Tara heard the landing of feet in her bedroom, she knew it was Eric, he always made some noise- so she'd know he was there. She had just finished showering and was still wrapped in her towel; he'd appreciate that. She walked into her room, Eric was still standing by the window; odd. Normally by now he was laying in her bed naked, but he just stood there, looking at her pensively.
"Hey," she said breaking the silence, she felt something was wrong with him.
"Is that the only greeting I get, tonight?" He asked her, not moving from the window. She was in an accommodating mood, she walked over to him- but he slightly turned- so the window was visible again. Trying not to get frustrated, she turned to him and stood as close as she could get. He looked down at her obviously amused, "no hello kiss?" Tara knew his game now, he wanted her to initiate things, to admit she wanted him; badly. She stood on her toes and reached up to grab his collar, "you're gonna have to bend a little," she said.
"I bend to no one," he said in a very serious tone, that somewhat shocked her.
"Well if you don't bend, I can't kiss you, can I, and unlike you I can't fly." She said becoming annoyed with his attitude. "I don't know what's wrong with you tonight, but maybe you should leave." She said backing away from him and walking across the room to her dresser. Like always, she never heard him move, but there he was, behind her, pushing her against the dresser.
"I'll take my kiss now and everything else," he said, not allowing her to move away.
"I can't kiss you, if I can't turn around," she snapped. He turned her around quickly, before she could utter a sound he was kissing her. He bit down on her tongue, she hated when he did this, which wasn't often. She didn't like the taste of her own blood, or the way it mixed in with her saliva; it was disgusting. Eric stopped kissing her and moved away from her. His mood was so edgy, she wasn't sure how to proceed, she had never seen him this way. He was always so confident, annoyingly so.
"Sit, I need to talk to you," he ordered her. Normally she would've sent him to hell, but she walked over to her bed and sat down. "What's going on with you?" she asked.
"I find it extremely inconvenient, to have to come through the window every night." he said.
"Then use the door, I do have one. You know that's how I get in and out all the time," she said sarcastically.
"I would have to walk through the hallway to use the door, the stench alone could kill a lesser vampire. Not to mention, your neighbor a few doors down, pimps out his crack whores." He grabbed a chair from the living room, he went and came back within the blink of an eye. He settled the chair across from her and sat down.
"Well, I'm sorry that bothers you, but guess what, I'm not rich. The rent is cheap here, and the rest of the neighbors aren't so bad. So your two choices are the window or the door, there is nothing else I can do about it." she said defensively, crossing her arms.
"That's where you're wrong. Normally I wouldn't give my human a choice, but we both know you're different. So I'm giving you two, I have two houses you can move into, one I live in, you'd be my roommate. The other is a small house, nearby mine of course, but not as nice. So which do you prefer, make your choice quickly or I will make it for you." He said in a voice devoid of any and all emotion.
"You're crazy, I'm not gonna give you that kinda power over me. I'm definitely not living with you, and I'm not gonna live in a house, I can't uninvite you from." She yelled.
"I don't know why you're worried about that, you're never uninviting me. Face it, you don't want things to end, you crave me every day. If it makes you feel better, I'll rent my house to you. How does three hundred a month sound, utilities and cable included, of course." He asked smiling at her, he knew she would eventually give in.
"No, if this place bothers you so much, you can help me look for a new one. One you don't own."
"Well, that's going to be hard, I own a lot in Bon Temps. It's not as if you're going into hiding, you can have all your human friends over. Lafayette, will probably be over too much, but I'll deal with it. It would essentially be your house, I'd just be your landlord." He gave her a dark smile, "I think I would enjoying being your land lord. I already oversee every other part of you, collecting the rent would be easy." He said walking to the bed and sitting behind her. He put his cold hand on her arms, "What do you say? At least think about it, it's a good deal, Tara. One that you and I would both enjoy," he whispered in her ear. Tara shivered, she actually liked the idea, but the way Eric presented it, worried her. She felt as if he were trying to trap her, so she could never leave. "What about the day... you and I end things. What happens then, I'm fucked aren't I. You'd throw me out and I'd have no one to blame but myself."
Eric, picked her up, threw off her towel and laid her on the bed beneath him. "Who said I had any intention of ending things, ever." he asked leaning in closely to her face.
Tara's heart started beating, he always knew how to unhinge her. "What if one day, I wanted to leave and have a normal life. What then, Eric?" She stammered out, slightly afraid of his answer.
He smiled at her, which made her tense up more. "That will never happen," cause I won't let you, he thought. "You won't ever want to leave, but if you like, we'll make it legal. I'll give you a lease in writing, I'll make sure to include to give you a month, if you decide to move. Now I'm getting impatient, what's your answer, decide while you still have a choice." He said, baring his fangs. Tara closed her eyes, "OK."
Sam paced in his trailer, he heard and saw it all, through Tara's window. Luckily, Eric had left the window cracked open. He couldn't believe the game's he was playing with Tara. He watched as he demanded a kiss and then rejected her, how he pushed her up against her dresser, to intimidate her. How he convinced her to move out of her own apartment, into a house he owned. Where all her human friends were welcomed, human...Sam was still human. He may be a shape shifter but he was human, damn it. Eric must have known, he remembered the look Eric gave him, as he entered through Tara's window. His face was almost amused, he had to know. When Eric and Tara, were talking by the bed, he had moved to stand on the window sill; so he could hear them. When Eric laid Tara on the bed, telling her she would never leave, he knew he meant it. He didn't believe for even a moment, the promise he made Tara. He had no intention of ever letting her leave him, but why? Was he thinking of turning her, it was the only thing he could think of. Sam felt like an idiot, he couldn't stop thinking of how Eric kept looking back, looking at him, while he fuck the hell out of Tara. While she screamed and fell apart while he fucked her. Eric just kept looking back and smiling. If he thought that little show was gonna deter him, he was wrong. If anything, Sam was more convinced than ever, Tara needed him and he wasn't going anywhere.
"You're back late," Pam said, following Eric to his office. Eric looked at her annoyed, she always had to dig, didn't she. " I really hope you didn't wait up for me, cause that would've been a mistake."
Pam wasn't put off by his tone, "I wanted a snack before bed, and I was waiting for you. Someone was here tonight, asking questions." She told him.
"What kind of questions?" he asked her.
"About Bill Compton, I made it clear her was not a friend of this establishment. That didn't put him off though, he started asking questions about Sookie, as well."
That got Eric's attention, "What did you tell him?"
"Nothing, I'm not stupid," she said. Eric looked annoyed, "Who was he?"
Pam shrugged, "Never seen him before, he said his name was Franklin." Eric knew exactly who he was, "I'll take care of it tomorrow, go to bed, dawn is approaching."
Pam left his office, without saying a word. Eric sat down, Franklin was back. What could he possibly want with Bill and Sookie? She was off limits now that she was married to Bill, or was it a rouse to get to him. He knew Franklin never gave himself away, this must be about him.
So... I really like Franklin, in the book I found him boring, but he is so deliciously maniacal on the show. I am taking his story in a slightly different direction. I know Tara seems extra vulnerable, and she is. But don't worry, she won't be a lamb for too long.