#divergenteric

"What are you up to, little one?"

You nearly jumped in surprise as Eric's voice suddenly filled the silence that you had been enjoying for the last four hours while doing your usual surveillance over the faction through the many cameras in front of you.

Well, not that this part of your job was very difficult. In fact, you would only throw a few glances towards the screens now and then while spending most of your working hour either drawing or reading a book.

And right now, you had spent the last hours sketching what would soon be your next tattoo.

"Geez, you scared me, Eric" You said as the handsome, yet annoying Dauntless leader sat down in the empty chair next to you, his blue eyes glancing at the drawing you were currently working on.

Raising an eyebrow, he looked back at you for a moment with a slightly mocking expression on his face, "Poor thing. You must be exhausted from all the hard work they are making you do in here".

"Yes," You replied while chewing on the pencil in your hand, trying your best to picture how the tattoo might look on your shoulder, "I am very exhausted indeed, cant you tell?".

"Sure sure," Eric mumbled before leaning forward, his arm brushing against yours as he studied your sketch with interest, "It looks good. Where will you take it?".

He already knew it was going to be your next body art since he had a habit of coming up here and bother you whenever it was your work shift.

"I was thinking on my right shoulder" You told him as you slowly drew the wings on the bird a bit longer, hoping it would look more as if the bird's wings were a part of the flames you had been working on earlier. You had drawn a circle around everything and though that little detail resembled a lot of the other tattoos people had here, you still found the rising bird among the flames an original idea.

It was a simple, yet neat tattoo.

"I'm sure you will look absolutely sexy with it. Well, sexier, that is" Eric said with a smirk as he leaned back in the chair, his eyes on you now.

Huffing, you only threw him an irritated look as you put away the pen, "Don't you have anything else to do besides trying to get in my pants?".

"Not at the moment, I don't" Eric shrugged while resting both his hands behind his head and you rolled your eyes at the sight of his strong biceps.

When you had left Abnegation nearly five years ago, knowing that your old home faction would never be enough for you, you had not imagen you would end up being the one who got Eric's attention.

As an initiate, you had quickly understood that he was not someone you wanted to cross, especially not after he had given another fellow initiate a broken nose and a black eye during what was supposed to be a friendly round of fighting.

Also, the way he had been constantly insulting almost every transfer had also been another clear sign that you did not want to end up on his bad side. You had tried your best to not draw any attention to yourself and whenever you had needed help, whether it was with throwing knives or shooting, you always ended up asking Four, who despite being a strict instructor, was much easier going than Eric.

Unfortunately for you, after you had won capture the flag (you had been in Four's alliance), Eric had for some strange reason started to keep an eye on you. At first, you had tried to brush it off, pretending that you didn't see the way he would glance at you at breakfast or the way he would keep an eye on you during training.

One time, when you and Four had been sparring together and you had ended up in a very intimated position with the brown haired guy, Eric had abruptly called it quits, announcing in an annoying voice that even blind people could show a better performance.

Irritated at his sudden rudeness, you had cursed him under your breath when you passed him which had resulted in Eric forcing you to do sixty burpees in front of everyone. You had accepted his brutal demand without any complaints and once you had finished the many jumps, you knew you had impressed him even if he had refused to show it.

After that episode, you had once again tried your best to hide from his blue eyes, but still, you would often find him staring at you from afar and weeks later, when you became an official member of the faction, Eric had surprised you by lightly touching your arm once when you passed him in the tunnel, mumbling something about how he had known you would make it into Dauntless.

Ever since then, as you had kept climbing the ranks in your new home faction, Eric would throw in a few casual comments whenever you found yourself alone with him. He never said much, but even so, you knew he didn't go out of his way to talk to anyone else unless he was yelling at them which only told you he actually enjoyed your company.

You weren't exactly sure when it happened but at one point in your strange friendship with the Dauntless leader, Eric's behavior towards you had become bolder and more playful. He would often wink at you whenever he knew no one else was paying attention, and every time the two of you would walk past one another, he always made sure to lightly touch your arm, throwing in a smirk or two.

He was cocky and arrogant and you had no doubt he could probably get any woman he wanted, but for the past five years, you were the one he had his eyes on. Always trying to seduce you, Eric would spend most of his free time locating you only to flirt with you or try to get you back to his apartment (though he already made it pretty clear to you that he would gladly sleep with you wherever).

