"Poppin' Eric's Cherry" One-Shot Contest

Title: The Pact

Pen name: SMFogleman

Status (Virgin or Almost-Virgin): Virgin *blushes*

Primary Players: Eric, Sookie

Beta'd by: Miss Construed *bows at her greatness*

Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns these fabulous characters, I just own my personal fantasies of Eric.

To see other entries in the "Poppin' Eric's Cherry" contest, please visit the C2:

http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/community/Poppin_Erics_Cherry_One-Shot_Contest/75492/

A/N: A bazillion thanks to Miss Construed for being the best Beta a girl could ever ask for. I'm so appreciative for her endless patience, hand holding, and helping me work through my crazy nerves throughout this process. And helping me get this beast down to the word limit! I claim full responsibility for any and all remaining errors though.

Since this is my first story I definitely want your feedback on this – the good, the bad, and the ugly – just be gentle please.

Now, on with the show!

Tonight was the night, and I was nervous as hell. I wanted this to be special for both of us, but most of all for Sookie; I had done everything I could think of to make it so.

Knowing where we would end up, I had cleaned my bedroom from top to bottom - I'm not a messy person by nature, but I wanted to make sure that my room was spotless. I had also collected every single candle in the house and placed them in my room, ready to be lit when the time was right.

I didn't plan to take Sookie straight to my room though, she deserved better than that. I had cooked dinner, figuring it would give us a chance to work through some of the nervousness and relax. I couldn't make much, but I figured I couldn't go wrong with spaghetti, sans garlic of course, because no one wants to have garlic breath when kissing. With that same thought in mind, I opted for a good loaf of Italian bread and had Olive Oil with herbs to dip it in, instead of garlic bread.

I had considered wine, since neither my parents nor Gran really cared if we drank when we were home. I figured it would relax us both, but in the end, I decided that I didn't want to risk any fuzzy feelings from the alcohol; I wanted to be completely sober for my first time with Sookie. Yeah, I was hoping it wouldn't be the last.

I thought back over my checklist. Bedroom ready? Check. Dinner cooked? Check. Dining room set? Check. Condoms bought? Check. I definitely got a few flirtatious glances from the checkout girl when I bought those.

There was nothing left for me to do but wait for Sookie to arrive.

I didn't think I would be this nervous. Sookie was my best friend and we had agreed to this arrangement four years ago.

It was the summer before high school. Sookie and I were anxious about starting ninth grade. There were so many pressures, the biggest one being sex. We were frequently warned by Sookie's Gran and my parents about the pressures we would face to have sex and how sex should be reserved for the one you truly love. We also saw firsthand how Jason, Sookie's older brother, went through women and was both hated by the ones he left, and fawned after by the ones he had yet to get to.

So that summer, we agreed that we'd listen to Gran and my parents, but that if we were still virgins when we graduated, we would have sex with each other. It would be better to be awkward with your best friend than to enter college and feel foolish with someone that was experienced. At least that's what we claimed.

In reality, I had loved Sookie for awhile. I couldn't say that I loved her since the day I met her, because we were 10 years old at the time, and who really falls in love when you are 10?

My parents had moved us from Sweden to Shreveport, LA and enrolled my younger sister, Pam, and I in Shreveport Academy. It was my first day of fifth grade, and I had no clue how or where I was going to fit in. After we had been in school for a few days, this blond haired, blue-eyed girl came up to me and asked if I'd be her friend. It seemed a little strange, especially because she was a girl, but since I had no other friends at the time, I agreed.

Sookie and I soon became inseparable. I knew it was weird to have a girl for a friend when they had cooties, but Sookie didn't seem to care, and no one else wanted to be friends with the "foreign kid." I wondered why Sookie asked to be my friend that day, but she never offered up an explanation, and I was too thankful that I had a friend to question her.

By the time we entered sixth grade, my curiosity got the better of me and I finally got the nerve to ask her.

We were sitting in a corner of the playground at recess and I asked her why she befriended me and no one else. She immediately blushed and tried to change the subject.

"Sookie, do you trust me?"

"Yes," she replied quietly.

"Then why don't you want to answer me?"

"I'm afraid you'll think I'm crazy, like everyone else."

"Sookie, I would never think that! You are my best friend and best friends stick together, no matter what."

"Fine. It's because, well, Icanhearpeoples'thoughtsbutIcouldn'," she rattled off so quickly that I couldn't understand her.

"What? I didn't understand you. Slow down so I can hear you please."

Sookie took a deep breath. "I said, 'it's because I can hear peoples' thoughts but I couldn't understand yours because you think in a different language."

