I woke up around 11:00. I defiantly was going to miss all of my morning classes and didn't have to be at the bar until 2:00. I was very tired and lethargic. I think it was from Eric feeding on me.

I had an easy morning as I took my time drinking coffee, grabbing some breakfast, and checking my e-mail.

I put on my uniform and debated putting my hair up. I was going to keep my marks exposed, but I didn't know if I wanted to push it. I decided to just go all out and pulled my hair up as high as it would go. I decided I looked nice in my Merlottes shirt, with messy - but stylish - balled up hair, and two puncture marks on my neck.

I called Fangtasia and left a message telling Eric I would get off of work at 8:00pm. I'd go right home after that and be there for him.

The bar was never that crowed at lunch time, but it was generally the time when seniors, people with no lives, and obnoxious gossipers (like Maxine Fortenberry. ugh) came in. I put on the fake smile that got me tips and began to take orders in my section.

It didn't take a telepath nor a genius to read their discomfort and disapproval at my 'love bites', courteously of one very sexy vamp. I acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. Sadly, Maxine doesn't understand voice volume control any more than she understands that talking about people behind their backs is not a 'Christian' trait.

I used up the last of my self control as I walked away from her.

I was doing so well the whole 20 feet I walked. And then I got to watch Arlene and one of the floater waitresses, Linda, whispering and looking at me. They suddenly became very quiet as I walked past. I could not hold my tongue.

"Hi Arlene, how are you?" between arrogant professors and obnoxious customers I was becoming a master at playing nice. And occasionally playing dumb.

"Oh, hi...fine. Just fine." She sputtered.

"So what y'all talking about?" Isn't it annoying how bad slangs become part of your life after hearing them all day long?

"Well honey..." Arlene began. "You know I'd never pry."

Oh really?

"But I heard about..." she looked around and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Last night. And now.....now you have bite marks on you!."

Well, she was prying rather she admitted it or not. And as much as she tried to not sound judgmental, she failed miserably.

"Yes I do." I paused and they both stared at me with perfect silence.

"And as you can see everyone is fine. It as really uneventful. How often do we get troublemakers in here?"

I decided to play down the drama from the night before.

Arlene's face was turning a shade of red, still lighter than her hair, but pretty bright by normal standards. She bit her lip to keep from saying something that would start an issue. I'm sure she didn't think whatever she wanted to say was wrong - even though often time she said some fairly offensive things - but she didn't want to have an argument. I knew she'd wait for me to leave and find someone who would nod their head at her words and ramble off every last opinion she possessed.

Linda looked at me for a second before exclaiming,

"But that's a bunch of drunken morons...not vampires!"

"Well, you handle both the same way." I replied calmly. "Just gotta know what to say."

"Did you say they were scared of Bud Dearborn?" Arlene asked unable to stop talking.

"No." I wondered how much I should say. Vampires lived in this dualistic reality where they mainstreamed and integrated into society, but held in thousands of years of secrets.

"Then what sheriff were they so frightened by?" Linda asked, her brows drawn up in confusion.

"Just another vampire" I shrugged.

"The one that bit you?" Arlene asked. She truly had no tact. I could hear the disgust in her voice.

"Yea" I said carelessly. "Hey, I gotta go check my table. Talk with ya later."

I turned and walked away, effectively ending the conversation.

I busied my self and tried to keep my mouth shut as more people took note of my throat. Luckily time sped right by and soon over half my shift was behind me.

Eric walked in the bar soon after sun set. I could see the rage on his face. I took a deep breath and passed out the drinks I was carrying to table 5, before walking up to him. While many people have a hard time identifying vampires when their fangs are retracted (a fact Sookie and I laughed about on occasion), it was impossible to not take note of Eric and view him not only as an 'other', but as a threat. Even in a crowed bar his stature, stance, and purposeful movements that dripped with self confidence made him the center of attention.

I stood a few feet from him and heard some murmurs behind me. I knew without looking back that Arlene was not only staring but would be inching toward someone ready comment on any interaction I was about to partake in. I also knew the tough guys who felt it was their god given duty to maintain tradition social structures would be making the utterly ridiculous assumption that they could fight Eric if need be.

"I thought I told you to be ready for me tonight." He said in a quiet and lethal voice.

"Can we go talk about this in the back?" I said calmly.

He nodded and strolled right past me to the hallway near Sam's office and the kitchen. I was unable to keep pass with him and felt my cheeks redden as everyone stared at me.

He looked at me intently, but said nothing. I decided to start talking, apparently I still hadn't learned to keep quiet or at least be terse.

"I am ready for you - I called and told you I'd be home after 8. I need to finish my shift. I informed you of this as soon as I remembered that I worked today and tried my best to make sure you didn't waste your time by showing up early."

