Divergent One Shots (Eric & Tris)

Twenty-Sweet Dreams 6.1

Eric

She taps gently on my office door at the same time as usual, waiting for me to call her in.  I look forward to this moment every workday—the best part of my day.  She enters smiling brightly at me with a tray full in hand. She looks exceptionally beautiful today.  She curled her hair which is rare.  She has that simple black dress of hers that's more fitted than what she normally wears—modest but still alluring.  Her perfume is either new or possibly older and I'd never noticed it before.  I'm thinking by how nice she looks that she must be going out this evening.  It is a Friday after all. 
As she steps in, I observe that this time appears to be green tea with some sort of small cake.  She places one plate down on my desk and I watch her hands as she sets them before me.  I see the engagement ring on her finger—always standing out so much. It's a thin golden band with a chip of a diamond. It's got either silver or white gold behind it to make the minuscule stone appear larger than it is. I know Four's salary isn't anywhere near mine but the way she appreciates that ring, one would think he'd given her the world. I've seen how she plays with it at times and looks down admiring it. I know she's still a simple girl with simple tastes but it is actually admirable the way she cherishes that small gift.
She takes my outgoing stack of completed paperwork and adds them to the file folder under her tray.  I thank her, giving me the most radiant smile from her in reply. 
"You're welcome," she responds before turning to leave. 
I sigh shakily. I know she's with Four and they're engaged. I shouldn't be looking at her like this. She's taken. It's just so hard for me to turn my feelings for her off. He knew I was interested and he still went after her. I know how she feels about him, too. It's been evident since initiation. She tried to kiss him before becoming a member. Just thinking about him like that even put him in her fear landscape. If it were me, I'd be completely flattered.  I laughed both times because... what really could I do? When I'm uncomfortable, I laugh. 
I mentally shove these thoughts out of my head sighing once more. I've got to move on. It's never going to happen and I need to let it go. 
I set the paper in front of me aside and slide the plate she gave me over.  I examine it as usual.  It's a plain cup of hot green tea.  She always chooses the best variety.  The cake is small, adequate for the little cup she gave us and just the right size for in between meals.  It's beautiful though, colored by hand with a little red flame on top with an edible golden decoration painted on the tips.  It's amazing, like a little work of art. 
I have always felt sluggish halfway through lunch and dinner in the office before she joined us and needed something to get me through the day.  Her slightly caffeinated beverages and sweets generally give me exactly the boost I've needed to complete the heaps of responsibilities I handle throughout the day. 
Lydia told me once that she asked her about these.  I always assumed she got these from a bakery in the Pit... but Lydia is more nosy and talkative—originally from Candor—and inquired about where she bought these.  Tris divulged that she makes them by hand.  It's a hobby of hers and she loves spending her evenings trying out new recipes and decorating them.  Coming from a faction where all she had to drink was milk or water, Lydia found out that she went to Amity for a weekend and learned all about the teas and coffees produced.  She's gotten several books on baking, decorating desserts, and drink pairings.  The first time she brought me in black coffee and I requested cream and sugar, she insisted that it didn't need it if I ate the dessert with it.  But I overruled her suggestion and she got what I asked.  They were both good, but definitely too sweet together for my taste.  From then on, I've taken her advice... which is unusual for me to listen to anyone.  But she was right.  She's also an incredibly hard worker and is so skilled in the office.  It's like she's exactly what we needed to get our office running smoothly.  Before she joined Dauntless, the office staff wasn't so organized, business-like, and methodical.  Now it's a well-oiled machine.  Leadership did fine, but the staff was a little lax in their skills.  She's a perfect fit to our team. 
I cut into the little cake and take a bite.  I savor it.  It's somewhat sweet, yet slightly mild in flavor.  It's some sort of layered almond cake with a whipped filling and a white chocolate coating on the outside—like a slightly bigger petit-four.  I sip the tea and they do go perfectly together.  I'm honestly not much of a fan of sweets but the bitter tea mellows out the stronger flavor of the dessert making it more palatable for my tastes. 
I relax in the moment enjoying my teatime, which I read about in novels but never really understood the point of until... Tris.  I set aside the cup and plate getting back to work.  I definitely feel more energized to complete my tasks.  I've got a massive pile in my inbox, along with my email.  I have a meeting in about an hour and a half so I get to work.  I barrel through the stack in record time and handle all the emails as well. 
