AN: Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows. I appreciate each and every one of you.
Enjoy!
Tris POV
My hand is stiff and sweaty but I don't dare move it from his. He's finally asleep after having been restless most of the day, all stemming from a fall he took during physical therapy. Eric's been pushing himself to the extreme, his strength has been returning at a much quicker pace than his speech and fine motor skills, but his frustration has been apparent to me in every session. He's been a model patient since our shower promises two weeks ago, but he still feels after being in this hospital for ten weeks he should be much further in his recovery. Today he was adamant that he could walk without any type of assistance, and he proved he could, but when he needed to move quickly to avoid an errant child who was running unattended in the hallway he fell hard. I think his pride is more wounded than anything, but no matter how much I've tried to tell him he did extremely well today all he could focus on was his lack of reaction speed when faced with that situation.
I watch him while he sleeps and for at least a little while he looks completely at ease. His curly hair is wild and sticking up on top, his beard is in need of another trim but he's still the most handsome man I've ever seen. His pale skin contrasts against the black ink of his tattoos along with the black metal of his piercings, and his usual taut muscle tone has been lost a bit due to his reduced activity, but he's still my Eric. His pink lips are slightly parted, and every once in a while he snores lightly which makes me smile since he swears he never snores.
I can't believe how close I came to losing him. I know he doesn't remember everything about us, but somehow he's found a way to still love me. His progress has met the close scrutiny of David and his associates, and Matthew has explained that they believe Eric may be closer to GP than they assumed. His ability to fight this serum has surpassed anything they've ever suspected. They were so adamant that he was damaged and it's appearing that he could be more special than any of us. It makes me want to protect him that much more because I can't imagine him having to go through anything more than what he already has dealt with.
"Hey." A whisper breaks my thoughts and I see Four walk into the room. He sits a large duffel bag on the floor next to my chair. "I brought you both some clean clothes. I'll take the dirty stuff back with me."
"Thank you." I say softly and he smiles.
"How is he?" Four asks.
"Better. The fall from this morning stressed him out but they gave him an anti-anxiety medication and he's finally settled down." I whisper back.
Four nods in acknowledgement and then gestures towards the door. I slowly slip my hand from Eric's and kiss his forehead. I notice that he once again feels warm; a strange side effect from his ordeal has been fevers off and on. I remove the heavier blanket and then follow Four outside the door and into the hallway. Matthew has successfully provided us with a 'dead zone' where no camera or audio can get to us and our group has often taken advantage of it. He's killed audio in Eric's room too, however we try not to discuss too much around Eric. I'm still trying to keep him as sheltered from this as possible.
"They found her body." He whispers and I can feel my stomach drop.
"How?" I choke out and he shakes his head.
"I don't know. We didn't think it was possible. They've already started questioning Edgar." He replies.
"Oh my god, Tobias what do I do?" I whisper.
"You start by staying calm. You are of no use to him if you can't." Four replies gesturing towards Eric's open door.
Flashback
I quietly wait in the woods for her knowing that she thinks she is meeting with David. Such a stupid girl, she didn't even bother to confirm before readily agreeing to meet in the middle of fucking nowhere. I watch her cautiously approach the agreed spot, she's nervously looking around and she pulls her coat a little tighter around her body.
"David?" She calls out tentatively.
I step on a branch and it startles her and she turns to face me. "Hello?" She asks with a curious look on her face.
"Hello Emily." I reply. She jumps at the sound of my voice and I glare at her.
"Beatrice Prior. I'll be damned. You were awfully brave to come out here alone." She smirks.
"Who says I'm alone?" I ask.
"Well I know your dear husband isn't here with you." She replies icily.
"My husband is lying in a hospital bed right now because of you. He's been there for almost forty eight hours with machines making him breathe and no one fucking knows if he's going to live or die." I reply evenly and all color drains from her face. The smug look she had on her face is quickly replaced with a new one.
Fear.
"Oh wow, he's actually still alive? Impressive." She replies with a shrug. "Guess I'll have to finish the job." She attempts for nonchalance but I know better. The tension in her body, the way she's pursing her lips and how she has her arms wrapped around herself tightly all betray the emotion she's trying so hard to hide.
I pull out my gun and press it to her forehead. Her mask falls immediately and her face crumples in fear.
