saturday night and the moon is out

[feel_human]

Tucked away off the road in Bon Temps, there's a road house. Warm light spills from its windows, and the sound of a jukebox playing drifts out into the muggy Louisiana night. The regular assortment of trucks and Hail-Mary-please-keep-this-lemon-goin'-just-a-little-longer cars sit in the dirt parking lot; what amounts to about half the town's small population... or, at least, of those of the 'drinking age and above' persuasion.

Inside, it's a bar of the type scattered all across the American South: homey, no-nonsense. Booths and tables. A man in a plaid flannel shirt wiping the bar; a crossdresser in the kitchen singing Gospel hymns and rolling his hips in time with the words just to scandalize the prep cook. A handful of waitresses, bustling about.

Sookie makes her way briskly through it all, a tray balanced on her palm and her eyes kept stubbornly front, as voices swarm around her. Aloud, and... less so.

...I’m just going to have one beer tonight Jesus one beer that’s all...

...better not gripe about me eating fries not after what I did for him last night...

...I cannot wait to get the hell out of this podunk town...

 

 "Well, make sure you do, and before it’s too late," she responds, thoughtless, to the young man. "Because every year you wait? You just get more and more stuck here. Believe me, I know."

He stares at her. So do his parents.

So does the other table. And she realizes, too little too late, that he hadn't said that out loud, not at all. She laughs, uncomfortable. "I’ll get y'all some ketchup," she says, brightly, and flees, ponytail swinging against the nape of her neck as she goes.

Stupid, Sookie, she chides herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

Comments

[gavemea_45]

He barely manages to stifle the wince, but nods at Sookie's observation. "That's right."

[feel_human]

“This is all so much to take in,” Gran murmurs. “I think… I ought to go have a little lie-down.”

Sookie sets the iron safely to the side and comes to help her out her chair. “It’ll be okay, Gran,” she says, soothingly, and tips her head toward Sam with an encouraging smile. “Luckily Sam here showed up in time to help out. Sam? Would you walk her upstairs, please?”

[gavemea_45]

"Of course." Sam comes off the chair and to Adele's side in an instant. "Lean on me, Mrs. Stackhouse. I've got you."

[feel_human]

Adele takes his arm with a smile of thanks and pats it with her other hand. "Oh, you are such a good boy," she says. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about a thing, Gran," Sookie tells her. "I'll finish up the laundry. You just take a little rest and think it all over, okay?"

[gavemea_45]

“I know it’s a lot,” he says, as he starts helping her upstairs. “You can ask me questions later if you have any. For now, don’t you worry about a thing.”

[feel_human]

"But I am worried, I admit."

She's not so frail, despite her shock, and she takes the stairs easily enough with his aid. "Mister Winchester – Sam. Tell me the truth. Is my granddaughter in danger?"

[gavemea_45]

“He’s taken an interest in her,” Sam admits, reluctantly. “But I’m going to look out for her. Make sure she’s safe.”

[feel_human]

As they come to the door of her room, Adele turns and takes Sam's hands in her own. "I admit this is all a good deal beyond anything I know," she says. "So I will trust that you know best. Keep her safe, Sam. Please."

[gavemea_45]

He lets her hold on to him and looks down at her. She's frail with age, but not fragile, and has a deep strength to her - she must, for how well she's taking the shock. He can't help but admire her for it.

"I will," he says, earnestly.

[feel_human]

She reaches up to pat his cheek lightly, then smiles and releases him. "Go on, then," she tells him, as she goes into her bedroom. "I'll be down again in a little while."

[gavemea_45]

"Yes, ma'am." He waits for a second, then retreats down the hall to the floor below and finds Sookie with the laundry. Sam raises his eyebrows and blows out a breath.

"She took it okay, I think?"

[feel_human]

"One benefit of raisin' a telepath, I guess."

She finishes ironing another pillowcase and folds it crisply, then stacks it with the others before setting one of her own light sundresses on the board. "Gives you kind of an open mind about things."

[gavemea_45]

"Maybe." Sam watches her for a second, then shakes his head. "I'd offer to help," he says, a little rueful, "but I'd probably burn something."

[feel_human]

Her mouth curves, faint but warm. "Don't worry about it."

She runs the iron over the top of the dress, then the skirt, then sets the clothing aside and sits the iron on its rest before she looks up at him. "I'm sorry Sam," she says, apologetic. "I just don't think I'm gonna be able to get away this afternoon after all, not if I want Gran to get some rest."

[gavemea_45]

"I kinda figured." He smiles, just a little. "That just means we have something to look forward to, right?"

[feel_human]

Her cheeks warm and she gives the ironing board a pleased smile. "Uh-huh."

She chances a glance over at him. "And I'm off work tomorrow."

[gavemea_45]

"Oh?" His smile warms. "Maybe we could move today's plans to tomorrow, then. Unless there's something else you'd like to do."

[feel_human]

"Not a thing," she promises, pink and pleased. "I can't imagine a nicer way to spend my time off."

Or – well – she can think of a few ways, but she tries to shove them down with as much determination as if he were the telepath.

[gavemea_45]

He looks down, bashful, then back up at her, still smiling.

"So you don't mind, um, that your grandmother asked if we - if we were --"

[feel_human]

"Um – " She can feel her blush all the way to her ears. "No, not for me – I mean – do you? Mind?"

She wets her lips and meets his glance. "I told you I don't – very much – so she gets excited if it seems like I like somebody. I hope she didn't make you feel uncomfortable."

[gavemea_45]

"She didn't," he says, hastily. "And I don't mind. Um - did you? Feel uncomfortable?"

[feel_human]

"No," she says, despite her near-constant blush. "I think maybe she's gettin' ahead of herself, considerin' we haven't had a date yet, but..."

She shrugs one shoulder, casts a shy glance at him through her lashes. "I like you. I liked you when I came to get your order, and I like you just as much now."

[gavemea_45]

He takes a step closer, and reaches out to tangle his fingers with hers.

"I like you too. Just so you know."

[feel_human]

Why? wants to come to her lips, but she doesn't let it, just twines her fingers with his and looks up into his face. "Okay," she says, soft and smiling.

"Then I guess... that's settled."

[gavemea_45]

His gaze drops to her mouth for a long moment as he brushes his thumb lightly over the side of her hand.

"Mm-hm."