With determination Eric entered a shop for woman and children's clothes to get some more things to wear for Teddy, while the boy held firmly onto his hand. Leaving his apartment earlier he hadn't thought of it, but Teddy simply had hold out his hand for him to take. Assuming Ethan and Abigail had trained him to so for a reason, Eric decided to follow their lead, ignoring the stares he got while he made his way around the compound.
"Eric?" The shop assistant addressed him a little unsure. "Can I help you?"
Looking at the young woman, he tried to place her. She had long brown hair with some purple and pink colored strains and a friendly open face, on which her unease was easy for him to see. Her age seemed to be the same as his but he couldn't remember her being in his initiation class. So apparently he didn't know her and she only knew his name because he was leader.
Making a move with his head towards Teddy Eric replied: "I'm here to get some things for him."
"Oh." Her eyes widened. "Of cause." Getting down she looked at Teddy asking him friendly: "And who might you be?"
Eric didn't know what to think as he felt Teddy's grip tighten in his hand while the boy pressed into his leg, but then Teddy apparently had summoned his courage and answered in a low voice:
"Teddy."
"Hi Teddy. I'm Mia." "So what do you need?"
Eric was feeling slightly awkward, but tried not to show it and listed with an even voice: "Shirts, pants, shoes, a jacket also a pair of pajamas and some underwear. "
She looked at him oddly at this list and he could see her questions rising. It wouldn't' be good for Teddy, if people started to ask questions. Relying on his most used practice, he glared at her and, well knowing he was being mean, he dared her:
" 'You going to just stand there or are you showing to me where I can find what I came here for?"
Her friendly smile dropped.
"Follow me." She walked over to a corner of the shop where Eric could see children's clothes in different sizes. And there were all black. Of cause there are, he scolded himself. Frowning he looked them over.
Mia's POV
It had been an easy morning so far, so Mia had made time to rearrange the decorations and was so engrossed in her work, that she nearly missed a customer coming in. Looking up, when a shadow felt upon the clothes she was arranging, she found herself face to face with Dauntless' youngest leader. He had transferred to Dauntless one year after her and quickly became leader. So far she wasn't overly impressed with him, but she never had anything to do with him personally.
Startled she addressed him:
"Eric? Can I help you?" Mia wondered what Eric could possibly want in her store. They kept only children's and women's clothes. While she was assigned at the children's department, Jane, who was sick today, handled the women's clothes... Mia was suddenly feeling dreadful:
'O no, please don't let him be here to get some fancy underwear for some girl. That would be so awkward. Eeh, please no.'
It wasn't before he made a downwards-move with his head, that she noticed the little boy holding onto his hand.
"I'm here to get some things for him."
"Oh." She felt really stupid for not noticing the little child right away. But then again who would have expected that. Of Eric.
"Of cause." Relieved Mia crouched down to the boy, smiling when she saw the plush teddy he hung unto.
"And who might you be?"
Much to her astonishment the little guy shied away from her, seeking comfort from Eric. Blue eyes looked at her anxiously under a mop of short fair hair. Mia was about to get up, not wanting to terrify the child, when she noticed Eric giving him a little reassuring squeeze with his hand and just like that the boy answered, albeit in a low voice:
"Teddy."
"Hi Teddy. I'm Mia."
Feeling much more comfortable with the situation she smiled at the pair: "So what do you need?"
But when Eric listed all the clothes he wanted she was dumbfounded, he couldn't buy more if Teddy just had the clothes he wore. Then again, it was obvious that none of the things he currently wore were fitting. She must have looked at him funny because the young leader rudely said:
"You going to stand there or are you showing me where I can find what I came here for?"
Asshole. Just when she thought there might be more to him.
Nevertheless all she said was: "Follow me." Gesturing for him to follow her to the children's compartment.
She could tell, that Eric wasn't happy about what the store had to offer. He looked downright taken aback by the choice of clothes. Mia felt herself getting angry only then he asked with an uneasy voice:
"Are there by chance any shirts that aren't black? Maybe red?"
Mia brightened up again. Being an Amity-transfer she had a hard time with the lack of colors in Dauntless. Beaming at him she plunged into the shirts coming up with shirts in red, orange and dark purple.
Eric looked more contend now and, was that relieve she saw in his eyes?
"Okay Teddy, which do you like most?" Oh, he let him choose. That was sooo nice. Most fathers hadn't the patience. Okay, most fathers didn't even bother to take their children shopping. And Eric wasn't the father or was he? Nah, Mia was fairly sure everybody would know if Eric had a child. Whose child was he? Why was Eric babysitting him or more so, why had someone assigned him to go shopping with Teddy?
Teddy looked at Eric with wide exited eyes.
"I choose?"
"You choose."
Teddy beamed and then looked at the shirts in concentration, wrinkling his forehead.
