Any author's notes from the person who wrote this gift fic have been removed to prevent any identifying information being revealed. The individual author can post this story to their own profile, complete with intended A/Ns, after the 26th December. We hope this gift fic is enjoyed by all – but mostly for the person it was written for. Thank you to this author for taking part in the first Sookie's Secret Santa fic exchange. Due to the number of participants it will be impossible to post all of the stories in one day - don't worry, everyone will get their gift before Christmas Eve :o)
Santa's little helpers
Blakes Boogie & Jan of Arc xx
Title: Have Faith
Secret Santa for Evenflo78
Summary: AH. When storms hit, they hit hard, kinda of like the laws of attraction. What will happen when Sookie Stackhouse finds a stranded stranger on the steps to Merlotte's? Rated M for lemons.
The blond watched the snowfall getting heavier and heavier outside the windows of the bar where she worked. The locals had long ago gone home, knowing, as locals always do, about what the weather was going to do given the present circumstances. Sookie knew just as well, and she also knew there was no way her pitiful, piece of something or other, hatchback without winter tires, was going to get her back home through the snow that had already accumulated. Every year she said she was going to buy snow tires, and every year the tips didn't pan out, or the roof needed changing, or the driveway repaired, and that left her baking and knitting Christmas presents for the people she loved instead of being able to actually buy things, and without good tires. Her nephew really wanted a Nintendo game, but Sookie didn't even have the $140 to buy that for him, and he really was her priority, as kids always should be at that magical time of year. He was always so sweet, Hadley's son, Hunter and took up the sweaters she made for him, and the gingerbread that she decorated with his blond hair and blue eyes, as if they were just as precious as the coveted toy du jour. He was an angel in a little boy's body. After he had lost his mom in Katrina Sookie had felt even more disposed to him, wanting to give him everything, and crying to herself when she couldn't.
Sam, her boss, had taken his girlfriend to Shreveport for the day, and when he'd phoned to check in Sookie had relayed the information about the storm, asking him to please not get on the road. Sookie liked Sam, not enough to be sad that he had someone in his life; okay maybe enough to be a little sad about it, but she didn't begrudge him the happiness. He had told her to shut things up and send everyone home; which she had done. Terry, the cook, had offered her a lift, he had a big pickup, but Terry had some 'issues' with PTSD, and while Sookie didn't really have a reason to be scared of him, he'd never done anything to her, she just felt a little nervous being on her own with him right then. She figured she'd just clean up and then go across the lot to Sam's trailer. She'd stayed there before when Sam had been out of town, just to watch the bar. Sam was always nervous to be away from it, and he had good reason. The bored high school kids, especially the ones who tried to get beers from him when they were obviously underage, thought it was fun to go wilding. It wasn't just the postboxes that took the wrath of their bats, the trash bins had been beat up a few times in the middle of the night, with Sam rising just in time to see the taillights in the distance and hear the laughing. Of course, with that wall of white flakes there wasn't going to be anyone foolish enough to come out that night Sookie figured.
She made another check of the kitchen, just to make sure everything was off; Sam did the same thing when he closed. She loaded the last of the beer mugs into the dishwasher and set it going, and then she went back to the front door, ready to lock it up. The dim sight of two lights, two headlights, stopped her. Had Sam been foolish enough to try to get home? She opened the door.
The wind whipped at her so hard she had to close her eyes for a moment, it wasn't just snow any longer, it stung her skin and she backed up into the safety of the bar again, blinking and brushing snow from her hair. The little white tee shirts did absolutely nothing to keep out the cold. She saw the lights flick out and a shape emerged from some type of sedan vehicle, at least she thought that was what it was because even with the well lit parking lot Sookie couldn't have even told you the color of the thing, let alone the make. Whatever, or whoever it was, pulled something over its head; likely the collar of a coat and rushed towards her. She stepped out of its way.
Once bathed in the light of the bar; Sookie hadn't turned off the lights yet, she could see that figure was nothing sinister, (she hadn't actually had the time to process that worry), just a man, a rather tall man in a coat that was certainly not suited to the weather he was driving in.
"Oh heck it's cold out there." He shook himself free of the snow that had collected on his back and shoulders before shrugging out of his coat.
