Title: Misconception
Author: Alysia
Category: Alternate universe as in there is/was no war.
Summary: This is a sequel to 'The Encounter.' He broke rule number one when he returned to Tris for a second night. He broke the second one after seeing her interact with Four. He shouldn't have cared, but he did.
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to The Divergent series.
Author's Note: After posting my story 'The Encounter' and rereading it a few times, I was unhappy with the way I characterized Eric. Worrying that he was too OOC, I came up with this, hoping that this will further explain things and make it more understandable. And if I don't do a good job with that, then at least there's another Eris for you guys to read (and hopefully enjoy).

Chapter 1

As the last vestiges of sleep faded away, Tris Prior flopped onto her back, her arm hitting something warm and firm. Her eyes flew open as she looked at the cause, her companion. She hadn't forgotten about Eric's presence; however, her first thought upon waking, was wondering if he'd kept his word and stayed.

"Morning."

She smiled shyly. "Morning," Tris returned. "You're here…" Inwardly, she rolled her eyes at herself. Wow, way to state the obvious…

"I told you I would be where you wanted me to be," he replied softly, as if reminding her about his words.

He found himself in a completely new situation. What was he supposed to do? Should he initiate morning sex? Or would that not be agreeable to her? Agree to meet with her for breakfast? He'd never stayed a full night with any of his lovers, and he found himself feeling unsure about everything in that moment.

Tris felt a smile creep onto her face in response to his words. "Yeah, you did," she agreed, her voice still husky with sleep.

He felt his stomach churn. But it wasn't quite the sensation he felt before vomiting. However, his stomach felt off...weird…something he couldn't remember feeling. Eric frowned as he mulled over the various options that could be afflicting him.

Tris watched a frown pull at his mouth and subconsciously reflected the action. "You are thinking way too hard."

"My stomach…" He trailed off, still unable to put a name to the affliction.

She scooted away from him. "You better not be getting sick," she warned. Because if he was sick; there was no ways she wouldn't catch whatever he had, not after the things they'd don the previous night.

He rolled his eyes at her and the sensation he'd felt faded away. "I'm fine," he denied. "Whatever it was, it's gone." Rolling over, he stood from the bed and grabbed his underwear before making his way towards her bathroom.

Rolling onto her side, she propped herself up with her arm and rested her head atop of it. She had no desire to leave her bed. And as she bent her legs so they were partially uncovered by her comforted, she realized that her body hurt in the most delicious way.

Eric had been trying to determine the best way to leave her apartment. That, was also another reason why he always left so early in the morning; no awkward morning encounters. And there was the question of who he would pass on the way back to his apartment. Not that he particularly cared what others thought, but he did have an image to uphold. He liked to keep his personal life separate from his work life; no one needed to know how he spent his free time. Or with whom he chose to spend it with.

After wetting his hair, he styled his hair, sans hair products. When he was pleased with his reflection, he returned to the bedroom to finish redressing. However, the sight of the temptress in the bed pulled him to a stop.

He'd never considered Tris an exotic beauty. And she didn't possess the handsome features of his 'usual' partners. But there was a classic allurement to her that he couldn't help but notice. He'd always been very aware of her. He just hadn't realized how much until recently, and it unsettled him when he had.

"You are very enticing right now." He watched her cheeks flush in embarrassment. Really? She was blushing?! Hell, he knew what she tasted like. He'd had her bent over table as he fucked her blind. She'd ridden him like a champion-and now she was blushing?

"You could always join me…" She left the invitation open.

His mouth twisted up in a smirk. She had no idea how enticing her offer was in that moment. "As much as I would like to, I have to shower and get to work. Raincheck?"

She did her best to shrug her shoulders. "I don't know," she feigned disinterest. "Someone else might come along…"

He shook his head. "No, they won't," he denied easily. Eric noticed her wince in reaction to his words and immediately backtracked. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just, you aren't that kind of girl. So even if there was someone else interested, you wouldn't just hop into bed with him."

"I fell into bed with you," she reminded him softly.

"You certainly did…" he nodded. "And the shower and the table…"

"You look…oddly refreshed," Christina observed as Tris grabbed the seat next to her.

Immediately, warning bells sounded in her head. However, she remembered double checking the hall after Eric's arrival. It had been clear…hadn't it? Tris tried to think back to the exact moment.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Abnegation born denied with an air of innocence.

