Within the Night and the Day

Azura had to sit on the farthest point of her bed to keep as much distance from where Godric was reclining on her desk chair as she could. With him wearing nothing more than a towel, she feared what she may do, should she be too close to him. The thought of having Godric, with nothing but a towel, within even two yards from her made her blush and look off in the opposite direction. Godric looked nothing but amused as he watched her from his seat, seeing the blush that stained her cheeks and darkened every time she glanced over to him.

"I will not bite, Azura," he called over to her softly, seeing the blood rush up beneath the skin of her neck as the blush continued to grow. He smiled in mirth and repressed a laugh that he knew would only upset her. Teasing was alright, but he knew better than to laugh at her.

"It's not your teeth I'm worried about," she countered back finally. Godric wouldn't help but to let out breathy laughs at that one, causing her to look over to him out of the corner of her eye and smile. She was such a sucker when it came to his laugh, whenever she heard him laugh there was just something inside of her that lifted. She didn't consider herself to be in a dark place, but whenever she heard his laughter there never seemed to be anything wrong in the world at that moment.

"Well, this is a story that I wish to hear."

The voice made Azura repress a shriek and look over to the window in surprise, seeing Eric hunched over in order to fit in it. Godric watched her reaction with amusement before he looked over to his childe, as well as the bag in his hand that carried the clothes he had called and asked him to bring over.

"Hello, Eric," Godric greeted calmly, getting a nod from his progeny before the bag was tossed over to him. Godric glanced over to where Azura was curled up, wearing a long sleeved shirt and sweat pants, staring at Eric hesitantly for a moment before she spoke softly.

"Would you please come in?" she asked meekly. Godric sent Eric a warning look when he saw the smirk that was beginning to rise up to his progeny's lips. Eric didn't stop smirking, but he didn't say anything crude as he usually would have and let himself into her room, standing as a giant over her small frame. Now that Godric had seen what she looked like without clothing, he couldn't help but to notice with the clothing how small she was. The shirt was a thin material and hung on her shoulders, showing the bone that pressed out beneath her skin because of lack of any fat on her body.

"Hello again, lilla," Eric greeted, seeing his maker straighten up slightly out of the corner of his eye. Azura looked confused at the word, unable to comprehend Swedish in the slightest. Godric knew exactly what Eric has said, though, and was surprised that he had accepted the small French girl so soon. Little one. It was a fairly large compliment and term of endearment for one Eric Northman.

"Salut," she stuttered back, still confused.

Eric looked back to Godric and the older vampire returned the stare calmly. Azura felt suddenly very out of place in the room with them and looked away from their silent conversation. It seemed so intimate and foreign; she didn't know what to make of it. Not wanting to interrupt, the young woman pulled herself off her bed and disappeared into her closet to get changed. She was far too wired to go to sleep after her stunt in the shower so she felt it was time to introduce Karen and Godric. If there was one person that can change someone's beliefs in vampires it would be Godric.

"Azura?" Godric asked suddenly from behind her, watching as she began to pick out pieces of clothing that looked nearly identical to the ones he had first met her in, without the thickness that kept her warm in the winter.

"I want to go for a walk; I can introduce you to Karen," she explained as she pulled a pair of jeans from her shelf and tucked them over her arm. "She's very nice and I'm sure that she'll like you."

"As she liked me?" Eric asked sarcastically. Clearly he still remembered when he had met the woman from the café and had yet to forgive her actions so quickly. Azura pitied him and Karen, because there was no way either would give up on their impressions.

"Let's face it, Eric, you are intimidating," she mocked back. "I'll go change in the bathroom so you two can actually have a verbal conversation. The whole eye contact thing is kind of unsettling." Godric's chuckle followed her out the door, causing the blonde's cheeks to flame in embarrassment. She made sure not to take long in the bathroom, changing into her short sleeved shirt and jeans. It felt good not to be wearing her school uniform; she'd always hated that thing and she knew that she would never like it.

Going out would also prevent anything from happening between her and Godric that she felt she was losing the ability to control.

Her door was open when she stepped from the bathroom, showing that Godric was finished dressing. He was sitting on the end of her bed when she arrived, slipping on the shoes that he had taken off when he first came to her that night and saw her in pain. She smiled in greeting and leaned against the doorway in wait, seeing that Eric was in a stance much the same leaning against the wall beside her window.

"Are you ready?" Godric asked as he looked up to her calmly, offering a small, patient smile.

"Yes, my shoes are down at the door. Would you rather take the window or the door?" she jested, hearing the faint chuckle that came from Eric's direction. Godric smiled calmly and stepped up to follow her down to the front door, Eric doing the same as he continued to smirk. They stepped out onto the front steps while Azura pulled on her shoes, moving out to join them after she had made sure she had her key and locked the door behind her.