"Not so fucking brave now, are you bitch?" I sneer.
"Please don't hurt me." She cries.
"Emily if you tell me the truth right now I'll let you live. I don't want to hurt you; I want to help you."
"No, I can't…." she is almost choking on her tears.
"You will tell me the truth Emily even if you think it's not something I want to hear. Because if you don't your fucking brains are going to be splattered all over these nice pretty trees around us." I say in a quiet voice.
"Please don't…." She cries.
"I'm going to count to three Emily, one, two…."
"I'll tell you everything, please!" She begs.
"Talk now!" I yell.
"David was afraid that Eric would taint your purity. He paid me to keep you apart and told me to do whatever I had to do it. He told me the serum was just to make Eric feel intoxicated, and I thought that I could seduce him. I was going to take pictures and show you, I thought if you believed he'd returned to his old ways you'd leave him yourself. I watched you in Chicago and I knew his past with women bothered you…" She cries harder. "Please don't hurt me."
"Oh Emily, you poor confused girl." I shake my head at her. "You're beautiful, I'll give you that, and I'm sure you have quite the sex appeal. However, you are a fool to think that my husband would EVER cheat on me, drugged or not. You see, what you have on the outside doesn't mean shit if you're ugly on the inside. You knew what was in that serum didn't you? Tell me the truth Emily. Give me a reason to spare your life!" I hiss.
"Yes, I knew what it was." She cries harder.
"Is there an antiserum for it? An antidote?" I demand.
"I don't know. David's never used it before." She says in between tears.
"You wanted to kill my husband, didn't you?"
"No, please…." She begs.
"Don't fucking lie to me!" I scream and she cowers. "Get on your fucking knees." I growl and she lowers herself in front of me.
"What can they do to save him Emily? What do you know about that serum?" I ask.
"All I know is it's some sort of new memory serum and a new death serum. The memory serum is programmed to target specific memories. David erased you from Eric's mind. This version of the death serum is a slow release, it's made to torture its victim. There's not a cure, so whatever David has promised you is a lie." She replies angrily. "If you're going to shoot me just fucking do it."
"Look at me Emily." I reply. She raises her bloodshot eyes to me. "Do you really think I'd hurt you? You've watched me for years haven't you?"
"No you won't hurt me." She whispers. "You're not a violent person."
"You're right Emily, I'm typically not violent at all. You probably saw me stop my husband from shooting Four, honestly in a position very similar to the one we are in right now. Did you see that?" I ask.
"I did. I saw how angry he was and how you told him not to let himself become someone he's not." She says in a hurried voice.
"You paid close attention to us didn't you?" I ask.
"Yes. The two of you were very interesting to watch. The love you have for each other." She says. "Please can you take your gun away from my head, you're better than this Tris. I won't tell anyone about this I swear. I have just as much to lose by telling you what I did about the serum. Please let me go. You're a good person and you never resort to unnecessary violence."
"You're right Emily, I'd never resort to unnecessary violence. But, there are circumstances where violence becomes necessary." I reply as I move the gun away from her. She sighs in relief.
"Thank you." She says quietly.
"You shouldn't thank me, because you're about to learn when violence becomes necessary for me. It's when you fuck with the people I love." I reply as I point the gun at her head and pull the trigger.
End Flashback
"I have to help Edgar. I can't let him do this…."
"Tris, look at me." He has his hands on my arms and I finally lift my eyes towards him. "Edgar is fine. You don't understand how conditioned the factionless are to lie for their own protection. He is fine, he wasn't even nervous when they picked him up. They'll want to question me next, only because they know that Edgar and I are who rescued Eric from her. No one knows you left the hospital Tris. They've seen you here around the clock; even when David needs you he does his procedures here. We will protect you."
"But what if…"
"Tris, we have you. I need you to go back in there with your husband and you act like nothing has happened. We love you and we will protect you, I promise you." He says quietly.
"What if they want to talk to me?" I ask.
"You know nothing. Just like Edgar and I know nothing. There is not a damn thing to trace any of us back to that." He replies.
"But you both helped hide…"
"Nothing Tris, not a trace. Even with finding the body, nothing." He replies softly.
I hear a cough coming from Eric's room and Four and I walk back in. Eric smiles when he sees the two of us. I sit on the bed next to him and he grabs my hand and kisses it.
