A/N: [Edited and posted 1/30/19] Groan...moan...not another Eric fic! Well, I have said before and will say again that Eric is a greedy, narcissistic bastard and when he demands I sacrifice more time and brain cells for another fic dedicated to his glory...who am I to disobey? This will be short, sorta sweet and hopefully steamy, so enjoy ya'll!

Title and story inspired by Belief by Gavin DeGraw

Character Inspiration:

Devi Nunez- Diane Guerrero

Eric Coulter- Jai Courtney

Elijah - Alexander Skarsgård

Tonight you arrested my mind

When you came to my defense

With a knife

In the shape of your mouth

In the form of your body

With the wrath of a god

Oh, you stood by me

Belief

Builds from scratch

Doesn't have to relax

It doesn't need space

Long live the queen

And I'll be the king

In the collar of grace

Tonight, you arrested my mind

When you came to my defense

With a knife

In the shape of your mouth

In the form of your body

With the wrath of a god

Oh, you stood by me

Belief

[Belief, Gavin DeGraw]

Part 1

A dare is a fucking dare, and Dauntless don't give up. I'm dauntless now and have been for the last three years.

I'm doing ok here. I've made a place for myself and friends. Although it was hard leaving everyone I knew behind in Amity I did it. Even when I knew that my grandparents and brother would wash their hands of me when I left.

It wasn't anything personal, but they're just staunch advocates for peace. Okay, so maybe for them it was a little personal.

They felt like I rejected them, who they are and everything they stand for. It hurt them badly.

I've always held a secret hope they would come to see that I left because my staying would be like a slap in the face to them everyday. Small wounds that would build up in time until finally, I would knick a vein and cause whatever love we had to just bleed out for good.

See, I can't even make an analogy about how much I would end up hurting my family without it turning into something out of a war story or horror film.

The thing is, I have no big story or wrong from my life in Amity. It has been kind of perfect and I followed along every day with a smile on my face. Granted, my family drowned ourselves in peace serum so that helped keep the smile in place. I also arrived to Dauntless with the carb laden proof on my hips and thighs and that took some serious work to fix my first few months here.

I still can't quite kick the carb habit, so there's more cushion than there should be probably.

But back in Amity; I sang happily, played instruments, braided hair and took part in the free love once the hormones hit and I hit puberty. But my favorite part of life back their was working with the animals. Horses mainly. When we had the rare chance to tame one, gentle we call it though others might have called it breaking them in, I was one of the first they called.

I always had a way about me. I can be gentle when called for, but my stubbornness and determination always saw me winning in the end.

That should have been my first clue, I think.

That life I led before, it all changed the day I took the aptitude test. I went in expecting nothing but a life in Amity. It was even all planned out for me. That test changed it all in the blink of an eye.

Dauntless.

That was what the Abnegation woman told me, looking at me with understanding soulful eyes as she did so. There was no hiding my shock or the tears that wracked my body. The woman held me in her arms and told me that it was okay. I didn't know how it could be okay when I was feeling in that moment that my life was a lie. That I was a lie.

Just before I walked out of the door, she reached out for my arm and held me back. Her eyes full of determination and something else that just reached deep into me. "You can choose Amity tomorrow, but if you do you will never truly know who you are or who you could be."

I went home with her words still ringing in my ears and the confusion of feelings within my heart. I hadn't been able to hide the pain on my face, so my family saw it clearly. They knew as soon as they saw me what that meant. They didn't ask what faction I got but they knew it wasn't Amity and they made their position very clear. As gently as mi Abuela could, she let me know that if I left they would not see me again.

They would uphold faction before blood.

I was scared like I had never been in my life but I also felt strangely alive. It was exactly like I felt in the paddock facing an animal that was easily eight inches taller than me and have at least a couple of hundred pounds on me if not more. It must have looked ridiculous. I'm a five foot four-inch latina girl that has a few extra pounds in some areas but still look like the wind could blow me over. Imagine me standing face to face with beasts towering over me.

