Thyra Dane

I Write The Songs. CONTEST ENTRY

TITLE: When I`m 64 (The Beatles)

CHARACTERS: Eric and Sookie. Pam, Sam and Gran are mentioned.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters or anything else from the SVM-universe. Charlaine Harris does. I just aged them slightly.

PEN NAME: Thyra 10

BETA NAME: Rascalthemutant

VIRGIN WRITER : No

TEASER: Eric and Sookie meet each other again years after they had a relationship that ended in a child – and Sookie marrying Sam. Will it be better the second time around? All Human. Rated M.

xxxx

“Hello, lover,” someone whispered into my ear.

Normally I would have rolled my eyes, walked away or told him to stuff it, but this time I turned around and let him see the pain in my eyes.

“Hi Eric,” I answered.

His smile faded, which was a shame. He had a gorgeous smile that always reminded me of Paul Newman. Actually all of Eric reminded me of Paul Newman. The same charm, the same oozing of sex, the same thinning hair. Yes, Eric was aging just as handsomely as Paul Newman did.

“I`m sorry for your loss,” he said a bit stiffly.

“Thank you,” I replied. What can you say when someone says they are sorry for you that you lost the husband you loved for over 30 years? Sorry doesn`t really cover it, but it`s all there is.

Eric sat down next to me and for once he didn`t try to touch me.

“How are you holding up?”

I exhaled slowly and looked at him. “I`m not sure, really,” I said honestly.

“I can imagine. You two were a perfect fit.”

I laughed. “I never thought you would agree with me on that.”

“I didn`t up until recently. You know I wanted you too, but I actually think you chose the better man. Sam gave you a good life.” He then looked at me for confirmation. “Didn`t he?”

“I think we gave each other a good life. A happy life.”

“I`m glad.”

We sat there quiet for some time, looking at all the restaurant and bar people going back and forth from one seminar to the next. Eric and I were in the same line of business and had met each other once a year at the annual Louisiana Restaurant and Bar Convention. We only lived an hour apart, Eric in Shreveport and I in Bon Temps, but ever since we broke up and I married Sam, we had only seen each other when he came to pick up Pam. And at the annual conventions.

Eric had sent me Valentine`s, birthday greetings and the odd bottle of wine over the years – which had always made Sam shrug. He knew Eric wasn`t a threat. Or maybe he just accepted the threat and was happy for what we had in spite of it.

I`d never given Sam any reason to fear Eric. And I had never been unfaithful to him.

“Why do you keep calling me `Lover`?” I suddenly asked. “You`ve done it every year for over 30 years.”

“I called you `Lover` before that too,” Eric answered.

“Yes, but there was truth in it back then. But after I married Sam…” I trailed off.

Eric took my hand. “I guess I had a hard time accepting that you chose him over me.”

“But you chose other women over me all the time,” I said and immediately regretted. I didn`t really want to remind him of the life we had together.

“I never married any of them, though. I would have married you.”

“You were too busy with your club and your life. There wasn`t room for me.”

Eric looked straight ahead and seemed to think for a minute. “No, you`re right. There should have been but there wasn`t.” He was quiet for a moment. “And then you married Sam and it was too late.” He looked back at me. “I didn`t like it, though.”

“I know. You told me. You were pretty angry with me, remember?”

“I hated seeing you at the first convention after the wedding. You were…” He stopped.

“I was pregnant with Pam,” I continued.

“And now Pam works for me,” he grinned.

“With her father,” I offered. Sam had always known that he wasn`t Pam`s father and Eric had been as supportive as he could. Pam had still been closer to Sam than she was to Eric. He had been the father that woke her up and got her to school in the morning and the father who had taken her to the doctor when she was sick. Eric had taken her to Disneyland and been her hero, but Sam had been her father in every other respect than by blood.

“I`m glad you had her. I hated for her to grow up with Sam but he did treat her well.”

“Well? He loved her like his own.”

“I know, Sookie.” He patted my hand.

We were quiet for a moment again.

“And now you have grandchildren on your knee,” Eric said.

“We both have. They`re your grandchildren too.”

“Pam brings them in from time to time.”

