𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐒𝐌𝐎𝐊𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆

𝟎𝟏𝟒

Distracted by Eric's insult, you barely had time to react before he swept his leg behind your knees and sent you careening to the ground. Letting out a cry of surprise, you arched your back off of the gravel and took a deep, ragged breath.

Eric didn't seem phased by your reaction, standing back to watch you roll over in pain from afar. "Again."

You shot him a glare that you prayed he couldn't see through the darkness of the rooftop. Rolling over onto your knees, he offered you a hand that you graciously accepted, fingers brushing against the bold tattoo of his forearm as you scrambled to your feet. 

Combing the sharp pebbles out of your hair, you fell back into your fighting stance. You thought he might move to strike you again before he let out an exasperated huff. "Wait," he demanded, moving up behind you.

Eric grabbed the place where your arm met your shoulder and brought it back a few inches. "You're reaching out too far," he said, voice significantly softer than it had been two minutes ago. "If you want to hit someone hard, don't put your weight out. Keep it centered. Wait for him to come to you."

You nod, trying your hardest to ignore the jittery feeling that sprouted from his closeness to you. If he noticed how hard you were trying not to look back up at him, he didn't say anything about it.

"Again."

With your core centered, you struck out into the open air just like Eric showed you. He nodded curtly, folding his arms behind his back. "Better. You're smaller than he is, but his size slows him down. Your best bet is to avoid him if you want to land a hit. Can you do that?"

The question doesn't sound expectant. It sounds like a challenge.

"Yes."

"Show me."

The fight begins like all of the others you've endured throughout your initiation. You and Eric circled one another, studying each other's movements carefully. He struck first, aiming for your right shoulder. But you were quick to duck, spinning around for a clear shot at his side. You kicked him just below the ribs and quickly fell back into your stance as he recovered.

"Not bad," he growled, obviously frustrated that you managed to nearly knock him off his feet.

"For an Amity?" you asked, blowing the stray hair out of your face. The diversion allowed him to advance toward you, pulling you flush against him before locking his elbow around your throat. "For an initiate," he breathed, correcting you.

You struggled to fight your way out of his hold while he chuckled darkly in your ear. "But not good enough."

Just when you considered tapping out, struggling to breathe with Eric's arm constricting your windpipe, you felt his weight shift and took advantage of all those times Tris refused to go easy on you by taking his other arm and twisting it up behind his back. He hissed in pain and you used your newfound leverage to shove him away from you. He failed to find footing on the loose gravel and fell onto his back a few feet away.

The sun was just barely peeking over the greenhouse roof. It illuminated your excited smile as you skipped over to Eric, claiming your victory by straddling his waist just like you've done in practice a billion times before.

 It felt different this time. Maybe it was just because you weren't being watched by the rest of your peers. Or maybe because this was the first time that your success felt earned. Deserved.

Eric swallowed, watching the sun weave through your hair as you cocked your head to the side. Your eyes were on fire, commanding his attention as you let a soft, excited giggle slip through your lips. "Did I win?"

You won a long time ago, but he could never tell you that. He could never tell you that by the time you made your way onto that rooftop – this rooftop – that you had already won every fight that there was to win against him and his cold-beating heart.

So instead, he only smirked, exposing his sharp canines. "We'll see." Eric planted one of his hands on your outer thigh, using this grip to flip both of you over so that you were laying in the gravel once more.

From up above, he could only watch in awe as the golden rays of the sun shimmered against your skin. Even after a fight, you were able to cast that fucking spell on him. The same spell that made him forget anything and everything he was doing just to sit and memorize every part of you.

Eric was the first to realize that he'd drifted closer to you until his lips were mere centimeters from yours. You looked up at him with those wide, unguarded eyes as his gaze trailed down your face – stopping abruptly at your lips. He did a sharp intake of breath before meeting your eye once more.

"Again."

(A/N: I lied this is actually my favorite chapter. UM. Yeah. Jai Courtney/Eric Coulter is literally my new favorite thing. I think I'm falling back into my middle school fandoms cause I write the prologue to my maze runner fic today. Debating on publishing either that or my riddler fic on here soon. Thanks for reading!!)