"What?" I was completely shocked. "You can hear peoples' thoughts?" I asked slowly, as if I was testing to see if the words made any more sense coming out of my mouth.

"Yes," Sookie replied. A look of fear crossed her face and she began to tear up.

"Sookie, don't cry. I don't think you are crazy for this, and I'm not going to stop being your friend. I'm just trying to understand," I replied.

"Really?" she sniffled.

"Really," I told her. "So you can 'hear' what I'm thinking?"

"Yes, but you think in Swedish, so even though I can 'hear' you, I don't know what you are thinking. That's easier to tune out than thoughts in English."

How do you even respond to something like that?

Thinking about what she had said, I asked, "So what if I thought in English?"

"Then I would be able to hear you. But I'd have to have my shields down."

"Wait. Shields?" What the heck was she talking about? I didn't see any shields.

"Yeah. That's what I call the block between my brain and everyone's thoughts. I think of it as shields guarding me. When they are up, I can't hear what anyone is thinking. But when they are down, I can."

"Oh." I know, eloquent.

I sat there for awhile and thought about what she told me. Then my eleven year-old boy brain started thinking of all the cool superhero scenarios that could come of this. I was completely willing to be her sidekick, even if she was a girl. I would make sure that I was really strong. I could see us saving people from wrecked buildings; she would find them with her power, and I would be strong enough to do the heavy lifting. We'd solve mysteries by listening into the minds of suspected criminals, and then take them down for the police. The mayor would give us keys to the city and thank us for being so heroic in the face of danger.

I heard Sookie calling my name and came out of my musings. When she asked what I was thinking about, I started telling her how cool her gift was, and my ideas on how we could use it. A flurry of emotions flashed across her face and she started crying. I didn't know what was going on. When I asked her what was wrong, she told me, "I just want to be normal! I don't want to be known as a freak! That's why Gran sent me to this school instead of leaving me in Bon Temps. She thought this would be a new start for me and I could at least pretend to be normal and no one would think I was crazy. Now you want to go and tell the world, and use me to become famous! I thought you were my friend!" Then she ran off.

I was stunned. Who wouldn't want to be a famous superhero? It was every boy's dream, but apparently not every girl's. I tried passing her a note in class to tell her that I was sorry and I would keep her secret, but the teacher took the note before Sookie could read it. I was frustrated. Not knowing if I'd get a chance after school to talk to her, I tried the only other thing I could think. I thought in English and directed it at Sookie with all my might.

"Sookie!"I mentally yelled. When I saw Sookie flinch, I realized that maybe I didn't have to yell. In a lower 'voice', I thought at her, "Sookie, I'm sorry. I think it would be cool to be a superhero, but you don't and I don't want to lose you as my best friend. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret either. Please say you'll still be my friend."

After a minute, she nodded and I mentally asked her if she would talk to me after school. Again, she nodded and I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't want to lose my best friend - my only friend - over a stupid difference of opinion.

After school, she threw her arms around my neck and locked me in a vice grip hug, saying, "Thank you!"

I hugged back and said, "You're welcome. And, again, I'm sorry. I'm glad you had your shields down so you'd hear me."

"Um, I didn't Eric."

"You didn't? But then how were you able to hear me?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because you were thinking at me instead of just thinking?"

It made sense. Then I started wondering about her gift. Cautiously I asked, "Sookie, you may not want to be a superhero, but can we maybe play with your gift a little?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we could test it. Like find out how far away you can hear someone or if you can hear thoughts through walls and things like that."

"Um…I guess that'd be okay. When are we going to do that though?"

"We can do it whenever. We'll figure it out."

"Okay."

I breathed a sigh of relief because I was really afraid she'd get mad at me again for suggesting that we work on her gift.

Luckily, we didn't have to wait long to find the perfect opportunity to get to work. My mom had started working and needed a sitter to watch us after school. Sookie told Gran, who agreed to look after us at my house until my parents got home from work. Sookie and I were ecstatic because it gave us more time to spend together and, after our homework was done, we'd play and work on Sookie's gift.

By the time we got to high school, Sookie had her gift fairly under control. We were a little concerned that Gran would take her out of school in Shreveport since she had it so well under control, but it was a groundless worry - Gran didn't want to risk Sookie's grades by taking her back to Bon Temps. We made our pact the same day we found out that Sookie would be staying.

Sookie and I spent every weekday together that summer. It was the end of July when Gran told us that Sookie would be staying at Shreveport Academy and we spent the rest of the day talking about high school - what it would be like, what classes we would be taking, which classes we would have together, and what challenges we might face.

