I can't even begin to apologize for making you all wait so long, but not saying sorry at all is even worse so take it or leave it but I am really truly sorry (again!). For those of you who can find it in their hearts to forgive me, here's another update. It has taken me forever (obviously), because I was kind of sick of the story for a while, but I'm back now.

I hope you enjoy!

(And also make sure to tell me what you think. When that magical day arrives when I do go over this entire story again, I will look at all the reviews again and keep them in mind when changing my story. You guys will be the reason of my improvement!)


"T'is not enough on roots and in the mouth
But give me water heavy on the head
In all the passion of a broken drought
And there is always more than should be said."

- Robert Frost, The Wind and The Rain


KPOV

Keena's steps felt like she was carrying some kind of wrecking ball behind her as she moved from one shadow to the next.

This was ridiculous.

Her heart shouldn't be racing as if she'd just ran a fucking marathon, her head shouldn't be spinning with so much fear it made her nauseous and her body shouldn't jump at every noise she heard, or every person she came across.

Just because some Dauntless might recognize her, didn't mean they all did. And even if they did, they sure as hell didn't immediately know what she was up to: They weren't mind-reading Candors or over-speculating Erudites, they were Dauntless. They took the world as it came and didn't think much about insignificant stuff as to why she was walking here. In the dark. Trying to stay out of sight. Like the total creeper she was.

She could try to blame her paranoia on the location of her new apartment: Unlike the dorms she used to 'sleep' in, the way from her new apartment to Eric's apartment was unknown to her and not exactly in the same general direction of say... any important locations. No Mess Hall; no Pitt; no Chasm; Nothing that would give her a plausible excuse if someone would feel the sudden need to ask her about her destination.

No, she was simply walking from the crappy suburban hallways to the luxury boroughs meant for the crème de la crème à la Dauntless (which in this faction pretty much equaled the most rudest and pierced-face bastards stomping around the compound). It also didn't help she was doing this at a time of day most people were heading out of their apartments all together, preferring to eat, drink, socialize or dateanywhere but at home.

So, yeah, she could try to blame her paranoia on that.
Except... that would be a lie.

Because the truth was, it was much easier to pretend you were afraid of people finding out, than it was to admit you were afraid of what the night entailed. And she meant it not as much in the sense that Keena was afraid of what would happen, but more precisely, how she could disappoint.

Which – again – was a ridiculous notion.

Tonight probably wouldn't differ much from what they'd done before. She'd always gone to his place – not hers – and they had never ventured out much – unless one counted the training room, his office or the Chasm. So, yeah, it would still be just the two of them, hidden away behind the familiar walls of his apartment. She would knock on his door, like she'd always done, and step over the threshold, just like she had more times than she could count.

In those regards, tonight shouldn't be any different, and yet... it was. Because unlike other times, she now didn't know what would happen after that door closed behind her.

Normally – as far as one is allowed to call something that happened months ago 'normally' – she used to kiss, touch, fight and/or fuck him. Their meetups had been easy. Physical. Uncomplicated. They would laugh some, and he would sleep as she read. Sometimes she would make them a midnight snack or breakfast or they would enjoy some much needed morning coffee together. She would tease him about the amount of sugar he put into it, and he would tell her off with some unnecessarily crude remark. They would have some conversations about training, or heated discussions about his behavior, but never – ever – had it been given a name.

They just were.

Which was nothing like now. No... Now he suddenly had to give it a name. Rounding another corner, Keena tried not to think about this afternoon – or more precisely – how he'd called it.

Flashback

"Go on a date with me."

His words were like a bucket of cold water, immediately bringing her out of that lust induced haze.

"What?" She heard herself reply, in some far away distance. "What did you just say?" Please let her be wrong.

"Go on a date with me." His gaze turned stern, emphasizing the fact it wasn't a question to begin with. "A real one. In public."

Fuck. Why had she not thought of that?! She'd been so busy coming to terms with her feelings for him, and his feelings for her, that she'd never even stopped to think what admitting those feelings would imply.

He'd been crystal clear about his readiness to commit. And she was too, in a way, otherwise she wouldn't be here right now, right? But fuck. This... It was just way too soon.

She just couldn't. Not yet.

Nobody knew her yet. She would enter her new job as what? Eric's whore? Lover? Girlfriend? Gosh she hated that word! It made their entire "connection" sound as some premature fling. Like they were two teenagers in love, who'd occasionally made out with way too much tongue, while he clumsily groped her breasts as if his life depended on it. Yikes. No thank you.

"Eric..." She started but he cut her off.

"I warned you I wouldn't back off anymore."

"And I told you I don't want you to." The reply had been instant. She didn't even think about it, the answer just came to her; laying there at the top of her tongue. She did want this. She truly really did. But just... not quite yet. People had to know who she was before she got linked to someone else. Especially, when that someone else turned out to be the faction's most controversial leader.

"But you will not date me either." Their was a certain hollowness to his chuckle that broke her heart. He was hurting and shutting her out. "Need to butter up your friends first, hm? Afraid of what they might say?"

She scoffed at that. If only he knew her friends already knew... "I would love shocking them like that, but I was just hoping that perhaps we could – you know – wait a little, before making it public knowledge yet. Just for another three or four weeks?" Even to her own ears, that request seemed unreasonably selfish and she bit her lip to stop herself from cringing.

She should've waited another three or four weeks before coming to him. She knew that now. She should've realized this. It wasn't fair to jump this on him now. Not when he had told her to leave him alone until she was ready.

"You want to settle in at work first."

Keena blinked, his words sounding like a goddamn miracle to her ears.

"Yes." She breathed with immense relief, for once glad he was able to read her. God, she would hate for him to think that she was ashamed of him. "I want to date you, Eric. I really do and I'm glad you asked, but just – you know – maybe we could just wait a little while longer? I want people to be nice to me because they like me. Not because I'm the girlfriend of the faction's most notorious leader." Keena expected him to smirk at the title, but his face – ever the pokerface – remained impassive. "Because they're afraid I might say something to you, or because they want to get to you... through me." She finished softly, his stare making her nervous.

She waited for an answer, all the while hating how she couldn't read him as well as he could her. The silence seemed to drag on for hours, and when he moved away from her, she willed herself to speak in a steady voice.

"Eric?" She whimpered. Great. Mission failed. So much for sounding badass.

