A/N: Hey there! I know it's been a super long time, and for that I am deeply sorry. Real life, as you know, takes precedence...and for lack of a better term, real life has been a bit of a bitch these past seven months. Hopefully my absence didn't drive too many of you away :-) Many thanks to Asrailefay for being my constant cheerleader, both in fic and in life; this would not have been possible without her. As always, I own nothing TB or SVM related. I hope you enjoy!


Miami Beach – Spring Break 2016

"What can I get you?"

Sookie hesitated for a moment as she tried to steel her nerves, grateful for the loud music and raucous laughter that surrounded her. "Can I please get four shots of house tequila, one Slippery Nipple, one Blowjob, one Sex on the Beach, and one Screaming Orgasm?" she finally asked after a few moments, her face red as a lobster as she internally cursed her friends for what they were putting her through.

The red-headed bartender threw her head back in laughter, wiping tears from her eyes before reaching to grab the right amount of shot glasses for the order. "Looks like someone drew the short straw," she replied with a wink, reaching for the bottle of tequila. "Trust me, honey…after ten years in this spot, nothing you order is going to scandalize me. That your table over there?" she asked, nodding towards the spot where Sookie's friends sat giggling and watching their companion. "I'll send someone over with your tray of drinks once I get them up. Shouldn't be too long, though."

Sookie thanked the woman with a smile and motioned to her friends that she was going to the bathroom, then weaved her way through the throng of people that surrounded her. It was the last night of Spring Break, and Sookie couldn't be more excited to get home. When her brother's fiancé had mentioned possibly going away for a spring break/bachelorette party combination, Sookie had looked at her like she'd been speaking in another language. One week in Miami with crowds of people doing nothing but drinking and partying late into the night? No, thank you. But then Tara and Jessica had gotten involved in the planning, prompting her to finally give in after what felt like hours of guilt trips and pleading from all three women.

They'd managed to keep the week pretty low-key so far, grabbing a few drinks at a different bar each night. They'd always leave before things got too rowdy, retreating to their rented bungalow to watch movies or gossip all night. Days, at least for Sookie, had been spent lounging on the beach and soaking up as much sun as possible. Sunbathing on her apartment balcony in Shreveport definitely had nothing on the gloriousness of Florida beach sun. Unsurprisingly, Tara had been the one to suggest they hit up Kingdom Come again on their last night. She'd seen some flyer advertising a big party for the final night and convinced the other three that they all needed to experience Spring Break fully at least once before they left the next morning.

Which was how Sookie now found herself drowning in a sea of people. "I really wish you'd let me leave after my drinks are gone," she yelled over the music to her friends once she'd made it back from the bathroom, letting out a sigh of exasperation as she saw all three shake their heads in the negative. "Why you think this is some sort of 'rite of passage', I'll never know," she grumbled, though couldn't help but smile a little. She knew her friends were just looking out for her, trying to be sure that she didn't spend every waking moment of her life with her nose in her textbooks.

"Oh, hush your mouth, Sookie Stackhouse. You may talk like you're not enjoying yourself, but I sure as hell haven't seen you smile as much as you have this past week in a long ass time," Brigette Porter retorted with a small smirk on her face, laughing as the younger blonde stuck out her tongue. "Just because I'm marrying your goofball of a brother doesn't mean you're not still my best friend, Stackhouse. I'm going to be worried about you from now until death do us part," she added with a wink and a shrug, then sat up straight as she caught sight of someone over Sookie's shoulders. "Oh, Lordy. If I didn't desperately love that man of mine back home, I'd be ordering a tall drink of that," she said as she gestured with her chin, causing Jess and Tara both to softly wolf whistle as they registered what she was looking at.

