Yes, that's right. I'm starting another story. Don't kill me. I think you might like it. This one started during the word-generator game on the forum at about the same time WDMC started. I got the word 'library' and this came to me. I had just written the beginning of it and set it aside when I ran with WDMC. I hit a bit of a block on that story, so I picked this up again, and a hell of a lot more came to me. The title comes from the nickname we give our different incarnations of Eric on the forum. The Eric in this story was called Studbuddy or StudyBuddy, hence the title Studybuddies. *snort* I know I'm not that clever, no need to tell me LOL.

Without further ado, I give you Nerdvirgin Eric....

Chapter 1

I was having a particularly bad day, and trying to forget about it by waiting on my beautiful stranger to come into the library and make me forget about it. The stranger is over six feet tall, with toned muscles, shoulder-length blond hair, and beautiful blue eyes. I have seen him in the college library everyday, sitting in the same spot, at the same table, with the same bag of chips hidden in his backpack. I just started coming to the library regularly, and I sure was glad I had.

He never talks to anyone. He just comes in, walks over to his spot of the end chair at the fourth table, puts his bag down on the chair next to him so that no one can sit there, pulls out his books, opens his bag of chips as quietly as possible, and works. There's nothing particularly unusual about that, but you could set your watch by him. He also does all this the same way, in the same meticulous order, which some people might find OCD, but with him it just seemed like a simple routine. It was just the way he did things, and I watched him do it everyday. Not in a creepy way, I swear. There's just something about him that's so watch-able to me.

He dresses like a nerd, always wearing a combo of jeans and a sweater or sweater-vest. He also wears a pair of Elvis Costello glasses, which I just find awesome. Despite all the nerd gear, he doesn't really strike me as nerdy. For instance, I can't really see him playing dungeons and dragons, or dressing up for an X-men convention, but then it's all about how one perceives a nerd. Another thing that strikes me as decidedly "not nerdy" is the fact that the boy is toned. A girl walked by him once and spilled her water on him in a lame attempt to get him to talk to her, and he took his sweater off. Underneath he was wearing a thin, almost see-through tight white shirt. I remember my jaw dropping as I took in his physique. No, he was most definitely not your average nerd.

As I continued to wait, I let my mind wander to the night before. Everything was moving along like normal, except that just before he got up to leave, he looked right at me and smiled. We had never actually made eye contact before, and I was shocked by the beautiful blue of his eyes. I almost melted. Then, as he walked by on his way out, he shot me another shy smile. It was the first time I ever saw him purposefully interact with anyone else, and I was thanking my lucky starts that it was me.

I looked at my watch, and tapped it in exasperation. According to it he should have walked through the door two minutes ago. He was never late. I found myself disappointed, and that surprised me because I had no right to be. I don't own him. I'd just become so used to him being there. Maybe it was just meant to be a horrible day. I woke up late, almost fell on my face rushing to my first class, left an assignment in my apartment, and then I didn't have time to go back by the apartment to get my library drink. I wasn't even able to get one from the vending machine because it was crowded with a bunch of guys, and I just didn't want to deal with that too. To top it off, my library eye-candy wasn't here. I decided to just give up, go back to my apartment, eat some chocolate, and call it a day. Just as I was getting up to leave, he came bursting through the door looking completely flustered. It seemed I wasn't the only one having a shitty day and I felt for him, even though his presence made me feel better.

He looked right at me, and then walked over to his seat like he normally does, but this time he broke his routine. When he got to his chair, instead of setting his bag down in the chair next to him, he put it on the floor, and then he pulled out the middle chair before sitting down in his. I watched him bend over and dig in his bag, and when he came back up to the table I almost gasped at what he had in his hand. It was a bottle of Sunkist orange soda, my library drink. How the hell did he know I couldn't get one today? He set it on the table in front of the seat next to him, and then he looked at me and smiled. He was inviting me to sit with him.

I'd have to be crazy not to accept, right? I offered him a smile, gathered my things, made my way over to his table, and sat down next to him. He smelled wonderful, like clean linen and soap. It was a nice change from the guys who drowned themselves in that Axe shit.

I took the soda and said, "Thank you. I'm Sookie."

He offered me a shy smile and a nod, and then proceeded to get out his books and started working. I did the same. It was surprisingly comfortable working next to him. It was like we were in a bubble all to ourselves, and no one could bother us.

Time flew by, and the next thing I knew he was packing up his stuff. I looked at my watch and realized that it was the time he always leaves. He stood up, and pushed his chair in as I watched.

He looked down at me and said somewhat shyly, "I'm Eric. See you again tomorrow?"

I was speechless from the sound of his voice, so I nodded and smiled. He smiled brightly in return, and then left. I don't think I've ever looked forward to studying more.

I know it was short, but the first few chapters will be. They get longer as more happens, I swear.

Big, big thanks to FDM, my beta! I had to light a virtual ciggy because of her latest chapter of House of Flesh on Fire today. Dayum, that fic is the hottest thing I've ever read.

I also want to thank all the girls on the Sookieverse Forum. You ladies were so enthusiastic over this story and really encouraged me to go on with it. I love you all!

So, who loves nerds? *wink*