Eric still didn't respond however, and Keena was pretty sure her heartbeat was about to go into overdrive as the next moments of silence seemed to drag on for eternity. It took Eric about fifty minutes to make that one step backwards, two days to turn around, and nine weeks for him to bend over and pick up her shirt from the floor. When he did eventually speak, some two or three years later, any emotion was carefully hidden.

His voice made of ice.
His face made of stone.

"I have a meeting in ten minutes." He told her by way of explanation, handing over her shirt. When she'd put it back on, he'd moved another few steps away from her. "You better get going if we don't want Four finding out about..." A waver. "This." He finished, with a wave of his hand, as if to dismiss it entirely.

Keena couldn't help but feel hurt by that. Why? She didn't know. She'd just wished he'd set 'us' instead of 'this'.

Focussing her gaze to the floor, she nodded her head slowely in agreement, afraid that any sudden movements would remind him of all those other reasons why he wanted her to go. Like the fact she was still a coward. Or the fact how she'd screwed him over by coming before she was truly really ready.

"Okay." Her voice was rough and Keena quickly swallowed to get rid of the forming lump in her throat. There was no need for it – her crooked voice, the fear, the feeling of rejection – all of it. Eric was being completely reasonable. He was warning her about Four coming, which showed that he –at the very least– respect her wishes for them to remain a secret for a little while longer. That was a good thing, right? He was not trying to fight her for once.

But then why did she feel so damn rejected?
And WHY was she overthinking any of this?!

"Hey." His voice rumbled softly, and she felt, rather than saw, him stepping closer again. The movement was swift and followed by his large hand on her cheek, his fingers gently caressing her smooth skin beneath his fingertips while he guided her head up gently, so she was forced to look at him. He always wanted her to look at him.

She quickly blinked the tears away, hoping he hadn't spot them. Honestly, what for a wussy had taken over her body?! Being this emotional wasn't like her at all and frankly, she didn't care much for it either. It sure as hell wasn't what Eric signed up for. For crying out loud, she was the top-ranked initiate! She was supposed to be brave and happy. Not insecure and scared.

"Keena." There was a message in there somewhere, and Keena growled in frustration.

It was awfully unfair that even after months and months of radio silence, she still recognized all of his different tells. How could something so simple as the tone of his voice cover that much meaning? Him saying her name in this particular way conveyed so much more than just her name. It was this 'Hey, look at me. Don't you turn week on me now' kind of statement. Like a warning, encouragement and empowerment all at once.

And what was worse, it was exactly what she'd needed to hear. What she had been needing to hear for a very long time now. During their time apart she had even –once or twice– dreamed of of him saying it to her, exactly as he had just now. Because apart from the 'look at me' and 'you're stronger than this' messages he effortlessly seemed to convey in his tone of voice, it also made her feel something else.

Safe.

Safe – because he believed in her. Believed in her being stronger than she imagined herself to be.
Safe – because she knew he'd be there to catch her if she failed anyway. Just in case.
Safe – because for the first time in her life, she was the one being looked after. Being cared for.

It felt so great to have his support, and at the moment, she wanted nothing more than bask it in, not knowing how long it would last. She looked longingly at his arms, praying for them to reach out to her and wrap her in a tight embrace that would both swallow her up and protect her at the same time. Dear god, how she longed for one of those... She didn't even care whether or not she would look week because of it. She was just wanted one of his embraces.

But alas, what were the odds he would give her one now? Right after telling him how she wanted to make him her dirty little secret once more, when he all but told her he was ready to commit. Fully. Publicly. Thoroughly.

She felt his cool blue eyes on her face, perceptive of ever twitch, every blink and every breath she took. Naked under his gaze, she wanted to hide herself in another kiss, or bury her face in his shirt and breath in his smell... Honestly, she'd take what she could get as long as she didn't have to look up and meet his eye.

"I don't like it." His voice rumbled purposefully, addressing the elephant in the room. "But I can understand where you're coming from." At this, Keena's eyes shot up to him, hoping to find the passions that had been lacking in his voice, in his eyes instead. She was in luck. There was a twinkle in his eyes, something warm and agreeable, until he narrowed them down at her with a pointed look. "Three weeks tops, though. Not four. And I don't want anyone other than me kissing you on your birthday either. Not even on your cheek."

He knew when her birthday was. Like, he read her files so of course he knew, but he had remembered it as well! The thought made her oddly giddy. And just like that all the tension in her stomach was gone, and Keena couldn't help but laugh at his ability to remain stoic while stating such ridiculous 'terms'.

When he didn't join her laughter –not even in his own 'brooding Eric way' with a twitch of his lips– her laughter died off quickly.

"You're serious." Keena breathed, not knowing whether to be offended or laugh some more. He didn't truly think she could stop people from kissing her on her cheek on her birthday did he? "Eric, you can't possibly hold me accountable fo–" She tried to elaborate and tell him just how impossible his request was, but got cut off by his lips on her own.

It was a simple peck at first.
But then he lingered.

His lips breezed over hers with a featherlike touch, but when she looked up to his eyes, she found them devouring her.

Keena nodded – what for, she didn't know – but she nodded. Giving consent to whatever it was he had in mind, before closing her eyes and waiting for the onslaught she expected to come.

Except it didn't.

His lips were still on her – soft like breeze – and yet so far away. She inched her head closer to his, eyes still closed, but he moved away, not allowing her to close the gap between them. Furrowing her brow in confusion, she let her head fall backwards and opened her eyes, a slow whine escaping her lips as she met his teasing stare. His eyebrow quirked.

#! $%#!$* What a fucking arrogant bastard!

With her ire rising, she wanted nothing more than to slap that smug smirk right of his stupid face, but was prevented from doing so when his lips forcefully latched onto hers at last.

Eric immediately took advantage of her surprised gasp by dipping his tongue into her hot cavern, on the search for hers. Moaning when he found it, Keena grasped onto his neck, pulling him closer towards her without intend to ever let him go.

This was intoxicating.
He was intoxicating.

She could smell his cologne as his formidable form towered over her, her knees brushing the sides of his thighs as he stepped fully between her legs. She scoured her smooth skin on the stubble of his roughly shaved chin, as she angled her face to deepen their kiss. But best of all, she could feel the slight smile that tugged at his lips as her hands clawed at his back and hair, somehow needing him even closer when he was already pressed up against her.

Was it possible to die because you wanted someone so much? And it wasn't even about sex. She just wanted him. All of him. More of him. Closer. Forever.

