Divergent One Shots (Eric & Tris)

Eighty-Eight-A Camping Adventure 26.4

Tris

Eric and I finish our lunch together in the dome and head out to the beach.  There's a small shed out there and he has me step in.  He puts a life vest on me and has trouble finding one in his size—going through every single vest available.  There is one, though. 
"Next time I'll bring my dad's," he mumbles to himself. 
I grin at that. 
"How about the canoes?  We could go together at first.  The kayaks are for singles and the motion is a little different.  You also have to keep your balance better," he mentions. 
"Whatever you say, boss," I tease him. 
He chuckles at that and bites his lip.  He grabs us a couple paddles and walks me out.  We take the larger of the two. 
"Only because I weigh the equivalent of two normal teens," he jokes. 
I chuckle at that... but he might be serious.  He's enormous.  He could be in the fighting league.  He hands me his oar and I hold it while he climbs in.  He takes the two out of my hands and reaches for me.  I take his hand in mine and I can't keep the smile off of my face at the contact.  He helps me in.  It's a little wobbly but I manage... that is until I'm in the boat with him and fall on his lap. 
He chuckles softly in my ear and helps me get situated in front of him. 
"Sorry," I apologize. 
"Don't worry about it.  You don't have your sea legs yet," he teases. 
I grin biting my lip and looking back at him.  I really enjoy being with him.  He unties us and explains what we'll do—how to paddle out a ways.  I listen and follow his instructions, even though I'm in the front of the boat.  I laugh in disbelief as we move out.  We get further away from the swimmers and he teaches me other techniques—how to turn the boat, how to move sideways... etcetera.  I love this and we go out even farther.  We're alone and quite a distance away from everyone. 
"Do you mind if I get a picture of us?" Eric asks me. 
"No," I shake my head. 
He signals me to slide back a little and he leans forward.  He nestles behind me and pulls me close to him.  My heart skips a beat at the position.  He takes a picture of the two of us together and I'm smiling.  It looks good. 
I move back to where I was and glance at him as he examines the picture. 
"Aren't you afraid you'll get your phone wet?" I ask him. 
"Nah," he shakes his head.  "Mine's somewhat waterproof.  If it gets a little wet it's fine.  If it's submerged for a long time, then I'll have a problem."
I nod.  Leadership do get nice things but it's for a good reason.  They're needed round the clock at times—in emergencies and whatnot. 
We turn around and head back. 
"Kayak or swimming?" he asks me as we arrive at the dock and he ties us off. 
"I wouldn't mind kayaking," I say seeing a couple Amity going out together.  It looks fun. 
"Alright," he grins. 
He climbs up and takes my hand.  He pulls me up and I end up in his arms on the dock.  I blush at the closeness... but I realize he was helping me to be steady on my feet.  I still feel the unevenness of the motion from the water affecting me. 
"You good?" he asks me. 
"Yeah," I nod.  "I think I got my sea legs."
He laughs lightly and walks with me to the front of the dock.  We replace our paddles and grab two longer two-sided paddles.  He pulls out a kayak for me and then one for himself.  We sit in them on the sand while he explains what to do.  I listen and follow his instructions again.  It's different but similar in some ways.  When I feel confident, he helps me in and joins me quickly.  He paddles out and I follow.  I feel like this is an incredible workout—but fun and relaxing, too. I practice a bit before we get out in open water. We explore much further. It's beautiful out here. I'm just in awe. I glance back at Eric to see him taking another picture of me. I grin at him.
"You're beautiful," he tells me and I pale at the compliment. Nobody has ever called me that before.
"Thank you," I say softly.
"Being on the water definitely suits you," he tells me.
"It's the most relaxed I've felt," I admit.
"Yeah, I've needed this," he agrees nodding.
We paddle around a bit more before heading back. We return our borrowed boats and gear before we grab towels at the kiosk and strip down to our swimwear. Eric locks up his things in his truck—holster with weapons, phone, and keys. The door lock on his truck is apparently touch sensitive which I didn't know. His vehicle has his fingerprints as the only one to open it. That's pretty ingenious.