"Christ on a crutch. What are you three…," Sookie trailed off as she turned slightly in her seat, barely able to keep her jaw from going slack as she saw the person walking towards them; tall, blond, and definitely all man. "They sure don't make them like that back in Louisiana," Sookie said lowly, as her eyes traveled up the man's body, a deep blush coming to her face when she accidentally made eye contact with him. "Well, hell," she mumbled as she quickly turned back around, hiding her face in her hands as she heard her friends' giggles turn into full-on laughter. And just when she thought the situation couldn't get any more embarrassing, it went and took a swan dive right over the edge. "Which one of you lovely ladies is in need of a Screaming Orgasm?"

"Sookie!" all three of the traitors that she once called friends yelled at once, her head snapping up so hard she wouldn't be surprised if she'd given herself a concussion or caused internal decapitation. The deep chuckle from behind her had her swallowing the scathing retort that she'd cued up for her companions, choosing to sit up even straighter and take a deep breath instead. "That would be me," she said as she tentatively held up a finger, turning slightly in her seat to come face to face once more with probably the most gorgeous man she'd ever laid eyes on.

"Well…I'll see what I can do to help with that, then," the man said with a wink as he set the shot glass down in front of her, then turned to dole out the rest of the drinks on his tray. "My name's Eric and I'll be here all night. Don't hesitate to give a shout if any of you need anything," he added as he turned away, giving Sookie one final smile before walking back toward the bar.

All four women at the table watched Eric as he walked away, each of their heads tilted slightly as they watched him move. "If you don't jump on that, I just may need to break up with Hoyt so I can," Jess said with a grin as Sookie turned back to face the rest of the table, throwing her head back when she saw the look on her friend's face. "Cheese and rice, Sooks, you know I'm just joking! Hoyt's it for me, just like Brigette's got Jason and Tara's got JB. Which, my friend, means you're the only one who can jump on that," Jess added with a wink, gesturing with her chin.

"So not gonna happen," Sookie grumbled under her breath, though she couldn't help but turn around to look for Eric in the crowd. She bit her lip gently as her eyes fell on his retreating form, letting out a small laugh as she turned back towards her friends and reached for one of the shots of tequila. "To fine men with even finer asses."


"Eric! If you're done eye fucking the back of that blonde's head, your sister's on the phone for you."

Eric shook himself out of the trance that he'd fallen into, turning his head to glare at the short red-head that stood to his left. She wasn't wrong though, since he'd probably spent the last five minutes staring a hole into the back of Sookie's head. "Careful, Soph. Your bitch is showing again," he answered with a smirk, setting down the glass he'd been drying to grab the corded phone from the woman. "Pam, if this is about that party again, you already know what my answer is," he said by way of greeting, stepping into the back hallway to find a smidge of quiet.

"I know that, Eric. Stop beating a dead horse already! I just wanted to let you know that I'm gonna stay the night at Felicia's. It's not like you're going to be home anytime soon, anyhow."

Eric rolled his eyes a little at his sister's biting retort, but couldn't help the smile that came to his face. While she may have acted wiser than her seventeen years most days, there were others where she easily reminded him that she was the quintessential teenager. "That sounds like a good idea. Just promise me you girls won't go out and do any joyriding tonight. You know how crazy it can get out there each year. Just…order a pizza with the card or something and stay in." He hoped the lure of being able to use her emergency credit card would entice her to do exactly what he wanted; stay far away from any drunken idiots that he knew she would encounter.

"You're the best, Eric. Love you!"

Eric heard the beep of the dropped call before he could open his mouth to repeat the sentiment, letting out a sigh as he hung the landline back up. While Spring Break was one of the most profitable weeks, he hated leaving Pam to her own devices. As someone who had been a teenager in Miami once, he knew just how easily one could lose themselves in the raucous revelry around them. "Why'd I have to have a sister? If Pam had been a boy, my stress level would be so much lower right now," he said to Sophie as he returned to her side at the bar, grabbing some glasses to set out for the drink order she was working on.

