TITLE: DAYS Fairy Tale: Eric & Greta: Chapters 36-40
WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)
EMAIL: hferguso@niu.edu
WEBSITE: http://eric_greta.tripod.com (from when Jensen was on days)
Rating: If you can watch DAYS, you can read this. If there is a rating change, a link to the chap. will be provided.
Disclaimer: Days of Our Lives and all of their characters are property of Corday Productions and NBC.
My Rant: Okay, I'm finally putting this up on FanFiction.net. Mostly to free up my website space. This was started way back in Oct. of 1999, and I haven't decided if it's finished yet or not. Reviews are always welcome!
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Chapter 36
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Eric looked over at Greta as he pulled into the parking lot looking for a spot. *She's too quiet.* he thought to himself. He parked the Jeep, and she was out and on her way to the door before he was fully out of the car. He locked the doors and jogged after her. He reached her just as she was about to enter the hospital. A few minutes later they walked out of the elevator and met Bo, Doug, Julie, John, and Marlena at the nurses station.
"What did they say?" Eric asked.
"They haven't yet." John answered.
Eric stood behind Greta and put his hands on her shoulders, pulling her back to him. Lexi then came out holding a folder. "Well?" Bo asked her.
Lexi looked at the crowd around her, "There is a zero percent match with Shawn, and there is a 99.9 percent match with Greta."
Hugs were going around, as Eric felt Greta's shoulders slump and her lean back against him. Eric held onto as he thought she would fall to the ground if he didn't. But she didn't cry, and besides leaning against him, she showed no outward sign of grief. Eric looked around at everyone hugging and happy and was a little angry at them. Here they were almost celebrating that it was Greta's mother and not Hope right in front of her. He looked at his mother and caught her looking at Greta then him. A look of worry in her eyes as well. Marlena touched John's arm, motioning to Greta, and the smiled faded from his face. The two of them walked over to them.
"Greta, I'm sorry." Marlena told her. John places a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you," she said quietly, then slowly broke away. "I'm going to go talk to Lexi about arrangements."
With that she walked over to Lexi, and Eric sighed. "Did you see all of that?" He asked them. He continued before they could answer. "She is almost completely emotionless.... And them," he said pointing at the others, "are acting like it's a party."
"They don't mean to be rude, they are just happy it wasn't Hope," John said.
"Still." he looked at his mom, "I'm getting real worried about her." He ran his hand through his hair, "You should see our apartment."
"What about it?" Marlena asked.
"It has never been that clean, even when Carrie lived there. And now this." He said with a louder sigh.
"She'll be fine, she's been through a lot, and just needs some time." She responded.
"Okay. I just hope it's soon for her sake."
Greta walked back over to them, "Okay, can we go home now?" she asked.
"Sure, did you get everything taken care of?"
She nodded, "Yeah. I'm having her cremated." She responded zipping her coat.
"Okay," he looked at John and Marlena, "We'll see you soon." She nodded and they left the Hospital.
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They walked into the apartment and Greta tossed her coat and purse in the chair. She kicked off her shoes and headed for the bedroom. Eric shut and locked the door, put his keys on the table along with his wallet. Put his coat on the back of the chair. Sat down and took his shoes off, then stood back up and headed for the bedrooms. He put his shoes in his room and knocked on her door. She opened the door, and she was already in her pajama's. "I think I'm going to go to bed. I'm really tired."
"Okay, I think I will too." He took her hand, "If you want to talk or have company, or just because, just tell me, okay?" She nodded okay. "Good night," he said.
"Good night," She responded. She brought her hand to the back of his neck and brought him down for a kiss. They then separated and went into their own rooms.
Eric got ready for bed, but once he got into bed he couldn't sleep. He was tempted to go check on her. He weighed the pro's and con's of it for almost an hour. But he didn't have to decide because there was a knock at the door. "Come in." He said.
The door opened slowly, and he could see her move towards the bed, "Can I..." she trailed off.
He pulled back the covers in response and she crawled under them. She moved close to him and laid her head on his chest, he brought his arms around to hold her, and kissed the top of her head. He gave her a small squeeze, and she relaxed against him. After a few minutes he could tell she was asleep by her slow, even breathing and he smiled. A few minutes more and he was asleep himself.
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He woke up slowly and looked at the clock, *7:45. Why am I awake?* he asked himself, *I don't have to be to work until 10:30.* Then he realized he couldn't feel his right arm. He looked over and Greta was sound asleep in the position she had started out in. She looked so peaceful he didn't want to disturb her, but the prickly feeling in his arm was starting to hurt. He squeezed her tight towards him, and then slowly pulled his arm out from under her. It took a few minutes for his arm to return to normal, and then he laid back down, and wrapped his arm around her waist.
He laid there watching her sleep, seeing her breathing slowly, looking at her face in the light shinning in from the window.
He pulled back the hair over her neck and gave her a small kiss there. He knew in Paris that he liked waking up with her. But now he knew that he loved waking up to her, and going to sleep with her. It felt so natural, so right, and he wished it could be every night. He moved his head into the crook of her neck, and squeezed her lightly. She made a small, contented, Greta sound and he smiled. He feel asleep soon after and didn't wake up until he felt her move against him. He opened his eyes to find her looking back at him. "Good morning." He said quietly.
"Good morning," she said and leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "Four more days and we are in Hawaii," she said with a smile.
"Yep and now that you bought everything at Salem Place, you should be able to pack for it." He knew she would give him a swat for that, and wasn't disappointed.
"I didn't buy 'that' much."
"Okay," he said sarcastically, and he got another whack to the chest. He laughed and looked to the clock. He yawned then looked up at her. He smiled, brought his arms up to her shoulders as he sat up. He wrapped his arms around her, kissed her deeply and pulled her back down with him. She giggled when she lost her balance and fell on top of him, but the smile quickly faded as the kiss grew more passionate. Her hands moved over him, laying more squarely on top of him as her arms went to his neck and his hair. Their lips moved, their tongues danced, and their hands moved over each other. They broke away a few times for air, but almost immediately continued kissing, they were only interrupted by the phone. They both sighed, both of their hair was messed up and faces flushed. "I'll get it," Greta said and she got up and ran to the phone.
Eric threw this head back, and sighed, he laid there for a few seconds trying to think of other thoughts and calm down.
"Eric. It's for you." Greta said from the other room in a not-so happy voice.
Eric sighed and sat up, he then got out of bed and went to the phone. Greta handed it to him, went to the couch, sat down, and turned on the TV.
"Hello." Eric said to the receiver.
"Hi Eric, I was wondering if you could come in early, the shoot isn't set up right, and I need your input." Nicole said.
Eric sighed, "Why can't you do it?"
"Because you know what you really want," she said seductively into the phone.
He shook his head, "Well, why don't you figure it out and I'll see you at 10:30." He said and hung up.
