Happy Birthday!
Whew, I may just make it.
So this is a fic to wish
maryilee a very very happy birthday. We hope you have had a great day.
Title: You Kissed Me Like You Meant It
Written by: Joe and I
Pairing: Eric/Tami
Setting: pre-FNL amazingness
Eric lifted a ball from the crate of others just like it and threw it against the net target set up against the back fence. Most players of the team got to practice with each other or their dads on their free time, but not Eric. He lived on the opposite side of town, and his dad was…
The closing of the screen door, behind him, knocked the thought from his head. Though, he didn’t need to turn around to know who standing there. As he continued to his target perfectly, he could picture his father standing on the steps; hands on his hips, eyes squinted in that judgmental way of his. His dad was studying his posture, or seeing if he improved his spiral, or maybe he wanted to have a father-son moment but didn’t have the damn courage to open his mouth or take a step into the backyard.
Eric sighed, and furrowed his brow, as he threw the last ball at the fence, at full force. He watched it bounce back and hit the ground with no one on the other side to receive his passes. He retrieved the balls and threw them into the crate for another round of target practice.
“Your mother wanted to know if you’d be coming in for dinner,” he heard his father say.
His father had to make an excuse to be watching Eric. It couldn’t just be because he cared.
Eric stopped mid stance, with the football about to leave his arms. He gently tossed it towards the crate, and headed for the house, noticing for the first time the sun starting to set. He’d practice again after dinner, and just hoped that the repetition would guarantee the fact that he wouldn’t throw an interception all season.
--
Eric tied his second shoe, and grabbed his gym bag from the bench beside him. Like most days, Eric was one of the last to leave the locker room after practice. Some would guess he used the time to review practice, get some extra homework done before he headed to work, or chat up the cheerleaders before even making it to the showers. And as far as Eric was concerned, he was the only one that needed to know the truth, he really was spending the extra time on his hair.
So one Wednesday, when he left, he wasn’t surprised to see his car was the only one left in the student parking lot. However, he was surprised when he walked right into someone causing their books to go flying.
Immediately, he bent down and retrieved the scattered notebooks, stood up and handed them to his victim.
“Oh my-I’m so sorry. I really should look where I’m going more often,” the girl stammered out, wanting to quickly take back her stuff and head off.
But Eric was staring down the girl’s face and not noticing the arm she had out stretched for her belongings. When he realized he blushed and put the books into her hands. She nodded in thanks, and started to walk away, trying to show she wanted to forget about the whole situation. But Eric wasn’t letting go that easily.
He took two steps in her direction, and cleared her throat. “Have we met before?” he asked.
The girl stopped and turned, now blushing. “Um, no. No, but I know…who you are.”
Eric put on his cocky smile, and looked down, “Who am I?”
The girl sighed, seemingly bored with groping Eric’s ego. “You know. Eric Taylor. Star football player. The guy that gets the touchdowns, the girls and the grades. You’re practically the boy next door. Now if you excuse me…”
She turned again, to head off, but yet again, Eric’s voice stopped her.
“And who are you?”
She sighed, and shook her head. “Excuse me?”
“Well you know about me, and I want to know about you too.”
Tami practically stifled a laugh. She knew she should tell him what he wanted to hear, and be done with it, but she couldn’t believe star football players actually dished out lies like that. And something inside her was set on calling him on it. “Why would you want to know anything about me?” she asked trying to sound genuinely interested in the answer.
“Because I don’t want to be the jerk that practically tackles you now and then ignores you in the hallway because I don’t know your name. So please, at least tell me your name.”
She smiled, and switched the books from hand to the other, not trying to scowl this time. “My name is Tami. Now you can be jerk free. And I really must be going.”
She started around the side of the school, to the front parking lot and just caught the last words Eric said to her.
“See you later, Tami.”
It came with a smile, and blush she decided not to notice. She knew not to fall for his act. She was just the smart girl, Church going girl that wasn’t from around here. And in her mind, that meant she wasn’t like these people.
So even if Eric was going to acknowledge her in the halls, not only didn’t she care, it wasn’t going mean a damned thing.
--
Day after day Eric would walk up towards Tami’s locker and talk to her. And day after day, Tami would not budge. Their conversations would always end the same way, with her walking off, without acknowledging his goodbye.
But today, there was something in the way Tami walked away. To Eric, it was as if she was showing herself off, rubbing it in that Eric has yet to get a piece of her, and that he wasn’t going to get it anytime soon.
That Friday, Eric noticed Tami sitting in the front row at their football game.