Unsatisfied with her limited reach around his neck Keena let her hands slide southwards before twisting them in his dress shirt, a small grunt escaping Eric's mouth as she did so. A sound that rumbled all the way down to his chest. She was in search of something. Nearly starving without it. Like a deserted man, on the lookout for water to end his drought.

God, she'd been starving for so long she had forgotten how good he felt. How her skin tingled with sensation wherever he touched her. How her soul was let on fire whenever he kissed her. She finally had him back... and just a little bit of him wasn't enough anymore.

Lifting her hips of the desk, Keena ground against his, suddenly desperate for friction. Eric cursed into her mouth but she swallowed the sounds, unrelenting in letting him go. Her movements became feverish and rushed, to match the hurry she was in. She needed more of him. Just so much more. Reaching for the buttons on his shirt she managed to undo the first two before he grabbed her hands and pushed them away.

"Easy, Amity." Eric chuckled, breaking the kiss. But his hard wood currently pressing into her stomach was telling a different story. As if reading her mind, he jerked his hips into her for good measure, his lips falling to her ear. "No matter how much I want to continue this, I wasn't exaggerating when I told you Four will be here any minute now."

Keena sighed in defeat and let her forehead rest against his shoulder.

"I know." She whispered, surprised to see small goosebumps appear in his neck from where her breath caressed it. "I know." She whispered again, more teasingly now, before kissing it softly. "I know." Another kiss.

"Keena." Eric warned, a low rumble making up the sound.

It wasn't enough. Not yet. Not quite. After all, she was yearning for him. The least he could do was return the favor. Showering him with soft kisses in his neck, Eric's already weak resolve broke.

"Fine. Have it your way." He managed in between ragged breaths, before grabbing her face between both hands and claiming her mouth with his own.

His hips jerked relentlessly into her thigh and she slipped her hand between them, cupping the bulge in his pants with her palm. Eric's eyelids fluttered as if it was the best feeling in the world and he broke the kiss to lavish on her neck.

His hands moved too. One cupping her arse and pulling it closer to the edge of the desk, while the other slipped between her legs, returning the favor she was doing him. And when she started crying out his name, his mouth was back on hers, there to swallow up every last bit of it.

They lost track of time as the kiss seemed to drag on and on forever – neither of them ever getting enough of it. Perhaps it only took seconds, or perhaps they were going at it for minutes, but however long it had been Keena was glad to note Eric seemed just as unrelenting in letting her go as she was in letting go of him... but damnit! Four really would be here any moment now.

"Eric..." Keena somehow managed to extract her mouth from his. "I – I should probably go." She whimpered when he continued to shower her with soft kisses on her jaw.

"Probably." She could feel his lips curl into a grin, but he ceased kissing her nonetheless. Instead opting to rest his forehead on her shoulder as she gently played with his hair at the nape of his neck.

In a way it was even better than their hot kisses from moments earlier.

It was calming. Gentle. Loving. Just another thing that squeezed out any remaining doubts she had about them. They could make it as a couple, because it wasn't just sex between them. She hadn't been ready to hear it when Eric had told her months ago, but she was now. They worked. They just did. And no matter how much she enjoyed the sex with him, it was moments like these that made her fall in love with him.

Simple moments, where he would let his guard down for just the tiniest of seconds. Moments in which he could act like a petulant little kid and show her just how much he disliked the situation without having to retort to his usual aggressive persona. Moments in which their silence was comforting and relaxing, and moments in which his arms would come out to encircle her just like they did now.

The silence continued, but Keena didn't mind. Instead, she hopped of the desk and closed her arms around him as well, returning the hug and reveling in the feeling of him tightening his hold on her. His fingers gently grazing her skin from where her shirt had ridden up to her waist.

There was no need to say what they both thought. They had missed each other and if that meeting with Four hadn't been happening this afternoon, Keena was convinced the two of them would've spend the entire day cuddling on his couch instead.

More than a little aware of the soft kisses Eric bestowed upon the top of her head, she buried her face even deeper in his chest, watching the rise and fall of his chest. His steady heartbeat the most soothing sound she'd ever heard.

She was pretty sure this was it. This was what love was supposed to feel like: To be hot and heavy over one another in one moment, and then be completely at ease in the next. His warmth, his touch, his smell... Under other circumstances, Keena was sure she could've fallen asleep.

"I really should go." She whispered, forcing herself away from his comforting chest.

"You really should." Eric agreed, making no inclination to loosen his hold on her.

"Four could be here any moment now." She tried again, an unfamiliar smile tugging at her lips. She was pretty sure she'd never smiled like this before. It felt almost childish. But in a good way.

"Hmm." Eric agreed, resting his forehead against her own. A smirk of his own on her face. Daring her to go.

"Eric..." She closed her eyes, her whisper accusingly. But she didn't step away either. Their noses were touching now, and she could feel his peppermint breath breeze over her face. Rough warm hands insistent on caressing her lower back with lazy circular movements, hugging her closer.

Gods, she never wanted it to end.

"I don't want to go." The words tumbled out of her on their own accord. She'd been thinking them for sure, but she hadn't meant to share those thoughts.

It was odd. She was pretty sure his proximity and touch made her week in the knees. Her stomach felt sick, her balance was off and her hands were shaking, but for some reason she loved every second of it, craving even more this newfound weakness.

Eric didn't respond to her audibly, but when she looked up to find the reason for his silence, she found his eyes dark and heavy on her. Gone was the cool gaze of cutting ice. And in return, she found herself staring at the depths of the ocean. But warm. Like a warm wave current. Just for her.

"Eric?"

Again, no audible response left his lips, but this time his fingertips brushed their path from the small of her back to her hips, where they gently squeezed her love-handles, pulling her closer to him to him. Keena groaned as he ducked his head, letting his lips travel across her skin, ghosting the path from her lips to her jaw to her neck.

Who even cared about Four anymore?

"Eric. We need to –" She instantly forgot what she'd been about to say when his lips attached to her skin with more force. Liking and sucking it. His teeth sinking into her flesh. The whimper leaving her lips brought out a roaring rumble from his, originating from somewhere deep inside his chest. As he reached that tender spot just below her ear, he continued feasting on her skin like a starved man getting dinner for the first time.

"Eric." She admonished gasping –pleadingly– but her body inched closer to him; desperate to squeeze out all remaining air between them. "Eric, I need..." She whined, cutting herself off with a sloppy attempt of kissing the side of his head, only to find his hairline. It was hard to concentrate when he was working her neck like that.

How again had she gone months without him?

"You need to what?" Eric coxed, his nose caressing the shell of her ear, nibbling her lobe now.