We put on sunblock and assist each other with our backs. I close my eyes when Eric does mine. It feels incredible. I help him and I'll admit that I enjoy massaging his strong back. I realize I might be crushing a little on him... and I don't mind. Four is nowhere in sight to get between us. I know if he was here he'd be going ballistic with me spending so much time with him. I'm glad I'm here. This is nice.
I hear a whistle and turn around to see one of the Candors from my room checking me out. Eric gets between us and shakes his head at the guy. He pales and walks away.
"Come on," Eric says taking my hand in his.
I grin and follow his pull toward the water. I kick my flip flops off with my clothes and towel. He leaves his sandals behind, too. We enter the water together and it's similar here to yesterday. I'm honestly so grateful for him helping me. The more I think about it, the more I realize...
"Eric?" I call out to him.
He hums a reply.
"I think my water fears are gone," I tell him.
He grins at me.
"I knew it," he replies smirking. "Pretty soon, you'll be fearless."
I laugh at that but can't help noticing the way he's looking at me. I think he's impressed... and possibly interested? I hope so... but I'm not going to push anything. I'm going to enjoy our time together and let what happens happen.
We step out further into the water and soon I'm swimming. A few more steps and Eric is, too. We're not really close to anyone and this is nice. The water is cool and relaxing. My muscles were a little achy and the water is soothing.
"You want to swim out to the platform?" Eric asks me.
I see where he's motioning to. It's floating but I think it's tethered to the bottom of the pond.
"Alright," I agree.
Instead of taking off, he waits for me and we swim together. I smile at that. I stroke and kick feeling more confident in my abilities. We make it to the platform in no time and I climb the ladder first, Eric coming right after me. Our legs, arms, and hands brush as we climb up and I can't stop grinning at the contact. I'm dripping and trying to keep my balance as I stand. He stands beside me and we sit down together for a while basking in the sun and good weather.
"Do you want to learn how to dive?" he offers.
I see some kids doing just that off the end of the dock near the beach and I nod. So, he teaches me. I practice and I'm feeling overjoyed at how skilled I've become in the water in such a short time.
We swim a bit more and play in the shallows together. He splashes me and I splash him back. He picks me up and tosses me. I laugh as I swim away. Yesterday... I would've been traumatized. Today... well, I'm having a great time.
We climb out and dry off laying on the sand. We talk and nod off. I peek at him asleep beside me. I can't help but touch his curls. They're beautiful. And I remember... he called me beautiful. I think I'm falling for him. He's incredible and I've never felt like this—even with Four.
We rise a little before dinner. He offers to take me back with him. I want a shower, though.
"I'll wait," he shrugs.
"Okay," I agree.
I go back to my room. There are three new Candor boys in there now and they're all eyeing me. I roll my eyes at them and grab my things. I take a shower in the facilities and can't help but notice the unusual odor. It's rather unpleasant. I thought the water when I brushed my teeth was nasty as well. I shower quickly in the cold water and rush to finish before the water turns off. I sigh in relief as I get the last of the soap off of me just as the water shuts down. I sigh again. Amity and their water conservation is difficult. The cold water is hard to get used to as well. I dry off, dress and comb out my hair. I leave it down so it'll dry and head back to my room. Those three new guys are still there. I tuck my things away and hang out my bathing suit on the line by my bed.
"Hey there, sweetheart," one of them says.
"Hi," respond as I check my messages.
"Where are you off to?" he asks.
I flip through and read what Christina sent me first. I chuckle at the joke Uriah told her.
"What's this?" the guy asks snatching my phone out of my hands and holding it above his head. He's way taller than me and I'd never reach.
"Give me my phone back," I reply flatly.
"What do I get in return?" he questions.
"I could call security considering I work for them," I shrug.
"I've got your phone, sweetie," he taunts.