--
“Hey, Tami!” Eric called out for her in the hallway that Monday. Once again, she barely acknowledged him.
“Oh, hi… Eric.”
“I saw you at the game on Friday. Right in the front row.”
“Good for you. You notice every girl in the front row, or were you looking specifically for me?”
“No, I was just saying that I saw you at the game. I’ll glad you came.”
“I’m glad you noticed.” For the first time, she smiled at him. He became lost in it, his train of thought completely gone.
“You wanna go out with me tonight? Maybe… to a movie?” The words came fast; he could hardly keep up with himself.
“You mean like a date?”
Eric thought in his head how to not make it look like a date, but no matter what he said, Tami would always think of it as a date, so he went with it.
“Yes, a date. Will you go on a date with me?”
She stared at him for a good long while, trying to read his expression and see if he was bluffing. He wasn’t. She smiled.
“Okay, I’ll go on a date with you. Be at my house at seven. No later.”
“Okay. Seven it is. I’ll see you then.”
--
The movie was some cheesy chic flick that Eric thought Tami would like. She didn’t talk or look at him the entire time the movie was playing. Eric didn’t like how things were going. She looked bored out of her mind.
The car ride home was quiet. Tami told Eric she liked the movie and didn’t say another word. When they arrived at her house around 9:15, she took a look at Eric.
“I had fun tonight. It really was a good movie.”
“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
She smiled and opened his car door to get out.
“Hey, you want me to walk you to the door?”
“No thank you, I’m fine.”
“Well… can I at least kiss you goodnight then?”
Tami laughed and turned to Eric as she shut the door.
“I’m not one of those girls you kiss on the first date just because it went well, Eric. I’m also not one of those girls who will let you get in their pants after the first date either. So you’re going to have to take me on a few more dates before I let you kiss me.”
“Okay. I got it. More dates.”
“Well… are you going to take me on another date or was this another classic one timer for Eric Taylor?”
“No, no, it’s not that. I like you Tami. And I’d really like to hang out with you again.”
“Good. I’m free on Saturday.”
“Alright, Saturday it is.”
--
Saturday came and went and things still ended the same. Tami once again refused Eric to walk her to her house, or let him kiss her goodnight. Eric knew full well why she did this: she knew him; she knew that he went out with tons of girls in the past and after a few dates would forget about them. She wanted to make sure Eric really liked her, and that when the time came, he would fight for her. She also wanted their first kiss to mean something, to take the breath out of her body, to know what it would feel like every time she would kiss Eric Taylor. It would mean something; she just had to know when it was the right time.
After the 5th date a few weeks later, she let Eric walk her to her front door. Her parents were already asleep since it was late, so the only light coming from the house was from the stove light in the kitchen.
“I had a really good time tonight.” She said to him.
“Yeah, me too. It was really nice. You know how to pick a good restaurant.”
“Yeah, well, you can thank my parents for that one.”
She looked him right in the eyes and saw it. Saw that he really did like her, that she was something he wanted to be with for a long time. Someone that could possibly fall in love with her.
So she leaned forward, just a little bit. She let him move closer, until their lips finally met. It felt like a bolt of lighting hitting her entire body, sending the breath right out of her and kicking her right off her feet.
When he finally let go after what felt like forever, he looked at her and smiled.
They both knew that this was someone special.
--
Eric placed the slender comb, back down on the glass table top, and stood, gripping the mahogany base as he stood. He heard voices from behind the closed door, and knew it was almost time to go. He looked up, and studied his reflection in the mirror.
He knew he didn’t have to be nervous. He knew what to say, he knew what to do, and he knew how he felt. He didn’t need to decide whether he was in love. He had been in love with that girl since the second he nearly tackled her in the parking lot, and every day since. What he was nervous about, was being able to prove his love.
Eric turned around, and considered his still fairly quiet room. He could feel the heavy burden of his father lingering in the air, as a reminder who not to be. As bad as it sounded, that’s how Eric wanted to live. Being the man his father couldn’t.
With the clock ticking down, he knew who he wanted to be that man for. He took another look in the mirror, still not satisfied with the way his hair was laying. He ran his hair through the edges, and smiled, remembering his priceless high school hair days. And since this was his wedding day, he wanted Tami to feel like they were meeting all over again
He heard a soft knock at his door, and his heart started to race. He knew it wouldn’t stop racing until he could kiss his bride. Because this time, he wouldn’t need to think twice about it.
OMG. Eric and Tami want you to sign up for
panther_mania! Don't deny the Taylor's!!!
