𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊
i wanna do things with you that i haven't done with anyone else

VICTORIA NERVOUSLY SAT on the edge of her bed, wringing her fingers. Her hair was damp because she had just got out of the shower, and scrubbed herself so hard that she was a little pink. She swallowed thickly and looked up to see Eric slowly making his way into her room, closing the door behind him quietly.

When he turned to look at her, he took in a deep breath at the sight of her clean but exhausted. She hasn't gotten any sleep since everything went down, and not only that, but she could barely meet his eyes. Her brown eyes were so conflicted and he could hear her heart pounding against her chest. He closed his eyes briefly and opened his mouth, about to say something, but nothing came out.

"Do you have any idea on how so felt when you were gone?" She asked him quietly, making him shut his mouth. Her voice cracked as she asked, "do you have any idea on what I have been through? What I did?"

Eric took one small step towards her, and stopped when he saw her flinch slightly. "I felt your pain, your guilt, remorse. Your... fear wrapped around my heart, strangling me." He struggled to find the words of how he felt when he felt her feelings.

"And you didn't even try to reach out to me? You didn't even try to text me, call me, or even send someone to check in on me." She took in a shaky breath and placed her shaking hands on her lap. "Godric was gone. He wasn't anywhere in Mystic Falls, said he had some business to do. I was... all alone. I was stuck in this never ending fear circle. I..."

She stopped as she recalled being held hostage, of seeing someone behind blown up and then shot through the heart. She recalled attacking Connor and accidentally kill him, watching as the life left his body. She recalled her nightmares, the hallucinations, the need to want to end it all even if she had to kill herself. She recalled the feeling of wanting him to be there for her, to comfort her, to tell her that everything was going to be alright. But, he wasn't. He wasn't there, didn't try to reach out in any way possible, and that's why she feels betrayed by him. She feels like he let her down. And she's allowed to feel that way... right?

"I felt your pain, and I wanted to come to you. I did. Trust me, I never want you to feel like that, and to experience it with you, it was dreadful." He took another step towards her, tears shining in his eyes. "I wanted to come rescue you as take away the pain, but I couldn't. I was finally in the person's house who killed my family, and I wasn't going to allow him to get away. So, I came up with a plan that went to shit when he discovered Sookie which meant he would find you. I didn't want that to happen. I not only killed his husband for me, but for you, too." He swallowed thickly and continued, "I did everything in my power to protect you, and if you hated me, I was fine with it. Because I will always choose you."

Tori's breath was taken away, and she looked down at her lap, tears dripping down her cheeks, and she bit her lip harshly. "I was taken hostage," she started, "and I saw someone get blown up and shot through the heart. It left a huge open wound in his chest. It was scarring." Her heart was breaking in two as she recalled everything that had happened in the Mystic Grill. "I killed someone," she sobbed out, her whole body shaking. "He had it coming to him, but he was my... he was..."

"Your first kill," Eric trailed off, feeling his heart break even more at her sobbing in front of him, and feeling her pain all over again.

"And that wasn't even the worst part!" Tori shouted and jumped up, and started pacing back and forth. "He was one of the five and seeing as I killed him, I got hallucinations for it. He — it — whatever — was trying to get me to kill myself." She looked up into his eyes, her own eyes full of tears. "And I wanted to. I wanted it all to end. After all, I did the one thing I never wanted to do. I opened up my window and I looked down, imagining what it would feel like to feel the fall and then nothing. But, before I could do it, the curse was broken by my brother who had to kill a vampire. He started his curse just to save me. I ruined his life just because I was — am — weak!"

Eric shook his head and walked over to her, grabbing her face, and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "You're not weak. You're the strongest person I have met in my thousand years on this planet. You're the person who lights up every room you walk in, and you have the bigger heart." He made sure that she kept eye contact so that she knew he was telling the truth. "You did what you had to do to survive. You did what you had to do to save your family and anyone else he was going to kill. You are not weak; you are strong and bright and beautiful. And that's why I don't deserve you."