I glance to the clock on the wall.
"They should be patrolling nearby. I could just scream," I shrug again.
He chuckles. "As a Dauntless, I'd hoped there'd be a little fight in you," he says teasingly.
In a flash, I jump on my bed with one foot, the other climbing on the chair railing around the wall and then reach up and snatch my phone back out of his hand and land on the floor. I keep walking.
"Hey!" he shouts coming after me as I exit the room and walk down the path.
I sense that he's going to reach for my arm so I sidestep and miss his grasp altogether.
"So you are Dauntless," he grins in surprise. "I like girls that challenge me," he whispers looking at me lewdly.
"Find a girl in your own faction. I'm not interested," I tell him.
"Give me time, sweetheart," he grins at me biting his lip.
I roll my eyes and walk off.
"I'll see you tonight," he taunts.
I keep walking but it occurs to me that there are three of them... and I need to sleep. I sigh thinking that maybe this communal thing wasn't such a good idea. I arrive at Eric's truck. He's standing out leaned against it waiting for me.
"Hi," he smiles.
"Hey," I reply.
He opens my door for me. I climb in and so does he. He drives us off.
"So... you wondered about those doped up Candors," he mentions.
"Yeah," I nod.
"They said something threatening about you so I threatened them, then spoke to Amity about it. If there's any more trouble, they'll be gone," he tells me.
"Fabulous," I say sarcastically. "Six Candor that need to be monitored..."
I sigh.
"There's more?" Eric asks.
"One just tried to steal my phone when I ignored him. He was hitting on me," I admit.
"The same?" he asks.
"No," I shake my head.
He sighs harshly. "Communal rooms," he mumbles.
"Yeah, I'll either get a private cabin next time or come with someone else," I mention.
"I've got another room," he offers. "I can take the bunk beds apart and put them together. I've done it before."
"Maybe," I say completely tempted by the offer.
He pulls up to his cottage and parks. I sit with him as he starts a fire and then goes in and showers. I decide to make the macaroni and cheese for him this time. I get a pot out, a colander, and utensils. I'll wait for him to begin, though. He comes down quickly with his hair slicked back again. I grin at him. He is very handsome. 
"What do you want for dinner?" he asks me. "Chicken, pork chops...?"
"Whatever you want," I shrug thinking anything sounds good. I enjoy his culinary skills. 
"I'll cook them both up. It's supposed to rain later in the week... not sure when, though," he tells me.
"Mac & cheese?" I offer.
"Sure," he nods.
We each make our dishes. He says we can finish the salad today and steam the other vegetables anytime.  I'm fine with that. 
We sit down together and enjoy the meal in each other's company.  It's nice just like yesterday.  He grilled the chops with barbecue sauce and I'm curious about the chicken for next time.  They look seasoned as well. 
He tells me he's going to take down the bunks regardless if I stay.  If he ever has guests, they can stay there.  He's true to his word and I assist him.  We take the ladder down first, then remove the bolts holding the two together.  We remove the sheets and set the bed beside the other.  He gets out some section for between and adheres the cloth strip to attach the two beds to each other.  Then we get a larger set of sheets out and make the bed together.  Afterward, we sit out beside the fire.  We watch the sunset, then the stars come out.  I feel more clear today—really soaking in the experience.  It's incredible here and I almost wish this was my life day to day... but I know that can't be.  It's a good place to visit, though. 
"So... have you decided if you'll stay?" Eric asks me. 
I look to him and he's meeting my eyes. 
"Umm..." I hadn't really considered it.  But it would be nice to be here. 
"You don't have to if you don't want to.  It's just that I'm worried about you, staying in a room with six other guys who don't seem so friendly," he admits. 
"There's that," I nod in agreement. 
"I've noticed Candors tendencies over the last couple years and they're inclined to do or say whatever asinine thing pops into their heads, regardless of if it's a bad idea or not," he mentions. 
"Yeah, my experience with Peter," I nod. 