Nicole sat in her chair with an open mouth, *How dare he hang up on me, I'll show him.*
Eric walked over to the couch and sat down, "What did she want?" Greta asked.
He looked over at her, and saw the look on her face and smiled, "She wanted me to set up the shoot, I told her to do it."
Greta smiled, and moved in close to him, laying her head on his shoulder. "Hungry?" she asked.
"Starving." With that they both moved into the kitchen and started breakfast.
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Chapter 37
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Eric walked out of the Elevator and sighed, he hated leaving her alone. She said she would be fine, and would probably go out, but he knew she wasn't fine. He ran his hand over his head and down his face and sighed again. He then turned the knob, and opened the door to the photo lab.
Nicole turned around, "Eric, good you can tell me if this is to your liking." she said motioning to the set.
He walked over to it, and touched one of the fake vines. It was a forest with vines and flowers. It was an adam and eve shoot for a new perfume, Eric couldn't remember the name of. "Yeah, it's fine."
"Okay, then tell me what to do, to make it better."
Eric could basically hear the whole underling message, "It's fine the way it is. It doesn't need to be changed."
"But you're not happy."
Eric looked over at her and smiled, "But I'm perfectly happy."
Nicole turned around and moved over to the board on the wall, "Fine." She studied it a few minutes as he put the finishing touches on the cameras.
"Oh," she said turning back to him, "I forgot that we have a big shoot next week, on wednesday. A clothing ad, what do you need for that?"
Eric looked up from the camera to look at her, "Nicole, you know I'm not working next week."
"But you have to, it's a big advertiser."
"Get someone else to do it." He said changing the lens on the camera.
"But you're our best, we need you, I need you for this shoot."
"I don't care, I won't be here, I requested that time off last month, you knew that before you scheduled the shoot."
"Okay, you can have next week off, except wednesday."
Eric stood up straight and looked at her, "Nicole, listen to me. You can fire me or whatever, but I am not coming in next week. You know that Greta and I are going to Hawaii, and we are going to be there a week, and you are not going to stop me. Understood?" He said then turned away from her, putting film in another camera.
"Fine," she said in an angry voice, "I'll be in my office if you need me."
"Why don't you go out shopping and spend more of Lucas's money, like you usually do. I'll be just fine without you." With that she left in a huff and slammed the door behind her, leaving a large smile on Eric's face.
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Greta sat at the Java Cafe alone, drinking a cup of hot chocolate.
"Can I sit here?" came a voice from behind her, she turned around and looked at them.
"Sami. Hi, sure go ahead." She said as she took another sip.
Sami sat on the stool across from her, "I heard about your mother, I'm sorry."
Greta nodded, "It's okay, and thanks." She took another sip of the cocoa.
Sami realized that she didn't want to talk about it, "Well, I don't have anything to do until I have to pick Will up from school. So how about we have lunch, do some shopping or something, and have a chance to get to know each other a little better. Because, I would really like to get to know the girl who has stolen my brothers heart." She said with a smile.
Greta blushed slightly, "Did he tell you that?"
"Not in so many words, but he doesn't stop talking about you. That is when I get a chance to see him."
Greta smiled, "Sounds like fun, I have nothing else to do."
"Is there anything you need to buy?"
"Well, I have everything I need for school in two weeks, and I think I have everything for Hawaii."
Sami smiled, "That's right, I forgot you two were going there together. Well, then we can window shop, unless we see something we really want." Greta agreed and they went off together.
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The next few days were basically uneventful. Bo and John went to Paris to look for Hope and Stephano. Greta received her mother's ashes, which to Eric's dismay barely even produced a tear from her. Eric had a few more photo shoots, and Greta tried to keep herself busy.
It was now the night before their trip, and they were doing their last minute packing.
"Swim suit?" Eric yelled from his room, as he put two pairs of trunks in his suitcase.
"Yep, more than one." She yelled back from her room as she packed her travel tooth brush and paste.
"Pajama's" He asked again, as he packed his boxers and some T-shirts.
"Yep. What is it that I'm forgetting?" she yelled again.
He went over his metal checklist, then zipped up this bag, and carried two of them out to the front room. He then walked back and into her bedroom. He sat on her bed, and laid back. "I'm not sure. You have clothes, underwear, socks, make-up, brush, tooth brush, jewelry, shoes, camera..."
"Camera! That's it." She went over to her dresser and grabbed her camera and the new four pack box of film. "Did you pack the video camera?" she asked.
"Yep all packed. What about the carry on bag?"
"All packed. Deck of cards, magazines, books, paper, pens, snacks, and other things."
"Okay, good cause it's a long flight."
She went through her stuff in her suitcase, and realized she packed everything she needed. She zipped them up and Eric helped her carry them into the other room. She went into her room for a second, then came back, she laid the tickets under her purse. "Well, I think we are all set."
"Yep, in 13 hours we will be on our way to Hawaii."
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Chapter 38
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The stewardess directed them to their seat, Greta took her seat by the widow, and Eric put the carry-on in the compartment above their seats. He than sat down next to her. They both fastened their seat belts, and she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Ready for a long flight?" he asked her, and she nodded yes. "Well, when we get there it will be about 2:30 their time, and we'll be wanting to go to sleep. She smiled. "And so I suggest that we try and get some sleep later on in the flight."
Greta agreed, and leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. They talked a little bit longer, then the flight attendant came on giving them directions. A little bit later the plane took off and they were on their way.
They played cards, read the magazines, Eric played some solitaire while Greta read some of her book. They talked some more, then they each tried to get some sleep. Eric was asleep in a matter of seconds, but it took Greta a little bit longer. But the next thing she knew Eric was gently nudging her.
"Greta, we're about to land."
She opened her eyes slowly, yawned, then sat up. She had been asleep on his shoulder the whole time. She looked over at him, and saw the smile on his face, producing one of her own. He reached over and took her had in his, brought it to his lips and kissed it. Greta looked out the window and saw the island below.
The flight attendant then gave landing instructions, and a few minutes later the plane landed on the Hawaii runway.
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They got off the plane into the nice warm Hawaiian sun, received the lei's around their necks, then proceeded into the airport. Luckily they got their luggage without to much trouble, and then went to their curtsey shuttle to take them to their hotel. The drive took awhile, since they booked the room on a quieter part of the island. The driver pulled the van up to the doors, and the bellhop opened the door for them. They got out, and the bellhop put their luggage on a cart, then followed them into the Hotel.
Eric and Greta walked up to the desk hand in hand, "Reservations for Eric Brady." He said to the girl behind the desk.
She looked it up on the computer, and made a printout. "You're signature here, please." Eric signed the paper, "And here are you pass cards to your room. Have a wonderful stay." She said with a smile. They both said thanks and then headed to the elevator, with the bellhop right behind them. They got off at the sixth floor, and made their way to the end of the hall.
