In the last chapter, if none of you made the realisation, where it said passive glint it was meant to say possessive, I just can't English and it's the only language I know…

For those that have played/seen Pokémon Sword and Shield, I literally based Milo off the gym leader 'Milo' without realising as I've been watching walkthroughs of Sword just recently…

"Talk after dinner?" His voice is void of emotion and Issy swallows the lump that's forming in her throat.

"After dinner, if you promise me to stay away for the rest of the day." Issy watches his jaw clench in defiance. "He knew you were up there Eric. One glance up and he'd have known. He was egging you on and you know that if you stay, it's going to get worse." He doesn't say anything, doesn't look in her direction and she takes a hesitant step forward. "Eric?"

He sighs, slowly reaching out and drawing her closer. "Okay. But if he does anything, I want to know immediately." Eric leans down and presses his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes with a grim expression on his face. "I wouldn't cage you and lock you away." He whispers as Issy's hand cups the back of his neck, her fingers weaving into the short strands of his hair. "Your spirit is too wild to be kept in one place…"

"My spirit matches yours and that's all that matters."

Eric smiles softly. "What a miracle that is."

The rest of the day went without incident.

Eric and Issy joined their family for lunch and the eyes that work in the control room, linger on them for a little too long. Lunch is over all too soon and Eric squeezes her hand when she stands up. She shoots him a weak smile, squeezing his shoulder back as she climbs over the bench. Issy smirks a little when some of the trainees staggering to stand up when they notice Issy finishing up.

Eric looks around and snorts, watching them act like eager pups ready to prove themselves. "Broken them in already? What the hell did you do?"

Issy watched as Red gripped Emmett's shoulder tightly and pulled him out of the cafeteria. "I told 'em if they're late to training, they're immediately cut from my program."

Eric grins brightly with a wicked glint in his eyes as Four snort from the end of the table. "Like calls like, huh? I think you gotta step up you're game Eric, it seems like someone in this faction is becoming more ruthless than you."

"I think I can live with that."

"Anyone else and you'll beat them down right?" Issy grins.

The young Leader smirks, his voice slightly mocking. "In a fair fight of course."

Her grin widens as she leans down to peck his forehead, ignoring Four as he gags. Issy watches as Four leans back into Tris as she rests her chin on top of Number Boy's head. "Hypocrite."

"Arrogant."

"Overachiever."

"Rude."

Issy checks her watch. "I need to leave." Four punches the air in triumph and she rolls her eyes. "I'll see you tonight." She pats Eric on the shoulder and quickly jogs to training room A, listening as Four and Eric start bickering.

xXx

Red and Bulldozer put the trainees through drills Issy's sure that if she had done them in initiation or even squad training, she would have died. As training room A was the largest of them all, Red and BD had placed cones to guide the trainees to what they have to do. The designed track stretches from one side of the room to the other before bending around and following the wall for a while and stopping. When Issy had first layed her eyes on the structure that they had created, she had let out a low whistle.

From the starting line there was a four hundred metre run, followed by hoops dotted on the floor that they have to jumps into all the way to the opposite wall. BD had a wicked gleam in his eyes when he mention that if they step out of the hoops – or even outside of the cones – they have to start from the very beginning. Some of the trainees looked aghast and turned to Issy, silently asking her to step in but she just shrugged. Issy was allowing her squadron to have as much say in how these newbies are trained as she is. So, if this was the standards that Red and BD wanted them to meet, Issy couldn't step in. As the track bent to run parallel to the wall the trainees were allowed some time to jog and get their breathing under control before they faced the next obstacle. The men had taken walls of foam from the Obstacle Room and placed a load one after the other. These foam walls had varying sizes of holes at different heights for them to squeeze through. After that the track stopped at several knife throwing stalls and they could only finish their lap once they had hit the bullseye or innermost ring.

Instead of completing it individually though, Red and BD had split them up into three teams, one having Hector join in to make the teams even, and once one person was finished, another one set of from the start as the other made their way to the back of their team to go again. Each teams' laps were recorded by the clip monitors which were the very same used in the bleep test back in her and Hector's initiation.

In the first team was Hannah, Milo, Lani and Hector. In the second was Soren, Robyn, Tommy and Kale. Finally, in the third team was Elliot, Vera, Leo and Emmett.

While BD seemed to pay particular attention to Emmett when it was his turn, Red jogged back and forth following them and giving encouragement when it was needed and taunting them lightly when they could improve.

