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fiction-boys-rule · 5 years

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An Unforgettable Trip Part 7

- I’m not even going to try to explain why I haven’t been able to post for weeks. This just hasn’t been my year. With a break from school coming up, I might be able to make up for the time that I have gone without posting anything. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It took me a while to write, as I went through many weeks of writers’ block. I want to post something for Thanksgiving/Fall so if any of you have any requests, feel free to send them my way. Thank you for reading and have a great day :)

Pairing: Eric/Sky Rating: M Warnings: swearing, fluff

Day 6- The Last Resort

Sky sighs, grasping her head and pushing back further into her seat. Eric walks over, handing her a glass of water. Nodding, she takes it and quickly drinks all of it. Eric warily stares at her, knowing full well that she is completely unpredictable in her early stages of hangovers. Taking care of her isn't going to be easy at all for him. He despises her gullible mind for attempting to have a "great night with the homies" as she had called their night out while stumbling out of the bar. He regrets not forcing her to stop before she had completely surpassed her drinking limit. If he is planning on spending a special day with her, she will have to sober up a bit more.

"Hey Eric, I'm going to be fine. Stop staring at me like I'm an injured puppy. Help me pick what to wear so we could go with Ivy and Four. I don't want to spend our last day in Paris being stuck in a hotel room.”

Eric rolls his eyes, heading into the bedroom. She hears him rustle through her suitcase.

"Do you want to look like a yoga mom or an alcoholic mom?"

"I'll take the alcoholic mom look."

Eric chuckles, remembering why he fell in love with Sky in the first place. After changing and drinking many fluids, Sky finds herself being swept up in Ivy's crazy schedule and plans for the day. Eric is seated on the couch, disinterested and unamused with Ivy's excitement and attitude.

"Why are we going to split up again?" Eric asks, narrowing his eyes at Ivy.

Four stirs on the other side of the couch, sending a glare Eric's way. Sky realizes she made the mistake of sitting in between them on the couch. Eric responds by flicking Four off, chuckling lightly.

"It is going to be better for us, mainly Eric and Four, to improve our relationships and enjoy our time together here in this beautiful place." Ivy smiles.

Sky wonders how Ivy could be so patient. She is sure that she would have ripped Eric's head off by now with his attitude.

"So for a pointless reason. Great. Who put her in charge again?" Eric grumbles, crossing his arms.

"Eric, calm down and stop being so mean. That sounds great, Ivy. Some of us actually appreciate your effort." Sky elbows Eric's side, making him groan.

"Sounds great. Alright, well I have some activities for you two. I decided that you two needed more hands on and communicative activities to help you become more acquainted with each other."

Ivy hands Eric and Four brochures. Eric glares at Ivy, taking the brochure reluctantly. Four on the other hand, couldn't be happier with the current circumstances.

"Off you go now. Your cab is going to be here soon. Sky and I are going to do other activities together. Remember, we are meeting at the dock-"

"At 8:30, we get it. You've said it like five times already. We aren't little kids. I might have to throw myself off the dock." Eric groans.

Sky snickers, ushering Four and Eric out of the room before turning back to Ivy. They smile, knowing full well that some interesting events would be occurring between Four and Eric during their time together that they would surely hear about later tonight. Sky is surprised that Eric didn't put up more of a fight after he had found out what his last day in paradise would consist of. But she is glad that she can finally enjoy this beautiful city with the company of her best friend.

"You're already going to get us drunk? It's only noon." Sky says.

Ivy smirks, looking out the window at the passing vineyards. Ivy had decided that taking a tour of one of the most famous vineyards of the country had been a good idea. As their starting activity, that is. Sky can almost swear that Ivy is the crazier friend, even though she looks like the most innocent one. The cab pulls into the entrance and the two friends exit the vehicle. Walking into the building, they are immediately greeted by a staff member holding a tray with an arrangement of cheeses and wine cups. Helping themselves, they willingly experience a flurry of flavors that send their senses and taste buds into overdrive. Engulfed into a world of delicious ecstasy, Ivy and Sky follow another staff member further into the building.