Out of the paddock I'm very self aware but inside it, it melts away and there is no fear for me.

I never backed down then and that's something that hasn't changed even now.

When dealing with all the animals, I understood that some of the things we had to do could and were considered cruel by others but they never bothered me. Even when some of those things were the slaughtering of the livestock that were specifically raised for the purposes of feeding the factions. I always had the mindset that it had to be done but at least we could do it in the least stressful way as possible.

As I lay in bed that night, I went over things like that and it had been like unlocking some part of me that had always been held back until the revelation of the aptitude test. I knew then that the Abnegation woman from my test was right.

I have found myself here. It took a lot of work and some very unexpected struggles, but I also like who I have become.

Generally, I love my life and who I am.

Even now when I know that, come the morning, sober me is going to be hating the fuck out of drunk me.

I glare over at my friend as she smirks back at me from across the bar table. I toss back the shot and beer chaser one after the other, then slam the glasses back onto the table.

"Fine! I will!" I snap at her, then shove my way through the bar and head to the door.

My three friends follow close behind me, alternating between disbelieving murmurs or begging me not to do it. I hear one pleading with me to back down for once, but that only makes me even more determined to follow through with it.

But seriously, does she really think that's going to happen?

It might be a serious character flaw, I know, my refusal to give in or up. Even when it results in situations like back in my initiation and the fights started. I refused to go down easy and more than half of them resulted in me being beaten up pretty badly, but still I didn't give up. And when my next fight came up, no matter how hurt I was, I stepped up and gave it my all.

That alone got me enough points to eek out the ranking I need to get my Physio Therapy and Medic Nurse positions and titles.

Walking through the compound, drunk and on the highest heels I can manage to get is proving a challenge. I wobble and curse as the stone floors throw up obstacles that make me look like I'm a sailor on the deck of a ship during a storm, swaying back and forth. It doesn't help that even with the heels I am still a couple of inches shorter than most of the people around and have difficulties getting noticed that I'm trying to get through.

I finally manage to shove my way to my objective.

The Pit has different levels with various different hangout spots throughout. Some are open air, meaning they are shoved into some nook that's carved out of the stone but otherwise have no real enclosures. Others are full on bars with swinging doors and everything.

Where I need to be is an open air hangout that is really popular with the high ranking people in Dauntless. It's a prime location because it's high enough up that the people in there can see most all places in the Pit. Leaders are known for hanging out there after hours to be able to keep an eye on things and wind down.

I always thought that it made them half being part of the faction and half sitting on thrones and lording over them. As I spot him, that analogy seems to hit home. He sits at the table like a king on his throne and the people surrounding him sure seem intent on treating him like he's one.

I can't help but observe this with a sneer crossing my face as it sure doesn't seem he's suck a reluctant 'king' as he's always claiming. He seems to be eating it up as they all gather to kiss his feet and lick his ass.

That's exactly the thought that got me into the position I am now; drunkenly weaving my way towards the table. Just a bit ago I loudly made that comment to my friends in the middle of an angry rant, and my friend Aj immediately jumped on it, daring me to say those exact words to his face.

And dammit, I'm just mad and drunk enough that I'm going to do just that. He needs to know how fucked up what he did is and I am going to tell the legendary Four just what I think of him!

I make my way to his table but there's a virtual wall of people around him. Some are standing, most are sitting in or on any available surface. Not one of them pays any attention to me as I give polite squeaked pleads to be let through.

One guy looks me dead in the eye, raises an eyebrow and snorts dismissively.

If I wasn't already pissed, that sure did the damn trick, it just fuels it even more driving any sense of propriety or rational thought from my mind.

Generally, I'm a pretty even tempered unless it comes to something I am passionate about. A recent discovery of mine is that once my temper is lit it makes me into a volcano. A tiny one, no doubt, but don't let my size fool you. I can do some damage now when I need to.

