Title: Everything, All At Once
Rating: Will vary through the chapters, K+ to T. Possibly M.
Pairing: Eric/Calleigh
Rating: T
After being inspired to write a few E/C vignettes, I decided it would make more sense to compile them in one story, rather than make separate posts. This will be a collection of one-shots/vignettes, following no specific timeline or theme, they'll just be posted as inspiration hits. I hope you enjoy them. As always, thank you for reading.
Only in love are unity and duality not in conflict. ~Rabindranath Tagore
Their toothbrushes sat side by side in the glass tumbler; her green one and his blue one. Ridiculous as it may seem, she couldn't help the smile that had instantaneously appeared on her face at the sight that greeted her that morning. Two toothbrushes, two towels, two travel bags of toiletries yet to be unpacked on the counter top.
Pausing to return the plush, pale blue hand towel to the rail, Calleigh padded back into the bedroom, her smile widening further as her eyes slowly scanned the room around her.
Their clothes lay draped over a chair beside the bed, casualties of the previous night's escapade that had seem them hastily shed and carelessly discarded. Their shoes lay side by side, carefully lined up in front of the closet door, waiting to be found a permanent home. Boxes of possessions and cherished keepsakes...his and hers... lay in a neat pile by the far window, with half opened suitcases, dangling sweater sleeves and pant legs from their jagged teeth. Yet more happy pairings lay scattered around the room, telling of shared lives and dreams for the future; two badges, two carefully holstered guns, two signatures neatly aligned on a piece of paper, two sets of matching keys. His and hers. Theirs.
Calleigh examined the rental agreement briefly, before placing it back on the dresser and stepping precariously around the boxes that littered the floor. She found a vacant spot next to the open window and peered out across the houses and rooftops below. The newborn sun peeked shyly from the horizon, bathing the residents of the city in a warm, comforting glow as they each awoke from their slumber. Wrapping her arms loosely around her body, Calleigh closed her eyes at the cool, soothing breeze that drifted in from the barely open window, the thin, cream colored drapes billowing steadily around her.
If she hadn't known better, she would think she was dreaming, entranced not just by the peaceful, almost dreamlike quality of the room around her, but by the sense of peace and contentment that seemed to have suddenly settled upon her. The wonderful realization of events hit her once again, as her bright green eyes landed on the sleeping figure in the bed.
She arrived at the bedside, not remembering have told her feet to move and sat down gently on the edge of the mattress.
His arm lay draped across her pillow, reaching out toward her even in sleep, the sheet resting high across his hip, exposing his beautiful caramel colored skin to her grateful eyes. He looked peaceful and at ease, his dark lashes fanning his cheek, his full lips parted ever so slightly as each steady breath left his body.
Calleigh reached out tentatively and ran her fingertips over the strong line of his jaw, drawing back quickly as her action caused him to stir. It would be a shame to wake him, the relentless ringing of the alarm would be beckoning him from his dreams before long anyway and they would once again have to part ways.
Releasing a heavy hearted sigh at that realization, Calleigh gently lifted his arm and slid under the covers beside him, grasping his hand in hers as she settled into his embrace once again.
Eric sighed softly, muttering words that were lost to her as he subconsciously pulled her closer, a deep, contented breath leaving his body at the feel of her once again in his arms.
Calleigh turned her head and gazed up at his face and she wondered how she had been so blind for so long. She couldn't remember the moment she had come to consider Eric her best friend, he had been a part of her life for so long that she could barely remember a time when he wasn't there beside her. Always beside her. Supporting and comforting, protecting her even when she vehemently protested, always patient and kind, loving her even when she thought herself unworthy.
No, she couldn't recall when they had become best friends, but she wished she could remember the moment when she knew; when she realized that somewhere, somehow, Eric had quite simply become her everything.
She knew she should feel guilty for waking him, but the temptation to touch him, to feel the warm, heady gaze of his brown eyes on her was just too much. She watched her fingertips travel across his cheek, the paleness of her own complexion highlighted by the color of his much darker skin, yet they blended together so perfectly, so flawlessly.
His eyes fluttered open slowly the second her lips pressed against his own, his sleep muddied brain quickly regaining control of its senses as he gazed up at her just in time for her lips to descend upon his for a second time.
Calleigh moaned airily against his lips as he returned her kiss, finding herself slowly rolled back against the soft mattress as he now lay above her and brushed the tip of his nose tenderly against hers.
"That was quite a wake up," he smiled and gazed down at her in evident adoration, his voice deep and rich and laden with sleep.
"Mornin'," Calleigh grinned up at him buoyantly, her hand fluttering to the back of his neck, sweeping down his back and tracing over soft, warm skin and sinewy muscle. He bent his head and kissed her again, pressing his cheek against hers as he nestled against her, the rough stubble of his jaw against the delicate skin of her neck.
"What time is it? Did the alarm go off?" he yawned briefly and flashed her a boyish smile by way of apology, as he rolled over to lay next to her, rubbing his hand over his face to try and wake himself up further.
