ADL CH3

A/N: Thank you for everyones patience, you all are great. It's back to Tris, hope you enjoy.

Tris

Eric is an interesting person.

As he lays there, blonde hair curling from lack of tame, beard scruff grown out the perfect amount, I feel content just to be near him.

Now he's a total asshole, don't get me wrong, I know its true. He treats everyone around him like shit, like he's better, and calls it truth. He naturally has good looks, and disses people who have to work for it because he doesn't get that he didn't have to. He knows he's stronger then most people and isn't afraid to show them, prove how great he is. But thats not the side I fell for, thats not the side I wait for as I sit in bed with him at night.

Rather then Eric being interesting, the proper term might be complicated. Though, complicated might be too straight forward of a word; too defining.

He didn't seem to mind my Divergence. Though, I can tell he's gotten a lot more paranoid lately, and with him being a leader and knowing things others don't, he hasn't been telling me much. I get why he doesn't tell me about his job, he can't and there's probably nothing I'd wanna know. If there was something bad, I like to think he'd tell me about it. He probably wouldn't though. Especially since he's gotten a specific order not to tell me anything about his poison from Max. He can be such a soldier sometimes. Do whats expected and ask questions later kinda guy. He's like that with work and social life.

Around everyone else, to Eric, I'm the needy girlfriend he'll drop as soon as a better option comes along, seeing as I'm not pretty enough, tall or smart either.

When we're alone, when the days gone by, and Eric can't hold up his shield; his character anymore, thats when he's the man I love. I love all of him, including the douche-ish parts. He does whats expected from a leader with a girlfriend and plays a part, I sorta get that. Thats not what caught my attention towards him.

When its just him and I, he makes me laugh for 20 minutes straight, a smile never leaving my face until the next morning. I'm pretty, I'm worth anyones time, I'm desirable. When we're alone, he's mine and only mine.

The sex isn't bad either.

In the beginning, Eric and I had trouble meshing. Out of rhythm, in our heads, worrying if we were doing things right for each other. He was way more experienced, but I still tried anything he wanted. It took a few weeks of practice to get each others rhythm, and throughout that time we would only fight out our frustrations. Now-a-days, things are different. We mesh perfectly now, our bodies mapped and imprinted into each others mind.

My fingers trace the valleys along his smooth back, each groove proof of his strength within. He shifts, his hand reaching back to slap at my finger. I sit up, straddling his hips and sitting my butt on top of his. Leaning forward, I kiss the back of his neck, letting my tongue trace shapes down to his shoulder. He chuckles, my body feeling the vibrations emitting from him.

"You gonna stay there all morning, or are you gonna come down from sitting on my ass and give me a proper good morning kiss?" He shifts underneath me and I rise up on my knees, allowing him to roll over. Hands on the top of my thighs, he lifts himself up to a sitting position, leaning his head back on the wall, staring at me with hooded eyes. I smile.

"I don't know, what about me? What do I get outta this?" I tease, running my palms up and down his firm chest. Flipping us over, a hand on my lower back, he presses his hips against mine, causing a low moan to seep from my mouth. Bring his lips against my ear, his breathing has turned slightly ragged.

Running his hot tongue along the curvature of my ear, his voice comes out as a rasp as he whispers, "Absolutely nothing, now," and quickly gets up to run to the bathroom before I catch up. Closing the door and locking it, I sit there dumbfounded before I get what he's done. Flying up, I slide into the door as my socks skid along the hard floors.

"Your not gonna get me to beg, Eric!" I yell at the doors surface. "You'll be coming to me before long! I just need to wait you out, you'll see!" Giggling at our weird competition, I start to walk towards the closet.

A while later, after some time spent with each other in bed, doing things that shouldn't even be legal, we head to the cafeteria for lunch.

Sitting down at our normal table, Eric leaves without a word to get our food. Christina and Will greet me right away, blabbing on about the latest gossip since the end of initiation last week.

Christina is everything I've always admired in a person. She's sweet and kind; outgoing. Everyone has their flaws yes, and it might be just because she's my best friend and I love her so much, but her faults are minuscule compared to the rest of her. Plus, she's hilarious, which helps to stand her when she's in one of her gossip moods.

