Divergent One Shots (Eric & Tris)

Seventy-Three-You Save Me, I Save You 21.4

Eric

I wake and Tris is asleep beside me. I watch her for a moment. Her head is leaning up against me. I smirk at that. I kiss her temple. I can't help but kiss her lips. She sighs softly and moves a little. I grin and try again capturing her lips. She doesn't wake. I take one more taste before I gently climb up. She doesn't move. I guess she's a heavy sleeper. One last kiss and I leave her alone. I'm sharing a bed with her from now on. She didn't protest much and I'm taking my place at her side. She's mine.
I rise and I don't know what to do with myself. Do I clean the dusty house, chop wood, swim, or fish? I decide to chop wood, then swim and maybe fish. I don't care about the dust. I go downstairs and step outside. I wonder how fast I can complete this task. I used to struggle with it at first, then I got stronger and kept beating my records. I walk through the nearby woods and drag some recently fallen trees back of a decent size. I get the axe and begin knocking off the small branches. I grab all of them and pile them up beside the fire pit. I remove my shirt and toss it aside.  I start to chop the length of the tree off in segments. One is small enough that I'm finished in no time, the other could be split. I set them on the chopping block and split them. I go through the entire tree and I'm absolutely certain that I've blown my old times away.
"What are you doing?" Tris asks me.
"Chopping firewood," I smirk as she checks me out. I see her looking at my chest. 
She meets my eyes and averts her gaze away embarrassed.
"I don't mind if you look at me, Stiff," I tease. Her blush deepens.
"How far did you and Four get?" I question curiously.
She frowns at that.
"We weren't together long. He kind of... I don't know... he seemed to go crazy. He just wasn't for me. He believed those trackers were a control serum or something. After the whole population was injected and nothing happened, he kind of lost his sanity," she tells me.
"That's weird," I reply.
She nods and glances at me again. My smile grows and I move closer to her.
"How are you feeling?" I ask.
"Not bad," she tells me.
"You probably shouldn't swim but you could go in the water a bit—until waist deep," I say.
She pales. "I've never been in the water before."
"Bathtub?" I question.
She chuckles. "Of course."
"It's about the same," I tell her.
"I don't know how to swim," she protests.
"You won't be swimming this time," I tell her.
She wavers.
"Come on. I bet my sister has something that'll fit you, although it'll be blue," I tell her.
I take her upstairs and go through Lizzy's drawers. I find some navy swim shorts. She insists that she can slide them on on her own and she'll keep her tank top on. I change into my trunks and I meet her in the hallway. I take her hand in mine down the stairs. I walk her out to the beach and she giggles at the feeling of the sand beneath her feet. I pull her into the water slowly and she laughs at first and then gets quiet—nervous.
"I've got you," I insist. "We're not going deep either."
"Okay," she says but her teeth are chattering.
"Are you cold?" I ask confused.
"No," she replies.
"Nerves?" I question. She nods. I caress her face and she looks up at me. I kiss her forehead and walk her in gently. She keeps her eyes on me.
We get close to waist deep and her shirt gets wet.
"I guess I get to take that off again," I tease.
She frowns at me.
"Do you really love me?" she asks.
"What?" I question flustered.
"You said you loved me," she says.
"I did not," I deny.
"Then you talk in your sleep," she tells me.
"What'd I say?" I ask.
"I love you, Stiff," she responds.
I think about it a moment and that does sound like me.
"Maybe I do," I admit softly. I thread my fingers through her hair and I kiss her. She responds this time slowly. I sigh in euphoria as my heart soars from the connection, the sensation. "I love you, Stiff," I whisper because I know it's true. She kisses me harder and I deepen the kiss pulling her closer to me. She whimpers.
"I'm sorry," I apologize. I touched her shoulder.
I kiss her again gently.
"Do you want to get out?" I ask.
"Maybe," she says. "You love me," she grins and bites her lip. I kiss her again. I've never felt like this before. 
