A/N: I think I've said it before, but this is my favorite chapter! What a rollercoaster ride you're about to experience. Strap in and hang on tight!
Thanks to chisaii-kitty for her awesome beta skills and snarky comments. I have to avoid beverages while reading over her edits to prevent permanent damage to my netbook.
Disclaimer: SVM is owned by the lovely Ms. Charlaine Harris (who did not post the first chapter of Dead in the Family this week as promised *pout*). "You're My Thrill" by Billie Holiday is owned by someone making a lot of bank off of jazz music.
The moment every girl dreams of had just occurred to Sookie, and all she could do is draw a blank with a smile across her face. The most amazing man she had ever met, a man she had idolized for years, just declared his love for her. A man who, just two short weeks ago, could barely drag himself out of bed let alone be in a relationship. He loved her. This was a major step for him, she knew that for fact, and how she reacted could change his life.
She looked deep into his eyes and his pure love was shining through. Before she saw this, she was unsure of her answer. The moment she saw his emotion played out across his face, she was filled with enough warmth to melt even the coldest heart. She wrapped her arms tight around him, pulling him into a hug. If she maintained eye contact for a moment longer, she would start crying tears of happiness.
"Oh, Eric. I've spent all morning thinking I broke your heart and here you are saying you're in love with me. I can't believe it. Say it again. I want to hear it again."
He laughed and hugged her a little tighter. "I'll say it every minute of every day if it makes you this happy. Sookie, I love you."
She squealed in delight before replying, "I love you, too. Wow, that feels really good to say. Now let's blow this popsicle stand and get some breakfast. I need to regain my strength after last night."
"I'd rather eat you for breakfast, lover." He purred the word lover close to her ear, sending shivers down her body.
"Ya know, food is overrated. Bye Amelia, I'll stop by the apartment later for my work clothes." She was about to walk down the hall with Eric, but stopped to run over and give her best friend a hug. "Thanks for your help. You need to teach me your healing ways."
"Get out of here and get back in bed with that Viking sex god. I have the feeling you have your own healing ways. In your pants!"
Sookie blushed before catching up with Eric, who had pulled his black slacks back on, basically running the entire way back to his apartment. As soon as they were in the front door, they wanted nothing more than to tear into each other. Clancy had other plans for them, as he was sitting patiently in their way with his leash in his mouth. Sookie broke out into laughter at the dog who intended to take himself for a walk. Eric gave her an apologetic look before pulling her in for a deep kiss. "To be continued. I owe him a proper walk; he's been neglected the past few days. Why don't you stay here, get comfortable, and I'll be back before you know it."
"Take your time. I'll dig up something to eat out of the fridge. I'll make enough for you, too."
"You're the best. I'll be back before you miss me."
As soon as he was out the door, she tore into his cabinets, suddenly ravenous. She found some eggs and leftover veggies, so she threw together a quick omelet. She left some aside to make another for Eric once he came back so it would be hot when he was ready to eat. As she ate, she had a very naughty idea.
He did say he wanted to eat me for breakfast.
He came back home having taken much more time than originally intended. Clancy decided to hold it in to spite Eric and forced his master to keep him out as long as he wanted. The thirty minute run through the park was well worth the dirty look he was now receiving.
Eric thought there would be breakfast waiting, but the kitchen was completely clear and clean. As he stood still, taking in his surroundings, he could hear jazz music coming from behind his closed bedroom door. He walked over, pressing his ear against the door and could hear Sookie humming along to the melody. As he opened the only obstacle keeping him from devouring her, his whole body turned to mush. There was Sookie, dressed only in her lace undergarments and four inch heels lounging across the black sheets of his bed. Her blonde curls fell softly, framing her face. Candles danced along the perimeter of the room as the familiar sounds of Billie Holiday filled his ears. As he entered the room, her humming turned to singing.
You're my thrill, you do something to me, you send chills right through me,
When I look at you, 'cause you're my thrill
As much as he loved to hear her sing, he silenced her with his kiss. He was on her so fast, her mind could barely register it. His hands were everywhere, touching every delicate place on her body, setting her aflame. He unhooked her bra, sliding it off her frame, but was slightly less gentle with the dental floss that was passing as underwear. That he tore off with one quick motion. She reached up and tore open his shirt, buttons flying to every corner of the room. She rolled him over; straddling his waist as she slowly slid the belt from its loops.
You're my thrill, how my pulse increases, I just go to pieces
When I look at you, 'cause you're my thrill
As she sang along, she slowly rocked her hips, grinding herself against his rock hard erection. His hands found their way to her hips, flashing to the dreams that haunted him every night. She rose slightly, allowing just enough of an allowance to work his pants downs his legs. She tried hard to stay in character, but broke out in laughter when she saw his shorts.
