Only Annie | Eric Coulter

1 - Skeletons

* * *

"Oh, we're only skin and bone,

We don't have to be alone."

* * *

|| A N N I E

As the sunlight streams inside Eric's room and hits our sleep-coated faces, I tiredly open my eyes and twist around his bed, snuggling closer to the warmth he so generously provides. Bringing up my hand to his stubble-coated jaw, I gently scratch it until his eyes flutter open.

"Hey," He says gruffly, voice hoarse from sleep.

"Hey," I reply, rubbing my eyes and yawning. Eric sighs next to me and, like every other morning, pulls me closer and we stay like that for at least five minutes. We're quiet, our breathing in sync with each other.

"The initiates will arrive today."

His voice is weary and tired, like they have been these past few days. I stare up at him, eyes searching his face, "Are you okay?"

He hums, tracing patterns on my hip. He doesn't say anything to answer my question, but I know what he's feeling. No, he's not okay.

"Should I escort you there?" I intend to say it  jokingly, but it comes out in a serious note.

"I would like that, yeah." He replies, and his eyes shine when he looks down at me.

I smile, patting his chest. "Come on, time to get ready."

And we stand up, me heading to the bathroom and him to the closet. It's our usual routine, but I feel like today is going to be a different one.

...

"How was it?"

"I was right. They're all ordinary little shits."

I hit him on his arm, "They aren't that bad, are they?"

Eric scoffs, pulling me close as he flicks through the channels on the television. "There's this Abnegation girl, she's been riling me up. Four's liking it."

"Did she say something bad to you?"

"She called me a bitch. She's  the bitch, not me."

"Eric," I laugh, pulling his head down and rubbing my knuckles against his scalp. It irritates him, and that's why I do it. "Don't say things like that. Just ignore her, okay? Control your anger."

Eric rolls his eyes, but nonetheless nods. We're silent for a while, just listening to the distorted conversation on the TV, but he opens his mouth again, "But seriously, I'll--"

"Eric!"

...

They've been staring at me for the past five minutes.

"Is something wrong with my face?" I ask Eric, abandoning my food and moving close to him. The group of people in front of me had their eyes trained on my figure, never leaving me. It's making me feel jittery and anxious.

Eric slings an arm around my waist, "They're the initiates. Don't mind them."

"But it feels like they're going to murder me." I whisper, trying to subtly cover my face with a hand.

Eric scoffs, "I'll murder them first. Eat up, we're going back up soon."

"Okay." I agree, nimbly munching on my cake.

The stares and glares I felt never let up. Hmm.

Did Eric lie when he said there was nothing with my face?

...

|| TRIS

"Who's that?" I ask Uriah, pointing to the girl sitting beside Eric. I've been looking at her for at least five minutes now. I'm intrigued. 

What is a sweet-looking girl like her doing, sitting beside the cold, cruel Eric?

"That's Anika." Uriah replies, "Most commonly known as Annie. She's Eric's... uh, I don't exactly know." He scratches his head, looking thoughtful, "They say she's just a friend of his, but that possessive look Eric has when she's around is an evidence that you wouldn't like fucking with her."

I hummed, poking my burger with my fork. Eric had a lady friend? That's odd and quite frankly, unbelievable.

"Who are we talking about?"

I raise my eyebrows in surprise as Four slides into the bench across Uriah and I. Uriah, however, doesn't seem shocked as I did.

"Hey, Four." He says, pushing a plate of cake in his direction, "We were just talking about Anika."

"Eric's Anika?" He asks.

I send a questioning look to Uriah. Eric's Anika? That implied that they were together.

Uriah rolls his eyes and directs to our instructor, "Four, can you tell her about them? She won't believe me when I say they aren't together."

"Why are you so interested? Do you like Eric?"

The question makes me choke. "Me? Like Eric? Never."

Uriah laughs. Four clears his throat at my statement, "What do you want to know about them?"

"From when they met would be great."

"Geez. Stalker much?" Uriah jokes, placing another spoonful of cake in his mouth, "Are you sure you don't like Eric? You sound like a jealous ex-girlfriend."

Four rolls his eyes, but nonetheless answers my question, "Anika and Eric has known each other since they were kids. Well, at least that's what people say. Eric, being three years older, transferred first, and Anika soon--"

"From which faction did they come from?" I interrupt without intending to.

Four looks at me blankly, "I don't have the right to tell you that."

"Right, sorry." I mutter, looking down in slight embarrassment.

You won't tell me their ex-factions, but you agree to tell me their life story. Hypocrite.

"Anyway, Anika followed Eric to Dauntless. By the time she was an initiate, Eric's already a leader. They are always seen with each other. Eric acts like her possessive boyfriend, which I highly think he dreams of being, and Anika is oblivious to the attention practically all the male population of Dauntless give her. Any more questions?"

"Do you like her?" The words come out of my mouth without me thinking over it.

Four shrugs. "Maybe. Maybe not."

My cheeks heat up. I definitely did not expect that answer.

"Enough of that," Uriah pipes up, leaning on the table to get closer to Four, "Do you know where she lives?"

"Why? So you can get in her pants?" Four scoffs, and Uriah blushes, "Good luck with that, kid. She lives with Eric."

"Damn," Uriah whistled, "There goes another future wife."

Four rolls his eyes. It's my turn to laugh.

"Are you sure, though?" I ask again, "That they aren't together? I mean I can believe that, thinking that a man like Eric will probably never find a girl that could deal--"

"Even the bad ones deserve someone, Tris." He says lowly, "No one deserves to be alone."

His words echo in my mind for the rest of the night.

...  

A/N: Just so everyone is informed,

the chapter titles are songs of James Arthur,

but not necessarily his originals.