So this is a fic to wish
maryilee a very very happy birthday. We hope you have had a great day.
Title: You Kissed Me Like You Meant It
Written by: Joe and I
Pairing: Eric/Tami
Setting: pre-FNL amazingness
Eric lifted a ball from the crate of others just like it and threw it against the net target set up against the back fence. Most players of the team got to practice with each other or their dads on their free time, but not Eric. He lived on the opposite side of town, and his dad was…
The closing of the screen door, behind him, knocked the thought from his head. Though, he didn’t need to turn around to know who standing there. As he continued to his target perfectly, he could picture his father standing on the steps; hands on his hips, eyes squinted in that judgmental way of his. His dad was studying his posture, or seeing if he improved his spiral, or maybe he wanted to have a father-son moment but didn’t have the damn courage to open his mouth or take a step into the backyard.
Eric sighed, and furrowed his brow, as he threw the last ball at the fence, at full force. He watched it bounce back and hit the ground with no one on the other side to receive his passes. He retrieved the balls and threw them into the crate for another round of target practice.
“Your mother wanted to know if you’d be coming in for dinner,” he heard his father say.
His father had to make an excuse to be watching Eric. It couldn’t just be because he cared.
Eric stopped mid stance, with the football about to leave his arms. He gently tossed it towards the crate, and headed for the house, noticing for the first time the sun starting to set. He’d practice again after dinner, and just hoped that the repetition would guarantee the fact that he wouldn’t throw an interception all season.
--
Eric tied his second shoe, and grabbed his gym bag from the bench beside him. Like most days, Eric was one of the last to leave the locker room after practice. Some would guess he used the time to review practice, get some extra homework done before he headed to work, or chat up the cheerleaders before even making it to the showers. And as far as Eric was concerned, he was the only one that needed to know the truth, he really was spending the extra time on his hair.
So one Wednesday, when he left, he wasn’t surprised to see his car was the only one left in the student parking lot. However, he was surprised when he walked right into someone causing their books to go flying.
Immediately, he bent down and retrieved the scattered notebooks, stood up and handed them to his victim.
“Oh my-I’m so sorry. I really should look where I’m going more often,” the girl stammered out, wanting to quickly take back her stuff and head off.
But Eric was staring down the girl’s face and not noticing the arm she had out stretched for her belongings. When he realized he blushed and put the books into her hands. She nodded in thanks, and started to walk away, trying to show she wanted to forget about the whole situation. But Eric wasn’t letting go that easily.
He took two steps in her direction, and cleared her throat. “Have we met before?” he asked.
The girl stopped and turned, now blushing. “Um, no. No, but I know…who you are.”
Eric put on his cocky smile, and looked down, “Who am I?”
The girl sighed, seemingly bored with groping Eric’s ego. “You know. Eric Taylor. Star football player. The guy that gets the touchdowns, the girls and the grades. You’re practically the boy next door. Now if you excuse me…”
She turned again, to head off, but yet again, Eric’s voice stopped her.
“And who are you?”
She sighed, and shook her head. “Excuse me?”
“Well you know about me, and I want to know about you too.”
Tami practically stifled a laugh. She knew she should tell him what he wanted to hear, and be done with it, but she couldn’t believe star football players actually dished out lies like that. And something inside her was set on calling him on it. “Why would you want to know anything about me?” she asked trying to sound genuinely interested in the answer.
“Because I don’t want to be the jerk that practically tackles you now and then ignores you in the hallway because I don’t know your name. So please, at least tell me your name.”
She smiled, and switched the books from hand to the other, not trying to scowl this time. “My name is Tami. Now you can be jerk free. And I really must be going.”
She started around the side of the school, to the front parking lot and just caught the last words Eric said to her.
“See you later, Tami.”
It came with a smile, and blush she decided not to notice. She knew not to fall for his act. She was just the smart girl, Church going girl that wasn’t from around here. And in her mind, that meant she wasn’t like these people.
So even if Eric was going to acknowledge her in the halls, not only didn’t she care, it wasn’t going mean a damned thing.
--
Day after day Eric would walk up towards Tami’s locker and talk to her. And day after day, Tami would not budge. Their conversations would always end the same way, with her walking off, without acknowledging his goodbye.
But today, there was something in the way Tami walked away. To Eric, it was as if she was showing herself off, rubbing it in that Eric has yet to get a piece of her, and that he wasn’t going to get it anytime soon.
That Friday, Eric noticed Tami sitting in the front row at their football game.