Safe to say, so far, you had managed to resist his charm because yes, you had no problem admitting he could be charming, but even so, you were still the ultimate award for Eric, and the more you kept dodging his persuasion, the bolder he became. You knew he wasn't going to give this up. If anything, he only became more determined to get you in his claws.

Eric threw you a wicked grin as your eyes quickly fell on his strong arms, "See something you like?"

Ignoring his comment, you instead turned your focus at one of the cameras instead, your eyes finding the familiar figure to Four who was currently helping an initiate with her fighting stance. You recognized her as the stiff, and from what you had gathered from all the mumbling to Eric, she was weak without any muscles and probably wouldn't make it here.

Not wanting to doubt a former fellow Abnegation, you had not joined in on his speculations. Judging a book by its cover did not sit well with you and the fact that you and the stiff came from the same faction, left you in no position to judge her strength nor will.

After all, those two traits had helped you climbed the ranks back when you were an initiate like her, and even though you were not the same rank as neither Eric nor Four, you still carried some responsibility here. Occasionally, you would even join Eric and some other leaders when they did their weekly patrolling in the streets, making sure that the factionless were not up to something.

"Dinner is being served soon. Shouldn't you be on your way?" You asked in a bored tone while slowly turning your eyes away from Four and the girl since you did not want to spy on their intimacy.

Giving you a wry smile, Eric's blue eyes met yours and the way he gazed at you reminded you of a lion watching his prey and you couldn't help but shudder. His look was so intense and you knew you had to look away unless you wanted to get lost in those icy blue eyes of his that showed nothing but a promise of satisfaction.

Not doubting that he probably would reveal a very dominant personality in the sheets, if you ever were to fall for his alluring smiles and cheeky comments, you could not help but mentally praise yourself for showing self respect whenever Eric would try to get you back to his flat.

The last thing you needed was for Eric to be right, and you be damned if you ended up crawling pathetically back to his door every other night, begging for more. Not that you knew of any of the women he had slept with, or still slept with, but just by glancing at this man, it was easy to tell that he had no problems persuading women to end their nights with him.

Well, most women, that was.

"I'm in no rush to eat that dry, boring burger which seems to be the only meal they can make us" Eric replied simply, his eyes still on you and you almost faltered slightly at the way he was staring at you. The look was so raw, so real and it almost felt as if he saw right through you.

"Well, you can't sit here with me for the rest of the night," You told him, giving him a strict look, "I need to work after all".

"Why not? Afraid you might give into me?" He asked, a playful gleam flashing through his blue eyes as he studied you.

"Trust me, little one," Eric leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees which once again only revealed to you how huge his biceps and triceps were, "I promise I'll take good care of you and we both know I'm a man of my word. I always follow through with my intentions or promises, so believe me when I say, when I get you naked for the very first time, you might just find yourself regretting every moment you spent resisting me".

Gaping at him for a brief moment, you could not believe the nerves of this man.

"You're unbelievable" You retorted.

Shrugging, Eric only leaned closer and now he was so close that you would not be surprised if he could count every one of your lashes.

Leaning back, away from his tempting aura, Eric only sent you a knowing smile, as if he knew something that you did not, "No, I'm just a simple man trying to win the heart of the woman I desire. You might do your best trying to resist me, but sooner or later, I always get my way".

"Find someone else to play with" You scoffed.

You already knew how this conversation would go. It's not like the two of you didn't go through this almost every night. You would be up here in the surveillance department, drawing and doing anything but actually work, and Eric would drop by, doing his best to make you fall for him, but as always, he went back to his apartment alone.

You would have thought the poor guy would have given up by now, but no, giving into defeat was not in his nature. Nor was it in yours.

"Why? I only want you" Eric replied simply and you couldn't help but hear the honesty that lingered in his tone.

"Eric," You sighed softly, turning to glance back at the many screens again, "You can probably have any girl you want here and I for one thing do not want to be just one of the girls you screw over".

A moment of pure silence filled the small room and if it wasn't for the fact that you could see Eric in the corner of your eye, you would have thought he left. But no, he was staring at you with an unreadable look, his eyebrows furrowed.