"Since when did you play for the Bon Temps Hawks?"
He looked down and realized he was still wearing Jason's borrowed shorts. "Amelia snatched them for me so I wouldn't have to meditate in dress pants. They're your brother's. But don't let them stop you."
To emphasize his point, he raised his hips, making it easier for Sookie to take them off. She either wouldn't or couldn't; she was consumed with the giggles. "I am not stripping my brother's shorts off your world class ass. That's just a little too weird for me."
She rolled off of him just long enough for him to remove the bright red garment. As she took her rightful place, she hit the back button on the remote to start the song over again. "Sorry, but this is the only song I knew on your jazz playlist. Don't worry; I'll learn a few more so we can do this again."
"Sing it as many times as you like, you do Ms. Holiday proud. Now, I believe you were about to tell me how I thrill you. And I was about to thrill you."
She recovered the condom she had tucked under the pillow, rolling it on him lovingly. She lowered herself down onto him, moaning as he filled her completely. The words to the song were long forgotten, and the only words she could muster were his name or a few choice profanities. She braced herself against his chest as she slowly worked his member inside her. He raised himself on his elbows and caught her lips in a kiss that left them red and bruised. He thrust his hips upward quickly, catching her off guard. She gasped against his mouth and soon met his faster pace. She sat upright again before leaning back, bracing her hands against his knees this time. This arched her back, pressing her full breasts even closer to him.
As much as he loved to watch her work, there was too little contact between them. He sat up, pulling her chest to his, attacking her neck. He dug a hand into her hair, gently guiding her head so he could better reach every inch of the smooth column. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, holding him impossibly closer. Their hips worked in perfect rhythm and if the tightness of her muscles around him was any indication, she was tumbling towards ecstasy.
"Eric, I love you."
Hearing those words sent him into a frenzy and with a scream she came, clutching him in a tight embrace. His own release followed immediately. They both fell back against the bed, still wrapped tightly together.
"Mm, I love you too," he panted.
"Hey, if they make this book into a movie, think I can play Susannah?"
"That's not a fair question to ask me in this fragile state. I'd give you anything you wanted after that performance."
"I might just have to take advantage of that. How about indulging me in a shower?"
"That's an easier request; go right ahead."
"No, silly, I want to take a shower with you."
"Ah, how about the breakfast you promised me first? I was looking forward to that."
"You would have wanted breakfast instead of me, semi-naked in your bed?"
"I'll always take you naked in bed over anything. I just wasn't aware it was an option at the time."
"Breakfast it is. I'm stealing some clothes though, cooking naked is not recommended."
"Preferred, but not recommended." With that, he rummaged through his drawers to find a shirt that would cover her. He handed it to her, and after she pulled it over her naked form, she walked from the bedroom to the kitchen. He dressed in whatever was clean at the top of the drawer to meet her in the next room, needing to be next to her.
"You're killing me, you know."
"How am I doing that?" she asked as she found the eggs in the fridge, pouring them in the pan to set up.
"You're in my kitchen, wearing nothing but my t-shirt. I suppose it's just my inner caveman wanting to claim every inch of you."
"Speaking of which, did you notice this beauty?" She lifted her hair to reveal the deep purple hickey on her neck. "That was your parting gift last night."
"I'll raise you one hickey with a set of these." He lifted his shirt to show her the bright red welts that ran down his back, the result of her fingernails. "You might want to file those daggers before I start to look like a tiger."
"Then I suppose we're evenly marked. Here, Omelet a la Sookie. It's a fine delicacy."
He knew she was just joking, but it was the best breakfast he'd ever had. Perhaps it was just the knowledge she had made it for him, or a leftover endorphin rush, but eggs had never tasted better.
"While you finish up, I'm going to get started in the shower. Join me when you're finished." She walked back towards the bedroom, stripping the shirt as soon as she was out of his reach. His breakfast was soon the farthest thing from his mind at the sight of her naked and subsequent thoughts of her in the shower. He ate the remnants in one bite, sprinting to the bathroom as fast as he could.
He watched her in the shower for a moment, completely enraptured. She was under the spray, eyes closed, melting into the hot water as steam billowed all around her. Despite the vigor of the previous night and their romp just moments ago, he was hard again. He stripped, sliding into the shower stall with her, running his hands over her body, following each drop of water with a fingertip. She shivered under his touch, arching into his hands.
"Again? I think this is a new male record."
"After three years of my hand being my only date, I figured you'd understand how insatiable I am."
"Well I'm a little tender, so how about we just enjoy the heat of the shower, hm?"