Mia contemplated if she should tell Eric that Teddy would be over challenged but decided against it. It probably wouldn't do her much good and she doubted Teddy would be really suffering from her selfishness.
Eric's POV
So far everything had been good but now Teddy had already stared at the shirts for some time. It couldn't be that hard, now could it? Frowning he looked at Teddy and was alarmed by the terror shown on Teddy's face. A moment ago he had been happy to be allowed to choose and now he looked close to tears? What the fuck?
"Teddy?"
"'M sorry."
"What for?" Eric was at loss.
"I wanted to make it right."
"And?" He still couldn't understand what he was so worked up about.
"I don't know how." Teddy looked at him miserable.
'Oh.' He hadn't thought choosing would be an issue. He tried to reassure Teddy:
"Then you'll learn. Don't be sorry okay?"
Teddy nodded his head still looking slightly miserable, when Mia addressed him: "Just give him a choice between two things. It's the way to do it with children his age."
'Couldn't she have said so earlier?' Eric glared at her: "Now you tell me?"
"Eric?" Teddy tugged at his pants and Eric looked down. "Are you angry?"
"No Teddy, I'm not angry." Eric sighed, trying to cool down for Teddy's sake.
"Really?"
"Really, Teddy." Scoping Teddy up, he tried to make his voice light: "Now, how about you and I pick some shirts?"
"Okay." Much to his relive Teddy sounded less strained.
"Okay. So which color do you like more: Orange or red?"
"Red."
"Okay and which one do you like more out of orange and purple?"
"Purple."
"Well let's have a look at the red and the purple shirts then." Quickly he picked some red and some deep purple ones. Then they went to the pants. This was easier since they were all black and all there was left to do was to try them on. Same was with a pair of shoes. Eric noticed, that Mia seemed to overlook the gray colored ones Teddy currently wore. Perhaps she wasn't so bad after all. After that Eric picked some underwear for Teddy along with socks and all there was left was a pair of pajamas.
By now Teddy was taking all in looking exited at everything, much to Eric's relieve. Of cause he wasn't overly cheerful in his state but at least he was distracted enough to be at least somewhat excited.
Dismissing a pair of pink pajamas, Eric was about to let Teddy choose between red and purple, when Teddy exclaimed.
"I like this one."
With a bad foreboding Eric asked: "Which one?" Keeping his voice neutral.
"The pink one."
No way. No son of his would be seen in bright pink clothes.
"No Teddy. You can choose between the red and the purple one."
"But I like the pink one."
"No." Eric said more sternly.
At that Teddy backed up with as miserable expression.
Taking a deep breath and glaring at Mia, who was clearly fighting to giggle, Eric asked resigned:
"Why?"
"It has the same color as Mama's favorite flowers." Teddy replied simply.
Eric felt the air knocked out of him.
"Okay." Was all, he managed to say.
"Thank you, Eric." Teddy said earnestly smiling at him.
At least no one would see Teddy in his pink pajama aside from him. He had to be glad Mia hadn't pulled out some pinks t-shirts with the purple ones.
Mia's POV
As they left and Mia followed them with her eyes. Eric, with his shoulders squared, walking like he owned the place, seemed totally unfazed by the stares he received. The bag with the clothes in one hand and the other supporting the weight of a now clearly tired out little boy, if his trustfully in Eric neck nestled head was any indication.
Mia had a hard time coming to terms with the side of Eric she had just witnessed and was still mesmerized by the interaction between Eric and Teddy she had witnessed. It had been painfully obvious to Mia that Teddy wanted to please Eric, although she wondered why. Their ruthless leader on the other hand had had downright conceded to the little boy. Whoever he was, he evidently meant a great deal to Eric. Observing the two, Mia had felt awed. All had went well until Eric was looking through a staple of pajamas. The young leader had been about to dismiss a pink one for obvious reasons, when Teddy had piped up happily:
"I like this one."
Eric had seemed to be thinking along the same lines as her, because his voice had been painfully neutral when he had asked: "Which one?"
"The pink one." Mia had in vain tried to suppress a grin. When Teddy had then backed up, Mia had been still fighting her giggle. She had fought harder when Eric once again had glared at her. Much to her surprise Eric had suddenly asked:
"Why?"
"It has the same color as Mama's favorite flowers."
Mia had watched Eric freeze. 'Why would he go so completely still?' Then she had heard him press out:
"Okay."
'What?!'
When Teddy had thanked him with an earnest smile, Mia had felt completely put out. Something had happened right before her eyes. Something big. Eric had then paid everything with his own points and again she had been surprised. She had believed Eric was only on some kind of babysitter duty, oddly as it was.
When Mia returned to her task in redecorating the store, the encounter with Eric and Teddy played over and over in her mind. There may be more to him then she had given him credit for, despite all his glaring in her direction.