"Hi." He says.
"Hey man, you're sounding much better." Four replies.
"Speech therapy." Eric says slowly. "Helping... a lot. Where's Edgar?"
Four darts his eyes to me briefly and then looks at Eric. "He got held up with Nita. I'm sure he'll be by later."
"She needs break." Eric says as he gestures to me.
"You know better than that, I'm not going anywhere. Four brought us some clean clothes." I reply with a smile.
"Thank you." Eric says to Four.
"It's no problem. Seriously man you sound good. It's a big difference from the past couple of weeks." He replies.
"He's been much nicer to his therapists and he's been following their instructions. It definitely shows." I reply.
"She promised sex if I be…behave…." Eric replies with a grin.
"Eric!" I admonish.
"Did she keep her promise?" Four asks with a chuckle.
"Every…day." Eric replies with a laugh. "I lo…love…shower time."
I can feel my neck and face heat up and I'm sure I'm as red as a tomato which makes the two of them laugh even harder at me. Eric pulls me towards him and captures my lips in a quick kiss.
"I love you." He says without hesitation. I smile at him.
"I love you too. You do sound so much better." I reply.
"You are very mot.. motivating." He replies with a smirk before kissing me again, not caring that Four is in the room.
"Quit making out." I hear my brother say as he walks in the door. "Hey brother, looking good." He says as he shakes hands with Eric.
"Feel…good." He replies with a nod.
"Hey baby sis." Edgar says as he kisses my forehead. I look for any sign of stress and he seems relaxed and calm.
"Hey yourself." I reply. He smiles at me before heading over to Four and planting a kiss on his lips.
I lean into Eric's chest and he wraps his arms around me as he carries on a conversation with Edgar and Four. My mind wanders and I worry about what happened with Edgar today. He seems totally relaxed and at ease, laughing with Eric and sharing affectionate touches with Four.
I've never killed anyone before and when I made the plans to meet with Emily that hadn't been my intent. Something inside of me just snapped when I realized how casual she could be about almost killing the man I love. Those first few days that Eric was in the hospital were the lowest points of my life so far, because even after the hell I've been through this past year nothing could prepare me for possibly losing the love of my life. Eric is so much more than my husband, he's my best friend. He's my lover, my confidant, my protector and he believes in me without hesitation.
"Tris…" Edgar says as he waves a hand in front of me. "Did you hear what he just said?"
"No, sorry I was zoned out. What did you say baby?" I ask Eric.
"I made joke.. being friends with your ex…what's the.. big… d… deal?" He asks.
"Wait, what?" I ask.
"Exactly." Edgar says.
"What am…I….missing?" Eric asks.
I turn so I'm facing him and take both of his hands in mine. "Baby, who are you talking about being my ex?"
"Number boy." He says with a confused look. "Why are you all so… surprised?"
"You remember that I dated Four?" I ask. He nods. I look back at Edgar and Four excitedly before turning back to Eric.
"How did we meet?" I ask.
"You jump…first." He replies.
"When did you fall in love with me?" I ask tentatively.
He glances over at Four before meeting my eyes again. "Willow…tree. During se…ses…" He crinkles his brow and sighs. "When you were working...on...that tattoo." He says slowly.
"Tell me your favorite part of our wedding day." I prod and he grins at me.
"In front of them?" He gestures towards Four and Edgar and chuckles. I nod. "There are… two… first the way you… look… coming down the aisle." He takes a deep breath and he has a look of concentration. "Sec.. sec.. " He huffs in frustration.
I squeeze his hands. "You're doing great baby, just take your time." I can feel the tears threatening to fall.
"Two… tattoo shop." He gives me a wicked grin.
"Oh my god." I whisper. "You remember."
I'm overcome with emotion and Eric pulls me tight against his chest. He's rubbing his hands up and down my back and I'm doing everything I can to stop crying but the tears just won't stop.
"Eric how did we meet?" Edgar asks.
"Candor. You brought her back… to me. You save… her life." He replies.
"What about me?" Four asks.
"Init… init… training." He finally says. "Baby don't cry." He says as he presses kisses to my head.
I lean back and look at him. "You remember me? You remember us?"
He nods his head and regards me curiously with that adorable Erudite expression he often wears. "I...didn't know I forgot." He says slowly.
