I felt myself stirring from my sleep. I know it's still daylight outside, I can tell. My whole body feels heavy, but I'm being woken up and I know I'll never be able to go back to sleep. There's a pair of hands on my back, tracing the muscles and the sinew. It does not bother me, because I know it is Sam. I would know the soft, delicate hands of my bonded lover from anywhere. They were the only hands that could pull a 1000 year old vampire from the dead of his slumber—and this pissed me off. I had gone to rest naked as I always did in our light tight bedroom, and apparently Sam has decided to take advantage of his viking laid out before him like an offering to a God.

"Eriiiiiiic…"

I do not move. I am tired. He will not get the satisfaction of knowing he has woken me.

"C'mon, lover," he purred, his voice low and laced with sex. I could slap that smug grin that I know he has on his face right off of it if I wanted to, but I let him continue. His fingers dance along my skin, rising and falling over the undulations that my bones and my muscles made against the dermis. He's particularly happy with the trail he is blazing over my cold skin—I can hear him smiling—but still, I do not wake. "I know you're awake."

No he doesn't.

"Eric, I can feel the difference between our bond when you're awake and when you're alseep." This time he leans down and kisses the small of my back, letting his chin rest there as his hands grab my hip bones. "I'm not stupid! Just wake up, jerk. Eric. ERIC. I will start hitting you. Or tickling you. I think I like the second option better." His thumbs are working lazy circles into the bones.

The fact that Sam thinks he can control me and his sheer confidence in that fact is adorable. We'll see where this goes.

"ERIC NORTHMAN." Nope. "ERIC. ERIC! God damnit…" Ahh, giving up so easily, Sammy? Just keep hugging your pillow, Eric. Try to go back to sleep.

I almost accomplish my goal until Sam get's a new found surge of boldness and climbs on top of me. He is straddling me now, running his hands up the center crease of my back. He knows how much I love back rubs. Little fucker. He glides over my porcelain skin like it's a roadmap that he as committed to memory.

"Come on, lover. Just wake up and pay attention to me. I'm bored." Yes, because I live to serve you, don't I? "I miss you." Aw, hell. "I miss hearing your voice…" Damnit. His hands have made their way to my neck and he's giving me the best God damn neck massage I've ever had and it's taking every single ounce of willpower in my body to not moan. Sam has an overwhelming power to make me react to certain situations like a little girl. Now will most certainly not be one of them. He will not win. He cannot decide whether I will rise or not. I decide. He is entirely human in these moments, assuming that just because he's being my adorable little moosehead that I will wake for him. Pity, because I won't.

I can almost feel how disappointed his body language is when I still do not rise. I have no intentions of doing so, at least not now.

"What if I say please? What if I trade you something? Can we trade?"

"I am not your slave, Sam Winchester. You cannot trade me for goods and services."

And I about jump out of my skin when Sam throws his arms around my body in a hug. "Eric, you're awake!"

"Why are you so happy? I'm exhausted. Something seems to have woken me up at 5 in the afternoon."

"I'm happy because you're finally awake! I didn't wake you up. I know better than that." He climbs off of me with an arrogance I can feel and he snuggles close me, pulling my body into his back. I sigh contentedly. He's pressing feather-soft kisses to to the space between my shoulder blades. "I did miss you, ass. I'm always lonely when you're sleeping."

"Go watch Dr. Oz or something." I can't help the grin that spreads across my face as I tease him, and he groans in frustration.

"I missed you, lover."

"I was sleeping, darling." He wants me to say it back.

"I missed you, Eric Northman."

"Good. Did you happen to do the dishes while you were at it?"

Oh good sweet Lord can I almost hear Sam growling at me! I can't help but snigger. It's so much fun teasing him. My statement earns me a tight, relentless smack on my ass.

"That reminds me, I've been naked this entire time. You are still clothed. Why are we not having sex?" This makes my Sammy laugh and I can finally feel the slight tension life off of my shoulders. His laugh is what I live for. It's brilliant.

I felt Sam's warm lips against my bare buttcheek, and I giggled into my pillow. "Did you just kiss my ass?"

"How could I not? It's right there. Besides, shouldn't we be having sex? You're cold, Eric. I have to warm you up somehow."

I rolled onto my back, finally getting a good look at his face. He is pouting. He's giving me full-on puppy dog eyes. He knows I am not a romantic vampire. I do not care for pointless and gratuitous declarations of affection. He knows I love him. It's a game for him, trying to coax out the phrases of love that he so desperately wants to hear from my mouth. That's what makes saying them so much more special.

My hand reaches up to caress his face. "Kiss me."

"Say it." I rolled my eyes. "Eric Northman! Say it!"

"Sam Wichester, vision of manly purity and goodness, I am so sorry that for the past seven hours I had to burden you with feelings of missing my glorious presence. However, now that I am here it its my only job to serve you. I missed you, oh great, glorious sex God."

That earns me a smile and a giggle, and also the lips I crave being placed against mine. I tangle my fingers in the soft silk that is his hair.

"I missed you, Sammy," I whisper against his lips. "I love you."

"I know."

Little fucker…