"Room 647, here we are," he said with a grin. Eric used the card and opened the door, then motioned Greta to go in, he then followed. Greta walked out onto the balcony to look at the ocean view. The bellhop sat down the bags, Eric tipped him, and the guy left, shutting the door behind him.
Greta looked out at the blue water and sandy beach before her. She smiled as she felt Eric come up behind her and put his arms around her. She leaned back against him. "It's beautiful isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes you are," he responded.
She turned in his arms to look at him, "I meant the view," she said with a smile.
He looked down at her, cupped the side of her face, "So did I," then he leaned in and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. They slowly broke away, and looked at the view once again.
"So you want to get some dinner? Well, lunch?"
She smiled and nodded yes. They walked over to their luggage and grabbed their own bags and Greta went back into the one bedroom to put her stuff away and change. Eric went over to the other bed in the room, put down his luggage and unpacked the contents into the dresser. He got some shorts and a T-shirt out and went into the bathroom to change. When Greta walked out of the bedroom, Eric was already changed and sitting on his bed. "Ready?" she nodded yes and they left to get some lunch in one of the Hotel restaurants.
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Greta giggled and almost choked on her chicken caesar salad. "You didn't." She said to Eric sitting across from her.
"We did. You should have seen my mom try to explain to people why her twins had light purple hair. The blueberry color stayed in for about a week." Greta just kept on laughing, and she didn't dare take another bite till she stopped. Her giggles subsided slowly, and she continued with her salad. They talked about their childhood, both laughing until they were done with their lunch. They paid the bill then headed back to the room arm in arm.
"So, what to do first?" Eric asked as they walked into their room. Greta walked over and plopped herself on his bed, he just grinned at her and sat down next to her. "Swimming, sunning, and relaxing. We can tackle the other stuff tomorrow."
He agreed, "Yeah, we do have a week here. And I know I need to get used to the time change, and jet lag." he said as he yawned.
She smiled, then yawned, "Don't do that. You know it's contagious." He smiled and yawned again deliberately, making her do so again. "Stop it." she said lightly hitting his arm.
She then stood up, "I'm going to go get my swimsuit on." She announced then walked into the bedroom. Eric then stood up and got out his swim trunks and changed quickly. He then pulled out a beach towel, sunglasses and sun tan lotion. She emerged from the room, and Eric turned to look. She had a hawaiian flower print, short robe on, sandals, and sunglasses. She held her own beach towel and sun tan lotion.
"Ready?" she asked with a large smile on her face.
"Yep," Eric said putting his own sunglasses on. They then walked out the door, and took the elevator down. A little later they walked out onto the beach. Greta was glad that they decided on a quieter spot. Yes they were in a big hotel, but the only people on the beach were from that Hotel, and not to many people were out. They found a spot close to the water and laid out their towels. They each started to put on their sun tan lotion.
Greta started with her face, then arms and legs. Eric did the same then took off his T-shirt, putting the lotion where he could reach. Greta saw him struggle with it, and grabbed the lotion bottle from him. He smiled, and she put some into her hands, then started to rub the lotion onto his back.
She slowly worked it over his broad shoulders, then down the center of his back. She then started to spread it out to the sides. It was taking her a lot longer than it should have, but neither were complaining.
When she was done, he turned around, "Can I return the favor?" he asked.
She smiled, "Of course." She said as she untied her robe and pulled it off her shoulders.
His jaw dropped open, "You kept it." he said looking at the navy blue bikini she was wearing.
She smiled at his reaction, "Yep, it fit perfectly, and I knew I would get a good tan with it."
"Yeah, that is for sure." She turned around so her back was to him, and she started to put the lotion on her front. He took at deep breath, the the bottle, and put some into his palm. He rubbed his hands together, then started to massage it into her back. He fought hard to try and get the images he had out of his mind as his hands traveled over her bare skin. He tried to stop the urge to lean in and kiss the back of her neck, but it didn't work as that is exactly what he did. And her little sigh, didn't help matters any.
She turned around, and gave him a soft kiss, which he returned, they pulled apart slowly with a sigh after having remembered they were in public. They each laid down on their own towel and closed their eyes.
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Chapter 39
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As they laid on their towels soaking up the rays, they continued with their talk from lunch and also started on others. After a little bit they both turned over to let the sun hit their backs.
"Mmm, the sun feels so nice and warm," Greta said with a sigh.
"Yeah, nice and relaxing." Eric said turning his face to see hers and smiled at how peaceful she looked. A few minutes later, Eric sat up, and she looked over at him with a questioning face. "I'm actually getting a little too warm, and that water looks inviting." Greta sat up and looked out at the blue water.
"Yeah it does," she looked over at him and smiled," Last one in is a rotten egg." She said and jumped up fast and ran to the water.
"No fair," Eric yelled after her, and ran to the ocean. She got there first but Eric was close behind and tackled her into the water.
Coming back up to the surface they were both laughing. They then swam out deeper into the water where they could both touch bottom. The waves gently rocked them, the water cooling their skin. "You're right. This is nice." she said to him as her hands moved through the water, trying to keep her steady. Eric leaned back and dipped his head in the water, then stood back up running his fingers through it to straighten it out. His hands came down to his sides in the water, then came back up to splash some water at her. Greta's eyes closed as the water came at her. Her hand wiped it away, "Oh, you didn't!" she yelled. Her hands coming up and splashing him. They started splashing each other with the water, hands and arms moving without even really seeing where the water was going. Greta was losing, she tried to move closer to him, and when she did, she jumped and pushed him back into the water. They both came back up a few seconds later, Greta laughing and Eric sputtering.
"I should get you for that." He said with an evil grin, walking closer to her.
"Hey, you started it." She said, then held up her hands as he got closer, "Okay, okay, you win."
He just laughed, as she swam a little bit away from him. She then tried to stand but soon found the water above her nose. She floated back to the surface, her arms and legs moving slightly to keep her afloat. He smiled, "The waves have gradually moved us out a little farther. Do you want to move back in?"
Greta looked around, and noticed that most of the people were closer in, and they were basically alone. "No, it's nice and quiet out here."
He reached his hand out to her, "Then why don't you come over here, I can still touch bottom." His shoulders were just barely under the water. She took his hand and he pulled her over. He moved her arm to his neck, and she wrapped her other one there as well. He rested his arms around her lower back bringing her closer to him. "Much better." He said looking into her eyes then kissed her. She was pushed up against him and instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist moving her out of the water a little more. She had to smile at the small grown he made from this and he deepened the kiss.
The warmth of her skin against him, and the cool water everywhere else was an interesting and a very erotic sensation. He tried to get the images out of his mind, but it was a losing battle.
Her hands slowly moved to the side of his face and into his hair. His one arm moved to the back of her head, the other stayed at her back to support her. The water, the skin contact, and the overall beauty of the area was making the kiss a little more passionate then maybe ought to be seen in public. Luckily they were pretty far out. The only problem was the waves were increasing, and one of them made Eric lose his balance. Making them break apart and then start to laugh. "We better head back in." he said and she agreed.