There's a gentle knock on my door as I submit my last response on my computer.  I look up to see Tris standing outside my door.  I call her in.  She opens my door and walks in.  "They'll be ready for the meeting in a few minutes," she tells me as she takes my dishes as well as the stack of paperwork. 
"Alright.  I'm already finished," I tell her grabbing the file folder I've prepared for the meeting. 
She smiles.  "I'm glad.  I was afraid with that stack you had, that you'd be stuck here late on a Friday night," she laughs lightly. 
I shrug in reply.  "It doesn't matter.  I've got nothing going on," I say dismissively rising from my chair.  Usually when I make a comment like that, regardless that it's true, she oftentimes suggests I join her with her friends out.  I always decline since I know Four would be there... and it would be awkward.  But this time, she doesn't respond.  I glance to her to see her give me a sad sort of smile and wiggle the ring on her finger.  She steps out of my door and I follow.  I observe as she walks to the staff room and sets the paperwork down on her desk.  I step into the conference room and take a seat.  I'm first to arrive.  I see Tris walk by through the glass walls with my dishes in the hallway and set them at the small kitchenette-like station we have up here directly across from the conference room.  She comes in with two pitchers in hand and places them on the buffet.  One is filled with lemonade, the other is probably water.  She makes an incredible lemonade.  It's fresh squeezed with slices of lemon inside and it's the best I've ever had.  It's also my favorite. 
"Lemonade, Eric?" she offers me. 
I nod when she meets my eyes.  She places the glass before me as Ryan enters the room. 
"Is that lemonade?" he questions. 
"It is," she answers.  "Would you like one?"
"Of course.  I'd never pass up on the best in Dauntless," he replies taking the seat beside me. 
She smiles pouring him a glass as well and places it before him.  He thanks her.  Max, Jude, and Lydia all join us.  Tris pours them each a beverage and excuses herself. 
We begin the meeting and I'm distracted momentarily as she sorts my completed work and placing them at the appropriate desks to be handled.  I clear my throat and relay the information in my file folder, passing out the forms and going over figures.  It's just an annual meeting about payroll but there's a few changes.  We discuss quite a bit dealing with what we can do, granting raises to those hardworking Dauntless that are deserving of it.  Jax—our head of security—gave us a list of his subordinates deserving of acknowledgment.  He's always spot on with his recommendations.  We approve all of their raises.  Next, we go over the lists of other departments around the compound—the shops, cafeteria, janitorial... etcetera.  We approve of several of them that we believe deserve it.  The janitorial staff has been lacking and if they want it next year, they'll have to earn it. 
"Has anyone considered the aide staff?" Jude questions.  "I see all other areas represented but not them."
"Is anyone there deserving of a raise besides one?" Max chuckles. 
"We have more in the budget.  I'll add her name to my list and enter them in on Monday.  I'll send out notifications then," I say making myself a note. 
"Alright.  Any other business?" Lydia questions. 
We all shake out heads. 
"Okay.  Meeting adjourned," Jude says and they rise. 
I close up my folder and go to step out of the conference room.  I see Tris at the sink washing dishes with an apron on.  She sets them aside and wipes her hands before turning to the conference room to pick up. 
"Oh, Eric.  How'd the meeting go?" she asks me. 
"Well," I reply.  I'm tempted to inform her about what we've decided but Four shows up.  I step away and take my folder to my office.  I set it on my desk in front of my workspace so I'll handle it first thing on Monday. 
I stride out of my office to see Four stuffing his face with one of those cakes she made.  "Won't you even try the tea?" she asks. 
"That stuff is nasty," he says shaking his head and scrunching up his nose disdainfully. 
"Fine," she sighs.  I see her dump it down the drain and I frown. 
"See you Monday," I say to Tris.  "Four," I nod as I walk past them.  She says goodbye to me.
"So... where are we going tonight?" I hear Tris ask excitedly as she washes dishes. 
"I don't know," Four says dismissively. 
"You told me we were going out together somewhere," Tris says sadly. 
I press the call button for the elevator and wait for it to arrive. 
"Eh, I don't really feel like it.  Let's just order in and go to my place," Four replies. 
"But... I even dressed up," she whispers. 
"Oh, yeah.  You look nice," he says. 
She thanks him for the compliment. 
The elevator door opens and I step in selecting the bottom floor. 
"Are you about done?" Four complains.  "You should've been off three minutes ago."
"Let me finish and we can go.  Two more minutes," she says softly.
"I don't know why you bother.  I'd leave it for the next day," he grumbles. 
"Because I believe in doing a good, thorough job," she responds. 
"Eh, it's not like anybody cares," he shrugs. 
The elevator door closes and I hear her say that she cares.  I see why she's up for a raise and he's never once been recommended for one.  He probably never will with that attitude.