Baby, It's You & No One Else

Although I thoroughly enjoyed mine and Eric's adventure in the parking lot, both of us definitely paid for it. Two days layer, we laid in bed, curled up with one another as sick as dogs. Tissues covered the bed and the floor, looking as if it had started to snow in the house as well as outside. A typical Mach snow storm ragged on outside, the wind making the old house protect, the wood and infrastructure groaning with every gust. It was bitterly cold out, Minnesota's way of making winter disappear with one last bang.

I grabbed another tissue from it's box, blowing my tender nose but this time because of my emotions. We decided to pass the time being quarantined by watching Titanic. A movie that made me sob every time Jack died, risking his whole life to save a woman he had known for a mere few days if that. My eyes welled up with more tears as I turned into Eric's chest, finding comfort in the solid warmth.

I felt him chuckle beneath me, his body and chest stiffening as he tried to hide it from me, his muscles flexing beneath his t-shirt. I smacked his side, making his laughing stop. I watched the rest of the movie curled into his side, not caring that my nose was as red as Rudolph's, or that I hadn't taken a shower in two days, just that I was wrapped securely in Eric's arms.

"I hate you for getting me sick," I told Eric as the movie finished. A tickle in my throat caused a coughing attack, my lungs constricting painfully. I buried my face in his chest once again.

"I'm sorry, babe, but wasn't it worth it?" He questioned smugly. I tried not to smirk at that but it didn't work. Both of our mouths titled into knowing smiles.

"My agent called yesterday while you were asleep." His fingers brushed softly over my hair.

"Since when do you have an agent?" I asked, having never heard him talk about one until now.

"Well I need one for the draft and contract stuff," he told me.

"Oh." I paused, taken off guard by the sudden realization that in a couple months, Eric would be set to being his professional football career. "Why haven't I met or heard of him before?"

"I didn't think you needed to," Eric murmured cautiously, his guard raised in case I was set to explode.

"But anyway, he said that there's a good shot for me to go in the first round. Do you know how much money I could be making?" My eyebrows raised in surprised at Eric's words, not liking the way he sounded at all.

"Since when has football been about the money?" I asked him, sitting up and looking down at his face.

"Its not but getting paid to play is awesome." He smiled up at me and for a minute, I wondered where my boyfriend went.

"Do you hear yourself? You sound like a money-greedy moron." I snapped, throwing the covers off of me and stomping to the bathroom. I ignored the chills that ran through me from my fever coming back, too pissed off to care.

"Riley." Eric called after me. I stopped in the doorway, my back to him and waited for his sweet voice to continue. I had learned the hard was that it was better to listen to him than to ignore what he had to say. "The only reason the money matters is because I want to give you everything you're ever wanted." I closed my eyes and pursed my lips, slowly turning back to Eric who was now sitting up in bed.

"Honey, you know that doesn't matter to me," I whispered to him, crossing the room slowly.

"It matters to me."

"Why? I don't need anything but you." I ran my hands through his hair, then letting the grasp his shoulders tightly. His eyes looked to the ceiling and then back to me.

"I just was to give you the world because that's what you deserve."

"Eric, I've already got my world," I whispered to him, softly kissing his nose and snuggling back into him.
***

"From the bottom, this hill didn't seem so big," Katie squeaked out as Adam set the blue sled up, already sitting in it and waiting for his girlfriend to get in.

"It's not that bad," Blake told Katie, him and Kara already in their own blue sled.

"Katie, if you don't get in, I'll push you down the hill and you'll be flying down on only your stomach." I threatened, wanting to get the race under way.

"Fine" she whined at me when I started to move towards her. She climbed in and I settled into Eric's chest, his arms tight around my waist.

"We're going to kick their asses," he whispered to me. I giggled at him and nodded, my hands wrapping around his for another anchor.

"Ready?" Adam asked. We all nodded and the boys pushed off, sending us down the steep, slippery slope. The girls screamed the whole way down, our high pitches softened slightly by the snow that was acting as a sound barrier.

Eric and I flew down the hill at a rapid speed, hitting bumps and flying into the air. Eric kept us in the sled, his feet keeping the plastic under our bodies despite the few times it almost went out from under us. I laughed loudly as we slid to a stop tied with Blake and Kara. I glanced up the hill, being sent into hysterics when I noticed Katie and Adam still halfway down the hill, wiped out. They both laid on their backs, not moving while the sled sat idle next to Kara. I rolled out of the sled next to Kara, both of us giggling as Adam lifted his head up and shouted down to us.

