|FIVE|
BLISS BLOOMS

       When Eira awoke, Eric was gone. But she had a goofy smile on her face. She touched her fingers to her lips that were numb and swollen; he had kissed her all night long. He only left when it was nearing daylight and then she fell asleep happily; it was now nearing the afternoon when she woke.

           She came down the stairs after she got ready for the day. She fixed herself breakfast this time as her mother came into the kitchen and she noted, "You certainly slept in late."

                Eira blushed as she thought about Eric before she sighed blissfully, "I...kissed Eric."

           Her mother gave her a look and Eira immediately defended with a smile, "Mom, I'm so happy. Please, be happy for me."

             "I am," Meredith held a small smile as she hugged her daughter. "But as a mother, I have to worry about someone breaking your heart."

              "He could never do that," Eira believed wholeheartedly with a smile on her face.

             "If you believe that, then I'll believe that," her mother kissed the top of her head and she clung to her mother tightly.

              "Thank you."

            "Now," her mother teased. "Is he a very good kisser?"

            "Mom!"

           _____

              That evening, Merlotte's was actually closed for a few hours (not that she had to work that night). It was closed because the whole town was going to see the speech Bill gave at the church. Eira attended with her mother.

            Bill was talking about his time in the Civil War. Although, some people in the back were being very rude and she gave them the evil eye as she felt anger at their behavior. Her mother gave a quiet warning, "Eira."

             But she didn't listen. Eira used the wind and, suddenly, the three grown men fell back as their chairs tipped over. Eira smiled as she turned back around.

         She could hear one of them utter, What the fuck? Her mother shook her head but held a small smile as well.

          _____

            After the speech Bill gave, she went home with her mother. On the way home, her mother embarrassingly started to sing Taylor Swift but then she joined in; they laughed a lot at their own bad rendition once they got home.

             They decided to have a movie night by themselves since they were both off of work. They watched a comedy first as they ate popcorn. But during the second movie, she fell asleep.

             Meredith went to get her a blanket when Eric arrived.

          Eric appeared in front of the couch before he saw her sleeping peacefully. He smiled slightly before he took off his leather jacket and placed it over her gently.

          Meredith came back with a blanket to see it as she stood behind the couch and she commented, "She's very happy with you, you know."

          Eric glanced at her for a moment as he admitted, "And I wouldn't want to change it."

           "Good," Meredith held a small smile before she left the living room. "Next time you visit, knock on the door first."

             Eric gained an amused smile before he disappeared again.

             ____

          When Eira awoke, she felt the cool touch of leather. She blinked her eyes open to find his leather jacket on top of her. She smiled happily as she got up with it still wrapped around her.

            She went to the kitchen to find her mother cooking up a storm which confused her as she said giddily, "Eric was here?"

            "Yes," Meredith answered with a small smirk before she frowned. "But, sweetheart, you need to get dressed. I'm afraid Adele Stackhouse was murdered last night."

         Her eyes widened as she brought a hand to her mouth in horror, "Who could possibly murder her? She was sweetest."

           "I don't know, baby," Meredith sighed sadly. "But we need to go pay our respects."

          Eira nodded with tears in her eyes as she muttered, "Poor Sookie and Jason."

          Eira couldn't imagine losing her mother. And she knew that Adele was like a mother to Jason and Sookie since their parents died when they were young. Her heart went out to the two of them.

           _____

          She and her mother went and paid their respects. Sookie had a short breakdown and Eira couldn't blame the girl; she'd have one, too. But she hated how everyone looked at the blonde like she was insane because grief was grief and there was no one process.

Jason had shown up in a fury. He didn't even know about Adele until this morning. He listened to the part of him that blamed Sookie as he stormed in.

But then Eira stepped in front of him and he froze. She gave him the softest, saddest smile before she wrapped her arms around him in the most delicate hug. He wanted to melt right then and there.

"I'm so sorry," she uttered.

Jason quickly hugged her back tightly. His anger faded as he stared around the house his grandmother no longer occupied and he buried his face in her shoulder as he let a few tears fall.

Then he pulled away, not wanting to be too much of a bother, as he sniffled, "Sorry. I, uh, I'm gonna go check on Sook."

She stared at him sadly as she reached up and wiped one of the tears that still remained on his cheek, "You'll be okay, Jason."

He gave her a small smile as he tried to joke, "With you wiping away my tears, yeah, I think I will be."

"Uh, thanks," he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Of course," she uttered with another soft smile as she squeezed his shoulder before moving to let him check on Sookie as he said.

Eira moved to stand by her mother as Jason went upstairs. Meredith smiled knowingly, "That boy is still so sweet on you."

"What?" she furrowed her eyebrows. "Jason was just sad."

"It doesn't matter now," she waved it away and Eira decided to let it go.

            After awhile, everyone was told to leave, they left. She and her mother went home. Her mother wrapped an arm around her as they walked up the driveway, "I called off work tonight. I figured I could cook my special spaghetti and we could have a night in."

            "That sounds nice," Eira smiled. "We haven't done that in awhile."

           Her mother had been working a lot of night shifts lately which made evenings quite lonely. And she relished in spending more time with her mother. But she had a certain vampire on her mind.

            While they cooked in the evening, she kept looking at her phone to see if he'd text her. He had texted her to see when he could see her but she'd told him that she didn't know then she didn't hear anything. She'd also glance at the ceiling waiting to hear the floor creak in her room up the stairs.

            Her mother sighed, "Eira, you can go see Eric."

          Eira looked at her mother as she refused, "But you took off work and everything."

         "Go," her mother gave her a commanding look.

          "I'm sorry," Eira said apologetically before she hugged her mother. "But thank you."

              Eira ran for the door happily as she put on the leather jacket he left behind. She got into her car before she headed to Fangtasia; she didn't text him as she wanted to make it a surprise.

            _____

            When she got there, he wasn't on the throne but instead in his office. He was talking to Pam before he looked at her in surprise, "I thought you said..."

               She cut him off as she ran to him and pressed her lips to his. Eric immediately wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply as he tangled his hands in her hair.

         Pam raised her eyebrows as she smirked, "I suppose that's my cue."

          She left as they continued to kiss, not aware of anything because as they kissed, they consumed. Every space in their thoughts was consumed by the other.

            He only pulled away to let her breathe as he smirked, "So you missed me?"

           "I'll always miss you," she looked at him softly as she breathed heavily.

            He smiled before he kissed her again although his lips traveled to her chin, her jaw, her neck. His fangs came out unintentionally as he hadn't fed from her in days.

          She blinked before she reached out and caressed his fangs with her fingers. Then she purposefully pricked her finger on one of his fangs, making blood pool from the small wound. He looked at it hungrily as she placed a small drop on his lips.

        His tongue licked the small drop from his bottom lip before he grabbed her finger and brought it towards his mouth. His lips closed around the tip of her finger as he sucked off the blood before he let it go.

              She swallowed harshly at the action as his eyes darkened. Then she kissed him again even though his fangs were still out. They kissed slowly and carefully and, eventually, all night long.