'Heck?' Sookie thought to herself, who says heck anymore?
The man looked to the ground, and then up at Sookie, and back to the ground, there was quite the puddle forming around him, from the snow that had begun melting from his shoes and that which he had dumped off his coat.
"Darn, sorry miss, I didn't mean to make a mess of your place. If you get me a mop I'll be happy to clean it up."
'Darn?' Did this man just fall off the bible truck? She had a quick look at him. Six foot something, easily, blond hair just dusting his shoulders, still with a few unmelted flecks of snow at the crown. And blue eyes, whoo boy, blue eyes that just sparkled at you when he smiled, and boy he sure was smiling at her.
"Hi, my name's Eric." He stuck out his hand. Captivated for just a moment by the aforementioned blue eyes, Sookie hesitated, and then held out her own.
"Sookie Stackhouse." His hand was as cold as ice, and suddenly the manners Sookie's grandmother had drilled into her, by example as much as by instruction finally kicked in. "Let me get you something warm to drink, don't worry about the water I'll get it in a minute, you're practically frozen."
"I'll feel much better miss if I could do something?" The way he spoke, with the widened blue eyes (there were those eyes again) and the way his lips didn't quite meet as he waited silently for an answer continued to distract Sookie, breeding or no breeding.
"You just sit yourself down and take off your wet shoes. Let me get you a coffee." She forced herself to turn away from the new visitor; otherwise she knew she was going to make a fool out of herself.
"Well all right then." She heard behind her, then the squeaking of one of the wooden chairs being pulled away from the table.
"It's an awful nasty night to be out driving?" She called from the back as she set the coffee pot on, she'd dumped the overdone remains of the last pot as she had made her rounds of the kitchen earlier, fortunately she always had a fresh filter and grounds ready to go.
"Yes miss it is."
"Call me Sookie, please." She pulled down a white china mug from the shelf and got a little pot of cream from the fridge and a bin of sugar packets from the counter. She'd put those away earlier too. She brought them to the table first.
"Where were you headed?"
"Back to Shreveport, I was in town for a meeting, I didn't realize that storms could come up so quick around here."
"Sometimes that's the way." She went back to check on the coffee and found it nearly done. Retrieving the pot she went back to the table and poured a cup for her guest.
"Would you sit down and join me?"
"In just a second, let me get the water up off the floor in case anyone else shows up and slips in it." That task was quickly accomplished, and after stowing the mop Sookie poured herself a cup of coffee and joined Eric at the table.
"I was so glad when I saw the lights still on here. I was getting very nervous about what exactly I was going to do."
"Well I'm glad I could help you out."
"I thought about going back to the church hall, but I was nearly the last one to leave, and I didn't want to end up outside a locked door, no further ahead."
"You were at the church?" Sookie searched her mind for the recollection of some type of meeting; the Daughters of the Glorious Dead weren't on for that night, though, since Gran had passed she hadn't really kept up with them. Christmas was coming; she supposed it could have been some charitable thing or other. Loads of people had been hit hard by the economic downturn, Sookie included, though rather peripherally.
"I do some work as a youth pastor. On the side. The reverend invited me out to speak to the children about some of my work overseas. He thought it might inspire them to do some good in the world, 'and not just knock over mailboxes' as he put it. Apparently the Reverend hadn't been immune to the high schooler's either.
"How did it go?" Sookie asks him.
"About as well as it usually does." Eric admitted, lips now pursed together in a half a smile. "The parents love to hear about what their children could be doing, the kids drink sodas and daydream about getting out of there. But I figure that if you can touch just one young person's heart then it's worth it all."
"Do you think you did that tonight?"
"Well, there was one girl, a redhead who looked like she was actually listening, more than her father was; he seemed to be checking out another of the parents for the whole of the presentation."
"Ah, yes, that would be Jessica Compton, Bill's her dad. She's a good girl, looking for a way to do some good, and to get out of Bon Temps. Can't say as much for him. But I suppose I shouldn't speak ill eh?"
"I suppose I shouldn't have either, I hope you'll forgive me."
