Chapter 7 – Balms

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A/N: This is where things start venturing off course to the Pygmalion inspiration. I warn you stuff gets a little weird… I’ll give an extra warning for those squeamish about blood but then I ask, why are you reading stories about vampires…

 

If he were a sensible man he’d lift her out of his bed and put a halt to his consuming infatuation. Eric was sure that was all this was, a fascination with the undiscovered. He didn’t move her regardless of his rationale.

 

He pulled her body closer to his instead and repeated her answers over and over again inside the confines of his mind. Picking apart at each sentence and every word till all that was left were the individual letters.

 

Finally he understood, under that tough exterior she was a romantic. He should have known by her choice of film. She wasn’t unlike Holly Golightly, an introvert playing an extrovert. This wasn’t merely a job for her, excelling beyond expectation, this is how Sookie lived every day of her life.

 

A part of the puzzle that made up her whole had fit into place and with that thought he finally succumbed to his day rest, wondering what the next night would reveal.

 

 

---

 

 

Eric opened his eyes to the relative darkness of the room. The only illumination coming from a dimmed bedside lamp he had left on for Sookie’s sake. The warmth of her body was still lingering on his skin even though he could feel she had left the bed not too long ago.

 

“You’re up early,” a small voice by the door said.

 

“Yes, at my age I can wake earlier than most.”

 

“Vampires, full of surprises,” Sookie mused. “I was just getting myself a drink can I get you something?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What can I get you?” she asked with kind eyes. Before she had managed to blink he had blurred in front of her, making her body jump against the back of the wall with his sudden appearance.

 

“You,” he said with a consuming hunger.

 

“Eric,” she exhaled with a breathy moan.

 

“Sookie,” he replied almost tenderly to her curious gaze.

 

He brought his forehead down to hers, his nose resting against the slope of hers. Taking in the scent that was uniquely her, that was permeating the stale air and every piece of linen on his bed. Her blood was laced with anticipation; it was like carbonation to a vampire, heightening the already tantalising flavour that she seemed to exclusively exude.

 

“I want you,” he spoke so low the vibrations were palpable in the air. “Yield to me Sookie.”

 

“I’m yours to keep,” she replied with lidded eyes, her body shivering at the sensation of his cool touch on her skin.

 

His lips found hers, soft and ample to his strong and urgent ones. His hands cupped her face not willing her to leave him, if only to assure himself she wanted this as much as he. Eric urged her to open her mouth to him wishing he could swallow her whole. Only when she granted him access did his hands move further down. One hand held the back of her head firmly deepening the kiss that was consuming them both. His other hand explored the curvature of her body until it finally rested on the small of her back pulling her in closer to his body.

 

Sookie moaned in appreciation, their kiss becoming sloppy with the diverted attentions as she relished in the feeling of his hard body meeting her soft welcoming one. She was so warm to him, near scalding, filling him with heat he never before possessed from the inside.

 

He reluctantly gave her pause to breathe. Sookie’s heavy panting was making her breasts heave with a fiery flush. He wanted to see them, he wanted to see that erratic heart beat under her skin between them. Without pause her t-shirt was ripped down the middle. At the reveal of the white lace bra that sat underneath a growl was emitted before it too met the same treatment. Soon it was lying like scraps on the floor.

 

“Eric,” she cried as the cool air hit her exposed skin and his hands traced the newly exposed patches of skin. Pebbling her nipples at his attentions. He suckled them softly in turn, his tongue tracing over them till their sensitivity became almost painful with his attentions.  He moved his lips up her body finding her neck while leaving a trail of wet kisses behind. The combination of hot and cool sensitised her skin causing it to break out in goose bumps with his caresses.

 

“Let me feel you,” she asked tugging at the hem of his t-shirt. Eric had it removed before she managed to finish her sentence and she let out a gasp at the small gust of wind it caused. Her hands explored over the hard planes of his body, tracing it to memory. She kissed every knick, every scar from his human life as if they were the marks that defined him. When she glanced up he took her lips for his own again. Their tongues drawn to each other like the opposite ends of a magnet.

 

She pulled herself from his lips again when the reserve of air was depleted from her lungs. Sookie held her cheek against the scruff of his. Breathing in. Breathing out. Never had a rhythm sounded so right to him. She moved down licking him with the softened tip of her tongue from the bottom of his neck up to his ear, where she placed a soft kiss to his lobe. From what she had felt so far it appeared to be the softest piece of skin on his entire ancient body. When she sought out its twin companion on the other side her exploration moved south till she reached the crook of his neck.

