AN: Enjoy this chapter! Happy Reading! :)

Chapter 4

EPOV

I wake with a grimace, my head throbbing painfully before I slowly pull myself upright upon my bed. Fucking hell, how much did I drink last night? I pry myself from my bed, shuffling through the house in search of painkillers as I comb my foggy mind for clues as to what exactly happened the night before. The senior party, right, Godric, Sookie and I went together, things are starting to come back to me now.

I pry open the medicine cabinet, proceeding to pour the blessed painkillers into my hand before gulping them down greedily. I freeze then, suddenly recalling the reason I nearly drank myself into oblivion. Sookie. Oh, holy fucking shit. I fucking slept with Sookie last night.

I know we said it was only sex, both of us having reassured one another we would leave emotions at the door, but this is Sookie we're talking about, not some floozy, not just another notch to add to my belt, no, this is my best friend we're talking about. How could emotions not be involved given the close relationship we share with one another?

"Ugh, fuck me," I groan out, cursing myself for my own stupidity in letting my cock lead me to my current predicament. I let out a sigh; realizing things will likely be tense unless we are able to somehow clear the air between us. Of course this would have to happen now; I can only hope I haven't managed to ruin what could very well be the last summer the three of us have to share together.

Right, the three of us. Fuck me, what will Godric have to say about all this? I can't very well keep this from him, knowing full well the truth will inevitably come out sooner or later. God, I can only imagine what a lecture I have in store from my second best friend, having been chastised by him time and time again for following the wrong head into trouble more times than I can count.

Light buzzing sounds then, drawing me back to my bedroom to see my phone screen lit up with an incoming call. I peer at the screen, a groan of annoyance escaping me before I'm left having to accept the call.

"Eric?" the gravely, familiar voice sounds through the speaker as I drop down to my bed in defeat. Once more, my parents are off jet setting around the world, in France this time I think, both of them leaving me behind to my studies, claiming I should be using this time to learn what it means to be independent. Total bullshit if you ask me.

"Hey, Dad," I greet, already wondering how'll I'll manage to piss him off this time, because I inevitably will.

"Don't tell me you're just waking up," he growls out, making me roll my eyes in frustration. And the fun begins. "You know you need to spend just as much time as possible conditioning for your upcoming try-outs," he reminds me once more as I fall back to the bed in defeat, a deep frown forming over my face.

"Yes, I am well aware," I answer back, unable to keep the annoyance from my voice as I hear him huff in disapproval. He proceeds to lecture me upon the importance of my football career, reminding me once more it's my athletic scholarship alone granting me access to the prestigious school he himself is an alumni of and I soon find myself only half listening, having heard these same words too many fucking times to count.

I actually used to enjoy playing football, finding a sense of freedom on the field, but once my father realized it would take an athletic scholarship (I most certainly wasn't about to gain an academic one) to grant me access to his alma mater, I soon found myself being pushed to the absolute limits, soon learning to abhor the sport that once brought me at least some sense of joy.

"You don't even want to know how many strings I had to pull to get you a chance at this school, Eric, you'd best not screw this up, you understand me?" he snaps, making me have to bite back the harsh retort threatening to spill from my mouth. But I know better. No one, and I mean no one talks back to Northman Senior.

"Yes, sir," I answer back, trying my best to sound adequately scolded as I hope this phone call is nearly finished.

"Good," he answers, bringing a sigh of relief from me. "We shall be home in time to see you off," he assures me.

"Sounds good, Dad," I answer back, wishing this were not the case. We say our goodbyes and I'm soon left rubbing my face in frustration, wishing I had even a semblance of control over my looming future. I reach down to run my hand along the edge of my mattress, my fingers tracing the familiar, worn paper before pulling a tattered program from it's discreet hiding place.

I trace my finger over the grainy image, a fond smile pulling at my lips as my mind is flooded with memories of possibly the happiest time of my life, the one time I was actually allowed to follow my dream. Acting. Ever since I was a small child, I had dreams of one day gracing the silver screen, but my father had different ideas, deciding acting was nothing more than a foolhardy distraction and most certainly not a suitable career for a child bearing his prestigious name.

No, instead he insisted I follow in his own footsteps, maintaining it will be up to me to one day take over the family business, eventually having to take his place as CEO over his company. How incredibly fucking boring. It's a perfectly acceptable career I suppose; allowing my father a chance to provide a rather comfortable way of life for our family, but I honestly could care less about such things, finding the entire idea abhorrently tedious and downright monotonous, bearing no semblance at all to the joy I felt taking center stage.

"Hey," a familiar voice sounds out beside me as I turn to see Godric entering my bedroom.

"Oh, hey," I answer back, sitting up to allow him space upon the bed.

"Dude, are you just waking up?" he teases, reaching up to ruffle my wild mess of hair with a smirk before setting his bag upon the floor and sinking down on the bed beside me.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up," I return, reaching over to ruffle his own, dark hair in turn. He just rolls his eyes at me before glancing down to the bed, a small smile forming over his face as he reaches out to take hold of the program.