"Was he that bad during initiation?" he questions. 
My eyes snap to his.  "Worse," I admit. 
He purses his lips and nods. 
"Maybe I should separate the genders," he mentions. 
"You would do that?" I ask surprised. 
"I hadn't realized it was problem before.  Since it is, that would be the right thing to do," he tells me. 
I really look at him and I feel like I had always pegged him wrong.  He's not who I thought at all. 
"I think I'll stay," I decide. 
"Okay," Eric grins. 
He's trying to hold back his expression but he looks pleased.
We stay out a bit longer. We talk about all sorts of things—our childhoods, our dreams for the future, our aspirations with our careers. I sit a little closer to the fire as the temperature drops. This experience is incredible. I'm truly enjoying it and the stress of having to return back to the campground is gone—a huge weight removed from my chest. I can't help the yawn as it escapes.
"Tired?" Eric asks rubbing my back.
"A bit," I nod.
"You're cold," he notices.
"A little," I agree.
"Come on. Let's put this out and get you something," he says.
He separates the burning logs like yesterday until the coals are spread out once more, slowly dwindling into black. He takes me by the hand upstairs and leads me into the spare room. He searches the drawers and finds a royal blue sweatshirt much larger than the other I wore.
"You can wear this while you're here," he tells me. "Take anything else you might want. I'll get you a toothbrush."
"Okay," I smile.
I take the offered shirt from his hands and he shuts the door to give me privacy. I search through his sister's clothes and grab something to sleep in—shorts and a loose t-shirt. It's light blue with more pink butterflies on it. The shorts are navy. I look in the mirror and notice how different I appear in blue. The shirt matches my eyes and makes them more noticeable. I shiver though, and slide on the royal blue sweatshirt he gave me. I look back in the mirror and observe the color pattern on the chest. It's tie dyed. It brings to mind seeing someone wear this in school. I remember him laughing with friends and joking around. He was so handsome... and I recall, that was Eric. His hair was curly on top. I saw him a few times in the hallways. Sometimes it was combed to the side but mostly it was short and curly. I inhale the scent of the shirt and it smells just like him—masculine and intoxicating.
I shake out of it and open the door to see him in the bathroom brushing his teeth. He's wearing a pair of comfortable-looking shorts and a t-shirt. I notice he's barefoot like me. He sees me and holds out a tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush still in the package in one hand while he continues brushing.
I approach him and take the offer from him.
"Thanks," I smile.
He nods.
I open the package and throw the wrapper into the small trash bin. I squeeze out some toothpaste. It's the same that I use. I begin brushing and this is nice. It reminds me of initiation with Christina and me. We're rarely off at the same times. We're lucky to have dinner together, though. She has a job in retail and the hours aren't the best. I was fortunate enough to get a great schedule but it's left me kind of lonely in the evenings.
"What's on your mind, Stiff?" Eric asks me as I finish.
"I don't know," I shrug. "I was just thinking about initiation with Christina and how we don't really do this kind of thing together anymore. She usually works late and we have our own apartments."
"Where does she work?" he asks.
"A clothing store," I reply.
"Yeah, retail hours stink," he agrees. "Lonely nights?"
"Pretty much," I nod.
"Feel free to stop by my place anytime," he offers. "I'm usually not doing much either."
I meet his eyes to see the offer is genuine. I smile. "Maybe I will sometime," I grin. I yawn, though, and he walks me back to my room.
"If you like it here, you're welcome to stay as long as you want," he tells me.
"I'll keep that in mind," I say biting my lip to hide the smile. I really do feel welcome with him.
"Goodnight," he says reaching out and hugging me again. I hug him back and this feels so nice to be in his arms. His embrace is so strong, yet gentle. I sigh contently and I feel a kiss to the top of my head. My smile widens at that.
"Goodnight," I whisper when he releases me.
I go in the bedroom and shut the door. I climb into bed and it's enormous. My bed at home isn't even this big. I sigh comfortably and drift off completely at ease.