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They spent the next few hours sunning, swimming, talking, and just plain relaxing. They then watched the sun go down. They both sat on Eric's towel, Greta setting between his legs, her back leaning against his chest, and his arms around her. They wrapped her towel around them both to protect them from the slight breeze. The blue sky turned to a light pink, then a mixture of orange and red and finally purple. Eric kissed the back of her head making her smile as they both watched. His arms tightened around her, and her hands squeezed his.
Once the sun was set, and the sky dark they both stood up and gathered their things. They then walked back into their room to change. They both changed into some casual clothes. Eric changed into a pair of kaki shorts and a white T-shirt. Greta opted for a pair of jean shorts and a light yellow baby T-shirt. Eric took her hand as they walked out of the hotel room.
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Chapter 40
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"I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Greta said to him as they walked through the lobby.
Eric smiled over at her, brought her hand to his mouth for a kiss, then returned it to his side. "Yeah, me too. I think the luau is out here." He said as they walked through the doors. They were greeted with a mass of people. Dancers were all around entertaining the diners along with the music. The smell of the food and flowers filled the air. "I guess I was right." He said as they walked over. A girl in a hawaiian skirt took their money for the dinner then gave them each a lei and a tropical flower for Greta's hair, then led them to a vacant area for them to sit.
"The food and drinks are all over here," she said with a smile, "Help yourself to what you want, and if you need anything just ask." With that she walked back over to her post.
They both walked over to the food and we surprised at what all was there. They took their plates and made their way around the large table. They then went over to the bar and got two Pina Colada's then went to go sit down on the towels.
"This is very interesting," Greta said with a large smile about the entertainment, food, and eating style.
Eric took a bite of the pork from his plate, "Yes it is, and the food is wonderful." They both started eating, commenting on how wonderful the food and drink were, as they watched the entertainment. A guy was spinning a stick with flames at both ends, making the crowd cheer every so often. He was followed by some more dancers.
They finished their food and Eric went to get them both more drinks. He handed one to Greta, then sat back down. They drank their drinks slowly, taking their time. Eric put his arm around her, and she laid her head on his shoulder.
They stayed for awhile longer, then left to go for a walk on the beach. They took their sandals off, holding them in their one hand. The other arm was around each others back, as they walked down the beach, the almost full moon was out, lighting up the sky.
The waves lapped at heir feet as they walked along. They stopped a ways away from the Hotel, it was nice and quiet, and no one was around, unlike that afternoon. They dropped their sandals onto the sand and waded into the water. Eric pulled Greta towards him, pressing her to his chest, and tilted her face up with his hand under her chin. His hand moved to the side of her face and he caressed it with his thumb.
She leaned into it, closing her eyes, and wrapping her arms around his neck. She opened her eyes and pulled him down to her. Their lips met softly, lightly touching, and slowly they increased the pressure. They took their time and explored the kiss and each others lips.
The water lightly lapped at their feet as their bodies pressed together. The kiss slowly stopped with the two looking into each others eyes. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, then each cheek, then another one for her lips. He looked down at her face again, her skin pale in the moonlight. He ran one hand lightly through her hair, then moved it up to the other side of her face. "Oh, Greta," he said quietly, emotion overwhelming him.
She looked up into his beautiful eyes, as her arms hugged him to her. There was so much she wanted to say, to express her feelings, but they were almost to great. She watched as his face changed between emotions. Desire to tenderness and it confused her slightly when she finally found a mixture of vulnerability and fear on his features. Her one arm went up between his to touch the side of his face, trying to comfort him from whatever it was that was doing this to him.
Eric closed his eyes at her touch, feeling the softness of her palm on his face, comforting him slightly, allowing him to continue. He admitted his fear to himself, in fact what he wanted to tell her, scared the hell out of him. He had been hurt before and didn't know if he could stand it again. But opening his eyes and finding the mixture of feelings on her face, those of worry for him and other caring emotions, he knew the possible pain would be more than worth it. He tried once again. "Greta," he said softly, pausing for the right words.
"Yes?" she responded in the same soft like voice.
His thumb lightly moved over her cheek as he continued with a deep breath. "Greta.... I... I love you." He said then looked into her eyes for a reaction, and he got one.
She stood their for a moment in shock, even though in the back of her mind she had known for awhile, but the actual words threw her. He brain and heart replayed his words again and again in her mind, and one small tear ran down her cheek.
Eric's thumb lightly caressed away the tear, and as she was about to speak he sopped her with a finger on her lips, and a simple, "shhh." He left his finger there as he continued. "Greta, listen to me. I don't want you to think that just because I told you that, that I expect anything from you," He blabbered out, his slight fear trying to cover all his tracks. She tried to speak once again, but was stopped again. "I'm not asking 'anything' in return, I just had to tell you how I felt. I've felt this for awhile, I was just too afraid to tell you, to even admit it to myself. Then when I finally did, there was no right opportunity." He continued, his talking speeding up as he tried to get everything out. And as he did the smile on her face got increasingly bigger.
When he finally stopped and took his finger off her lips, she spoke. "Finished?" she asked. He nodded yes. She took his one hand, then slowly pulled away from him, and led him back to the beach. She sat down on the sand, motioning for him to sit next to her. She moved to face him, placing a hand on his cheek as he had on hers.
"Now, as I was trying to say." she said with a smile, putting a finger on his lips where he tried to interrupt. "No, now I get my turn to speak." She said with a smile. She took her finger away and kissed him softly. She pulled away slightly, keeping her face close to his. Her voice soft, she looked into his eyes, her emotion written all over her face. "Eric," she said quietly, "I love you too." And as he was about to speak again, her finger again went to his lips. "And no, I'm not just saying this because you did. I'm saying it, because I should have a long time ago, but I was afraid too." She paused to let her words sink into him. "In one form or another, we have both been hurt by love. It's no wonder why we were so slow to admit it to each other, let alone ourselves." With that she once again took her finger from his lips and kissed him.
Once her lips touched his, and her words had completely sunk into his brain and heart, his arms came around her, pulling her to him. The awkward position finally having him fall backwards onto the sand, taking her with him, emitting a small giggle from her, breaking the kiss. He looked up at her, her eyes sparkling, her smile wide matching his own. His arms hugging her to him, pressing her body up to the side of his. Her one leg flung over his, her free arm across his chest and her hand at the back of his neck, playing with his hair. His one hand came up to run through her hair and moved a stray piece behind her ear. He then pulled her in slowly, but stopped when she was about an inch away. "I love you," he said, this time there wasn't a trace of fear or worry in his voice.
She smiled, "I love you too," she responded then leaned in and kissed him. The kiss was gentle and sweet, expressing their emotions for each other purely and simply.
