Dear Charlotte from France,

Thank you so much for your review, it made me so happy that there are people that actually read it and enjoy it! I try to update once a week, but it does vary however I know what it feels like to wait and wait and wait for a new chapter so I'll try to keep them quick! Don't worry, I'm guilty too of not reviewing stories that really deserve it, but becoming a writer has really made me realise why reviews matter so much- so thank you again! Your English is brilliant- I used to learn French and failed, so as an Englishwoman I can tell you there's no need to worry about mistakes!

Thank you again,

TheCloakedShadow

Eric rips off the tubing taped to his arm and stands sharply from his bed. He stalks up to me with a hand on my shoulder, pulling me closer to his body as his arm curls round my shoulders.

"Let's go, we have a whole evening." He says slyly to me. "In fact, I've been sitting around doing nothing for so long I could go till morning." There's the usual teasing edge to his voice, and I give him a meaningful look, nevertheless letting him walk me out of the infirmary, enjoying the warmth from his side.

It's a comfortable silence as we make our way simply to the training block and this time he takes up right up to the roof.

"Right, start on guns, I haven't evaluated you in so long we'll go through everything." He orders, and as I walk to the table littered with guns, I can't stop my eyes from wondering as he pulls his jumper over his shoulders, revealing the sleek pale skin beneath. He isn't even facing me, but I can't ignore the prominent muscles in his shoulders and back, especially as he shifts to pull a black vest over the top, though it does nothing to hide his firmly muscled arms. I pout to myself as I turn back to the guns.

"Rifle, long range." Eric says and I take extra ammo before lining up to the targets. He doesn't give any further orders so I take aim, and shoot rapidly to the heart. All the bullets reach exactly the same mark, but the mark is to the right of the very centre and I scowl to myself, knowing Eric won't be happy. I continue, and though each set does get closer each time, it's never perfect. I change distances to mid and close range, before changing to a handgun, though luckily Eric seems to have given up trying to get me to work with a shotgun. I shoot until my shoulder goes numb, and hours have passed.

"What the hell keeps happening?" Eric barks from the side as I finish my fifth set on the handgun, still to the right.

"It's a common occurrence sir, on all different guns. I've tried adjusting different parts of my stance but my mark is always to the right." I admit, and he frowns.

"What about with knives?" He questions.

"No problems."

He moves in front of me, putting a hand on mine to ensure the handgun is facing the floor.

"Look at me." Eric says, and my breath catches as I look straight into his startling blue eyes. He narrows his eyes, before take a few steps back, and then again, then to each side. "Did you ever get optical check-ups in amity?" He asks and I stare at him shocked, shaking my head. He scowls.

"We'll go sometime this week, I think your eyesight isn't at top form, and since you favour your right side your eyes may be aiming towards the right side of your aim rather than in the middle, especially if you close an eye." He tells me and I blink. If I had a problem with my eyesight… that would explain a lot.

"But if I don't get the same with knives…"

"It's move physical. Guns you pull a trigger, knives you can adjust everything with your body." He says, and I nod in understanding. "We'll have to go before Thursday, because that's when we're starting sniping, and I have a feeling you'll like that."

I look at him in wonder, as he just smiles at the thought. I guess I would like sniping, attacking from so far out, unseen.

"Now, knives. Go for fatal targets." He says, almost too normally. There's a sparkle in his eye, and I'm immediately suspicious. Moreover, rolls his shoulders, momentarily distracting me in his black vest clinging to his skin. We pass looks back and forth, and just as I raise my arms into stance, he rushes me.

I don't have time to block in my usual way, so I merely attempt to twist my body, caught unaware, but even though I miss his main punch to my torso I get in the way of his moving figure and he takes me to the ground.

He has the knife out of my hand, and twirling in his fingers when I stand, an irritated look on my face.

"So we're doing it like this are we…" I mutter, before taking another knife. He's too lose for me to just try and throw fast, so I have to make a way for a clean shot. He's injured, but by the way he managed to take me down just now, it isn't bothering him much.

Grasping another knife, I raise my arms into position and just like before, he doesn't give me a second before coming at me. I dodge his punch, twisting and turning before bring my leg up to block, then switching legs each time he sends a new one. Then, instinctually I come in close, just as Axel likes to but lead his full attention to my kick up to his neck as he doesn't see the flick of my wrist from an underarm throw, round the side. The thud is satisfying, and his brow furrows as he turns to see the knife in the heart. I'm standing with an arm around him and a leg resting on his shoulder, and he passes me a new knife with a smirk, letting his arm trail down my leg.

"Again." He says, not waiting for me to move before pushing forward landing me on my back, my legs still split with him pinning my form. My mind flickers, caught between fighting him and relishing the heavy feel of his form against mine. I keep the blade of the knife up so he can't take it from me, while the rest of his body pins me with his weight. How can I get out of this? My legs are useless in this position, so I can't just knee him in the groin like last time, and I need to focus on making sure he doesn't get the knife.

