Chapter 37:

It's short. I've hit a patch of writer's block so squeezing this out was difficult. I just needed to get it done and posted so I can better prepare for the next chapter, going back through my notes for this story.

Erin blinked several times as she woke up. It was early in the morning and the smell of Larten was all around her. She shifted and saw she was wrapped in his cloak.

She sat up and ran a hand through her hair. She must have fallen asleep and Larten carried her to bed. She assumed he was asleep in her room.

She gingerly walked to her bedroom door and as quietly as she could, she turned the knob and peeked in. Larten was indeed asleep and looked like he had been tossing and turning; the sheets were wound around him, the comforter on the floor. He must've been dreaming.

BLIP.

"Sssh," Larten hushed her, planting a kiss on her lips, holding her face in his hands.

He pulled away and ran a rough finger over her pink lips before glancing into her eyes.

Erin stared at Larten, unsure.

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

He pulled her face to his once again and planted another fuller kiss onto her mouth.

BLIP.

Erin couldn't stop a small gasp escaping. She quickly shut the door and hurried downstairs. She took Larten's cloak off and hung it back in the laundry room, smoothing out the wrinkles.

There were still wrinkles though minute.

Erin grabbed the ironing board and iron and set to ironing the cloak thoroughly.

She was trying to busy herself and keep her hands doing something because if she didn't she would think about what she had just had a flash of in Larten's dream and that was too much, too soon to even begin to acknowledge.

She must have ironed his cloak twenty times before realizing and hanging it back up in now pristine condition.

She took a deep breath to steady herself.

What else could she do?

Dishes!

Erin entered the kitchen quickly and saw that the dishwasher had not been run yet. That meant she could wash each dish by hand and very, very thoroughly.

Perfect.

But it wasn't perfect. Her mind kept wandering to what she had seen as her hands cleaned and dried dishes on auto-pilot.

He kissed her. Larten had kissed her. Two times. Two times of his own volition, himself initiating the action.

Okay. Well, so what? It was only a dream, right? You can't control your subconscious. That's all it was. That's. All.

But she didn't want it to just be a dream. She didn't want it to be "that's all." She wanted it to be a subconscious manifestation of Larten's feelings towards her. Like the night after they had spent together for her 30th birthday, standing in the garden, dawn approaching, both desperately waiting for the other to make a move.

But neither did. Erin knew that if he had she wouldn't have stopped him.

Her stomach did a flip just thinking about it.

It was true they were growing closer in that regard, but Erin didn't think-

She closed the cabinet door after placing the final dish in its place and leaned her forehead against it, closing her eyes, and sighing.

She knew that whatever happened between them would not last for long. That was a fact and she was well aware of it.

She lifted her head. But if being together wasn't going to be for long, she wanted it all. Everything. Why waste precious time?

"It's all or nothing, Erin," she murmured to herself.

She couldn't wait for the next or final Murlough attack and regret not having that short-lived happiness until whatever their final end would be. Whatever was in store for the three of them, they were going to live as happily and fully as they could until that time came.

She would focus on extending her flashes for as long as possible when they appeared, even though she couldn't completely control them, but she could expand her mind for extra pieces here and there through precognition. It took a lot of effort, but she would manage.

"But don't forget the now. There is no guarantee for tomorrow. Follow your heart." Erin laughed at herself inside. She really for once was going to follow through with the advice Brigid had given her.

Slowly, though, her heart started to drop.

What if Larten didn't want to grow that close? What if it was only a dream? She knew vampires had their code and expectations, but she had seen into his life, and he had loved, just as deeply and sincerely as anyone else in the world. Even Gavnur, a strong central figure in his life, apparently was quite involved and very much in love with a woman. She had had that flash when Larten was first with them and still trying to accustom himself to their lives. Stuffy old bat. That was the nickname. She had quite liked it and when thinking about it, it still amused her. She had so badly wanted to use it on several occasions, but felt it was, perhaps, a bit too personal, too soon.

She walked into the living room. Everything was decorated and lovely to look at, although the Christmas tree needed to start acquiring a few presents.

Erin frowned and touched her necklace. What could she possibly get Larten? He wasn't an incredibly sentimental person; but still, she had to try, if only for her own peace of mind.

He had looked at her so teasingly and playful before kissing her in the dream. He really did like showing off. That's how he was such a good performer and showman. His heart really did belong there despite his vampire duties. It had been his home for a large chunk of his life. It was safe and simple and constant.

Erin shook her head to break the reverie. She still felt the need to distract herself so she wouldn't dwell on the dream. Brigid wouldn't be home for a few more hours. She couldn't vacuum.

That left Christmas shopping. She could at least knock a few things off her list. Also, groceries. Roasting marshmallows tonight would make Brigid very happy.

There. She had a game plan that would keep her busy until she would have to face Larten and act as if she had not seen into his dream.

She didn't want to go back upstairs, so she quickly changed in the laundry room: dark jeans tucked into suede high-heeled boots, taupe long-sleeved top with a cream-colored cardigan, and finally her down winter coat.

She grabbed her purse, pulling out a hair tie for a high ponytail, and threw on some quick face powder, mascara, and caramel lip gloss. She always carried the necessities just in case!

Erin pulled out her keys and headed out leaving Larten upstairs, still in his dream of warm, soft lips, and running his fingers through cascading auburn hair.