Chapter Three: Suspicions
Music was blaring, bodies were everywhere, moving to the beat. Night had fallen hours ago and Dauntless was alive with activity. The Pit and hallways surrounding it were full of people, everyone enjoying themselves. Holding my glass in the air, Henry's hands were on my hips, his lips against my neck. He was drunk and was enjoying himself to the fullest. I'd let him have his way with me, to a point, and then it would time for him to go to bed. Though I wasn't nearly ready for that. Swaying to the music, I gripped his hair, pulling his head back. Pouring alcohol into his mouth, he kissed me, part of it pouring into mine. Grinning, I kissed him again, turning in his arms, allowing him to grind against me. His lips found my neck again, his hand resting against my bare stomach. Reaching my hand behind me, I gripped the back of his neck, turning my face against his.
Looking next to us, Claude was grinding with a short blonde, their lips locked. Laughing, I enjoyed seeing her happy. She put so much energy into her job that it was nice to see her unwinding. The only question was, whether the girl would be around come morning. Claude had a bad habit of having fun and then moving on. But we all had our crosses to bear. Hers would be less destructive than mine. I should never have let Henry so close and yet, he was one of my two best friends, he wouldn't read into it. My eyes just grazed the crowd, stopping when I saw Eric. He had his arms wrapped around some tall lanky brunette, though his eyes were on me. Frowning, I watched him kiss her, pulling her against him as he turned and led her from the crowd. More than likely going to fuck her and who knew what else. I'm sure she'd consent. Who wouldn't want to be Eric's bitch for a night? I'm sure it would come with some perk or two. Right up until he dropped them on the curb.
It was hours later when we finally made our way to our homes. I had Henry's arm draped across my shoulders, my arm around his waist, as I took him to his apartment. Tucking him in, I set a glass of water by his bed before quietly closing the door as I left. Smiling, I made my way to mine, feeling happy with alcohol, but not enough to feel crappy come morning. Opening it, I kicked off my shoes, undressing as I went to the bathroom, I took a shower before crawling into bed, content with the world.
Sitting at the small table in the Parlor, I sipped my cup of coffee, staring at a blank piece of paper in front of me. I couldn't help the frown that crossed my face, hating that I had no inspiration this morning. Maybe it was from the alcohol last night, or it was from something that was bothering me that I hadn't realized was bothering me yet. I hated that.
"Morning." Tori said coming in.
"Hey." I replied without looking up.
She stepped up to me, looking at my blank page. "Have an artistic blockage?"
"Mm." I replied frowning harder.
"It won't last long." She said running her hand down my hair. Sighing, I sat back, still looking at the pencil. "Draw me something." She said sitting across from me, a cup of coffee in her hands.
"Like what?" I asked her.
"Anything." She stated.
Scoffing, I rubbed my face with my hands. "That's the problem." I told her. "I've thought of anything and nothing is coming to me."
She smiled, "Fine." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "A flower. A dark flower."
"A dark flower?" I said and smirked at her. "Alright."
Using soft lines for the petals, everything else about it was hard. The leaves were jagged, the stem bent, and rotting petals at the base of it, a few still falling to the ground. Adding purple and black, with just a touch of green and a dash of red, I put final touches to it before sitting back in the chair. While I was playing around with it, Tori had tattooed three people, cleaning up after the latest.
"There." I told her, sliding it across the table.
She looked at me, turning and looking at the drawing. A smile broke out across her face, "See, didn't last long." Smiling, I shook my head at her.
"Ladies." A hard tone interrupted, the owner of the voice appearing.
My smile disappeared as I stood, "Eric."
Tall, built, and hard as stone, Eric stood before us. For being one of our leaders he was more malicious than anyone. At first glance you'd think him a beautiful man. But the more you got to know him the less beautiful he became, an evilness in him projecting out.
"We're busy. Get out." I told him harshly.
"Really?" He asked stepping in and looking around. "You don't seem very busy to me."
"Well, we are. Get out." I replied crossing my arms.
"Careful." He smiled at me.
"What can we do for you?" Tori asked him just cheerful enough, a hard edge in her undertone.
He kept stepping toward me, but looked at her. I couldn't help but feel tense by his presence. "I was going to get another tattoo but it appears I'm unwelcome." He told her with a chipper tone.
"Have a seat." Tori told him.
"I don't want it from you." He said turning to me again. "I want Pen to do it."
Flicking him off, showing him the feather quill pen that ran the length of it. The feather moved across my hand and around my wrist, turning into ravens at the edge of it, the birds making one last loop around my forearm. He just laughed, stepping even closer to me.
"Pen." Tori said as a warning.
I kept Eric's eyes, the blueness of them burrowing into me. "I'm not afraid of him."
"Pen." She repeated with more force.
Eric gave me an evil smile. I finally nodded at him, "Have a seat." For a moment he just looked at me. "Where do you want it?" He smirked before slowly starting to take his shirt off. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." I said holding up my hands. "What are you doing?"
"Showing you where I want it." He smiled down at me, putting his hand over his shoulder.