With his eyes on the knife, I slam my head forward ready for the impact as he whirls back, not by much, but by enough for me to push my foot against his shoulder moving him off me. It only takes me one more step to take the throw, right next to the other in the heart. My breathing is deep as I stare back at him, with a small smile of approval.

"Make it to five." He says, as the two knives I've already thrown stick deep into the target. He hands me another, before whirling straight into close combat. It's like a knife fight, but he doesn't have a knife, but is so much more comfortable. He moves his feet in a low stance, extremely close by me making it difficult to kick, and though I know I can, I know he doesn't want me to.

So I make do. I've been training so far whilst he's been away on my punches, and I want to show improvement. I manage to dodge most of his hits by moving my own body, but they still brush against my skin and sides. I in turn punch faster but with less power and elbow him neatly in the gut which winds him, and manage to get a stronger punch to his lower side, which even shifts him.

But there nowhere near enough. I 'm not an idiot, and I know he's holding back in power, as he's hit me thrice now and they don't hurt anywhere near as much as they should. So, I punch for the side of his head, knowing he'll dodge. And when my hand flies past his ear, I grab onto his neck and pull myself forward, and our arms end up around each other in a dead lock. We're in such close contact, skin brushing against each other, and I wonder whether he's bothered by the amount of touches that in any other case would be seen as amorous.

Lucky for me, the object of this exercise is to knife throw, not to win a fight. And though my power is lessened from the position, my aim is still true and I land another knife right next to the other two in the heart.

"Good." I'm happy, overjoyed with his approval, but as he slowly pulls away, avoiding eye contact as he looks to the target, I pull the next knife from his belt, spin away and within another second, there are four knives lines up on the heart.

"You fucker." He growls, but as he turns to me his eyes are alight with playfulness as I let my grin show. But the last one will be way harder. He flicks me a knife, and I catch it by the handle.

I raise my arm, waiting for him to come at me again, and when he does, I'm ready. He swings a fist at me and I duck, sliding over the floor to beneath him and I kick upwards into his lower side. He grunts, but that doesn't stop him from reaching down for me, which I roll away from. It doesn't stop though, him making quick, powerful, calculated punches and I kick my legs up in quick succession to block. I make sure to keep the blade away, as even though I don't want to hold back, I don't want to slice him open. Though my mind is focused on the fight, something in the back of my mind rings as he pulls me around, the shine of his skin and the heat as we press against each other. Every time I turn our eyes cross and the startling blue never ceases to shock me to my core. Not to mention the quiet play of his lips either, nor the longer than necessary touches before he pulls away for another punch.

As he manages to kick me in the thigh, I use the momentum to roll away, managing to absorb most of the hit. Hopefully I'll only get a little bruise. This isn't working. This single spar has gone on for thrice the time of the last three combined. We're sparring, but I want to win, which means I need to throw. Watching the target in my peripheral vision, I do something I haven't done to him before. I jump straight at him.

I offer a punch into his shoulder which he takes easily, and as I move to spin and jump up, I bring my arms together, my legs ready for my next move.

However, I don't anticipate the sharp sting I receive at my elbow, that reminiscent of a cut.

Regardless, I carry on my movement, moving my body forward, letting my legs wrap around his torso with force, and using my spin I let the knife fly, straight into the centre of the head.

In that moment, I smile, but soon enough we fall over, me landing on top of him. My eyes look up with my satisfactory throw after the long fight, before looking back down at him, my heart dropping.

I'm exhausted from our sparring that must have lasted over a half an hour, so my chest is rising and falling, emphasized by my low tank top, where his eyes seem to be resting. I'm leaning on my elbows, which are either side of his face, where his slightly coloured face is panting. More than that, I lie on top of him, but my legs are wrapped firmly around his hips, feet hooked behind, kept firmly in place by his weight. We touch at every point, and my lips part as something hard pokes at my thigh.

I don't know what I expected him to be like, or to do, but very turned on with a look equally as understanding of the situation as mine was not that. Maybe it's because he doesn't look offended, annoyed, or even smug at our predicament, that I don't even move to get up. Not that I could anyway, my legs are trapped and moving would just make me move against… him.

So instead, I wait for him to sit up himself, but instead of letting me climb of him awkwardly, he picks me up with me with a noise of surprise from me, taking me over to the bench where he sits me down in his lap comfortably. Comfortable for him I mean, I try not to fidget in my seat, unable to deter my traitorous mind. No matter how calculated, calm and logical I usually am, this situation is completely new to me. The only thought I can think is that he seems comfortable, so I might as well let him do as he pleases.