“She really looks up to you.”

Eric smiled.

“It`s my birthday today,” he suddenly said. “Come celebrate it with me.”

“Now? There`s the banquet in three hours.”

“I don`t want to listen to some old fools on my birthday.”

“Who`s the old fool? Last time I checked, neither you nor I were getting any younger.”

Eric turned around on the couch we were sitting on and looked at me.

“I would like to celebrate it with you.” He paused. “Please.”

I laughed. That must have been the first time I`d ever heard Eric Northman say `please`.

“I`ll go if you say `pretty please`”, I teased.

Eric groaned. “Sookie!”

I wasn`t really sure what to say and it was mainly because I wasn`t sure why Eric would want to celebrate his birthday with me now. Eric had always tried to get into my panties, even after I married Sam. Especially after I married Sam. But now he seemed different.

“Ok,” I said. “But I don`t have any presents for you.”

“Sookie, I`m 64 years old as of today. I think I can manage a birthday without a present.”

“So what do you want to do on your birthday?” I asked.

“I have already made reservations,” he smiled.

I stared at him. “Why does this not surprise me?” Eric always was high-handed.

“Because you know me very well. And I know you.”

I didn`t comment on that. “When are your reservations?”

Eric checked his watch. “I can pick you up at your room in two hours.”

I nodded. “Okay. My room number is…”

“374,” Eric grinned.

“374,” I said while rolling my yes.

“I always know your room number at these conventions.”

Xxxx

On the dot two hours later, Eric knocked on my door. I`d put on my best dress and blow dried my hair into the curls I knew looked good on me. My hair was still blond – even without the help of dyes. Sure there were a few white hairs there too, but that is the advantage of being blond – no gray hair.

To his surprise, I started singing `Happy Birthday` when I opened the door. I never could sing, but I`d had practice over the years with Pam and her kids. At least I could manage a verse of the birthday song.

He laughed when I was half way through. Then he gave me a kiss.

“My singing isn`t that bad,” I teased when I managed to pull away from his mouth.

“Any excuse to kiss you is a good excuse, Sookie.”

I walked out the door and made sure it was locked.

“I think we`re too old for that, Eric,” I said.

“To make excuses to kiss?” Eric asked in an innocent tone.

“No. To kiss. To flirt. I`m an old lady now, Eric.”

“You aren`t even 60 yet and you`re as hot as ever.”

“Eric!”

“I mean it. You`re one sexy lady. You always were.”

“I`m also a widow.”

We were waiting for the elevator. Eric took my hand.

“You won`t love Sam any less for flirting with me. Your life with him won`t hold any less value.”

I let my hand stay in Eric`s. He was right. I`d loved two men most of my life. Sam was my castle, my home. The man I truly loved because he was a great person and had such a big heart. My love for Eric had always been more complicated and unwanted. He`d turned me on like nobody else and we shared the same zest for life. But when I was forced to make the choice, there really wasn`t one.

The restaurant was just down the street from the convention area and we decided to walk. It was nice to walk hand in hand with Eric. Comforting, somehow. And something else too.

I felt a bit guilty towards Sam, but it wasn`t enough for me to let go of Eric`s hand.

We sat down at the restaurant and both of us immediately started looking around.

“I suppose it`s an occupational hazard when people like us go out and eat?” I said when I noticed Eric was also checking the place for flaws.

He smiled and looked at me. “I guess we should just look at each other, then. No flaws where I`m looking now.”

I blushed. I was 58 years old and I blushed.

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” I muttered, quoting Mae West.

Eric flashed his smile. Eric may have a lot of flaws but right there and then, I couldn`t see them.

Xxxx

It had been a great dinner and we were walking back towards the hotel, again holding hands like teenagers.

“This was the best birthday dinner I`ve had in ages,” Eric exclaimed when we walked through the doors of our hotel.

“I don`t believe you,” I said, honestly.

“Just trust me.”

We waited in silence by the elevator. I had no idea which floor he was staying on and I was beginning to get that old feeling you have when you return from a date. The awkward feeling of not knowing what will happen next.

I giggled at the thought of old Eric and old me being two teenagers on a date. The first date we`d been on had ended up in bed immediately. I`d never been able to say no to Eric.