"You had forgotten everything that had to do with me. They wiped your memories of me with the serum you were given." I reply.
"Baby I will never…forget…you. I love you. You are…my…best friend." He leans towards me and kisses me soundly.
"I think he may be ready for his shower." Four smirks and I glare at him.
"Technically, you can shower alone now. You were cleared you know." I smirk at Eric and he gives me a dirty look.
"Like hell woman." He scowls.
"Baby, I want to catch up with my brother. Would you be ok with Four for a little while?" I ask and he rolls his eyes.
"He's gotten tol..tolerable." He replies with his smirk in place. I kiss him and nibble on his lip ring before sliding off his bed and gesturing for Edgar to step outside with me.
We head to our usual spot and Edgar immediately speaks.
"They might not even question Tobias. They seemed satisfied with my answers." He says quietly.
"What did they ask? Edgar I'm scared." I reply.
"Don't be, you have a solid alibi because as far as they know you were here the whole day. Tris, it's fine. Matthew and Nita covered it all with looped camera footage. They have nothing on any of us." He replies.
"I shouldn't have…" I begin and Edgar places his finger across my lips.
"Yes, you should have. She got exactly what she deserved and you had no idea if she would try to come back to finish the job. Tris, I know you. While I know love keeps you here by his side, I also suspect that you've been afraid to leave him. We are going to get away from this place and that maniac is going down." He replies.
"The plan is set?" I ask.
"Already in motion. All we need is for Eric to be well enough to leave." He replies.
"The doctor told me he may need speech and physical therapy for months after they discharge him. How am I going to get him away from here Edgar?"
"They have what he needs in Erudite too Tris." Edgar replies easily. "When do they think he can leave?"
"Within the next couple of days as long as he commits to coming back in for his therapy."
"We will be ready." He replies.
I nod at Edgar and then we turn back towards the door. I stop suddenly and gesture to Edgar to be quiet.
"I worry about her…she never le…leaves." Eric says quietly.
"She doesn't want to. You almost died, I don't think you realize how close you were to dying man. It got to her, she was dark. Depressed. Not eating or drinking, not showering, not sleeping. She was afraid if she took her eyes off of you for one second you'd be gone." Four explains. "Eric, if it was Edgar in that bed I'd be right by his side like Tris is for you. That's what you do for the person you love."
I look back at Edgar and he has a slight smile on his face.
"I take it you've not said that to each other yet." I whisper and he shakes his head no.
"But I've wanted to." He whispers back and I smile at him.
"Where are her parents?" Eric asks slowly.
"They disappeared right after you were drugged. We suspect that they were heavily involved in the plans to drug you." He replies.
"How is she...han..han.." Eric stops and is clearly frustrated.
"I think it attributed to that dark place she was in. Since then she's not talked about them at all." He replies.
"There's something I need...you to do." Eric says to Four.
"Anything." He nods.
"The woman who...did...this to...me. I want her...dead. She may...hurt...my wife...I can't...protect her in here." Eric says.
Four takes a deep breath and then sees me in the doorway. I nod at him and make my way back to Eric.
"She's gone." I say to Eric and he frowns at me.
"She left with your...parents?" He asks.
"No." I shake my head. "Baby I need you to promise to stay calm, the camera still works in here even though the audio is off." I reply.
"I promise." He replies. He takes my hands in his.
"She's dead." I whisper. Eric opens his mouth to speak but I shake my head. "I killed her."
The look on his face reminds me of the tough as nails leader I met almost two years ago. His eyes are cold and his mouth is set in a firm line.
"Please don't be angry with me." I say quietly. His expression softens.
"You did...exactly what...I would have done. I'm not mad...I'm pr…pr…pr…" He slams his head back on the bed in frustration.
"Proud." Four finishes for him and Eric nods in agreement.
"Very." Eric adds.
Nothing more is said about Emily or what I did. Conversation flows between all of us and Eric is more relaxed tonight than he's been in a very long time. He's moved his bed into a sitting position and we've been cuddled there together the entire evening. If it weren't for the surroundings you'd think we were back in Dauntless just hanging out.
Four and Edgar say their goodbyes and Eric and I just sit together quietly. He's idly rubbing his hand up and down my arm and I'm snuggled in the crook of his neck placing the occasional kiss there.