"What exactly is that suppose to mean?" He asked quietly from behind you.

Not looking at him, you frowned for a moment, your brain trying to come up with the easiest way to describe how you felt, "You're clearly a womanizer, that much I can tell and as much as I can admit you do peek my interest at times, I refuse to be one of many if you get my drift which I'm sure you do. You were born with your nose stuck in thick books after all".

Another moment of stillness followed, but this time, you turned your head to glance at him again, and the vulnerability that briefly flickered in his eyes, caught you off guard.

"Is that what you think of me?," Eric asked, his voice quiet, yet you thought you noticed a hint of despair in his voice, "That I sleep with every woman I see? In case you haven't noticed, which would surprise me since I know you are far from dense, I spend most of my time chasing you and even though this hunt sometimes feels like squeezing the blood out of a rock, I'm still fighting".

"Why?" You asked curiously.

"Because," Eric said and this time, you saw nothing but sincerity in the depth of his eyes as he stood up from the chair, "I want you".

Before you could respond back, or let his answer sink in, Eric left the room, slamming the door a bit harshly after him, and for some reason, you knew he was upset. Not really understanding what the hell just happened, you grabbed the pencil again, trying your best to focus on drawing, but somewhere back in your mind, the disappointed look on Eric's face as he left remained, and after nearly half an hour of trying to concentrate on the sketch, you gave up with an irritated groan.

Resting your face on top of your hands as you allowed yourself to close your eyes, you could not help but feel a bit guilty. Why you had no idea, but with a sinking feeling in your stomach, you were pretty sure it had everything to do with Eric.

At the soft touch on your shoulder, you quickly opened your eyes and glanced up, your eyes meeting the gentle smile that belonged to Four.

He was hovering over you with an amused look, "Tired? I almost didn't want to wake you up, but it's my shift now, so you are free to go".

"What time is it?" You asked, flushing slightly. How long had you been asleep?

"Neary 10PM" Four told you as he sat down in the other chair, pushing himself closer to the desk. His eyes fell on your sketch for a second, and you quickly grabbed the piece of paper, causing him to chuckle quietly, "Working hard as always, eh?".

"Yes, that's why I fell asleep," You replied, a glint of mischief in your eyes as you packed your stuff and rose up from the chair, "I work my ass off up here".

"Sure you do" Four replied with a grin.

You walked over to the door, but just as your hand touched the doorknob, you could not help but turn to glance at Four with a thoughtful expression on your face. It took him a few seconds to realize that you were still in the room and when he noticed your figure still standing there, he raised an eyebrow, "Something wrong?".

"No.." You trailed off, biting your lower lip. You almost felt lost for a moment. You and Four were friends, but still, you were not sure if talking to him about Eric was such a good idea. The two of them loathed each other, but even so, Four had been in Dauntless longer than you, and you knew he had worked side by side with Eric more than you.

Surely he knew something about Eric that could calm your worries.

"Spit it out," Four turned his chair fully around so that he could look at you, "I'm stuck here for eight hours anyway, so if you need to get something off your chest, go ahead. I'm not going anywhere".

"It's about Eric" You said.

The faint smile that had been playing in the corner of Four's mouth disappeared at the mentioning of his rival and he frowned instead.

Sighing, you shook your head, worried you had already said too much, "Never mind, Four, its nothing really-"

"What about him?" Four cut you off.

Taking a deep breath, you decided to just go for it. You had already said A, you might as well tell him B.

"This might sound a bit odd," You began, "I was just wondering if you know how he is with the women here".

Raising an eyebrow at your question, you were not surprised that he sent you a confused look, but then, a second later, you watched as Four's lips twisted faintly and you were pretty sure that he was trying to hide a smile.

"Honestly," Four replied after a moment, "There isn't much to say. The only girl I have noticed that has ever gotten his attention is you, but somehow I'm pretty sure you were already aware of that".

Glancing away for a second, you only muttered, "I might have noticed a few stares here and there".

"Right," Four chuckled quietly, "Don't think I haven't noticed that he comes up here every time you work. In fact, I bet twenty points that he was here earlier today".

Knowing that there was no point in lying to your friend, you only crossed your arms, giving him an amused look, "Fine. Anything special I can get you then?".