"Good afternoon, ladies. My name is Jacques Couture. I am the manager of the facility. I ensure that our products are the result of our hard work and dedication towards satisfying our customers and providing an accurate insight into our culture surrounding our wine and other delicacies. Today we are going to be taking a tour of our facility where our wine is made and shipped off around the world."

Unbeknownst to them, they are dragged into a whole other world composing of wonderful trips for their taste buds and minds filled with curiosity and bewilderment. After touring the facility, they end up with three bottles of wine, courtesy of Jacques, who had taken quite a liking to them. Free wine is all it takes to make Sky feel like she is royalty. Jacques leads them through a corridor until they reach an open dining area decorated with a variation of plants. It is the most exquisite garden that Sky has ever seen.

Jacques motions to the open area, "This is our courtyard for VIP visitors who wish to experience a more personal connection with the vineyard and its staff. But you ladies can have the freedom of experiencing it too. The young lady over there will serve you. If you have any questions regarding the vineyard, ask for me and I will be happy to answer any questions."

"Thank you, Jacques. You have been more than helpful today." Sky says.

Jacques smiles and they head towards the waitress. She seats the two friends at a more secluded area, surrounded by wine racks and decorative plants.

"I feel so fancy. All of this has been free so far. I kind of feel bad. But at the same time, I don't feel bad at all. Is that bad?"

"No Ivy, that isn't bad. It's called self indulgence. You should try it sometime."

Ivy giggles, picking up the menu and glancing through it. After ordering their meals, they enjoy the natural elements of the dining area. After they finish their meal, they are led to another private corridor, until they reach a room with tables near the perimeters of the walls. Different cheeses, snacks and wine samples are arranged.

"Help yourselves as you wish, ladies. Courtesy of Mr. Couture."

"Thank you." Ivy says, giddily striding towards a table.

Sky rolls her eyes, but nevertheless follows her. After consuming a ridiculous amount of samples, Ivy and Sky wander through the vineyard towards the shop in the middle of the building.

"Do you think we are considered attractive here in France? I never got treated like this back in Chicago." Ivy asks.

The pair laugh, their giggles sounding in harmony with the buzz of the bees and chirps of the birds.

"Maybe, but I doubt it. I just think that back in Chicago, nobody admires natural beauty like how it is worshipped here, apparently." Sky says.

"I might have to dump Four in exchange for a French guy." Ivy sighs.

"Believe me, that does sound fucked up. But you and I both know that it would be better for us. Four wouldn't be around so much to fight with Eric. Imagine how much peace we could finally have." Sky shakes her head.

Ivy snickers, but otherwise stays quiet. She knows it's true.

Reaching the store, Sky prepares to get a hold of herself, or to be impulsive and end up regretting her decisions. Either one is fair game regarding her mentality. When they leave, Sky is carrying three bottles of wine. A normal amount for the occasion, except for their expensive prices.

'Self control can't always win,' she reminds herself.

Entering another cab, they take their regrets to the hotel room to attempt to hide them until they will inevitably have to explain their impulsive actions to Four and Eric. They both know who is going to react better.

Afterwards, they decide to use their guilt as an excuse to book a spa treatment. The spa offers a variety of different treatments, and they decide to experience more "risky" treatments. A.K.A. a treatment using candles and fire. They blame their gullible decisions on the fire element. While being pampered, they find themselves discussing what they think marriage will look like for them in the future. Sky almost bursts out laughing at the thought of ever being married to Eric.

"Four is totally husband material. We all know this. It's obvious." Sky says.

"I guess. But that doesn't mean we don't have our problems. Besides, Eric and you don't have the worst relationship that I have seen. Take his parents for example."

Sky laughs, laying her head on her arm. "I can't argue with you on that. I don't think Eric can either. It's just hard knowing how he works and thinks. It's so frustrating sometimes. I feel like Four is so easy to read."

"He can be, but it's more than just that. There are more important factors in a relationship that I feel Eric and you have. That's why relationships are so hard. They are different. People are different. You have to navigate your way through all the bullshit to make way for the love and respect that both people should have for each other."

"You would have been a wonderful therapist."

