AN: Before we begin I would just like to give a huge thank you to all of your for the remarkable response to the first chapter. It was so lovely and unexpected I decided to post this chapter early. So go you, and enjoy.
Despite Eric's words, I sort of expected that to be the end of our interaction. Most of me was hoping it would be, but a small traitorous part was wishing he would somehow keep his word. However that small traitorous part wasn't exactly pleased to see a red corvette in my driveway a few days later with the license plate 'BITE ME.' It was even less pleased to find Eric Northman sitting on the loveseat across from my Gran in her armchair after my work shift.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, letting my voice be as sharp as it liked.
He grinned and studied my bare legs with pleasure but no comment.
"Sookie! Is that how we treat guests in this house?" Gran snapped at me. Despite the situation I didn't even think of checking her for bite marks. I suppose a part of me already trusted Eric with that much.
All the edge from Fangtasia was missing from his smile. He was dressed in beautifully fitted blue jeans and a simple black t-shirt. There was an innocuous glass of sweet tea sweating on a coaster on the coffee table in front of him.
"What do you say, Sookie?"
I chewed the inside of my mouth for a moment. I wanted to say that Eric was a vampire, a dangerous one, and my Gran was an innocent old lady. But I was pretty sure she'd hide me for that and anyways this scene was practically a commercial for vampire rights activists.
"I apologize," I ground out to Eric.
He beamed. "It's perfectly fine. Your granddaughter is right to be concerned, Adele. I came to tell you that I looked into the matter regarding the victims," Eric said to me. "I was right, they were not killed by my kind. However I did discover that there are some… vampires who are unreformed in your area. I thought it best to warn you of this. Do not open your door to unfamiliar faces. Certainly do not invite them in."
I raised one eyebrow and glanced at Gran who sniffed and ignored me. Eric smirked.
"It would be better for you both," Eric continued, "if that were a general rule. Do not invite any vampires in excluding myself and Pam."
"Longshadow?" I asked, since he worked for him too.
Eric's face darkened and he looked like the vampire I had met in the bar again. "Definitely not Longshadow."
I shrugged, admittedly relieved. I glanced at the clock over the mantle, it was after ten, which was late for Gran to be out of bed even though she was usually up later reading. She was eyeing Eric with an unusual, calculating expression and I was so curious I almost dipped into her thoughts. Eric was busy sneaking his smutty little glances at my legs that by the time he turned back to her, Gran was all smiles again.
"Adele, I was wondering if you might allow me to speak with Sookie." Eric's face was polite, maybe even warm although I had a hard time fathoming that. "She could show me your grounds."
"Of course," Gran said with an easy wave of her hand as she gave me a warning glace to remind me not to complain. I wasn't going to. "It's time for me to get into bed before my old bones give out on me anyways." Eric rose and gallantly helped my Gran out of her chair. "Be the polite young woman I raised you to be," Gran said under her breath as she pressed a kiss against my cheek. I wondered what she would say if I told her that Eric had propositioned me the night we met.
"Yes, Gran. I'll come say goodnight when I come back in."
"Take your time," she said brightly and I waited till she was out of the room to roll my eyes. "She thinks your courting me now."
"Maybe I am," Eric said with a wicked gleam and hungry smile.
"I'll show you around the cemetery," I said heading to the door. "And you can tell me which of the graves you're older than."
It was definitely not the sort of graciousness my Gran was hoping for, but Eric only laughed. "That will be easy. All of them."
I stopped on the step and looked at him to see if he was joking. He was smiling and I didn't know what to think.
"What did you talk about with my gran?"
"History," he answered immediately. "I'm afraid I failed the most important test. I was in Europe during the Civil War, but I told her I would do my best to find someone who might better fit the criteria." My eyes widened and he added, "A safe option."
I shook my head and jogged down the stairs. "I wasn't worried I just… Why would you bother?"
"Adele is an exceptional human," Eric said easily, keeping up with my pace as I speed walked away from the house. "I believe she knew I was a vampire as soon as she opened the door but she invited me in to speak to her even before I asked."
"Can you make people do what you want them to?" I asked off the suspicion I had from the night at the bar. I stopped to meet his eyes.
"Most people."
"Not me?"
"No."
"And not Gran?"
"I don't know," he admitted, glancing back at the house with a frown. "I didn't try."
I sighed. "Thank you. Who else besides me does it not work on?"
"It is called glamouring, and… you are the first."
"Oh." He was studying me and I thought that I should wait for him to ask, but I said it anyways. "I'm a telepath. I can read minds."
"Ah," he said with a satisfied smile. "I thought it might be something of that sort. I had a psychic once. You smell sweeter."
I blushed.
