feel_human | saturday night and the moon is out

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

feel_human

She makes a soft sound of contentment and stretches beneath his hand, the way Tina does when she's warm and sleepy and relaxed and wants a belly rub.

He has to go, eventually. She knows that. He's got real ambitions and plans, and he's not meant to stay in a sleepy little town like Bon Temps, or probably even with a girl like her. But while he's here, she'll grasp everything she can with both hands and hold onto it, tight. She leans down and kisses him, softly.

"Come on," she murmurs. "Let's have a little lunch."

From:

gavemea_45

“Okay. Hang on a second.” He gives her a last quick kiss - for now - and twists to the side to gently lay her down on the blanket so that it’ll be easier for her to get up. Sam sits up as well and reaches for her dress, spreading it out before he offers it back to her.

From:

feel_human

She smiles and takes the dress, although she'd have been just as happy to slip his overshirt on as a cover-up. She doesn't bother with anything else, just sits up and tugs the dress back on and zips it up, then runs her fingers through her hair to get out any tangles.

From:

gavemea_45

Sam rolls to his feet and pulls his jeans on, then goes to retrieve the picnic basket. He carries it back over and sets it down by Sookie.

“It’s heavy,” he teases. “What are we having?”

From:

feel_human

"Everything I could think of," she teases back, and reaches to open the basket. She takes out the checkered cloth and sets it neatly on the larger blanket, then starts unloading the items beneath: the carefully-wrapped up peach pie, now nicely cool and smelling like summer itself; a Tupperware of bacon and broccoli salad and another of coleslaw; the package of cold fried chicken.

She'd packed paper plates and silverware at the bottom of the basket along with the Thermos of iced tea and some napkins, and sets those out, too.

From:

gavemea_45

Sam stares, wide-eyed. "Oh my god," he breathes. "You did all this?"

From:

feel_human

She laughs at his surprise and starts taking the lids off the containers. "It's not that much," she points out.

"You oughta see a church potluck."

From:

gavemea_45

Sam grins and reaches to help her. "Are you kidding? This is amazing."

From:

feel_human

She blushes and picks up a plate, scooping sides onto it before nestling in a few big pieces of chicken and offering it to him along with a napkin and silverware.

"I thought it'd be nicer than sittin' in a café somewhere," she says. "Since you haven't gotten much home cookin'."

From:

gavemea_45

He holds on to the plate, waiting for her to get her own before he starts in.

"You were right," he assures her. "I can't believe you went to all this trouble, though."

From:

feel_human

"It's no trouble," she promises, as she loads up her own plate. She doesn't take as much as she'd given him, but she's hungry and serves herself a few good spoonfuls, along with a leg and a thigh. "I like to cook."

She nods at his plate, her eyes bright with anticipation. "Go on, try it."

From:

gavemea_45

He doesn't wait longer, but forks up a bite of the salad first - and nearly closes his eyes in bliss as flavors explode over his tongue. Sam moves to sample everything else in turn, then gently sets the plate aside and reaches to catch one of her hands and kisses her fingers, then her palm.

"It's wonderful. And so are you."

From:

feel_human

She colors, pleased, thoroughly enjoying his enjoyment as much as or more than her own food. "You're wonderful, too," she murmurs, shyly delighted.

"I'm so glad you like it."

From:

gavemea_45

He kisses her hand again, squeezes her fingers, then lets go and reclaims his place.

"I do," he tells her. "I really, really do."

From:

feel_human

She smiles at him, sweet, and concentrates on her own meal for a few more bites before she pauses to pour them some tea, crisp and cool and refreshing.

"Find out anythin' useful in town?" she asks, as she lifts her cup for a sip.

From:

gavemea_45

"Not too much - mostly gossip," he tells her. "People are talking about Jason being released, for one. Others were talking about a freak tornado that destroyed a trailer a ways out from town."

From:

feel_human

She nods and takes dainty bites out of her chicken, then thinks about Jason and sighs. "I hope he stays out of trouble for a while," she says, though she doesn't sound as though she thinks that's likely to happen. "Did you hear if they had anyone else in as a suspect?"

From:

gavemea_45

“Not that I overheard.” Sam gives her a sympathetic look. “Evidently that detective still thinks it’s him. I figured I could try talking to one or both of them. Seems likely Jason’s run up against more than he realizes.”

From:

feel_human

"He always does."

She refuses to let thoughts of her brother ruin her appetite or this beautiful day, but she forks up a piece of broccoli a little more viciously than needed. "Jason's been the big fish around here a long time. He's never been in any kind of trouble he couldn't get out of again with a smile and a little charm."

From:

gavemea_45

"Both can go a pretty long way," Sam admits, a little sheepishly. "Anyway, I'll see if I can find him tomorrow."

Not today.

"I thought I'd talk with this Bellefleur guy too, but I have to be a little careful. More careful than usual."

From:

feel_human

"With Andy?"

She scoops up a last bite of slaw and sets down her plate. "Why?"

From:

gavemea_45

"Because I'm a stranger." Sam shrugs and takes a quick swallow of tea. "Since your brother's got an alibi, or something, they'll be looking for a new suspect. I'm likely to be on the list, if I'm not already."

From:

feel_human

"But you've got one, too," she points out. "You were here all that night, and we were talkin' until real late."

From:

gavemea_45

His smile is sweet and gentle. "I know. But it doesn't always make a difference, when you're a stranger in town. Don't worry, it'll be fine. I just need a cover for why I'm here and why I'm asking questions."

His expression shifts a little. "I hate to ask you to lie."