"Oh no, not at all. I would have cried at the instant of any depressing story that any client would tell me. I am way too sensitive for that job. No one needs a person that is as inconsolable as them."

"I can't argue with you on that. I haven't had very good experience with therapists. I got one after my rape in college. Terrible idea. For our first session her exact words were, 'We all go through that honey. We live in a man's world.' She didn't offer me much comfort or closure. Fucking bitch."

"Well, not all therapists are that bad. But Eric offered you comfort. Even if it meant offering to beat the shit out of the guy that did it."

Sky sighs, "Well, yeah. Even though we hated each other at first. Eventually we started to like each other and I started to really enjoy being able to beat the shit out of a punching bag. Or Eric. Or being able to take out my frustration in another way…"

Sky smirks at Ivy, wiggling her eyebrows.

"You're impossible." Ivy groans.

Sky laughs, enjoying torturing her best friend with inappropriate information. It is just so easy that Sky can never resist.

"Do you regret bringing Eric on this trip? Be honest." Ivy suddenly asks.

Sky furrows her eyebrows, eyes changing into a look of deep concentration.

"No…I don't regret it. I think it could have gone better but that's about it. There is always room for improvement with anything that a person can do or does. I think that this trip actually helped us. We got a little better at communicating and I think that fighting helped us in the long run. We got a lot of things off of our chests."

"I can’t believe that you say you are a pessimist person, yet you always find the positive aspect of things that are usually thought of as negative."

"I'm a hypocrite, I know." Sky smirks.

After enjoying their spa time, the two friends go back to the hotel and decide to relax a bit more. Getting their swimsuits out, they prepare for a quiet afternoon by the poolside. Ivy has a black one piece swimsuit, while Sky has a two piece swimsuit, which is a dark shade of red. Walking together with their sandals and tote bags, they make their way towards the pool. Finding a suitable location in the shade, they sit next to each other on lounge chairs. Sky grabs her lotion out of her tote bag, while Ivy grabs a book out of the bag.

"A book? You're going to read a book right now?"

"Well, we aren't getting in the pool. What better time to read?"

Sky rolls her eyes and playfully smirks at her. While the two are zoning out, lazing about on their lounge chairs, an approaching stranger goes unnoticed until he stands over Sky, blocking the sunlight.

Sky peers over her sunglasses, looking up at a strongly built man. She frowns, looking at the man sideways.

"Can I help you?"

The man frowns, tilting his head like a confused puppy.

Ivy responds something in French, suddenly making Sky aware of her presence.

The man replies, smiling at them both. But he glances for a bit longer at Sky, making her uneasy. His big frame and toned body reminds Sky of past uneasy experiences with men at the pub she would work at night. Suddenly, her instincts spike and she tenses, her body responding to the uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Ivy says something in French, making her sentence sound like she is sad about something. The man looks shocked, looking back and forth at them. But his eyes settle on Sky, traveling up and down her almost bare body slowly. Sky's fist clenches. It's been a while since anyone has hit on her and gotten away with it. Eric is always at her side, prepared to send glares or fists at anyone who gets too comfortable or brave. She hasn't worn anything as revealing as the swimsuit she has on now in years. The weather in Chicago doesn't allow for it. Neither does Eric.

The man swiftly leaves, making Sky relax. She frowns at Ivy, who has a knowing smirk planted on her face. She peers at Ivy, searching her face for answers that she won't get without words.

"What did he tell you?" "Oh, nothing. It wasn't important."

"I don't know, your conversation wasn't exactly short. What did he say? Was he talking about me?"

"No. Well, yes. He complimented your body and wanted to ask you out. I told him that you don't speak French and that you're gay."

"That I'm what?!"

"Hey, listen. I'm all about the LGBTQ community, okay? But sometimes you need a good excuse to get a creepy guy off your back. You can’t really blame me."

"No, I guess I can't. Come on, let's go back inside. I got too much sun already."

"We're in the shade, but whatever you say." Ivy grumbles.

They go back to their rooms and change, getting ready to attend a baking class that Ivy had made a reservation for.

Four rolls his eyes as Eric motions the bartender for another drink.