Sophie LeClerc threw her head back in laughter, wiping tears from her eyes before moving to mix the drinks she needed. "Because unleashing two Eric Northmans on Miami would've been so much better? Don't you forget, you were exactly like each one of those guys out there not too long ago," she said with a wink, bumping her hip gently against his as they continued to fill drinks side by side. "And as much as I thoroughly enjoyed the 'sowing your wild oats' phase that you went through, I actually prefer this side of you better," she added with a warm smile, lifting up the tray of finished drinks. "Take this over to the blonde and her friends, on the house. And if you want to knock off early, Sam and Terry will be coming in soon. You've put in more than your fair share between yesterday and today, Eric," she told him as she plopped the tray into his hands, turning him around and giving a small shove of encouragement to get him moving.

Eric shook his head slightly as he walked, expertly maneuvering his way through the throngs of people. Sophie was as subtle as a brick to the face, but she usually knew him better than he knew himself. Ten years of knowing each other had seen their relationship evolve from a casual fling to equals and good friends, something that he would be eternally grateful for. And if she was dropping the hint that he should go for it, then it was time to do more than just daydream about the woman that was now mere feet from him.

"Ladies? Another round, on the house," he offered as he set out the shots in front of each of the four women, unable to keep his eyes off of Sookie as he completed his task. "A thank you for spending your last night in paradise with us," he added when he heard them all begin to protest, his smile growing a bit wider when he saw a faint blush come to Sookie's cheeks. He heard her mumble her thanks and nodded his head a little, turning to walk away before catching sight of Sophie glaring at him and making a 'shooing' motion with her hands. 'All right. It's now or never, Northman,' he thought to himself as he turned back towards the table, knowing he would probably end up regretting not trying to talk to Sookie more. "Do…do you want to dance?"

Sookie's breath caught in her throat as she slowly turned her head to look up at Eric, waving a hand behind her as she heard her friends' gleeful responses to the question she'd just been asked. "Won't you get in trouble with your boss? I mean…it is one of the busiest nights of the year. I wouldn't want you getting fired or anything for fraternizing with your patrons," she said softly as she felt her face flame even warmer, though she was already reaching out hesitantly to take the hand that was offered to her.

Eric smiled as he helped Sookie to her feet, his breath catching in his throat as the warmth of her hand sent a small shiver down his spine. There was something special about this woman before him, he just knew it. And he hated that this was probably the first and only time he would ever see her. "I have to admit that this is a first, asking you to dance," he explained as he led her towards the dance floor, seamlessly inserting them into the throng of bodies that already capitalized most of the space. "I usually keep to myself behind the bar as much as possible, so I'm not too sure how she would react about me 'fraternizing' on the clock," he added, though he could see Sophie's tell-tale 'I told you so' smirk over the top of Sookie's head. "But since I've apparently finished my shift for the night, I guess we'll never know."

Sookie smiled as Eric took one of her hands in his, her breath catching in her throat slightly as she felt his other wrap around her waist. She bit her lip as she felt herself be pulled close to his body, unable to tear her eyes from his as she placed her free hand on his shoulder. She was silent as they swayed back and forth to the rhythm of a song that was slightly slower than what had been playing the entire time she'd been in the bar, shaking her head with a small laugh as she turned her head and caught sight of Tara and Jess giggling near the jukebox in the corner. "My friends are about as subtle as a brick to the face," she said with a sigh, raising an eyebrow as Eric burst out laughing.

"Sorry…it's just that's exactly what I was thinking about my boss earlier," Eric explained as he gently ran his free hand up and down Sookie's back, smiling as she began to laugh as well. "I guess we should take their hints," he added with a wink, holding her a little closer as he felt her rest her head against his shoulder.

They continued to move to the music, both blocking out the sounds of the revelers around them. Sookie honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so content, silently thanking her friends once more for talking her into joining them on this trip. While she doubted this would go past a dance or two, allowing herself to relax and just enjoy the moment was exactly what she needed.

"You want to get out of here?" Eric heard himself asking as the song began to wind down, not yet ready to let go of the woman in his arms. "I know a spot on the beach not too far from here. We can just walk and talk. It's surprisingly not party-central, so we won't have all this to contend with," he offered, waving a hand to motion to all of the craziness that currently surrounded them.

