a/n: greetings my lovely readers! Just a warning, this chapter is NSFW if you happen to be being sneaky and reading while there. Don't worry, I do it all the time. I need my FanFic break so my brain doesn't explode from work! Also this is the longest chapter, I really hope you guys like it!
Chapter 13
Eric and I made it back inside chilled to the bone. I put away the shotgun then dragged him straight to the bathroom with me. We were not getting my floors soaked in muddy rain water.
"What was she doing here? She obviously didn't try to come and get me. So Pam didn't send her right?" He reasoned as we stood in the bathroom peeling off our wet clothes. Neither of us was very distracted by the other's body, we were too concerned with what had happened.
"Who knows, I don't know anything anymore Eric. For all I know you were in some voodoo cult and Octavia is convinced she just cast a death spell on us." I never thought of her as a violent person but people could hide a lot from you. I knew that more than anyone. I wish I'd tried to read her thoughts more instead of using my shield all the time.
We got into the shower and I turned the hot water on. It burned my skin at first but soon felt soothing as the heat seeped into my bones. "I'll just pretend we never saw her. I'll act normal at work and try to read her mind the best I can. That's our only advantage."
Eric's arms wrapped around me from behind and he kissed the shell of my ear. "I'm sorry for bringing all of this on you." He whispered.
I turned in his arms and pressed my lips to his chest, both of us relaxing beneath the hot water as steam rose around us. "Not your fault." It really wasn't. He did not choose to bump into me that night outside the hospital and he did not try to look into his past at all. His past seemed to keep haunting us though.
Once the shower had warmed us up again we put on dry clothes to sleep in and went to bed. Well, I put on clothes, Eric put on boxer briefs. I was not going to complain. I pulled up the blankets around us and immediately nestled myself into Eric's side. I buried my face in his neck, breathing in his scent. I wanted to feel safe and right now Eric was the only thing that could make me feel that way. His arms around me and his fingers gently running through my hair lulled me to sleep.
Another month passed with little happening when it came to solving the mystery that was Eric's past. Our routines became regular and sometimes I could almost forget all the strange occurrences with Pam and Octavia. I had not confronted Octavia yet because nothing else had happened and I kept hoping she would slip up in her mind and have some vivid picture of a cult meeting that included Eric months ago. That never happened though. Sometimes I would catch a stray thought about Pam but nothing concrete. If I was being honest with myself I had not really pushed Octavia because part of me did not want to lose Eric and what we had.
I loved having someone to come home to and curl up in bed with. I could tell Eric anything and know that he would keep it to himself. Not because I could read his mind, but because I trusted him. He had never given me a reason to not trust him. Eric was doing well at his construction job for Renard Parish. He did think my brother was not the brightest bulb but somehow they had become friendly with each other. The only thing Eric constantly ragged on Jason about were his one night stands. He seemed to get a kick out of getting my brother all defensive about his man whore ways, only to end it by saying 'if it's so great, how would you like it if I treated your sister that way?' That shut Jason right up every damn time. Yet each time Eric brought the same subject up Jason foolishly fell for it again.
It was rather amusing since I knew Jason did not take it personally. He practically forgot the conversation happened within twenty minutes. Other than that though they were almost friends and I had never expected that. According to Eric, Jason also seemed to be dating someone consistently over the past two weeks. I know that seems like nothing but in Jason's world it was a lifetime. He had invited us over for a barbeque at his house and I guess the mystery girl would be there so I could meet her.
"What are you doing?" I heard Eric's voice behind me.
"Putting on my flip-flops so we can go to Jason's." Wasn't that obvious? I had on denim shorts and a sleeveless white blouse, nothing too fancy for my brother's house. I also planned on grabbing a sweatshirt since the air was getting chilly once the sun started to set. Fall would be here soon.
"We have another twenty minutes, he lives right down the road." I turned to Eric only to find him not dressed.
"Your underwear doesn't count as an outfit ." I smirked and started walking away. I knew where this was headed and I just finished my damn hair.