"You're really planning on getting drunk because you want to calm your nerves? Sky isn't going to wait all of her life for you to grow some balls."

"I have a very well built tolerance to alcohol, so I won't be getting drunk. Just need to calm myself down a bit." he nods as the bartender serves him.

The pub erupts in cheers as a soccer team scores again on the television.

"So are you just planning on staying in here for another hour? We have been here for two hours. Let's go."

"I want to see who wins the game, number boy. Is it such a crime to be a soccer fan?"

"You aren't a soccer fan, Eric…"

"Now I can't have my own secret hobbies?" Eric smirks, drinking.

Four sighs, crossing his arms. Eric is a hopeless cause.

After the game ends, the pair find themselves standing in front of a theater looking at movie posters.

"No. Sounds too much like some crappy romance story." Eric grumbles.

"What about Macbeth?"

"What the hell is that?"

"You know, Shakespeare. Classic plays."

Eric frowns, looking at Four with a judgmental look.

"You read but you don't know about Shakespeare?"

"I don't read. All I know about Shakespeare is that Romeo and Juliet crap."

"Right. You don't read. Totally."

Eric clenches his jaw, glaring at Four.

"Well can you at least give this a chance? There's a lot of murder in it."

"I'm in." Eric says, walking into the theater.

Four rolls his eyes, smiling. Sometimes Eric isn't that bad. Sometimes.

Sitting in a cab, Sky reminisces on her childhood days when her mother would bake on Saturdays and have Sky observe. When Sky reached the age of about eight, her mother allowed her to help her. Sky's mother owned a bakery that was popular in their neighborhood. Her mother always wanted to have a daughter that she could teach to bake so she would be able to take over the family bakery. Turns out, Sky was terrible at baking and her mother could do nothing about it. For her birthday, Sky had attempted to bake her mother a cake as a surprise, but the surprise that her mother got when she arrived home was the fire alarm going off and a panicked Sky running around the house pouring water all over the kitchen, where a fire had started.

Sky smiles at the memory, remembering just how mad her mother had been, but it quickly disappeared when she learned that Sky was trying to bake her a cake. Baking just wasn't her thing. But she had improved tremendously in her later teen years, until her parents passed away and she stopped baking completely.

Ivy checks the brochure, her eyes swimming with mental calculations.

"This class is an hour and a half, if traffic isn't too bad, we can meet up with the guys at the dock on time."

"I think they won't mind us being late. Besides, I want to torture them by forcing them to spend more time together. Mostly Eric."

"You are pure evil, miss."

"That is why Eric loves me." Sky smirks.

Arriving at the building, the two walk in and are met with several pairs of couples who are standing around a small lobby. Sky narrows her eyes, noticing that not one pair of people were the opposite sex. None of the pairs looked like they were exactly friends looking to learn more about cooking, either.

"Ivy, can you hand me the brochure, please?"

"Yeah, sure." Ivy fishes the brochure out and hands it to Sky, oblivious to the situation.

"Ivy…"

"Yes?"

"You put us in a couples' cooking class…"

"What? Where does it say that-" her eyes widen, "Oh."

"Are you kidding me right now? How did you not see that? It's in bold letters, Ivy. Bold. Letters."

"Okay, well maybe I made the reservation when I didn't have my glasses on."

"I thought the class was free…"

"No, it wasn't." Ivy grimaces.

"Ivy, how much did you pay for this?" Sky's patience is starting to thin.

"Five hundred dollars…"

"Five hundred? Why would you pay so much?!"

"Because we are going to get taught by an award winning chef! I thought ‘go big or go home’!"

"Oh, you definitely went big. Now we have to make the most of your money..."

"Are you mad?"

"Ivy, I-never mind, let's just do this, okay?"

Ivy nods, following Sky into the lobby.

"Well, I guess I'm going to actually have to be gay for an hour and a half. You’re lucky I wouldn't mind you being my girlfriend."

"For the record, me neither."

