Disclaimer: Buffy and Southern Vampire Mysteries (sadly) do not belong to me. The title and story summary are from the song, "As We Go Round the Sun" by Barbara and Bob Silsberg.
Summary: The future has just begun with eyes open wide on this carousel ride as we go round the sun. Some Buffy/Eric moments based around various holidays.
A/N: This first chapter was written for a Halloween challenge on another site with the prompts "Say goodbye as we dance with the devil tonight. Don't you dare look him in the eye as we dance with the devil tonight.", costumes, masks, and parties.

Chapter 1: Temptation Waits

This was not a date. Buffy had only come to Eric's Halloween party to get a who's who of the Shreveport supernatural community. Yeah, that was it. So what if he gave her a ride there? It was a long walk to Fangtasia, and it wasn't as if she and Eric were wearing matching costumes or anything – though not for a lack of trying on his part, the sneaky bastard.

That didn't explain why she was currently making out with him in his office, however. Or why she shivered in anticipation – and not fear – when she felt his fangs graze her neck.

This was wrong. She knew it was. And yet it felt right. How messed up was that?

It was never like this with Angel or Spike. Fangs plus Buffy had always equaled badness, period, end of story. Besides, a relationship with a vampire was so 'been there, done that'. So why was she here?

The easy answer was Eric. He was like the devil himself with the temptation and the sin and the hotness… but that was just a cop out.

No, at the end of the day, she liked her men tall, dark, and handsome – and 'dark' didn't mean 'brunette'. Sometimes she thought it was part and parcel of being a slayer, especially one that had lived as the Slayer as long as she had.

Besides, it wasn't like Eric was evil - though, he definitely wasn't good. And God help her, it was part of what attracted – and annoyed – her about him.

She felt him pull back. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, only to immediately close them again. The look in his eyes was way too intense, shaking to her very core. At that moment, she knew he saw right through her, knew exactly what she was thinking and who she really was. And she was okay with that.

Without saying a word, she tilted her head to the side, giving him complete access to her neck. She felt his fangs almost lazily slide into her skin, felt as he slowly began to drink from her while his hands were wreaking havoc on her senses elsewhere. She gasped when he started to—

Buffy sat up in her bed, drenched in sweat. Her hands flew up to her neck – nothing. In some ways that was worse, because it meant she and she alone was having naughty thoughts about a certain vampire. Yep, no Dracula thrall to blame it on.

She fell back onto the bed, acutely aware that her heart was beating a mile a minute. She would walk to the party tomorrow night. No, she wouldn't even go.

Then again…