The school year started and we were surprised when the other students had changed their perceptions of Sookie and me, even if we had both physically matured a lot that summer. My parents had a home gym that we took advantage of - I had considerably more muscle mass, a big change from the lean and gangly boy I had been; Sookie had lost her "baby fat" and had leaner muscles, but her breasts were really starting to fill in and she had curves in all the right places.

How we both managed to get through high school without succumbing to the pressures of having sex, I will never know. Well, yes I did. Even though I dated around, I was too enamored with Sookie to go very far with anyone. From the minute we made our pact, I was determined to do more than just keep it as a backup plan. I was positive that Sookie would be my first. My resolve only strengthened throughout the years.

I'm not sure when I fell in love with Sookie Stackhouse, but I did. I tried to figure out if she felt the same way, but never could, and since I didn't want to lose Sookie as a friend, I never told her. She dated other guys and I figured that meant she wasn't pining over me. Sure, I dated other women and made out with them, but only because I couldn't do those things with Sookie.

I was confident that Sookie would never give up her virginity in high school, and that comforted me. Sookie would always complain after her dates about the horrible thoughts that she heard from the guy. "It's awfully hard to tune him out when he's mentally screaming how much he wants to see my boobs, or hoping that I'll give him a hand job, or even better a blow job, just because he was paying for dinner! Some guys are disgusting!"

I tried my best not to laugh because I was pretty sure that most guys our age thought that way. Hell, I thought that way. The only person I never thought of that way was Sookie. Sure, I wanted to see her boobs and do those things with her, but I wanted it to be special; I was more concerned with how she would look when I pleasured her, or when we pleasured each other.

The only time I thought Sookie might not wait any longer is when she dated Bill Compton in the eleventh grade. He had moved into the house across from hers and, thanks to Gran's recommendation, his parents sent him to Shreveport Academy too.

After they had been dating for a couple of months, I began to wonder if they had already had sex, or were planning to. I got the opportunity to find out when Sookie overheard some girls talking in the bathroom between classes about how great I was in bed. She came storming up to me and looked pissed as hell but she also looked incredibly hurt, which I couldn't understand.

"Sookie, what's wrong?"

"Eric Northman!" she hissed at me. "You know very well what's wrong."

"Uh, no, I don't. Please tell me."

"You had sex with Felicia!" she whispered angrily. "Why would you do that? Do you know how many guys she's been with? You could get some sort of disease! Plus, I thought…"

I was stunned. Sookie was right about Felicia and diseases, and I was determined to wait for Sookie, even if she wouldn't wait for me. It probably made me a huge sap, but I didn't care.

After I got over the shock, I told her, "Sookie, I would never do something like that! You are right; Felicia has been with too many guys and I would never take that risk."

"Oh."

I replayed what she said in my mind. "Wait. You were saying you thought something. What did you think Sookie?" Could it be that she thought our pact was more binding? I started to hope.

"Um…nothing. It doesn't matter now. Sorry I got so upset with you. I just don't want to see you catch something, or get hurt or anything like that."

"Sookie, why didn't you 'listen' to see if she was telling the truth?"

"I don't know. That's not really something I think someone would lie about and I didn't really want to hear the details if it was true."

I decided this was my chance to find out about her and Bill, so I asked, "You seemed awfully upset for just being concerned about my health and well being. Why does it even matter? I'm sure you and Bill are having sex, and I've never said anything about it, even though you know how much I dislike him." Bill always had this smug look on his face and he tried to rub it in my face that he was with Sookie. I tried to point out that she had been my best friend since fifth grade and would continue to be long after he was gone, but he ignored that.

She blushed and I felt my heart sink into my stomach; I was sure that meant that they had, but she surprised me by saying quietly, "Bill and I haven't had sex yet. We haven't even passed first base. I care about him and he certainly wants to go further but, I don't know, it just doesn't feel right." I could've done cartwheels down the hall.

By prom, Sookie had been dating Bill for about seven months. I knew what prom meant for a lot of couples and my old fears started creeping in. I wondered if Sookie would give in to the pressure of giving it up on prom night.

Prom was held in the school gym, but I had heard from several guys that they had gotten rooms at the hotel a couple of blocks away. I wasn't sure if Bill had done the same thing, but I planned to find out.

I asked Indira, a girl I hadn't taken on a date in awhile, to prom and she said yes immediately. Since it was a special occasion I had talked my dad into letting me borrow his red corvette and Sookie, Bill, Indira and I had agreed to have dinner at Les Deux Poissons, a nice restaurant in an upscale part of Shreveport.