Sookie couldn't help but laugh, this boy had definitely fallen off the bible truck, but fortunately he had landed in her now empty bar. Eric joined in on the laughter, his voice was deeper than Sookie had expected, almost musical in nature. She hesitated to call it sexy, even just to herself, because somehow that seemed wrong. She hid that thought in a long sip of coffee.
"How long do you expect the storm to go on Sookie?" Wow, he said her name in that same rich voice as his laughter. His bible voice was a little more colloquial. Both had their charms though.
"Right through the night at least, it'll likely be long past noon before the parish gets the roads plowed."
"Noon?" That seemed to rattle Eric just a little.
"Sorry," she shrugged her shoulders, "but I can call my brother Jason, he'll be on the crew, and make sure they plow us out first."
"Were you planning on staying here all night?"
"Yup, well, not here, in the bar, my boss's place is just out back, I was going to crash there overnight."
"Oh." The rich voice got a little flat.
"More than enough room for both of us, leastways if you don't mind the couch."
Visibly relieved Eric answered, "Oh no, that'll be wonderful, thank you so much for your generosity, and your boss's generosity."
"Sam."
"I'll be sure to include him in my prayers." Sookie had the notion he was being quite sincere when he said that.
"Why don't you get your shoes, I'll just make sure everything is turned off and we can go out the back, it's just a quick run across the lot, I have a key."
Eric nodded, slipped on his shoes, tidied the table after himself and met, Sookie, his sodden coat over his shoulders, at the entrance to the little hallway that went around to the back. She opened the back door, pointed to the trailer, and as he hoofed it over there she locked up the back door of the bar, and dashed through the snow to meet him on Sam's covered porch, only it was mostly covered in snow just then. Changing over keys she opened Sam's wooden door and the two of them piled in, out of the wind and the ice pellets, Eric shutting the door and bolting it behind them.
"It sure as heck is cold out there." She laughed at Eric and set about turning on lights and turning up the heater.
"Let me hang up your coat."
Sookie watched him a little more closely that time as his back was turned to her, ensuring that both coats were taken care of. He had broad shoulders that tapered to a slim waist, and it was easy to see his biceps under the cotton of his dress shirt, now a little wrinkled in the back. His blond hair was rather a pure shade, and not the highlighted, out of a bottle sort of color. His tailored pants showed off his other asset pretty well by Sookie's reckoning, though she felt a little bad for noticing, after all he was sort of a pastor. But she could definitely see why Jessica had paid such careful attention to him. What red blooded, or was that hot-blooded girl wouldn't?
"Do you expect Sam back tonight?" Eric turned around slowly.
"No, I told him to stay in Shreveport, he went up with his girlfriend, I expect he'll get a motel for the night, he's a sensible guy."
Sookie noticed that Eric said nothing.
"Let's turn on the TV, maybe we can get a channel despite the storm." She offered.
Sookie did manage to find a local channel and a quick watch of the news bore out what Sookie had related to Eric about the duration of the storm front. Sookie called her brother to ensure he knew where she was, and that she was safe. After that there was a comedy on, funny videos shot by viewers of their pets or something like that. Sookie thought it would be safe enough to leave on with the almost pastor Eric.
"Can I get you a beer or something Eric? Sam won't mind, I promise."
"I suppose that would be okay, I'm not driving after all."
"Good." Sookie opened two from Sam's fridge and came back to sit next to Eric on the couch. She took a drink from hers and looked at those blue eyes again, she watched him take a cautious sip.
"Don't drink much eh?"
"Not really. I've heard you shouldn't drink alone, and I don't think my cats count as much company."
"You have cats?"
"Two, strays, both black." Somehow Sookie was not at all surprised.
"What are their names?"
"Godric and Pamela."
Not typical cat names, but as good as any Sookie figured.
"Godric sleeps on my bed and follows me around my apartment. Pam, well, she sort of finds a perch and then just watches me, unless her dish is empty, then she curls around my feet trying to trip me up till I fill it." He laughed; the rich voice was back. Sookie felt a little tingle in her chest; she dismissed it as the beer.
"So, I guess you live here in Bon Temps Sookie?"
"My whole life Eric."
"And your family?"
"Just my brother left, and my nephew Hunter. Lost Gran a few years back, Mom and Dad when I was a kid. The Stackhouse's are a small group."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Well thank you. And where are you from Eric?"