Issy watched with a small smile on her face as Soren and Elliot went head to head. It was obvious both of them were competitive but more so with each other, and with a quick look at their files Issy found out that they were in the same initiation – one point being between their first set of rankings and only a few seconds between their second and final rankings. They were a different as night and day. Soren, while slightly buff, was guarded and quiet. On both of his arms were long sleeves of tattoos of stormy clouds with lightning striking down. his hair was dark black with a few unnoticeable streaks of light yellow and white in the under layers of his hair. Elliot was much an opposite. His body was rather lean reminding her a bit of Four, especially with the dark brown hair.

Her gaze flickered over to where Lani was jumping from hoop to hoop with more precision and speed than the rest of them. While Lani was smaller than the rest of them, she was certainly quick on her feet as she push her light ginger hair out of her tanned face and grinned at the distance between her and the guys behind her. Her bright eyes shined as she scaled the first foam wall with ease and that's when Issy noticed something she didn't before. The light had caught Lani's face at an angle that Issy could see a faint jagged line from her top lip and arcing up to cut through the end of her eyebrow, narrowly missing her eye. However she got that scar, it wasn't pretty.

Issy looked back to those waiting for their teammates to finish with a troubled thought on her mind. Milo watched Lani carefully and closely but there was something that Issy recognised in his gaze. He watched her protectively. Milo was by far the strongest and broadest of the trainees though he still has nothing on Bulldozer. When Milo winced as Lani fell to the floor on the other side of the foam wall, Issy made the connection.

She's seen that look before so many times in her life, especially just recently for reasons no one will tell her. She's seen it on Declan's face, on Hugo's and Alec's. She's seen it become more frequent on Josh's face, and Kayden's and Cody's and Noah's since coming to Dauntless. She's quick gazes of it on Zeke's and Uriah's faces from the past few months, and in very recent events, she's seen very brief flickers of it on Four's face.

It was the look of a protective brother watching his sister get hurt, knowing that he can't be there to prevent it.

Her gaze is pulled towards Emmett then, remembering the way that Milo stood behind Lani almost protectively this morning while shooting glares at Emmett.

Holy mother fucking shit.

Issy would bet her months payment that Emmett's the reason behind that scar – or at least, the reason leading up to it.

Issy frowned as she watched Emmett set off from the starting line. She really didn't want him to become a part of her squadron, let alone be a member in the faction… Though booting him off her program because of what other people have told her and their actions towards him didn't feel right. Max, and maybe Harrison, saw something that made them give Emmett a chance at rehabilitation. Issy wanted to trust that her Leaders knew what they were doing and a very small part of Issy wanted to believe that deep inside Emmett was the boy she knew once upon a time.

xXx

After dinner, Issy knocked on Eric's door.

She listened and something crashed, and Eric swore, making her chuckle quietly. When the door opened, Eric stood dressed comfortably in loose sweats and a t-shirt. Beforehand, Issy had also gone home to change into leggings and a large hoodie.

"Hey." He smiled slightly.

"Hi." Issy picked at a loose string in her leggings and rose an eyebrow at him.

"Oh shit, sorry." Eric opened the door wider and Issy stepped inside.

She slipped her trainers off at the door before walking over to one of the sofas and folded her legs beneath her as she sat down. Eric closed the door and sat in the chair opposite to her, the low coffee table in the middle of them. It didn't feel as formal as it would if she was in her squadron uniform and he in his usual Leadership outfit. It wasn't the Leader and the Squadron captain… It was just them… Two people trying to sort their problems out before it effected and destroyed their relationship.

Issy breathed in deeply before she started talking. "So, I've been think about how we can do this effectively with it turning into an argument and I figured it'd be best if you start talking first about what troubles you with this…situation and I'll not say anything until you've finished and it's my turn to speak. No interrupting. Inside voices and we talk about this calmly like the adults we are."

Eric smirked. "You can take the woman out of Erudite, but you can't take the Erudite out of the woman." He nodded after a moment. "Sounds fair."

Issy rolled her eyes and sighed. "Don't be a hypocrite."

