Eric followed Tris's gaze, immediately zeroing in on Shauna and Four; or, more specifically, Shauna on Four's arm. When he looked up at Tris, her face was trained at her plate, betraying her resolve to not show her crestfallen expression. He almost couldn't restrain himself from rolling his eyes. It was ridiculous that she was so hung up about that guy.
"Pathetic." Eric whispered nonchalantly into his plate.
Tris looked up sharply, narrowing her gaze, "What did you just say?"
"I said," He paused, as though he was speaking to a child, "Pathetic."
"And why," Tris took a deep breathe to calm her sudden flare of temper, "Would you say that?"
"Well, anyone who has to prove themselves to the whole faction is rather pathetic in my opinion. Wouldn't you agree?" Eric looked up and met Tris's eyes.
She paused for a thoughtful moment while her temper turned into amusement, "I suppose I would have to agree."
"Someone who has to prove themselves by displaying his relationship in front of the faction is truly rubbish."
"He must be real insecure, huh?" Tris faked a concerning expression.
"I agree, Tris. And anyone associated with them must be really glad once they stop, right?"
Tris's smile disappeared. She looked down at her plate while Eric sat patiently, slowly making his way through his lunch while Tris's went untouched.
"Right?" Eric nudged her arm.
"I guess she might be. Especially at first; but later, when she's having doubts, she might not be so glad for leaving that person behind. But then that person always does something she doesn't like, and those thoughts disappear again." She averted her gaze to her t-shirt, pulling on a stray thread on the bottom.
"I don't think we have to worry about her. She's pretty tough."
She looked up at him, suddenly smiling, "I think so too – she just forgets sometimes."
Eric said nothing for a moment. "Well, you know, that person always has a nemesis. Always. And when she leaves him, she can at least complain and whine to the nemesis."
She barked out a laugh. "I do not complain and whine!"
Eric smirked and put up his hands in an 'I surrender' gesture, "I never said that! I just said that sometimes, she complains and whines."
Tris scoffed indignantly, "Just you wait, Eric, I will get you back one day. And then your face won't be as pretty."
"You think I'm pretty? I never knew you thought of me that way, Tris." Eric drew a hand up to the 'blush' on his cheek. "Look at me – blushing. You're such a flatterer."
Tris did considerably well considering the slightly humiliating situation, laughing with only light pink blush lighting up her face. "I never said that!" She threw his own words back at him, "I only said it wouldn't be as pretty. I wouldn't want to inflate your ego. However will you fit through doorways then?"
Eric rolled his eyes good-naturedly at her fake gasp.
Once Tris finished laughing, she looked up at Eric. Not wanting to embarrass him or herself, or focus on the sentimental meaning of their previous conversation, she only whispered a quiet "Thank you."
This time a real light blush appeared along his cheekbones, which he quickly hid behind his long blonde hair. He coughed, "Yeah."
"Anyways," Tris waved her hand through the air as though to dispel any lingering thoughts of the last ten minutes, "I was wondering when we start physical training."
"We start when I say we'll start." Eric gave her a stern look, immediately becoming Dauntless Leader Eric.
"Oh, okay. When will that be?" She was gambling; ether he would react like Leader Eric, who would give her a stern chastisement, or like Friend Eric. She flashed him a smile.
He blew out a breath, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. He regarded her for a moment. "Probably in a few months. I'm really busy right now. We can start after I'm done with my current project, and after you're done with your paperwork."
Tris's fork froze half way to her mouth and her body physically drooped. "The paperwork is never-ending! C'mon Eric. It'll take forever!" She whined.
He gave her a pointed look. Sighing hard, she relented.
Eric stood up abruptly, looking expectedly at Tris.
"What? Do you expect me to stand too?" She questioned with a clueless look on her face.
"Are you done with your plate?"
Tris, baffled, sat up ramrod straight, "What?"
"Don't make me repeat myself." He growled, holding out his hand. Painted across his face was bored indifference, but she detected the hidden uncertainty.
She quickly handing her half-full plate to his waiting hand. "Thanks."
While he stalked away like a doting boyfriend carrying both of their plates and muttering "Don't get used to it.", Tris took a moment to look around the dining hall. Her conversation with Eric had totally distracted her from the rest of Dauntless. Across the dining hall was a group of her friends – Christina, Will and Uriah included. They either didn't notice her, or were giving her the cold shoulder, because they didn't look at Tris once. She had to admit she was glad they didn't see her sitting with Eric. She debated joining them until she saw the tall, burly Eric winding through the hectic tables back to her. The sight of Eric glaring at the rambunctious Dauntless surrounding him and them – unconsciously – leaning away from his presence brought a strange smile to her face. Maybe it was because she knew they had nothing to fear once they really knew him.
