Amicable ➵ Eric Coulter

Hangover

Aurora woke up to the sound of her alarm. The sheets smelled oddly like cologne, she just figured that Michael had slept over. Two muscular arms were wrapped securely around her waist, her back pressed against their chest in a protective manor.

Then she realized, she didn't have an alarm. She slept in a twin sized bunk bed, not a king sized bed. Plus, the only person she hoped Michael was holding was Jackson. Her eyes shot open, and she felt the person behind her start to stir.

"Shit." She heard an all to familiar voice say. A chill ran down her spine.

'Oh god, please be a nightmare.' She thought to herself, but as she turned and met Eric's wide eyed gaze she knew it wasn't a dream. Her headache wasn't helping the predicament. This was why she didn't drink. "Did we?" She asked, just a little bit terrified.

"This cannot leave this room." Eric ordered, "I'm going to get in so much trouble. This is all your fault!" He reached for something on the floor and then stood up, pulling a pair of underwear on. Aurora could admit, he had a nice butt. The squads were doing good for him.

Aurora was gobsmacked, "How the hell is this my fault?"

Eric closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Relations between initiates and trainers a prohibited."

"So it's my fault?" Aurora asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes!" Eric said, but then he paused. "No, lets just say we're both at fault here. Now, you have to leave," Eric said, picking up Aurora's clothes and pushing them at her.

"Woah, slow down a sec, It's baby's first hangover over here." She pointed to herself, one hand on her head, before snatching the clothes from his hand.

"Shut up and get out," Eric ordered. Aurora put on her clothes under Eric's white sheets and stood from the bed, her legs wobbling a bit. Eric reached out and grabbed her waist, steadying her in front of him. Eric looked down at her, his hands still on her waist and licked his bottom lip. The entire mood of the room shifted.

"I should get going," Aurora said all of her confidence going out of the window.

Eric cleared his throat and nodded before back up. "Yeah, training will start in a few hours."

Aurora looked to his alarm clock, which read 4:40! "Why do you get up so early?" She said, completely shocked.

Eric didn't answer, "I'll walk you back to the initiate's bunks. No one's usually up this early."

Aurora nodded, following Eric out of his apartment, but not forgetting to snoop along the way. His apartment was good size, and the decorum was exactly how she expected it, except for the tall bookcase that stood in the corner of the room. "I never took you for a reader," Aurora commented.

"Well, I did come from Erudite." Eric said, holding his door open for Aurora.

After saying thanks she smiled, "Really? I didn't know that."

"There's a lot people don't know about me, and I'd like to keep it that way." Eric stated, slowing down a bit so Aurora was walking next to him.

Aurora stayed silent for a moment, "That must be pretty lonely."

Eric stopped walking, causing Aurora to stop too. "What?" Eric asked.

"Well you don't really have anyone close to you, you don't open up. Opening up was practically all we did in Amity." They started walking again, "We'd have times after working or school where'd we just sit down and get everything off our chests. I miss that." Aurora started picking at her nails. "When's visiting day?"

Eric eyed her, "In a few days... Why, not getting homesick, are you?"

"A little bit. I just want to see my grandpa, he's probably going to be the only one to show up." Aurora breathed out, Eric could tell she was starting to get upset.

He didn't want to push it, but he felt he had to ask. "Why?"

"Amity's don't go Dauntless, Dauntless don't go Amity. I don't even want to know what my parents think of me, I'm their only kid and I just left them." Aurora felt that lump in her throat. The awful feeling of almost crying. "They probably hate me." That broke the dam, silent tears came streaming down her face, but she quickly wiped them away.

"Hey," Eric soothed, turning Aurora and holding her face in his hands. He brushed away any tears with his thumbs. "I thought the same thing about my family, but they all came on visiting day and saw how happy I was here. I'm sure your parents will understand."

"Eric Coulter I swear you're bipolar." Aurora let out a choked laugh and Eric chuckled.

Suddenly Amar's voice called down the corridor. "Coulter! What are you doing?" The two jumped apart.

"I found her passed out and was escorting her back to the bunks. I think she celebrated a little too much last night." Eric said, Amar was next to them now.

He looked at Aurora's puffy face and nodded, "Alright, you get some more sleep, training starts at seven today." Aurora nodded and Eric grabbed her by the shoulders, directing her down the hall.

"That was close," Aurora said after Amar was gone. Eric didn't respond. Aurora looked over at the Chasm, knowing where she was now. "Well, I can make my way back from here."

Eric nodded, turning back to his apartment. "We're doing fights again today," he called, "try not to punch me this time."

"Can't make any promises," Aurora called back. She heard Eric stifle a chuckle and couldn't help but smile.