"Mmm-hmmm," Christina hummed, rolling her eyes.

Across from them, Lauren narrowed her gaze first on one and then the other. "Okay, what are you talking about?"

"I have it on good authority that Tris received a visit last night from a very prickly and intimidating leader," Christina divulged.

Christina's clue left very little for her to question and Lauren raised an eyebrow at Tris. Why had Eric gone to visit her? Eric hardly associated with anyone that wasn't leadership or had something to do with his role as a leader.

"I also have it on good authority that he didn't leave her apartment until this morning," Christina piped up, smirking at Tris.

Lauren's eyes widened, almost comically so.

Tris replied with a dead stare. It would have been amusing if she wasn't the topic of conversation. She turned her head and glared at Christina. "What, are you a detective?"

The Candor born shrugged innocently. "You're the one that invited him to stay the night…"

"You slept with Eric?" Lauren hissed, very aware that they weren't alone. There was no other reason reasoning for Eric staying the night with her. It wasn't as if they were friends, and if they were, Tris would have said something…wouldn't she?

She should have been grateful that her friend had kept her voice down so as not to draw attention to their conversation. But the look on Lauren's face forced Tris to cross her arms and purse her lips.

"Seriously, you slept with Eric?" Lauren demanded. "What is the matter with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me," Tris replied with a frown. "And correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you have sex with him back when you guys were initiates?"

Lauren immediately shook her head. "That is so not the same thing," she denied. "I slept with him back before I knew what he was like," she attempted to defend herself.

"That doesn't make it better, you just admitted to sleeping with him before you knew him," Tris countered.

"Fair enough," Lauren admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. She wasn't the least bit offended by her words, she liked sex and she wasn't ashamed to admit it. "But…I still can't believe you slept with him. He's so…Eric, and you're…you." It just didn't make sense. They had nothing in common, no common interests, their personalities were completely opposite from one another. She'd been Abnegation born and he'd been Erudite born; neither faction got along with the other. "I don't get it."

"There's nothing to get," Tris shrugged. "It was just sex, and now it's done."

She hadn't really had time to consider what Eric's actions the previous night meant. He'd kept her far too preoccupied then, and she had forced herself not to think on him since they'd parted. Or, she had been attempting to…until Christina had to share her business. She certainly wasn't about deconstruct what everything meant while she was surrounded by not only her friends, but a large portion of Dauntless.

"Just sex, or really hot damn sex?" Lauren asked, wiggling her eyebrows. It had been years since her encounter with Eric, but he'd known what he was doing then, she could only imagine that his form had only improved.

A blush crept onto her cheeks, and Tris was forced to look away from both of her companions.

Lauren found herself smirking in response. "Really hot damn sex, it is."

A pair of hands settled on shoulders. "Who's having really hot damn sex?" Lauren knew that voice far too well. Even if she didn't need to turn around to check the correctness of her assumption, the panicked expression on Tris' face spoke volumes.

"Four," Christina squeaked in greeting. "What are you doing here?"

The friendly smile died on his lips as he looked from Tris to Christina. The two looked panicked, and he was willing to bet that Lauren wore a similar expression on her face as well. He pulled his hands from the latter's shoulders and claimed the vacant seat next to her. "Eating," he replied. "Although something tells me that I'm going to regret choosing to sit here…"

Tris smiled tightly at him.

"So, who's having hot damn sex?" Four asked with an air of nonchalance. Again, the reaction he received was not comforting. Tris immediately moved her eyes from his form as Lauren and Christina looked between the two of them.

"Oh, you know…I have that…thing…I was supposed to finish," Lauren said after clearing her voice. She pushed her tray away from her and moved to stand from the table.

Of course… It was all fun and games until the ex-boyfriend approached. "Don't you dare leave me," Tris hissed under her breath, looking towards Christina.

Everything was growing more awkward by the second and Christina shook her head. "Yeah…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "Lauren needed my help…with…the…thing…" The excuse was a poor one, and she knew it. "I'll…find you later," she told her friend before looking across at Four. She offered him a sad smile. "See you around, Four."

Tris watched her friends walk away, glaring at them until they disappeared from the room. This certainly wasn't a conversation she'd intended to have with her ex-boyfriend. And considering the fact that she didn't even know what was going on herself, it only made it worse.