The class starts smoothly, the chef introducing himself as Mr. Torres. The couples go around introducing themselves. When it is Sky and Ivy's turn, they say their names and Ivy goes haywire with her imagination, saying that Ivy and Sky are newlyweds and are in Paris for their honeymoon. The rest of the couples 'awe' at them while Ivy kisses Sky's cheek. When she goes in for another, Sky turns and glares at her, making Ivy quickly surrender.

For their first activity, the chef has them do a series of exercises with the materials and organizing their work space. Next, they prepare to bake a cupcake. Sky can already feel her past starting to invade her thoughts. She hasn't thought about her childhood with her mother in a long time. She prefers to push her past to the side, only focusing on the now and on her happiness. She thinks it's better that way. She can't afford to sacrifice her happiness to think about things that she can't change. It hurts too much.

"You're overfilling the bag, Ivy."

"What do you mean? It looks fine." Ivy frowns.

"Give it." Sky holds her hand out, looking at Ivy in a way that a stern parents looks towards a misbehaving child.

Ivy rolls her eyes, but complies and watches as Sky digs out her mother's old baking lessons from the back of her brain, where she keeps the memories and feelings locked up.

"You can't fill it with the frosting too much or else you're not going to get a good grip on the pipe so you can decorate it accurately and gracefully." Sky says, eyes and hands focused on piping the frosting onto the cupcake.

Ivy has never seen Sky this centered, not even when she is in the ring, sparring against another skilled opponent.

"Stop looking at me like that. I have my hobbies, you know."

"Yeah but, let me explain. We have been friends for more than ten years. Best friends. You have never mentioned that you bake."

"I don't like to talk about it. I've never told you because I never thought that it was important. I haven't baked in a long time. No use getting excited over something I don't like."

"But you're so good at it!" Ivy whines, taking offense at Sky's words.

"It's not that," Sky sighs, pausing her decorating.

She looks at Ivy, softening her glance. Ivy knows about her parents' death, she was the only one that was really there for her.

"It brings back bad memories. They're happy, but then if I think about them too much then I can't handle it."

"Your mom?" Ivy softly asks.

Sky nods, clearing her throat and continuing her decorating, though Ivy can tell that her eyes are far away.

"She was the best, you know."

"I know, but it still hurts, that's why I don't like to think about it. I can't."

"Well if it helps, I think the person that is going to eat the cupcake will like the amount of frosting on it."

Sky shakes her head, arriving to her senses and pulling away from the cupcake. It is overflowed with frosting begging to be released over the edges of the baking cup.

"Your skills are really showing." Ivy snickers.

Sky glares at her, attempting to fix the mess with a butter knife.

"Marriage is a task that needs two people. A healthy marriage does not exist where only one person does all of the work. Don't you agree?" Mr. Torres asks, circling their work space. Sky feels an uneasiness at his swift presence. Sky doesn't like people who can sneak up on her. No one sneaks up on her.

"Yes of course Mr. Torres. But can't we also agree that some people in the marriage are better at certain things than the other partner?" Ivy smiles.

"Why of course. But just because the woman is the only partner able to carry a child, that doesn’t mean that the man should leave her to do all of the work." he winks, leaving Ivy to her troubled thoughts.

"You should really learn to keep your mouth shut." Sky snickers.

"Oh yeah, you could say that. But what about the way you acted when you were taking classes with Eric? You would basically snap at him every day and then you two would end up punching it out in the ring until he would pin you down and then you would get-"

"Not here." Sky snaps, warily looking around.

"But isn't that how you ended up 'going out' with him?"

"Ivy, just leave it."

"Nasty…" Ivy whispers.

"Ladies and gentlemen! We shall now present our creations to the group and I would like you to talk about what this creation of yours means to your partner and yourself in your marriage."

"Shit." Sky rolls her eyes.

The woman next to Sky frowns at her comment.

"Can’t you be happy for once?" Ivy asks.

"I should have just dragged you back to the hotel."

"Oh come on, what fun would that have been? You don't want to end up like Eric, do you?"

"No, Ivy. But this is stupid and not worth making myself look like an idiot."

"We'll see about that."

"Ladies, since you are so eager to talk, I am sure the group would love to hear what you have to say." the chef grins.

"Now that is just discrimination. It's because we are a same sex couple, isn't it?" Sky asks.