"I-I..." Keena stuttered, coming back to her senses. "I need to go."

Eric made a sound somewhere between an amused scoff and disbelieving groan. "Then go." He challenged, retracting his lips from her jaw to look her in the eye. They were back to light blue, but not in a cold and distant way. It was... more of challenge really. A challenge for her to follow up on her words. The twinkle in his eyes mocking her, invading her very core, straight through her veins. Burning her. Electrifying all of her senses.

To hell with his challenge. To hell with Four.

"Okay." Keena grinned, pressing her lips onto his softly.

"Okay what?" He hummed, neither leaning in nor pulling back from her touch, although his fingertips teasingly scraped the skin between her jeans and t-shirt.

"Okay, kiss me again."

Eric smirked. An eyebrow raised, but he didn't respond. He didn't kiss her. He didn't say anything. Hell, he didn't even move. He did nothing.

Or well... 'nothing'. What was nothing, really? Nothing, apart from his fingers playing with that small patch of naked flesh between her jeans and t-shirt. Nothing, apart from that look that seemed to penetrate her entire being, soul and more. Nothing, apart from setting her entire nerve-system aflame.

"Eric..." Keena spoke against his lips, her teeth moving, nibbling at his bottom lip. It seemed his name was her new favorite word.

He leaned into her and kissed her briefly, softly, sweetly, before moving away again.

"Go." He insisted. "Before Four catches us making out like a pair of hormonal teenagers."

She couldn't argue with him, even if she wanted to. He was right. He usually was. But that didn't mean she had to like it.

Keena smoothed down the nonexistent wrinkles in her shirt, before reluctantly making her way over to the door. Smiling back at his slightly troubled face he so desperately tried to keep from showing emotion, she couldn't help but tease him one last time.

"Hormonal teenagers, you say?." She asked him, raising an eyebrow in challenge. "I'm eighteen, Eric. What's your excuse?"

His eyebrows knitted together at her words and Keena laughing out loud, reaching for the handle on the door, but before she could properly open it, his hand shot over her shoulder slamming it back shut.

"Oh, believe me." He breathed in her neck, leaning into her from behind. "If I had my way it wouldn't just be T-rated what Four walked in on."

Keena swallowed, not even beginning to know how to respond that without ending up in another battle of lips. But as it turned out, she didn't have to. Pushing himself off the door, he backed a step away from her, and opened it himself.

"In public or not, we're going to have our first date tonight." He whispered so Maddy wouldn't overhear. "My place. 8 o'clock. Don't be late." And before she had even registered his words, he had somehow maneuvered her out of his office, slamming the door shut in her face.

End of flashback

A date.

He had called it a date.

Keena had never been on one, and she doubted he had gone on many either. He didn't seem like the type to date. Not if his reputation was anything to go by. No, Eric definitely was a man to fuck rather than date... Right? And yet he had specifically called it such. Perhaps he had dated before. He was a leader after all. A leader with fancy dinners and late night meetings to go to. A leader that needed to socialize with the other faction's leaders in the name of peace. A date surely wasn't too uncommon to bring, was it? He was also born in Erudite, the faction with – without a doubt – the most stuck up etiquettes of the entire city.

God. He probably had been on many dates before.

Great. So he'd know exactly what he was doing, while she'd be standing there like a fucking infant at Disneyland for the first time: Overwhelmed by penned up emotion, not knowing what to do and where to start. Only in this case, it was worse because there wouldn't be any maps to help her out. No guidelines or reviews, and even if she had been in the possession of such valuable information, she doubted any experience she might've gained back in Amity would've been of no value now. Every faction dated by different rules. Different games.

Besides, Eric was a breed all on his own.

So, basically, she knew nothing. Hell, without her friends she'd probably still be standing in front of her mirror, trying out different outfits.

Keena smiled as she rounded another corner, Eric's apartment only some hundred meters away now. She really had come a long way in regards to her friends. Yes, she was still private and probably always would be, but ever since she'd come clean about her past, it was like... like... just different. Better. More real.

It felt good to trust them with things. It sort of lightened her burden, in a way. Which, had someone told her this one year ago, she would've found utterly ridiculous. But it really was true. It was amazing really, how saying your troubles out loud could make all the difference. It literally lifted a heavy weight from her chest or something.

That's not to say, her friends now suddenly were privy to any and all details of her life. On the contrary, Keena had hardly told them any specifics, but at least now she was more willing to open up about some things that kept her mind busy.

Like her experience with dating.
Or more precise: her lack thereof.

After telling the girls about her inexperience on the matter, Mira and Lara had talked her into wearing the skin-tight dress she had on. It was a black knee-length bodycon, with a narrow turtle neck and a fine knitted pattern. It gave off a casual, yet chic, vibe perfect for a date at home.

Apparently, anyway.

'It's perfect!' Mira had gushed. 'It totally gives off the vibe that you're effortlessly beautiful... That you do make an effort to look nice for him, without trying too hard, you know?'

No. She didn't know.

She had no idea what that meant.

But she did like the dress and she still had some credits to spare from her account – especially now she'd ranked first – so there was no harm done by listening to her friends and buy the damn dress.

So here she was. In her new dress. About to go on a secluded date.

Stopping in front of Eric's apartment, Keena took one last glance over her shoulder, gazing into the deserted hallway to make sure no one would see her entering, before knocking on the door.

Once. Twice.

And then it opened.

EPOV

"Hi, stranger." Keena smiled up at him cheekily, as if no time had past at all. As if she'd never stopped coming over. As if there wasn't anything different about today than their had been months ago.

He would've almost believed her bravado as well, but her red-rose face gave her actual feelings away. She was nervous. Good. Because so was he.

"C'min." He muttered, holding the door open for her as he trailed his eyes over her body slowly, not caring if she noticed him checking her out. Hell, he hoped she did. Because damn. She was trying to kill him tonight. The skin-tight dress clung to her every curve, unnecessarily emphasizing all he had been missing out on over the past couple of months. As if he didn't already know. "I changed some things around." Eric pointed out the obvious, as she took in his new interior with curious eyes.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time; changing his interior to rid it from the memories that had been haunting him for months. Memories of her, them, all of it. It hadn't helped much, but alas. Perhaps now his new interior could serve as a clean slate. A fresh beginning for the two of them. One where they could do better.

Not that he needed their relationship to change much (he had quite enjoyed their interactions back in December) but at the same time it felt like they had turned a page on how things used to be and they were ready to focus on how things should be. Or at least, how they wanted them to be.