"You can buy me a drink at the next gathering," Four said with a smirk, "Make that two actually".

Remaining quiet for a moment, you allowed yourself to think about what Eric had said earlier before he so abruptly left. Also, hearing the answer Four just provided, you were starting to think you had been somewhat wrong when it came to your opinion on Eric and his romantic rendezvous. In fact, from the sound of it, you were beginning to think that Eric had told you the truth.

"Why do you ask anyway?," Four's voice brought you out of your thoughts, "Are you interested in him?".

Glancing quickly at Four, you found yourself loss for words for a moment. His directness had caught you completely off guard and you found yourself debating whether to tell a white lie or be honest with him. Not that you really knew what you were fishing for by asking Four that question just now, but for some unknown reason, hearing that Eric might not be the player you had taken him for, made you lower your guard if only a little.

Perhaps Eric had been truthful earlier.

"I'm not sure," You told Four and he only nodded slowly, his warm eyes on you, "If anything, I'm sure if you were to show him a little interest, you would make his entire day. I'm not particularly fond of him, let's be honest here, but perhaps, if he knew that the girl he has been chasing for years was starting to open up to him, he might be in a better mood".

Tilting your head at Four, he only shrugged, "He was in the training room earlier. Might still be there, if you want to talk to him".

Worried that your honesty had made you seem weak in front of Four, you quickly said, keeping your voice as steady and neutral as you could, "I'm not saying I'm going to throw myself at him. I was just curious, that's all".

Staring at you, Four looked as if he was contemplating something for a second, but then he shrugged, lowering his shoulders as he sank back in the chair, "Well, with the way a certain initiate might have stirred something in me, I would be in the wrong to judge you".

"The stiff?" You asked, chuckling quietly at Four's honesty.

Although it was none of your business whomever Four fancied, knowing that he trusted you, meant a lot to you because you trusted him as well. Ever since you joined Dauntless, Four had always been here for you, listening to you whenever you thought you would fail and he had always pushed you and believed in you when you couldn't find the strength to believe in yourself.

You would forever be grateful for the support he had shown you.

Shrugging, Four only sent you a suggestive look, adding calmly, "Something like that".

"Well, my lips are sealed" You told him as you threw your bag over one shoulder before opening the door, signalizing that you were off.

Four sent you one last nod and you couldn't help but notice the wry smile which had found its way on his handsome face.

Huffing, because you knew exactly what he was silently thinking, you stepped out of the control room before gently closing the door, leaving Four to sit alone and spy on the Dauntless people although you had a feeling he spent most of his time up here sleeping. Nevertheless, you were the last person to judge him.

Quietly muttering to yourself, you made your way down the many stairs. Somewhere in the depth of your mind, you could not help but hear a voice telling you to head for the training room, a part of you secretly hoping Eric would still be there. The other part of you wanted to keep your dignity and instead go back to your apartment, but after the conversation with Four, you were truly starting to believe that the impression you had of Eric had been completely incorrect.

And in the end, there was only one way to find out.

*  * *

"Eric" You called out softly as you entered the huge training hall, your eyes immediately falling on his broad figure by one of the tables. He was currently leaning against it while sharpening a knife and once your voice filled the silence that had lingered in the room, he looked up quickly, a small smile playing in the corner of his lips once his blue eyes found your figure.

You slowly approached him, your steps slightly wary and you could not help but glance towards one of the cameras in the corners, mentally wondering if Four was keeping an eye on you, probably smiling stupidly to himself once he noticed he had been right; that you would go looking for Eric.

"Why, this is quite the rare sight, isn't it?" Eric asked with an amused tone. He swiftly put away the knife he had been polishing and instead crossed his arms. He was giving you that intense look, the one that made you falter ever so slightly.

"What are you talking about?" You lingered where you stood, making sure that there was a distance between you and the Dauntless leader.

"I'm always the one who comes to you," Eric answered, "Now, for once, you're the one who approaches me which makes me wonder what is going through that pretty head of yours".

Raising an eyebrow, you sent him your best dull look, "Perhaps I just wanted to talk to you. Is that so wrong?".