"So…I guess that answers that question," Four said, feeling awkward.

Tris' shoulders dropped and she replied with a half-smile. "Yeah…"

"You're moving on," he voiced after an uncomfortable pause. "It's not a shock, Tris," Four added, offering her a small smile. "And we've been broken up for months. One of us was bound to move on at some point, you just happened to make the first move."

She shook her head. She understood his reasoning, but she couldn't say she completely agreed with him. Despite the fact that it had been months since their break-up, there were still emotions there. Their relationship hadn't ended on a bad note. And she supposed that there wasn't a reason to end it, except for the fact that her feelings for him had changed along the way. But in the end, she couldn't lie to herself any longer. And when she'd finally broached the subject with Four, his reaction only proved to her that he felt the same way.

However, he was still an important part of her life. She would never regret the time she spent with him or the memories they'd shared. And Tris was worried that once he found out about her dalliances with Eric, he would walk away from her.

"It's not…I haven't…" She hadn't exactly moved on. "I mean…" She sighed. "I don't know what it is," Tris mumbled miserably.

Four took notice of the fact that her hand rested on the table between them. "You don't owe me any answers," he reminded her softly as he placed his hand over hers. He wasn't sure why she was nervous, but he hoped she'd find comfort in his action. It didn't matter that their relationship had ended. Tris had been such an important part of his life, he hated seeing her struggling. He wanted her to know that he didn't care that she'd moved on, and that she'd react the same way if their roles were reversed.

"I know that." But it didn't stop her from feeling guilt swell within her. Even after her initiation, Four and Eric had never learned to get along with one another. They did their best to ignore one another, but when they were forced to occupy the same space, they traded barbs and insults. Nibbling on her bottom lip, she looked at their joined hands. "But you were such an important part of my life, I feel like I owe you answers. And I'd rather you hear it from me than someone else. And I don't even know what any of it means but-"

"Tris, seriously, I don't-"

She pulled her hand out from under his and cleared her throat. "I had sex with Eric."

His brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm…sorry? Did you just…Eric? You…had sex with Eric? Eric Coulter?" Four could only shake his head. "Eric…who has done nothing but try and make my existence miserable since we were initiates."

She pursed her lips wondering how many times Four was going to say his name. Because there were so many other Eric Coulters in Dauntless…

"The same Eric that made me throw knives at your head during your initiation training?" Had she gone insane since they'd broken up?

Exiting the mess hall, Tris expelled a deep breath and leaned against the nearest wall. She supposed it could have gone worse…it could have gone better, but it could have been much worse. Once his shock had worn off, Four seemed to take the news relatively well; though that was probably because she'd appeared so confused about everything.

"So…that's how it's going to be?" Eric asked in a flat tone, approaching her from around the corner.

She frowned at him. "Excuse me?"

He shook his head, a sneer twisting his lips. "What? Last night's activities not enough for you? Or, maybe it was just what you needed to hold you over until you and loverboy reconciled?"

Why would he ask that? Unless… He'd seen her conversation with Four… "Eric-"

He held a hand out to stop her. "It's not like it matters."

Her frown deepened. If it didn't matter, why mention it in the first place? He was the one that said their first night together was nothing more than that. And then he hunted her down to initiate another night. Seriously, his mood swings were beyond irritating. He was be bi-polar… That must be it. Because she'd never met anyone as indecisive as him.

"Eric…" She tried once again to dispel his obvious assumption. "Whatever you're thinking-"

He shook his head. He didn't need to hear the 'it's not you, it's me' conversation. He'd been involved in a few of those talks, but it he'd never been on the receiving end of one; and he refused to start then. "It's not like it matters," he denied. He should have known better than to break his rule. He should have known better than to go back to her for a second time. "I mean, last night was great; no one's ever ridden my cock the way you did."

As soon as the words passed his lips, Eric instantly wanted to rescind them. He'd gone too far, he'd known it by her reaction. However, his pride refused to let him apologize and beg for forgiveness. Happening upon the scene he had, Tris and Four holding hands over the top of the table… He thought their relationship had been over, but apparently not. She'd obviously changed her mind about him, them.