"Knock knock." Dr. Farrar says before coming in. "How are you both this evening?"
"Good. You're here awfully late." I remark and he smiles at me.
"You two are going home tonight." He replies.
"I'm getting discharged...now…?" Eric asks.
"You're going home." The doctor replies emphasizing the word home. "The audio is still off, but we are going to make this believable. There's a car waiting out of the loading dock entrance for you. We already have Edgar and Tobias. They are taking you back to Chicago. Christina and Marlene have hacked the cameras and shut down all Chicago city cameras. If David tries to get the cameras working, which we know he will, it'll deploy a sophisticated virus and destroy ALL camera feeds and computer equipment. That's your cue to strike."
"Oh my god, you're with us?" I ask.
"Indeed. I'll be getting to Chicago once the distraction is in place. You two will follow nurse Denise out to the loading dock. Be careful, and I'll be seeing you soon." Dr. Farrar says.
"Thank you Dr. Farrar." I reply.
"My name is Scott, and no thanks are needed." He replies.
"You saved..my… life." Eric replies and I can see the emotions on his face.
"I'm sure you'll repay the favor one day." He replies with a genuine smile. "For what it's worth it was my pleasure to take care of you. Eric you defied all odds." He hands Eric a canvas bag. "Here, I've put all of your medications in here. The three bottles of pills are the two antibiotics we've had you on while you were in here plus your pain pills. Follow the instructions on the labels." He then holds up a vial of a bright blue liquid. "This is a concentrated version of the antiserum. It'll taste like hell and there's a good chance it'll make you feel like crap because of the dosage but keep taking it. You drink one of these a day, every day. I mean it, do not miss a dose of any of your medications. I've reached out to a former colleague of mine, Dr. Chase Merced in Erudite. He will be your physical therapist, and he is arranging for speech therapy too. He will also be able to refill any of these prescriptions just in case I'm unable to get there before you need them. Eric you're not out of the woods, it's imperative that you continue with all of your medications and therapies. Also, if you start to feel worse, or if the fevers worsen, the pain increases, motor skills loss, anything unusual you must go to the hospital."
"Scott, is it really safe for him to leave?" I ask.
"It will be safer in Chicago for him than here. David is ready to start testing and experimenting on him and he was pressuring me to clear him." He turns towards Eric before continuing. "The way you've beat the serums has caught his attention and he's been following your recovery closely. I don't trust that he will continue to be patient, that's why I reached out to Zeke and gave him the signal to start the plan." He replies.
"Will you be...safe?" Eric asks.
"I will be. Go. I'll see you both soon." He replies.
I grab our duffle bag, the medication bag and Eric's hand as we make our way down the hallway following Denise. Once we get to the loading dock she turns towards us.
"Be careful, and be brave." She says with a smile and offers us each a quick hug before retreating back into the hospital. I watch as the driver's side door opens to the large SUV and Peter steps out.
"Peter!" I exclaim running towards him. He gathers me in his arms and squeezes me tight.
"Fucking hell Stiff, I've missed the shit out of you." He says. He walks over to Eric and the two embrace. "We thought you were a goner. I've never been so fucking happy to see your ugly mug."
"Fuck you...too Hayes." He scoffs and the two embrace again.
"I know we can't separate the two of you so both of you in front with me. The other lovebirds are in the back. Let's blow this popsicle stand kids!" Peter says as he heads back behind the wheel. I help Eric balance while he climbs into the SUV and I crawl onto his lap. I drag the seat belt around the two of us and Eric wraps his arms tightly around me as Peter begins the drive home.
I'm filled with nervous energy for the beginning of the trip and I can't sit still as a result. My fidgeting eventually gets the attention of my husband and he leans in towards my ear.
"I didn't get my...shower tonight." He whispers.
"We still have time." I whisper back. I feel his tongue dragging slowly around my ear until he takes the lobe in his mouth and gently sucks. I hold back a moan and shift slightly on his lap.
"If...you keep moving I may just...have Peter pull...over." He whispers.
"No way, we haven't had a bed in over two months." I whisper back and he moans slightly in my ear.
"You two are gross." Peter says from beside us.
"Drive faster." Eric says before kissing my neck.