Indira and I arrived first and Bill and Sookie walked in five minutes later. The sight of Sookie took my breath away. She was wearing an ice blue dress with silver and white beads that softly skimmed every curve. She looked stunning. I stood when they arrived at the table and was glad to see Bill pull Sookie's chair out for her. Bill had a smug look on his face that bothered me but I figured it was his usual "I'm with Sookie" smugness and brushed it off.

The food was delicious and the conversation was light. When we were finished with dinner, we made our way back to our cars and headed to the school.

Sookie immediately dragged Bill out to the dance floor when we got there; the girl loved to dance. Indira and I danced to a few songs, and then Indira found her girlfriends and they began chattering about girl things, so I took off for the refreshments. I found Sookie just as a slow song started to play and asked her if she would dance with me.

It was worth putting up with Indira being ditzy and having to see Bill and Sookie together just to hold her in my arms for that short time. We twirled around the floor and the rest of the world fell away. I spun her around a few times and her face lit up and she laughed. I loved making her look that happy.

Too soon the song ended and we headed off the floor. Sookie headed to the restroom and I grabbed some drinks and went back to Indira.

Awhile later I realized that I hadn't seen Sookie or Bill recently. It didn't seem right that she wouldn't say goodnight to me if they had left, so I got worried and began asking around to find out if anyone knew where they were. I found out that Bill had a room at the hotel. I told Indira that I had something important to do, but that I would be back to pick her up. I had no clue why I couldn't let Sookie and Bill happen, no idea what I would say when I got there, or even how I was going to find out what room they were in, but luck was on my side. As I walked into the hotel, I saw Sookie walking towards the courtyard.

When I caught up with her I saw that she was crying. I immediately got angry, thinking Bill forced himself on her, or at least tried, and said, "Tell me where he is and I'll beat the shit out of him."

Sookie looked shocked. "What? Eric? What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you. I didn't want you to do something stupid, but then I find you crying. Did he force himself on you? Tell me where he is and I'll take care of it."

"What?! No! It's not like that! He wanted to have sex, and I thought I did too, but I couldn't go through with it. I told him to give me a minute and then I left the room to come out here for some air."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Eric, you know how I am, I cry at everything. I was just overwhelmed and I felt guilty."

I was confused. What she could possibly feel guilty about? I asked her about it.

"I don't know. It doesn't matter anyway."

I looked at her, still confused, but I let it slide. "Sookie, do you want to go back to prom or do you just want to go home? I can take you if you don't want to go back to the room. I can even go tell Bill for you if you want."

"Eric, thank you. I think I just want to go home, but I should tell Bill myself. You can come with me if you want." She bit her lip and looked uncomfortable before quickly adding, "Or you can go back to Indira. She's probably waiting on you, right?"

There was a touch of sadness in her eyes that I couldn't understand. "No, Sookie, I'll go up with you to tell Bill you are leaving. Then we'll go back to prom so I can say goodnight to Indira and at least offer to drive her home, then we'll get you home. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks Eric."

"Anything for you Sookie." And then she gave me a little smile.

When we got up to the room we heard sounds and, being a guy and familiar with porn, I figured Bill had gotten bored and ordered porn from the TV. But when Sookie opened the door, I quickly realized I was wrong and I was even more thankful that I had decided to stay with Sookie while she told Bill she was leaving.

Apparently, Bill had decided that he was going to get laid, even if Sookie wasn't going to put out. We found Bill and some brunette going at it wildly. I didn't want Sookie to have to endure anymore of what we had already seen and pulled her out of the room. I'm a strong man, but Sookie's stubbornness was apparently stronger because I could barely budge her.

Sookie's eyes flashed with hurt and anger; I wasn't sure which emotion would win out in the end, but I didn't have to wait long. "William Thomas Compton!" Sookie seethed. Bill quickly stopped and looked over at us. "I won't even ask what the hell you are doing because it's pretty obvious. But I will tell you that I don't give a damn about your excuses, so you can keep them to yourself. Don't ever come near me again! Don't call me, don't stop by my house, don't leave notes for me to find. Do you understand me?"

"Sookie, I--" Bill started to say, but Sookie cut him off.

"No, Bill. No excuse can make this okay. All I need to hear from you is a 'yes' or 'no.' I'll ask again, do you understand?"

Bill nodded.

"Good." Sookie turned to look at me, "Can you please take me home now Eric?"

"Of course," I told her.

Fortunately, Indira wanted to stay longer and said that she would get a ride home with her friends. When I got back into my car and told Sookie, she nodded and scooted up into my side. I put my arm around her and held her the entire way home while she cried silently.

