Chapter 21

For Keeps

The keypad on the hidden door that lay beneath a bookshelf in Eric's library had to be programmed with Sookie's thumbprint as well as her own individual password. He chuckled wickedly when he saw the word she chose - Eclaire.

Passing through the heavy metal doorframe Sookie marveled at the sight of Eric's most private safe haven. He had told her no human had ever stepped foot inside this house and now that Eric had revealed his daytime resting place, she couldn't help the smug pride she felt with this privilege. The trust he was now laying at her feet was staggering considering all she had learned of vampires and their instinct to cling greedily to their secrecy. This was a special moment indeed and Sookie bathed in the warmth it brought to her. But the warmth was suddenly invaded by icicle touches ghosting up her outter thigh. She had been too distracted as she stared awestruck at her surroundings to sense Eric's approach from behind. His touch light and feathery at first began to kneed the barely-there flesh below her hips. The building urgency conveyed through his grasp and the bulding arousal conveyed through the stiffness now pressed into her back.

"Sookie." the whispered plea he hushed into her hair made her weak in the knees. So few words this vampire needed to reduce her to a mere puddle. His continued speech came out strained and husky as he pressed himself against her again. "I'm sorry I can't…" but all that came after was a warm growl. His hands grasped her waist underneath the Fangtasia shirt that hung around her like a dress. "Having you here…" each pause punctuated with a teasing kiss behind her exposed ear "…at the foot of my bed…that has been sanctuary…to my fantasies…" the tip of his tongue occmpanying his next kiss "…fantasies of you, Sookie…only you…" his fangs running a hot trail down her throat was the final straw and she could stand no longer. Eric scooped her up and cradled her until she hovered over the wide expanse of bed covered in plush, crimson red blankets and pillows. Though his need and lust for her ebbed with a staggering current he still paused to search her eyes for reluctance. All he saw were two exultant mirrors shining his desires right back at him. "We will join…more ways than one this night." his self-assured statement didn't provoke Sookie as it usually would. Instead she played with him, asking.

"Well are ya waitin' for the cows to come home or do I get to try out my new bed?" the jovial tune to her voice didn't belie any uncertainty or resistance to the idea of sharing his bed…perhaps forsaking all other beds?

Easy Northman, easy.

"Hmmm, I believe I lack the appropriate enclosure for a heard of bovine, dear one. But if you have some sordid fetish regarding livestock that I am not yet privy to please enlighten me so I can cater to your…oufh!" Eric huffed and then chuckled after the feeble punch she landed on his shoulder. "Now, now! Is that any way to treat your beloved when he is only trying to bring your farmyard fantasies to fruition?" Before she could swat her flattened hand across his chisled face Eric launched Sookie into the air. With just a hair's breath between her button nose and the whitewashed ceiling she squeeled with the sudden butterfly sensation of freefalling. Her landing made barely a noise as the sea of red engulfed her in soft, satiny goodness. What did make noise was her carefree laughter and the golden joy that engulfed her fed into the bond with too much joy for Eric to handle and he doubled over in laughter as well. After barely recovering from her fit Sookie begged him,

"Again? Please?"

"Say no more." and Eric gathered her to him before flinging her once again towards the rafters. But this time when she made it back into the crimson embrace Eric was waiting for her, lying on his side. The giggles started again with the influx of adrenaline and endorfins pulsing through each of her limbs. Sookie clamped onto her stomach as the laughter wasn't so compatible with inhaling. But she couldn't stop herself…and she didn't want to. The flutering in her belly was accompanied by such a strong wave of glee. The juvinile abandon and pure mariment at laughing uncontrollably from something so simple was exquisite and Sookie didn't even try to bottle it away. For so long she had taken all intense and bold emotions to a hidden corner of her mind. A place where she didn't have to acknowledge or analyse them. But this carefree warmth was an old friend Sookie had so missed. A creature of the night with no life left in his body had given this to her. How curious. No other soul had been able to bring such joy to this broken girl…and yet wasn't Eric souless?

Perish the thought.

The laughter faded but the warmth didn't when she opened her eyes and found a real live Viking hovering over her with love and contentment written all over his face.

No definitely not souless.

"I want to kiss you Sookie."

She didn't understand at first. Was he asking her permission? Surely what had transpired already this night had established a precedence that kissing was most definitely acceptable. But there it was. A request in his eyes. Albiet an urgent one but he held back from mauling her as his mind and loins begged him to do.