I take her back to the beach but she decides to sit on the dock.  I swim and she watches me.  She sticks her legs in the water from the end of the dock.  I swim over to her.  I graze her legs with my hands and splash her playfully, careful not to get too high.  She laughs at me.  I pull myself up with both hands beside her hips on the dock.  I drip on her a little but she meets my eyes biting her lip to hold the smile back.  I lean in and kiss her lips again.  She chuckles into the kiss but responds.  Yeah, I love her.  I've never felt like this before.  I think about what she is and I'm so confused.  She's not that different from me... and she's not causing trouble.  I kiss her again before I swim some more. 
I take her inside afterward.  I help her out of her shirt and remove the bandage.  I keep my promise not to look at her but I'm struggling not to.  I want her but I keep myself in control, respecting her wishes.  I leave her alone and wait while she washes, returning to re-bandage her.  I notice as I put the ointment on that it looks significantly better. 
"Does it?" she questions surprised. 
I nod.  "How do you feel?"
"Stiff and sore but not as bad as before," she says eying it in the mirror. 
I stare at her in a towel before me and I'm desiring her more than I ever have. 
She asks me to replace the bandage. I snap out of the trance I was in, doing so for her.  I help her into her shirt and she reminds me to keep my word... but I know she's falling for me.  She was a Stiff... or kind of is—I don't know exactly how that works.  But she's not crying when I help her and she's kissed me.  She clearly feels something for me.  She'll be mine soon.  It's just a matter of time.  In the meantime, I'll be patient with her.
I kiss her as I finish and she smiles at me.  Yeah, she'll be mine soon. 
I shower quickly and change.  I go downstairs and I start a fire outside in the pit by the beach.  She comes outside and joins me. 
"Hot dogs or burgers?" I ask her. 
"Oh, on the fire?" she questions surprised. 
I nod. 
"Either is fine," she shrugs with one shoulder.  "Do you want me to make some vegetables?" she asks. 
"Can you manage?" I question.  "I don't want you to hurt yourself."
"I think I'm good," she nods. 
I add several more logs to the fire and join her inside.  She gets out some vegetables.  I watch as she cuts them up. 
"Do you want fries?  Christina showed me how to bake them in the oven," she says. 
"Sure," I agree. 
She slices wedges and puts some oil on them before sticking them in the oven.  I kiss her head and grab the meat out of the fridge.  I choose the burgers since they won't last as long, get some foil, and a spatula. I toss the grate on and cook them over the fire. I'm about to run in and get a plate when she comes out with it.
I smirk at her. "You read my mind," I say pecking her cheek.
"Everything else is ready," she tells me but she's smiling.
I take the burgers off and join her inside. I step into the kitchen. She wiped everything down, made the rest, and set the table. I set the plate down and she reaches for my hand. She prays again. I don't mind. She's thankful for what she receives. We eat together and it's good. I'm surprised about the fries.
"You can cook anything for me," I tease.
"I'm still learning," she replies bashfully but she looks flattered.
"I've got some cookbooks at home on my bookshelf, although I've never used them," I tell her.
She reaches for my hand and laces her fingers with mine staring into my eyes. She smiles at me.  We finish our meal and clean up together.  I find a package of marshmallows in the pantry and they're still good.  I know as a Stiff dependent, she never got to enjoy the camping experience that all the other dependents got to so I take her outside and toss the grate aside.  I'll remove the foil when it's cool.  I sit her down and show her how to roast a marshmallow.  She tries it and eats it.  She smiles.  I put my arm around her and pull her close as we watch the fire.  I kiss her temple and she leans her head against me. 
I take her up to bed when she yawns.  We get ready together, brushing our teeth side by side in the bathroom.  I help her into bed and tell her to wake me if she needs anything.  I lay by her side and kiss her.  I drift off and swear I hear her saying... "Maybe I love you, too."