"Sookie," he said, his smile fading. "This is very important. Can you read vampire minds?"
"No," I said. "You're silent. You're the only silent minds I've ever met. It's… you have no idea how peaceful it is."
His eyebrows raised. "Peaceful is not a word commonly associated with vampires."
Now I laughed. "Yeah I bet. I mean, ya'll terrify me, which is probably good otherwise I'd just be followin' you around for some quiet."
"How does it work?" he asked, and I got the feeling that this was more like research for him than polite conversation.
"When I was little I used to respond to questions that were never asked out loud. Some people think in pictures, some in words, most in both. Some are harder, fuzzier than others. My boss, Sam, he's hard to read which is good cause I usually have to quit after I hear a boss thinking nasty thoughts about me." It was so easy to let it out, tell him the details that I hadn't explained to anyone else, not even Gran although she knew the gist of it. "If they touch me, then I can't not hear them."
"And when I touch you?" Eric set his cold hand on my arm as we resumed walking and I closed my eyes.
"Silence." I sighed and opened my eyes again. "Even when I'm not around people I can still feel a buzz, like their thoughts are just far away but still there. When you touch me it's all gone."
I caught a flicker of hunger in his gaze, which made my stomach twist, before his wicked grin returned. "You could come work for me. You would never hear the nasty thoughts I think of you."
I laughed again and blushed, turning away slightly to open the gate to the cemetery. "Maybe not but you'd just say them out loud, I think. Anyways, your customers have the most uncomfortable thoughts I've found. They wrap themselves around me, they're hard to get out of."
"Then you would just have to work close to me. On my lap, I think, would be best."
"That doesn't really sound like work, now does it?"
"Most women would be happy to be paid for that."
I stiffened. "I guess I'm just not most women."
Eric drew his hand back. "Of course. I apologize." My eyebrows jumped up as Eric looked back at the house. "Adele said she raised you. I should've realized that her influence would be more positive than most."
I was stunned. "You respect her?"
"I do."
"You just met her."
"Is that uncommon in her case?"
I opened and closed my mouth for a moment. "No. No, it isn't really. Is it uncommon for vampires to respect humans?"
Eric grinned. "Yes. Definitely. Your brother, do you think he would elicit a similar response?"
I snorted. "Lord, no. Jason is about as normal human as it gets."
"Very well. I feel better if it is only two. Are there any other Stackhouses?"
I paled and studied a grave as I tried to keep myself from trembling. "Nope just us three." I had other relatives, they just weren't named Stackhouse.
Eric was silent and I could feel his gaze on my face. I waited, if he didn't change the subject in a moment then I would.
"I have something I would like you to consider," he said finally and his voice had cooled and evened from its previous humor. "You have a remarkable talent, and I am certain that sooner or later, another vampire will become aware of the fact. I do not mean to scare you, but it is not a general habit of vampires to ask before taking. Many would choose to isolate you or kidnap you and simply force you to use your telepathy for their gain. For your own sake, as well as for your grandmother's - and admittedly mine - I would hope to prevent that. I would like you to sign a formal contract as the official telepath of Area Five of which I am the sheriff. It would not be the best protection I have to offer, but I believe it would be that which is most preferable to you. It would mean I had the right to protect you from other interested parties. At least long enough for other arrangements to be made."
My eyes felt so wide I thought they might fall out. "What? Area Five of what? What other arrangements? What would I be doing?"
Eric explained how the divisions of territories worked fairly quickly, fast enough to make my head spin. "As for your duties, I would simply ask you to read the minds of any human employees that might be necessary. If you would ever be willing to come to Fangtasia on a free evening and prevent any situations like the one you did previously you would be paid generously on an hourly basis. I may ask you for more specific help on a need to need basis. I doubt you would readily agree to the other arrangements and therefore I am not interested in pursuing them at present."
Which wasn't him saying that he wouldn't ever pursue them. I took several breaths. "I don't know very much about vampires but I get the feeling you are being… a lot more fair than you usually would."
"Probably more than is wise," he said, his mouth tense.
"Make a contract and I'll take a look at it. I already have a job and I don't want to wear myself out working nights all the time so I want some kind of fair limit on how much work I'll be expected to do for you within a week or a month, okay?"
Eric's smile was faint, but impressed. "I will call when it's ready."
I nodded. "Okay. Was that all you needed?"