"Originally? Sweden, but my parents moved to the states when I was just little, so I don't have much of an accent, or so I've been told."
Well that explained the blond hair, blue eyes, and breathtaking height Sookie thought.
"We've lived all over the country, but right now I work in New Orleans."
"And what do you do?"
"Software design, games mostly."
"Wow. My nephew likes video games. I don't play them myself." He laughed again; thinking of Hunter always put a pretty smile on Sookie's face.
"You don't really fit the demographic Sookie. But don't take that the wrong way."
"Oh, I won't." She reached over and clinked Eric's beer bottle with her own. Both of them dissolved into laughter.
"You seem like a very nice lady Miss Sookie Stackhouse." Eric announced.
"And you seem like a very nice man Eric, Eric what? I don't know your last name."
"Northman, Eric Northman. And your boyfriend must be very worried about you Sookie, shouldn't you call him or something?"
Sookie took another, longer drink from her bottle. "No boyfriend Eric, just my job, and my house and my brother and my nephew. My nephew first I should say."
"Then you are an excellent Auntie." And Eric clinked her bottle again.
"Maybe I should go and find you some blankets." Sookie suddenly announced, needing to say something to overcome the giddy feeling that was making her core feel warm all of a sudden.
Sookie woke with a start, the way you do when you haven't realized that you've fallen asleep, and you don't quite recollect where you are. It took a moment to sort out that she was in Sam's living room, where most everything was quiet, except the steady breathing of the person beside her, a person upon whose shoulder she was laying. She bolted upright.
"Oh my god. Eric, I'm so sorry. Did I fall asleep?"
His smile was benevolent, that was the best words she could come up with to describe it just then.
"Only just a few minutes ago, we were talking about your nephew and you kind of drifted off. I should have probably moved you to the bedroom, but I didn't know where it was, and well," he blushed a little bit, "it kind of felt nice to have you there on my chest."
It was Sookie's turn to blush.
"I didn't realize I was so tired." She offered as some kind of explanation.
"Well, with everything you take on, all by yourself, it's no wonder."
"I'm really sorry."
"Please don't apologize. Really, I didn't mind."
"Well, you are very sweet to say that." She patted his hand, resting on the couch between them.
"You're really sweet too." He turned the hand she had touched and captured hers in a gently grasp. "I haven't met someone as genuine as you in a long time."
"Me either, I guess." Sookie didn't date folks form Bon Temps, it was such a small place, with so much gossip, and she'd grown up with all the boys her age. She knew just about everything they'd ever did. It was almost like being telepathic; there were no secrets in Bon Temps. Besides, if things didn't work out, most everyone ended up in Merlotte's on a Friday night, and Sookie didn't need things being awkward.
"I've been sort of wondering if I wasn't brought here for some particular reason tonight?"
"You mean like divine intervention?"
"Yeah, maybe."
"Why?"
Eric didn't answer her with words, but instead leaned over towards her and kissed her very softly and very quickly on the mouth.
"Oh, my." Sookie said, bringing her fingertips up to her lips, where his had left a lingering warmth.
"Was that okay?" Eric asked, very softly.
"Oh heck yeah." And Sookie darted back towards him, pressing her mouth hard against his, trying to push the image of him holding onto a bible at the pulpit out of her mind as she forced her tongue into his mouth and wrapped her hands around his neck. She felt his arms come nervously around her waist, his grip tightening slowly as she deepened the kiss, wrangling his tongue with her own, tasting the moan that escaped his throat.
She pulled away and drew a shaky breath, wondering at her own impulsiveness, but the blue eyes that continued to gaze at her were sparkling brighter than she had seem them do that entire night. Throwing caution to the wind she slung a leg over his waist and pulled herself into his lap, feeling his hands guiding her there. Then she kissed him again. Not as frantically as the first time but just as deeply. She let her hands wrap around either side of her neck, holding his face to hers, she could feel the panting of his chest against her, and the staccato rhythm mirrored her own desperation. She let her hands drift around his neck lazily, looking for the buttons at the neck of his shirt. He had removed his tie at some point, and undone the very top one, but it left Sookie the longed-for task of slipping the rest free from the manicured buttonholes, one at a time, exposing the toned chest to her eyes, feeding the tingling that had moved from her gut further south.