Lucky for the douchebag that fanned the flames, my fuse was already lit by someone else and come hell or high water he was going to know it. I furiously look around and my eyes narrow at the nearest table as an idea pops into my head.

With a determined smile I stomp my way over to the table and start to climb up it. I completely disregard the fact that this table is currently occupied. There was an empty space for me to use for the climb and that was invitation enough for me.

Glasses and bottles scatter and fall, breaking as they go while I scramble up onto the table and then wobble as I move from my kneeled position to try and stand. The table is solid stone and has no give but my slim stilettos don't seem to like this new development.

I look down at the shoes I fell in love with and just had to have, prepared to give them a glare and order to behave but get distracted by the realization that they really do make my legs looking killer like Vera gushed about when I first showed up in them earlier tonight.

The shouting from around me, as the occupants of the table protesting the loss of a drink, brings me around and I shake my head then the drunken smirk from my face.

"Focus, Devi!" I loudly scold myself and square my shoulders, lifting my chin as my eyes zero in on my target.

This is when I notice that many eyes are on me and there are even some people catcalling or whistling while chanting 'dance, dance'. I would tell those idiots off normally but I see this has gotten the person's attention I wanted all along.

"Hey, Four!" I bellow out loudly, trying to really project my voice. I figure just telling Four what I think isn't enough anymore. The whole damn faction should know.

The table under me shakes with the force of whoever just slammed their fist down as they yelled. "Fucking figures," with something that sounds like a groan and growl all in one. But I'm too focused to see who that is or what he means.

Four is looking right at me, startled enough that he isn't paying attention to the girl beside him who's trying to get his attention and furiously whispering in his ear.

"I have something to say to you," I yell with a hand on my hip and my eyes narrowed in anger.

"Devi?" He calls out and that stupid concerned looks he gets crosses his face. "Are you drunk right now?"

"No! And fuck you with your…" I gesture wildly at him, meaning to indicate his face and failing so try again using my face while searching for the words to describe what I mean but they are all coming up Spanish in my mind. When the english words finally come to me I gasp out and continue on triumphantly. "Your stupid puckered forehead and puppy dog eyes, trying to look all concerned and nice. I've got news for you. Eres un cabròn. You aren't as nice as you play at being or what everyone thinks and I'm sick of it!"

"Well, this just got interesting," Drifts up to me from somewhere below me while around me I can hear mixed reactions from the audience.

There are a good many girls that are scowling at me, shouting out insults. Other people are simply chuckling or making various other amused sounds and cheers.

Four briefly looks at the blurry and out of focus girl, as the drinks start to really hit me hard, who's still trying to get his attention and seems to make some kind of reassuring gesture to her while he stands and locks eyes with me. His eyes are narrowed in that same concerned look while he slowly starts to raise his hands while approaching me.

It would almost look like he's trying to reassure me but honestly, to me it just looks like he's surrendering.

"If this is about earlier today…"

Him speaking and the raised hands just irritate me and I scowl while hissing to myself in irritation. "Dauntless don't give up."

Then I stomp my foot on the table in determination, ready to repeat that outloud, making something shatter beneath the point of my heel. Someone jumps back from the table cursing but again I press on.

"Remember that? Dauntless don't give up. We both learned the same thing but maybe I remember it better than you do. Maybe it was too easy for you, Mr. Dauntless prodigy," I snort the unofficial nickname for him. "Maybe if you had learned the hard way, like I had to, it would have stuck a little bit better for you." I pop my hip out to the side and put my hand on it while staring him down.

"Do you even try…" I wave my hand out, almost losing my balance in the process but managed to stay standing "...to actually help them, the initiates you insist on continuing to train? Did you actually try and help that girl? Did you try and tell her that the pain would pass and she would get stronger for it if she could just hang on? No! What did you say to her while she was laying in that bed ready to give up and walk away?" I'm furious now, my blood boiling at the memory. "All you said to her was that these were the new rules and there was nothing that could be done. All you did was imply...hey...I know you just got the shit kicked out of you but that wasn't my fault. I didn't make the rules. I just have to go by them. Not one word from you that she could become more, that she could become Dauntless. It's bullshit!" I yell once again, but this time even more fiercely.