If he'd slapped her, she wouldn't have been more surprised. Her eyes widened before narrowing on him. Who did he think he was? Who did he think she was? She'd never been into casual encounters, and because of that, he was only the second partner she'd had. She and Four had been together for months before they'd taken that final step. And for Eric to… She'd never felt so cheap, so used… She felt the sting of tears, but she pushed them away. Tris refused to let him see the effect that his words had on her.

She opened her mouth to deny his words, deny the conclusion that he'd come to. But one look at him told her that he wouldn't believe her. He didn't want to listen to her. Tris knew that no matter what she attempted to say, he would either ignore it or argue against her. And…it really didn't matter. She didn't need to fight for someone who was willing to believe the worst of her.

Unaware of the self-deprecating thoughts hounding at Tris, an unpleasant memory welled up and Eric was unable to force it away.

"Hey…"

The soft, feminine words pulled him from his slumber. Rolling onto his back, he felt the sheet slip down his naked body, but he wasn't in a hurry to cover himself. "Hi…" he murmured, pulling his companion down closer to him. He ran his hands through her hair and kissed her, his hands running down her shoulders and arms.

Breaking the kiss, she nibbled on her bottom lip and pulled away from him. "Eric, there's something that we need to discuss…"

The serious tone in her voice caused him to frown. "Rebecca, what is it?"

Looking down at her hands, twisting nervously in her lap, she attempted to sooth her nerves. "The Choosing ceremony is in a few hours," Rebecca voiced.

"Yes, I'm aware. Hence the reason why I snuck out to be with you this evening," he replied, not unkindly, but teasingly. "Everything will work out tomorrow, Becks, you'll see." He'd been worried, but he knew he shouldn't have been, her words were nothing more than a bad case of nerves.

He'd known Rebecca most of his life. They'd grown up together, their parents were friends. So it only made sense that he and Rebecca grew to develop a mutual attraction for one another. He kissed her for the first time when they were twelve years old. They went on their first date of fourteen, granted, his mother drove them. At fifteen, they lost their virginities to one another. It seemed as if everything worked out perfectly between them, and he had no complaints.

"We'll both choose Dauntless, and whatever happens, Becks, I'll help you."

For the last year, the pair had been in an intense battle of wills when it came to their upcoming choosing day. They had planned to stay together, deciding to leave Erudite. However, it hadn't been easy, selecting a faction. And they'd only recently settled on Dauntless, and Eric had been much more interested than her.

"I know you would," she breathed, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Eric, I'm not going with you," she said, disconnecting from him completely.

His world crashed down around him. He turned to her, his eyes wide with confusion. "Excuse me?" When had she decided that? They'd made plans…together. What was the point of that, if she was going to disregard them?

"You and I both know I'm not cut out for Dauntless," she denied in a soft voice.

"You know I would help you in any way possible." He'd make sure that she passed initiation. "I would never leave you to become factionless."

She shook her head. "I know, but the more I reflect…Eric, what did you get as a result from your test?"

He frowned at her. What did it matter what he got? "Dauntless," he whispered the partial truth. "I received Dauntless. What about you?"

"Erudite."

"You know that we don't actually have to follow the test results," he said softly. "It's just a way to help guide people, but it doesn't mean…" he shook his head, a desperateness settled into his chest cavity. "Becks…" As the time approached for the Choosing Ceremony, she hadn't once betrayed an air of insecurity, maybe if she had, he would feel better equipped to deal with their conversation? He didn't understand where this was coming from.

"I'm staying here…" She paused, as if gathering her nerves. "Do you remember Charles?"

He pursed his lips. Charles Price had been a year older than them in school. And Eric remembered that Rebecca had once harbored feelings for the older boy. Before his own relationship with Rebecca, Eric remembered that the two had shared a brief relationship, which ended when Charles moved on to another girl.

"I ran into him a few weeks ago."

He sighed loudly. She'd run into her former boyfriend? Lovely, how come she'd never mentioned it before this night? "What exactly are you trying to tell me?" He'd rather she just spit it all at once. "You and Charles reconnected? Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm so sorry," she apologized, not even denying his words. "I didn't plan for it, it just…happened."

He suddenly realized that he was naked in front of a young woman that was no longer his girlfriend. "You're staying in Erudite because of him? To be with him?"

"He isn't the only reason, but yes, we're going to be together. He's already spoken to my father." And her father had already consented to a formal relationship. And if everything worked out between them, they would one day be married.

