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

[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.

[feel_human]

"That's probably a good thing, all thing's considered," she says, rueful. "I don't think I exactly trust him, myself."

[gavemea_45]

He strokes a hand over her hair. "That's probably also a good thing."

[feel_human]

"Yeah."

She sets her hands on his sides and exhales, trying not to think of the way Bill's face had looked. I can smell the sunlight on your skin. "And I'm definitely not sure I like him bein' able to find me whenever he wants."

[gavemea_45]

"You and me both." He runs his hand up and down her back again, holding her a little closer.

"I know someone I can call. See if there's a way to break that link."

[feel_human]

"You do?"

Even under his soothing hand, her back is tense. "Your brother?"

[gavemea_45]

“No. Someone else,” he says, softly. He keeps up the gentle touches, trying to comfort.

“A friend of my dad’s. Kind of like an uncle. He’s— his house is full of books. I mean everywhere. He knows a lot.”

[feel_human]

She nods, her face tipped up to his. "Okay," she murmurs.

"I hope he knows somethin' about this."

[gavemea_45]

“If he doesn’t, he’ll know where to look,” Sam promises. He leans down and gives her a gentle kiss.

“We’ll find a way, Sookie.”

[feel_human]

She doesn't need to listen to his thoughts to know he means what he says. "Okay," she says again, this time with a small smile, and brings a hand to his chest, tugging lightly on his shirt.

"But not tonight. It's gettin' late."

[gavemea_45]

His answering smile is warm. “If you’re sure. He keeps weird hours sometimes.”

He finds it impossibly cute when she tugs at his shirt like that, although he couldn’t explain why. “But we can wait for morning if you’d rather.”

[feel_human]

She gives him a dubious glance. "You think he'd be up now?"

It might be worth it to call, just so it doesn't keep Sam up all night wondering.