Which, for him, was the same and yet so much more than what they used to have.

"So you have." Came Keena's whisper before she walked after him into the kitchen, and sat down on one of the barstools. Eric noticed her fidgeting fingers from the corner of his eye.

Drinks. He needed to offer her a drink.

"You want something to drink?"

"Please." She beamed, almost too brightly before quickly conducting herself. "I mean... A drink would be great." Her blush was nothing short of charming. "With alcohol."

"Wine, liquor, cider, beer?" He listed.

An amused smile graced her lips. "So, you've finally decided to face the plebs and go out shopping?" She teased, making his mind wonder to the countless of times she'd teased him for having nothing other than Whiskey.

"I might've ordered my assistant to fill up my cabinets."

"Your assistant." She repeated, rolling her eyes amused. "Of course you did. Wine would be lovely, thanks."

Busying himself with the wine, Eric tried not to think about how he hadn't kissed or even touched her since she came in. It was weird: Here she was, back in his apartment, and somehow the gesture of kissing her – something he used to do without thinking twice about it – felt extremely off. Like something from another lifetime. A burned bridge. Foreign. Forbidden.

And yet, not kissing her had felt weird all the same. If not more.

After all, not even six hours ago, she had been pressed beneath him on his desk. Being kissed thoroughly. But this... This felt different. Weird. Odd. Unfamiliar. And yet, not entirely in an unpleasant way.

They were stuck in limbo; Wanting to continue but not knowing how. Neither of them had experience on how to do this – whatever "this" was anyway. What were they? Were they dating? In a relationship? Together? Partners? Lovers? None of the options seemed to capture what they were, because in truth, they were still nothing. He knew what they used to be: a dirty secret behind closed doors, but now? He wasn't sure.

Neither was she, by the looks of it. Her hands were still fumbling; twisting and pulling every one of her fingers in turn.

When Eric turned to hand over her drink, she hurriedly reached for it – all too happy to have something else to busy her hands with – causing her hand to caress his briefly. It was nothing and everything, all at once. Eric's heartbeat sped up and he could've sworn he heard her gasp as he willed himself not to seem affected by the small and insignificant touch, but it was a lie. A strange string of tingling shocks spread through his body, and her touch was the catalyst.

Clearing his throat, Eric quickly stepped back.

The date continued in the same awkward atmosphere for a while, neither of them knowing exactly what to do about it. Or how to change it.

They participated in some polite if not somewhat boring conversation, the occasional tease the only thing that lightened the heavy mood. It wasn't until the doorbell rang, they both started to relax.

"That's our food." Eric grinned, walking over. "You better hide, before the delivery man finds out about us." He teased.

She glared at him, childishly sticking out her tongue and flipping him off, but when he was about to open the door, he saw her duck behind the kitchen counter anyway, and Eric couldn't help but chuckle at her predictability.

It was at moments like these he really wondered what he saw in her. But no matter how much his rational mind told him she was acting rather childish and cowardly, all he could do was find it adorable.

Adorable.

Now there's a word he'd never thought he would use.

"Delivery for two?" The young Dauntless kid asked, his eyes glancing past Eric into the apartment. He couldn't be older than twelve.

"Thanks." Eric snapped at the boy, sticking out his hand for him to hand over the bag.

The effect was immediate; the boy's eyes snapped back to his face, an embarrassed blush spreading over his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Eric – I mean sir." The boy stammered, handing over the food. "I just..."

"You just..." Eric repeated mockingly. "What? Like to stick your nose where it doesn't belong? Be careful with that. You might wake up one day without one." And without further ado, Eric slammed the door shut in his face.

"That was unnecessary." Keena chastised, getting up from her position behind the counter.

"Says the Amity, sitting on the dirty kitchen floor." Eric scoffed. "Excuse me for weighing your opinions lightly, right now."

"I'm Dauntless! And how can it be dirty when you never cook?!"

Fights. They had always been exceptional at them.

A grin spread over Eric's face, shrugging her remark off. "The kid will live. If he wants to be a Dauntless one day, he best learn now how he's ought to behave. If he doesn't, this interaction can serve as reminder why to choose fucking Amity instead."

"You're too kind." Keena deadpanned, but she followed him to the already set dining table with a smile and Eric, true to his Erudite upbringings, pulled out the chair for her.

Things pretty much loosened up from that point on. Perhaps it was because of the fight; because that small act of familiarity had broken the initial tension between them. Perhaps it was because of the generous amount of alcohol that flowed; Eric filling up their glasses as soon as they were empty. Or perhaps it was something else entirely. But whatever the reason, conversation flowed.

They teased and bantered, and he chanced some heated glances her way. She laughed at him for ordering food in from one of the Restaurants – he was still an awful cook after all – and beamed when said food turned out to be sushi.

"I've never had sushi before." She had admitted sheepishly, and it was noticeable too. Her usual grace that came with everything she did, seemed to have abandoned her for the night. Instead she got clumsy attempts of eating with chopsticks. Every one of them even worse than the one before.

Of course he laughed at her.

As did she.

She played it cool by laughing it off, but he could tell she was embarrassed by her own childlike movements as she dropped yet another Nigiri in the soya sauce, making it fall apart. He laughed at her and she glared at him, and then somewhere along the way, the nerves had subsided entirely and all there was left was peace and contentment, as if having her here had restored the world balance... An it somehow made his home feel more like home.

She had never lived here – never even truly slept here – and yet her laughter was familiar to these walls. She soothed his otherwise cold and empty apartment with light and warmth. She teased, challenged and defied him, and she didn't shrink back from his angry stance or emotionless gaze when they disagreed. She fitted perfectly in his life. Like the missing peace he'd never even knew he had been missing... until he had her and she made everything so much better.

After dinner they moved to the couch, taking their wine glasses with them. He mindfully sat a respectable distance away from her, but as their conversation continued, she seemed to shift closer to him. At one point, she had taken of her shoes, initially preferring to tug her feet underneath her on the couch, but somehow they ended up against his thigh anyway.

And just like that, the loaded atmosphere was back. At least for him it was.

Keena seemed oblivious to it, happily telling him about... about what again? God he couldn't concentrate anymore. Not with her bare legs mocking him for what felt like eternity. He shifted his wine glass from his left hand to his right and back to his left, anything to keep his hands from stroking her leg.