Victoria furrowed her brows and looked up at him with big eyes. "What are you talking about?" She pulled back from him and shook her head. "This isn't about deserving! This—" She shook her head. "If we wait until we're deserving, we're going to be waiting for a really long time." She began pacing again, her heart pounding, her head aching, and she felt like she couldn't form the words she wanted to say to him. "I told you a while ago that there is nothing you could do to make me hate you. And even though I have been disappointed and angry at you, it didn't mean I hated you. I can't hate you, Eric. I never did and never will."

"Why?!" He shouted which made her jump in surprise and swivel around to face him. "I am a fucking monster, Victoria! I am a disgrace!" He ran his hands through his blonde hair. "I — I hurt you in every way possible! I wasn't there for you, I didn't visit you when I got back, and I locked you in my basement with a collar around your neck! I drank from your cousin and allowed Russell to almost drain you dry!"

"Because you were trying to protect me!" She screamed back at him, her voice cracking. "I didn't see it before, but I do now. You did everything that you could to protect me. You did everything to get revenge for what Russell did to your family! You're a good person, Eric, whether you fucking like it or not!"

Eric fell to his knees, crying. blood ran down his cheeks and dripped onto the floor. His shoulders shook violently and he bowed his head to her. "I don't deserve you or your love. I have hurt you so many times and who says I won't do it again? I can't risk that. I care for you too much." He wouldn't dare look at her and he continued to sob violently. "Please just kill me and get it over with. I don't want to burden the pain of hurting you again. I just can't. Please—"

Tori's mouth was agape and tears were dripping onto her lips. "Stop. Stop talking, please."

"Stop it, Victoria. I wanted to die today knowing I protected you. I can't risk hurting you, not again—"

"Stop," she whispered, her heart shattering in her chest.

"All it takes is a stake to the heart. If you don't do it, I—"

"Stop!" She bellowed loudly and he stopped, looking up at her in surprise. "Stop talking bullshit! I can't do that! I love you too much to do—" She gasped, covering her mouth as she realized what she said. "Oh, my god!"

Eric slowly stood up in shock, not really sure what he had heard come from her mouth. "What did you say?"

Tori swallowed thickly. "I love you." Her brow eyes widened and she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. "I do. I love you, Eric Northman and you're not getting rid of me that easy."

Eric stared at her with wide eyes before he sped towards her and pushed her up against the wall, which made her release a sound which sounded like a gasp and a moan mixed together. "You can't be in love with me. I'm a monster. You should hate me."

She shook her head and ran her hands up his chest, and when her fingers brushed his cheek, she wiped off the blood streaks. She smirked and brought her fingers to her mouth, and licked his blood off, which had him groaning and widening his eyes in shock.

"I love you, Eric fucking Northman, and I don't care that you're a monster. We'll both be monsters together, then." She grabbed his face and lowered it down to him, and licked the blood streaks with her tongue. She did it on both sides before placing a kiss on each cheek. "I never cared that you are a vampire and that you have killed, and I won't now."

Eric watched her in a new light before he bent down and pressed his lips against hers.

He kissed her and the world fell away. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. His hand rested below her ear, his thumb caressing her cheek as their breaths mingled. She ran her fingers down his spine, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them.

"I want you," it was her turn to murmur this onto his lips.

Eric groaned and picked her so she had her legs around around his waist, her arms wrapped around his neck as he began to trail kissed down her neck.

"I love you too, Victoria Gilbert," he murmured against her skin and she moaned, arching her back. Her heart pounded against her chest loudly and harshly, and she fully knew he heard and felt it. "You're the most amazing person I have ever met and I'm so grateful for you to have walked into my bar." He moved his hips against hers before suddenly she was thrown on the bed.

Staring up at him with big eyes, her chest heaving up and down, she said, "I want this. I want all of you. Here and now." She wrapped her legs around his ass, and yanked him down to her. "Fuck me, Northman."

He smirked and kissed her lips before going down to her breasts where he began to nip at her. "I sure will, Gilbert."

Suddenly, her white shirt was yanked off, and thrown across the room, and then his was next. She shivered uncontrollably in desire when he gripped her bare breasts. She arched her back and then pulled his face down to hers, and she kissed him heatedly.

And suddenly, more clothes was ripped off and thrown across the room, and shortly after, moans were heard.