Eric gave me a questioning look.

“It`s just… I was thinking about how many years it has been since I`ve been escorted home by someone and…” I trailed off.

“And now you can`t wait to get me in the sack?” Eric asked with a grin.

I thought for a moment. “Uh huh,” I then replied and looked away when Eric turned his head towards me. When did I become 16 years old again?

Before I knew it, we were in Eric`s room and Eric was kissing me deeply. His hands were all over me. I had this vague thought that I should feel like I was cheating on Sam, but I couldn`t. Sam still had a special place in my heart, but Eric was the one with the hands on my breasts.

I moaned when Eric`s hands found all my special places. Eric had known my body well when we were young and it seemed he hadn`t forgotten his lessons.

I unbuttoned his shirt and let my fingers play with the graying hair on his chest. He was still as muscular as I remembered him. Then I leaned in and started nibbling, kissing and biting his nipples.

Eric groaned and his movements became more frantic. The zipper on my dress was suddenly open and soon it was pooling on the floor.

“Oh, Sookie. You make me feel like a teenager all over again.”

“With anxieties and premature ejaculation?” I teased.

“There may definitely be some premature ejaculation here. Just looking at you makes me one stroke from coming in my pants.”

Of course I had to put my hands on the bulk in question and Eric hissed and leaned into my hand. There was definitely no need for Viagra here. I moved my hand slightly up and down and then I unbuttoned his pants and pulled them down.

Eric wrestled himself free from his jacket and shirt and kicked his pants away while I stepped out of my dress. Then he pulled me to the bed where we sat next to each other while he removed his socks.

Eric was in his boxers and I in my panties and bra. We looked at each other, suddenly realizing what we were about to do. And how long it had been since we`d had sex with each other last.

I could have been self-conscious about the way my body had aged since Eric had seen it last but the hungry look in his eyes told me there was nothing wrong with the way I looked. Not that I had any issues with aging. Apart from some sun damage from excessive tanning in my youth, I looked just fine.

Eric looked more than fine, actually. He had looked just like Paul Newman in his youth and now he was the mature Paul Newman instead. I smiled and took his hand in mine.

“Nervous?” I asked, voicing my own feelings when I did.

“I am, actually. That hasn`t happened to me since … well, since you and I had sex the first time.”

“You were nervous back then? You seemed like the King of Bedlinen.”

Eric laughed. “I was, of course. It was just, I wanted you to choose me, to want me, and sex has always been one of my selling points.”

“You were great in bed, Eric, but you`re selling yourself short if you think that`s the only thing you have going for you.”

“Really?” Eric asked with a smile that turned more wolfish by the second, and leaned over. “I think I`ll just go for the safe bet and make you scream my name instead.”

Soon he had me in the middle of the bed and himself down between my legs.

“You taste just as good as I remember you, Sookie.”

And Eric was just as talented as I remembered. Soon he had me screaming his name, just like he promised. He then pulled out the drawer of the night stand and found a condom.

I couldn`t help giggling. I hadn`t used a condom since… actually since I`d slept with Eric last. And we weren`t even that careful back then. It was pre-AIDS so the worst thing that could happen was pregnancy and apparently that wasn`t enough to scare us. Condoms were only used from time to time when we remembered it and Pam was the result of our carelessness.

But I stopped giggling when Eric turned around and started kissing my breasts. He situated himself between my legs and, while straightening up and looking me in my eyes, he pushed himself inside me.

The feeling of Eric inside me again, after so many years, was massive. So was what I actually had inside me.

Eric and I were entirely still for a very long time, just looking at each other, enjoying the feeling of each other.

Then we started moving in the same rhythm and all kinds of sounds escaped us both. I let my hands run through Eric`s hair and pulled him towards me, needing to kiss him deeply.

Soon our love making was frantic and fast and very good. Very good indeed.

When I came down from my high, Eric was on my chest, listening to my heartbeat.

“Afraid I will have a heart attack?” I whispered.

“No. Just missing the sound,” Eric answered.

