A/N: Two chapters in one day, I must have been hit in the head really hard. LOL. Also, I have no beta so I sincerely apologize for the shitty grammar and abrupt dialogue, it's one of my weakest forms.
The first time they met, it was a Sunday afternoon.
It was warm, sunny today—an all around perfect day that filled Eric with dread. As part of his leadership training, Eric was taking shifts with Patrol for a couple of months. This being his second one, the team Eric was tasked with was heading to Amity. The assignment had Eric snarling ever since the morning, when assignments were given out. Not wanting to spend any length of time in Amity or anywhere near the banjo-strumming softies he loved to hate, Eric was counting down the hours until he could go back to Dauntless.
Hopping off the train and walking along the cement sidewalk that slowly turned into dirt, city walls shifting into green pastures and trees—Amity was ensconced in nature, the picture of a relic out of time: pre-war, pre-modernity—it was what the Earth was before everything went haywire.
Didn't make Eric hate it any less. Personally, the Dauntless leader in training enjoyed the cold stone walls that were a marked feature of the Compound he now lived in. Erudite was too much glass and steel, Candor—too much white walls that would drive any sane person crazy. And the Dauntless leader in training wouldn't even spare Abnegation a thought.
As they are making their way passed one of the apple orchards, children are running everywhere, to the point where the patrol team has to consciously look down in order to try and not trip over the small, short horde. This many kids running around isn't all that surprising, Amity is known for their big families, they loved to breed like rabbits and have a bundle of children per each couple.
One of the kids, bumps straight into Eric's legs. A small boy of about 3, with sandy blonde hair and chubby cheeks—he falls backwards onto the ground upon impact. Tears well up in the boy's eyes and when he looks up into Eric's hard stare—the effect is immediate. The boy immediately bursts into loud wails that have all the children stopping and staring—too scared to move, no one helps the little boy. Standing there stiffly, Eric awkwardly looks around at his team for help—only to find them either avoiding his gaze or chuckling behind their hands at his predicament.
There's a thump, as someone drops from the trees above. A flash of blue, a figure settles on the ground from the drop. After gaining her footing, the woman stands straight—brushing leaves and dirt from her baby blue dress before making her way toward the crying little boy.
"Hey now, you're okay," her voice is clear and melodic, picking up the boy and holding him in her arms, she bends her head to peer at his face, "It was just an accident, right?"
The little boy nods, his hands clenched in fists and angrily rubbing his eyes.
"The Dauntless soldiers are here to protect us, nothing bad is going to happen. Isn't that right?" Her question is directed at Eric, and immediately everyone's gaze shifts toward him.
The first thing that he notices, are her eyes. They're like liquid gold with a burnishing of brown surrounding the outer iris. After, it's her skin—smooth and clear with a golden tan no doubt from working out in the fields. A gossamer of black hair hangs in loose curls until her waist, flowing lightly as the breeze hits. There's a warmth that emanates from her, that settles upon everyone around her, calming the child and putting everyone at ease—including him. Eric is momentarily captivated, until he notices that both she and the boy are waiting for his answer, gazing at him so imploringly that he has no choice but to answer.
A grunt in affirmation is all that Eric can supply.
Smiling widely and suddenly, revealing a set of pearly white teeth, the woman looks back the little boy in her arms, "See, now why don't you run along now with the rest of your siblings and make sure to watch where you're running next time, capiche Adam?"
The little boy, Adam, nods before taking his hand and patting the woman's cheek, "Kay Bluebell—down now,"
A tinkling laughter fills the air, as the woman—Bluebell, settles Adam onto the ground before straightening herself out and meeting Eric's eyes again.
"I'm sorry, the kids like to run wild after lunch. Can't really stop them since there so many," she offers a kind smile, hands clasped behind her back and staring up at Eric's imposing figure innocently and without any fear.
"Oh it's fine, isn't it Eric?" Zeke saddles up next to him, casually and annoyingly nudging his elbow against Eric's side.
Eric's gaze, which was fixed upon the woman—Bluebell's face, shifts harshly toward Zeke, "We need to continue patrol. Start moving again," Eric barks out the orders before stepping away from Zeke (and thus Bluebell as well) and making his way down the path.
He notices about a few paces in that the woman, Bluebell, she's trailing slightly behind him. He can feel her gaze upon his back and turns around swiftly only to have her run into him.
"Can I help you?" Eric growls, his icy demeanor resettling as his guard was pulled back up.
Bluebell shrugs, "Just heading back to the main village. You just so happen to be walking on the main pathway too—are you going to see Johanna?"