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To Be Continued
WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)
EMAIL: hferguso@niu.edu
WEBSITE: http://eric_greta.tripod.com (from when Jensen was on days)
Rating: If you can watch DAYS, you can read this. If there is a rating change, a link to the chap. will be provided.
Disclaimer: Days of Our Lives and all of their characters are property of Corday Productions and NBC.
My Rant: Okay, I'm finally putting this up on FanFiction.net. Mostly to free up my website space. This was started way back in Oct. of 1999, and I haven't decided if it's finished yet or not. Reviews are always welcome!
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Chapter 36
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Eric looked over at Greta as he pulled into the parking lot looking for a spot. *She's too quiet.* he thought to himself. He parked the Jeep, and she was out and on her way to the door before he was fully out of the car. He locked the doors and jogged after her. He reached her just as she was about to enter the hospital. A few minutes later they walked out of the elevator and met Bo, Doug, Julie, John, and Marlena at the nurses station.
"What did they say?" Eric asked.
"They haven't yet." John answered.
Eric stood behind Greta and put his hands on her shoulders, pulling her back to him. Lexi then came out holding a folder. "Well?" Bo asked her.
Lexi looked at the crowd around her, "There is a zero percent match with Shawn, and there is a 99.9 percent match with Greta."
Hugs were going around, as Eric felt Greta's shoulders slump and her lean back against him. Eric held onto as he thought she would fall to the ground if he didn't. But she didn't cry, and besides leaning against him, she showed no outward sign of grief. Eric looked around at everyone hugging and happy and was a little angry at them. Here they were almost celebrating that it was Greta's mother and not Hope right in front of her. He looked at his mother and caught her looking at Greta then him. A look of worry in her eyes as well. Marlena touched John's arm, motioning to Greta, and the smiled faded from his face. The two of them walked over to them.
"Greta, I'm sorry." Marlena told her. John places a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you," she said quietly, then slowly broke away. "I'm going to go talk to Lexi about arrangements."
With that she walked over to Lexi, and Eric sighed. "Did you see all of that?" He asked them. He continued before they could answer. "She is almost completely emotionless.... And them," he said pointing at the others, "are acting like it's a party."
"They don't mean to be rude, they are just happy it wasn't Hope," John said.
"Still." he looked at his mom, "I'm getting real worried about her." He ran his hand through his hair, "You should see our apartment."
"What about it?" Marlena asked.
"It has never been that clean, even when Carrie lived there. And now this." He said with a louder sigh.
"She'll be fine, she's been through a lot, and just needs some time." She responded.
"Okay. I just hope it's soon for her sake."
Greta walked back over to them, "Okay, can we go home now?" she asked.
"Sure, did you get everything taken care of?"
She nodded, "Yeah. I'm having her cremated." She responded zipping her coat.
"Okay," he looked at John and Marlena, "We'll see you soon." She nodded and they left the Hospital.
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They walked into the apartment and Greta tossed her coat and purse in the chair. She kicked off her shoes and headed for the bedroom. Eric shut and locked the door, put his keys on the table along with his wallet. Put his coat on the back of the chair. Sat down and took his shoes off, then stood back up and headed for the bedrooms. He put his shoes in his room and knocked on her door. She opened the door, and she was already in her pajama's. "I think I'm going to go to bed. I'm really tired."
"Okay, I think I will too." He took her hand, "If you want to talk or have company, or just because, just tell me, okay?" She nodded okay. "Good night," he said.
"Good night," She responded. She brought her hand to the back of his neck and brought him down for a kiss. They then separated and went into their own rooms.
Eric got ready for bed, but once he got into bed he couldn't sleep. He was tempted to go check on her. He weighed the pro's and con's of it for almost an hour. But he didn't have to decide because there was a knock at the door. "Come in." He said.
The door opened slowly, and he could see her move towards the bed, "Can I..." she trailed off.
He pulled back the covers in response and she crawled under them. She moved close to him and laid her head on his chest, he brought his arms around to hold her, and kissed the top of her head. He gave her a small squeeze, and she relaxed against him. After a few minutes he could tell she was asleep by her slow, even breathing and he smiled. A few minutes more and he was asleep himself.
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He woke up slowly and looked at the clock, *7:45. Why am I awake?* he asked himself, *I don't have to be to work until 10:30.* Then he realized he couldn't feel his right arm. He looked over and Greta was sound asleep in the position she had started out in. She looked so peaceful he didn't want to disturb her, but the prickly feeling in his arm was starting to hurt. He squeezed her tight towards him, and then slowly pulled his arm out from under her. It took a few minutes for his arm to return to normal, and then he laid back down, and wrapped his arm around her waist.
He laid there watching her sleep, seeing her breathing slowly, looking at her face in the light shinning in from the window.
He pulled back the hair over her neck and gave her a small kiss there. He knew in Paris that he liked waking up with her. But now he knew that he loved waking up to her, and going to sleep with her. It felt so natural, so right, and he wished it could be every night. He moved his head into the crook of her neck, and squeezed her lightly. She made a small, contented, Greta sound and he smiled. He feel asleep soon after and didn't wake up until he felt her move against him. He opened his eyes to find her looking back at him. "Good morning." He said quietly.
"Good morning," she said and leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "Four more days and we are in Hawaii," she said with a smile.
"Yep and now that you bought everything at Salem Place, you should be able to pack for it." He knew she would give him a swat for that, and wasn't disappointed.
"I didn't buy 'that' much."
"Okay," he said sarcastically, and he got another whack to the chest. He laughed and looked to the clock. He yawned then looked up at her. He smiled, brought his arms up to her shoulders as he sat up. He wrapped his arms around her, kissed her deeply and pulled her back down with him. She giggled when she lost her balance and fell on top of him, but the smile quickly faded as the kiss grew more passionate. Her hands moved over him, laying more squarely on top of him as her arms went to his neck and his hair. Their lips moved, their tongues danced, and their hands moved over each other. They broke away a few times for air, but almost immediately continued kissing, they were only interrupted by the phone. They both sighed, both of their hair was messed up and faces flushed. "I'll get it," Greta said and she got up and ran to the phone.
Eric threw this head back, and sighed, he laid there for a few seconds trying to think of other thoughts and calm down.
"Eric. It's for you." Greta said from the other room in a not-so happy voice.
Eric sighed and sat up, he then got out of bed and went to the phone. Greta handed it to him, went to the couch, sat down, and turned on the TV.
"Hello." Eric said to the receiver.
"Hi Eric, I was wondering if you could come in early, the shoot isn't set up right, and I need your input." Nicole said.
Eric sighed, "Why can't you do it?"
"Because you know what you really want," she said seductively into the phone.
He shook his head, "Well, why don't you figure it out and I'll see you at 10:30." He said and hung up.