 

Sookie looked up to his eyes intently as if she were asking permission. Without thought he simply nodded his consent. For what he was unsure. She started with a soft kiss, he let out a contented purr as he awaited her next move before she bit down on him. Hard.

 

Startled by the sudden violence he jerked his upper body back demanding distance between them. A piece of flesh ripped away with his movement where her teeth had held fast. His blood gushed out in a torrent covering her breasts as it flooded down between them. He delighted in the sight of her bloody mouth holding the pink piece of flesh firmly between her full lips as blood trickled down her chin.

 

“Yes,” he hissed as the blood continued to move down his own chest. “Take me inside of you. Swallow me whole.”

 

Still startled about how a piece of flesh was resting between her teeth she responded without a thought. He watched her tilt her head back slightly as she carefully released the tension of her jaw before she let the raw meat slide down her tongue and throat inside of her. She angled her head back down again her tongue running over her lips in satisfaction with the taste of him. Before she could wipe the stray blood away from her chin his lips had locked back onto hers. He savoured the taste of himself mingled with hers. His fangs descended, piercing her lips and he sucked greedily as she whimpered at the pleasure and pain of the assault.

 

Fangs still out, he moved down her body lapping at his blood on her tanned body. The incisors scraped at her delicate skin opening up thin lines of vermillion. He watched mesmerized as her blood bubbled from the taut restraint of her skin before it merged with his to which he greedily lapped it up with the broad strokes of his tongue.

 

“Again,” she mewled shivering with the feeling.

 

He groaned in approval and continued till she was clean of him and a mere haze of red remained on her sticky skin. She traced her finger over the impact of her inflicted wound on his neck. Blood continued to travel out but by now it had slowed to a treacle.

 

“You’re still bleeding,” she whispered with concern.

 

“Kiss it and make it better,” he replied hoarsely.

 

She latched on and sucked at the blood lavishing the wound with her tongue’s discriminating attention. She growled with the loss of the ancient nectar that was his life force as the wound closed in on itself.

 

Her eyes were hot with anger as he chuckled at her ire.

 

“Greedy,” he said contented. “I like it.”

 

“Shut up and kiss me,” she huffed. He continued his tongue induced attack as he pulled her body closer upon his. Her back was firmly planted on the wall as he shoved his straining erection to her hot core only separated by the two thin stretches of cotton between them.

 

“Eric,” she whimpered as she desperately sucked in some much needed oxygen.

 

“Eric,” she repeated as he continued to kiss along her jawline.

 

“Eric,” she screamed. “Stop.”

 

He opened his eyes.

 

Shocked he looked at her frightened form beneath him in his bed. She was as fully clothed as when they went to sleep. He quickly pulled his rubbing body of off hers. Free from his grasp she ran out of the room. The sun was already up so she was able to flee from the basement level with a heartbeat that was deafening. He would forever associate the sound of it with fright and shame.

 

It was a dream. He didn’t dream, not since his human days. Without fail he would close his eyes at dawn and woke as if no time had passed. Fear overtook him at what had transpired as he looked down at the bulge straining his underwear.

 

It was something he loathed during the ages. Taking from the unwilling and now he had joined the ranks of those he despised. He had to make sure she was all right but the fear of what he had caused made him stop for a pause. He willed away the offending member and pulled on his track pants.

 

He smelt her tears all through the house intensifying in her room. She hadn’t bothered to close any door behind her in her haste. He found her in the closet stuffing her few possessions into a suitcase.

 

As soon as she became aware of his presence she screamed for him to go away her voice as shaky as the knees she stood on. Trembling with desperation not to shed more tears.

 

He held his hands up in a sign of surrender indicating he meant her no harm. “Sookie, I wish to apologize.”

 

“Leave me alone!” she shrieked as her hot tears started to flow against her wishes. “I want nothing to do with you.”

 

“Sookie please let me explain,” he pleaded at a safe distance but firmly in her line of view.

 

“No,” she shouted out at a deafening volume. Neither one was prepared for what happened next as a giant ball of electric current released from her hands scorching the clothing around her before firmly landing on Eric’s chest launching him through the air. His heavy form crashed through a large sheet of the glass facade onto the neatly manicured garden lawn.

