Here is the second chapter in which we follow Eric. This chapter is still rated T because nothing happens but there is some swearing. Enjoy!

Eric

From his table at the other end of the cafeteria he watched her closely. Her jaw was swollen, cuts and bruises all over her face, and still she was so incredibly beautiful. Two bruised ribs, and a hairline fracture in a third with a contusion to the chest, and still she was laughing and cracking jokes with her friends. All throught the first week he had had his eyes on her, judging her like he did the other initiates. She was promising, one of the strongest girls - the Dauntless-born included - despite her small stature. She didn't lack strength or and stamina, and already her shooting skills were above average. She was incredibly fast during her fights, and he knew that she was going to do some serious damage in a couple of months.

He never doubted nor regretted his decision to hang her over the Chasm, knowing that she was strong and determined enough to passed the test.
But her eyes...
A shiver went up and down his spine and he shuddered. Those goddamn bedroom eyes.
The moment she had acknowledged her fear, she had looked at him, and there had been something about the way her dark eyes had shone with confidence, anger, and determination that had tightened his stomach and made his cock twitch.
She had looked straight through him, past all the barriers he had been building around him since his early years in Erudite, until she had seen nothing but the truth, and it had been in that moment that he had realised that just how much he actually liked Christina.
He didn't know how she had accomplished it, but somewhere along the line she had gotten under his skin like a disease, leaving him weak and feeling so fucking vulnerable. He shook his head, scoffing at himself. There was something about her - a quiet confidence and strength that was rare to find these days, and she drew him in-
"Is this seat taken?" someone suddenly asked him, pulling him roughly out of his thoughts. Eric raised his head to glare at the woman who had appeared in front of the table he was sitting at. Blonde, too much make up on her ugly face, with STD written all over her bony ass. In your nightmares, witch, he snorted. Something in his face must have made her aware of her mistake of approaching him so unashamedly, because her eyes widened in fear and she mumbled an apology before she left quickly. Eric smirked at her retreating form and his eyes found their way back again to Christina.

Just then she looked into his direction and she froze when she caught him staring at her. To her credit, she didn't blush or averted her gaze like he expected she would do. Instead, she raised an eyebrow and briefly smiled at him before returning her attention to her friends. But every few seconds she would glance at him as if she was to make sure he was still looking at her.
Eric finished his meal, lit a cigarette and sighed deeply. The thing was: he was the first to confess that he was a cold-hearted bastard. He was vicious, calculating, and cruel, and everything in between, and then some, and he didn't give a fuck about it. He didn't do feelings; he only knew how to command, to fight, to fuck, and to kill. Girls and women practically threw themselves shamelessly at his feet on a daily basis, and every now and then he would do one as means to tension relief, but he has never been in love.
He had never been in a real relationship because he never felt the need to be in one. Growing up as the only child of a renowned neuroscientist and a biochemist his parents had never showed him a shred of love, and in Erudite affection and emotional attachment were frowned upon. He never missed it, and now that he was an adult in Dauntless, he never needed it.

But just because he didn't do feelings, didn't mean that he didn't have them. He felt something whenever Christina was near him. Since the chasm she had been the first thing on his mind the moment he woke up, and the last thing before he fell asleep. He could stare all day at her, and whenever she smiled shyly at him, his chest would tighten and threaten to burst – but that could be gastric acid as well.
He chuckled at his feeble attempt of self-delusion. He knew all too well what it was, and he was brave enough to admit to himself: he liked Christina. A lot.

Suddenly she slowly rose to her feet, smiling reassuringly at her friends. She even placed a hand on the Stiff's shoulder to push her gently back onto the bench as she began to rise as well. And just before she turned to leave, she looked at him with a small smile playing around those pouty lips of hers he was dying to taste. Without a thought, Eric rose as well just as she walked out of the dining hall – alone.