Nicole sat in her chair with an open mouth, *How dare he hang up on me, I'll show him.*
Eric walked over to the couch and sat down, "What did she want?" Greta asked.
He looked over at her, and saw the look on her face and smiled, "She wanted me to set up the shoot, I told her to do it."
Greta smiled, and moved in close to him, laying her head on his shoulder. "Hungry?" she asked.
"Starving." With that they both moved into the kitchen and started breakfast.
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Chapter 37
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Eric walked out of the Elevator and sighed, he hated leaving her alone. She said she would be fine, and would probably go out, but he knew she wasn't fine. He ran his hand over his head and down his face and sighed again. He then turned the knob, and opened the door to the photo lab.
Nicole turned around, "Eric, good you can tell me if this is to your liking." she said motioning to the set.
He walked over to it, and touched one of the fake vines. It was a forest with vines and flowers. It was an adam and eve shoot for a new perfume, Eric couldn't remember the name of. "Yeah, it's fine."
"Okay, then tell me what to do, to make it better."
Eric could basically hear the whole underling message, "It's fine the way it is. It doesn't need to be changed."
"But you're not happy."
Eric looked over at her and smiled, "But I'm perfectly happy."
Nicole turned around and moved over to the board on the wall, "Fine." She studied it a few minutes as he put the finishing touches on the cameras.
"Oh," she said turning back to him, "I forgot that we have a big shoot next week, on wednesday. A clothing ad, what do you need for that?"
Eric looked up from the camera to look at her, "Nicole, you know I'm not working next week."
"But you have to, it's a big advertiser."
"Get someone else to do it." He said changing the lens on the camera.
"But you're our best, we need you, I need you for this shoot."
"I don't care, I won't be here, I requested that time off last month, you knew that before you scheduled the shoot."
"Okay, you can have next week off, except wednesday."
Eric stood up straight and looked at her, "Nicole, listen to me. You can fire me or whatever, but I am not coming in next week. You know that Greta and I are going to Hawaii, and we are going to be there a week, and you are not going to stop me. Understood?" He said then turned away from her, putting film in another camera.
"Fine," she said in an angry voice, "I'll be in my office if you need me."
"Why don't you go out shopping and spend more of Lucas's money, like you usually do. I'll be just fine without you." With that she left in a huff and slammed the door behind her, leaving a large smile on Eric's face.
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Greta sat at the Java Cafe alone, drinking a cup of hot chocolate.
"Can I sit here?" came a voice from behind her, she turned around and looked at them.
"Sami. Hi, sure go ahead." She said as she took another sip.
Sami sat on the stool across from her, "I heard about your mother, I'm sorry."
Greta nodded, "It's okay, and thanks." She took another sip of the cocoa.
Sami realized that she didn't want to talk about it, "Well, I don't have anything to do until I have to pick Will up from school. So how about we have lunch, do some shopping or something, and have a chance to get to know each other a little better. Because, I would really like to get to know the girl who has stolen my brothers heart." She said with a smile.
Greta blushed slightly, "Did he tell you that?"
"Not in so many words, but he doesn't stop talking about you. That is when I get a chance to see him."
Greta smiled, "Sounds like fun, I have nothing else to do."
"Is there anything you need to buy?"
"Well, I have everything I need for school in two weeks, and I think I have everything for Hawaii."
Sami smiled, "That's right, I forgot you two were going there together. Well, then we can window shop, unless we see something we really want." Greta agreed and they went off together.
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The next few days were basically uneventful. Bo and John went to Paris to look for Hope and Stephano. Greta received her mother's ashes, which to Eric's dismay barely even produced a tear from her. Eric had a few more photo shoots, and Greta tried to keep herself busy.
It was now the night before their trip, and they were doing their last minute packing.
"Swim suit?" Eric yelled from his room, as he put two pairs of trunks in his suitcase.
"Yep, more than one." She yelled back from her room as she packed her travel tooth brush and paste.
"Pajama's" He asked again, as he packed his boxers and some T-shirts.
"Yep. What is it that I'm forgetting?" she yelled again.
He went over his metal checklist, then zipped up this bag, and carried two of them out to the front room. He then walked back and into her bedroom. He sat on her bed, and laid back. "I'm not sure. You have clothes, underwear, socks, make-up, brush, tooth brush, jewelry, shoes, camera..."
"Camera! That's it." She went over to her dresser and grabbed her camera and the new four pack box of film. "Did you pack the video camera?" she asked.
"Yep all packed. What about the carry on bag?"
"All packed. Deck of cards, magazines, books, paper, pens, snacks, and other things."
"Okay, good cause it's a long flight."
She went through her stuff in her suitcase, and realized she packed everything she needed. She zipped them up and Eric helped her carry them into the other room. She went into her room for a second, then came back, she laid the tickets under her purse. "Well, I think we are all set."
"Yep, in 13 hours we will be on our way to Hawaii."
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Chapter 38
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The stewardess directed them to their seat, Greta took her seat by the widow, and Eric put the carry-on in the compartment above their seats. He than sat down next to her. They both fastened their seat belts, and she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Ready for a long flight?" he asked her, and she nodded yes. "Well, when we get there it will be about 2:30 their time, and we'll be wanting to go to sleep. She smiled. "And so I suggest that we try and get some sleep later on in the flight."
Greta agreed, and leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. They talked a little bit longer, then the flight attendant came on giving them directions. A little bit later the plane took off and they were on their way.
They played cards, read the magazines, Eric played some solitaire while Greta read some of her book. They talked some more, then they each tried to get some sleep. Eric was asleep in a matter of seconds, but it took Greta a little bit longer. But the next thing she knew Eric was gently nudging her.
"Greta, we're about to land."
She opened her eyes slowly, yawned, then sat up. She had been asleep on his shoulder the whole time. She looked over at him, and saw the smile on his face, producing one of her own. He reached over and took her had in his, brought it to his lips and kissed it. Greta looked out the window and saw the island below.
The flight attendant then gave landing instructions, and a few minutes later the plane landed on the Hawaii runway.
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They got off the plane into the nice warm Hawaiian sun, received the lei's around their necks, then proceeded into the airport. Luckily they got their luggage without to much trouble, and then went to their curtsey shuttle to take them to their hotel. The drive took awhile, since they booked the room on a quieter part of the island. The driver pulled the van up to the doors, and the bellhop opened the door for them. They got out, and the bellhop put their luggage on a cart, then followed them into the Hotel.
Eric and Greta walked up to the desk hand in hand, "Reservations for Eric Brady." He said to the girl behind the desk.
She looked it up on the computer, and made a printout. "You're signature here, please." Eric signed the paper, "And here are you pass cards to your room. Have a wonderful stay." She said with a smile. They both said thanks and then headed to the elevator, with the bellhop right behind them. They got off at the sixth floor, and made their way to the end of the hall.
