Title:"All the Ways"
Author:Anamaric17 aka Brittley
Pairing: Tara and Franklin
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Franklin explains why he loves Tara and what makes her special to him.
Disclaimer: None of this happened in the books or the show...just in my head.
She wasn't smiling but he knew soon she would be and that the current scowl she was wearing came from her job and not anything he done. He silently watched her cleaning off the bar and washing out cups. His lips tweaked into a quiet smirk as she finally spotted him in the doorway and tried to hide a smile of her own. He had been gone from Bon Temps on official business for a month and a half, and she didn't know he was coming back tonight. In fact, he didn't know he would be back tonight either but seeing as Russell made a change of plans, he was free again.
"Hey you, how long you been hanging around here?" She said, her southern drawl sending a wave of excited lust and longing through him. He cleared his undead throat and bowed a little kissing her hand that smelled of spilled whiskey but he didn't mind.
"I just arrived my Tara and I came to whisk you away."
She laughed and let him engulf her in a hug, he went in for the kiss and was happy to know she wouldn't feel wierd about kissing him around other people. He looked her over, she was wearing a purple tanktop with lillies designed on the side, and a pair of blue capris. She noticed him looking at her and licked her lips drawling his attention there. It made his blue eyes darken.
"Well you got lucky Franklin, I'm just getting off and it's been a hell of a night so far. I could use a...distraction."
"Really? What would you prefer dinner, a movie, a midnight stroll, or just your house?" He asked getting close enough that she was being supported by the doorway. His arms were around her and she had her tiny, brown hands stroking his ear as they ran through his dark hair. She was happy and he was beaming with pride and a little possesion if he was completely honest with himself. He loved meeting her at Merlotte's because any chance to piss off Sam and at the same time let the other man clearly see who Tara was with made him exceedingly glad. Yes it was childish but he wanted Tara, and he didn't want the bar owner thinking he could have her not for a second. She kissed him again and he added a light pressure enough that her lower lip slid down and he could work him tongue inside that sweet mouth he missed. She tried to control the kiss but Franklin quickly stopped that as he pushed his lower body against her own and she mumbled his name as her hands clenched his shirt.
When it was over, too soon he thought but then again she would need to breathe and just because he didn't he knew he didn't want to risk hurting her. She was too delicate no matter how tough she played it most of the time. He knew what she was really like and he intended to savor that but alone.
Tara gave him a look as she panted and tried to calm down her racing heartbeat. He pretended innocence but he knew on some level she was a bit embarassed.
"I'm sorry Tara, I just missed you my love." He whispered in her ear low enough to make her heartbeat double again.
"I-..I missed you too but that doesn't mean you can ravage me here!" She said licking her lips as if attempting to stop the bruising that would show there by tomorrow. He laughed at that but only to himself. He didn't want to fight, not tonight, and not if there was a chance of Sam seeing it.
"Ok my dear I am sorry. Now where would you like to go? What can I do to make up for lost precious time?" He said and she let her eyes cloud over with thoughts. He watched mesmerized by the humanity of the action and by the fact that she would never know how much she fascinated him. He touched her bare arm, letting his fingers slide up to the crook of her arm and her armpit before he seized her bringing her close again. She went willingly, burying her head on his shoulder.
"It doesn't matter Franklin, just take me away. I missed you so much and it's been a horrible day."
Ten minutes later, the vampire found a nearby lake to take his beautiful Tara to after she forced him to take her home first and allow her a shower and a change of clothes. He paced the whole time downstairs knowing she was naked, and missing him upstairs but he was determined to do things her way. She wanted to spend time outside of the bedroom with him first, and so her wish was his command. Now the young bartender was wearing a dark blue dress that flowed down to her knees ending in a split on one side and she wore her hair, in those tiny, tight braids, free.
"I should have bought you a True Blood from the fridge. Sookie always had a few in there." She said as he laid a blanket out for them to set on.
"It's ok I ate before I came to see you. All I'm thinking about is you Tara. Well that and the fact that you seemed a little angry earlier. Why were you upset?" He asked as she laid down beside him. He soon had her wrapped in his embrace, it was perfect. The moonlight was shining through the trees down on them like they were the only living, and nonliving beings in the whole universe. The water was clear and there were no mosquitos. It was perfect.
"It was nothing Franklin, and besides I was stupid-"
"No you're not Tara. You are special."
She turned her head up so that they were looking in each other's eyes. Hers were moisten and Franklin gently ran a hand down her face catching the first few tears as they spilled down her cheek.
"Tell me what upset you Tara. Tell me please."
"It's just people Franklin, you know. They say things about you, about me, about us."
He stiffened shocked not that people talked about them but that it would make Tara upset. Sure she was gentle but there was still a layer of surrounding wall that nobody or their actions could get to. He thought with him away for a while she could handle herself with the idiots that judged thier relationship.
"Like what Tara? You know gossip isn't anything that can affect us."
She sat up at that pulling away from his arms. He felt colder then but he didn't fight her. He just wanted his happy, carefree Tara Thornton back.
"People say you'll get bored of me, that one day you'll never come back. They say such horrible things about vampires to me, and horrible things about you Franklin. Why do you love me? What's so damn special about me!" She said, her voice shattering with the words. She was sobbing now and he crawled closer hugging her from behind. His heart dropped in his chest and although he knew it didn't beat, it felt like it was breaking.
"Tara please don't say that. I do love you more than anyone I have ever loved and I'll never leave you. You must believe that."
"Franklin I'll get older and you won't. I'll change and I won't be able to stand myself knowing I've made you stay when you don't want me anymore." She said not looking at him and lowering her head. He turned her forcing those brown, shiny with tears, eyes to look into his eyes.
"I'll never leave you, and I don't care about you changing. I know who you are and what you need and right now it's not idiots putting lies in that pretty head of yours. It's this." He said and with that he kissed her cheeks lapping at the tears. His lips reached her closed eyelids and kissed each one before he moved to her nose, then her forehead, her lips, her chin and then her lips again.
"You still didn't say why you love me Franklin." she whispered finally opening her eyes and drying the remaining tears there. They laid down together, fingers entwined and Franklin started to recite the many reasons why he loved her. He only stopped when she was fast asleep hours later.
He kissed the side of her head seeing that they still had a little time before the Sun arose. He carried her home, since Sookie was there she let him in and soon Tara was wrapped up in her bed. Franklin pulled out a tablet beside her lamp and begun to write all the reasons why he loved her down in it. Although it would take a few nights to finish, he wanted her to be able to look into that book anytime of the day or night and know that he loved her and each reason why.