Eric kept his hands fixed on her hips, moving her very subtly back and forth over the top of his legs. She was only too happy to let him guide her in that way. Finally she splayed open his white dress shirt and let the tails fall to see the six-pack that he had hidden. She drew in an appreciative breath and he laughed just a little at the sound.
"Now you?" He asked hesitantly, in the same quiet voice.
Sookie rocked backwards just a little, so she wouldn't hit him with her elbows, and she pulled the white Merlotte's tee shirt out of her waistband, gyrating a little against him as she pulled it over her head and off both arms. It was his turn to stifle a little gasp as her saw Sookie in only her white satin demi bra, her cups, running over as it were.
"Wow." And Sookie had a chance to laugh. Leastways until Eric pushed his mouth against hers again, and moved his hands to crush her chest against his, fingers reaching around to find the hooks of the bra. She felt it suddenly slacken and modestly put a hand up to hold it in place as she rocked back from him once again.
"Please, let me see you Sookie. You are so beautiful." Long fingers covered hers and coaxed her hand down, the satin falling with it. Those same fingers then caressed the sides of her breasts, not daring to venture to their centers, not yet, just dusting them like butterfly wings might. Sookie felt a shudder run the length of her body.
"Are you cold?"
She shook her head and closed her eyes as his fingers continued to dance. She could hardly form the requisite thoughts to move her own hands from where they remained, resting in her lap. But eventually she began to paint finger strokes across the tightness she could feel rising against the front of his trousers. Emboldened by the tiny cries that she could hear from Eric, and the way he seemed to be unconsciously pushing himself against her hands she sought out the hook on the inside of his waist band, it was simple enough to open it, and then drew down the zipper, enough that she could run her fingers over the tight cotton of his undershorts. He was far more than a handful as far as Sookie could tell. His moaning became louder.
Eric pulled her hand away from where she had been caressing him, and kissed it softly as he curled it into his fist.
"I don't know what's happening to me Sookie. I want you so much right now." Sookie loved how he spoke directly to her, keeping her eyes captive with his.
"That isn't a bad thing is it?"
"It's just, I don't do things like this, I just," Eric stuttered out his words. "I don't even have any," he blushed an adorable shade of pink, "protection." He finally whispered.
"Sam has some," Sookie whispered back. Eric momentarily started, so Sookie clarified, "In his bathroom, he keeps the packages for the vending machine here. I know 'cause I've had to refill the machine a few times."
"Oh, um." Sookie laughed softly as Eric continued to stutter.
"If you want?" She offered with a smile.
"Oh yes, I really do want." He breathed out heavily.
"I'll be right back, wait for me?"
He nodded, taking audible breaths to calm himself, which only made Sookie's insides feel more like jello. She slipped off his lap, again covering herself modestly and backed towards the bathroom, not wanting to take her eyes off of him until she had to.
The boxes were at the bottom of the linen closet, Sam didn't make a show of having them out on display, and he kept them in the trailer for the same reason; they didn't need to be in an obvious box of the floor of his office; not a great way to make a business impression. Sookie pulled out one little box of three and quickly checked her hair and face in the mirror, wanting to make certain she still looked good before returning to Eric.
He had pulled the cushions off the couch and put them on the floor, pushing the little occasional table back closer to the wall, and had laid a blanket over the row to make a soft spot for them. He was kneeling beside it when she returned, and held up a hand to her, to help guide her downwards. She let her hand fall away from her breasts and put it in his. His hands were so warm now and his face still a pale shade of pink, his lips looking suddenly redder than they had before, and even more full. As she lay back he hovered over her, and then came in to kiss her again, deeply and softly, and she felt her body sink into the makeshift bed under the weight of his.
As he kissed her he began to grind his hips against hers very slowly; Sookie thought it was almost hesitantly, but she wanted him to know just how much she wanted him too. It was funny, she thought, how he had said that this wasn't something he normally did, because it wasn't something she ever did, but with him it just felt so right. She took her hands from their exploration of his back and pushed her black pants down off her waist, shimmying out of them, loving how it forced her to grind against him that much harder as she did it. She could feel his arousal, rock hard against his underwear, and she wanted him.
