Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.

It's just after noon. There's nothing for us to do, mainly because the Dauntless gave us a day off.

I'm standing with my hands in my pockets, one arm braced against the railing that overlooks the chasm. The powerful waves of water splash chaotically against the rocks. I learned to like it here because of how the place demands respect. More than anything else, it reminds the Dauntless that there's a line even they shouldn't cross. Mess with this force of nature, and it'll simply end you.

The water makes so much noise, it's a wonder I can hear Shauna's boot steps behind me. But I do, and it's why I don't flinch when she touches my elbow with her hand. "We have a day off, too," she tells me, probably referring to the Dauntless-born initiates. "Ready to start sparring?"

Without missing a beat, I turn and nod. I was just waiting for her to come remind me of our agreement. If she's ready to jump into action, then I am too.

I watch Shauna intently as she practices the basic moves, punching and kicking at nothing. Her dark hair's been pulled back from her face, and her Dauntless boots, normally untied and flapping, are laced up to her calves. She pauses between each hit to adjust her position. For a moment I just look at her, not sure what to suggest. I only just got good at fighting myself, I'm hardly qualified to be her coach.

But as I keep watching, I start to notice her weaknesses. When she stops for a second, wiping her forehead and giving me an expectant look, I have some pointers ready for her.

"Tip number one," I say, joining her in the arena, "make sure your knees aren't locked." I gesture to her legs, and she tries her best to correct her stance. "Tip number two," I go on, "don't leave your face unprotected." I gently guide her hands up, so they'll guard her nose, mouth, and cheeks. "Tip number three," I continue, "throw your whole body weight behind each hit." I show her what I mean. "You wanna knock this girl out."

"Okay, I'm learning," says Shauna. She nervously chews on the inside of her cheek, but she takes my suggestions without another word. The next punch she throws actually looks legit, and I make sure to tell her.

"Good. You actually pose a threat to me now." We both laugh, and the tension between us disappears. Another thirty minutes pass while Shauna and I spar. I sometimes have to tap her elbow with a finger to remind her to guard her face, but now she's moving much better than before.

"You know," she suddenly suggests, "maybe I'd learn faster if you hit me for real." My eyes widen a little at that. I wasn't expecting her to want to go all in. I figured there'd been some unspoken agreement between us to not hit too hard, but I guess I was mistaken.

Damn, Dauntless girls are really unpredictable.

In response to her suggestion, I say truthfully, "I would rather not."

"Your Abnegation chivalry is actually pretty insulting," Shauna says, not unkindly. "I can take care of myself." She grins playfully and adds, "Even though I've got girl parts." She gestures to her breasts and I look away on cue, my cheeks flushing.

"I promise, it's not 'cause you're a girl," I tell her, trying to shake off my obvious discomfort. "It's just…" I pull myself together. "Violence for the sake of it, that's not my thing."

"An Abnegation trait, huh?" Shauna stares at me, curiosity in her eyes.

I don't know what else to say, so I just reply, "Yeah."

"Alright. Let's go again." Shauna and I continue to spar. This time, when I look at her, I realize just how pretty she is to me. Not in a way that's traditionally feminine, though. She looks good to me because she just overflows with strength. Her eyes are bright and critical, her muscles taut, her hairline shiny with sweat. She's not exactly what some would call sexy, but she is strong, and I think that's better.

We go over Shauna's game plan, then we practice until she masters the uppercut, which she's gonna use against her opponent. By the time we've finished, it's almost dinnertime. We leave the training room and she thanks me quickly.

"Good job, Shauna," I say to her, because that's actually how I feel.

Her first response is to fling an arm around me. It's just a simple embrace, but she laughs at how tense my body gets. Alright, so I'm still partially Abnegation. You learn something new about yourself every day.

"How to be Dauntless, an introductory course," Shauna jokes. "Lesson number one." She waggles a finger at me. "It's okay to hug the people you like."

Now I can't even look at her. I'm aware of sweat pouring down the back of my neck. Embarrassing, but I can't let it affect my actions. "You like me?" I ask her, and I want to cringe because I almost sound desperate.

"Oh, shut it!" she giggles, then she pretends to slap me across the face. Our little altercation is over in just a few seconds. We jog toward the dining hall together, but neither my heartbeat nor my furious blush will let me forget what Shauna said.

"No cuts," Eric informs me. "Best news all week, right?"

I'm tempted to agree. It's exceedingly rare for the Dauntless to decide that everyone's done enough to earn a passing grade. But that's what happened yesterday. Phew, now I won't have to watch as Amy or Sean gets turned out of Dauntless. I'm not fond of the latter, but I still don't wish to see that.

So yeah, it is good news. But then I look back at Eric and say, "I've got something better." And I mean it. "I think I found a girl I…" Damn it. Just like how it usually happens in books, my voice cuts off before I can force the last part out.

Eric completes my sentence. "Like?" he says with a grin. "As in, you plan on exchanging vows someday?"

I laugh with him. "Not in the foreseeable future, but yes. I like her that way." It feels hella good to finally get that off my chest.

"Ooh, which girl?" Eric presses, his eyes glittering with anticipation.

"Shauna, the Dauntless-born." There's literally no point in hiding the specifics from him, so might as well let him know. "I just taught her some hand-to-hand basics."

"Cute," Eric remarks. "Maybe, if you play it right, your wedding's gonna come first."

I can't resist poking him back. "That's not happening," I say. "Look at you and Mia. You're already in too deep with her."

Eric seems more than a bit surprised when I say that. With a little nudging, I get him to tell me more. Apparently he'd get in major trouble with the Dauntless leaders if they find out he did this, but he accepted an invitation from Mia to spend the night with her in her bed. Jesus Christ, I almost can't believe it.

"My man, I love you, but you are dumb as hell," I chide him. "You better have made sure there were some spare condoms lying around. Or… or… a morning-after pill, or…"

"Duh, of course I did," Eric interrupts. He crosses his arms, looking indignant. "That one time at boarding school, I fucked up bad. But I come from Erudite for a reason. I learned some lessons, man. I ain't ever gonna let anyone play me like that again."

The mere mention of that incident makes me taste bile. I might not be the smoothest or slickest when it comes to romance, and Eric might not be, either, but what the girl did was just flat-out wrong.

Here's hoping nothing like that happens with me and Shauna. Passing initiation might be my first priority right now, but when that's done, I'll be brave enough to ask Shauna out, and I for sure won't let those tainted memories of my ex stop me.

AN: I know, short chapter. Well, I thought this would be a nice breather before the second stage of initiation begins. Next up is the start of the simulation phase, and it's gonna be TERRIFYING for both Eric and Tobias. And yes, I am gonna have a field day coming up with some of the simulation obstacles for the two of them.