"Eric, I don't have a problem with you k…"

"If you think I can kiss you without it leading to more than that, Sookie, then you give me too much credit. I can say with certainty that once our lips meet and our tongues dance and my hips grind into you…" Eric's leg shifted slightly up and over her bare thigh and she could feel his manhood straining against her flesh "…ungh…Sookie…" his mouth was at her ear pouring in cool breath with each purr "…I won't be able to stop myself…" with more than a bit of difficulty he pulled back his leg and adjusted himself before opening his eyes. He found her panting and slack jawed. Her confusion clearly displayed on her face as well as relaying through the bond.

"I didn't know if you were ready for this, after everything. You've finally come out of your shell, my love and more than I want to feel myself inside of you…I want my Sookie back. I don't want my selfish needs to…open any wounds that are still healing."

Sookie felt heat filling her cheeks and she peered down to the sheets as she tried to re-assure him. "Eric…they didn't rape me. There wasn't any…" she stopped when she felt his hand lightly touch her shoulder.

"That is not what I meant." he lifted his hand and laid it over abdomen lightly drawing circles through the cotton fabric of his shirt she wore. "I know there are not wounds of a physical nature but I don't want anything traumatic to bring on another panic attack." she clearly caught the pained expression that haunted his face. "I cannot see you like that again. When I found you upstairs…I…I just have to know I will never cause anything like that."

Would Eric making love to her really bring on another panic attack? She couldn't imagine how getting loved by this man could ever traumatize her in any way. And then like a buldozer ripping through a daisy field she remembered just how traumatized she was when the loss of love wripped her to shreds after Eric regained his memory. Would that happen again…when he realized that he had bonded himself to damaged goods?

I'm unfixable and he'll see that soon enough.

As if peering into a crystal ball she could clearly see the moment Eric would turn his back to her and leave for good. Could she survive that…again?

Hell…might as well enjoy this taste of heaven while I still have it.

The bitter thought made her sigh but she caught herself and placed her palm against his cheek and tried her best to convey trust and confidence through the bond.

"Eric, I promise I won't flip out on you and have some kind of psychotic break…again. I think…I think I need this just as much as you…"

"Sookie, you forget I can see deeper than the pretty words you string together. I know you are…"

"Oh will you just shut your trap!" Sookie silenced him by straddling him and squeezing her thighs tight around his hips. His breath hitched when he felt her warm sex rubbing against his erection. All thoughts of going slow and gentle and cautious crumbled away and the sexed crazed dominant Eric made himself known by rolling over and pinning Sookie down roughly with a guteral growl.

"That's my boy! Gotta love a man who knows what he…" Eric crushed her lips with his, drowing away her words. He pulled away only when he could feel her tring to pull air into her lungs. As she gasped Eric pondered his plan of attack, devouring the delectable sight of her.

Hmmm, ravaging each breast first, then a nibble of that milky whit neck, then I'll gorge myself on that sugar sweet pu…

"I love it when you fuck me with your eyes like that, baby." Sookie whimpered and her bold words shocked Eric momentarily but his little vixen went one better "Now how about you fuck me with something other than those icy blues?" Her quirked eyebrow said 'bring it on' and that's just what he did. In two seconds flat the scraps of material that separated them became just that…scraps floating over the sides of the bed. His eyes took in the sight of his naked woman once again. Eric closed his eyes and lowered his face until it was inches away from Sookie's throat now convulsing with her rapid breath. With his weight fully on his knees that straddled her he began a slow but deep inhale that started at her neck, traveled over her collarbone, through the valley of her heaving breasts, dipping into her belly button and then halting directly above her sex. When his lifeless lungs could accomidate no more he exhaled and sucked in another wave of her scent. Even to a scent expert it would be indescribable. The sweetness of freshly baked cookies, the musky hint of sweat, a slight trace of some tangy chemical like bleech or clorine - not noxious but tart and pleasant - and some other purely Sookie fragrance that if you bottled would have every man, were and vampire lined up around the block to purchase. This faramone was a potent draw and Eric succumbed to it's siren's call time and time again.

"Do you know what your smell does to me, Sookie?"

She was about to answer but when Eric's eyes opened and she saw the expression there she was only able to squeek incoherently. She wasn't so much afraid as she was totally awestricken with the look he was giving her. Never had anyone looked at her that way. Not Sam, not Alcide, not Quinn, not even Bill. It was the look of a man desperate and crazed but at the same time vulnerable and pleading. What did having that kind of power over someone feel like? In that moment she wasn't sure if she wanted it. But she wasn't about to turn away from this man pouring his love through their bond. As broken as it was she could still feel the tendrils of passion seeping through and it caressed her with heat and light until it made her gasp.