Peter takes Eric's demand to heart and we make it back to Dauntless rather quickly. Even with the late hour we are welcomed by Zeke, Shauna, Marlene, Uriah, Christina, Will, Edward, Lynn, Tori, Bud, George and Amar. There's a pretty dark haired girl standing with Christina and I notice Peter kissing her out of the corner of my eye. I'll definitely have to ask him about her, but later. Everyone hugs Edgar, Four, Eric and me and I notice the immediate concern on Zeke's face when he and Eric begin to walk towards a bench. Zeke catches my eye and gestures for me to come over.
"Tris, it's great to see you. I think this may be a little overwhelming for him." Zeke says as he follows me to where Eric is sitting.
"Hey baby." I say softly as I crouch in front of him. He meets my eyes and smiles.
"Got...dizzy just needed...to...sit…..down. I'm ok." He replies.
"Well I will sit with you until you feel like walking home." I reply before sitting next to him. He immediately wraps his arms around me and nuzzles his face in my neck. "Zeke, there's a small canvas bag with the Milwaukee hospital logo on it, could you bring that to me? Eric has medication he needs to take."
Zeke nods his head and heads toward the SUV. He comes back with the bag and with Edgar and Four in tow. Christina and Will are close behind them.
"We're going to take your bags inside. Is there somewhere in particular we should stay?" Edgar asks Zeke and he nods.
"The Coulter's have the same apartment, and you two still share with Peter and now Daphne too." Zeke says as he nods towards the girl who must be Peter's girlfriend. "There are plenty of single apartments available whenever you're ready to move."
"Ok, thanks. Codes still the same?" Four asks and Zeke nods. Four looks at me. "Take your time, we will put your bag inside your apartment."
"Thank you." I reply. I feel Eric's even breathing and I realize he must be asleep. "Baby, I need you to take your medicine." I say as I gently move him.
"Yeah...sorry baby...I got tired...fast." He replies. I unscrew the cap from the antiserum and he takes it back like a shot. "Fuck...that...nasty." He says.
"We can help you get back to your apartment." Will offers and I see the dark look on Eric's face.
"I'm not dis...dis...disabled." Eric says angrily. I turn to face him.
"Hey, no one said you are. This is a lot on you, we've been in a hospital for two and a half months with your movements controlled. I think that Will and Chris not only missed us but they also want to spend the few extra minutes with us. That's all my love." I reply. I press my lips to his forehead and feel he's burning up. "The fevers back baby." I say quietly and he nods against me. "Can you let Will help you walk home? You're not disabled baby, you're just weak from the fever right now."
"Ok." Eric finally says and he takes Will's extended hand. Christina looks at me with a sympathetic expression as Will tries to steady Eric.
"Tris?" Eric calls and I move to his side.
"I'm right here." I reply as he slips his free arm around my shoulder. I press my body close to his the way I know he likes and we make the trek back to our apartment.
"I cleaned it right before you all got here. I also stocked your groceries too. Will and I moved right next door to you two, so if you need our help we'll be right there." Christina says as we help Eric sit down on the couch.
I hug Christina hard and whisper in her ear. "Thank you so much. I love you Chris."
"I love you too." She squeezes back and we bid our good nights.
I turn my attention to my husband and find him watching me with a slight smile.
"As much as I was looking forward to using our bed for other fun activities I think tonight it's best we use it for sleep only." I remark and he nods. I rummage through our duffel bag until I find some comfortable clothes for the two of us. Eric changes on his own and I take one of his tshirts out of the bag and change into that before leading him to our bedroom.
Lying in that big bed, our big bed, with our bodies pressed together and our arms and legs intertwined makes me feel at ease, even though I know that the situation we're in is anything but ideal. David will soon know, if he doesn't already, that we've left Milwaukee. He'll be working non stop to restore camera activity.
Christina told me that it will likely take days or even weeks for him to break through whatever she and Marlene have done, and then the virus will spread like wildfire. I'm proud of Chris, the girl everyone pegged to be a shopkeeper for the rest of her life has a true knack for technology that puts even Four's impressive skills to shame. Marlene is just as savvy with her ability to hack into even the most complicated systems.
"Baby…" Eric says from behind me.
"I thought you were sleeping." I reply.
"I was. I'm not...anymore...love." He rasps. "I'm hungry."
I move slightly out of his embrace. "Oh, Chris said she stocked our groceries. Let me see what I can make you."
