A/N: SURPRISE! It's me! Well, it may not be a surprise to most of you, lol.

I don't really have anything to say except thanks to my beta morecks87 and nothing belongs to me, everything belongs to CH!

Also, any remaining mistakes are my own, especially since my baby is kicking the keys as I'm doing this so there is probably something random typed somewhere, lol.

Enjoy! Hopefully... ;)

Eric was stuck at my house for the next few hours because his partner, whose name I learned was Alcide, took the police cruiser with him when he went to Amelia's. Eric said he probably took it as a way of escaping after they had sex.

"He won't have to worry about that with Amelia. She's real casual about sex. She even has sex with girls…" As soon as it came out of my mouth I wanted to take it back. It was none of my business, and certainly none of Eric's, who Amelia slept with. The awkwardness of the situation was causing me to word vomit.

I chanced a look at Eric and he looked like he was trying not to laugh. I was mortified. I was lucky I never planned on seeing Eric again after this. If Amelia found out, she probably wouldn't have been embarrassed but I didn't think she'd appreciate me telling strange men who she had sex with.

"Well, Alcide is pretty casual about sex too but I don't know if he's ever had sex with another man."

Oh, so now he was making fun of me. "Oh, really?" I asked like I was surprised. "I kinda got the impression that y'all were casual gay lovers."

"Please, with what happened upstairs, you're the last person to think I'm gay," he said as he shot me a smirk, which I was beginning to learn he did often. Along with a little brow lift.

"It's still too early to joke about it."

"Right."

So there we sat, in silence, with our heads down… Until Eric's cell phone rang, THANK GOD! Maybe I could sneak out while he was on the phone, I didn't care if it was my house! It might not be the most polite thing to do but this was not a situation I wanted to be stuck in.

"Northman. Of course I'm still here, you took the car. No I didn't ask her to take me to Shreveport. Get your ass back here." Eric gave me a sheepish look when he remembered I could hear his conversation. It was like he didn't want me to be offended that he was eager to leave but hell, if I were any more eager for him to leave, I'd have pushed him out the door. In fact, if Gran hadn't tried so hard to instill manners in me…

"Sookie?"

"Yes!" I yelled, startled as he broke me out of my daydream of kicking him out my door.

"Er, that was Alcide. He's a little preoccupied and just wanted to call to see… how things were going." I was really starting to not like Alcide. "He said Amelia thought it'd be okay for me to sleep here tonight. Now normally I wouldn't ask!" he hurried to finish, "But Bon Temps isn't exactly full of hotels and Shreveport is an hour away. I also doubt Bon Temps has a fleet of taxis just hanging around. And really, I'm tired. I worked a long shift and I just want to go to sleep after the mess this day has turned out to be."

I know he didn't mean it the way it sounded, but I was offended! I was not a mess. HE was the mess. HE was the one seducing women with his uniform, and hair. And abs. And smirk. And, eye brow lift.

Yeah, he's the one to blame! Not little ol' me. What woman could tell that man no. I mean, he just showed up at my door practically begging for it… Denial much? NO! Why don't you stay out of it!

Oh my gosh! I'm talking to myself and Eric is staring at me like I'm crazy. Lovely.

"What were we talking about?"

"I wanted to know if I could spend the night even though I have no right to ask."

"Oh. Well. Um. You wouldn't be staying in my bed."

"I know. I have no plans of ever going back to your bedroom." Oh wow. That man sure had a way with words.

"I know you don't mean it the way it sounds, so I'm going to let it go, but you need to work on your tact a bit."

"It's not that I don't want to sleep with you again. Before you came up with that bat, I was pretty sure we were going to go another round. It's just that, under the circumstances, it wouldn't be appropriate."

"It wasn't appropriate the first time," I said through gritted teeth. He was really testing my patience.

"Look, I don't want to fight with you. Can I stay here for the remaining hours of the night or do you want me to leave? After tonight, you'll never have to see me again."

Even though he was annoying me and we were in a mess of a situation, it sent a little pang to my chest to hear I would never see him again. I should be glad to move on and get all of this behind me. But for some reason, the thought of never seeing Eric again made me sad. Yeah, he lied to me about being a stripper. Well, he didn't really lie, he just kind of went along with what Amelia had assumed. Still, it was wrong to sleep with someone under false pretenses. I looked into Eric's expectant face and knew that if this was the last time I would be seeing him, I could at least make it so that he thought well of me.

"You can stay here. You'll have to sleep on the couch though."

"It's okay. I'm not picky. I could fall asleep anywhere."

I led Eric into the living room to sleep on the couch. I had a guest bedroom in my house but it was too close to my bedroom for comfort, and there was no way in hell he was sleeping in my bed again. He was so lucky someone had cleaned it up after the party because he was sleeping on the couch no matter what.

"I'll go get you some blankets and a pillow."

"You don't have to. This is fine."

"No, you're my guest," an uninvited one but still a guest, "I'll just go get you those blankets."

I went to the hall closet and by the time I returned with the extra pillow and blankets he was already asleep on the couch with his long legs hanging over the side.

I went over and lifted his head to put the pillow under it. He didn't wake up as I slipped the pillow under his head. Next I covered him up with an old quilt that didn't even cover his entire body.

Before I went upstairs, I just looked at him. He really was gorgeous. His blonde hair was still messy from… earlier. His strong jaw covered with slight stubble. His muscular arms folded up under his head like a child.

I hurried upstairs before he woke up and saw me staring at him like a stalker. I washed my face and brushed all the tangles out of my hair. And believe me, it was tangled. Then I put on my old comfy flannel pajamas and climbed into bed.