 

She ran after him looking down through the broken glass at his unconscious body lying in the grass. Fear and adrenaline overtook her at the sight of what her hands had caused. She sped down the stairs and out the door as fast as her legs could carry her.

 

“Eric, please be okay,” she begged as her hands clutched at his lifeless frame before Pam flew in throwing her of his body landing her a few feet away with a loud thump. Pam growled at her in warning with fully descended fangs.

 

“Do not harm her Pam,” Eric said, now conscious of the events around him while his body remained paralysed.

 

“Who did this to you?” Pam demanded. When Eric remained silent and Pam with the whispers of Sookie’s tearful apologies she had her answer. She leapt up stalking towards the crumpled form of the small blonde with her supernatural speed.

 

“Pamela, as your maker I command you, do not to harm Sookie,” Eric ordered.

 

“Define harm,” she seethed frozen in her intended motion.

 

“Do not touch her,” he warned. “Not a single hair on her body.”

 

“She attacked you,” Pam said in outrage.

 

“Sookie was defending herself,” he replied as his nerve endings were slowly buzzing back to life. He groaned a little at the sensation, it fucking hurt.

 

“I’m calling Ludwig,” Pam decreed, her worry now residing with her maker’s health instead of reprisal.

 

“Not necessary,” he retuned with a grunt that betrayed the statement. “I’ll be fine soon enough. Get me some blood.”

 

“I’m not leaving you alone with her,” she replied pointedly.

 

“She will not harm me,” he countered. “Don’t make me command you.”

 

“Fine,” she huffed before turning her scowl towards Sookie. She menacingly growled mere inches from her sobbing face, “That command won’t keep you safe if you harm him.”

 

Sookie nodded meekly in understanding before the female vampire sped off in search of heated blood. “Eric, I’m so sorry,” Sookie sobbed as she crawled over beside him not daring to touch him. “I don’t know what happened.”

 

“Don’t apologise for defending yourself Sookie,” he said with a small sigh to mask another jolt of pain. “I will recover soon enough.”

 

“Is there anything I can do?” she asked feeling utterly helpless.

 

“There is but I won’t ask you that. Not after what I did to you tonight,” he breathed out. “Sookie I’ve never felt so ashamed at my actions. How can I make this up to you?”

 

“Tell me,” she requested with a meek voice.

 

“I was dreaming of you, of us. I’m not supposed to dream, I didn’t realise… I’m so sorry.”

 

“No, tell me how to make it better,” she said.

 

“I don’t deserve it,” he returned dejected.

 

“It will make me feel better too,” she offered softly.

 

“You should have the ability to heal me. But I deserve to carry this pain.” Eric watched intently as her sorrowed face changed to one he had come to know well. It was one that demanded no arguments. He let out a heavy groan knowing she would not heal him but told her how to anyway, “You lay your heart over mine and breathe into my mouth.”

 

“This will make you better?” she asked with furrowed brows.

 

“Yes,” he exhaled as he once more tried to breathe through the debilitating ache.

 

“Ok,” she said determined.

 

“Sookie you don’t have to.”

 

“I want to,” she replied her knees already on either side of his body careful not to rest her weight on him. Her hands roamed over his chest to determine where his heart once beat.

 

“Here?” she enquired and he replied his affirmation. She laid down her chest upon his slightly off centre so her beating heart would lay atop of his. She rested the lower half of her body over his waist so she could angle his head towards hers.

 

“Wait till you feel the current,” he instructed from memory. Soon she felt the electrical pulses, gentle and warm radiating from her body into his.

 

“Now?” she asked as she gently pushed the hairs from his forehead.

 

“Yes,” he replied as the pulses danced through his body soothing the aches he hadn’t felt in over a thousand years. The sensation was titillating and brought a relief no medicine could bring. She moved her lips just over his and inhaled deeply through her nose. With an encouraging nod from Eric she carried on and a white glow surrounded her body to an almost blindingly bright light. She pressed her lips onto his and exhaled every bit of air from her lungs into his.

 

Pam stood frozen in shock clutching the pair of warmed bags of blood in her hands as she watched the creature before her bathe Eric in the healing light. She had heard of a fairy’s curing but never observed it before. The light grew brighter and through the bond to her maker she stood witness to the sensation. The light burst into an arresting brightness only to dissipate when the air surrounding them cackled with electrical pulses. Pam fell incapacitated to the soft ground in euphoria. It was something beyond any orgasm or high she had ever experienced in her long existence.