"No, really. You stay there. We're fine. No need to rush!" Eric and Blake laughed also as Blake plopped himself on Kara's butt, making her sink farther into the white snow. Adam flicked all of us off before he tried to pull himself up, slipping and sliding farther down the hill. We all heard Katie's loud laughter as she crawled down the hill, kissing her fallen boyfriend.

"Get off!" Kara shouted at Blake who was now laying completely on top of her. Kara threatened no sexy times numerous times if he didn't get off but surprisingly, it didn't work. I looked at Eric who was smirking at me with an evil glint in his eyes. Mine widened with surprise as he held up a snow ball, ready to launch it at me.

"You wouldn't," I challenged him, my arms coming up ad he wound up, ready to throw. I watched his face, seeing the passiveness of it and shrieking as he launched the packed snow. But at the last minute, he turned, nailing Blake in the back.

"Get off of her you fat ass. She's going to die." Eric yelled, diving at Blake and knocking him off of his squished girlfriend. He his the ground with a loud "ouff" his whole body now covered in white powder.

Kara and I turned to each other, giggling before I leaped onto Eric's back and Kara joined me, all of us making a pule. Kara let out a loud cry as Katie and Adam finally decided to join us. Adam laid on Kara, Katie on his back as Blake sputtered for air. Eric groaned in disapproval as Kara hit Adam multiple times to get him off of her.

"As much as Blake is a pain in the ass, I kind of love him and want him around, so get off!"

"But I love you so much Karabear!" Adam exclaimed, smacking his lips at her.

"Weber!" Blake bellowed, shoving Eric and I up, finding some sort of superhuman strength. Katie and Adam scrambled off the pile quickly. Kara stood up also as Eric rolled off of Blake, taking me into the snow.

"Eric! Snow is going up my back!" I wiggled under him as he yawned, throwing his arms up and under me.

"That's too bad, I like it here."

"Eric," was all I needed to say in my ticked off girlfriend voice before he was off of me, and scooping me off the ground.

"Sorry, baby," he smiled innocently at me. I returned it with one of my own, kissing him softly. His hands slid up my back, wiping away snow that had now become water against my hot skin. He pulled his glove off, his palm running the length of my back. His fingers dipped into the curve of my spin an trailed light down it. I bit my tongue against the moan that was bubbling in my throat, instead letting a breathy sigh escape my lips.

"Better?" He asked huskily into my ear.

"Mmm, much." I pressed a kiss to his neck feeling his pulse beating wildly.

"Ew." Blake stated. "Let's go, you losers! We're going for another run!" HE called as he sprinted up the hill, tripping slightly in his over sized boots. I laughed loudly as Eric grabbed my hand and the sled, leading us up to try it one more time.
***

Late that night, the six of us sat in a crowded bar on campus, laughing and drinking, catching up after so much time missed. Eric sat on a bar stool next to Blake, Kara and I standing in between our boyfriend's legs. Eric's lips continuously pressed against the back of my neck despite the conversation he was engaged in with multiple teammates of his. My eyes would flutter closed each time his flesh brushed against mine, the butterflies making my knees wobbly and my concentration disintegrate, I turned my head to the side, capturing his lips in a kiss he had been asking for for the past five minutes.

"What is up with you?" I giggled at his pout.

"What? I can't love on my baby?"

"Of course you can. But you're clinging and you never do that."

"You don't like it?" He questioned, dropping his hands from around my waist.

"No!" I insisted, whirling around and crashing myself into his body. "No, I love this." I snuggled into him, the loud talking and music fading away and for a moment, only Eric and I existed.

"Decker!" A shrilly voice shrieked into my ear. My eye's snapped open and I glared viciously at the bitch who had always caused problems in my life.

"If you know what's best for you, you will walk away now." I snarled at Lindsey, my judgmental eyes raking over her slutty attire. Her blonde hair was pin straight and obviously fried to a crisp. Her face was characteristically orange, the bronzer and self-tanner smudged on her white dress, which was so short, it would fit better as a shirt.

"Whoa, was talking to you?" She glared back at me.

Eric's arms wrapped tightly around me as his lips pressed against my ear, "ignore her, she's not worth it."