"Why waste time getting dressed? I'd just be taking it all off again in seconds." He smirked. Stupid man was too tempting for me to actually get angry with him. His skin was an even golden tan from being outside so much and his dirty blonde hair was a shade lighter. It was also much shorter, he got a haircut to get rid of the bangs once he was outside sweating all day. Sometimes I missed the boyish charm they gave him but now he looked all rugged and mouthwatering 24/7. So that was a plus.
"You're awfully confident for someone who is getting left alone in the bedroom." I gave him a cocky smirk right back and turned on my heel for the door.
I didn't escape Eric for long and ended up putting my hair into a ponytail so I didn't have to go style it again. We arrived at Jason's and there was already a line of cars in the driveway. I parked on the grass to make room for any other guests. The lawn was brown and dead so I knew Jason would not care. With fall almost upon us there was no chance of reviving the grass this year. We got out of the car and Eric's hand immediately grabbed mine.
"I wish you could see what a pain in the ass having long hair is. Then maybe you'd wait until we got home to attack." I smiled over at him.
"I have a feeling I would still think it was worth it." Men! There was no reasoning with them, but I think this time I might agree with him.
Eric had on a grey t-shirt, jeans, and his sneakers. I would have insisted he bring a sweatshirt for later but we had not bought him winter clothes yet. We would have to do that soon. He could not live in his wife beater and t-shirts all winter. Luckily he had a steady job now so money would not be an issue like it was last time.
Instead of knocking on the front door I led the way to the backyard where we could hear country music playing. I rounded the corner and immediately spotted Jason at the grill with a blonde girl. She was thin with fair skin and washed out blue eyes that almost looked grey. I had definitely never seen her around town.
"Hey Sook, you want a beer?" Hoyt asked as we passed the cooler full of alcohol he had open.
"Nice to see you Hoyt, no thanks, I'm good. Eric?" I was going to start off with some water or lemonade.
"Sure, what have you got?" Eric asked and I left him to chat with Hoyt for now. If he liked Jason, he loved Hoyt. They worked together most days and Eric liked that Hoyt was a smart but simple man. He knew what his values were and never let my brother pressure him into anything stupid. I loved Hoyt for the same reasons. I was also glad he was mature enough to be kind to Eric even though he used to have an insane crush on me.
"Hey sis! Come over here!" Jason was beckoning me over with a spatula. "I want you to meet someone, this is Crystal, my girlfriend."
My jaw almost dropped to the ground. Thankfully I had some idea he cared about this girl from Eric. However it was still shocking as hell to see Jason committing to someone. I hoped he really was growing up. He had been trying hard to change as of late so maybe this was a step in the right direction.
"Hi, I'm Sookie" She even reached out to shake my hand after saying hello quietly. She seemed shy but that would be good to balance out my brother's overwhelming confidence. I heard footsteps behind me then felt an arm loop around my shoulders. "This is Eric." I pointed up to the giant at my side.
We made small talk for awhile while Jason grilled us some burgers. Overall I liked Crystal and hoped this worked out for them. When I found out she was from Hotshot I assumed that had something to do with how timid she was. I remember for field day one year at Bon Temps Elementary, they invited the Hotshot kids to join us. The adults immediately said no and I remembered all of the teachers thinking how sad it was that those poor kids were kept hidden out there, barely getting to interact with anyone else.
Eric and I sat down at a picnic table near the fishing pond. We were away from everyone else crowded onto the patio. I sat down next to Eric and popped open a can of Coke. I had to have soda with a burger.
"Damn, I should have gotten soda…" Eric muttered and looked unhappy with the second beer he grabbed.
"Oh well, maybe if you get drunk you'll forget about it." I smirked and sipped on my carbonated heaven.
"Or you could share?" He peered over at me with one eyebrow raised.
I shook my head. No way in hell was that working. "You could just get up and grab one for yourself."
"Mmm, maybe… " He leaned closer. "Or I can convince you?"