"It does this." in a swift movement he took her hand and placed it on his engorged crotch. "And this." she could feel his dick twitch and pulse through the thick denim. His admission emboldened her and she made quick work of his button and zipper. When his cock sprung free Sookie licked her lips and scooted herself down until her lips were brushing against the wet slit of Eric's head.

"Sookie, I meant to pleasure you first my l…" his words faded into a whimper. A deep manly whimper but a whimper all the same as Sookie flicked her tongue out to gather the red seeping out of him.

It's me doing this to him. Little 'ole me makin' this 1,000 year old Viking whimper like a teenage boy who's never been touched before. Yippee!

The taste of that salty liquid that had gathered in his sweet little well made Sookie moan as her lips passed over the rim of Eric's head. She focused on the texture of his hot smoothness as it glided in and out of her mouth. Eric laced his fingers through her hair and supported her head without putting on any preassure. As much as he longed to fuck her mouth without holding back he knew that kind of force would damage her. Just another treat to look forward to when he turned her…one day. The sensation of his flesh passing through the perfect O of Sookie's lips was pure heaven and the tense and tingle began to build in his abdomine. It was preposterous how fast she brought Eric to climax but he happily rode the wave with a string of grunted profantities knowing another swell would be just around the corner.

When it came to sexual prouese and the frequency of multiple erections…being a vampire was fan-fucking-tastic.

After lapping up the last few drops of his cum Sookie gently nibbled the pink flesh still pulsing between her puckered lips.

"Mmmm." she hummed around his already, re-awakening shaft before releasing with an audible pop. Looking up she was met with an adorable sight. With his eyes shut tight, Eric bit down on his knuckle. A small trickled of blood dripped languidly over the taught tendons of his hand and down over the bone protruding in his wrist. The gasp that Sookie released brought her dazed vampire back to the land of the un-living and Eric did his best to compose himself. But before he could regale her with praise for a blow-job-well-done Sookie had yet again taken him by surprised when he felt her grip his palm and wrist. The sight of his little blood-crazed nympho with a halo of blonde hair and upturned innocent eyes of a child was a contradiction too delightful to be disturbing as Sookie sucked and slurped away all traces of his exposed blood.

And with that blood came cleansing and clarity. The wall was now a mere hazy fog lingering between them and Sookie felt dizzy with sensations she received from Eric. She felt his heady arrousal, his amused shock, his pride and…love?

Is that…love…real…sincere love…from Eric? OhgodOhgodOhgod. Please don't stop sending THAT to me!

This was no longer just a bodily fluid that held a sweet taste and a sweet release for Sookie. This was now something much more significant. Something vital and precious that represented the only way forward. The key to her survival, the path through a forest of lonliness, the patch to heal the tares in her soul. And again the idea that this bond had once been something abhorrent to her vexed Sookie.

Stupid, stupid, pigheaded human!

"Sookie?"

MoreMoreMore…need MORE!

"Do you trust me, Eric?"

Do I trust her? What in the hell?

The incredulous look and sudden rush of reassurance that said of course, without the need for words, was all the answer she needed. Eric could feel Sookie's resolved determination through the bond as she bounced off the bed and padded towards the door. Her beautifully sculpted ass mezmorizing him like a fool. Eric grunted painfully with the distance now growing between their bodies. Sookie typed her password into the keypad as she heard him murmur softly.

"I hate it when you go. But I love to watch you leave."

She smirked at him over her shoulder before disappearing through the heavy metal door. Eric tucked himself back into his pants and slid off the bed to stand in wait for his long lost love. But in reality she was only gone a few minutes and when she returned Eric could see the answer to his question in her hands. The screaming need he was receiving from her was now as crystal clear as if she'd simply spelled it out for him. Her intent brazen and sure as she wielded their future between her fingertips, caressing it reverently. If she hadn't opened her mouth Eric would have been able to keep his cool as well as his confident stance. But she did or course and the words brought him once again to his knees., though this time not in pain or in recoil from his love brandishing her storm of emotions at him. His feet fell from underneath him because of the vow she gave him like a shiny jewel more precious than any the world over. No other gift would another creature on this planet be able to offer him with matching value.

"This bond will never…ever…be broken again."