Now Will, he's something else. Smart, originally from Erudite, but he doesn't seem to know how smart he is. He seems full of confidence, strong and independent, in reality I don't know how he went along without Chris. He loves her so much, follows her wherever she goes. He'd follow her to the edge of the world, and if she told him to jump, he would, just to make her smile. Will fought to get the same job as her, be in the same position so they could work together, side by side.

Everyones excited to start their jobs, start there lives here. After everything I went through with initiation, I decided I didn't want a crazy job. Dauntless is crazy enough, and so is Eric, but I didn't want to be on the wall guarding either. I chose to be a tattoo artist with Tori, studying under her until I get to be on my own. After debating with Eric, then Max, I was able to still be sent out on important group missions, my ability to strategies and apply my skills important to our success.

Uriah, Marlene and Lynn sit with his brother, Zeke I think it was, down a couple rows. I've never met Zeke, or his girlfriend Shauna, but I do know from Christina's knack for gossip that Shauna is Lynn's sister, so they all are pretty in touch with each other.

Eric sets my food in front of me, startling me out of my thoughtful state. Of course, Christina is the first to speak up.

"So Eric, besides screwing my best friend, what have you been up to lately? Hang anymore people over the chasm?"

"You seriously need to get over that, Candor." Eric grumbles.

Will chuckles, "Really, Eric, we don't know much about you. Don't listen to Christina." Pinching his side, Chris sinks down in her seat with a pouty sigh.

"Well, not much really."

"Thats not true," I interject. They all look my way. "Eric has been really busy lately. Something about Factionless stirring up trouble all over the city." I gave him a push, lets see if he takes the bait.

"Yeah," He continues. "there's been an increase in Factionless outbursts. For the past 6 months the Candor supply transport vehicles have been attacked and picked clean. I'm not allowed to say much, but I can tell you that." Christina perks up at the mention of Candor.

"Why only Candor?" She asks, probably worried about her family.

"Its possible it could be personal, though we can't be sure. With our allies on the inside, we've gotten word of a plan change. They're going after an Abnegation truck in a couple hours. We're sending a team of higher ups after 'em."

"And you're going?" Will asks me.

"Yeah." That makes Eric huff. He hates that I'm authorized for these kinds of things. He's been a leader for 2 years now, he knows the dangers. He's witnessed many Dauntless get hurt or even die by the hands of the Factionless. Being Factionless changes people, makes them crazy, hardcore.

Later that night, Eric and I walk along the gravel path leading to Amity from Abnegation, our guns at the ready. Our team is spread all around us, as we walk up looking for the ambush.

"I want you to stay by my side. You're not getting hurt on my watch. You can get your action and everything, I just want you near me incase you need backup, all right?" Eric says in a low voice, scanning the road ahead.

"I get where you're coming from," I start. "and I'm fine to do that as long as it doesn't interfere with me helping the mission or protecting anyone. Especially if you need help too." I love that he wants me safe, but he needs to be safe too. He can't do everything by himself. Looking at me with a stern, 'I'm in charge' kind of gaze, he looks around to the rest of the team, and then back to me, giving a light nod.

We continue along the path until Eric calls for us to halt, ahead smoke and flames can be seen coming from a truck. People, disgruntled and dirty looking, pick through the vehicle without a worry. Cocky little fuckers, aren't they? With our people in position, we head forward.

Shots fire all around, sounds of yelling from Factionless and Dauntless cloud out all other noises. Eric and I have arrested at least 10 on our own. Factionless lay dead all around

"Tris!" I look over to where Eric called me when I'm slammed in the ground, a massive body pinning me, knocking all air from my lungs. The gravel beneath my head vibrates as if a the ground is being moved. I look up to see the body belongs to Eric, his eyes looking worriedly into mine. He's speaking, but I'm unable to hear him until he grabs my shoulders out of panic and shakes life into me. "Tris! Tris, can you hear me, are you alright?! Talk to me baby!"

"Yeah! Yeah, yeah I'm alright! What was that?!"