"Well you can't have sex with me right here and that's about the only thing that will convince me." I gave him a quick peck on the lips and tried to not laugh at his slightly shocked expression.
"You two make me sick." Amelia was practically skipping over to us. She unceremoniously plopped down on the other side of the picnic table. "That's okay though. I'm chasing down Hoyt tonight so I won't have much time to watch you drool over each other." She smiled.
"Seriously? I thought you said he was too nice." Ames usually went after guys that had that dangerous vibe to them. Of course they always ended up being jerks.
"I did. But I've had a change of heart. I figure it's time to try something new." She shrugged. "Now before I begin my mission, any updates?"
I shook my head. "Nothing here, you?"
"Nada, zilch, nothing! Octavia never says anything and I've tried asking her if she knows how Eric is doing with Pam… she just changes the subject." We had been banking on the fact that Octavia might think Amelia was in the dark about all of this and let her guard down around her. Since obviously she knew something was up with me by showing up at my house in the middle of the night.
"Thanks for trying…" Eric said quietly.
"No worries, Sook is in a much better mood now that she has your magic wand in her life. So it does pay off for me." Amelia smiled brightly.
"I'm going to kill you!" I threw the last bit of my burger at her but she ducked out of the way. Eric was laughing beside me.
"Ha! Missed!" She giggled and stood up. "Anyway lets not worry about it tonight, no long faces. Lets all get drunk and have a good time!" She squealed and jogged back up to the patio, where she immediately found Hoyt and started chatting him up.
I sighed and gathered up my trash. Amelia was right. We should just have fun tonight and forget about our worries. For some reason it felt like my time with Eric was limited so living in the moment seemed that much more important.
"Come on, lets go join the party." I grabbed his hand and we headed to the patio where everyone else was gathered. For a couple hours everyone was chatting and late arrivals were eating dinner. The light had faded from the sky and now the darkness replaced it, stars twinkling in the distance. I talked to my old boss Sam Merlotte for awhile and it sounded like he was doing really well. My childhood best friend Tara was there as well and we ended up wasting an hour catching up.
"So you still work with Sam?" We were standing at the edge of the patio near the hot tub Jason had recently installed. No one had gotten into it yet.
"Yeah, we've actually been dating for awhile too. I'm finally happy." She looked over at Sam with affection. I was excited for her. Tara had a rough time growing up, she deserved to be happy. It also seemed her love for Sam had softened her rough edges.
"So where is this new guy I've heard about? First I heard someone in Merlotte's drooling over the new road crew guy, then I heard he was already claimed by you." She grinned. Bon Temps folk loved to gossip at the local watering hole.
"Um…" I searched the crowded patio and spotted him taking a shot with Hoyt and Jason. He was definitely going to be drunk.
"Right there, next to Hoyt and Jason." I raised my hand to point him out.
"What? Tall, blonde, and hot as hell? That's your guy?" Tara's eyes were glued to him.
"uh, yeah?" How was I supposed to respond to that?
"Shit Sook, good work girl! That is one nice looking man." Tara was nodding her approval and still ogling Eric. She abruptly stopped when he looked over at us and started walking towards me.
"Hello lover" He purred and pinned me against the edge of the hot tub. Tara looked at me with raised eyebrows then started nodding her approval. "I don't think I've met your friend." He said without ever glancing in Tara's direction, his piercing blue eyes staring down at me.
"This is Tara, Tara meet my very drunk Eric." I grinned and rolled my eyes at her.
"I'm not drunk!" He exclaimed. "And it's nice to meet you." Eric finally looked at Tara and smiled.
"Well, I'm gonna leave you two to it. I gotta find Sam anyway." She chuckled and walked towards the throng of people.