 

“Thank you,” Eric said as he came back to himself. The words were minute in comparison to the gratitude he felt.

 

She remained lying atop his chest a moment longer as she inhaled in the scent of the freshly cut grass around them until her breathing steadied. She got onto her knees again and he moved his body out from under her in succession before helping her up onto her feet.

 

“I should go,” Sookie said as she pulled her hands from his. “I’ll pay for the repairs.”

 

“Sookie please let us talk,” he pleaded. “Do not leave like this. I want to. No I need to make this right.”

 

Her knees were still trembling with the evening’s events. Sookie regarded him and his words carefully. “Ok,” she acceded. “Let me get my things and we’ll talk before I leave.”

 

He nodded disheartened at her continued resolve to leave. Eric knew, however, that he really couldn’t expect more of her kindness after his actions. They walked slowly side by side with a respectable distance between them until they reached Pam still hazy from her high, rocking her body on the wet grass in her finest couture.

 

“Sookie, you can harm my maker anytime if I get to experience that at the end of it,” she exhaled out with an uncontained moan, her cheeks rosy with bliss.

 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sookie replied looking down at the strange sight of the giddy vampire. “Goodbye Pam.” She continued to walk into the house alone seeking the stairs to her former bedroom.

 

“Why is she saying goodbye Eric?” Pam asked as her body settled itself again. “What did you do to her?” she fumed, her earlier fury now directed at her maker while she found her steady feet again.

 

He sighed uncomfortably before regaling what had caused the faeling to defend herself. “You dreamed?” she asked with astonishment. “Eric that’s not possible is it?”

 

“It was after sunset when I woke, perhaps it happened during down time,” he gave a tiny shrug unsure where to place explanation. “We have to let her go Pam, she has already given more than she should.”

 

“Have you ever experienced something like that before?” Pam questioned while reliving the aftershocks.

 

“No. Have you?”

 

She shook her head indicating the same reply. “That was better…”

 

“Than sex,” he agreed as they held an identical satiated gaze on the small part fairy walking up the stairs. In unison they pierced their respective blood bags with their fangs suckling away at the rare AB negative blood type as if humans indulging a cigarette post coitus.

 

“We can’t let her leave, if only for that.”

 

“Pamela this is her choice,” Eric said sternly, reasserting his role as her maker. “Respect it.”

 

“Let me speak with her first,” she offered greedily draining the last drops from the bag. “I need to apologise for yesterday. Let me convince her to stay.”

 

“You wish to apologise on your own accord,” he pondered aloud picking up the plastic bag his progeny carelessly dropped to the ground. “This is very out of character for you.”

 

“No it’s not,” she spoke defiantly. “Did she or did she not come out of her shell with you last night?”

 

Eric now recognised Pam’s ploy for what it was. Despite the evening’s dampening events he couldn’t help but chuckle with the discovery of it. “I forget you spend all your time with human women. You play them better than the violin.”

 

“Always happy to oblige to your musical tastes, Master,” she smugly retorted with a mocking curtsy.

 

 

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“Sookie?” Pam said softly as she knocked on the charred bedroom door. “I’d like to apologise for my behaviour.”

 

“You were protecting your maker,” she sighed. “What’s there to apologise for?”

 

“Well you’re right about that,” Pam acknowledged with a righteous glint to her blue eyes. “But I shouldn’t have tried to force the issue of your body hairs. I wasn’t going to do it. I needed to see how far I could push you. Your natural resistance was gone.”

 

“Apology accepted,” Sookie said curtly. “It was fun while it lasted.”

 

“Sookie. You hardly gave it a chance,” Pam alleged sternly. “You just endured it all. Start fresh do it on your terms.”

 

“I don’t know if I can Pam,” she breathed out, hanging her head in shame. “Eric. I… I hurt him.”

 

“And then you gave him the best experience of his life,” Pam pointed out. “Hell even mine and I only got the second hand version.”

 

Sookie remained quiet dabbing at a small tear in the corner of her eye.

 

“I’m not going to excuse his behaviour. No one should wake up to a man dry humping you like a cat in heat,” she said. “Unfortunately I speak from experience.”

 

Sookie winced at the description forcing the memory back to the forefront of her mind. Unfortunately it didn’t stand on its own.