I couldn't go to sleep right away. My bed smelled like him. I slid closer to "his" side of the bed and curled up with the pillow he had slept on.

I kept thinking about him sleeping on my couch in the living room. It'd be so easy just to go down the stairs and ask him to come back to my bed.

I didn't. Instead, I went to sleep and dreamt of a gorgeous cop knocking on my door…

Eric POV

"I can sleep anywhere" my ass. Apparently I can't sleep on Sookie's couch. When Sookie went to get the blankets I sat on the couch and I must have laid down and dozed off because I woke up as she was putting a pillow under my head. Being in the military when I was younger made me a light sleeper.

I didn't hear anything after she walked away so I thought she had left. I was about to open my eyes to make sure I was alone when I heard her move. What was she doing? After another minute of silence, I finally heard her going up the stairs.

As soon as I was sure she was gone, I rolled over onto my back and looked up at the ceiling. I could hear her in the upstairs bathroom. Sookie. What was I going to do about Sookie?

From the moment I first saw her, I knew that I wanted her. And now that I'd had her? I wanted more.

It would be so easy for me to go upstairs and slip into bed with her.

But I didn't. Instead I had a miserable night of sleep on a couch too small for me, covered in a ratty old quilt, thinking of a girl I could never have sleeping just a few feet away.

I woke up when I heard pots clanking in the kitchen. I could smell coffee brewing and I immediately got up to find the source.

I didn't open my eyes until I was already in motion and realized I wasn't at home. It wasn't until I saw the quilt lying on the floor that I comprehended where I was. I quickly picked it up and threw it on the couch on my way into the kitchen.

Sookie was reaching up, trying to get a pan out of the upper cabinets. There was another pan stacked on top of the one she was trying to get and it was close to falling out of the cabinet.

"Wait! I'll get it for you!"

It probably wasn't the best idea to yell at her because when I did, she let go of the pot and they all started falling down.

I ran across the kitchen as fast as I could to make it to Sookie before the pans fell on her. I made it to her just in time. I covered her body with my own and all of the pots and pans fell on my back instead of her head. It hurt like a bitch.

"Oh my God Eric! Are you okay?"

I tried to stand up straight to check on Sookie but as soon as I tried, I knew it was a mistake.

"Owoh yeah. I'm fine. Are you okay?"

"Thanks to you, not a single thing hit me," she beamed at me.

"It's not a big deal. I'm sure my back could take the hit better than your head."

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, I promise."

As soon as I tried to move I winced and she saw it. So much for being the invincible hero.

"Let me see your back. There could be something wrong."

I reluctantly let her rise up the back of my shirt to look at my back.

"Oh Eric! Your whole back is red and looks a little swollen!"

Well shit.

"It's fine. Really, Sookie."

"At least let me put some ice on it. This is all my fault."

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have startled you."

"Go lay face down on the couch. You're not going to win this argument," she said with her hand on her hip.

I went and did as Sookie said while she got the ice pack ready.

"Here," she said as she laid a cold pack on my back. "Keep this on here until I get breakfast ready. I'll come and take it back off when it's time to eat."

I lay there like a human Popsicle for about 20 minutes until Sookie came back to get me.

"I hope you're hungry. I made eggs, pancakes, French toast, biscuits, sausage, and bacon."

"How much do you think I eat?"

"I woke up early this morning and I needed something to do so I started making breakfast. Besides, I didn't know what you'd like."

I could still see the sack of flour and other random ingredients on the counter and I knew she had made it all from scratch. How early did she wake up?

I ate until I couldn't fit another bite in me. There was still a lot of food left over.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure my brother will be by sometime today. He'll eat it."

Before I had time to excuse myself to call Alcide, I heard someone honking a horn out front. I limped behind Sookie to the front door to find Alcide outside in the cruiser.

"Come on Eric! Hurry up! Debbie's been ringing my phone off the hook and she's threatening to tear my shit up if she finds out I didn't stay at my apartment last night."

"Sorry. Debbie's his on again-off again girlfriend. They always do this," I said embarrassed.

"It's fine. I guess you'll be leaving?"

"Yeah. Sorry I can't stay to help you clean up. And about what happened," I said as I walked into the living room to get my shoes.

"Forget it Eric. It's not a big deal. It was a mistake and we're just going to forget about it. It was nice to meet you Eric Northman," she said as she stuck her hand out at me.

"Nice to meet you Sookie… You know, I never got your last name."

"That's the mystery of a one-night stand," she said as she smirked at me. "Good bye Eric."

"Bye."

She left me in the living room while she went back into the kitchen. I got my shoes on without causing myself too much pain. I tried to hide my limp as much as possible while making it to the cruiser.

"Damn Eric. What'd she do? Break you?"

"You're not funny you ass. Some pots fell on me this morning when she was making breakfast."

"She made you breakfast? The most I got from Amelia was morning sex."

"Let's not talk about it. Now come on before Debbie makes it to your apartment."

"Nah, she's not really coming. I was just trying to help you make a quick get away."

"You idiot! She probably thinks we're nuts!"

"What's it matter? You're never going to see her again."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Aren't I always?"

I didn't answer him as he drove down Sookie's driveway. I looked in the rear view mirror to watch her house disappear out of view. I could have sworn I saw a face in the woods by her house, but when I looked again it was gone.

I shook my head to clear it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just drive us back home."

That was the last time I ever planned on seeing Sookie again. I discovered I didn't like the feeling.

A/N: So... what'd ya think...

As usual, I have to update BOE before I update this again.