There were a lot of people flooding my brother's backyard. I wonder if he even invited them all. A good party in Bon Temps was pretty rare so people always invited friends, who in turn invited their friends. The country music was now blasting out of the stereo speakers and I could see people dancing to it. I heard a splash and looked to my right, spotting people jumping into the pond for a swim. Were they nuts? It was too cold for that! Most of them were drunk so I guess it didn't matter. I spotted Amelia by the edge of the pond with Hoyt and it looked like he was pretending to throw her in. Yep, she had him hooked already.
"We should make use of the hot tub." Eric started kissing my neck.
"Hmm, no…" I wanted to but I had no bathing suit with me.
"Why not? I'll make sure you stay nice and warm." He was doing a good job of trying to convince me. I felt his hands slide into the back of my shorts, thank god my back was to the hot tub.
"I have a feeling my brother would not enjoy watching you grope me in his new hot tub." I giggled as the stubble on his chin tickled my neck.
"Then lets go home. We'll have more fun alone." He husky voice was more than enough to convince me. I yelled goodnight to Jason and we made our way home.
The second we were inside Eric was pulling his shirt off and I was doing the same. We were in a rush after sitting in the car thinking about what we would do the second we got here. Eric's hand between my legs most of the drive didn't help my patience much either. As he started unbuttoning his jeans I debated on if wanted him in my mouth first. I quickly decided since we did that before the party when he attacked me, I was too impatient now.
He was quickly turning me into a sex addict, I swear. I had never felt this burning need before. I would always wonder if it was like this all the time for normal people who never had someone's thoughts screaming in their mind.
Eric only had his jeans half undone when he grabbed me and plastered his mouth to mine, wasting no time pushing his tongue past my parted lips. I moaned and melted into his embrace. His fingers roughly wove into my hair and tilted my face up to give him better access. This was the one downfall of Eric's height, it was hard too kiss him too long standing up. I pushed my weight against him and Eric got the point without me saying a word. We slowly backed towards the couch until he was sitting down on it.
I climbed on top of him, straddling his waist. His fingers moved up my spine until he reached my bra and undid the clasp easily. That article of clothing went flying and his large hands gently massaged my breasts. One of the best things about sex with Eric so far was that he was aggressive at the right times, but knew when to not be so rough. I hated it when men started off so amped up I had bruises on my boobs from one touch.
I arched my back, leaning into his hands that seemed to perfectly mold to my flesh. I rubbed my center against his growing erection when his mouth locked onto my nipple.
"Sookie" He growled as I rubbed against him with more force this time. I was ready to go, desperate for friction where I needed it most.
I reached down between us and finished unzipping his pants. My hands moved to his shoulders, pushing him against the back of the couch. I stood up long enough to get rid of the rest of my clothes and pulled Eric's jeans halfway down his thighs. It was good enough for now, I was a woman in need damn it. Eric's eye were on fire as he watched my every move. I leaned down until I saw him tense as my breath hit the tip of his cock. My tongue darted out, swirling around his tip before closing my lips around him and sucking.
"Get up here, now." He groaned and I was more than happy to follow his command.
I moved back to straddling him and when the head of his cock brushed against my folds I realized the condoms were in the bedroom.
Screw it.
I was on birth control and from what I had seen in the time I'd known Eric he had no diseases. As a nurse I knew this was not the best logic and I should be waiting longer and have him tested to determine he was truly disease free. But, well, sometimes hormones just take control.
My hand snaked between us and I lined him up with my opening before slowly sinking down on him. The sensation of skin on skin was amazing and I thought Eric was going to come right that second by the look on his face. His hands tightened on my hips as I sank lower until I had taken all of him in. I watched his chest heave with each breath he took, obviously trying to keep control of himself. For the first time I waited for Eric's signal to move. When he flexed his hips I responded in turn. We were both already moaning from the new sensation of sex without a condom between us. I doubted we would last long but it would be fucking amazing.
Eric leaned forward and captured my lips in a heated kiss as I started ride him. Our pace was steady and I quickly became out of breath. His mouth moved to my bouncing breasts which seemed to have him mesmerized. I was already close and gasped when I felt his fingers between us, rubbing circles against my nub. I came violently, my fingers digging into Eric's shoulders as I pressed myself against him. I could feel him still flexing his hips beneath me, causing just enough friction to extend my orgasm. He was still hard inside of me and definitely not done.