Staring at you thoughtfully for a moment, Eric's small grin turned into a crooked smile as he studied you and you could not help but fluster slightly under the stare he was giving you. He looked absolutely ready to devour you and suddenly, you found yourself wondering if seeking him out tonight might have been a mistake.

It was not as if you were ready to let him have his way with you in the bed, but you could not deny that there was something going on between the two of you. Something that had probably been brewing for the past few years, you realized.

"What's on your mind then, little one?" Eric asked and it took your brain a few seconds to register that he was walking towards you, his steps steady against the dusty ground. He stopped when he was right in front of you and the smell of his cologne immediately reached your nose.

"Why do you like me?" You blurted out without thinking twice, but quickly regaining your composure, you stood your ground, keeping your head high when Eric's eyes met yours. As a Dauntless, you were fearless and brave and there was no way you were going to reveal to Eric that your own question had made you feel as if you stood on the edge.

"Why do you ask?," Eric's dark voice reached your ears and you saw something flash in his eyes, but it happened so fast that you did not get time to analyze what the emotion had been.

Hopefully, you weren't taken a complete shot in the dark tonight. He had been lusting for you for the last three years, so there was no doubt in your mind that it had to be something about you that kept him on your tail.

"I'm curious" You replied as Eric took a step closer and you almost stumbled back from the slight force as his chest bumped into yours. Glancing quickly towards the camera again, you really hoped Four had the decency to look away.

"Why?" Eric repeated quietly, his fingers lightly playing with the line of your dark pants. His eyes were watching you with a lustful, yet curious look, awaiting your response.

"Because apparently there is something about me that keeps you on your toes, even after all this time," You told him, "I honestly don't think I'm anything special, but from the looks of it, you seem to find me interesting".

It was a fair question, you thought. If he truly liked you deeper than just his sexual desire to get you in bed, answering your question should not be difficult.

"I'll answer your question if you admit it out loud" Eric mumbled, a playful tone in his voice now.

Giving him a confused look for a second, you did not get much time to reply before Eric went on, his voice nearly audible now, "Admit why you want to know".

Gulping nervously, you knew he had put you on the spot at this very moment. There was no turning back now, and from the way he was looking at you, it was clear to you that he was challenging you and knowing that a part of him believed you would back out, fumed you.

You were not a coward.

You were a Dauntless.

With that thought in your mind, you kept your head high as you met his demanding look, finally admitting what you both knew already,  "Perhaps you intrigue me as well".

"Bet it took everything in you to confess that, huh?" Eric shot back, smirking pleased.

"Easiest thing I ever did" You snorted, causing him to chuckle.

The next second, you suddenly felt his index finger on your chin, gently forcing you to look at him. You couldn't help but blush slightly and as Eric's eyes flickered to your cheeks for a second, you were pretty sure that your reaction to his touch had not gone unnoticed.

"Now it's your turn," You reminded him calmly, diverting his attention back to you, "Tell me why you are interested in me".

"You're different," He stated and you were surprised to hear how steady his voice was as if declaring to the girl he liked why he admired her was something he did daily, "You're not like the other women here. Most of them are so busy pretending to be constantly brave and courageous that they forget there are other traits men want in their women. Then we have you. You are fierce when needed to be. You have a thick skin, not easily fooled, yet you have a softness to you that I like. In fact, I bask in it. Being around you gives me a feeling of being at complete peace, and that calmness you bring with you is something I often find myself missing in this cold place when I'm not with you. You, my little treasure, is certainly the only ray of light I get down here. Also, I'm pretty sure you are the only one who can actually stand being alone with me. I like to think there must be something about me that doesn't frighten you. You might turn the other cheek whenever I try to seduce you, but you have never run away from my presence. That's gotta count for something".

"Not judging people is the fastest way to peace" You breathlessly mumbled, the way he was gazing at you making you feel something you had never felt before.

"Beauty and brain, you truly are a gem down here" Eric commented.

With his finger still holding your chin firmly, yet gently, you found yourself simply gaping at him, your eyes big and round. You had not expected him to be so honest with his answer, and there was no way you could deny the way his confession had awoken something inside you.

"Ultimately," Eric went on quietly, leaning closer to you and you let out a soft gasp when you felt his warm lips trace yours before he whispered, "You are the only reason why I no longer feel lonely".