He followed her across the Pit and caught her just as she was about to walk into the tunnel that led to the dorm.
"Are you okay?" he asked her. She jumped when she heard him behind her, and turned around quickly – too quickly. She winced and hissed in pain, and pressed her right hand on her ribs while slapping his arm with her other hand.
"Fuck, Eric! You almost gave me a heart attack!" she snapped while she held onto his forearm to calm herself.
"And here I was, thinking that Candor were so perceptive," he said mockingly, desperately trying not to burst out in laughter at her feistiness. Feisty little kitten.
"Sorry, my ninja-radar is offline," she shot back, her eyes bright with mischief and humour. "Candor is specialised in body language, not in detecting Dauntless leaders sneaking around and scaring their initiates. Besides, I used to be Candor – I'm Dauntless now."
"Where are you going?" he asked her even though he kind of already knew the answer.
"I think that I'm going to lie down for a bit."
"How's the pain?" he asked her as they started to walk slowly into the tunnel. He let her set the pace.
"Bearable."
"Alright," he said as he took in her straight posture and precise movements. "Just watch yourself during training for the rest of the week."
She glanced at him and smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be fine as long I don't have to fight again."
"Next week."
"Oh, joy," she muttered.
"Already regretting choosing for Dauntless?" he smirked.
"No. Did you?"

He frowned at her. "How did you know I transferred?"
She winked at him, grinning triumphantly. "I wasn't sure – you just confirmed it."
He chuckled. "Damn… You're good. Okay… Can you tell from which Faction?"
She nudged him with her shoulder. "Too easy, Nose." He couldn't hide his surprise and she let out a laugh. "It's in your eyes. You see everything and miss nothing. But you're not just looking, you're clearly studying and analysing everything you see. Plus, you sound like Will and Edward – every single word is clearly uttered and carefully chosen."
Eric just grinned as confirmation. People always made the mistake of seeing Candor as loud and self-centred people, but they were the most dangerous ones because they saw everything, even the things someone desperately tried to hide.

She pressed an index finger against her lips when she paused for a moment. "I bet Four is also a transfer."
"What makes you think that?"
"He's too stiff to be a Dauntless born. As stiff and rigid as the stick up his ass." Eric couldn't hold back his laugh, and she looked confused at him. "What?"
"You just answered your own question," he told her.
She frowned and then suddenly her eyebrows went up in utter surprise. "He's a former Stiff?" she laughed. "No wonder he's eye-fucking Tris! Two peas in a pod."
It was Eric's turn to look confused. "He's what?"
"He's always looking at Tris with that special look in his eyes, like he wants to hold hands with her or something."
Oh, really?" Interesting.
"You didn't notice?"
He snorted. "Like I would waste my precious time and sanity to watch Four."
"I hear ya," Christina muttered.
"You don't like him?"
She shook her head, and winced slightly. "There is something about him that makes my skin crawl, you know? It's that creepy voice of his. And his broodiness. I don't know. He's secretive."
He was thrilled to hear that she didn't like or trust the man whom had been insulting him with his mere existence since initiation. "Damn, you're really good, Candor."
She winked at him again. "Tell me something I don't know. And it is ex-Candor. I'm Dauntless now."

They arrived at the dorm and Eric graciously opened the double doors for her. She didn't even had to duck when she passed underneath his raised arm. There was no one else around and he relaxed somewhat but still stayed in the doorway while she rummaged through her locker. A few seconds later she sat down on her bed with a med-pack in her hands. She looked at him and patted the bed beside her as an invitation he couldn't possibly refuse.
"So, any plans for tonight?" he asked as he sat down next to her. She drunk the medical nutrition from her med-pack through a straw and shrugged. "No, not really. Why?"
"You want to hang out with me till eleven?"
She nearly choked on her drink, ending up in a coughing fit. Quickly Eric patted her on her back until her trachea was cleared.
"Oh my god, Eric! That was your second attempt on my life today!" she wheezed.
He chuckled. "For fuck sake, Chris, I was only asking you for a drink, or two! I didn't pour that stuff down your windpipe."
She coughed once more, then cleared her throat, all the while glaring viciously at him. Still, he could see a twinkle in her eyes. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why asking me for a drink, or two?"
He shrugged. "What? Is it forbidden to ask you? Since when do I need permission? And whose permission anyway?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "Evasive manoeuvring won't get you far with me, mister, so no answering questions to hide behind – your Erudite is showing."

Eric rolled his eyes before he realised that his hand had landed on the small of her back, almost covering it completely. "Yes or no?"
She narrowed her eyes and studied him briefly before she shrugged and smiled. "Sure, why not? Where?"
"I know just the place where we can sit and just talk."
"Alright, lead the way," she said as she rose to her feet. "As long it isn't near the Chasm."

(To be continued)