I watch him slightly confused as he reaches for a box on the table, when I realise he's pulling out a small bandage. I look to my elbow, where a very red mess lies that stings slightly. Eric moves to me lifting my arm and putting some antiseptic to it, which tingles.

"High pain tolerance it seems, useful in dauntless." He says as he bandages it up, and I look up at him blush still evident on my cheeks and shrug.

"If you hurt yourself as much as I do it kind of comes naturally." I reply, and he smiles. It's not nearly as awkward as I thought this kind of situation would be. But then, neither of us are normal, or awkward.

"It was a clean shot, so I'll let you go back to dorms without run." He says, and I almost beam up at him. He smiles as well, but suddenly as he twists it falls just a fraction. My brow creases. If he frowned that means something's wrong, since we just fought, most likely from an injury, injuries I could have inflicted….

My eyes lock onto to his lower side, where I upwards kicked him earlier. Shit, that's where his wound is. I always forget how bad that kick can be, the angle makes it worse. My hands move to his vest with my brow creased with worry, but he shifts away as soon as I get close, a silent warning in his eyes. I don't take it as a very serious warning, reaching for it again whilst he dodges onto his feet with his hands full. We move in doodles across the roof, but finally with a burst of speed I reach him, gripping his vest, whilst pushing him against a brick fence.

Note to self. Walls and Eric aren't a good idea.

As soon as I lift it up to see the bruised, but stitched flesh, he twists in record time to trap me against the low wall. But he hasn't stopped me from seeing it, and though it looks bad, it's a very localised area, and I let my fingers circle it on his pale, firm skin. He doesn't give any space for me to withdraw my hands, and in my moment of aroused confidence, I let them trail over the dips of his muscles, revelling in the feeling of his skin as my fingers doodle along his lower abdomen.

My eyes trail around his body before looking up at his darkened eyes, the attraction between us evident once more. He leans forward, putting his hands on the fence behind me, and he leans closer, much closer, to my face. I almost close my eyes he's so close, but at last minute, he turns to lean over my shoulder, whispering in my ear.

"I can't do it yet." He murmurs, frustration clear in his voice as it strains, almost cracking. "Just wait." He says, before moving away, his lips trailing onto my tattoo as he draws away.

My hearts beating through the roof as I feel my wish for him to kiss me. All I can do as he turns his back to retrieve his jumper, is walk as fast as I can, out the door and down the stairs.

12321

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck and fuck again! Thank God we practiced so long, I can't go back to his apartment right now, not so worked up. What the hell is wrong with me, what the hell even happened?! We were sparring, training, and my goddamned mind couldn't help but get distracted. Fucking training! That has no relevance to attraction! I kick the stone wall in the hallway I'm walking down, before letting my back slide down it to sit on the floor.

I look at my watch, and it's five thirty. No chance of me resting now, but I need to do something, something to get my mind of him. He said he'd let me off a run since I finished the five, but I'm going on one anyway.

I don't track my path, I just run, playing a game of randomly picking left or right at each turn and seeing where I end up.

Oh look it's a crossway I have three options… straight I don't get that option often.

Oh look it's the convenience store. Thinking on that, I should probably get a new toothbrush soon…

Oh look at that I'm back at the pit, I should stop for a drink of water.

"Avery? Hey are you running?" I turn my head and Lily and Jay jog up towards me. I'm glad she took Jay with her, even though it's a week after Kasper came back I don't trust him, who would?

"Yeah, of course." I say, brain dead. "Mind if I join you? I've been sprinting a while now." I say. If I run with them, they'll talk, I can get my mind off things.

It works, and soon enough we're eating breakfast, and going to training. I can't lie I'm exhausted, I didn't get a wink of rest and my body is paying for it as my eyes flutter close whilst I punch the punching bag in a repetitive one two. I go on sloppily, my gun work all off centre, though I feel a little better knowing my eyesight isn't up to scratch. At lunch though, my friends seem to have realised my fatigue.

"Avery? Why don't you go take a nap for the rest of lunch, you seem tired." Lily tries to say sweetly, but I scoff and roll my eyes.

"Like that'll do any good, I'm so loaded with caffeine I won't get any rest." I reply dryly.

"Seriously though, how much sleep did you get last night, you must've gotten up really early." Jay adds in, giving me a pointed look.

"Not enough, obviously. But there's nothing I can do about it now, just get through the day." I say to them. But there's no way I'll get much rest tonight either, there's no way I can go back to Eric's apartment if he's going to be there, I don't trust myself. I'll have to find an alcove somewhere.

"Are you sure you're sleeping alright? You could ask to stay with Leon or Mark, I'm sure they'd let you stay in their flats." Jay suggests, and I nod vaguely. That had already fallen into my mind… but I don't want Eric to get mad at me right now. I'm not okay with him getting so jealous over nothing, but I'm not stupid enough to go spending all my time with Leon right now. Staying with him would be even worse.