Eric walked past a table with a sudden bitter look on his face. Once she saw Four and Shauna occupying the table surrounded by older dauntless members, she understood his distaste. Shauna was looking content snuggled up beneath Four's arm, whose face followed Eric with a sour expression. Tris watched Four until his eyes fell on her, when she quickly looked away to Eric. She smiled brightly at him
Eric, having seen right through Tris's acting, didn't miss a beat. Stepping around the table to her side, he held out a hand and smiled. "Ready?"
Tris had a moment where she didn't know what he was doing – where she had thought it was real. The moment ended rather quickly; she could never imagine Eric ever doing something like that.
She smiled, "Let's go."
He pulled her up by her hand, releasing it and directing it to hover over the small of her back. She started at the light pressure, but kept up appearances until they were past the scowling Four and through the door of the Pit. Walking across the Pit to the elevators leading up to the leadership offices, Eric dropped his arm from behind her back. Instead of feeling petty satisfaction from Four's reaction, Tris only felt anger boiling in her veins.
She clenched and unclenched her fists and moved closer to Eric's side so she could mutter, "God, I hate him."
"I know. I do too." Eric, though furious inside, was the calm and collected one between the two.
"Why does he make me feel this way? Act this way?" She seethed through her clenched teeth.
"I don't know. I don't think you should waste your energy on him." He muttered back as they walked onto the crowded elevator.
Tris stood directly in front of Eric in the elevator, feeling strangely comforted by his warm, looming presence. They didn't speak the rest of the journey to his office, except to say a quick greeting to Cat, who was focused on furiously clicking her mouse.
Once inside his cramped office, Eric sat down in the chair behind his desk while Tris uncharacteristically slumped into what was now deemed 'her chair'.
"You can leave, you know. I gave you the afternoon off." Eric informed casually, frowning at a pile of unpleasant-looking paperwork.
"Oh, right." She had completely forgotten that earlier today, after messing up the whole morning, Eric had given her the afternoon off – out of pity or because he didn't want to deal with her anymore, she didn't know. She shrugged and leaned back in her chair, staring up at the dirty white ceiling. "It isn't like I have anything else to do."
"Well," Eric paused, shuffling some papers around and looking bashful, "You can hang out here if you want. Should warn you though, it's gonna be boring."
"I'm sure I can find something to entertain myself." Tris smirked and winked at him.
Eric's face was completely blank for a quarter of a second before bursting out into laughter.
Her face dropped. "No – no! That isn't what I meant! No!" She dropped her face into her hands out of embarrassment. "Oh no!"
When she raised her face again, Eric saw that while it was completely ruby coloured and looked horrified, she was laughing as well.
His booming laughs were heard from all over the compound.
…
Five hours later, Tris had found something to occupy her: sleep.
While Eric slaved away over documents, paperwork and the occasional phone call (which he courteously whispered, as to not wake her), Tris drooled all over his chair. Every half hour it seemed she changed position, once curled up into a ball on the chair and a half hour later, slung over the arms. Eric, every so often, paused to study the sleeping enigma before him. He didn't even know how this strange friendship started. All he knew was that he enjoyed her company (most of the time), and that he felt peculiarly protective over her (probably because of the whole Four thing).
Looking at the clock on his desk, Eric started when he found that it was halfway through dinner. He walked over to Tris, debating what the best way to wake her up was. He didn't feel like being punched if that was her immediate instinct. He crouched next to her curled up peaceful form. He placed his hand on her shoulder and shook gently.
"No thank you." She quietly mumbled after a moment.
He shook harder, whispering, "Tris. Tris. Tris!"
Groaning, she wiped her hands across her face, blinking lazily down at Eric's crouching position. "Carry me?"
He snorted, standing up and offering her his hand. She took it and he slowly pulled her up.
"No wonder you're always late in the morning. You can't wake up for shit!" He laughed.
She shot him a dirty look, "Hey, no big words when I've just woke up!"
He looked incredulous, "What big word did I use?"
She waved him off. "What time is it?"
"Dinnertime."
She looked scandalized. "Why didn't you wake me?"
He ignored her, walking out the door and down the hallway. Tris rushed to catch up with him.
"Maybe I wasn't the only one who needed a nap," She muttered, but he just kept on walking.
When they walked into the dining hall together, no one noticed. It was the middle of dinner; everyone was preoccupied with eating and chatting within their pods. Not even Tris's friends noticed her absence or arrival, for she sat down in the same corner as lunch with Eric again. She gave a quick glance towards Four's table where, sure enough sat Four and Shauna looking the perfect couple of lovebirds. Or they would be if Four wasn't scowling so hard.
Of course, she could see how this looked to Four; Eric and her walking in together, her looked dishevelled and Eric looking content, after them leaving from lunch together. And instead of feeling satisfaction from his bitter reaction, she found that she didn't really care much at all.