It was after we'd finished our fights in the ring, and the others were preparing for their Sims when Eric approached me.

"Do you mind?" He asked, nodding his head towards the door.

I did mind, but I followed him out anyway.

When we hit his office and he went to close the door behind him, I stopped him.

"Wait." I grabbed his arm, "Why are you closing the door?" I tried to hide the anxiety in my voice but I suspected he could still hear it.

I couldn't bear the thought of being in a closed room with him.

"This isn't exactly something I want people overhearing." Eric responded,

I bit my lip but said nothing as he closed the door.

Fuck, why does he have to do this to me?

I spent the majority of the time trying not to think of that kiss, of what happened afterwards, but being alone in this office with him would just make it harder to fight the memories.

When we were both seated it took a while for him to speak.

"Chace, what you said the other night, about me hurting you?" Eris began, "That was never my intention."

I looked at him incredulously. I didn't want to admit that he had hurt me but I couldn't stop myself from replying, "How could you telling me you regretted it not make me feel like shit, how could it possibly not hurt me?" My voice was rising.

"I never said I regretted it." Eric's response was hard.

"-You said it was a mistake. It's basically the same thing!"

"It was a mistake!" Eric shouted loosing what little cool he had to start with, "Sleeping with a first year was a fucking mistake! That doesn't mean I regret it."

"Well what does it mean?" I cried in disbelief.

"What it means is that I shouldn't have fucked you while I'm still trying to bloody train you! It means that I didn't want to sabotage your training -something that I did- because I lost fucking control!" Eric took in an angry breath,

"Despite what I feel for you, I had at-the fucking-least wanted you to graduate before anything happened between us. It was a mistake that it happened when it did, but I don't regret it."

My eyes had widened at his response, he actually wanted something to happen between us?

The weight I had felt in my chest since the incident suddenly lifted.

"Why didn't you say that then?" I asked, "Why have you been avoiding me?"

"Because keeping our distance was for the best, and it still is for the best."

I went to say something but he spoke first.

"At least until your training is over; I don't want anyone questioning whether you just got in through preferential treatment."

I didn't like the idea but the conviction I heard in his voice let me know I would never change his mind. If there was someone on this earth more stubborn then me, it was Eric.

After a moment I nodded, fine.

"Friends?" I asked

"Friends."

Friends was a better idea in theory.

Anytime Eric went to instruct one of the other girls with training I couldn't stop myself from glaring. I didn't want to be jealous but I couldn't stop myself. I would've felt bad for it too if Eric didn't do exactly the same.

Scratch that, Eric was worse.

He glowered anytime Four, Carlos or any other male trainer tried to improve my technique.

"Carlos!" He'd barked out one time, "Hands. Fucking. Higher." Carlos did nothing but grin at the response.

"Don't encourage him." He'd told me later that day. I thought the whole thing was funny but Eric was still in a bad mood about it.

"I wasn't!" I tried not to laugh.

"I'm serious Chace, that dickhead puts his hands on you again, friend or not, I'll throw him off the fucking roof."

I think the other trainers could sense Eric losing patience with the whole situation because they had all backed off, leaving my training to Eric.

It made it all the more difficult considering I couldn't concentrate whenever Eric was within touching distance.

He'd ask me if I understood something he'd showed me when I was barely aware he was teaching me anything.

His smell, his warmth, his touch.

It was all too distracting.

I worried it was just me going insane, until I was practicing one of the MMA holds on him.

He grabbed me around the waist stilling my movements.

I was resting above him, my body pressed tightly to his.

"Stop." His voice was so low and guttural I almost didn't understand what he said.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked confused. I was pretty sure my arms and legs were in the correct position.

He shook his head but his jaw clenched tightly. "I'm gonna need you to get up." He gritted out.

"But-" I went to argue.

"Chace." He swallowed. I could see it in his eyes at that moment.

Lust.

He was fighting for control and he didn't look to be winning.

"Oh." My eyes widened at the realisation. I pushed myself off him as hurriedly as possible.

When he stood he cleared his throat, taking in a shaky breath,

"Christina!" He barked calling her over, "Take her through what you just learnt." He ordered before walking off.

I visited Tris earlier that day and she was getting better. Her face was healing evenly, and she claimed it looked worse than it actually felt. I wasn't sure if I believed her but I smiled and nodded anyway.

The gang and I rotated between our visits so someone was always there to keep her company. Will was with her right now.

Four was by her side a lot of the time as well; whenever lessons were over he'd be in her cubical curtain. He always took his food up there to eat with her -and I wasn't sure- but I suspected he spent the night there too.