"Room 647, here we are," he said with a grin. Eric used the card and opened the door, then motioned Greta to go in, he then followed. Greta walked out onto the balcony to look at the ocean view. The bellhop sat down the bags, Eric tipped him, and the guy left, shutting the door behind him.
Greta looked out at the blue water and sandy beach before her. She smiled as she felt Eric come up behind her and put his arms around her. She leaned back against him. "It's beautiful isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes you are," he responded.
She turned in his arms to look at him, "I meant the view," she said with a smile.
He looked down at her, cupped the side of her face, "So did I," then he leaned in and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. They slowly broke away, and looked at the view once again.
"So you want to get some dinner? Well, lunch?"
She smiled and nodded yes. They walked over to their luggage and grabbed their own bags and Greta went back into the one bedroom to put her stuff away and change. Eric went over to the other bed in the room, put down his luggage and unpacked the contents into the dresser. He got some shorts and a T-shirt out and went into the bathroom to change. When Greta walked out of the bedroom, Eric was already changed and sitting on his bed. "Ready?" she nodded yes and they left to get some lunch in one of the Hotel restaurants.
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Greta giggled and almost choked on her chicken caesar salad. "You didn't." She said to Eric sitting across from her.
"We did. You should have seen my mom try to explain to people why her twins had light purple hair. The blueberry color stayed in for about a week." Greta just kept on laughing, and she didn't dare take another bite till she stopped. Her giggles subsided slowly, and she continued with her salad. They talked about their childhood, both laughing until they were done with their lunch. They paid the bill then headed back to the room arm in arm.
"So, what to do first?" Eric asked as they walked into their room. Greta walked over and plopped herself on his bed, he just grinned at her and sat down next to her. "Swimming, sunning, and relaxing. We can tackle the other stuff tomorrow."
He agreed, "Yeah, we do have a week here. And I know I need to get used to the time change, and jet lag." he said as he yawned.
She smiled, then yawned, "Don't do that. You know it's contagious." He smiled and yawned again deliberately, making her do so again. "Stop it." she said lightly hitting his arm.
She then stood up, "I'm going to go get my swimsuit on." She announced then walked into the bedroom. Eric then stood up and got out his swim trunks and changed quickly. He then pulled out a beach towel, sunglasses and sun tan lotion. She emerged from the room, and Eric turned to look. She had a hawaiian flower print, short robe on, sandals, and sunglasses. She held her own beach towel and sun tan lotion.
"Ready?" she asked with a large smile on her face.
"Yep," Eric said putting his own sunglasses on. They then walked out the door, and took the elevator down. A little later they walked out onto the beach. Greta was glad that they decided on a quieter spot. Yes they were in a big hotel, but the only people on the beach were from that Hotel, and not to many people were out. They found a spot close to the water and laid out their towels. They each started to put on their sun tan lotion.
Greta started with her face, then arms and legs. Eric did the same then took off his T-shirt, putting the lotion where he could reach. Greta saw him struggle with it, and grabbed the lotion bottle from him. He smiled, and she put some into her hands, then started to rub the lotion onto his back.
She slowly worked it over his broad shoulders, then down the center of his back. She then started to spread it out to the sides. It was taking her a lot longer than it should have, but neither were complaining.
When she was done, he turned around, "Can I return the favor?" he asked.
She smiled, "Of course." She said as she untied her robe and pulled it off her shoulders.
His jaw dropped open, "You kept it." he said looking at the navy blue bikini she was wearing.
She smiled at his reaction, "Yep, it fit perfectly, and I knew I would get a good tan with it."
"Yeah, that is for sure." She turned around so her back was to him, and she started to put the lotion on her front. He took at deep breath, the the bottle, and put some into his palm. He rubbed his hands together, then started to massage it into her back. He fought hard to try and get the images he had out of his mind as his hands traveled over her bare skin. He tried to stop the urge to lean in and kiss the back of her neck, but it didn't work as that is exactly what he did. And her little sigh, didn't help matters any.
She turned around, and gave him a soft kiss, which he returned, they pulled apart slowly with a sigh after having remembered they were in public. They each laid down on their own towel and closed their eyes.
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Chapter 39
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As they laid on their towels soaking up the rays, they continued with their talk from lunch and also started on others. After a little bit they both turned over to let the sun hit their backs.
"Mmm, the sun feels so nice and warm," Greta said with a sigh.
"Yeah, nice and relaxing." Eric said turning his face to see hers and smiled at how peaceful she looked. A few minutes later, Eric sat up, and she looked over at him with a questioning face. "I'm actually getting a little too warm, and that water looks inviting." Greta sat up and looked out at the blue water.
"Yeah it does," she looked over at him and smiled," Last one in is a rotten egg." She said and jumped up fast and ran to the water.
"No fair," Eric yelled after her, and ran to the ocean. She got there first but Eric was close behind and tackled her into the water.
Coming back up to the surface they were both laughing. They then swam out deeper into the water where they could both touch bottom. The waves gently rocked them, the water cooling their skin. "You're right. This is nice." she said to him as her hands moved through the water, trying to keep her steady. Eric leaned back and dipped his head in the water, then stood back up running his fingers through it to straighten it out. His hands came down to his sides in the water, then came back up to splash some water at her. Greta's eyes closed as the water came at her. Her hand wiped it away, "Oh, you didn't!" she yelled. Her hands coming up and splashing him. They started splashing each other with the water, hands and arms moving without even really seeing where the water was going. Greta was losing, she tried to move closer to him, and when she did, she jumped and pushed him back into the water. They both came back up a few seconds later, Greta laughing and Eric sputtering.
"I should get you for that." He said with an evil grin, walking closer to her.
"Hey, you started it." She said, then held up her hands as he got closer, "Okay, okay, you win."
He just laughed, as she swam a little bit away from him. She then tried to stand but soon found the water above her nose. She floated back to the surface, her arms and legs moving slightly to keep her afloat. He smiled, "The waves have gradually moved us out a little farther. Do you want to move back in?"
Greta looked around, and noticed that most of the people were closer in, and they were basically alone. "No, it's nice and quiet out here."
He reached his hand out to her, "Then why don't you come over here, I can still touch bottom." His shoulders were just barely under the water. She took his hand and he pulled her over. He moved her arm to his neck, and she wrapped her other one there as well. He rested his arms around her lower back bringing her closer to him. "Much better." He said looking into her eyes then kissed her. She was pushed up against him and instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist moving her out of the water a little more. She had to smile at the small grown he made from this and he deepened the kiss.
The warmth of her skin against him, and the cool water everywhere else was an interesting and a very erotic sensation. He tried to get the images out of his mind, but it was a losing battle.
Her hands slowly moved to the side of his face and into his hair. His one arm moved to the back of her head, the other stayed at her back to support her. The water, the skin contact, and the overall beauty of the area was making the kiss a little more passionate then maybe ought to be seen in public. Luckily they were pretty far out. The only problem was the waves were increasing, and one of them made Eric lose his balance. Making them break apart and then start to laugh. "We better head back in." he said and she agreed.