I felt horrible for her and I wanted to beat the shit out of Compton, but I was glad that I didn't have to worry about them anymore and that Sookie found out what he was like before she gave in to him.

When I got Sookie home, Gran was up waiting. She saw that Sookie had been crying and asked what was wrong but Sookie just replied, "I don't want to talk about it right now. Is it okay if Eric stays the night?"

Gran agreed and turned to go back into her bedroom.

I walked Sookie to her room, sat her on the bed, and told her that I was going to go change and give her some privacy so she could change as well. She simply nodded.

We had kept clothes at each other's houses since we were twelve; Pam and I even had a room upstairs for when we would spend the night, and Sookie had a room at my house.

When I was finished changing, I went back to check on Sookie and she surprised me by asking if I'd stay with her. I agreed and climbed into her bed. A few minutes later, I felt Sookie grab my hand and that's how we slept, lying side by side, holding hands.

Sookie seemed to quickly get over what happened with Bill and surprisingly, he stayed true to his word and left her alone. He did try to talk to me about what happened and asked me to talk to Sookie for him. He claimed that he had been drinking and he was looking for Sookie when he ran into his ex-girlfriend from another school, Lorena. He was surprised to see her there so they went back to the room to talk but, in his alcohol induced state, one thing lead to another.

I told him it didn't matter, and I wasn't going to bother Sookie with his excuses. Then I threatened him, telling him that if he tried to talk to Sookie or tried to get anyone else to talk to Sookie for him, I would kick his ass. Luckily, he backed off and listened.

I stopped dating entirely our senior year and so did Sookie. We both had jobs but spent most of our free time together. We studied for exams and applied to colleges. I wanted a degree in business so I could open a club. Sookie wanted to pursue child psychology; she figured that she had a pretty good grasp on the human mind already because of her telepathy, and she wanted to prevent as many kids having the rough time that she did. Her parents had refused to believe she could hear other people's thoughts and, even though the psychologist knew the truth, her diagnosis was that Sookie was good at reading body language. Sookie wanted to be there for children who needed her.

Since both of our degrees were fairly common, most schools had both programs and we were able to apply to the same schools. Sookie was a little nervous about leaving Gran since Jason had moved out, so we decided to stick close to home and attend LSU Shreveport.

We had a joint graduation party at my house in Shreveport since it was closer to most of our friends. After the party was over and we had finished cleaning up, I asked Sookie to take a walk down to the lake with me.

I wanted to talk to her about our pact, but I wasn't quite sure how to bring it up; I didn't want her to feel that she had to go through with it if she didn't want to. We were older, and I realized that she may want to give her virginity to someone that she truly loved, instead of just giving it to her best friend because we'd been afraid of going to college as virgins.

I shored up my nerve and began, "So, Sookie. Um, remember the summer before ninth grade when we made that pact?"

"Yeah," she said questioningly.

"Well, I just wanted you to know that I won't be upset if you've changed your mind about it. I mean, we were just kids and didn't really know what we were doing, right?"

"I guess so. Have you changed your mind Eric?" she asked.

"What? No! Well, not really. I mean, I don't care if I go into college as a virgin. But I'd stick to our pact if you wanted to." I couldn't tell her that I wanted to follow through more than anything, and it had nothing to do with being a virgin. I wanted Sookie to know I loved her, and if I couldn't tell her the words, I wanted to at least be able to show her. I hoped that maybe if we did this, she would fall in love with me too. I suppose it's stupid to think that having sex with someone could make them love you, but I hoped nonetheless.

Sookie reached out, took my hand in both of hers and quietly said, "I don't care either but I'd like to stick to our pact. I care about you and I'd rather do this now than end up doing something stupid in college I'd regret. One thing that I learned from Bill is that you can never really know the person you are dating. I should've realized something was up when I couldn't bring myself to have sex with him. But whatever, that's over now. I do want to keep our pact Eric, as long as you do too. If you don't want to though I'll understand."

I tried so hard to keep my joy under control. I was very glad that, even though I had lived in America for eight years now, I still thought in Swedish, so even if Sookie could hear my thoughts, she wouldn't be able to understand; she wouldn't be scared off by how much I loved her.

A month later my parents and Pam went back to Sweden for two weeks. I had freshman orientation at the university, so my parents left me behind. Sookie had already asked Gran if she could spend the night at my house for the 8am start, and we figured that would be the best time to fulfill our pact since we would have no interruptions. Sure, we could've done it at any time, but I was certain that I wouldn't want Sookie to leave me afterwards.

So, there I was, pacing in the living room and waiting for Sookie to arrive. She arrived five minutes early, and I rushed out to the driveway to greet her.