Eric barked out a laugh. "Okay, let's not go down that road again." His expression became serious and he sighed, rubbing the side of his face. "I don't trust him. Not in the slightest. Normally when a member is put in the rehabilitation program, it's a decision that all the Leaders make but this was Max and Harrison's decision and they didn't tell the rest of the Leaders until it was too late. I didn't have a decision in this at all and seeing how he looked at you when he was back in the compound set every nerve in my body aflame and I just want to make him disappear." Issy listened closely, biting her lip as Eric put his thoughts into words. "I said that I wouldn't let him come near you and I've already failed in that retrospect. I said that I'd take measures to protect you but there are events going on that makes me unable to spare you and the others any of my squaddies because we've been too damn busy out searching the city for things that you have no authorisation to know. Declan's been running himself ragged with the other ambassadors going from faction to faction and Hugo has strict orders from Max that he and the rest of the Weapons Depo have focus on mass producing weapons. You've been left with no one Issy and I can't protect you while I'm out in the field or in a meeting with the Leaders of another faction. It is fucking killing me to think that Emmett could be doing something, and I can't be there to protect you." Eric sighs deeply as he looks at her with a pained expression on his face. "I know that you can protect yourself but you're underestimating how strong Emmett is. And – I –" His shoulders slump as his face falls into his hands.

Issy waits for a moment, her heart clenching at the sight before her. "There's something else, isn't there?" She knows there is, he just not wanting to say it.

Oh so slowly, Eric raises his head up to face her and there's tears beginning to brim in his eyes. "There's a part of me Issy, that's afraid. You've been with him in ways I have yet to and I'm afraid that now you've seen him in Dauntless, you'll be blinded by the memories of who he used to be and go back to him. That comment he made today made me realise it and it's like a stab to the gut. Emmett's eyes as he said those damned words told me that he knows that he's got one up on me, that he's been with you mentally and physically… God…" He rubs his face again, looking at her between his hands. "I probably sound fucking sick to you – I'm not asking for that… I'm just… Afraid…"

His eyes are imploring her to say something so Issy swallows the lump in her throat and finds her words that scattered moments before. "I – I understand where you're coming from when you say that you want to protect me and keep me safe but Eric, this is Dauntless. Define safe. We live at risk every time we leave for patrol or are sent out to protect the factions. I understand that for you having a threat in the compound, where it should be safe sends everything to shit. We know the risks that can happen. They echo through my mind like a manifesto every time I get on my bike and leave through those garage doors. But what you did today, standing on the balcony and watching me, is smothering me and I'll end up snapping." Issy leans back and pulls her knees up to hug them. "It'll be far worse than what happened today. I'm trying to do my job to create a team that can help look out for this city. I appreciate what you're trying to do but it's not helping me. I know you trust me, but you need put your trust in me to let me do my job. If something happens, anything at all, I will let you know as quickly as I can," She huffs out a brief laugh. "And you need to stop watching me on the cameras from the control room because that's not helping either."

Eric blushed darkly and he looked away, clearing his throat. "I didn't know you knew about that..." He whispered.

"I have my ways." She grinned crookedly before her lips flattened into a line. "There is a very small part of me that wonders if there's still the boy I once knew in him," Issy whispered and she saw Eric fold into himself. "But I left that chapter in my life behind as soon as we broke up. The relationship started purely based on curiosity and one-sided attraction." She shrugged. "I wasn't emotionally attached to him; I was really just bored of being in Erudite and he helped the time go by." Issy stared Eric straight in the eye as she said the next words. "I didn't come to Dauntless for him. No way in hell. I came here for myself and its where I believed I would live a life I wanted to." She paused. "And you're helping me live that life Eric. You, and every other person that's become family to me. There is no fucking way I'd ever go back to him. Not when I have you."

Eric stood up and walked around the coffee table until he stood right by the sofa. His silver eyes of raging storms searched her golden eyes of bright flames. "You mean it?"

Issy shuffled until she was up on her knees, staring up at him. "Every word."

Eric's mouth smashed against hers just seconds after the words left her mouth. He clutched her to him, a hand fisting her hair and his arm wrapped her waist. Issy pushed herself deeper into his embrace and he used one arm to lift her up, nudging her legs open. They breathed deeply, inhaling the air they lost as she wrapped her legs around his waist, smiling as she bent her head down to reconnect their mouths together. His lips were urgent against hers, urging to feel what Issy was feeling and she happily drank what he was willing to give her. All to soon Eric slowed the kiss down and he broke away gasping. Her skin burned where it touched his.

"Stay with me tonight? Please?" Issy smirked down at him, her fingers tracing the line of his sharp jaw and she nodded. "Thank you." They clung to each other a moment longer, their heads tucked into each other's necks before Issy broke the silence.

