Ordinary Acts of Bravery [A Divergent Fanfic]

Chapter 18 - Georgiana's legacy

When I reached the erosion where he had caught me for the second time, I quickly hoisted myself up, moving inside the building to the staircase. Knowing every step, I quickly ascended the stairs, pushing all my body weight against the door at the top, only to be let out onto the rooftop while stumbling a little.

I exhaled deeply when the tall silhouette of Eric came into view. He was standing exactly where we had been standing a few days ago. "Eric—" I placed a hand on his shoulder. Once again, his entire body tensed and he jolted away from my touch but relaxed into it mere seconds after. It was then I pressed my entire hand against him, and stepped around him to gain his attention.

"I shouldn't have done it—my anger got the best of me. He's been on my nerves for quite a while." Eric sighed, giving into the attention I sought. When his eyes shifted to my face, I allowed my hand to travel over his shoulder, down to the exposed part of skin on his arm. He was ice cold and had to be freezing. My hand grabbed his arm even tighter as my other hand joined in, trying to provide him with some warmth.

"You're ice cold." I shuttered while moving to take off his sweatshirt I was wearing. I knew I didn't have much clothes on underneath either, but he needed it more than I did right now. Eric was quick to stop me by moving his arms underneath the sweatshirt instead and also yanking me forwards. A yelp of surprise escaped me when our chests made impact, making Eric laugh as he pulled me into a tight embrace. "What are you doing?" I exclaimed, my voice a bit high.

"Gaining some warmth—just let me." Eric groaned when resting his jaw against my shoulder. I remained frozen while just listening to him breathe, his cold arms were slowly warming up, but I knew it wouldn't be enough, we had to get back to the compound soon.

"Then you can tell me about Georgiana." I whispered. Already prepared for his reaction, I had wrapped my arms around his neck, keeping him where he was as he tensed at the name. "You owe me that much at least." I groaned at him. This was something I would never have done on my own accord, but I figured Eric needed a friend just as much as everyone else.

I would have had no problem embracing Roxy, or Luke, even Elijah but this was something else entirely. Eric groaned before he relaxed even further into my embrace. "I suppose you deserve to know now that I've dragged you into this." Eric sighed. "But it's a long story." He added when a tremble whacked through him. The sudden tremble made me worry and I tried to release him, but he wouldn't budge.

"As long as I'm speaking this will be my condition." Eric growled before suddenly sinking to his knees, bringing me down with him. The embrace deepened and Eric rested his head against my shoulder. "I transferred here last summer. She was a part of the dauntless born initiates. I was drawn to her, to her kindness, bright smile and fiery attitude."

Eric had been a transfer, something I had never guessed but he was full of surprises, so it didn't surprise me all that much. Then Eric drew in a deep breath. "She was the only one who saw beneath my walls, tearing them apart before showing me what it was really like being a part of dauntless." Eric shifted me even tighter to him as a hand shifts a little to low. It cups my rump as he pulls me closer.

"Eric—" I warned and he laughed. His hand then shifted away again and I sighed. "She sounds like and amazing person." I whispered and rested my chin against his shoulder. Eric nod before taking in a deep breath. It made me tighten my hold on him, secretly enjoying this side to him. And especially the embrace.

"She was." Eric agreed before tightening his own hold on me. "Gabriel was there as well. But he turned her against me like he had done with so many of the others and when she announced their relationship, I snapped. It led to an argument, that meant we didn't speak for a long while and I retracted. One day she came to return the necklace that I had given her because she didn't feel right to have it. She was yelling at me while she forced it upon me because I refused to take it back." Eric's fingers dug into my skin as he wrapped his arms even tighter around me.

"I had retracted so much, concentrating only on the tasks that was ahead of me, becoming a member of the faction I had chosen." Eric's demeanor changed as he slowly released me. "Like you, I was attacked by cowards. Trying to end my life by pushing me into the chasm. Georgiana was there by accident that day and couldn't stand idly by—she fought the attackers with me, but fate had it that she would not make it alive from that fight."

Eric found my eyes again, a hand traveled to my cheek, cupping it as he sat back down onto his heels. It was first then I was allowed to take in the full extent of the injuries Gabriel had managed to inflict on him. "Georgiana stood in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she lost her life to the chasm that night." Eric explained while I reached up to place my hand on his.

With a gentle squeeze I removed the hand from my cheek, lowering it to my lap but kept a hold onto it. His fingers even wrapped around my own. "That's why you acted so strongly when they tried to push me over." The words sounded stupid as I had said them, but it was the only thing I could blurt out in that moment.

Eric chuckled, his lips maintaining a smile as he placed his hand over the one of mine around his hand. I could see the split lip he had gained and something in me took over. My hand acted on its own. Like he had done to me, I lifted my hand to his lips, my thumb slowly tracing his lower lip and the injury. He winched, recoiling from my touch. "We match." I laugh, pointing to my own lip.

Even though that was the stupidest thing I could've said in that moment, Eric still laughed at me. It released a bit of the tension in the air before he lowered his head to mine. He was close enough that our foreheads could touch. "Is it okay if I undo what Gabriel did?" He whispered but the words had barely left his lips before I closed the distance between us, claiming his lips before I could stop myself.

Eric was a much better kisser than Gabriel. It was soft and gentle and then a hand traveled to the back of my head, bringing me even closer to him while his tongue pecked for entrance. I allowed him, letting him wash away all the memory of Gabriel from my lips.

We broke apart only by the necessity to breathe. Eric chuckled before resting his forehead against mine. "That was not appropriate either but fuck I could care less." Eric groaned, then he reclaimed my lips. I raised higher up onto my knees and swung my arms around his neck as his hands traveled to my rump. He raised me up enough to wrap my legs around him.

I allowed him to kiss me, while also exploring my body before he raised up himself onto his knees, and an arm wrapped around my waist to bring my body closer to his. Never had I experienced something like this, nor would have thought that kissing could bring so many sparks flying through my body, stirring parts I didn't know could be stirred.

When Eric released me, I felt his arms go around my waist one more time. Still woozy and unsure of what had just aspired between us, I rested my weight against him breathing just a little harder while I tried to still my frenzied heart. "We should return to the compound, I think I have someone waiting for me there." Eric laughed and retracted just a little.

I arched a brow at him in confusion while finding my own knees. Eric's brow furrowed before he grinned at me. "Abby." He quickly indulged with a laugh when he got onto his feet again. I joined in on the laugh when he reached a hand down to me, one I grabbed without hesitation. Eric pulled me to my feet but before I could take the first step, he had stopped me again.

Eric reached into his pocket before bringing out a necklace I recognized. "The chain's broken but it's nothing that can't be fixed." Eric smiled when he passed it to me. I took the necklace and pocketed it in my own pants instead. It was like a heavy burden but one I was happy to bear.

When Eric turned back to the door, still tightly holding onto my hand, I turned my wrist upwards, the small display on my watch showed it was almost 02:00 am in the morning. Suppressing the need to yawn, I turned to look at the moon one last time before being pulled back into the building by Eric.