"I want to be inside you." He whispered into her ear, and Sookie heard herself yelp a little at his candor. She nodded. He pushed back from her and slipped out of his pants, hands hesitating on the waistband of his Calvins. Sookie could see the wavering indecision on his face; it made him seem even more innocent.
"Please?" She asked, sliding down her white panties, revealing herself to him completely. His gasp at the vision made her shudder. His shorts followed very quickly and finally Sookie saw the rod he had been concealing. If his words had made her shudder then the size of him made her moan in anticipation. She reached down to run her fingertips over the length of his shaft, feeling the tension in the skin. He reciprocated by drawing his fingers between her legs, feeling the dampness that had accumulated there.
It was Sookie's hands that found the box and pulled out the plastic square, but Eric's hands that fitted it over himself, and then brought the tip of his erection to her opening, brushing it across her, small cries mingling over the sound of the ice pellets hitting the windows. Sookie's pushed her hips against him unconsciously, her body now in control, and he slid inside her, slowly, with the most delicious moan escaping his parted lips as he did so.
"You are so beautiful Sookie." He whispered, and then let his blue eyes close, as he slowly rocked against her. She wanted to hold her breath; it felt so incredible to have him within her. His movements so gentle, just like his voice, deep and intense; not frantic like a teenager in backseat of a car, afraid of getting caught, but a man who knew how to bring himself and his partner to the peak of pleasure. She reached up for him, bringing both hands to his face, drawing him down to her, her lips parted for his even before she reached them, as he thrust into her, she thrust her tongue into him and raised her hips up to take even more of his length. He cried against her kiss.
His rhythm sped up as she let her hands wander down to his chest, teasing his nipples between her thumb and forefingers, tugging on them and bringing them to her attention. He bit down on her lip mid-kiss, tugging it into his mouth, all the while his chest heaving. She let her hands slide down farther. They curled around his hips, finding the hollows at the top of legs, her fingers began to knead the tight flesh of his buttocks, subtly urging him to quicken his pace, which he did, finally releasing her mouth at which point she took a deep gasping breath.
The throbbing between her legs was intensifying and Sookie knew that she was going to come. She arched her back and pushed herself as close to Eric's body as she could, catching one last breath in her lungs as she let herself go and let the wave surge over her. Her eyes closed, her head fell back, and only moments later she felt the tension engulf him as well, his hips bucking against hers, his breath stopping, and his hands curling into fists as his abdomen tightened with his orgasm. As the last of his own wave rolled over him he eased himself down to lie beside Sookie, curling her into his arms, his eyes still closed tightly. Sookie looked into his face, seeing the glistening of the moisture he was trying to hide from her.
"Eric?' She reached out fingertips to caress his face, now suddenly concerned that something had gone terribly wrong.
He opened his eyes to look at her, the blue sparkling brightly with the liquid sheen coated over them.
"Is everything all right?"
"Everything is perfect." He kissed her forehead, and held her against his chest, breathing quietly. "Just perfect." She let herself be content with that, not needing to find any deeper meaning in his tears than happiness.
He pulled another blanket over the two of them and took a moment arranging it to cover her body completely with one hand, the other stayed wrapped around Sookie. When his hand was free of that task he brushed it over her cheek, and turned her face to look at him again, kissing her over and over on the mouth carefully, sharing her breaths.
Sookie didn't want things to be over, not so early, not so soon, even though it was likely past midnight and so she let her hand drift down between them until she found him again. She couldn't grasp the whole of him, he was so big, even as he was, somewhat relaxed from his previous exertion. So she held him close to the head in her palm and ran her fingers around him slowly, letting her thumb brush over the tip, his body started, then softened and he began to moan for her. It was deep and throaty, but she kept her movements gentle and careful. The pearl of his pre-arousal was swept away by the pad of her thumb and used to paint the head of him, slick and smooth. His arms tightened around her as she brought him closer to his peak, she loved being able to breathe in the male scent of him, and feel the skin on his chest growing damp with tension. She loved that it was all her that was doing it to him. Sookie could tell as he clutched at her with one final grasp that he was hers, and his hips spasmed between them, coating them both in his heat.