She pulled him closer to her under the spray, loving the slick feel of his wet skin against hers. They kissed as the water ran over them. He blindly reached behind her and poured some shampoo into his hands. He worked it into her hair, massaging her scalp in the process, careful not to get any in her eyes. She was putty in his hands, moaning in appreciation as his fingers worked over every strand of hair.
A girl could get used to this.
He gently guided her a step backwards, back under the water to rinse the shampoo from her hair. He repeated the process with the conditioner. He reached for the soap next, working it into a lather in his hands before they began running across her body. He turned her so her back was to him, making sure not to miss an inch of skin. As he reached her hips, he pulled her closer to him. Her head fell back against his chest, eyes still closed. His hands ran up her stomach from behind, repeating the process. He paid extra attention to her breasts, loving the noises she was making. He could only describe them as a kitten's mewing.
Satisfied that her top half was clean, he knelt down to his knees to clean her long legs. She turned around so she was facing him. She took advantage of his lowered position and washed his hair. He was peppering kisses along her stomach as his hands ran down her left leg, then back up the right. She braced a hand against the wall as he lifted each leg in turn to clean the bottoms of her feet, giving each a proper massage of their own. He stood again and swapped places with her so he could rinse the soap from his hair.
As he closed his eyes to avoid getting soap in them, he felt her hands run down his body. He didn't need to open them to know she was now on her knees, washing his legs, paying them just as much attention as he showed her. He was pulled back to reality the moment her lips wrapped around his cock and sucked deeply.
It was his turn to reach out to the wall for a little support. "What happened to just enjoying the shower?"
She pulled back for a moment, allowing her hand to continue where her mouth had just been. "My mouth isn't the sore bit. That's doing just fine. You spent plenty of time just tending to me last night, so it's my turn to worship a little bit. Relax and enjoy."
He didn't need to be told twice. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the dual heat surrounding him from the spray of the shower and Sookie's mouth. She took advantage of his incapacitated state to grab a two handfuls of her favorite part of his anatomy, releasing it to rest her hands on his hips or occasionally tracing along his legs or abs. He trailed a hand through her wet hair as well as he could, coming to rest of the back of her head, gently guiding her movements.
She was working him for all he was worth. She had all she could fit in her mouth, using her hand to stimulate the rest. He was determined to last as long as possible, what should have been an easy task considering how many times he had gotten off in the past twenty-four hours. Her mouth felt like heaven wrapped around his cock, which was making this task all the more difficult. His resolve was broken the minute her other hand traced up his leg, starting at his ankle, moving up his muscled calf and thigh to stroke his balls. He lost it, coming into her mouth as she milked him and swallowed all he could give.
He fell against the wall, shocked back into consciousness by the cold tiles and the sudden lack of hot water. Sookie screamed as soon as the cold water hit her and jumped out the shower. He struggled with the knobs, finally twisting them both off. He pointed to the clean towels stacked in the corner, which she quickly wrapped around herself. She handed him one, as well, and they worked quickly to dry themselves off.
"You know the best way to warm up?"
"Again? Seriously, Eric, you must have a bionic member if you're ready again this fast."
"No, don't be so perverted. I was going to suggest lighting a fire and curling up on the couch under a nice, thick blanket. There must be some movie on we can cuddle to."
"Sounds like the perfect afternoon. But I didn't see any firewood in your apartment. Where do you keep it hidden?"
He dressed her back in his shirt and pulled on his own pants before leading her into the living room. He directed her attention to a small switch which he flipped on. A flame roared to life in the fireplace. He pointed the vents towards the couch before falling back onto it. He lounged effortlessly, resting one leg along its length while leaving the other planted on the floor. Sookie curled up in between his legs, resting her back against his chest. He pulled the blanket around them as promised. She raised her hands, revealing the hairbrush she had swiped from his bathroom. She began to work the knots out of her hair, but soon her movements were being guided.
"Allow me. You find us something to watch."
He passed the brush through her thick hair gently, working every knot out carefully to avoid hurting her. He was studying the profile of her face, trying to read the emotions that crossed her features. She seemed deep in thought, the gears of her mind working overtime to process everything.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"I'm happy with what happened this morning, but I'm just confused as to how it was so easy for you to move from overwhelmed to accepting of your feelings."
"Well, Amelia suggested meditating, which I wasn't sure would help, but trusted her. She was reading about a snow lodge and it felt as if I was there. I was walking down this long hallway and all of a sudden, I saw you talking to Felicia. She and I had this long conversation about how it was okay to be in love and to live my life. Rationally, I know it was just part of my subconscious talking, but it felt so real. It was enough confirmation that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be in my life."
"And where's that?"