"Shut up, she's the reason for all of our problems and I'm done playing nice." I bared my teeth at both her and Eric, disgusted that he was once again coming to her rescue.

"Shit's hitting the fan," Blake mumbled to Adam under his breath. Kara smacked him and Katie nervously shifted next to Adam.

"I can't believe you're still with her, Eric. What the hell could you possibly see in that?" She asked, her eyes dissecting my public appropriate outfit.

"Frumpy," Lindsey's friend scoffed.

"Excuse me? Oh, sorry, I actually eat." I growled at her, giving Lindsey a look, " but the whole anorexic thing isn't working for you or maybe you're pregnant?"

"Being fat is only one of your bad qualities," she snorted at me. "Don't even get me started on your appearance and face, not to mention how dull you are. I bet Eric can't even get it up for you. That's why he came to me."

Eric's hands gripped my hips so tight that I could feel my skin bruising as he repeatedly whispered into my ear that she was lying. "You know she is, baby. Don't let her get to you. Listen to me, we're going to walk away. BE the bigger person and stay quiet." I clenched my teeth but Eric didn't give me time to protest, he pushed me away from Lindsey and towards the door.

"She's such a coward," Lindsey mocked me, letting out a hyena laugh. I whirled back around, ready to give her a piece of my mind and fist. I pushed past Eric but by the time I got to her, she was already on the bar floor, blood leaking from her nose. My mouth dropped open as I looked at Kara who stood over her, the maddest I'd ever seen her. Kara's face was on fire with anger while her hands were clenched into fists and her chest heaved up and down.

"Nobody talks about my friends like that." She bellowed, her usually quiet and sweet voice, angry and spewing venom.

"You bitch!" Lindsey screamed up at her.

"No, you're the bitch. go to hell." Katie snapped, grabbing Adam and Kara, walking towards where Eric and I stood with amused looks. Blake laughed loudly as he passed Lindsey, snapping a picture with his phone or her ruined face and dress. She swatted at his phone but Blake was too quick for her. She fell to the floor of the bar, completely off balance. Blake ran up behind Kara, turning her towards him and kissing her hard.

"I love you and that was the sexiest thing I've ever seen." He laughed, attacking her with more kisses.

Eric grabbed my hand, pulling me from the bat and into the cold night. He didn't stop walking until we reached the end of the street. He turned towards me, his brown eyes searching mine.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his hands rubbing up and down my arms. I blew a puff of air out, my bangs flying off of my face as I shook my head, still irritated.

"I'm fine. I just wish she would disappear." I murmured, stepping into his open arms and burying my face into his chest.

"None of what she said was true. You're so beautiful, inside and out. You're most definitely not fat and I see everything I've ever wanted in you. Plus, you and I both know how well you satisfy me. No one does it like you," he smirked at me, throwing in a wink.

"I love you, Eric." I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut tight and trying to ignore the part of me that wanted to go back and kick Lindsey's ass. I hated her so much which was so unlike my nature. I was a loving person, a love not a fighter. But she brought out the worst in me. The only way Eric and I would ever be happy is if we could get away from her, but I was starting to wonder if that would ever happen.

"I love you too, everything about you." He smiled softly, his thumbs brushing against my cheeks. "Stop thinking about her. Let's go home." He murmured softly, his lips pressing firmly against my forehead, a simple and sweet gesture that cleared my mind of the recent events.

"What about them?" I asked, looking back to the bar where our friends still were.

"They'll understand," he grinned suggestively. I bit my lip, lacing our fingers together. We walked down the street and away from the scene of our latest run in with the bitch from hell. We were both contently silent, letting out actions later that night express everything that needed to be said.

Finally, after Eric laid naked and asleep next to me, I had a moment to ponder the rest of our lives. It was already late February, soon to be March. Everything was changing so quickly, Graduation was coming up along with the NFL combine and draft. The next couple months of Eric's life will define the rest of our lives together. Everything was about to come down to one night, when Eric's name would be called and it would decide where we would be living. I just hopped that through everything, what I needed and wanted wouldn't get lost in the complicated equation that was Eric's life. Maybe that was selfish, or maybe that was just me being a realist. Either way, I needed to figure some things out before the draft and make sure I got myself ready to leave my family and friends, to follow the love of my life wherever his dreams lead him. I just prayed that I wouldn't be risking it all for nothing, that Eric would keep all of his promises and not change his mind about making me Mrs. Eric Decker.