The force my yelling and using my body to gesture in my anger unbalances my already precarious position and I lurch forward, arms flailing wildly as I pitch forward. I close my eyes, certain my end is coming, and wonder what they're going to say at my memorial at the chasm.

'Devi, she went how all Dauntless should. Pissed and stupid.'

"Alright. That's enough for you tonight." A voice drawls surprisingly close to me and I realize that the hard feeling against my body is actually the body of someone else, not the ground as I expected. Someone that has me in held tightly in his arms and even tighter against his body.

I decide it's safe to open my eyes again to see who my savior from a very humiliating death is and get an eye full of black clothes until they travel up to see a jawline made of stone and even harder icey blue eyes glaring down at me.

"Leave her alone, Eric. She's drunk and doesn't know what she's doing. I'll get her home." Four says, getting my attention and I look to see he's standing in front of me after having barely had to push his way through the crowd.

They all just fucking parted for him like the Moses and the Red Sea.

"Como si fuera a ir a cualquier parte contigo. Metelo en el culo Mejor aún, ¡espero que un pollo te pique la polla!" I spit out furiously while glaring at Four.

"Sounds like she doesn't want anything to do with you at the moment." Eric says with a chuckle after I threw out a few more choice words in Spanish. More insults that were all livestock oriented and made not a damn bit of sense outside of Amity.

"I don't!" I nod firmly with a look of smug defiance.

"Devi, you're drunk and upset about the girl leaving. But you don't need to be going off alone with him."

The already taut muscles of Eric's arms go even tighter as he tenses. It almost feels like there's a slight tremor in his muscles and apprehension radiates up and down my spine, tingling along the way.

I might not know a lot about Eric, despite being in the same faction for over three years and having shared the same initiation. But there is one thing I know for sure and that is Eric's temper makes mine look like a missile strike against his nuclear explosion.

Still, this isn't Eric's fight and I refuse to let him take it on and fight it for me. I started this and I intend to finish it.

"Fuck you, Four!" I snarl out, my face contorting in my anger.

He was already stepping forward, arms out to take me from Eric. I swiped at his arms violently, but then immediately switched to gripping Eric's arms tightly, nails digging in, when I felt him moving me. There was a moment I thought he was going to hand me over, and I certainly didn't want that to happen, but it turned out he was moving me away from Four.

"You don't get to tell me what I should do. And that girl has a fucking name by the way. It's Rain, and now she'll never have the family she left everyone behind for because you didn't even try to talk out of walking away. Why didn't you try! You could've told her that it gets better and the pain doesn't last. You want to look down your nose at Eric, but at least he was honest with her and the rest of them. Yes, he was pushing them hard but at least when he was she had a chance. Then you went and complained to get your way. Everyone is always so ready to kiss your ass and lick your feet…." I pause and shake my head because that isn't right, "I mean kiss your feet and lick your ass…" That sounds right but confusion makes it feel like it isn't. "You know what I mean!" I huff finally. "Sometimes you have to break someone to make them stronger and she needed to know that."

I can tell I've royally pissed off Four, but I don't care. It's all true.

But really, it hurt me so much to watch that girl throw her life away by giving up and that made me I need to hurt someone in return.

"Enough, Devi. You've had your say. Now go sleep it off, but we will be talking about this privately." Four says lowly before turning and walking away, vanishing into the crowd that rushes in and blurs around him.

Things had already started to go on the blurring, spinning side but it feels like hits me even harder all of the sudden. I guess the rush of adrenaline that was pushing me through my drunken state has finally started to fade enough that all that liquor I downed in a short amount of time has decided it's time to really have fun with me.