Eric shook his head and jumped to dress. Not only had she cheated on him, but her father had consented to a relationship between them that would one day, more than likely, lead to a marriage? He'd never spoken to her father about requesting Rebecca's hand. He figured that he wouldn't have to after they defected.

He was very aware of the ring box burning a hole in his pocket. Maybe it was a bit premature, they were both still young. However, she'd been a necessary part of his life since he could remember. He couldn't think of one memory that she wasn't a part of. And so he'd saved up his allowance and purchased a ring. It wasn't by any means large or overly gaudy, but he'd spent enough money on it that she would have been proud to wear it.

"How could you do this to me?" He asked, his voice thick with emotion. "We were supposed to transfer together." Oddly enough, it never once crossed his mind to offer to stay with her in Erudite. "We were supposed to be together for the rest of our lives."

She shook her head. "You never once spoke about that."

He glared at her. "First of all, that does not excuse the fact that you cheated me. Secondly, what? You thought we'd transfer to a new faction and I'd drop you like a hot coal?" He would have never done that, and he felt insulted that she would think he'd behave in such a way. "Rebecca, if I hadn't wanted to be with you, I wouldn't have asked you to transfer with me." He honestly thought she'd be his forever.

"Eric, I do love you-"

"Don't you dare say that to me!" He watched her startle. Taking a deep breath, he attempted to calm himself. "You can't tell me that you're marrying someone else and then in the next breath, claim to love me."

"I never wanted to hurt you. I…you're a very important part of my life, Eric."

He could no longer hold his scoff. "Yeah, so important to you…just not quite enough since I ranked below Charles." Did she not realize that she'd just broken him? He swore he'd never let another woman into his heart. He'd never give someone the ability to break his heart again. "So what was tonight about? You wanted one last pleasurable fuck before resigning yourself to a life with Charles?" She'd grow to regret her decision. In school, Charles had been unable to reconcile himself to one relationship, always searching for the next best thing. Even if they did marry, Charles would never remain faithful to her. He watched her wince and satisfaction welled within him.

"Eric, please…"

He smirked at her, ignoring her pleading. "I wish I had known that it was our last time, I would have made sure to commit it to memory. But soon enough, it…and you will be forgotten."

"You say that as if you have plenty of experience, as if I'm not your only lover." She knew he was lashing out, she'd expected as much, but his words still bit at her.

"You're my only lover as of yet," he corrected harshly. "Mark my words, Rebecca, you're going to regret your decision one day. One day, when your husband cheats on you with yet another woman, never remaining completely discrete about it; you're going to wonder what happened to me. And me? I'm going to be a leader, I'm going to have scores of women under my belt and you'll be nothing more than a distant memory."

True to his words the night that he parted from Rebecca, he had excelled through initiation. He was ranked one of the top initiates during the first phase, and secured his place at second when Four beat him during the second phase. He'd done well enough that he was invited to join the ranks of leadership. The first year after his initiation, he spent training under existing leaders. The first year as an official leader had proved challenging, but he'd promised to make a name for himself.

And just as he'd sworn to himself, he'd never once opened himself up to another woman. Oh, they'd tried. Several women, both young and old had attempted to claim him as something more than a lover, but he'd been resistant to all. He enjoyed the attention and more often than not, that meant they were willing to do just about anything in their desire to land him. However, he was comfortable with one night stands. His leadership training hadn't offered much spare time.

And his desire to prove himself as a leader, had left him even less. As the months passed; the women that were once interested in securing him, realized that he was content to remain unattached. However, he was never left alone for very long when he was in want of a partner when the desire arose. And his partners seemed to understand his contentment. It was one thing that he always made sure to emphasize before anything further happened between them.

He shook his thoughts away. "I should have known better," he quietly lectured himself. "Oh well," Eric attempted to excuse the fact that his stomach was twisting furiously. "Live and learn, right?" He asked, sneering at her. His eyes trailed up and down her body. Hesitating from moving on, he silently asked her to deny his words, to fight him, beg him to stay. She didn't move a muscle and he shook his head; whether if it was at her or himself, he didn't know. "I guess I'll see you around," he shrugged off, turning around and leaving Tris.

AN: So that's the first chapter. I'm thinking this will only be two chapters; maybe three, at most. I hope I provided some insight into why Eric is the way he is (or my version of him anyway).