"I didn't tell you to be ready after work." He said

"Eric I have to work. I have school. I can't cut those things out of my life just because.....I'm yours." It felt so weird to say that. I could respect that there was some vampire culture I was not apart of, yet had stepped into, but something in me couldn't take this notion of me being similar to property. I was greatly nuancing the matter and I realized how ambiguous my situation really was.

He opened his mouth to speak and I held up one finger.

"Wait." I gathered my words and tried to read his face. He gave away very little, but I could tell he was displeased.

"I don't want to fight. We didn't talk about this. I don't understand what you think it means to be yours. You obviously don't understand how I'm prioritizing work and things. Why don't you just get a blood and when I get done, we'll go to my place and talk,"

I was amazed at how well I was handling this. I don't really think Eric would ever hurt me. Since I began interactions with vampires I learned to have some self control and be very glib when I spoke.

He looked at me without moving. At all. It was unnerving.
I knew he wasn't trying to glamour me. It was more as if he wanted to stare through me.

"I will have a Trublood and I'll wait for you at your house after I finish." He walked to a table without another word or glance.

I took a deep breath. I could tell he was still unhappy. I don't think I avoided a problem as much as I just delayed it.

I did my best to finish my shift and when Sookie showed up at 7:45, I asked Sam if I could take off.

I was home in record time. I sped home, but found myself walking slow towards the front door. I told my self to toughen up and just strolled in. it is not normal for a grown woman to be scared to go into her own house.

But while it was abnormal, it might just be wise.

Eric was laying on my bean bag chair texting on his cell phone. The TV was muted with some auto insurance commercial playing. I briefly wondered what a 1000 year old Viking watches on TV.

"I'm glad you're finally here." He said without looking up.

I dropped my bag and parked my butt on the couch.

"Okay. I know you're angry. Do you want to talk to me?"

He paused to hold up on finger. I watched his fingers move quickly as he finished his message and placed the phone on my coffee table.

"You said you want to know what it is to be mine?" He asked. I nodded.

"For starters it means that being ready for me doesn't include going to work when I'm expecting you."

I saw the tips of his fangs when he tilted his head. Any calmness was only a facade. He was pissed off.

"And I told you, I can't miss work and school for you."

A small noise escaped from the back of his throat. I was done trying to keep my cool. My big mouth wasn't going to be shut any longer.

"Eric you know this! What is the matter with you? You can't just be mad over me postponing this for a few hours!"

He was on his feet and towering over me before I could blink. His fangs were fully extended.

"You are mine. You said so. You asked for this. That means I don't have to be 'postponed'" He spat the word out.

I scooted back on the couch and stood up. I only came up to his chest so I had to tilt my head all the way back to see his face.

"Then we will have to compromise on that one." I saw his body flex and he looked to the side as if he was thinking about leaving. I put my hand on his arm.

"Eric....if you don't tell me what is bothering you, I can't do anything." I stopped screaming at this point.

"Do you know how many people - vampires even - would touch me like you are? How many would yell at me like you did?"

His voice was low and predatory.

"Is that it? Am I not treating you like you feel your status requires?" I paused. "Do you want me to be like those fangbangers at your bar? Call you master, bow, an cower in your presence?"

"No." He yelled back at me.

"No." He repeated quietly.

I could see him struggling to control himself.

"Than what is it?" I asked exaggerated.

"It's this! First that little telepath walks in and messes everything up and now you!" He pointed his finger in my face.

"What are you after? Dozens of women, AND MEN, pine for my attention. You declare yourself as mine and then make me wait for you? For your job at the bar of some shifter!"

I was finally understanding what his problem was. Eric was over....life. Over emotions. Over attraction that lasted for more than a few hours.

But his world had been altered ; first by Sookie and now by me.

"Eric, I'm not after anything. I'm not asking you for anything, apart from keeping me alive. Which you did by agreeing that I'm yours." I looked into his face. My words hadn't effected him. His fangs were still down and his eyes were nearly glowing.

"I'm sorry you aren't getting what you want. I'm sorry you are feeling thing you don't want to feel."

He growled.

"I'm not feeling anything but anger and I don't mind that." he lied.

"Eric, this is what it is. You can't change it. I can't change it. Either I'm yours and we work it out or I'm not and we let it go."

He refused to look at my face, but I saw his body relax.

I touched his arm once more, gentler this time.

"I'm not Sookie. I'm not so blind that I can't see how wonderful you are. I'm not in love with someone else, I'm not unworldly, and I'm not going to run every time something stressful arises."

He said nothing and stood there for a while. I decided I had to give my words time to soak in.

"I'm still angry." he said in a much calmer voice.

"Good." he looked at me questioningly. "We can use that" I grabbed the belt loop on his jeans, smiled, and pulled him toward my room.

We had a lot to talk about, but its best to relieve a vampire before you start a serious conversation.