"No, quite on the contrary. I also have a partner who happens to be a man. It is my first time having a couple of your type and I am excited to hear from you."

"Oh. Well in that case, I made this cupcake by myself. My wife is not very skilled with baking. This cupcake represents our ability to work through things without arguing and being understanding with each other in the things that we are good at and what we aren't so good at."

"What is your biggest fault, may you say?" the chef asks.

"My biggest fault? Probably my pride. Ivy's biggest fault?"

Ivy glares at Sky while she scoops icing with her fingers.

"How annoying and persistent she can be."

Ivy looks shocked and huffs while the other couples laugh softly. Mr. Torres smiles and beckons the following couple to present.

After their class ends, Mr. Torres calls over Ivy and Sky.

"I am going to show you a special part of my bakery that I don’t show many people. Would you like to join me?"

"Sure, we don’t really have anything better to do." Sky shrugs.

They follow him through the store and behind the kitchen area, into a decently sized room filled with shelves.

"This is where I store my personal collection. Everything in this room has taken me quite a while to make. Some of the ingredients have taken me years to age perfectly in order to make something that meets my standards. So long that I don't sell any of the items in this room. I only store them to preserve them for my personal indulgence or I give them away to special people I know. Today, ladies, you are my special guests. You may take whatever you like from the shelves."

"We couldn't possibly do that, you're too nice to be offering that. These items should be kept for you and people who are more special than us…"

"Shut up and accept the offer." Sky mumbles, slowly stepping forward towards the shelves.

"Excuse my wife, she is not very well mannered."

"Quite the contrary, my dear. Go on, I do not think I will regret my decision. Your wife is a wise woman. I can tell she has a fire in her that cannot be tamed very easily. She is in love, I can feel it. But sadly, not with you. Though I'm sure you knew that."

Ivy blushes, following Sky into the room. Mr. Torres chuckles, watching as Sky and Ivy pick out items from the shelves.

When they are done, they thank Mr. Torres profusely, exiting the bakery with arms full of various delicacies. They walk down the street, settling on visiting a spa to get their nails done, wanting to get out of the sun. The aromas of the pastries have them both walking swiftly.

"Is this a walk of shame? Us being so damn cheap that we jump at the chance to get treated like we're superior to everyone else?"

"It's called being money smart. Come on, hurry up. My arms are cramping up." Sky whines.

Eric laughs as Four spills some butter on his shirt.

"What, you don't have hands to see what you're doing? The butter is supposed to go in the bucket of popcorn, not on your shirt number boy."

"Well, at least I'm not the one that looks like he uses butter to make his hair stay put."

Eric frowns, walking away towards the exit. Four curses as he rubs his shirt, hoping that he could survive this day.

They exit the theater and walk towards a shopping center.

"So did you like the film?"

"Yeah, it was pretty good. Even though I didn't understand much of it."

"I thought you knew French." "I do. I'm just not an expert."

Four laughs, throwing the popcorn away in a trash can.

"You like to read, don't you number boy?"

"Not that much but-"

"There's a bookstore. Want to go in?"

"Eric just admit that you like to read and that you want to go in."

"I'm just asking for you. But if you don't want to go in, then we won't."

"Yes Eric, I like to read. Let's go in."

Eric smirks to himself as Four holds back the urge to strangle him.

Basking in the sun on a bench, Ivy wipes off some crumbs that have fallen on her shirt.

"What time is it?" Sky asks.

Ivy takes out her phone, dropping a cookie on the floor.

"Almost six. We should have enough time to get back to the hotel and get ready to meet the guys at the dock."

Sky nods, waving over a cab. When they reach the hotel, they change and head towards the dock. The lights in the city make it pretty, especially with the soft breeze blowing in the air and the fresh air from the river. Arriving, they head towards the dock and stand near the boats, watching the lights on the boat illuminating the water. Some boats have tables on them, with couples sitting and enjoying a glass of wine.

"It's so pretty here. I really don't want to leave, Ivy."

"I know. Maybe one day. Maybe when we retire we can come back here."

"That's so long from now, though."

"Well, have some patience girl."