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They spent the next few hours sunning, swimming, talking, and just plain relaxing. They then watched the sun go down. They both sat on Eric's towel, Greta setting between his legs, her back leaning against his chest, and his arms around her. They wrapped her towel around them both to protect them from the slight breeze. The blue sky turned to a light pink, then a mixture of orange and red and finally purple. Eric kissed the back of her head making her smile as they both watched. His arms tightened around her, and her hands squeezed his.
Once the sun was set, and the sky dark they both stood up and gathered their things. They then walked back into their room to change. They both changed into some casual clothes. Eric changed into a pair of kaki shorts and a white T-shirt. Greta opted for a pair of jean shorts and a light yellow baby T-shirt. Eric took her hand as they walked out of the hotel room.
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Chapter 40
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"I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Greta said to him as they walked through the lobby.
Eric smiled over at her, brought her hand to his mouth for a kiss, then returned it to his side. "Yeah, me too. I think the luau is out here." He said as they walked through the doors. They were greeted with a mass of people. Dancers were all around entertaining the diners along with the music. The smell of the food and flowers filled the air. "I guess I was right." He said as they walked over. A girl in a hawaiian skirt took their money for the dinner then gave them each a lei and a tropical flower for Greta's hair, then led them to a vacant area for them to sit.
"The food and drinks are all over here," she said with a smile, "Help yourself to what you want, and if you need anything just ask." With that she walked back over to her post.
They both walked over to the food and we surprised at what all was there. They took their plates and made their way around the large table. They then went over to the bar and got two Pina Colada's then went to go sit down on the towels.
"This is very interesting," Greta said with a large smile about the entertainment, food, and eating style.
Eric took a bite of the pork from his plate, "Yes it is, and the food is wonderful." They both started eating, commenting on how wonderful the food and drink were, as they watched the entertainment. A guy was spinning a stick with flames at both ends, making the crowd cheer every so often. He was followed by some more dancers.
They finished their food and Eric went to get them both more drinks. He handed one to Greta, then sat back down. They drank their drinks slowly, taking their time. Eric put his arm around her, and she laid her head on his shoulder.
They stayed for awhile longer, then left to go for a walk on the beach. They took their sandals off, holding them in their one hand. The other arm was around each others back, as they walked down the beach, the almost full moon was out, lighting up the sky.
The waves lapped at heir feet as they walked along. They stopped a ways away from the Hotel, it was nice and quiet, and no one was around, unlike that afternoon. They dropped their sandals onto the sand and waded into the water. Eric pulled Greta towards him, pressing her to his chest, and tilted her face up with his hand under her chin. His hand moved to the side of her face and he caressed it with his thumb.
She leaned into it, closing her eyes, and wrapping her arms around his neck. She opened her eyes and pulled him down to her. Their lips met softly, lightly touching, and slowly they increased the pressure. They took their time and explored the kiss and each others lips.
The water lightly lapped at their feet as their bodies pressed together. The kiss slowly stopped with the two looking into each others eyes. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, then each cheek, then another one for her lips. He looked down at her face again, her skin pale in the moonlight. He ran one hand lightly through her hair, then moved it up to the other side of her face. "Oh, Greta," he said quietly, emotion overwhelming him.
She looked up into his beautiful eyes, as her arms hugged him to her. There was so much she wanted to say, to express her feelings, but they were almost to great. She watched as his face changed between emotions. Desire to tenderness and it confused her slightly when she finally found a mixture of vulnerability and fear on his features. Her one arm went up between his to touch the side of his face, trying to comfort him from whatever it was that was doing this to him.
Eric closed his eyes at her touch, feeling the softness of her palm on his face, comforting him slightly, allowing him to continue. He admitted his fear to himself, in fact what he wanted to tell her, scared the hell out of him. He had been hurt before and didn't know if he could stand it again. But opening his eyes and finding the mixture of feelings on her face, those of worry for him and other caring emotions, he knew the possible pain would be more than worth it. He tried once again. "Greta," he said softly, pausing for the right words.
"Yes?" she responded in the same soft like voice.
His thumb lightly moved over her cheek as he continued with a deep breath. "Greta.... I... I love you." He said then looked into her eyes for a reaction, and he got one.
She stood their for a moment in shock, even though in the back of her mind she had known for awhile, but the actual words threw her. He brain and heart replayed his words again and again in her mind, and one small tear ran down her cheek.
Eric's thumb lightly caressed away the tear, and as she was about to speak he sopped her with a finger on her lips, and a simple, "shhh." He left his finger there as he continued. "Greta, listen to me. I don't want you to think that just because I told you that, that I expect anything from you," He blabbered out, his slight fear trying to cover all his tracks. She tried to speak once again, but was stopped again. "I'm not asking 'anything' in return, I just had to tell you how I felt. I've felt this for awhile, I was just too afraid to tell you, to even admit it to myself. Then when I finally did, there was no right opportunity." He continued, his talking speeding up as he tried to get everything out. And as he did the smile on her face got increasingly bigger.
When he finally stopped and took his finger off her lips, she spoke. "Finished?" she asked. He nodded yes. She took his one hand, then slowly pulled away from him, and led him back to the beach. She sat down on the sand, motioning for him to sit next to her. She moved to face him, placing a hand on his cheek as he had on hers.
"Now, as I was trying to say." she said with a smile, putting a finger on his lips where he tried to interrupt. "No, now I get my turn to speak." She said with a smile. She took her finger away and kissed him softly. She pulled away slightly, keeping her face close to his. Her voice soft, she looked into his eyes, her emotion written all over her face. "Eric," she said quietly, "I love you too." And as he was about to speak again, her finger again went to his lips. "And no, I'm not just saying this because you did. I'm saying it, because I should have a long time ago, but I was afraid too." She paused to let her words sink into him. "In one form or another, we have both been hurt by love. It's no wonder why we were so slow to admit it to each other, let alone ourselves." With that she once again took her finger from his lips and kissed him.
Once her lips touched his, and her words had completely sunk into his brain and heart, his arms came around her, pulling her to him. The awkward position finally having him fall backwards onto the sand, taking her with him, emitting a small giggle from her, breaking the kiss. He looked up at her, her eyes sparkling, her smile wide matching his own. His arms hugging her to him, pressing her body up to the side of his. Her one leg flung over his, her free arm across his chest and her hand at the back of his neck, playing with his hair. His one hand came up to run through her hair and moved a stray piece behind her ear. He then pulled her in slowly, but stopped when she was about an inch away. "I love you," he said, this time there wasn't a trace of fear or worry in his voice.
She smiled, "I love you too," she responded then leaned in and kissed him. The kiss was gentle and sweet, expressing their emotions for each other purely and simply.
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To Be Continued