"I don't know! Some large truck thing! They came and picked up some of the remaining Factionless, I guess? I don't know." He helps me up, and we walk over to where our team is gathered. Clutching my side, I can already tell there's gonna be severe bruising from Eric's football-tackle-save. I can hardly breathe, thats a lot of person to have on top of you. Eric glances at me to see if I'm okay enough to stand alone, and walks up to another high ranking member, Harrison. He's Tori's husband.

"How many did we get?" Eric asks.

"Around 25 or so, that weird truck picked up at least a good 10. 15 dead. All our guys have made it out alive so far, but some have some sever injuries and needed medical. I just called for them before you came up."

"Good work." Eric gives him a nod and a hard pat on the shoulder, turning and walking back to me.

"Are you alright?" He asks in a low tone, his arms snaking around my waist. I let out a hiss when he grazes the side I landed on. "What happen here?" He lifts the hem of my shirt, exposing my stomach and side, leaning down to get a close look.

"I'm fine, pretty sure I just gotta little bruised up when you tackled me."

"Well," He lightly lays his hand on a certain spot, a small groan leaving me. Should it hurt this bad? Bringing his hand up to show me crimson blood dripping from his finger tips, I shake my head in confusion. "I don't think I did this to you. Looks like it has been bleeding for a while, there's dried blood all down your side. You don't remember getting shot?" Lightly putting my shirt down, he looks to me confused, anger slipping through his worry.

"Shot?! I wasn't shot Eric, its probably just a scratch-"

"There's an entry and exit wound from a bullet. You need to be more careful." He scolds.

"Whatever, Eric. Must've just been the adrenaline."

Medical comes and takes care of the injured, and we begin to take the prisoners back to Dauntless. After being patched up, the bleeding under control, Eric was able to calm down enough to let me walk back with everyone else.

He hasn't spoken since we left, the silence comforting. I look to him, his head down looking at the ground, his gun slung across his back. I'm glad we made it out okay, he made it out okay. When the others seem far enough ahead that Eric won't mind, I discreetly walk over and take his hand as we continue down the gravel path ways. He looks down at me, straight faced, and I smirk up at him. I can see him hold back a smile, checking to see no ones looking, leans down and kisses my forehead.

Just before I'm about to lean up and kiss him, I stumble on something hard. Eric pulls me up straight, and I look down to see what I hit.

Covered in mud, rocks and blood lays a boy. More like a man, large, with matted dark hair. I lean down and shake him, wondering if he's still alive.

"Leave him, Tris, he wouldn't be able to stand that much blood loss-"

"Shhh!" I interrupt. Putting a finger on his neck, I feel for a pulse. A barely noticeable thump taps my finger tips. I lean my ear close to his mouth and nose, listening for any breathing. None.

Moving fast, I flip the guy onto his back, talking to Eric as I go. "I'm starting CPR, call for medical. Tell them that there's a man with severe bloodless, passed out, a pulse but unable to breathe." Beginning the chest compressions, I hear Eric do as I asked.

Back at Dauntless, I sit in the emergency unit, waiting for the results from the man we found. I don't know why I care, I guess thats my curious side coming out, but I just feel like I need to know if he's alright. A doctor comes out, a medical board in hand.

"How are you doing Tris?"

"Good," I stand. "Hows our mystery patient doing?"

"Well, under the circumstances. He should wake up in a couple hours. The wound took well to the treatment, all we need to watch for now is infection."

"Thanks, Doc." He nods.

"You can go sit with him now if you want." He walks away towards the nurses station.

Sit with him? Why would I sit with him? I don't even know who he is, where he came from? I walk towards his room, peaking in was if he were wake and could possibly see a stranger like me looking in on him. His eyes are closed, his dark lashes prominent, almost reaching his cheeks. His lips lay parted, his chest rising with every shallow breath. My heart flies up to my throat as I step in the room, walking slowly towards the bed. I don't even think about it, just take a seat in the empty chair left next to his bed. His hand lays in front on me, dirty, his nails bitten down to nubs, and I wonder how long he's had that habit. My stomach tingles, fingertips stinging. I look up at his face, and feel myself melt a little inside.

I just want to make one thing clear, with all my plans, I don't know who Tris is gonna end up with. I hope that doesn't turn off certain people, I promise this won't be stupid or anything. There will be plenty Eris and Fourtris to go around, I promise. Leaving a review would be great, I love reading your comments