They laugh, enjoying the fresh breeze. They can see the Eiffel Tower in the distance, with its bright lights glowing in the dark.

An arm wraps around Sky, making her jump.

"Hey, baby." Eric whispers, making her elbow him in his side.

"What the hell was that for?" he groans.

"Don't scare me like that, asshole."

"Wow, you're ten minutes early. That's a first." Ivy says.

"I was getting annoyed of him. You really can't expect me to not want to strangle him after a day of being stuck with him." Eric grumbles.

"Oh shut up. He's alive, at least. Come on, the boat is leaving in a little bit. Let's get in line." Sky says, wrapping hand around Eric, leading him away.

"What's in the bag, Four?" Ivy asks, peering into it.

Eric turns, sending a glare Four's way.

Four clears his throat, "We went into a bookstore and I decided to get some things."

"Since when do you read?" Ivy frowns.

"New hobby." he smiles.

Eric sighs, turning to find Sky staring at him.

"What?" he grumbles.

"Oh, nothing." she smiles, kissing his cheek.

They reach the line for the boat ride and are greeted by the captain, who lets them board early. Taking a seat at a table towards the back of the boat, they can feel the fresh breeze and the mist of the river.

"Who knew boats could be like this?" Ivy asks.

"Only in Paris…" Four mumbles.

Eric stares at the water, trapped in his thoughts. The box in his pocket is making him feel uneasy.

"Hey, Eric? Are you okay?" Sky whispers.

"Yeah, fine. When is this damn thing going to start moving?"

"Well technically, it doesn't start until another half hour. Why are you so nervous today?" Sky asks.

"He's just tired after a boring day." Four says, glancing at Eric.

Eric nods slightly, looking over at Sky.

"What did you and Ivy get into?"

"Oh, nothing too special."

They smile innocently, making Four and Eric frown at each other. This can't be good.

A person starts to speak through the speakers in the boat.

"What are they saying?" Sky asks.

"The boat is leaving in ten minutes." Ivy says.

"About time." Eric grumbles.

Sky frowns and opens her mouth to say something but is stopped by Four. He shakes his head, making her frown even more.

Meanwhile, Ivy is smiling, having figured out what is happening. Four isn't very well at hiding secrets. The boat starts to move and the group sit in silence, enjoying the moment. Sky grabs Eric's hand, laying her head on his shoulder. He tenses, but soon relaxes and even lays his head on hers. They travel through the river, seeing many grand buildings and other wonderful sights. The end of their tour is near the Eiffel tower, and they disembark. Walking, Eric can feel his hands starting to sweat.

"I'm going to take Eric away for a bit. Take Ivy. We'll meet you there." Four whispers.

"Okay, have fun." Ivy says, smiling.

"Eric, you said you wanted to go to the bathroom earlier. There's a store over there with one. I'll go with you."

"We could go with you." Sky says.

"No, it's fine. Go with Ivy, we'll meet you there." Four says, leading Eric away.

"What the hell has gotten into those two? They're so weird now." Sky asks.

"Come on, don't pay attention to them. Let's go see if we can take some nice photos." Ivy says, pushing Sky away.

"You are terrible at lying, number boy." Eric leans against the alley wall, sighing.

"I'm just trying to help you out, Eric. You're a mess. You need to calm down." Four leans against the wall directly across from Eric.

The lights from the shopping center broadly illuminate the faces of the two men, making it seem like a scene from a movie where the villain is about to fight the hero.

"How am I supposed to calm down?"

"Think of something about her that makes you happy. You know she's going to say yes, right? You're freaking yourself out by thinking she is going to say no. Right?"

"Whatever, number boy. I think I'm going to be fine without your help."

"Eric, I'm trying to help you for once in your god damn life and you aren't helping the situation. Just calm down and-"

"I'm not enough for her! There! Is that what you wanted?" Eric roars.

People walking alongside the alley turn and observe the two.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Four laughs, "Is that what you really think?"

"Why the fuck are you laughing?"

"Because you're a joke. You really think that Sky, knowing her as well as you do, would have stayed with you all of these years if she thinks you're not enough for her?"

