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]

Sam doesn't apologize, but he changes his approach. "Okay, Sookie." He looks back at Bill, focusing on his mouth. "How'd you know she was in trouble, anyway?"

[feel_human]

"I was still recovering from their attack," Bill replies, smoothly. "I was not yet so far away that I could not hear what happened."

[gavemea_45]

His eyes narrow.

"Then how come it took so long to get to her?"

[feel_human]

"I was recovering," Bill repeats, with an air of patience, as Sookie glances up at Sam, her brows furrowing at the suspicion in the brush of his thoughts. "And not moving at my usual speed. Which is why I was close enough to respond at all, as I just said."

[gavemea_45]

He makes a slightly dissatisfied sound, but leaves it at that for the present.

"So now what?"

[feel_human]

Bill shrugs, lightly. "Now, I hope this unpleasantness is behind us. Who knows?"

He looks at Sookie, and though he doesn't precisely smile, something in his expression softens. "We may come to enjoy bein' neighbors."

[gavemea_45]

Sam sighs, very softly. "Sorry," he murmurs to Sookie, and raises his voice for Bill to hear. "Who knows," he echoes. "Do other vampires know you're here? Or about her? Since you've been asking around, and all?"

[feel_human]

"They know about me, yes," Bill tells him, evenly. "About Sookie, no. Because I am not a fool."

[gavemea_45]

He keeps his opinion about that to himself.

"Are you going to feed on the people of this town?"

[feel_human]

Bill studies him, with interest.

"Is that the question you really want to ask?" he wonders aloud. "Or are you askin' if I'll kill the people of this town?"

[gavemea_45]

Sam gives him a sharp grin.

"How about both?"

[feel_human]

Bill shrugs, once again. "I am not plannin' to do either."

[gavemea_45]

He's not at all sure about that, but it's not like calling him a liar to his face will do any good, at least not right now.

Instead, Sam looks down at Sookie. "What else do you want to know?" he asks, gently.

[feel_human]

She shakes her head, her arms still folded tight and protective. "I think I need some time to think this all through," she says, soft. "I'm feelin' a little overwhelmed."

[gavemea_45]

He rubs her back again. "Okay," he murmurs.

Sam raises his eyebrows at Bill.

[feel_human]

"Of course," Bill says, polite. He takes a step back.

"Then I'll wish you a good evenin'."

[gavemea_45]

He gives him a nod and moves to close the door in his face.

[feel_human]

"Good night, Bill," she says, soft, as she steps back before the door closes. When she glances out through the lacy curtains covering the glass side panels, Bill's gone.

She looks up at Sam with dark, uncertain eyes, her arms still folded tight. "Well, that was... somethin'."

[gavemea_45]

"It was." Sam studies her expression and the way she's holding herself, then makes a gesture, offering to hug her.

[feel_human]

She comes into his arms and slips her own around his waist, settling her head against his chest. "You find out what you wanted to know?"

[gavemea_45]

He runs one hand up and down her back, holding her close. "As much as we could, I think. For now, anyway." Sam looks down at her. "How about you?"

[feel_human]

"Still no closer to findin' out what I am," she murmurs, and looks up at him. "But I guess at least we know a little more about Bill."

[gavemea_45]

He's reluctant, but it has to be said. "Unless he was lying."

[feel_human]

"If we think he's lyin', there's no point to askin' him anything," she points out, gently. "It's not like he was exactly sugar-coatin' things for us, Sam."

[gavemea_45]

"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I'm just not used to trusting vampires." But she's got a point, he has to admit.