Al still hadn't worked up the nerve to see her. We'd encouraged him to go, and I knew Tris was waiting desperately to see him, but we all understood his hesitancy.

He was sleeping a lot better now. I usually spent my nights with him and then Molly would take over whenever we left early to train. That was something I still found strange.

Molly was her usual self in every other aspect. Still spoke trash to everyone's face, still fought dirty in the ring, and still used her size to intimidate the other initiates who didn't have a gang of friends to protect them.

Basically still a bitch, yet come every morning, she'd be up early ready to offer her help.

Al seemed to like her company though. They'd actually become a lot closer since the incident. They hadn't reached what I'd consider friends but she didn't seem to bite his head off for no reason like she did everyone else.

Eric and I were outside of the compound, walking through the forest when I told him I'd invented a new way to defend against a choke hold and he'd asked me to trial it out on him.

"That's not fair!" I shouted from the ground as he smirked standing over me, "At least wait till I get in position!" I laughed

"Weren't you?" Eric asked his voice much too innocent to be believable.

"No I wasn't." I told him putting on my best angry voice, though I suspected the grin on my face ruined the illusion. "Now stand there like a good little attacker and wait till I turn around."

"An unsuspecting victim can't give demands on how they want to be attacked." Eric pointed out but I could hear the smile in his voice as he did what I said.

"Shut it."

This time when he wrapped his arms around me, I twisted grabbing his forearm and as I turned my body forwards his rotated with me, twisting the other way I moved my leg in his path and as momentum rocked him forward, he went stumbling over my leg. I still had his arm in my grasp, which I used to controlled the angle in which he fell, giving me we enough time to position my knee into his chest as he hit the ground face up. I had is arm bent at an uncomfortable angle and my knee pressed to his throat.

I thought the hold had worked but with a twist of his body and a jerk of his hips we went tumbling. I wrestled for control and managed to get on top again. Eric looked amused.

"Submit." I told him holding his hands above his head. He tried to manoeuvre out but I countered it and pinned his hands again.

"Submit." I repeated laughing.

Erics' face unexpectedly went serious.

"And what would you do to me if I did?" He murmured, his eyes burned molten liquid and his voice was soft and husky. Suddenly we weren't play fighting anymore. My breath caught in my throat.

I didn't know when my face moved closer to his but we were mere millimeters apart.

I couldn't help it. My eyes flickered to Eric's lips and his eyes flared at the movement.

Just when I thought about getting up and taking control of the situation, he raised his head off the ground to meet mine.

Our lips finally met and just like I expected, sparks flew. He sat up holding my face to his in the process.

Fuck, why did his mouth feel so good against mine? He ran his tongue over my bottom lip wanting entrance and I didn't hesitate. Opening my mouth our kiss deepened.

It was intoxicating.

I straddled his hips and he let out a groan when I moved against him.

At the sound I pulled away realising what we were doing.

"We should stop." I muttered fighting for restraint. I licked my lips, tasting Eric on my tongue. His eyes watched the movement.

"Yeah of course." Eric's voice was gravel when he spoke. I pressed my forehead against his before taking a deep breath. Leather and Ice. When I'd managed to gain some self-control, I went to stand up. Eric stopped me grabbing my arms.

"Screw this." He gave my hand a hard tug and I went tumbling back down, he turned his body so he was on top of mine this time.

This time we didn't stop.

I had just pulled my jeans back on before turning to Eric, "Friends right?" I spoke first, thinking if I got the words out before him, I wouldn't feel so hurt when he brought it up.

He looked at me for a moment before muttering what I thought was the word fuck, and standing up.

"Friends?" He asked holding my face in his hands, "Is that what you want?"

I looked at him confused; a friend was never what I wanted. He was the one that made the 'distance' rule.

"Isn't that what you want?"

"Seriously Chace?" He raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "If that wasn't fucking obvious, I'm telling you right now- I can't fucking do friends anymore, all I want is you. All I can think about is you- when I'm next going to hear your laugh, next going to see your face, next going to taste these lips." He finished, rubbing his thumb along my bottom lip. "You're driving me crazy."

I could see the desire in his eyes. Words eluded me. He had put words to all the things I felt inside.

"We can be friends if that's what you need." Eric finally whispered, "But fuck Chace, you have no idea how much more I want."

With his words I crushed my lips against his.

A/N Hey guys, just thought I'd let you know -so it doesn't come as a rude shock- I'm thinking this story will end in maybe 2 more chapters. :)