--
“Hey, Tami!” Eric called out for her in the hallway that Monday. Once again, she barely acknowledged him.
“Oh, hi… Eric.”
“I saw you at the game on Friday. Right in the front row.”
“Good for you. You notice every girl in the front row, or were you looking specifically for me?”
“No, I was just saying that I saw you at the game. I’ll glad you came.”
“I’m glad you noticed.” For the first time, she smiled at him. He became lost in it, his train of thought completely gone.
“You wanna go out with me tonight? Maybe… to a movie?” The words came fast; he could hardly keep up with himself.
“You mean like a date?”
Eric thought in his head how to not make it look like a date, but no matter what he said, Tami would always think of it as a date, so he went with it.
“Yes, a date. Will you go on a date with me?”
She stared at him for a good long while, trying to read his expression and see if he was bluffing. He wasn’t. She smiled.
“Okay, I’ll go on a date with you. Be at my house at seven. No later.”
“Okay. Seven it is. I’ll see you then.”
--
The movie was some cheesy chic flick that Eric thought Tami would like. She didn’t talk or look at him the entire time the movie was playing. Eric didn’t like how things were going. She looked bored out of her mind.
The car ride home was quiet. Tami told Eric she liked the movie and didn’t say another word. When they arrived at her house around 9:15, she took a look at Eric.
“I had fun tonight. It really was a good movie.”
“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
She smiled and opened his car door to get out.
“Hey, you want me to walk you to the door?”
“No thank you, I’m fine.”
“Well… can I at least kiss you goodnight then?”
Tami laughed and turned to Eric as she shut the door.
“I’m not one of those girls you kiss on the first date just because it went well, Eric. I’m also not one of those girls who will let you get in their pants after the first date either. So you’re going to have to take me on a few more dates before I let you kiss me.”
“Okay. I got it. More dates.”
“Well… are you going to take me on another date or was this another classic one timer for Eric Taylor?”
“No, no, it’s not that. I like you Tami. And I’d really like to hang out with you again.”
“Good. I’m free on Saturday.”
“Alright, Saturday it is.”
--
Saturday came and went and things still ended the same. Tami once again refused Eric to walk her to her house, or let him kiss her goodnight. Eric knew full well why she did this: she knew him; she knew that he went out with tons of girls in the past and after a few dates would forget about them. She wanted to make sure Eric really liked her, and that when the time came, he would fight for her. She also wanted their first kiss to mean something, to take the breath out of her body, to know what it would feel like every time she would kiss Eric Taylor. It would mean something; she just had to know when it was the right time.
After the 5th date a few weeks later, she let Eric walk her to her front door. Her parents were already asleep since it was late, so the only light coming from the house was from the stove light in the kitchen.
“I had a really good time tonight.” She said to him.
“Yeah, me too. It was really nice. You know how to pick a good restaurant.”
“Yeah, well, you can thank my parents for that one.”
She looked him right in the eyes and saw it. Saw that he really did like her, that she was something he wanted to be with for a long time. Someone that could possibly fall in love with her.
So she leaned forward, just a little bit. She let him move closer, until their lips finally met. It felt like a bolt of lighting hitting her entire body, sending the breath right out of her and kicking her right off her feet.
When he finally let go after what felt like forever, he looked at her and smiled.
They both knew that this was someone special.
--
Eric placed the slender comb, back down on the glass table top, and stood, gripping the mahogany base as he stood. He heard voices from behind the closed door, and knew it was almost time to go. He looked up, and studied his reflection in the mirror.
He knew he didn’t have to be nervous. He knew what to say, he knew what to do, and he knew how he felt. He didn’t need to decide whether he was in love. He had been in love with that girl since the second he nearly tackled her in the parking lot, and every day since. What he was nervous about, was being able to prove his love.
Eric turned around, and considered his still fairly quiet room. He could feel the heavy burden of his father lingering in the air, as a reminder who not to be. As bad as it sounded, that’s how Eric wanted to live. Being the man his father couldn’t.
With the clock ticking down, he knew who he wanted to be that man for. He took another look in the mirror, still not satisfied with the way his hair was laying. He ran his hair through the edges, and smiled, remembering his priceless high school hair days. And since this was his wedding day, he wanted Tami to feel like they were meeting all over again
He heard a soft knock at his door, and his heart started to race. He knew it wouldn’t stop racing until he could kiss his bride. Because this time, he wouldn’t need to think twice about it.
OMG. Eric and Tami want you to sign up for
panther_mania! Don't deny the Taylor's!!!