"And what if I am?" Eric snarls, but Bluebell isn't put off, she just continues to look at him warmly. The Dauntless leader (in training) is more than convinced now that the woman before him was doped up on a truckload of peace serum, how else would she be smiling at him right now? Eric knew he was intimidating, and usually the only people who could handle him were the other Dauntless leaders or Jeanine, who was so cold that she could probably refreeze water.
"Well it's after lunch which means she's probably with the Small Council and won't be out for another hour or two. If you or your team are hungry—we still have food left out at the dining hall," Bluebell offers, as she starts walking down the path again, not really waiting for Eric or anybody else.
Eric turns around and swiftly catches up to Bluebell, "No thanks, wouldn't want to be doped up like you are," he sneers condescendingly.
Rolling her eyes, Bluebell clucks in disapproval, "Well, you'll only find the peace serum in the bread so I suggest you don't eat any of that. And just for the record, we're not all peace serum addicted, banjo-strumming hippies like all of you like to believe- just like I'm sure not all Dauntless are reckless, adrenaline-junkie idiots—right?" Bluebell snaps back, there's a still silence as everyone with bated breadth waits for Eric to tear into her, and Bluebell shamelessly meets Eric's gaze with a raised eyebrow, "What?"
Shaking his head, the corner of Eric's mouth tugs slightly upward before he catches himself and his mouth sets back in a grim line, "Nothing," although in truth he was half-amused with the woman walking beside him toward Amity's main village.
The rest of the Dauntless patrol group are stunned but no one says anything, in fear of angering Eric and being the object of his vitriol.
She was witty, that was for sure—as Eric learned while they continued to walk down the path. Bluebell's warm and friendly demeanor was only contrasted by her biting, and sometimes borderline morbidly dark, remarks (her version of humor, something not many Amity appreciated she had explained)—which the Dauntless team found amazing as they traded jokes and stories about Dauntless with the Amity girl. She was also incredibly smart, obviously Bluebell had been paying attention in her classes before the Choosing Ceremony. That, as a former Erudite, Eric appreciated. Airhead Amities were not in his repertoire of "people Eric could get along with."
In a moment of inter-faction unity (that of which both Amity and Dauntless leaders would be surprised to see) Bluebell bewitched the Dauntless patrol team, and captured the special attention of their leader in training, Eric.
"You can't really be Amity—what did you get on your test?" one of the patrol team members, Sarah—Eric wasn't sure, asked.
Bluebell laughed, "Now why would you say that?"
The same patrol member, Sarah—Eric confirmed in his head, continued, "I mean you get along great with us and we Dauntless don't get along with anyone unless they're Dauntless,"
The explanation, simple. So simple, Eric couldn't help agree. Everyone in the system chose a faction for one reason—because they belonged there. Usually, that would mean that everyone that was like them (and anyone they could possibly befriend or love) was in that faction. To enjoy the company of an Amity was almost unheard of.
Smiling widely, and walking backward to face Sarah, Bluebell quickly addressed Eric, "Let me know if I'm going to run into anything,"
Eric nods and grunts in affirmation, like he would let anything happen to her. Eric blinks, startled for a moment at the thought, before he shakes himself and continues to walk forward, all the while kicking away any stones that Bluebell might run into.
"My mom got really sick, the month before my Choosing Ceremony. I have 7 brothers and sisters," shrugging Bluebell looks off into the distance as if contemplating something, "I couldn't let her handle them all by herself whilst she was sick,"
"So Amity wasn't your test result?" Zeke asks from the back, where he had drifted to in order to keep a better eye-out, of the whole team him and Eric were some of the more well-trained and experienced members.
"Nope" Blue responded, popping the "p" at the end casually before turning back around and walking along side Eric.
Eric turns to look at Bluebell, his eyes settling on her pert little nose, "So what was it?"
Bluebell, who was humming, stops and looks at Eric, "Hmm?...Oh!" turning swiftly around she addresses the whole team, "Here we are! The Dining Hall!"—opening the door, a breeze of fresh food gusts out from the hall and toward the team—their stomachs already growling from the smells.
As they all file in, Bluebell makes to leave but not before stopping by Eric, who had yet to go in. Getting up onto the tips of her toes, Bluebell whispers into Eric's ears, "Dauntless" before spinning away and making her way back toward the main village center.
As Bluebell walks away, she doesn't see the shiver that runs down Eric's spine nor does she see the fixed stare he has on her back as she walks away from him.