Daunting Fires (Completed)

20- Trains

I wake up from a nightmare. My palms are sweaty and I feel completely paralyzed. It's ok. Not real. My heart is still racing as I remember Kirone's blood on my hands in my nightmare. I get up before I let myself continue thinking. I change as quick as I can and look at the clock. It's 5:30 A.M. Everyone else is still sleeping.

But I'm too scared to fall sleep again.

I quietly open the door and enter the hall. I pull my sweater tightly to my body as I feel the chill of the pit hit me. Most everything is closed except the tattoo parlor.

I continue walking a hall until I realize it leads to outside. I back up and open it, deciding I should take a run until fear landscape time. When I open the door, a lovely, brisk August air hits my face. I welcome it as I start running around the compound. I hear the train and decide that I would take a ride in it.

I start sprinting, afraid I'll miss it. When it comes into view, I realize it's a tight chance I'll make it. I push myself harder to get closer and I feel my injured shoulder asking for a break but I don't stop. I get to the side of the train and reach for the handle, but I can't reach it. I pick up my pace and grab hold of it, feeling my biceps strain as I pull myself into the train car.

I smile to myself. I feel like quite the accomplished Dauntless.

Divergent.

"What the hell!" I jump so much that I'm scared I might fall out of the train car.

I see, no-freaking-way, Eric leaning on the wall with his arms crossed. The fact that fate chose to cause this situation to happen makes me immensely disappointed.

I roll my eyes. "Did I scare you?" I ask sarcastically. This can't be happening.

"Did someone say you can leave the compound without supervision?" I turn around and stare at him. He did his hair but his eyes look swollen from his lack of sleep. He looks like he's been thinking about life stuff.

And I don't want to get involved.

"No one said I couldn't," I mumble under my breath. He's about to say something else but I continue. "Look, I'll get off as soon as there's a close landing." He remains quiet. Then, he nods.

Its quiet apart from the zoom of the train and I take a seat on the wall opposite of Eric. It feels awkward and I remember that he played a little part of my fear landscape. I suddenly get the roller coaster feeling in my stomach.

"What?" He asks bluntly.

"I didn't say anything."

"You look like you're about to." It gets quiet again and I feel the need to actually spark a conversation.

"When I got my stitches, you were gonna tell me how you know me," I remind Eric. He shrugs. It freaking annoys me and he smirks when he sees me clenching my jaw.

"We used to have play dates. Your mom knew my mom." I look at him like he's joking but he shows no hints of laughter.

"I don't remember any of that," I say unable to say anything else. Eric scoffs.

"No, of course not... We went to the same school for years after that but you probably don't remember that either." He scoffs again. When he turns his head and looks down, I feel horrible. But then I remember I don't know him now and that's what matters.

"Even if I did, it's not like I know the new and improved Dauntless Eric." I look up and his gray eyes stare back into my hazel ones. He chuckles. This causes the roller coaster feeling to appear again so I have to look away.

Eric pauses and almost hesitantly says,"what's stopping you." I'm taken aback and confused so I don't want to jump to conclusions.

"What do you mean 'what's stopping you'?" He looks down and suppresses a smile.

"I mean what's stopping you from knowing the new Eric?" He looks at me and his face because serious. I shrug.

"You're scary as hell," I blurt out. This raises a dark chuckle from his chest.

"Understandable." He looks down and starts frowning. I'm not sure if Eric is just having an emotional day or whatever, but I feel bad for him. Everyone that wasn't sleeping with him was staying away from him. I'm sure he has his reasons.

"What's your favorite color?" I ask more seriously than I intended. He looks up and smirks like I'm the lamest person ever to exist.

"I'm not answering your dumb ass questions." He looks away outside the train car, still smirking.

"And you expect me to get to know the new Eric how?" I raise my eyebrows and stare him square in the eyes. Of course, I have to turn away because of the feelings bursting inside of me.

"You like me." His statement catches me off guard. I'm not sure if I should defend myself or sheepishly let Eric harass me.

He's smirking and it makes me blush. I shake my head no frantically, almost like I'm convincing myself. I get up and stand near the train car door. "Yep, you're very convincing," I hear him mumble.

I watch the grass landing come near as I get ready to jump off, not wanting to continue "chatting" with Eric. I'm about to leap off when Eric grabs my arm and pulls me back.

"Hey! What the-"

"Hey, hang on a second. I'll let you be late to fear landscape testing." His offer is worth it.

"What do you want?" Eric pauses. He smiles, not smirks.

"I want you to know my favorite color is red." I roll my eyes but can't help but smile with him. How ironic that his favorite color is the color of the faction opposite his own. Amity.

His face goes serious as he looks at my mouth. He puts his right arm above my shoulder on the wall. For a second, I think he might kiss me. I think I want him to. But I shouldn't want to. I shouldn't even think that I want to.

And then, he pulls away, turning around and putting his hand behind his neck and looking down. Now, I realize that I did want him to.

I make him turn around and I hold his face and kiss him.

When I pull away, Eric pulls me back. His hands are on my waist and they push me against the wall of the train car. His lips find mine and adrenaline courses it's way through me. When he pulls away, he says, "well, shit." I don't know what context he means that in, but it makes me feel less confident.