I got Sookie's bag out of the trunk while she got out of the car. When I looked at her, I stopped breathing. She was wearing a white sundress with red flowers all over it and red sandals. Her hair was down and slightly curled at the end. It was simple, but she was beautiful.

She looked up at me and gave me a nervous smile and quietly said, "Hey."

"Hey Sookie. You look beautiful," I replied.

"Thanks. So do you. I mean, not beautiful, but handsome."

I smiled at her rambling. "Let's go inside and eat before dinner gets cold."

Conversation was a little awkward at first, but then we remembered that we were best friends and it was ridiculous. Sure, this was our first time, but we had no reason to be embarrassed in front of each other. The relaxed feeling lasted until midway through dessert.

After we were done eating, and the dishes were done, I asked Sookie if she wanted to watch a movie or go upstairs.

"Um, we can just go upstairs," she said.

"Okay. Did you want to change first or…" I trailed off because, how do you ask your best friend if she wants you to take off her dress or a nightgown instead?

"Um. I brought something I wanted to change into if you don't mind?"

"Of course, go ahead. Just come to my room whenever you are ready."

"Alright."

We headed upstairs together and we went to our separate rooms. I quickly kicked off my shoes and began to light all of the candles. I didn't know what else to do and began to ask myself a million questions. Do I take off my socks too? Sookie's changing, should I? Should I unbutton my shirt more? I decided to take off my socks and leave the rest of my clothes as they were.

I rushed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and ended up gargling mouthwash for close to a minute. Sure, there was no garlic in the dinner, but I didn't want Sookie to have to endure any funky breath on my part.

When I got back to my room, I didn't know where I should be when Sookie came in. At first I lay down on the bed, but then thought that was awkward, so I sat up. Then I worried about how I should sit. Did one pose for these things or just sit there like a buffoon? I decided to stand and wait.

When I realized that it had been 15 minutes, I worried Sookie had changed her mind and started to pace again. Just about the time I decided to go find her to see if she had changed her mind, she walked in and stopped in my doorway.

She looked amazing, and nervous as hell. My breath hitched as I looked her over. She had changed into a red satin nightgown that came to her mid-thigh. It had spaghetti straps and some lace at the top. I could tell she had already taken off her bra and my dick began to twitch, despite my nervousness. She knew my favorite color was red, and this was definitely different than her normal shorts and tank pajamas; I wondered if she had gotten this specifically for tonight.

I must have stood there, silent, for too long because she asked, "Do you like it? I, um, I got it just for tonight. I thought, maybe, it'd be easier if I looked the part."

Her confirmation of my hope, that she had gotten it for me, made my heart swell and I began to wonder if I had been wrong all these years and she had feelings too. "Sookie, I love it, and you look amazing. You didn't have to buy it, but I'm really glad you did."

Before we Began I had to ask, "Sookie, are you still sure you want to do this? I mean, you look nervous as hell. If you don't want to, it's fine. We can just go watch a movie or something. I don't want you to feel like you have to do this and I don't want you to regret it either."

"No! I mean, I want to do this. I'm sorry I'm so nervous. I know I don't really have to be nervous with you, but I don't really know what I'm doing. I mean, I know why I'm doing this and what we are about to do, I just don't know how. Well, I know how…" She trailed off and bit down on her lip when she realized she was rambling again.

I took her hands and led her to the bed. "Sookie, it's okay. I'm nervous too, but it'll be fine. I have no doubt that you'll be perfect."

I placed my hands on either side of her face and slowly leaned down to kiss her. Her lips were soft and tasted amazing. I dragged my tongue slowly across her bottom lip, silently asking for permission, and she opened her mouth to me. I smiled when I tasted the mouthwash - apparently Sookie had the same thought on the breath front. Even through the vanilla mint mouthwash, I could taste Sookie and though I had no clue how to describe it, she tasted amazing.

Sookie brought her hands up and threaded her fingers into my hair. We had never kissed each other beyond a quick peck on the cheek or lips before, but we both seemed to be getting into this kiss. I could say, without any doubts, that this was the best kiss of my life.

Her hands slid over my shoulders to my chest and she began unbuttoning my shirt. I kissed down her jaw and neck to her shoulders, sliding the straps of her gown to the side as I kissed my way along her bare shoulders. After Sookie finished unbuttoning my shirt, she slipped her hands into the sleeves and down my arms. Her soft hands left a trail of fire along my skin. She began to work the button on my pants, but I stopped her and asked her to slow down. There was no way I was rushing this. I wasn't sure if I'd ever get the chance to be with Sookie again and I wanted to make it last as long as possible.