"Eric?" He hummed against her skin. "I need to go to the toilet."

He groaned, reluctantly putting her down. "Meanie." He pouted and Issy couldn't stop herself from leaning forward and capturing his lips with hers. This time the kiss was delicate and slow. Issy cupped his face as his arms gently wrapped around her waist.

She wriggled out of his hold and broke away. "Okay, now I really need to go to the toilet." Issy scurried away to his bathroom, leaving Eric mumbling behind her.

When Issy was finished, she stepped out after washing her hands and looked around. The living room was dark, and she frowned. "Eric?"

"In here!" He called from his bedroom and Issy went to investigate. The door was open and Issy crept inside.

His bedroom was larger than Issy's and also a lot darker. His walls were a dark, distressed grey, lightened up only by the long window that took up most of one wall. The view from his window was the same that she got from the fire stairs against her window. Next to the window was a deep wicker chair filled with cushions and Issy can just picture waking up and watching the sunrise. The floor was dark oak boards with a fluffy maroon rug in the middle. His headboard was a recycled wooden pallet, as were the side tables that were screwed into the wall to look like they were hovering. His sheets were grey, matching the walls, as was the comforter at the bottom of the bed and there was a trunk at the end of his bed. The shelves holding lines of books, most of the furniture and the light shades were made from dark pipes and reclaimed wood. It gave off the industrial and rustic feel that made Issy love it.

"I like your aesthetic." She breathed, still looking around, until her eyes found him, and they widened. Eric was stood by one of his dressers, biting his bottom lip. He had swapped his sweats for thin PJ bottoms and in the process had somehow misplaced his t-shirt… Eric smirked as Issy blatantly stared at his chest before she blushed and looked away.

"I've set out a t-shirt and shorts if you want to wear them for bed." He began to walk closer. "Just gonna go to the toilet." Though before he could pass her, he leaned down and brushed his lips against her ear. "I like it when you stare." Issy shivered as he let out a breathy laugh.

"Ass."

"We've discussed this before Issy," Eric grinned, leaning back. "At least it's a nice ass." He turned and walked away.

As he did that, Issy leaned back and watched him appreciatively. "Yes, it is."

Eric winked at her before wandering down the corridor.

Issy smiled to herself as she pulled the hoodie over her head, along with the tank she had on underneath it and folded them on the chair. It took a few seconds of debating and chewing her lip whether or not to take her bra off also but Issy felt like they had taken a major step tonight, so she took it off and quickly slipped on his t-shirt. All she could smell now was Eric and she breathed in the scent of it on his t-shirt, not surprised at all when it fell down to her knees. She slipped off her socks and leggings, folding them on top of her pile of clothes before pulling the shorts on and tying a knot in the strings to make sure they don't fall down her legs.

When she turned to the bed, Issy paused. They had never shared an actual bed before and Issy wasn't going to count that cramped, sorry excuse of a bed in the infirmary. On the left side of the bed, there were personal knickknacks such as an alarm clock and what looked like a rope necklace on the side table so Issy walked over to the right side, placing her phone on the side table, and clambered under the covers. Once she layed down, she almost moaned. The mattress was so comfy, and the sheets were soft against her skin that Issy literally never wanted to move. She burrowed herself deeper into the sheets and Eric chuckled from somewhere in the room.

"Comfy?"

"I could literally die right now." Her voice was muffled.

Eric chuckled again, louder and closer this time. "I like the sight of you in my bed."

Issy peeked at him from underneath the sheets to see him staring down a her from his side of the bed. "Only like?"

Eric placed his fists on the bed and leaned closer. "I love the sight of you in my bed." Issy smiled even though he couldn't see it and snuggled in deeper. A cool breeze assaulted her side and she wriggled as the bed dipped down and the breeze was replaced with the inferno that is Eric. His fingertips brushed against her side and she jumped away from him.

"Fuck!" Issy tried to slap his hands away. "Your hands are cold! Go away!"

"Nooo." She paused as he whined, and Eric took his chance and pulled her closer to him. "The rest of me is warm, I promise."

"Fucking octopus I swear…" Issy grumbled at his still cold hands stealing the little heat she has in her body but otherwise didn't complain as he pulled her closer and she was enveloped by his heat. Eric hooked his leg in between hers and nestled his face into the crook of her neck. She tucked her head against the side of his and breathed out as she locked his leg between hers tighter and squirmed to get impossibly closer. "G'night Eric."

"Night love."

…. So, what about that….?