"So, I'm not going to find out that you went back to talk with Karen after your meeting, am I? She's still going to be alive and well, right?" Azura teased as she looked over to where Eric was walking on the other side of Godric, hanging back slightly. He faked an offended look and turned his eyes away.

"I am offended that you feel that way," he said in mock shock, causing Azura to hum as though she was thinking and nodding her head, seeing Godric smile at their conversation. It was rare that Eric was civil toward a human, especially one as young and innocent as Azura. The liking that Godric had for Azura, however, would be a strong help for the respect that he was giving the human woman.

"Aw, you're just a softy under that hard exterior, around you?" Azura continued to tease, getting a look from Eric that had her scrambling to hide behind Godric, laughing as the tall man lunged at her with human speed and reflexes. Godric watched with mirth filled eyes as the small, frail human ran away from the large, immortal vampire. Eric kept himself away from her for a long time, playing a game of chase that had her under the assumption that she wasn't in any danger.

As she was running to hide behind Godric again he caught up to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, lifting her from the ground and drawing and startled shriek from the woman. It was then that he realized why Godric had been giving her concerned looks when he arrived; she was far too light for someone of her age and size. It was as though there wasn't a pound of fat on her body. She was squirming about on his shoulder as he glanced over to his maker, Godric's greenish eyes holding his own as only seriousness filled them. Eric could feel her bones pressing against his arm.

"You evil man, put me down!" Azura cried out as she smacked his back, continuing to squirm on his muscular shoulder.

"Only Godric can save you now," Eric returned, looking his maker before he darted off at vampire speed, getting a startled shriek from the human on his shoulder as she changed herself to wrap her arms around his torso and press her face against his spine, still upside down. She felt a tug on the back of her shirt and before she knew it she was looking up at the night time sky, no buildings obstructing her view. Godric was the only thing in her line of sight, his eyes sparking as he looked down at her flushed face as she heaved for air.

"Please, forgive Eric, he seems to have forgotten the etiquette of how to treat humans," Godric said carefully as he lowered her back down to her feet and brought and hand up to sooth down her windswept hair. Her bright blue eyes were wide and she looked completely shocked and Godric couldn't stop himself from chuckling at her appearance, so dishevelled and dumbfounded. She scowled at the sound as her cheeks flushed darker with embarrassment.

"And you remember your etiquette?" she asked hotly, drawing forth another chuckle from Godric before he could stop it. It was at that moment that Azura realized why it was that she hadn't seen any buildings when looking upward; they were standing on the roof of one of the taller buildings. She gasped in terror when she looked to the right and saw that she was standing right beside the ledge of a four story drop.

Instinctively, she pressed herself closer to the person that resembled strength and protection, clinging to Godric as she continued to look downward with wide, fearful eyes. Godric did not laugh this time, and instead wrapped his arms around her protectively and drew her in close to silently tell her 'I have you' and 'I won't let you fall'. Azura relaxed dramatically once he embraced her, but continued to cling to his form.

"Please, take me to the ground," she gasped out in plea.

"You walk in the day, looking at bright blue skies with the vibrant sun," Godric began, confusing Azura as she looked up to him. He had a calm, wistful smile on his face as he gazed down at her, his eyes catching the distant lights from the building beside them and enhancing the colour of forest green within them. "Have you taken the time to admire the sky that I see?"

Azura blinked her bright blue eyes owlishly before directing them upward, to the darkened sky above them. The moon was half that night, glowing brilliantly and casting a silvery glow where the artificial lights did not reach. Stretching as far as one could see, tiny dots of light disrupted the black blanket of space, giving a peaceful and beautiful image that Azura realized she had never taken the time to truly admire. Her name meaning 'blue sky' suited her well as she had always lived for bright days in the sun; however, to see the night sky and take the time to truly admire it she had found a new understanding and for the people that loved the night so much, vampire and human alike.

"It's magnificent," she breathed out, her hands relaxing until they were no longer clinging to the fabric of Godric's shirt and instead were resting on his sides in a loose embrace.

The awed look on her face was too much for Godric and he swiftly moved in and captured her lips in a kiss, drawing a gasp of surprise from her at the suddenness of it. She didn't hesitate, though, and immediately returned the kiss as her arms moved up to wrap around his neck instead, her fingers playing with the strands of hair at his nape.

She was smiling in contentment when he pulled back, bringing a peaceful smile to his own face in return.

"We should go now, before Eric frightens this friend of yours again," Godric said almost sadly.

She nodded her head as she continued to smile, wrapping her arms around him and shutting her eyes. Her trust was completely with him, but she did not want to see them plummet to the ground on any day. The wind rushed her hair and clothes, giving her sudden chills, before it all stopped and left her hugging the vampire tightly as they stood in the alley beside Karen's café.