"There is something else," Eric said frowning and looking past the cemetery towards the old Compton house, where that dead vampire should have been staying now. "I was not aware of Bill Compton coming to the area. He should have checked in with me but it was your grandmother who told me of his demise. I am, however, familiar with his reputation as an employee of the Queen of Louisiana. He… procures for her. Usually interesting flavors of blood but sometimes… talent. Sookie, I believe it's possible that he was sent here looking for someone. Vampires are not sentimental, the old family home is too convenient. The fact that the queen has not contacted me looking for her employee after him being missing for several weeks tells me she does not want me aware of her goal. It is likely she will send someone else to procure for her. Be on your guard, especially for any unfamiliar vampires."
"You think she's looking for me."
"Unless you know of any other exceptional humans who smell like sunshine and sugar and who can read minds, or have some other unusual talent, yes, I think so."
"How would she have heard about me?"
"I don't know. I'll be looking into it."
Like he had already started looking into Maudette and Dawn's murders. I wondered if that was a usual thing, a vampire looking into a human's problems. I seriously doubted it.
"Why not procure me for her, yourself?"
Eric smiled grimly. "I would have, if she had asked. Lucky for us both, she did not. I would rather keep you for myself."
Well.
"I have given you a great deal to think about," Eric said, which was putting it lightly. "I have one more favor to ask."
Despite the silence of his mind, my head felt busy and overworked. I sighed. "Okay."
"I would like to return and visit with your grandmother if you don't object. I enjoy discussing the quirks and twists of history with her. It would also allow me to be sure that there are no unwanted visitors."
"Are you asking permission to court my gran?" I asked, teasing. Eric laughed. "I think Gran would tell you it's not up to me who she spends time with, but yes, that's alright. And I appreciate you asking."
Eric nodded. "Now let me walk you back home."
It was sort of a bossy way of being nice, but I figured that if he was vampire Sheriff he was probably used to giving orders that were obeyed. He set his hand on the small of my back and we walked quietly through the cemetery back to the house.
"I forgot to mention," Eric said and I took a deep breath expecting another mental whammie. "You look delectable in those shorts. It is taking my very best resistance not lick every bare inch of skin you have presented. You are welcome to wear those when you come to visit Fangtasia."
My hand reached out and smacked his stomach without me thinking but he just grinned. "Gran would give you a good hiding if she heard you talk to me like that."
"And what will you do Sookie?"
What would I do? "Ask you to mind your manners."
"Very well. For now. But allow me to be clear, I can smell on you that you are untouched and unspoiled by the human tendency to medicate and drug the blood. That is something that I have not experienced in many years, and not at all since vampires have made themselves known to the public. Your body makes me hungry in many ways. I would like to introduce you to every pleasure I have known in my thousand years. I would like to taste every part of you, including your blood, and I would savor you as I have never done another. Your mind, your body, your blood, would not be wasted on me, Sookie Stackhouse. All you need to do is say that you want the same."
My body was trembling. I was hot everywhere, even the cool spot where his hand rested. I was aroused beyond anything I had ever known and there was a very large part of me that wanted to leap into his arms and allow him to do all the beautiful things he was referring to. If any human man had said those things to me I would've kicked them where it really hurt and then kept running. But I knew, perhaps instinctually, that a compliment on my blood coming from a vampire with a thousand year sampling history was a pretty big deal, if not the sort of thing a girl dreamt of hearing.
When I spoke my head had managed to sift through all of that heat and find something important.
"And my heart? Would that be wasted on you?"
Eric stopped and I stepped away and turned to face him. He looked like I had just handed him a math puzzle that didn't have a real answer.
"I'm not sure that I could separate the physical from the emotional, Eric, and I know that I couldn't work for you if you left me hurting."
He was quiet for a long time, I wondered if I'd started speaking in gibberish, or I'd just imagined all the sexy things he had said and now he was totally confused about the direction the conversation had taken. Finally he spoke. "I see. You will tell me if you change your mind."
The disappointment was not unexpected but it was bitter all the same. "Sure." I nodded and looked around. We were only a few feet away from his car. "I'm going inside. You'll let me know when the contract is ready to look at?"
He looked disoriented and I felt it. "Yes," he said. "It will be soon."
I kept nodding and headed to the house, feeling surprisingly weary.
"Goodnight Sookie," he said from behind me.
"Goodnight Eric," I murmured from the steps, certain he could hear me.
I found a physical release under my sheets that night, but it somehow didn't satisfy the longing Eric's words had left me with.
AN: If anyone is a big fan of the slowburn between a couple, well I'm sorry but that's not this story. I plan on trucking through this plot and through their relationship. Sookie and Eric are admittedly out of character but if I felt like doing an exact replica of Harris then... well, I wouldn't have bothered. Hope that doesn't turn anyone off too much. I promise not to let Sookie be a doormat and Eric won't be human/a cuddly kitten. Again, I own nothing. Review and let me know what you thought, or what you had for breakfast. Anything is good!