"Maybe." I say vaguely.

"Why don't we have dinner with them, you can ask them then." Beth suggests and I nod, knowing I won't ask them.

Sure enough, after training though, we head to find them anyway since we've barely seen them since that night out.

"Hey guys!" Leon says as he sees us, as Mark pats me on the back in greeting.

"We were wondering if we'd have dinner together, we haven't seen you in a while." Ben explains, nodding to Raven, DT and Kray to say hello.

"Sure, why don't we go to Red's? The steak there is brilliant!" Mark suggests, licking his lips for effect. There's a general murmur of approval and we end up taking the bar seats, and I sit next to Mark with Leon on his other side, and Lily on mine. It's a fairly jolly dinner as we catch up, the loud personalities of Leon and Mark carrying the conversation. It's when we start ordering dessert something catches my interest.

"Oooo, looks like that did not go well." The bartender says and we turn to see a girl storming out of one of the booths, leaving someone who's obscured from our view.

"Damn, I wonder whether to feel bad for the girl or the guy." Mark says amused, and the bartender scoffs.

"The girl, definitely. That's the fourth one in the last month Eric's picked off."

What? I stay silent, silently willing the conversation further.

"Seriously? How many does he even have?" Leon remarks.

"Wait, can someone explain? I'm really confused, are we talking about Eric?"

Yes, I love you Lily.

"Sure are, he's known to have… casual relationships." Mark attempts to put it delicately to Lily, who's eyes are wide and shocked.

"Wait, so more than one girlfriend?" She continues, and Mark, Leon and I share a look. How can she not know this?

"Not really girlfriends… just casual sex. You know, being a leader apparently comes with needs." Mark says with a shrug, and Lily looks so appalled I almost laugh. Almost.

"But most dauntless aren't like that!" Mark is quick to rectify. "Though one night stands are quite common…" He mumbles and I roll my eyes at him.

"But what's really important is how he's told all of his known liaisons to shove off, people are starting to wonder." The bartender says. "I've had crying ladies lying here till dawn."

The words go through me and I look back to the booth, and sure enough, just as I look the man stands up and turns around, and meets my gaze.

Eric looks at me, and I try to hold his eyes, but unusually, he looks conflicted. It's the first time he's avoided my gaze. I know I shouldn't stare, shouldn't draw attention, but my eyes don't leave him as he stalks out of the room.

12321

"Drinks! Round 5's on me!"

I can't figure out why we started drinking, nor when I consented, but as I get given my 5th cider, a relaxed smile is on my face. I'm tipsy, but most of the others are gone. Ben and Beth are lounging on each other, Jay's laughing manically at Lily who's spinning around non-stop on her bar chair. Raven left earlier since she doesn't drink, but Kray and DT are talking nonstop. Luckily Mark and Leon are able to hold their drink a little better, but they still aren't great.

"Do you remember when we went dancing? We were so drunk, my tallies got smudged from spilt tequila!" Leon laughs boisterously, and I chuckle.

"Right, how about you stay off this one…" I say to Lily, who's trying to take her fifth cider from my hand, but I know she'll throw up since she's been spinning around on that chair.

"Well it's paid for, someone has to drink it!" Mark exclaims, and I send him a dry look before finishing my fifth, and starting on Lily's.

"Yes, someone knows how to drink!" Mark yells happily as the bartender grins at me.

"You initiates should head back, it's getting late and no one wants to see Four in a bad mood!" The bartender ushers us out of our seats and Jay takes Lily's arm whilst Ben manages Beth, as we say goodbye to the Dauntless-born, and then once we're out of Red's I push my lot on their way back to the dorms.

I walk carefully through the pit, a wandering smile on my face as my eyes flutter with sleep deprivation. I sway on my steps, realising how much we drank in what must have been only a couple of hours. There are a reasonable number of Dauntless sitting around doing nothing, I guess it's pretty late. I'm so careless today, but at least I know where I am, the water of the chasm is starting to drown my thoughts. Where am I going again?

"Seems like the lone wolf has wondered out of it's cave…"

I'm so happy this fic is really moving! Some real Eric action this chapter, the training scene on the roof was the one I'd written months ago, waiting to put it in! I hope everyone enjoys it, though in terms of the more sexual nature, I'm stopping it there. If I feel the story really needs to move further in that direction, I'll change the fic to M rated, but I'd rather not, especially if that affects any of your guys' opinions of the fic. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, a real cliff hanger for the next which I've already started (guess who's just appeared… if you thought his return was a little tame you were rightit was just the beginningof something bigger…)

So I hope this chapter was enjoyable, please review it makes me so happy!