"I would never hurt you," Godric whispered in her ear once they were safely on the ground, his hand moving up to stroke along her damp hair. The strands were silky beneath his palm, making him wish that he could continue to caress them. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her from the alley, to where they stood directly in front of her friend's café.

"I am sure she'll like you, you are…not Eric," Azura said as she looped her arm through Godric's, smiling up at him as he placed his free hand over the one that rested on his arm. Together they approached the doors, seeing through the glass windows that Eric was indeed already inside and sitting at the same table that Azura had occupied days before while studying for her exam. Karen was stand at the table, facing a very smug looking Eric, with a glare on her face.

"Why haven't I seen Azura, vampire?" she was demanding as they walked through the door, Godric holding the door open for the small blonde.

"Her?" Eric asked cockily, looking over to the doorway as he spoke. Karen looked to the right and gasped at the sight of the younger woman, moving forward to greet her but stopping short when she noticed who, or what, she was with. Godric's pale skin was quite easily to pick up on, making it just as easy to take a guess at what he was.

"Salut, Karen," Azura greeted, moving forward with Godric keeping pace easily. "I'm sorry I haven't been here, but exams are almost over. Anyway, I wanted you to meet Godric. He saved me from getting run over while I was on a walk, remember?" she asked, looking to Karen's wide eyes. She didn't seem to be able to register anything past the fact that Azura was hanging around with not just one, but two vampires.

"Azura…may I speak with you, in private?" she asked finally, her voice strained as though someone was holding her throat in their hands. Azura's usually bright eyes darkened at the tone and meaning behind her words, causing her to remain completely rooted to her place at Godric's side. "Azura," Karen snapped, glaring at the younger woman discretely as she disobeyed her indirect order.

"You have customers," Azura said in a flat, monotonous voice. Godric stepped closer to Azura protectively at her sudden change in character, watching Karen with dangerous green eyes. Many people that remained in the café at the late hours had begun speaking more quietly, ghosting looks in their direction not too discretely and irritating the two vampires present. Eric rose from where he had been sitting when he saw the movement made by his maker, acting as a threatening bystander toward the human woman that had upset his maker's companion.

"Azura," Karen began in a warning voice, reaching out for the teenagers arm. Before she could even get close Godric was suddenly standing between them, no one having seen him move, and causing Karen to jump and snap her hand back toward herself.

"I believe you may call her at a time in which you are both free, should you wish to speak with her," he intervened fluidly, leaving the café owner with a startled look on her face as she looked into the young man's—vampire's—eyes. "Come now, Azura, you should rest before the night grows too late," he continued, turning around to face the slightly upset blonde. She only nodded her head, though, and allowed him to walk her from the café, an irate Eric following after them.

"I grow to dislike that woman more each time I meet her," Eric rumbled out as they were walking, Godric letting Azura lean against him as she watched the other blonde carefully. She would not easily forget what he had done to her on the way to the café.

"I didn't know she had such a dislike for your kind, I'm sorry," she whispered guiltily, looking to the ground before her.

Godric shushed her and lifted her chin with a gentle hand. "You have done us no harm, mon ciel, there is no need for you to feel you were the one in the wrong. Simply being associated with someone that dislikes our kind does not make you an offender as well." He could hear her heart begin to beat slightly faster inside her chest and offered a faint smile before he turned his attention to Eric. Azura knew as soon as he began speaking that it was not for her ears to hear because he was speaking in a different language, the same that Eric had spoken before when he called her lilla.

Instead of trying to figure out just what it was that he was saying, Azura just took the time to marvel in his voice, so perfect in the language that he was speaking. It seemed that no matter what accent he had to use he was perfect with it, his tongue curving with the words. At the thought of his tongue the blood rushed up to her cheeks and she forced herself to look away, knowing that the two men would be able to smell the sudden surfacing of her life source.

Godric's fingers threaded through hers as he continued to speak with Eric, calming her suddenly erratic heart and drawing a smile to her lips. He didn't break once in his words, the movement coming so naturally that it would almost seem as though they had been doing it for forever. The emptiness of the streets pleased Azura, the ridicule of being with a vampire left behind because of the missing people.

A small, almost sad smile graced Azura lips as she thought.

Years before she had walked the streets alone, desperate to escape the homes of her 'families', and here she was now with two handsome men walking alongside her, and vampires none the less. It was a shocking change that she never would have believed before; she was just a friendless human girl that was abandoned to die as a babe. Who would dare give her a second thought?

As though he could sense her sadness, Godric's fingers tightened ever so slightly and drew her eyes to him instead. He had stopped speaking with Eric and had turned his attention to her instead. Tugging lightly on her hand, she was pulled up against his side as his lips pressed to her temple, the soothing chill a welcomed relief to her hectic mind.

I didn't die, I swear, I've just been busy. Starting a new job, a new Semester, yada yada yada. Sorry that I haven't update, but here's a new chapter and I'll try to have another out very soon!