I slid my hands down her satin covered side, relishing the feel of her curves as I went. When I reached the hem of her nightgown, I began to slowly slide it up. I was a bundle of nerves and excitement. I had seen Sookie in a bikini many times and knew she had a great body, but I had never seen her naked. She raised her arms so I could get the nightgown off of her. I dropped it on the floor and took a minute to admire her. She had the most beautiful breasts I had ever seen and her red lacy thong made me harder than I was before.

"You're absolutely beautiful," I whispered and tangled my hands in her hair. I crashed my lips back down on hers. My emotions were overwhelming me and I began to wonder how I would get through this without letting slip how much I loved her. I guided her to the bed and laid her down, continuing to kiss her the entire time.

I began kissing my way back down her neck, over her collarbone and down to her breasts. I softly kissed each breast, gently licking and sucking on her nipples. I couldn't get enough of them, or decide which one I enjoyed more, so I went back and forth for awhile, while my hands alternately stroked her sides and stomach and caressed whichever breast I was not lavishing attention on with my mouth.

Sookie's soft moans and whimpers only encouraged me to keep up my attentions. Eventually she breathily moaned out, "Eric, you are driving me crazy. Stop or give me more." I glanced up, smirking at her, and caught her eyes. They were hooded with desire and something else that I dared not let myself hope for.

Obeying her requests, I worked my way down her stomach, placing open mouthed kisses and nipping at her skin. I began to slowly and softly drag my fingers up her legs, stroking her inner thighs. When I reached the waist band of her panties with my mouth, my fingers reached her center and I groaned at how hot and wet she was. I felt another rush of emotion, knowing that it was for me and because of me.

I slowly peeled her panties down her hips and legs and tossed them on the floor. I took a few seconds to revel in the sight of Sookie, lying on my bed, naked, and waiting for me. There would never be a more perfect image and I seared it into my brain to never forget this moment. I kissed my way back up her legs. As I got closer to her center, she opened her legs further for me, and I once again reveled in the sight before me.

I slowly lowered my mouth to her center and began to stroke her clit with my tongue. She began to moan loudly and I was thankful that we didn't try to do this when anyone, even just Pam, was home. Sookie fisted her hands in my hair, lightly but firm enough to hold my mouth to her. I brought a hand up and slid a finger along her opening, feeling how wet she was, for me.

I knew from locker room conversations, and porn, that I was bigger than the average guy. I also knew that this would be uncomfortable for Sookie no matter what, because it was her first time, but I planned to prepare her with my fingers as much as possible. I slipped one finger inside and nearly came in my pants at how it felt. I couldn't wait to be inside of her and had a flash of disappointment that I'd have to use a condom and wouldn't get to experience her fully.

I worked her center with my mouth and fingers, gradually working my way up to getting three fingers inside of her. When I had gotten to that point, I curled my fingers up, searching for the spot that I had heard all women had. I knew when I found it because Sookie's hands tightened in my hair and she began bucking against me. I dropped my hand that had been caressing her breasts down to her stomach to hold her to the bed and kept up my ministrations. I could feel Sookie's walls begin to tighten and picked up my pace.

I watched her face as she came and swore that I would never see a more beautiful sight. As Sookie came down from her orgasm and began to catch her breath, she looked down at me and, again, I thought I saw that emotion in her eyes that I refused to let myself hope for. I wanted to enjoy what I could have from Sookie and I was afraid that hoping for something that I couldn't have would ruin the entire experience.

I pulled my fingers out of Sookie and kissed my way back up to her mouth. "You are so beautiful when you come," I said before kissing her softly. Her hands loosened from my hair and softly glided down my back. When she brought them around to work the button and zipper on my pants I shivered at her touch. She worked her hands into the waistband of my boxers and slid both my boxers and pants down my legs as far as she could; I kicked them off the rest of the way.

I reached over to the nightstand for a condom but Sookie stopped me, saying, "Wait." I thought she was going to tell me she had changed her mind, and as disappointed as that thought made me, I wasn't going to push Sookie if she didn't want to do this. But what she said next both surprised and excited me.

"I started taking the pill a few months ago. If you want to use a condom, that's fine, but you don't have to if you don't want to." I smiled and crashed my lips back down onto Sookie's mouth. My excited kiss turned passionate as I felt Sookie's hands wandering back down my back and to my front. I moaned when she wrapped her hand around my length, stroking it a few times, and guiding it to her entrance. She teased us both by rubbing my head up and down her slit, coating it in her wetness.

When she paused at her entrance, I stopped kissing her and looked into her eyes.