You would think they have already had their fill by me showing my ass in the Pit, but obviously they aren't done with me. It's leaving me spinning and groaning as I let my head briefly rest against the solid surface of Eric's chest.

"I don't feel so good," I mutter into his chest after some minutes pass and the spinning hasn't gotten any better.

I don't dare to open my eyes. At first it feels like the air is rushing past my body, making me think I am really am spinning. When I look up all I see is Eric staring straight ahead with his jaw tense but his mouth moving slightly. Like he's muttering under his breath.

I look away from him to see that sensation of air brushing along my body is because we are in motion. Eric still has me locked against his body and is walking at a steady pace while not rushing. We are nowhere near the pit, telling me he's already been walking for a bit and I didn't even realize it.

I try to determine where we are but everything looks like blurred streaks making my head hurt and stomach flip. I groan and slam my eyes shut again.

"I swear if you throw up on me I'll assign you maid duties in my apartment for a fucking month."

"I won't. I just spin." I reply with a pained sigh before I dare to open my eyes again. Trying to look around me. The doors and hallways are all speeding by and nothing looks familiar. "Are you taking me home with you, Eric?"

The words come out and I pause, tilting my head, because it sounds off to me. Almost as if there was excitement in them.

Eric chuckles but it's so deep and husky that the only reason I realize it is a chuckle is because his body and chest vibrates with it.

He comes to a stop and looks down at me when I tilted my head back to look up at him. His eyes look darker in the light of the residential hallways and the shadows from them make his cheeks morph so that his natural predatory expression just seems even more feral.

His eyes flick away from me and he takes a breath then shifts so he has all my weight in one arm while also using his leg to balance me. He leans towards me until I can almost feel the heat of his breath on me. "Not tonight little one," He pauses and lifts his free arm to pound on a door then wraps that arm securely around me again.

Silence fills the heartbeats as I look between him and the door, wondering what the hell's going on. When there is rustling coming from the other side, Eric gets my attention again. This time it isn't just the heat of his breath, but the brush of his lips against my ear as he speaks. "You might not have meant to get my attention, Devi," Locks are being thrown on the other side of the door when I swear I feel the nip of his teeth on the tip of my ear, "But you certainly have it, little one. You better be ready for me now."

Is that a threat? A promise? Why does it feel like both?

The door opens suddenly and I see Tori standing there, completely disheveled and looking extremely put out to be disturbed.

That's the thing I most admire about the older woman. I'm sure that most would be a bit uneasy to have to approach her when she is looking like this; while if I tried to pull it off I would look like a petulant child. She's certainly always been respected by those that know her but especially now that she became one of our leaders after all the bullshit that went on with Erudite with the assistance of the old Dauntless leader regime.

I grin drunkenly at her which causes her to sniff but her expression softened slightly for me. Then her eyes shifted over and hardened again when she eyes Eric. Or rather me in Eric's arms.

"Little late for a tattoo don't you think, guys?" She deadpans while crossing her arms over her chest.

I start to chuckle, while Eric starts to move without even replying. He doesn't even ask before he moves forward and through the door, with Tori scowling in his direction but not stopping him either.

His steps take him quickly to the couch where he leans down from the waist and deposits me onto the cushions while speaking over his shoulder to Tori. "Take care of that for me, will ya? I'll be back to retrieve her in the morning." He straightens and turns his back to me. Completely ignoring the fact that he's disregarding me while doing so, and continues to speak to her. "I expect her to still be here."

The fact that he hasn't once looked at me again from the time Tori opened the door along with the fact that he's treating me like some package he has any control over just pisses me off. So obviously I have to say and do something about this.

I pop up to get off that couch with every intention of telling him I sleep where I want, when I want and with who I want….

Only the room starts spinning. I flop back against the couch like a fish out of water while moaning loudly and putting a hand to my head.

"Wait. Why am I the one being stuck with the extremely drunk girl? One that looks like she's minutes away from being sick all over my carpet? Need I tell you how hard that shit is to clean from white carpet?"