 

“It wasn’t him Sookie. He was under a spell or something,” Pam continued. “I’ve never felt him so dejected and ashamed through our bond. He won’t ever force you Sookie. If you prefer you can stay at my house or one of Eric’s other safe houses. Don’t throw in the towel just yet.”

 

“I’ll consider it after I talk to him,” she conceded after taking a contemplative silence. Sookie knew running away was the easiest choice she could make but felt that she owed to him and herself to at least hear him out.

 

“Better than nothing, I suppose,” Pam shrugged before turning to the door. When her eyes raked past the closet she screeched at the sight of carnage of that had left none of the luxurious fabrics and leathers unscathed.

 

“I’m sorry for that Pam,” Sookie offered following her gaze.

 

“It’s not like you liked any of it,” she said and then continued with a little more glee, “If you stay I can buy you all new things. Perhaps something you like for once.”

 

“You knew?” she asked shocked.

 

“Of course,” Pam said. “Do you really think I would push you to wear the most unflattering outfits available because you liked them so much? Forget a career in poker Sookie. You’d be broke before you started.”

 

 

---

 

 

“Are you ok?” Sookie asked as she sat down in the chair across from him in the library. It was a familiar place for them both. In the weeks that she had resided in Eric’s house they had naturally assumed assigned seats near the fireplace.

 

“I should be the one asking you that,” Eric replied gently not wishing to startle her further.

 

“I’m fine. I think,” she said. “Can all vampires do that?”

 

“Do what?” he asked.

 

“The glowy healing thing.”

 

“That was you Sookie,” he answered. “I think it’s fair to say you are most decidedly other,”

 

“Yes,” she acquiesced as she looked at her hands remembering the surge of power erupting from them. “I didn’t know I was capable of that. It never happened before. Am I a fairy?”

 

“I think it’s safe to say you are part fae with an unusually strong spark,” he explained. “I don’t remember ever being so debilitated by a fae’s light force.”

 

“I’m so sorry,” she offered again as the waters that glistened the orbs of her eyes threatened to spill over once more.

 

He moved towards her kneeling by the arm of her padded chair. “Sookie. Please stop apologising. You had no control over it.”

 

“I hurt you,” she said still looking him over for any remaining signs of damage.

 

“You healed me too.”

 

“Did you have no control over it too?” she asked.

 

“Vampires don’t dream Sookie. I haven’t had a dream since my human days. I only woke when I heard you say stop,” he took a deep sigh. “Can you tell me what happened?”

 

“I woke to you kissing along my jaw,” she said. “You were rubbing your chest against me. I don’t know what happened before that.” It wasn’t the actual physical actions that had put the fright into her, it was the memories that surfaced with them.

 

“Sookie I don’t deserve your forgiveness but I offer you my apologies regardless.”

 

“I guess we both had no control over our actions tonight,” she sighed finding a strange sense of solace in that. “I accept your apology.”

 

“Please consider staying,” he pleaded again. “This means a lot to Pam.”

 

“Just Pam?” Sookie asked raising her brow like she had seen both vampires do so often. ”I thought this whole charade was to make you look good.”

 

“It means a lot to me too,” he admitted with a small smile. “If you prefer you can stay elsewhere.”

 

“What’s the point,” she said shaking her head. “Like you said before I have to get used to your touch to be a convincing companion.”

 

“You’ve made up your mind then,” he concluded.

 

“Yes,” she replied, nodding her head as it had offered a bit of clarity for the first time all evening. “I know what I want to do.”

 

“Will you let me drive you home?”

 

“No,” Sookie returned as she watched the disappointment settle on his face. “I’m not going anywhere.”

 

She swore she could see excitement hidden behind his guarded eyes. “You are certain?” She nodded in assurance. He could barely contain the relief that he held at the sight.

 

“Perhaps you would like to take me to dinner,” she said with a small smile. “I haven’t eaten since last night.”

 

“What are you in the mood for?” he asked pulling her from his seat. Grateful she allowed her hand to be taken in his.

 

“Know what?” she thought aloud, startled by her own craving that her hunger had rendered. “I could really go for a rare slab of beef.”

 

A/N:For those of you who have found my stories through my winning entry for Sephrenia’s writing challenge, In Memorium and Memento Mori, I am happy to announce it has found a continuing multi chapter story. The first two chapters are already up, it’s called From Time Immemorial. 

 

 

 

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