In all honesty, it was pretty much doomed from the start. He already knew he would cave anyway, so why not give into the urge? They had shared a lovely dinner in good company. Her feet was rubbing up his thigh so why shouldn't he be able to run his hand over her calf, hm?

Because he didn't want the date to end.

That's why.

Eric knew that as soon as he caved and his hand would start stroking her leg, they would soon start kissing. And when they started kissing, things would escalate pretty quickly. And then once they were done, she would go back home, and he would wake up alone.

He didn't want her to go.
He didn't want to wake up alone.

That's why he wanted to do things differently, because he wanted different things. Just having her for his carnal needs wasn't enough anymore. He wanted her so badly, so thoroughly it hurt. He wanted to push into her – and then some more – and never pull out. But tomorrow he would have to go to work, leaving her to do god-knows-what and pretend nothing was going on between them.

Not that Eric was a fan for PDA. It wasn't like he wanted to grab her in the middle of the Mess Hall and kiss her senseless for all to see, but... yes, no, alright. He actually did want that. He wanted to kiss her senseless for all to see. Mark his territory. Claim her as his.

God, he was such a caveman at times, it was embarrassing.

It wasn't like he was insecure or anything. Or that he didn't trust her to be loyal and faithful, but he just... He just... He was just so damn proud to have her. Just looking at her made his heart ache with want. Her heart-shaped face so soft and smooth. Her eyes magical and natural all at once. Like the most beautiful of forrest. Her juicy bottom lip called out to him, while the bow in her upper lip made all her smiles that bit more cheeky. Her neck was so delicate, so graceful and so ultimately feminine he just wanted to bury his head in it and feast upon her smell instead.

T'was not fair how alluring she was. Every part of was just so fucking perfect. How he'd once thought her too small, too delicate, he didn't know. She was everything she needed to be and more. Her arms, although still thin, had become more muscular by months and months of practice. The muscles in her legs more refined. She was in shape. A true Dauntless. And on top of that, blessed with curves to die for.

His eyes traveled from her face, to her chest before landing on her bared calves again and he had to physically keep himself from grunting out loud. That little piece of naked temptation; from her knees to her ankles. His hand was aching to touch his, but his rational mind was forbidding him to.

"Eric?" He looked up to her furrowed brows. Had she asked him something? Oh, god, he should've listened. "Are you alright, you look a bit pale."

Did he? He would've guessed he would've been red instead. Was it just him, or was it suddenly so fucking hot in here?!

"Eric?" He mourned the loss of her feet against him when she shifted them away from him. It didn't take long though, before she came closer again, her hand coming out to touch his forehead. "You feel quite hot, too. Was it something you ate? Was it the fish? The wine?"

"You ate the same thing." Eric barked, harder than intended. Luckily she didn't seem to take offense. "I'm sorry. I'm fine. Truly."

She didn't look convinced. "Perhaps I should go. It's late already and you need to work tomorrow."

Eric bit back a grunt, his eyes heavy on hers. "I told you I'm fine. Stay." A brief pause before worthlessly adding: "For as long as you want, of course." Way overdue.

She smiled and moved her palm to another spot on his forehead before moving them southwards, two of her cold fingers gently pressed against his neck. By now, she was sitting pretty much pressed up against him from the side, her folded legs leaning against his thigh.

"Keena." Eric threatened in a warning grunt, grabbing her fingers and pushing them away from him. "I advise you to keep your hands to yourself and play doctor for someone else."

The furrow in her brow was nothing short of naive and Eric barked out a bitter laugh. Of course she wouldn't understand how hard this was for him.

"I simply care about you, Eric." The sound of her voice was cold as ice, but the words warmed him nonetheless. "I'm sorry if that concept might be a bit foreign to you, but you look positively ill."

She was mad at him. Good. Because he was mad at her too. Mad for making this so damn difficult for him. The pining and the craving and the total agony of wanting to be with someone so much it physically hurt you. It was damn horrible to be in love and honestly, he missed the time where he could just walk into a bar, pick up a girl and fuck her senseless without a worry in the world about it.

But here she was, making that all impossible, because he wanted her and only her, and yet – somehow – even that wasn't enough because he wanted more of her. He wanted her so much he was afraid he would scare her away. He wanted her so much he was afraid he would reach for her and claw at her until their was nothing left to grasp. He would destroy her or scare her away AND THIS WAS A GODDAMN CIRCLE.

"WELL, I NEVER ASKED YOU TO, NOW DID I!" She yelled. "I'M NOT A FRAGILE LITTLE THING!"

Wait what? How much of his thoughts had he actually mused out loud?

His shock must've shown on his face because on instant her features calmed, to a soft and insecure smile.

"Eric, I missed you too." Her hands came up to cup his face, her thumbs rubbing over his slight beard. He hadn't shaven it in two days. "I swear to god, I want you just as much as you want me." He closed his eyes at her words, basking in the softness of her voice. So soothing, so exciting. All going straight to his groin. "Let me show it to you."

She kissed him the.

Softly on the cheek at first, and inching closer to his lips with every peck thereafter. Her body shifted along; her legs draping over his so she was now straddling him, softly moving her lips against his. Eric kept his hands worthlessly on the couch, for a second not knowing what to do with them before finally giving in to his carnal desires.

But his movements weren't rushed like he had expectant them to be. Instead he placed them gently on her knees, slowly stroking up the fabric of her dress to caress more of her leg. A deep growl formed somewhere deep inside his core and she swallowed it up with every stroke of her tongue against his own.

Her hips started to move over his, her breasts rubbing up and down his chest. Her fingers – god, her fingers – curling in his hair in the most tantalizing ways, scraping his skull.

He let his head lol backward, resting it on the couch as she bowed her head to feast upon his neck. All the while keeping her rhythm.

"Keena." Eric growled, his member painfully large. He needed more. So much more. She could give him all she had and he would probably still long for more of her.

"Shhh." She soothed, teeth scraping over the pulsing vain in his neck. "Let me show you."

She lifted her hips away from his briefly to pull at the hem of her dress, pulling it over her hips. He helped her of course. His big rough hands stroking over her thighs, hips, waist, side of her breasts until she lifted up her ams and he pulled it off completely.

His eyes devoured her. The swell of her breasts, emphasized by her labored breathing. Her flat trained stomach. Her blonde hair in stark contrast with that black lace set teasing him to take her. But he wouldn't. He wanted her to show him. But he would grab her arse, pressing her closer against him as she continued her rhythm against him.

She was so fucking beautiful it hurt and he wanted to tell her so, but no words would be able to get the message across fully. No words could do her justice.