We lay like that for some time, stroking each other lazily. Then Eric pulled off his condom and went to the bathroom to throw it out. I could hear him brush his teeth and went out to stand behind him, naked body against naked body. It was a treat to see Eric do something as everyday as brushing his teeth.

“Are you sending me back to my room now?” I half teased, half asked.

Eric turned around. “Actually I put a spell on my door and no woman can leave my room the next 12 hours.”

“I`m sure that`s bad news for the women you have waiting in the closet.”

“But good news for the woman in my bathroom,” he smiled. I agreed.

“I need to brush my teeth, though,” I said and Eric handed me the toothbrush he had just used.

“We`ve just kissed deeper than the toothbrush will ever get,” he said when he noticed my frown. Then he went back to the bedroom and I closed the door.

I ended up brushing my teeth with Eric`s toothbrush and after having done my private business, we went to bed, spooning so hard, my entire body was glued to his.

Eric`s hand found my breast and even though I was exhausted, I knew I couldn`t fall asleep. Not with his thumb making circular movements around my nipple and him hardening against my butt.

He started kissing my neck and licking my ear. I moaned and writhed to make him know I liked what he was doing.

“Shit, Sookie. I haven`t been able to….twice a night at my age…that`s just….”

I laughed.

“You`re my fountain of youth, Sookie.”

“And you`re my jar of orgasms it seems,” I answered when his hand went between my legs, guiding himself into me and then staying there touching me in just the perfect way.

Where the first time had been frantic, this was slow. I took in every movement and every touch. After a long time of deep emotions in every stroke, we went faster and faster and as I felt myself come hard, Eric groaned loudly into my neck.

We both had little shivers and lay very close, me holding Eric`s hands in mine, one of his arms under me and one over.

Suddenly he pulled back.

“Shit, Sookie. I forgot a condom.”

I turned around and laughed. “I don`t think I`ll be pregnant this time.”

“Yes, but there`s…”

“I know I haven`t been with anyone but Sam the last 30 years and I don`t think he cheated on me,” I said, not really wanting Eric to tell me about the countless number of women he had slept with. I wasn`t jealous. After all I`d had love and Eric had only had women passing by. But that still didn`t mean I wanted their names.

Eric was quiet for a while.

“I haven`t been with anyone in at least two years. And I`ve always been careful with the condoms.”

“Except now,” I stated.

“Except now. I never expected us to have sex again tonight.”

I laughed.

“Me neither. Sure you`re not on Viagra?” I teased.

Eric stroked my butt. “Oh, I`m on Viagra, all right. It`s a new brand called Sookie.”

We fell asleep in each other`s arms and it felt good.

Xxxxx

The next morning I woke up with the smell of coffee, bacon and waffles in my nose. Then I felt a kiss on my cheek.

“Breakfast is ready,” Eric whispered.

I couldn`t help smiling at him when I woke up. Eric and I had had sex plenty of times and we even had a child, but this was the first time we`d eaten breakfast with each other. First I`d lived with Gran, which meant that I couldn`t stay out all night. When Gran had died we`d still not spend the entire night in each other`s company.

“Why didn`t you ever stay the night when we were younger?” I asked, suddenly curious about it.

“Because I was stupid?” Eric was taking off the bathrobe he was wearing. “I guess my independence was important to me. I figured I would lose it if I started sleeping over at your place.”

“This was also why you always drove me home in the middle of the night instead of letting me stay?”

“I guess so. Was this one of the reasons you chose Sam? Did he let you stay?”

I got out of bed and went to the bathroom, giving myself a few minutes to think. It wasn`t until I sat down on the toilet, I realized I`d walked to the bathroom naked. I would never have done that when I was younger. Eric only ever got to see me naked during our love making. Never just walking around in the room.

When I came back, Eric was bending over the coffee table, rearranging the breakfast tray.

“You always did have a perfect butt,” I said, leaning into his body and letting my hand rest on his butt cheek.

I half expected him to say `I know`, but he turned around and kissed me instead. “Not as perfect as yours,” he grinned and gave it a squeeze.

I plopped down in the bed and pulled the sheets up to my waist. Eric handed me a cup of coffee and touched my breast on the way. “Your breasts are perfect too.” Then he leaned down and kissed my nipple.