Sookie hesitated for a moment, working hard to squash the momentary bit of reluctance that was already rising within her. "I…" she trailed off as she took a deep breath, turning to look back at her friends who were all sitting at the table. She rolled her eyes with a small laugh as she saw them all giving her a thumbs-up, nodding her head as she turned to look back at Eric. "I'd like that," she finished with a smile, unable to quell the giddiness that she felt as he took her hand in his and began to lead her to the exit. 'You only live once, Stackhouse,' she thought to herself.

"Wait!" Brigette yelled as she stood up quickly, grabbing her phone off the table to snap a quick photo of Eric. "Just for safety's sake, you know? And her brother is a cop, so don't do anything that would warrant him putting a BOLO out on your ass," she said as she saved the photo and crossed her arms over her chest, her brow raised sternly as she waited for his response. She may be all for Sookie cutting loose and having some fun, but she sure as hell didn't want anything bad to happen.

Eric smiled as a spluttering Sookie covered her face in embarrassment, nodding his head in understanding as he looked at each of Sookie's companions. "You have nothing to worry about, I promise," he murmured as he gently squeezed Sookie's hand, waiting until she said goodbye to her friends once more before leading her towards the door.


"Tell me about your friends."

Sookie smiled as they walked side by side down the beach, the crashing of the waves somewhat peaceful in contrast to the loud partying that could be heard in the distance. "Well…Tara, the loudmouth, and I have known each other since we were in diapers. Our mamas used to be part of a knitting club and we got stuck in the playpen together. We always gravitated towards each other at school, so the friendship just stuck. I honestly can't remember a point in my life when she wasn't there." She paused for a moment to kick off her flip flops, smiling as Eric did the same and then offered to carry hers.

"Jess, or Red as we tend to call her, is the newest to the group. We had some classes together a couple years ago and wound up inseparable. She ending up meeting, and is now dating, my brother's best friend, so she'll be around for a long while," she added with a smile, thinking about how adorable Jess and Hoyt were each time she saw them together. "And then there's Brigette; best friend, former roommate, and future sister-in-law. Don't know why she's decided to lump herself in with my bonehead of a brother, but I honestly can't imagine anyone more perfect for him. I may have played a bit of matchmaker on that one," she said with a laugh, rubbing gently at her arms to ward off the chill from the sea air.

Eric smiled as he timidly wrapped an arm around Sookie's shoulders, a jolt of happiness shooting through him as he felt Sookie's body relax into his and her arm wrap around his waist. "It sounds like quite the tribe you have there. And it sounds like they're all lucky to have you in their lives," he murmured as they continued to walk, his fingers gently caressing the skin of her upper arm. "You mentioned classes. What's your major?"

"I'm just about done my Bachelors in Psychology, and then I'm going to buckle down and continue for my Masters. All this," Sookie started, motioning around her, "is sort of the calm before the storm, you know? Once September rolls around, I doubt I'll be seeing much outside of my apartment and the school library." She reluctantly pulled out of Eric's embrace, a wry smile on her face as she looked up at him. "What's your story, Mr. 'I'm a bartender who somehow managed to get an insanely busy night off'? I feel like I'm the one who's done all the talking here."

Eric couldn't help but laugh at Sookie's inquisition, unable to do anything but agree with her. "You're right, and that was certainly rude of me." He slowed their pace to a stop and plopped down to face the ocean, smiling as he helped Sookie navigate her way to sit between his legs. "I moved to Miami from Texas when I was eighteen, ready to take on the world with what I thought was my newfound independence. I ended up broke within the first few months, naturally, which was how I found myself groveling for a job at Kingdom Come. Sophie took pity on me and even spotted me some rent money until I could get back on my feet." He rested his chin on the top of Sookie's head as he felt her settle more against him, unable to shake how right she felt in his arms.

