This is my first fic. So I apologise for the bumpy prose and just general craziness.
Chapter One
Eric was late, and stuck in traffic. He glanced across the strip and saw the sun was just beginning to rise above the Miami coastline and a deep red glow had set upon the horizon to greet it. 'Red sky at morning…shepherds warning' thought Eric bitterly. His thought was suppressed however as the sun rose, settled and hovered for a moment above the water turning it a brilliant orange. His thoughts turned to Calleigh and a conversation they had had at a disastrous beach party of Ryan's...
/EC/
Cooper and Ryan were hopelessly trying to light the BBQ while Calleigh was sitting hugging her knees to her chest a little way away as Eric approached and dropped his jacket around her shoulders.
"You looked cold." He shrugged as she looked up at him questioningly.
Her face broke into one of those smiles "Thank you Eric," and she motioned for him to sit with her. He obliged and the two sat in silence for a minute watching as the waves calmly lapped the shore. Next to him, Calleigh was focusing on an invisible point somewhere on the setting sun, a smile playing around her lips.
"What are you thinking?" he asked her.
"Huh?" she responded, coming out of her daze "Oh, it's just so beautiful, the sunset; it's one of my favourite things about Miami."
Eric was staring at her now and her eyes rose to meet his gaze. A lump rose to his throat as she smiled again.
"What's yours?" she whispered.
'Just say it' his heart screamed at him 'you are Calleigh, you are.' Another silence fell between them and Calleigh tugged his jacket closer around herself as the cool breeze washed over them. Eric took a deep breath; he was going to tell her. With his dark eyes still locked with her green ones he opened his mouth to speak.
"RYAN!"
"Natalia I am so sorry!"
Calleigh and Eric tore their eyes from one another and turned to watch an alight Natalia, fling herself at the sand and roll around frantically while Ryan hopped up and down attempting to pat at her with a towel.
"Are you okay?" he asked as her rolling subsided.
"You set me on fire Ryan!"
"I know I – Talia wait! I'm sorry!" Ryan watched helplessly as she stormed away from him towards Valera, who was struggling to keep a straight face.
"That was smooth Dude," Cooper grinned.
"Shut up Dan," he growled.
"Note to self: never stand near Ryan when fire is involved," Calleigh giggled as she stood up. "Come on" she said, reaching to pull Eric up and not missing the slight tingle where their hands touched "…let's uh do some damage control. You take Ryan I'll take Nat."
He watched her walk away before he turned one last time to the disappearing sun, and watched as it said a final farewell before being enveloped by the waves. How he wished they could have had that moment with the sunset that little bit longer, then maybe he would have told her…
/EC/
The sound of a horn followed by some angry words pulled him out of the memory as he realised the traffic had begun to move long ago and he was still in the same position. A second beep told him he needed to move before he had to deal with a crime scene where he was the victim. Sighing, he hit the gas and sped away from the now rapidly rising sun, leaving only a slight disturbance in the air from his acceleration.