I took a sip of the coffee while Eric put a tray with food in my lap and jumped into bed next to me with his own tray.

I took a breath and turned my head in his direction. “I guess that was part of it,” I said, referring to what he`s asked me before I went to the bathroom. “You were busy and I was never an important part of your life. It was obvious your job meant more to you than I did and I wanted a kind of commitment you would never give me.”

Eric looked sad. “I would have married you if you`d told me you were expecting my child before you married Sam.”

“I know that. But you wouldn`t have wanted the marriage. Sam wanted to be married to me. He loved me and I loved him.”

“But you loved me too,” Eric insisted.

“I did. I really did love you. But the love I had for Sam was the kind of love you build marriages on.”

“And the love you had for me was just the sex?” Eric looked hurt.

“Of course it wasn`t. Why do you think sex is the only thing you have to offer?”

“Because that was the only thing you took, Sookie.”

I chewed on a piece of toast. “That`s not true, Eric. I`ve never laughed as much as I`ve laughed with you. And you gave me a lot of confidence in myself. You were the one who told me you liked me for me and not just because I had a great body. You gave love too. I never doubted how you felt about me.”

“So what went wrong?” Eric looked as if he`s asked himself that question many times over.

“You never gave me your time. It isn`t enough to be loved and appreciated and to have great sex if you always feel like you are at the end of the list and not on top of it.”

“I would never have been where I am today if I hadn`t put all my effort into it when I was younger.”

“No, but that was how you prioritized and I respected that. I just didn`t want to marry you and be all alone in the marriage. I also didn`t want you to marry me because you felt you had to.”

We ate in silence for a while. I could almost hear the machinery in Eric`s head work at processing what I`d just told him.

“And now?” he asked.

It took me by surprise. “What do you mean?”

“I`ll be stepping down in a few years and letting Pam take over. Will you move in with me? Marry me?”

I laughed. “Isn`t that a bit late?” I started to ask, but when I saw Eric`s face I understood how seriously he meant it. “It`s a bit early for me,” I said instead. “Sam has only been dead for 10 months.” I chewed on the question a bit more. “And why should I move in with you? I like my house. It`s close to Pam and the kids.”

“Vera, Chuck and Dave,” Eric said.

“Yes, they are great kids and I look after them whenever Pam`s mean old boss keeps her at work too long.”

“Pam is not like me, Sookie. She knows how to prioritize. I still think you should come to Shreveport. Pam and the kids could move too. It would bring her closer to her job.”

“Yes, but Merlotte`s would be further away for me. I don`t want the commute. I like my life as it is, Eric.”

“So you`re saying you won`t make the time for me now? Or do you still want the occasional sex?”

When we`d been younger, Eric always knew how to hurt my feelings when he was hurt himself. Now I just shrugged.

“Why don`t you come to Bon Temps and live with me instead? If you`re stepping down anyway, you could help me out at Merlotte`s. You would be closer to your grandchildren too.”

“I could stay with you?” Eric thought out loud. Then he smiled. “I could be handy, mending a fuse, when your lights have gone,” he smiled.

“Sure. And I could knit a sweater by the fireside. And on Sunday mornings we could go for a ride.”

“We could do the garden together, digging the weeds.” He smiled at the thought of that kind of a life with me. I felt pretty confident Eric hadn`t dug any weeds with anyone unless `digging weeds` was the new catch phrase for having sex. “You would be mine for evermore,” he stated.

“I would,” I laughed.

“Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I`m sixty-four?” he suddenly sang.

“Sure,” I answered and then we sealed the deal, breakfast flying everywhere.

---

A/N:

I hope you liked my aging Eric and Sookie. And it you know the song When I`m 64, you will find almost all sentences and references from the song in this story (I couldn`t find a way to make them go on a trip to the Isle of Wright “if it`s not to dear”, though).

I also have another entry in this contest: I Shot the Sheriff.

I want to thank Northman Maille and Northwoman for hosting such a fun contest. I laughed a lot while writing and I hope to laugh (or cry, smile, moan, scream) a lot when I read the other entries in this contest. I`m looking forward to it!