"Not yet," Calleigh smiled sheepishly as she watched him glance at the clock on the night stand and then look at her with equal measure of confusion and suspicion.
"Cal, it's not even 5am yet," he frowned, squinting against the sunlight. His body clock told him that he should have another two whole, blissful hours of slumber before he had to wake up. What he was doing awake at 4.52am was anybody's guess, though he suspected it had a lot to do with the agenda of the smiling blonde beside him.
Ignoring his somewhat disorientated expression, Calleigh rolled over and lay her body flush against his, smiling down at him as his hands instantly began to sweep slowly up and down her sides.
"It's our first morning waking up in our new place," she beamed, laying her chin on his chest as she peered up at him from behind beguiling green eyes, almost daring him to reject her advances.
Eric laughed softly, stifling a yawn as he allowed his hands to wander over the backs of her thighs, his fingertips tracing idle patterns over the silk fabric of her slip. She shivered as his hand caressed the small of her back, her hips involuntarily arching against his at the sensation and he cursed the tiredness that overcame him.
He had never wanted any woman the way he wanted Calleigh. The intensity of the desire he felt for her was overwhelming, perhaps compounded by years of longing and imagining what it would be like to be with her. Of course the reality had far exceeded his fantasies and if it hadn't been for the mere 3 hours of sleep he had gotten, there would be no question as to how their morning would be beginning. But moving into a new house was a tiring business and the celebrations of that first night had gone on well into the morning, leaving him completely, delightfully sated, yet utterly exhausted.
"Cal, I'm exhausted," he laughed, not being able to resist tangling his fingers in her baby blonde hair as she began to scatter persuasive kisses across his chest.
"Eric," she scolded, arching a finely plucked eyebrow as she paused in her seduction and eyed him pointedly, "a girl could get a complex, ya know."
"Calleigh, seriously..." he smiled up at her, cupping her cheek in his hand and brushing his palm back and forth over her lips that had rapidly begun to form into a non-too happy pout.
Eric rolled her over and pressed his lips to hers once again in a silent promise, "A couple more hours," he vowed regretfully, watching the path of his hand as it travelled over the flat plain of her abdomen and up across the valley of her breasts, "just a couple more hours babe and I promise I'll make it up to you."
Calleigh bit back a smile and rolled her eyes as he emitted yet another yawn and rolled back tiredly against his pillow, enclosing her in his arms and pulling her across with him to lie against his chest.
"Promises, promises, Delko." Calleigh teased, pressing her cheek to his chest and splaying her palm flat against his skin, watching as his muscles flexed at her touch.
Eric opened one eye and smiled, glancing down at her sharply, "And you know I'll make good on it!"
He smiled as he felt her sigh contentedly, relishing the feel of her soft curves melding into the hard contours of his own body. They fit together so seamlessly, so perfectly and he couldn't imagine a day that didn't begin and end with her in his arms. The seconds passed by slowly and the sensation of her breath drifting across his skin was both hypnotic and soothing.
"Eric?"
He traced his fingertips up and down her arm in acknowledgement, murmuring tiredly to encourage her to continue. Calleigh remained silent for a few moments, until eventually finding the courage to voice her feelings.
"I like waking up next to you," she said softly, staring up at him and rewarding him with a beautiful smile as he dragged himself away from the clutches of sleep to gaze down at her once again.
"Me too, baby," he replied sincerely. His fingers combed affectionately through her hair and he craned his neck to capture her lips, both of them sighing in approval as lips were parted invitingly and their kisses intensified, each surrendering to the desire that rapidly surfaced.
He smiled as they eventually parted and Calleigh rested her head in the crook of his neck, her hand stilling over his chest, settling over the steady, reassuring beat of his heart. His eyes never left hers, each just content to remain, eyes locked, hands gently caressing skin.
"This is good," she stated simply, her eyes leaving his only momentarily to indicate to the room around them. Their room, in their apartment. She smiled up at him, vivacious and lovely and finally his and no degree of tiredness could diminish the smile that appeared on Eric's face and he wrapped his arms tightly around her small frame, his lips repeatedly brushing her forehead.
"It is," he whispered, his kisses brushing the shell of her ear and down her cheek.
Calleigh closed her eyes, finding herself suddenly weary and lulled ever closer to sleep by the warmth of his body around her, the busy events of the last few days catching up with her too . She slid her hand over his chest, draping her arm possessively over his torso, her breath gradually evening out as his hands individually stilled on her back and hip.
"I'm sorry I woke you up," she breathed, drawing in a slow, long, deep, breath and stretching her body out languidly against his.
"That's okay," he turned his head toward her, until the wonderful scent of her hair gradually invaded his senses once more, "I get to wake up to you again,"he reasoned, pressing one final, clumsy kiss into her golden tresses.
She smiled in response, her laughter subdued by impending sleep, "Cute."
Eric's smile gradually faded from his lips as he drifted slowly into the realm of dreams once again. Calleigh's steady breaths soon matched his as she too succumbed to sleep, their chests rising and falling together, hearts slowing, gradually settling in tandem.