"Not that kind...of hun...hungry." He replies.
He moves so he's on top of me, it's so fast that I'm too shocked to speak before he begins passionately kissing me. He's trying to pull my tshirt up but his hands aren't cooperating and I can sense his frustration.
"Let me help." I whisper before slipping the shirt over my head. I yank his up too and I begin pushing his shorts down while he attacks my neck. Once I have him naked he pushes me back on the bed.
He tries to pull my panties down but his hands are once again frustrating him. I look up at him through my hooded eyes.
"Use your teeth." I whisper and his eyes darken as he takes my suggestion and pulls my panties down using his mouth. I kick them the rest of the way off and Eric parts my legs before lowering his mouth to my overeager core.
"Oh fuck." I say as he starts to gently suck on my clit.
"So hungry. Starving." He purrs as he devours me. It's been too long since he's been able to do this and we are both thoroughly enjoying it.
He desperately wants to slip his fingers inside of me but he just can't find a way to make it work. I can sense his hesitation and I gently tug his hair to get his attention.
"Fuck me." I say once he meets my eyes.
"I don't...know...if I can...take… control." He says.
"Eric, fuck me now." I command and he crawls up my body and leans back on his knees. I grasp his cock and line him up with me and he slams inside of me. He closes his eyes briefly and then he moves my legs so they are wrapped around him and begins a hard and fast pace. He suddenly stops and I notice his eyes are clamped shut.
"Baby, are you ok? What's wrong?" I ask. He opens his eyes and smiles at me.
"Turn over." He commands.
I move out from under him and flip to my stomach. As I'm about to rise to my hands and knees I feel him pushing against me. He slides into my wet center and begins pounding into me.
"Oh Eric…" I call out over and over.
"You like...that...baby?" He pants. I hum in approval. "You're so...tight this...way." He groans.
All I can hear is our grunts and moans and the sound of our bodies smacking against each other. As soon as I start to feel a tightening in my belly and the telltale signs of an orgasm Eric's pace begins getting erratic.
"Tris..I'm gonna...cum…" he moans as my walls clench around him. "Tris, yes!" He yells as he spills inside of me. His sweaty body slumps against mine and his heavy breathing blows against my neck. The weight of him pressed against me is the best thing I've felt in such a long time.
"Baby I'm crush...crushing you." He pants.
"Don't you dare move." I reply and he relaxes against me and presses kisses to my shoulders and back. "I've missed this so much. I've missed the way your body feels pressed into mine. The way our skin feels when we're together like this. I've missed your weight against me while you try to catch your breath. I've missed the way our bodies slide together. I've missed the way it feels when you breathe into my neck. Don't you fucking move." I say as I fight the tears that are threatening to spill.
Eric doesn't move, he just covers me entirely with his body and nuzzles into my neck. I feel his warm breath each time he exhales.
"I've never loved anyone...but you. I...never will. Thank...you...for never leav..leaving...my side. Thank...you...for loving me...so much. Thank you for...believing in me when...others didn't….I love...you so...much baby." He whispers against my neck.
"Thank you for fighting your way back to me." I reply quietly. Eric shifts his body weight and we lay facing each other with our bodies pressed together. "I love you so much."
"Baby what...if...I never get...better?" Eric asks in a quiet voice.
"You've already gotten so much better. Eric, you defied all odds by beating that serum. It was literally a poison designed to wipe me from your memories and then to torture you with a slow and painful death. You couldn't breathe on your own, and when you woke up and they removed the tube you still were in and out of consciousness for over a week. You couldn't talk, but you beat that. You couldn't remember me, you beat that. You couldn't walk at all, beat it. You couldn't grip anything and now you've only got problems with smaller items, your fingers wouldn't work at all baby but now you're only having small motor skills issues. Every day you've defied the odds and improved. I have ever confidence that you will continue to improve. But, to answer your question if this is it I don't care because I love you so damn much. You are here with me, physically, mentally and emotionally again. I have everything I need right here."
When I meet his eyes I can see tears trailing out of them. I gently wipe them away and he takes a few minutes to compose himself.
"I don't know...what I...ever did right in my...life...to deserve you but I'm...thank...thankful every day for...you." He whispers.
"Me too baby." I whisper back. We lay together, bare skin to bare skin, our bodies completely sated and entwined until we both fall asleep.