Daunting Fires (Completed)

23- Struggle

I put the envelope on the table. I crouch next to Eric. "Eric, what's wrong? What happened to you?" I'm scared right now because he looks immensely crucial and I'm not sure what to do.

"I forgot...," Eric croaks. He starts trembling suddenly. I grab hold of his big, rough hands and rub my thumbs into them.

"Hey, it's ok. Go on." I take one of his hands and kiss it softly. I feel so sorry even though I have no idea of what's going on. I think I'm more scared then anything else.

"I forgot... Forgot m-my anxiety meds." He looks down, almost like he's embarrassed. It's makes me want to give him a hug and comfort him. I never knew Dauntless, arrogant Eric could have an anxiety disorder. And by the looks of it, it was severe.

"Where are they? I'll get them," I say quickly. He shakes his head.

"They're at t-the infirmary counter. Y-you need to be-," Eric starts shaking harder, so I wrap my arms around him and bring him close.

"Need to be what?" I say sweetly. I can't believe any of this is happening.

"Need t-to have a... a sort of relat-relationship to me." I give him a gentle nod.

"I'll tell them I'm your sister or something." He violently shakes his head no.

"Know I d-don't have one." I kiss the top of his head as tears form in my eyes. I wish I could endure this with him. But I am already, as much as possible, which surprises me. I guess it's just that Eric seems too confident for an anxiety disorder. I mentally slap myself for judging books by their covers.

"I'll tell them I'm your girlfriend. And I'll tell them it's urgent, ok?" I plant another kiss on his head. I get up and walk to the door smoothly but quickly. "I'll be right back, honey." I close the door and flush red. Did I really call him that?
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I hurry to the infirmary counter where Mara is on her shift. She gives me a small smile and ask, "what's up, darling?"

"I'm here to pick up a prescription, Mara. It's for... Um... It's for Eric. He forgot to pick up his anxiety tablets." I look down and tap my fingernails on the counter.

"Dauntless leader Eric? Well, I wish I could help you but you need to have some sort of relation to him. Sorry-"

"I'm his girlfriend." She doesn't look convinced. I can't believe myself. "Soon to be fiancé." That should do the trick, but I still turn red with embarrassment at my lie.

"What? He's finally settled? Well, congrats! Let me go get the pills!" She hurried to the black boxes and pulls out an orange container filled with half-inch pills. "Just sign here hon," Mara gives me a paper and I sign my name on the line. I wonder how word of Eric's disorder doesn't fly around dauntless.

I practically run to Eric's apartment and swing the door open. I step inside and get water from the sink in his kitchen. It takes me a little while to find the cups in the brown, wooden cupboards but I finally do. I walk over to Eric, whose shaking slightly with his arms around his knees. I feel like this isn't real.

I read the prescription on the orange container. "One every morning," I mutter as I open the container. They must be very strong. I take a capsule out and rub Eric's shoulder. "Eric?" His head snaps up but his eyes look down. "Here." I hand him the pill and the water. Eric is shaking so bad that the pill falls on the carpet. I pick it up and instinctively blow on it. This makes him smile slightly.

I put the pill by his mouth and he takes it. The feeling of his lips on my fingers makes me nervous. Not a bad nervous either. Just nervous.

I hold the cup of water as he drinks from it. He gulps and finishes the water. I get up and put the pill container in the kitchen and the empty cup in the sink. When I get back, Eric has moved to the white leather couch now facing outside. I didn't even realize that he moved the furniture since I've last been here... The morning I found out I slept with him...

I turn red.

He pats the seat next to him. I sit at the edge just like he his. I realize I'm a bit too close so I try to move away. Eric just scoots closer to me. I smirk.

After five minutes of sitting like this, Eric speaks up. "Recovered." He clears his throat and looks outside through the windows.

"Good. That's good." After a minute of awkward silence, I get up to leave. "Well, I'm gonna go..."

"Wait." Eric stands up. I pause, raising an eyebrow. I seem him clench his jaw for a second. "Can you... Stay?" He turns red. Redder than when I slapped him the day Cece found out her brother died.

"Why?" I know I'm pushing it but I can't help it. He steps closer. I take a deep breath. For a second, I think he's angry.

"Because... Maybe I want you... to know me now." The way he stopped when he said "maybe I want you"made my heart flutter. I thought he was going to keep it at that. He can tell that's what I thought because I feel my cheeks turn pink.

"But you wanted me to stay away." I look down. It did hurt a little when he said that. He moves closer so that there's barely an inch between us. He looks down at me.

"You really should have. But now I want you to know me." He looks at my lips and I realize I'm biting my bottom lip. He leans in. For a second, I want him to kiss me. But then I remember the way he's acting might be a side effect from the capsule he had. I dodge his lips but that doesn't stop him from kissing my neck.

"Eric." He doesn't stop. "Eric."

"Mmm."

"I like you too but I'm not getting to know you." He pauses. With a heavy sigh, he pulls away and goes to the couch. I follow and say, "plus, you're strong medication seems to make you act weird."

"Who said I like you?" He smirks. Now he's harassing me. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't." He sneers at me and I look down. I take the cuticle off my thumb nail and it starts bleeding. "Maybe I do." I look up and his gray eyes look dark. "Problem is, I'm screwed up."
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Asdfjgmfbasjdkf!! Not what you expected? Sure as hell not what I expected!

If you enjoyed, thanks for reading!

-DL1