Eric flipped us so I was on my back on the couch. I don't know how he moved so gracefully with his jeans still half on. I was breathless and flushed beneath him. He locked his arms on either side of me and began thrusting into me again. I moved with him, tilting my hips up to get him even deeper. The slight change in position caused him to hit that perfect spot inside of me and my entire body shuddered. Eric noticed and one of his hands slid under my lower back, to keep me in that position. I was going to get my third orgasm of the day in no time.
His thrusts started to come quicker and I knew he was close. Eric's eyes were on mine, piercing right through me.
"Come for me." He breathed in that husky voice. That was all it took and I came undone, my fingers gripping his butt this time. Poor guy was going to have some scratches.
Eric groaned and his body tensed. I felt him come inside of me, his warm seed spilling into me. It was an entirely different feeling to have him fill me in so many ways but a very good one. He collapsed on top of me in a sweaty heap. We laid there in silence for awhile until our breathing returned to normal.
I was running my fingers through his hair, while he used my boobs as pillows. I felt completely relaxed in Eric's presence, his warm skin against mine and feeling each breath he took. I couldn't see myself ever wanting anyone else.
He lightly kissed my skin before pushing himself up some on his elbows so his face was above mine again. He kissed me slowly, his lips moving gently over mine.
"I love you Sookie." His words were quiet but his eyes were locked onto mine.
My breath caught in my chest for a second.
"You don't have to say anything back, I just wanted you to know. I love you for everything that you are, and I want to always be here for you." He seemed so certain and relaxed about his statement. I could his heartbeat was steady against my own racing one.
I knew it was crazy, insane even, but so was our entire relationship so far. Logically I would say you could not love someone in such a short amount of time, knowing so little about them. But the way Eric made me feel was suddenly bursting out of my chest at his confession. I had not expected it to be there, let alone be so overwhelming.
"I love you too." I gave him a small smile, my fingers running down the stubble on his cheek. If Eric wanted to be here for me, I would always want him.
Hours later I was exhausted. Eric had worn me out and I planned on sleeping in. So I had no idea why he was awake right now with his face buried in my neck.
"Eriiiic..." I mumbled and tried to roll away from him. Twice since we got back home wasn't enough for him? Geesh...
His grip on me was like a steel cage though and he did not let me go anywhere. I felt his nose at my collarbone first, then ghosting across my neck. He paused there and I could hear his deep breathing. My hands pushed on his shoulders. I wanted to sleep damn it! He only pulled me closer and... growled at me? I heard Eric growl before when we were having sex but it more like a throaty groaning sound. This, what I was hearing right now and feeling vibrating from deep in his chest, was an animalistic growl. You know, the kind you hear a wolf make when the zookeeper gets too close to its food.
"Eric, cut it out!" I whisper yelled at him and gave his chest a good shove. He finally leaned back and my scream got stuck in my throat. Eric hovered over me, his lips curled up into a snarl, and by the light of the moon I could see sharp fangs glistening.
a/n: How's that for a cliffie? *evil laugh* The point of most of this chapter was to show how they had really settled into a normal life. Eric isn't known by any of Sookie's friends ahead of time in this story and since he was human he actually fit in her life pretty damn well. He also isn't quite as timid anymore since he had adjusted to the situation. He still had weird dreams and all of that stuff mentioned before but he mentioned it less to Sookie since it wasn't going to change anything in his mind. BUT now... well, I guess we will have to see what happens since Eric is all vamp again! Will he remember Sookie at all? How the hell is she going to handle realizing vampires are actually real, and Eric is one?
Random side note, I had to make Tara happy. I actually like her character in the tv series. She can be crazy sometimes but she actually reacts like a normal person would considering all she has been through. So for once Tara gets to just be happy.