Tris wasn't enjoying herself, but she wasn't all that unhappy either. Doing paperwork instead of him yelling at her, physically pushing her limits or teaching her was a great alternative in her opinion. She was actually surprised that he hadn't chastised her. Sure, he had scolded her, and had had that look of absolute annoyance on his face more than once, but Tris was almost optimistic that she could get through the next month if this was what it would be like; if all of the apprenticeship was just sitting in his dark office, silently doing paperwork. She even thought it was almost soothing – but she could feel the anger pulsing off him every so often and wondered what he was angry about.

They silently did paperwork for, what seemed to Tris, a couple of hours.

"Eric, can you open the blinds or something? It's really dark in here. How can you even work in this?"

"You worked in this much darkness for quite a bit, may I add." He looked at her reluctantly, considering.

He stood up out of his chair, and she watched him stretch out his muscles after sitting in a chair for a couple hours. She could see the muscles bulging out of his arms, even through his thin hoodie, which made Tris wonder how many hours he spent training and working out. Tris thought that some women or men may be attracted to the super bulgy guys, but she preferred someone who was leaner – someone like Four.

That thought made her wince. She was thankful that neither of them had mentioned the breakdown that Eric had witnessed. Neither had spoken a word about it, and Tris was even working past the whole incident, barely thinking about It or him. Of course whenever she saw Four – which was quite often – Tris was reminded of that fatal afternoon when Four had told her about Shauna. Seeing Shauna was hard too, but not as hard as seeing them together - joking or kissing like Tris and Four had been. Thankfully, she had Christina, Will, Uriah and the rest of her friends to lean on, although she knew she couldn't forever. Tris hated the bubble of self-pity that surrounded her whenever she thought about the whole incident; she knew she was strong enough to overcome it, but she hadn't yet.

The bright light almost blinded Tris after being in the yellow and dim light from the pathetic lamp for so long. The view outside of Eric's office was pathetic as well, something equally bad as the office itself. No wonder he never opens his blinds, she thought. Although lots of light had been let in, Tris could only see a towering wall of concrete; she had no idea what this wall was attached to. This maze of hallways that was the leadership offices always confused and disoriented her.

"You sure you want them open, Stiff?" He smirked at her expression.

"Please stop calling me that," Tris repeated the words that she had said so often during initiation in a small voice. She hoped that with this weird and tired mood Eric was in, that he would let her on the hook for asking him something so bluntly.

"What did you just say?" His voice was laced with venom, and he leaned down threateningly close to her face with his fists resting on the desk. His sudden mood change surprised her.

"Please don't call me that." Her voice sounded more confident than she actually was, and she abbreviated every word. Tris's hands tightened into fists under the desk; she was frustrated at him. She was not a stiff anymore and she didn't like anyone to think that she still was.

The whole air in the room was turning sour and full of tension.

"No!" Eric shouted, stood up and ran his hands viciously through his hair with frustration, not totally aimed at Tris. "And get the hell out of my office! Right now!"

"Why?" Tris was pushing his patience and she knew it. Why? She couldn't tell you. She just wanted to yell at him – at someone - so she egged him on. It wasn't even about him calling her a stiff anymore, she just wanted to release all of her pent-up anger she had about Four and everything else on him. Tris was just as unpredictable as him. And she was exasperated now, "Why, Eric?"

"Tris, I swear to God I will hurt you very badly if you don't get the hell out of my office!" He swore and pointed at the door.

She huffed triumphantly and most of her anger and frustration drained away, replaced with contentment and she sank back into her chair. She didn't get to pummel his face, but she did get what she wanted after all. He had said her name. She didn't even have anything to be mad at him for anymore. "Thank you."

He sighed, defeated, and sat down, dropping his head in his hands with his elbows on the table. "Now just get out. Take a lunch break or whatever."

Now it was Tris's turn to do the questioning. "I'm not hungry. Eric, what's wrong? What happened?"

…

Eric was so sick and so tired of everything that all he wanted was to be away for people and some sleep.

"I can't tell you." He looked up at her, staring into her eyes. He couldn't tell her about Jeannine and her plan, or about the uprisings, and definitely not about his suspicion of her divergence. "I just need some time. Time. Away. From people. Meaning you."

"No." She stood, looking into his eyes defiantly, although she did wince a tiny bit at the words she was about to say. "You helped me a couple of months ago when you talked to me right before the banquet. Do you remember? You helped me, and I owe you one, no matter how much I hate you. So I will listen to your problems and try to help you."

It hadn't even crossed his mind to yell at her for saying that she had hated him right now, Eric had just hoped that she wouldn't bring that one incident up - it was embarrassing that she told him about Four, and embarrassing that he talked to her that way. He didn't think that Tris's pride would let her talk about it either.

He didn't want her help. He would handle this the same way he always did – alone and after an intense stress-relieving training session. Tris must have a little bit of Abnegation thrown into the mix of factions that was her divergence, he thought, especially if she had offered to help someone like me.

"Plus, I am training to be a leader, so I will eventually know anyways what this is about." She stated.

"Tris, you will never understand. You are not a leader yet. And I cannot tell you anything. This stuff is confidential, so thanks, but no thanks. I don't care if you get lunch or not, just get out of my office."

Tris stepped around the desk - stepping into troubled waters - and stopped right in front of Eric, holding her hands out in front of him, palms up. "Please, Eric, just—"

"Just no."

Eric was confused on why she wanted this so badly. Did she just want the information? Did she honestly want to help him, or was it all part of a plan? He was taught in Erudite to trust no one - unless you had all the facts, that is. But what utterly and completely confused him was how quickly Tris changed from getting mad at her nickname, to pleading with him to help him. It made him surprised to see such a gigantic change in attitude, so he believed that she must have an ulterior motive.

Eric knew how to make her go away quickly and quietly, but he didn't want to do it. Eric may have been one of the most hated people in Dauntless, and someone who was ruthless, cruel and unpredictable, but even he thought it was a rough move. He was so desperate for some peace, quiet and space that he decided to attempt it. Eric usually thought about the repercussions of things, but he didn't this time.

"You know what Tris; there is one way that you can help me." He stepped really close to Tris.

"Yes, okay, what?" She was getting flustered and uncomfortable at his sudden close proximity, but she had the accomplished feeling like she had worn down Eric. And she had, in a way.

He pressed up against her, and slid one of his hands to press against the back of her neck and one holding her around the waist. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "You could make all of my problems disappear, Tris."

Eric didn't let Tris slip away from him or react before he kissed her. Some part of him knew that just his sudden closeness would drive her away, but a big part of him wanted to be thorough. The kiss was long and slow, and she didn't even bother to step away, even though his grip was loose enough to. It wasn't like she was mauling him, but…. She definitely wasn't moving away either. She did kiss him back, much to his surprise, and he made it last longer than it had to. When he pulled away, he thought that yeah, she wasn't the best at it, but he wouldn't mind doing it again.

Just as he suspected, she backed away slowly with a look of surprise, disgust and fright. She didn't even say anything as she ran out the door.

Eric felt guilty and slimy - it was a sick move to pull - but at least he was finally alone. He sunk back into his chair, but couldn't get to work. He closed the blinds. He repositioned Tris's – no, his offices chair. He tried everything.

Eric decided that with the look on her face; it was definitely not worth it.