"I love you." His eyes snapped to hers, not quite believing it was her and not him who had uttered the words. But it had been her. Looking into her green orbs, sparkling like emeralds, he knew it for certain. "I love you, Eric."

Their movements had ceased all together and if anyone would walk into them now they would see a scarcely dressed girl sitting stock-still on top of him. Neither of them moving a muscle. Their eyes were locked together for what felt like hours, an entire debate passing between them if she really did mean it.

"I do, Eric. I love you." She had never said it before. Not even this afternoon when she'd told him she had feelings for him. It had implied as much, but she hadn't actually said the words and in all honesty, he hadn't expected her to.

Not then, not now.

Their followed a total blank in his brain – like an error erasing any and every thought – and Eric didn't know whether to be scared of or feel comforted by it. Luckily his body seemed to catch up sooner than his brain and his hands caressed both sides of her face as he kissed her.

Softly. Slowly. Passionately.

They started moving again, but this time he did take control. He maneuvered them thus that they covered the entire couch, both laying on their sides just happy to kiss for a while. His one hand moved up and down the length of her body, while the other still gently held her face.

Keena was making the most delectable little sounds; purring and whimpering and sighing his name against his lips. Their was no rush as she started opening his dress shirt, button for button. There was no rush as her hands explored this newfound naked skin. There was no rush as she rolled her body against his. And there was no rush when she started undoing the button and zipper of his pants, slipping her hand inside his trousers.

Eric grunted her name as she cupped his manhood with her palm, biting his lower lip in agony. She grinned up at him with a mischievous little twinkle in her eyes, before kissing her way down from his lips, to his neck, torso and finally manhood. She looked back up at him then, seemingly as enthralled with him as he was with her and he lifted his hips so she could undo him from his trousers. The evening air was cold on his now exposed member, but he couldn't find it in him to care.

Nor did he care about her cold fingers as she wrapped around him, softly pumping him up and down. His breathing was ragged as his member twitched in her hand, searching for something warmer. Slowly, she bowed her head down, kissing down the base of his shaft, until she made it back on top.

Eric swore when her lips finally surrounded his throbbing head and his cursing seemed to edge her on. She slowly took him further into her mouth, licking deliciously along his shaft, one of her hands playing with his balls.

"Fuck." Eric grunted, grabbing a hand full of her hair and twisting his fingers into it. His eyes were fluttering as if they wanted to close fully, but the look of her, taking his cock into her fully was just too damn enthralling to give up. "Fuck, yeah!" He cursed again as she started to move up and down his shaft.

He let her set the rhythm as she deep-throated him over and over and over again. His eyes lolled backward, his balls preparing for onslaught and he forced himself to pull her hair, lifting her away from his shaft. "Fuck, Keena. I'm not going to last when you do me like that."

She smiled up at him, her lips wetted by a combination of her saliva and his pre-cum, making it all the more naughty. "What if I don't want you to last?" He stared at her severely, his mind once again blank. "Come on, Eric. Let me taste you. Let me show you how much I really want you. All of you."

"You're going to be the death of me." He said, equally as much in awe as he was in disbelieve.

Taking it as her cue, she refocussed her attention back on his wood. Swirling her tongue around it like it was a fucking lollypop before sinking down on it again. This time he wouldn't hold back. Twisting his hand another time around in her hair so his fingertips were scraping her skull, he guided her movements, bringing her up and down. Up and down. His hips started jerking on their own accord, going up when she came down and visa versa.

"That's it, princess." He grunted heavily as she choked on him for the fifth time in a minute. "You want it? Then take it. It's all for you."

His talk spurred her on and it didn't take long before he had her moaning and choking on his cock. Tears filled the brim of her eyes, but they didn't spill over. In fact, everything about her told him just how much she was enjoying this. She'd always been a sucker for dirty talk.

"Oh yes! That's it! Come on, little Dauntless." He coxed, pushing her head all the way down on him. "Take my seed. Take it all."

She was furiously bobbing her head up and down now, his hips snapping along in the same rhythm. His balls tightened up again, his cock pulsing inside of her warm delectable little mouth. "Come on, Keena." He hissed, seeing black spots now. Her moan that followed brought him over the edge. Stars everywhere as he pumped his hips up into her for another two, tree, four forceful strokes, her mouth sucking him empty until every last drop was swallowed.

Uncurling his fingers from her tangled her, he gently smoothed it down, soothing her skull. She looked up at him every bit as satisfied as he felt as she crawled back on top of him, pecking his lips. He sighed into her kiss, happy to just breath in her smell as she moved over him, seeking some sort of friction for her own needs.

"Give me two minutes." Eric promised, her horniness making him chuckle. "And I'll return the favor with equal passion."

As it turned out, he didn't need two minutes. Ten seconds of kissing her had him hot and bothered again. Thirty seconds of massaging her arse and hearing her moans were enough to make his fingers frenzied.

"You're gonna be the death of me." Eric sighed, rolling on top of her and starting feasting on her neck.

Just like her, he was planning on drawing out his way down by way of kissing every inch of her chest. Unlike her, he wouldn't stop by mere pecks. Instead he opted for hot open-mouthed kisses that allowed his teeth and tongue to play along. God, he so loved her body. So soft and feminine. So tasty. And it smelled fucking amazing too.

She started to giggle when he scraped his teeth over her skin and down to her breast, but it quickly changed into moaning as he sucked her nipple through her bra until it stood red and stiff underneath the lacy fabric. Her breathing became heavy too. Paying equal attention to her other breast, one of his free hands had started sliding down her abdomen until it reached the edge of her panties, where it settled on playing with the ruffles, making her squirm for more.

"Take it off." Eric ordered horsely, cupping her breast underneath the fabric and pulling it up so he could lavish on it – skin to skin.

"Which one?" She asked coyly, a meow escaping her as he pressed his index finger against her soaked through panties.

"Whichever one you like." Eric breathed, his mouth still hovering above her nipple.

She took off her bra.

Keeping his one hand on her entrance, teasing her folds through the thin fabric that kept him from fully entering, he brought up his other hand to feast upon her full milky breasts. Her nipples pink and taunt, stranding proud and stiffly in the air, hoping to get noticed. And notice them he did.

"I swear to god, Keena, you have the most gorgeous fucking tits ever." He grunted, rubbing his face in them.

Keena laughed, shaking her head at his antics. "Don't tell me, show them." She teased, pressing his head further down on them, forcing her elbows a little together for good measure.