"Oh dear God, you are amazing." He panted at her. She kissed the tip of his nose, tasting the salt on his skin.
"So are you."
The sun had long since risen when Sookie heard the knock on Sam's door. She startled awake, as did Eric, they had fallen asleep on the floor, tangled in the blankets.
"Oh God, it's my brother."
"Go into the bedroom and pretend you're still asleep. I'll handle it."
"Seriously Eric?"
"Trust me."
She bundled up all her things and ran for the back bedroom, hoping she could hear enough of Eric's conversation with her brother to understand when her cue would be. She heard the inner door open and then the screen door.
"Good Morning." Was Eric's cheerful response to the visitor. Her brother's twang was unmistakable, even through the scarf he was likely wearing.
"Well hello? My Sister here?"
"Oh, you must be Sookie's brother."
"And you must be the guy she told me about, got stranded here with her last night?"
Sookie could just imagine Jason taking stock of the place, the cushions on the floor, the blankets everywhere, Eric's clothing, or lack thereof. She became very nervous.
"Sookie's in the bedroom. I believe she's still asleep." Eric offered.
"Hey Sook!" Jason called out. She waited an appropriate moment or two, wrapped herself in the comforter like a cloak, promising herself she'd wash everything for Sam, and stepped out into the hallway, yawning for effect.
"Hi Jason. You better come on in, it's still awful cold out there."
Jason stepped inside the trailer and let the one door close behind him.
He looked her over once, but didn't linger on her. Her quick view of the room had told her that Eric had piled everything back on the couch, and had his pants on and done up properly. He too had a blanket drawn over his shoulders.
"We dug out the lot, and uncovered both your cars for you." He announced. Jason was the road crew boss, so when he said we, he likely meant his team had cleared off the cars while he ran the plow over Merlotte's parking lot.
"Well thank you very much sir." Eric said with his perfect bible smile back on his face. "Your arrival has been a blessing."
"Umm, yeah, sure." Jason didn't go to church much, Sookie knew that, and he didn't know how to respond to much besides 'hey you' and 'good job', along with an assorted number of expletives assigned to the statements to express their importance to the speaker.
"Thank you Jason."
"If you give us another half hour you'll be plowed out to the highway mister, then you can be on your way."
"I am in your debt, yours and your sister's for keeping care of me."
"Sure, no prob. I'll just get going then." Jason made to back out.
"May the Lord bless and keep you Jason Stackhouse."
That one put a silly smile on his face, sort of like the ones he'd gotten when Gran had tousled his hair; sweet, innocent, kind of happy. He let the door close behind him and Eric shut the inner one against the cold again.
"It seems we have a little time left to us. Let me help you tidying up after ourselves." Eric pulled his white shirt off the couch back bundling his blanket along with the others.
"Yes, I just want to get everything in the washer for Sam. I'll get dressed too."
"Can I buy you breakfast somewhere Sookie?"
"Why don't you just come back to my place Eric? You can have a proper shower and all, and I'll make breakfast. You don't have to leave just yet do you?" She felt the nerves that the sunshine always brought after a blissful night of dreams; reality taking its hold again, Bon Temps again, her empty house again. She tried not to let it show on her face.
His smile beamed her answer, the one she had wanted to see.
"No, I don't have to be back right away, I'd love to come 'round yours."
Sookie left Sam a note about putting the things in the dryer when he got in, and then started up her car, driving around the front to meet Eric. He was standing outside his vehicle, which was also running, holding something in his hands. He came around to the driver's side of her car and handed it to her.
"What's this?"
"It's a DSi, I think it's the system your nephew was asking about."
"I can't take this Eric." She tried to hand it back.
"Sure you can, the company gives them to me so I can demo the games to buyers. I give them out when I visit the youth shelters. I think your nephew should have it. There's some games in the pack too, nothing violent I promise."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. Can I follow you back to your place then?" The blue eyes looked ice-like in the bright sunlight, the smile was just as charming.
"It's a date." She replied with a smile.
"I'm going to have a heck of a time beating our first date."
"I have faith in you Eric." And she rolled up her window and crept out of the lot, just to make sure he could catch her.