Eric clenches his jaw, moving to walk away. Four lunges, grabbing Eric's sleeve, making him turn.

"You will always be enough for her. Do you understand? She loves you, asshole. She always has. She shows it. So don't be an idiot that feels sorry for himself. She's going to say yes. Now grow some balls and go get her." Four growls.

Eric sighs, yanking himself from Four's grasp. He stares at the street, frowning.

"It's getting fucking cold out here. Let's go so we can go back to the hotel sooner." Eric says, walking away.

Four smirks, knowing his job is done. Now it's all up to Eric. He can only hope.

"It's been a while, hasn’t it?" Sky asks Ivy.

Ivy rolls her eyes at her phone, trying to get a better angle of the tower for a picture.

"What, do you think he fell in the toilet? They'll be back soon. Stop worrying so much."

Sky sighs, looking around.

"We should totally come back here in the future. Without Eric, though. He really kills the mood."

"Sorry about that…" Sky mumbles.

"Hey…he's a grown man. If he wants to be an asshole, so be it. But you don't have to be defending him girl."

"Yeah, But I think I just-"

"Hey, what did we miss?" Four asks.

"Nothing. Hey can you do me a favor? You're tall. Can you lift me up so I can get a good picture?" Ivy asks, pointing at the tower.

"So did you fall in the toilet or what?" Sky asks, smiling.

Eric rolls his eyes, "You and your weird questions."

"You love them." Sky kisses his cheek and turns, helping Four to stay balanced while Ivy climbs on him.

"Yeah, I do.." Eric mumbles.

Four and Ivy move to another area at Ivy's request for a "better shot" and Sky is left with Eric.

Sky moves farther away from the people until she is satisfied with her shot. Eric takes a shaky breath behind her, and starts to kneel when his knee starts to cramp. He falls to the floor and holds his knee, cursing. The cold is very unforgiving and Eric hadn't had any real physical exercise in over a week.

"What's wrong?" Sky turns.

"Nothing, just a cramp. You should take some more pictures. The others came out a little blurry."

"Oh, shoot. Thanks."

Eric grunts and massages his knee. When the cramp passes, he takes the box out of his pocket. But his hands shake with the cold and he drops the ring in the grass. Cursing, he struggles to find it.

"Hey Eric, does this look good?" Sky starts to turn around but Eric's hand stops her.

"Yeah it looks great. Keep taking them. Maybe you could send them to a magazine or something."

"You have a point." Sky turns back around.

Eric sees Four and Ivy approaching from the corner of his eye. But Four stops and holds Ivy back. He finally finds the ring and puts it back in the box. Gratefully, it isn’t dirty.

"Babe, turn around."

"Hold up Eric, I'm focusing on the lighting."

"Sky come on…" Eric massages his temple.

"Be patient. I almost got it."

"God damn it, Sky. Turn around, I'm trying to propose to you for fuck's sake."

Sky turns around, frowning. Her eyes widen and she drops her phone.

"Are you serious?" she asks, covering her mouth.

Eric rolls his eyes, "Fuck yes, I'm serious. Sky, I've known you for a long time and I've never met anyone like you. You've changed me. For the better. I know I'm an asshole most of the time but I hope that you can forgive me for that. I love you and I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me, Sky?"

Sky yelps and wipes away tears from her eyes.

"Yes. A thousand times yes." she nods rapidly.

Eric stands and puts the ring on Sky's finger. Sky hugs him and grasps his neck, pulling him in to kiss him.

In the distance, Ivy is jumping up and down, clapping and shrieking like a mad woman. She is holding on to Four, making him stumble. Suddenly, Ivy jumps on Four, making them both fall to the floor in a bundle of laughter and yelling.

When Sky and Eric pull away, they turn to Ivy and Four. Laughing, they see Ivy sit up and raise a thumbs up while trying to help Four off of the ground.

Sky burrows into Eric's chest and his arms wrap around her, his chin laying on her head.

"I love you, Eric. Always."

"Me too, Sky. Always."

The End.

(Just kidding, there is one more part that I’m going to post...hehe)

#Eric Coulter #jai courtney #divergent

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