"I got my act together and started going to school, all while working as much as I could to start saving up as much as I could," he added, frowning a little as he tried to figure out how to phrase the next part of his life story. "Then about four years ago, everything came crashing down…and now I have Pam to support as well."

"Pam? Is that an ex…or a daughter?" Sookie asked hesitantly, unsure of how to respond. It wasn't like she was ever going to see Eric again, in the grand scheme of things. But the fact that he might have some sort of dirty laundry was now nagging at her. "Not that it's any of my business," she added quickly.

Eric shook his head as he laughed softly, unable to keep himself from pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Sookie's head. "Pam is…she's my sister, but she's been living with me since our mom abandoned her to run off with her flavor of the week. And let me tell you…raising a teenage girl is no joke."

Sookie couldn't help but giggle at Eric's statement, watching the waves as they rolled towards shore. "My brother, Jason, could certainly agree with you on that one. Our parents died when we were younger, and then we moved in to live with our Gran. She took ill right after Jason graduated from the police academy while I was in high school, and never really got back to her old self. Once she realized how bad her health was declining, she transferred guardianship of me to Jason and that was that. I know I made his life hell, too…but I definitely appreciate every single thing he's done for me. I'm sure Pam feels the same way about you."

Eric wanted to laugh at how insane everything felt in that moment. What were the odds of bumping into a complete stranger whose life was something similar to his own? "Is it crazy how right everything feels with you?" he finally asked after a few moments of silence, unable to keep the many thoughts dancing around his mind from breaking free. "I see hundreds of women every day, yet none of them have called to me like you do."

Sookie couldn't help but snort at his statement, deciding to tease him a little before putting him out of his misery. "Hundreds of girls? Boy, you sure know how to make someone feel special," she said softly, then looked up as she felt Eric's body stiffen slightly. "I was only joking," she added quickly, unable to help but smile at the look of relief on his face. "I protested this trip until I was blue in the face, so I definitely wasn't prepared for the fact that I'd meet someone who made me feel the most relaxed I have in a long time."

Eric stared down at Sookie for a few moments, his eyes zeroing in on her bottom lip as he saw her teeth begin to chew nervously on it. Not allowing himself another second to reconsider, he dipped his head and gently brushed his lips against hers. He kept the kiss soft at first as he waited to see how Sookie would respond, barely able to suppress the moan that threatened to break free as he felt her return the kiss. He brought a hand up to cup her face as he felt her shift to get a better angle, that moan succeeding in its mission as Sookie maneuvered herself until she was facing him completely and had her legs wrapped around his waist.

Sookie let out a moan of her own as she felt Eric's tongue against her lips, opening her mouth slightly to allow it entrance to dance with her own. She was keenly aware of Eric's hands beginning to roam up and down her back, her own fingers coming up to fist in his hair as his hands moved down further to cup her ass through the denim of her shorts. "We-we probably should move before beach patrol or something comes along and throws a bucket of water on us," she gasped out as Eric's lips trailed down her chin to her neck, letting out another small moan as she felt his teeth gently join the mix. "We can Uber to the bungalow I'm at. I doubt the girls will be home for a while."

Eric shook his head as he gave Sookie a kiss that curled both of their toes, jostling her until he was able stand and sweep her into his arms bridal style. "My place is up past the dunes, a little ways back. Pam's staying at a friend's house tonight. She probably won't be back until tomorrow afternoon."

Sookie felt a small pang of regret shoot through her at Eric's words, barely able to keep the sadness from her face as she looked up at him. Tomorrow afternoon she would already be back in her Shreveport apartment, the feel of Eric's lips on hers a memory that she would be desperately clinging onto. The rational side of her told her it would be silly to do anything that would cause her to form an attachment…but the relaxed, care free side? It told her to carpe diem the hell out of each and every moment. As if to both him and herself, she replied, "Well, what are you waiting for? Lead the way."


A/N: Two chapters left to this short little ditty. Hope you enjoy the ride :-)