"I remember taking this," he says, shaking his head lightly. "God, you were really amazing up there, Eric," he says to bring a grateful smile to my face. "I could hardly believe you dropped drama after only one semester," he adds, bringing a loud sigh from me.

"God forbid a Northman follow a career in acting," I sigh out, earning a sympathetic gaze from my friend as he hands the program back to me.

"You know, you do have a say in your own life, Eric," he says softly, bringing a deep frown to my face, my father's harsh words cutting through my mind once more as I shake my head at him.

"Not according to my father, I don't," I snap back, my voice much harsher than intended. "Sorry," I sigh out, earning an indulgent smile from my friend.

"Don't worry about it," he answers back with a shrug. "We all know how your father can be," he adds, making me roll my eyes in agreement. "So, that was some party last night, huh?" he questions, thankfully changing the subject.

"Yeah, I guess, though you didn't really hang out long," I remind him, studying him closely to see him look away as he suddenly becomes way too fascinated with my bedroom carpet. "Dude, you alright? Is everything okay with your mom?" I question, hearing him sigh softly before he turns his attention back to me once more.

"Mom's fine," he assures me, a slight blush coming to his cheeks that makes me tilt my head in question. "I heard you last night," he says softly, making my breath hitch in my throat. "You and Sookie," he sighs out, shaking his head. "I didn't mean to listen in, I was just trying to find you guys and…yeah," he rushes out as I sit back against the wall with a sigh.

"So that's why you took off," I muse aloud, seeing him nod in the affirmative. Well, at least this saves me the trouble of figuring out how the hell to breech such an awkward subject, though, I can't believe he actually overheard us. Ugh, how fucking embarrassing.

"So, are you two, like, together now, or what?" he questions, bringing a loud sigh from me as I shake my head, a tightness forming in my chest that I choose to ignore, once more not willing to look too closely at my body's rather odd reactions to last night's tryst.

"No," I answer, a small frown forming over my face. "It was just sex," I tell him, shrugging lightly even as I'm not really sure that statement is entirely truthful.

"And Sookie feels the same way?" he asks, raising an incredulous brow at me as I'm left shrugging once more.

"That's what she said," I enlighten him, seeing a thoughtful expression come over his face.

"So how did, I mean, I didn't think you two would ever-," he stumbles out, bringing an amused smirk to my face.

"I'm just as surprised as you," I assure him. "It's not like I planned on this happening, it just kind of did," I answer, a fond smile coming to my face as flashes from the act in question play at the forefront of my mind. Emotional complications notwithstanding, it really was pretty fucking epic.

"So, are you two gonna talk about what happened, or what?" he questions, bringing another sigh from me as I run my hand through my hair in frustration, having been pondering that exact thing.

"I don't know," I sigh out. "She claims it was just sex," I remind him. "I just don't want to make things weird between us, I mean, Sookie's one of my best friends, I don't want sex to ruin that," I reason, seeing him nodding slowly in agreement.

"And you're cool keeping things the way they are now?" he asks, giving me momentary pause. Am I okay carrying on like usual, just pretending things are the same? Is it even possible to go back to the way things were before? I'm not entirely certain, but I do know I don't want to risk losing Sookie as a friend and if I have to carry on like everything's fine in order to ensure as much, I think I can manage.

"Yeah, sure," I say aloud. "I mean it's what Sook wants." Surprisingly enough. I shake my head at my own, inner musings.

"And you?" he asks, studying me carefully as I work to outwardly project the ever confidant Viking persona, trying my best to ignore the contradictory thoughts currently swirling through my mind.

"Have you forgotten who it is you're talking to? I'm the Viking. Casual sex is what I do, one of the few things I excel at," I proclaim, sending a wolfish grin to my friend as he shakes his head at me, rolling his eyes in response.

"Yeah, alright, don't let that massive ego of yours go to your head," he retorts, bringing a snort of amusement from me.

"Too late," I answer back, earning amused laughter from my friend as the air between us becomes significantly lighter.

"So, you ready?" he questions, pulling his ever present camera from his bag to bring a small groan from me. "Ah, you don't look that bad," he teases, lifting the offending device as he begins snapping photos of my smirking face.

"Excuse me? I always look good," I defend, striking a ridiculous pose to bring soft chuckles from him.

"Too bad the same thing can't be said about your odor," he throws back, wrinkling his nose at me in mock disgust. "You, my man, are in serious need of a shower."

"Oh, really?" I retort, a wide grin spreading over my face before I'm lunging across the bed at my friend to bring a shriek of surprise from him.

"Eric, watch the camera!" he cries out, desperately trying to wiggle from my firm hold upon him. "Gross! You're gonna get your stink all over me!" he giggles out then, securing the camera upon the desk as a bright grin lights up his face.

The two of us proceed to launch into yet another epic battle consisting of ridiculous banter and mock wrestling moves, the familiar actions lifting my spirits as I decide to throw my cares to the wind. This is our summer after all and I'm determined to make the very best of it, no matter what.