It continued for a while like that. His mouth sucking and pulling at her over-sensitive nubs as she meowed and whimpered underneath him. Desperate for more contact. More pressure. More him. Slowly but surely, his attention started to shift from her delectable breasts to another more fully eatable part of her body.

Kissing and licking his way down over her salty sweaty skin, he brought his mouth down to her wanting cunt. She was squirming beneath him as his hands hold down both sides of her hips to stop her from bucking her hips up at him.

"Shhh." He breathed over her sex, using her own words against her. "Let me show you." He mocked evilly, earning him a lustful glare that made him chuckle.

"I swear to god, Eric." She started, throwing his words back at him. "If you don't hurry up I'm going to fucking kill you."

His grin only widened at her threat.

"What?" He asked coyly. "You mean like this?" He kissed the inside of her thigh, his nose briefly touching her sex.

"No, more!" She whined, trashing against his hold on her hips.

"Oh, like this?" He coxed, pressing his tongue teasingly against the lace right over her pearl. It was hard enough for her to feel it, but not nearly enough to give her the much sought release.

"Eric!" She warned, but he high tone of her warning made it sound more like a request instead.

Deciding he had teased her enough, Eric pressed down a kiss on her panties, licking the evidence of her arousal off it. Hmm, she tasted so sweat.

The smell of her numbed his other senses and Eric secretly wanted nothing more than to devour her completely. To eat her like she'd sucked him. But first, one more little test.

"I'm going to release your hips now, okay?" He told her sternly, eyes burning into hers. "But you have to promise me to be a good little girl and stay still, alright?"

"Yes, fuck yes! Whatever you say. Just get on with it already!"

He chuckled at her response and released his hands from her hips. For a moment, he expected her to push up her hips against him anyway, but true to her word, she stayed still. Good.

Settling his hands on her ankles, he slowly stroked them upwards until he reached her knees. Pushing them up so she now stood with both feet on the couch, he continued to stroke her until reaching the highest point of her inner thighs.

His thumbs slowly parted her folds and he looked her straight in the eye as he brought down his mouth on her waiting cunt, licking it slowly as he watched her pupils roll back.

Her smell, her taste, it was all to overwhelming. Diving in deeper he rubbed his nose against her clit, his tongue fucking her mouth and eating her out. She was wet – so wet – and so fucking sexy as she gasped his name, one of her hands coming out to push him ever further into her.

Well, with pleasure.

Inserting a finger into her hot and wanting core, she cried out his name. Over and over again.

"Yes, baby." He rumbled, sucking and flicking at her pearl until she was trembling and crying out beneath him. "That's right. Be my little wanton girl." She was close, he could feel it.

Diving in deeper with his tongue, her words became unintelligible and her moans louder and louder. The occasional 'please' and 'fuck' and 'yes', he still understood, but other than that it didn't make any sense.

Adding yet another finger to her throbbing cunt, his other hand reached behind him to one of her knees until she had both of her legs safely wrapped around his neck, giving her more friction in between.

He lapped at her dripping arousal, thrusting his own painfully hard cock worthlessly into the couch. His free hand traveled to grope at her arse, hip and breasts as his tongue just licked and flicked away. Lapping up her arousal like an animal starving for water.

Inserting a third finger into her core, he could feel her building up. Yes. Yes! She was so close, so close, just one more push. Pulling his tongue from her core settled them over her clit, sucking gently but surely until their was no air left to suck and then he flicked his with his tongue and he felt her explode all around his fingers.

"Eric!" She cried out loud, pulling her hair, at loss over what else to do.

"He, shhh – shh. Keena, please." He tried to sooth, bringing his free hand up to her face, caressing it sweetly. They could play it rough later on if she wanted, but he didn't want her to pull out her own hair in her state of ecstasy. "Here, take my hand instead."

When she didn't respond, seemingly not even hearing him to begin with, he unwrapped her legs from his neck and crawled over her body and pried her abusive hand away from her hair. She opened her eyes, coming down from her high and stared up in his in shock. Hell, she seemed terrified. That, with her trembling lip and watery eyes.

"Is everything alright?" Eric asked worried. He would kill himself if he'd hurt her.

She nodded her head and tried to smile, but he wasn't fooled easily. Nor did the fact that she almost choked on her own smile add any credibility to her obvious lie.

"Keena, if I hurt you..."

"You didn't!" She interrupted, suddenly the tough as nails type of girl he'd also come to know. "You didn't, Eric. I swear, you didn't! It was wonderful and perfect and pretty mind-blowing."

"Ho, ho. No need to stroke my ego like I'm an injured deer." Eric joked, although still eyeing her suspiciously. "It takes away some of the credibility, you know."

She looked at him seriously and squeezed his hand. "I mean it, though. It was amazing and then... I really don't know what came over me. Lately..." She trailed off.

"You've had a lot to deal with lately." Eric nodded in understanding. "Emotions can be overwhelming."

Her green orbs looked up at him with an unreadable expression, but whatever it was, she clearly wasn't about to voice it. Perhaps another time. So instead of pestering her about it, he hugged her closer to him and smoothing out some tangled hairs, away from her face. He let his thumb linger on her cheek for a little longer than necessary before she eventually snuggled up to him burying her face against his chest.

Breathing in the flowery sent of her hair, he kissed the top of her head and tightened his hold on her.

They laid in silence like that for a while. Neither of them inclined to talk or move away from each other's warm embrace. Eventually, however, Eric noticed that mere body heat wasn't enough for her anymore. As his fingertips traveled the curve of her body, he came across more and more goosebumps everytime.

Even so, it took him another ten minutes of stroking her chilly body to collect enough courage to breach the next topic. He just hoped she wouldn't get up and leave instead.

"You know..." He started softly, his voice sounding rough from the cold evening air. "It would be a lot warmer in bed." He stroked a patch of goosebumps for good measure.

She didn't respond. At all.

He removed one arm from his embrace, so he could look at her properly. Her eyes were closed, her breathing even. Her light skin glowing in the scarcely lit room.

And Eric couldn't stop his lips from twitching up into a smile.

A full blown smile.

A smile that spoke of victory.
A smile that spoke of fondness and awe.
A smile that spoke of pure bliss, in the most innocent of forms.

A smile that would make fucking Amities jealous.

He had done it. He had somehow won enough of her trust for her to fall asleep at his place. In his arms no less. He just hoped he wouldn't wake her as he carried her to bed.


Please review!