, you should get changed. I'll be right back." She headed into the bathroom without peeking behind her.

"Right, clothes." Under the covers was one thing but walking around with so little on was not my idea of proper behavior nor fun.

"Sookie, you in h- oh!"

I winced and covered my chest with my arms. This was awkward. "Sookie's in the bathroom getting ready for work," I said, trying to act calmer than I felt about her grandmother walking in. "I was just changing." At least she hadn't walked in a few minutes sooner, our positions and state of dress then would've been even harder to explain. Not that we'd actually done anything. Just vampire business, and there was nothing to be ashamed about concerning that.

"Oh," she said. "You know, we do have spare room we could put you up in if you like."

"I'm okay here, I wouldn't want to put you out." I was intruding on them enough without taking up a whole room. Besides, with a serial killer running about I wanted to keep a close eye on Sookie. And even if I did switch rooms I'd likely just end up in a closet during the day regardless.

"Alright then. I'll just let you change then." She left, shutting the door behind her. Best not to mention that whole exchange to Sookie, I decided. No reason to embarrass her as well.

With no need to protect myself against the sun anymore I switched to lighter clothes. A knee-length skirt replaced my pantyhose and for my chest I found a tight undershirt from Sookie's younger years that would hopefully suffice for a bra and then threw a loose T-shirt on above it. All in all it didn't look all that dissimilar to Sookie's work uniform, except for being considerably less revealing.

I sat and waited on the edge of the bed patiently. Somehow I knew just when to turn around to see her open the door and come shyly back out.

She looked considerably less flustered now that she'd washed her face and put makeup on but I figured it best not to push her by even mentioning… anything. "Ready to go?" I asked.

"Yep. Umm are you not going to wear shoes?"

I looked down and discovered that sure enough, I'd overlooked that part of my attire. Technically I didn't need shoes to protect my feet while vamped out but they would keep the dirt off and keep me from looking like an uncivil beast of the night. On the other hand, with my claws out I was liable to ruin any sneakers I wore accidentally.

The answer came in a pair of flip-flops from Sookie's closet that were only a little too big for me. Once again I was wearing the furthest thing from vamp fashion but whatever, I was over it. I did worry a little about what everyone would think of my little toe claws but it wasn't the first time I'd had them exposed and besides, since it looked like I was going to be staying in Bon Temps for a while they might as well get used to what I looked like now rather than later.