Title: The Snag in Boxers
Disclaimer: Not mine. If they were, I'd have borrowed Eric for my own private fireworks today.
Author's Notes: Just a goofy one shot. Forgive my blah title.
Eric wraps his arms tightly around Calleigh. They're half-reclining on Eric's bed, more off than on, to be honest. Eric's a little surprised they even made it this far, though. They were in the kitchen when their passion for each other finally exploded, and it was an awkward dash filled with kisses and grasps that finally got them here. Eric can't believe Calleigh's finally in his arms. He's been wanting her for so long.
Trying hard to ignore the fact that his lungs are begging for air, Eric pulls Calleigh down to deepen the kiss. After several seconds, he reluctantly breaks the kiss. Gasping for breath, he says, "Wow."
"Wow yourself," Calleigh drawls, licking her lips. She reaches forward and caresses Eric's face. She has such a gentle touch for a woman who can rattle off ever make of firearm on the market today. Pecking Eric on the cheek, she whispers, "Need a rest do you?"
"A little," he says. Grinning, Eric leans forward and kisses her forehead. "You sure about this?"
"I'm sure," she says.
Eric swallows. "I've been wanting this for so long, Cal."
Taking on of Eric's hands in hers, Calleigh says, "Me too, Eric. I think we're finally ready."
After a long moment, Eric leans forward to kiss Calleigh, but she pushes him away. Grinning mischievously, she says, "Lean back."
Nodding, Eric lies back and lets Calleigh blaze a trail of kisses down his chest and stomach. He closes his eyes when she reaches the button of his jeans. Slowly, she unfastens the button and starts to pull the zipper down. In his dreams, this is where the alarm clock usually goes off and jolts him into dreary consciousness.
Suddenly and sounding very much like his alarm clock, Calleigh sits up. "Wait. Wait. Wait," she says, holding her hands up. "I can't do this."
"What?" Eric chokes out.
"I can't do this." She sits beside him on the bed.
Eric growls internally. This shouldn't surprise him. It really shouldn't. He's been down this road with Calleigh before.
Heaving a long-suffering breath, he sits up and says, "You said you were sure, Cal. You said you wanted to be with me."
"Oh, I do, Eric," Calleigh says, patting his knee.
He shrugs. "Then why are you up here instead of down there?"
She gazes at him for a long moment, and then averts her eyes. "It's the underwear," she says.
Eric stares at her. "The underwear?"
"I can't make love to a man who's wearing Spiderman underwear."
Eric glances down at his boxers. Damn. He was half-asleep this morning when H called him in. The Spiderman boxers were the first clean pair he saw. Feeling a blush creep into his cheeks, he bites his lips and says, "Well, my sister got them for me for Christmas."
Calleigh gives him a look. "You sister buys your underwear?"
"Not usually," he squeaks. Glancing at the ceiling, he fights the urge to bolt from the room. "She thought they were cute, and she'd already got me some other stuff, so…"
Calleigh holds up her hands. "Okay."
Eric lies back on the bed. "Is this going to be a thing?"
"It's a weird little quirk of mine."
"You can't sleep with me because I wear cartoon underwear."
She stretches out next to him. "I can't sleep with you while you're wearing cartoon underwear."
Eric smirks. "Okay, I'll take them off."
She shakes her head. "No, you have to change your underwear."
"Are you kidding me?"
"No," she says. "I won't be able to concentrate if I know you have on Spiderman underwear."
He rolls over onto his side and props himself up on one arm. "If I take them off, I won't be wearing Spiderman underwear anymore."
Kissing Eric's knuckles, Calleigh says, "You can't take them off, because I like to take them off."
Eric groans. "Then take them off."
Calleigh gazes at Eric in a way that almost convinces him that she has hidden hypnotic abilities. "Eric, please?"
Letting out a defeated breath, Eric lifts himself off the bed. Trust Calleigh to be an underwear snob. Wearily, he pads over to the dresser, drags it open, and starts searching for his sexiest pair of boxers. As he searches, Eric shoots a look over his shoulder. He's half-expecting Calleigh to rush over and pick them out for him, but instead, she's sitting cross-legged on the bed, watching him dig through his drawer.
"I can't believe you wear those to work," she says.
He shrugs. "It was early. They were clean."
She smiles. "Male logic."
"Don't get me started on female logic."
Calleigh shoots him a look. "I would've pictured you to wear boxer briefs."
"I do," Eric smirks, somehow feeling vindicated now that he knows Calleigh has thought about his underwear. "And briefs occasionally."
"And Speedos?"
Eric chuckles, but doesn't answer.
Pressing on, Calleigh says, "I'm surprised you wear cartoon underwear. If it were Tyler, I—"
Eric spins around. "You've thought about what kind of underwear Tyler wears?"
She rolls her eyes. "Yelina and I were having coffee last week and we did the whole boxers or briefs thing. Ryan is a definite boxers man, but Frank seems like a briefs man. Horatio—"
Eric winces. "Please don't put those images into my head." Holding up a pair of black silk underwear, he asks, "Do these pass inspection, or should I run to the store?"
She beams. "Those'll be just perfect."
Eric shakes his head as he walks into the bathroom to change. The things he's willing to do for that woman.