[AU] down to the Gulf

[feel_human]

Recuperating is a long, wearisome process, but she steadily refuses Bill's offers of his blood. "With everythin' that's been happenin', I just need to feel human for a while," she tells him, and he accepts it, if reluctantly.

Sam and Dean keep her swaddled in blankets, ply her with ice cream and soup and oatmeal and eggs, food soft enough not to hurt her bruised throat, and sternly keep her from doing pretty much anything at all but resting, eating, and healing. It feels like ages before her throat has healed well enough for her to eat solid food, but after that point, she gets better faster and faster. After a couple of weeks, she's nearly back to her old self, and the bruises have mostly faded away. She celebrates by baking Dean the long-promised apple pie and by telling Sam Merlotte that she's taking another week off.

There's no chance her little Honda could make it all the way down to the Gulf, even after Dean fixes what René had broken. Jason surprises her by offering his truck – she doesn't take him up on it, but she's touched – but a rental's a lot easier to manage when she's not the only one paying for it.

She leaves the house in Dean's care, warns him that Tara will be stopping by to make sure the place is still in one piece and asks him not to stake the neighbors, then slips into the passenger seat, her bag in the back with Sam's backpack. And then they're gone, gone, cruising southwards away from Bon Temps and vampires and everything that's happened. It's perfect, and that's even before they get to the Gulf.

She's not prepared for the crystalline water, the massive arcing expanse of sky, the soft white sand. It's the most beautiful place she's ever seen.

Comments

[feel_human]

She flushes and grins. "So I guess you like this suit, huh?"

[gavemea_45]

"Uh, yeah. A lot." Sam sets the basket on the table and comes to her. "You look amazing."

[feel_human]

She sets the radio down on the kitchen counter and puts her hands on his shoulders, grinning up at him. "Yeah?"

She'd felt so rotten for so long, and then it had been them and Dean in the house. It's nice to see him looking at her with this smacked-open look on his face.

[gavemea_45]

"Yeah." He settles his hands at her waist, resting his fingers lightly on warm skin, and smiles down at her.

She's gotten so much better in the last couple of weeks, but he can't help but still treat her as if she's a little more fragile.

[feel_human]

She shivers as his fingers land gently on her skin, and smiles back up at him before pressing up onto her toes to give him a kiss. "Good."

He's been so careful with her ever since he found her there in the graveyard, and it's nice, considering some of the deeper bruises still dust her skin, but it also feels impossibly good to be close to him. "Want to go get yours on?"

[gavemea_45]

"It'll just take me a moment." He gives her another kiss, sweetly lingering, then steps back to ease by her and into the bedroom.

[feel_human]

She watches him go, then pads into the kitchen to start loading the towels and radio into the basket he'd found, before going to the sink to fill a large jug of water.

"Will you grab the sunscreen, honey?" she calls. "It's in my bag."

Not that she uses it all that often, but he could probably use some on his shoulders.

[gavemea_45]

"Sure," he calls back. Sam strips out of his clothing, stashes the weapons he's carrying, and changes into his swim trunks. He wanders back out with the sunscreen in hand.

"Here you go."

[feel_human]

She takes the bottle and stashes it in the basket with the rest of their things, then gives him an appreciative glance. "You sure are easy on the eyes, Sam."

[gavemea_45]

He flushes. "Really?"

[feel_human]

"Really," she promises, and comes to slide her arms around his waist, pressing her mostly bare body to his with a smile.

[gavemea_45]

He holds on and smiles down at her. "We better go outside before all my good intentions get lost," he teases.

[feel_human]

"We'll see how long they last when I'm putting sunscreen on your back," she teases back, but releases him after she tips her face up for kiss. "C'mon, then. We're here to relax, so we may as well get started."

[gavemea_45]

He kisses her back willingly and collects the basket before pulling the door open for her. Once they reach the beach, he looks around critically before indicating a spot. "What do you think about setting up there?"

[feel_human]

"I think it looks great."

There's a reasonably wide swathe of sand between the spot he'd picked and the high tide line, and it's not all that far from the cottage, either. Sookie reaches into the bag and pulls out one of the over-sized towels and lays it out on the soft sand, then sets the other next to it. "Maybe we shoulda brought some beach chairs."

[gavemea_45]

"I can check with the office, see if they have any around anywhere," he offers. "If not, I bet we can pick something up while we're out."

He makes sure the basket's in easy reach of her and digs out the radio she likes, then sets that down on her blanket before he settles on his own.

[feel_human]

"I'm not too worried about it." She slides her sunglasses over her eyes as she sits and eases back on her towel, rolling her head and arching her back as she gets comfortable. one arm sprawled up over her head. The sun floods down on her, almost too hot. Just the way she likes it.

[gavemea_45]

He sits by her, knees drawn up and arms loosely draped around them, and casts his glance over the beach. There are people here and there in the distance, but it's not too crowded around them, which he appreciates.

"Comfortable?"

[feel_human]

"Uh-huh."

She lolls her head over so she can look at him. "This is so nice. I think this is when people might say 'this is the life.'"

[gavemea_45]

"Seems reasonable to me." He leans over and tugs at a lock of her hair.

[feel_human]

She giggles up at him at his teasing. "Want me to put some sunscreen on your back?"

[gavemea_45]

"In a little bit. I think I'm going to go for a swim first - if that's okay with you?" Sam glances at her.

It's not like he'll be far away, but he still wants to check.

[feel_human]

"Of course," she promises, quelling a small wave of anxiety.

He'll still be close by. And nothing's going to happen to either of them here. "Go on, honey."

[gavemea_45]

Sam smiles at her before shoving himself to his feet and heading for the surf.

The water is warm, and nice. He swims out a bit and dives through a wave, but is mindful to stay in easy view.

[feel_human]

She pushes herself up to lean back on her hands so she can watch him – not that she's afraid something will happen, exactly, but it feels better to keep him in sight. He dives through the water as easily as a dolphin and with all evidence of enjoyment, and she smiles just to watch him.