"Sookie, open your eyes. Look at me." When she had made eye contact with me I slowly began to slide into her wet heat. Only the desire to watch her face overruled my instinct to close my eyes and relish in the feeling. Nothing had ever felt this good. I didn't even care at that moment that I had to go slowly for Sookie's sake. It just meant this experience, this feeling, could last that much longer.

I paused when I saw Sookie grimace and asked if she was ok. She took a few deep breaths and said she was; I continued to slowly slide in and out, going further each time. I had to stop a few times for Sookie's body to adjust, and a few times so that I wouldn't come. I had no preconceived notions that I would last very long since this was my first time, but I wanted to at least try to last long enough for Sookie to have another orgasm. When I was sheathed in her fully, I paused so Sookie's discomfort could dissipate and I could calm down. After a few minutes, Sookie's grimace disappeared and I began to kiss her again. I slowly slid my length out and back into her. I couldn't stop the moans that escaped with every thrust.

I began to caress Sookie's breasts with my hand, continuing to lean on my other arm so that I could stay close to her. When I felt myself getting ready to come, I moved my hand down and started circling her clit with my fingers. I was determined to make her come again before I did.

My fingers did the trick and Sookie began to pulse around my length. When she moaned out my name, I couldn't hold back anymore and let myself go as well. I moaned out her name, but what I was thinking was "I love you Sookie!" and I was once again thankful that my thoughts were in Swedish so that they were hidden from her.

When Sookie whispered out, "I love you too," I froze. I looked in her eyes, completely shocked. I hadn't realized I had thought that in English. But from the look on her face, she hadn't realized she had responded either. As the aftershocks from our orgasms subsided, we looked into each other's eyes, assessing if what we heard was real and what the other person's reaction was to what was revealed.

I slowly slid out of Sookie and lay down beside her. She remained on her back but turned her head to face me. I didn't want to lose contact with her skin and let my hand softly glide over her stomach. Since I was the man I figured I should start the conversation, but Sookie beat me to it asking, "For how long?"

"I have no clue. At least since before we made our pact. When we made that pact, I decided that no matter what, I was going to wait so that you could be my first, it was only right. It just grew over the years." She simply nodded and I asked her, "how long for you?"

"About the same," she told me.

"But then why did you date Compton and for so long? And why did you even consider having sex with him?"

"I didn't think you felt the same way about me, or ever would, so I figured I would try to get over you. Bill was the only guy I ever dated that didn't broadcast loudly so it was easy to keep my shields up and not hear his thoughts. The only reason I considered having sex with him was because I had overheard Indira talking to some of her friends at prom about how you had a hotel room and she was going to give herself to you that night. I figured that you gave up on our pact and found someone else. When I saw you at the hotel, I thought my fears were confirmed. But obviously when you told me Indira was still at the prom and you offered to take me home, I realized I was wrong."

"Oh. So why did you never tell me how you felt?"

She called me out on my hypocrisy with a snort and said, "I could ask the same of you. I figured if I didn't date anyone after Bill, then if you felt the same way you'd eventually ask me out or at least tell me how you felt. When you stopped dating too, I started to hope. I kept trying to listen to your thoughts, but the one time I actually wanted to know what you were thinking, I couldn't because you think in Swedish." She laughed a bit before continuing. "When you never said anything I figured you couldn't possibly feel the same way so I just resigned myself to being your best friend because I'd rather have you as that than push you away because my feelings scared you off. I even started to doubt that you'd want to keep our pact. I was so thankful the night that you brought it up because I had no clue how to."

I kissed her softly before replying, "I wanted to tell you for so long how I felt, but then you started dating Bill and I thought you couldn't possibly date him if you felt the same way about me. I know he hurt you, but I was so relieved when you dumped him. When you didn't date anyone else, I figured you just didn't want to deal with anymore Bills. I had no clue you were waiting for me to say something. I guess we've both been a little stupid, huh?"

She chuckled and gave me an amused look, replying, "Yeah I guess so. I guess it's a good thing we kept our pact too or who knows when you would've gotten your head out of your ass long enough to tell me how you felt." Then she winked at me.

"Oh is that so?" I began to tickle her, because that was not a fair statement. I know I'm the guy, but Sookie's the one with the mind reading capabilities!

She laughed and began to scoot away from me. I couldn't have that so I grabbed her waist and pulled her back to me, locking my arms around her.

"Well, at least we know now," I said as I looked into her eyes, hoping my eyes showed just as much love as she was reflecting back at me. I leaned down to kiss her again.

I could've made love to Sookie all night, but we knew she would be sore, so we settled for once more before curling up in each other's arms, talking about where to go from there and drifting off to sleep.