"With you. I don't know how much you believe about being able to talk to those who have passed, but she told me that she sent you to me."
"She's still looking over you, taking care of you. And I think she knows that I'd take good care of you, too."
"I think I always knew that."
"You don't talk about her much. You've told me how you met, but you don't talk about who she was."
"She said the same thing; that I was working so hard to keep you apart. I guess that's what she meant. I've tried to keep my feelings separated but both of you are part of who I am. Would you want to know more about her?"
"I'll listen to anything you want to share with me."
"I think the two of you would have gotten along. You have very similar personalities. Totally full of life, completely independent, wouldn't take shit from anybody. She always had an opinion and made sure you knew it. She was viciously protective of her friends. She'd move mountains for those she cared about, but so rarely took a minute for herself. I guess that's why I told her to go out that night."
"That night?"
He paused. He wasn't sure if he could talk about that. He thought about the events of that night over and over but had never voiced them. He hadn't even told Pam the specific details that had led to the depths of his guilt. Perhaps saying them would make the last of the dark thoughts go away.
"I just want to say that I've never told anyone this before. So just bear with me if I need to stop."
"Take your time. I'm right here." She reached out for his hand and wrapped her fingers around his. He squeezed back, wrapping his other arm around her waist.
"I was writing the last book, really at the heart of the story. It consumed my every thought. I was barely sleeping. I would just lock myself in the study all day and night typing away. She would drag me away to eat and sleep, literally stripping my clothes off and throwing me into the shower when the smell got too bad. I was ignoring her, I was just so focused on that fucking book." He released her hand, realizing how tightly he was gripping it, fearful he would hurt her. She placed it on his leg to keep the contact.
"Her girlfriend had just gotten a promotion and they were planning a night out. Felicia never drank, but felt so... neglected that she went out with them. I told her it would be a good idea, she needed a night out to have fun. I promised her a vacation after the book was done so we could reconnect. She came into the room, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and left. A few hours later, I got a phone call from a strange number. I didn't pick up, figuring it was just some wrong number. I forgot about the message until a few hours later. It was the hospital; she had been hit by a drunk driver while she was walking home. She was unconscious and unstable, they didn't think she'd make it through the night. I was sitting, typing at my computer while my wife was dying, alone in a hospital bed. I rushed to her side as fast as I could. I spent a few hours holding her hand but she was completely unresponsive. The monitors started to buzz and I was pushed out of the room. A few minutes later, the doctor came out and told me she was gone."
She could feel tears running down her cheek, and another against her shoulder. She looked up and saw Eric was crying too. She turned in his arms, cradling his head against her shoulder as he let out all those years of emotion at once. She believed him when he said he never told anyone that story. He clung to her, and cried all the pain and regret out of his system. As the sobs subsided, he could feel a tremendous weight lifted from his shoulders. He physically felt lighter, free from the emotional chains that held him prisoner for so long.
"I won't let that happen again; I won't let her die in vain. I will never allow my writing to get between us. I will never choose it over you."
"You can't make that promise, Eric. I won't let you. There are times when you'll need to write. I'll understand if I have to take a backseat for a night. But look at how much progress you've made so far; you're nearly halfway through the book and you haven't ignored your life or health for it. You have grown from what happened."
She grasped his face in her hands, for once, forcing him to look in her eyes. "You were there when it mattered. You were there with her in her final moments. That's all that counts. You need to know that."
He looked into her eyes and she could see the light turn on as the realization hit him. "You're right. I made it, I was there."
They held each other for the rest of the day while Eric shared more of his prior life with Felicia. Throughout the afternoon, the conversation flowed easier and Eric became more animated. They were soon hysterically laughing over old memories and shared experiences. Eric reflected back to their first meeting when he was able to share a small piece of himself with Sookie. The joy he felt in that moment was amplified a thousand times. They bonded that afternoon, curled up on the couch, in front of what Sookie called a fake fire, closer than Eric could have ever imagined. The last bridge had been crossed and he was officially a new man. He was ready to reap the benefits of this fresh start; a beautiful girl on his arm and a career that was ready to be jump started. He was more determined than ever to make this right.
A/N2: Yay! Happy Happy! Chisaii-kitty was hoping to help Eric find the "wood" in his apartment. I wouldn't mind a little hunt myself. I know the first place I'd look ;)
I'm going to jump in time a wee bit and get into the Christmas spirit with this story. From the obsessive level of holiday cheer Sookie has displayed so far, you can imagine how much fun that chapter(s?) is going to be. I don't have my own Christmas memories (being Jewish and all) so if any of you want to share a particularly awesome moment that you wouldn't mind possibly being worked into the story line, I'm all ears.
Please review, they're a hell of a drug.
