A/N: Here's chapter one. I'm posting it simultaneously with the prologue because the prologue is really just setting up the premise. Let me know what your thoughts are on the piece and if I should continue this.

Chapter One

As he picked up the photo nearest to him, there was no containing the grin that slid across his face. He stroked the glass over the face of the gorgeous blonde that he owed every single second of his happiness to.

The moment captured in this particular image was from about a year after they'd started dating. She was perched on his lap, donning a black New Orleans Saints jersey, while his own strong figure was wrapped in a brand new white Dolphins jersey.

He recalled that this was actually the second picture taken as they sat there on the couch. In the first one, they were nicely posed, both of them smiling widely at the camera.

In this one though, her nose was wrinkled distastefully and he had a shit-eating ear-to-ear grin plastered across his own face, but both of their eyes were sparkling and it was clearly a playful moment.

)))

"Babe?" Eric called out as he entered the house that they'd recently purchased together.

"Kitchen!" her soft voice replied.

He slid his shoes off and quickly traversed the hallway, smiling when he saw her standing over the stove, stirring something that smelled delightful.

"Mmm, what's that?" he asked. He set his paper bag of groceries down on the table and slid his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as he took in the red sauce that was simmering in the pan in front of his girlfriend.

"The buffalo sauce for those wings you promised that you'd make," she rolled her green eyes at him.

"Hey, it was your idea to have everyone over here, not to mention, it was you who sent me off to the store to get more chips. Otherwise, I'd absolutely be making the wings myself," he defended himself, kissing her neck gently.

"How could I not invite everyone? It's the Dolphins versus the Saints in the Superbowl…we've only been waiting for this for what? Like ten years?" she pointed out, subconsciously tilting her head to give him better access to her skin.

"Yeah, something like that," he agreed. However excited he was about this game—his beloved Dolphins were finally about to win it all—he was rather distracted by the flowery scent that her freshly washed hair was letting off.

"Eric, not now. Everyone's going to be here in an hour and your wings aren't ready and we're not dressed," Calleigh complained.

"Come on Cal, you know we can always make time," Eric cajoled, nipping at her earlobe. It was one of her favorite things and she knew that he was doing it on purpose. He'd almost convinced her too before she mustered all of her willpower and pulled away from him, removing herself from his grasp and taking a few steps away.

"No way. You always say that and then we're always late. Normally, I can deal with that when the payoff is so good," she ignored his cocky smirk, "but today if we're running late, we're likely to have Horatio walk in on us. And I don't know about you, but that's definitely not something I want to happen."

Eric's smirk disappeared as soon as the thought of Horatio walking in on them penetrated his lust-fogged mind. It was replaced by a pout that she could only describe as adorable.

"I'll make a deal with you though," she proposed as he stirred his buffalo sauce on the stove idly.

His ears perked up. "I'm listening."

"Whoever's team wins tonight gets to call the shots for the next week. And, the loser has to clean up tonight after everyone leaves," she said.

"You know that your stupid Saints don't stand a chance, right?" Eric cocked an eyebrow.

"Says you," she shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

He considered only briefly. Calling the shots in bed for a whole week including deciding when and where; she wouldn't be allowed to complain even if he made her late to work every single day the whole week. "Deal."

"Seal it with a kiss?"

He grinned and pressed his lips to hers softly but sensually.

She rolled her eyes and pushed him away when he tried to slip his tongue between her lips. "You're incorrigible."

"I can't help it. You're kind of hot," he shrugged and turned back to the sauce.

)))

"Is it just me or is it kind of cute the way that they won't even acknowledge each other even though she's sitting on his lap?" Natalia asked Valera as they both refilled their plates with food and took in the rest of the group.

Ryan was perched on the edge of the recliner edgily, bursting with tension and muttering to himself after random plays, Horatio was watching with a keen, but silent eye from the other recliner, Walter was sitting on one side of the loveseat that Valera had been occupying the other half of, and Natalia's seat on the couch next to their hosts was empty for the moment.

Calleigh had been scooped into Eric's lap when beer had been spilled on the cushion she'd claimed as her own. There was now a wet spot where she'd been sitting, courtesy of Ryan knocking a bottle off of the small table behind the couch.

She was comfortable in his arms, but they weren't actually speaking to each other because they were currently locked into the battle that was taking place on the screen. The Dolphins were winning by ten points with dwindling time, but Eric chose not to comment just yet.

When the game was over, Eric didn't bother to restrain his victorious smile as Calleigh slumped against him dejectedly.

"Hey, smile you two, I want to take a picture," Natalia said motioning them closer together.

"I don't think I can smile right now, Natalia," Calleigh pouted.

"Oh come on, just pretend. I should've taken it earlier, but I forgot. Don't you want to remember tonight? Who knows if the Saints and the Dolphins will ever be in the Superbowl again," Natalia pointed out.

"I don't want to remember tonight. I don't like to lose," Calleigh said stubbornly.

"Come on Cal, just smile," Eric cajoled.

She huffed but forced a smile onto her face, allowing Eric to wrap his arm around her waist and they turned their smiling faces to the camera.

"Let me up, I should start cleaning up," Calleigh sighed taking in their trashed living room once Natalia had taken the picture.

"You know, I'd offer to help, but a bet is a bet and you lost," Eric shrugged with a smirk. "Don't wear yourself out too much cleaning up though, because that was only half the bet, and I have to say, I'm much more excited about the second half of the bet."

"You're really not gonna help me?" Calleigh asked, shock evident on her face.

"In all fairness, I did warn you that you were gonna lose," Eric gave her a huge grin, trying not to laugh at her disgusted face.

His attempts at not laughing failed when he heard the little beep of Natalia's camera. "That picture is going to be priceless."

)))

If he recalled correctly, he had ended up helping her clean up the mess of their friends. But not before he'd started to collect on the second half of their bet—on the kitchen table.

He chuckled lightly at the picture as he remembered the glorious week that had followed that night. It had been quite the week, if he did say so himself.

Eric replaced the frame on the shelf with due reverence and picked up the next one, the playful grin on his face immediately replaced by a much more sentimental one.

A/N: Both of these chapters were un-betaed, so I'm really sorry if there was any mistakes. If there were any that hindered the understandability, let me know and I'll do my best to fix it. Thanks!