I crack my eyes open to try and get out something in protest but get another moan as I see Eric casually shrugging then turning back to me, reaching down like he's going to scoop me back up but he does it very slowly and with a smirk on his lips. "Okay. I can take her back to my place like she was asking, but I won't be responsible for what happens there. I just thought I would give that thing you always on me about, you know, to be less of a selfish dick."

"Well fuck." Tori sighs and pushes him away from me just as his hands brush against me. "Fine. But you owe me."

He grins at her, flashing teeth and looking younger somehow. It occurs to me that I've never seen Eric Coulter smile before. At least not like that. I watch all of that as he walks towards the door with some kind of rekindling of something inside of me.

Before he gets to the door he looks at me, really looks at me, for the first time since we entered the apartment, and winks at me.

Wait...Eric just….winked at me?

It takes entirely too long for me to process any of that and by that time Tori is walking towards me from somewhere. In her hands she has a glass of water and a bottle of pills while a shirt is draped over her arm.

You wouldn't think it with how she greeted the two of us and the exchange after, but Tori is the closest thing to real family I have here in Dauntless. She has been since shortly after I arrived. Sure, I have friends now but none of them are as close to me as she is and none of them were there for me like she's been.

In initiation, I was a pariah.

My former faction alone was already a source of ridicule but I had other things going against me from the start. Most everyone just pretended I didn't exist. It was easier to refuse to get close to someone that was never going to make it. It had been too dangerous for them to get close to someone they saw as never going to make it.

Others seemed to take offense at me being in Dauntless at all. This was either usually conveyed by their taunts. Them making fun of me in any way they could.

I was even attacked once but I didn't go down without giving them as good as I got but I faced them, and anything during that time, alone.

Until one day, I wandered into the parlor. I practically lived there everyday when I wasn't involved in something for initiation. I wouldn't say I was already working there, because that wasn't technically allowed, but I was helping out. From designing things once Tori and Bud found out I could draw, to helping stock or clean, I learned the ropes and was even thinking about taking up the tattoo gun when initiation ended. I figured I would probably get a good enough rank for that at least.

When I ranked sixth, Tori was the one that urged me to try for something better. She knew that one of my passions and eventual goals in Amity, had to been one of their healers. I had hoped to try and bring in more than what the faction normally allowed for treatments, but that had been more of a long-term goal for me then.

When I left, I just accepted that wasn't going to be in the cards for me but Tori made me rethink it and go for the position that was open in the clinic.

"Devi, Devi, Devi." She sighs out my name while shaking her head.

By this time I've already taken changed into the shirt, taken the pills and drank most of the water before I had to lay down when the spinning threatened me again.

She runs a hand over my hair softly and worry mars her brow. "What have you done?"

I smile faintly as I remember the night and my triumph. "I told Four off!"

Tori's hand pauses in mid-stroke of my hair and her eyes widen. Then a smile curls her lips and she laughs softly. "Of course you did."

"Eric caught me when I fell and then Four tried to tell me I shouldn't go with him, but I told him off again."

"Did you now? Twice in a row. No wonder." I frown in confusion but she's just smirking at me. "I'm sure he doesn't even realize it isn't going to be as easy as he thinks."

I shrug still not understanding but not up to figuring it out. "I have to close my eyes now or I can't promise I won't make a Pollock painting of your carpet."

"Eww." Tori groans and gratefully grants my request.

I hear her shuffling away and the light that was on in the room clicks off, making the dark behind my eyelids even darker. I let out a blissful moan and reach up to put the heels of my palms over my eyes and gently put pressure on them, hoping the spinning will stop soon.

It does eventually seem to slow down and I can feel that kind of unconsciousness that happens when I've over indulged. Some would call it a black out but that's not what happens for me this time. As the spinning slows images start to stream by, some I can't make out at all and others I can make out but they make no sense whatsoever.

Like the feather duster and the extremely short, frilly black and white dress…..