For a moment my eyes fell upon his flexed bicep. It was beautiful. I liked arms and if his were on anyone else I'd already be drooling. Only it was him. Sighing, I raised a pierced brow, grabbing a different chair to make him more comfortable. Even now I couldn't deny that when he wasn't speaking, he was everything a man should be. His toned chest, six pack of abs, his large biceps that I'd already ogled, and the fact that he towered over me all made me wet with wanting. His smile grew as he watched me take him in. Raising my brow again, I pushed him toward the chair, watching him sit down, his back to me. His shoulders were broad in the back, his muscles smooth and touchable. Mouthing 'oh my god' to the ceiling, I took a deep breath, remembering all the hell he had caused. All the while Tori was silently laughing behind me. Shooting her a death glare, I set to cleaning his skin.
"What do you want?" I asked him.
"Surprise me." He replied, smirking at me over his shoulder.
"Careful." I told him with a mischievous smile. He just kept my eyes. "Seriously, Eric, what do you want?"
He stood and towered over me once more. "Surprise me." He replied.
Sighing, I put my hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down in the chair. "At least tell me exactly where and how big." He opened his mouth, meeting my eyes. "Yeah, yeah." I told him exasperatingly. "I'll surprise you."
His back was surprisingly untouched. Putting my hair up, tucking my slanted bangs behind my ear, I washed and dried my hands, before running them along his shoulders, down his spine, and along his sides, making sure it was clean. Running my hands along him in various directions, I tried to think of what I should put on him. I wanted to put a giant 'fuck you' but thought that would be inappropriate for one of our leaders. And if I pissed him off I'd be the one in pain. Trailing my fingers from the top of his left shoulder down his back, I was still waiting for inspiration to hit me when he shuddered, leaning away from my touch.
"Are you gonna get on with this anytime soon?" He shot at me over his shoulder. "Or do you just intend on feeling me up?"
Smacking the back of his head, getting him to turn in the chair, I met his glare with a soft frown. "If you want me to surprise you then you need to let me think. Your back is completely untouched which means I have a lot of canvas to work with." Turning his shoulders, I ran my hand along his left shoulder blade. "So let me think."
It was several minutes later and I still came up with nothing. "Pen." He stated with a hard tone.
Sighing, I pulled a chair up in front of him. "Eric, I can't." I told him sadly, sitting backward.
"What?" He frowned.
"I want to, but I can't." I stated.
"Why not?" He asked.
Thinking, I tried to keep myself even tempered. "Because it's going to be on you forever and I don't really feel like doing something fun for me but that you loathe."
"When have you ever given a tattoo that somebody loathed?" He frowned. "You did the ones on my neck."
"Yeah, I know." I nodded. "Because you told me what you wanted." Reaching my hand up, I touched his neck, strictly from an artist's perspective. "And it was exquisite work."
He turned his head, leaning away from my touch before he met my eyes again. "You did the ones on my arms too."
"Again, because you told me what you wanted." I replied gripping his wrist, everything but his arm falling away as I trailed my fingers across the abstract maze of lines on his arm.
"Stop it." He frowned, yanking his arm away from me.
"I did those and they are amazing. But that wasn't just for fun. You thought about them and you told me what you wanted."
He nodded, running his hand along the tattoo, his brows furrowed. "They are amazing and exquisitely done. So do it again."
Narrowing my eyes at him, I was the one to lean away, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were complimenting me."
"Well I'm not." He shot at me with a hard tone.
"Then why do you want me to put something random on you?" I asked him.
"Call it an olive branch."
"Why?" I frowned at him.
"Why not?"
"Because you don't like me!" I yelled at him. "Why the fuck are you even here?"
"Calm down!" He yelled back.
"Guys!" Tori said interrupting us.
We both lowered our eyes, taking a deep breath. "Fine." I told him. "Then you at least have to give me something to go on."
"Like what?" He frowned.
"Give me an interest." I replied. "Do you like trees? Skulls? Wolves? The moon? Naked women? I mean, come on, Eric. You have to give me something. Faction symbols?"
"Sure." He replied.
"Sure what?" I asked with annoyance.
"Let's go with one of those." He stated.
Sighing, I raked my fingers through my hair before pointing my finger him, "You are infuriating."
"And?" He shot at me.
"Stop it!" I yelled at him.
"And you have a short fuse!"
"So do you!"
"Guys!" Tori yelled again.
I looked up at her. "Sorry." I said and took another deep breath. "Fine." I said and stood, going to his back again. "Are we still doing this?" I asked.
"Yes." He stated.
Sighing, I shook out my hands, once again putting them against his skin. Taking a slow breath in, I let it out just as slowly. He jerked again. "Don't move." I told him through clenched teeth.
"Then hurry the fuck up." He shot at me.
"I am going to throw your ass out of here if you do not shut the fuck up." I stated on the verge of yelling again.
Tori slammed her hands down on the table, making us look at her. "You two are adorable and everything but you both need to shut up. Pen, just put something on him. And, Eric? Shut up if you know what's good for you."
"What's good for me?" He shot and stood.
"Don't." I said putting my hands on his shoulders, gently pushing him back down. "I'll behave." He met my eyes before turning in the chair. "Sorry." I told Tori again. Rubbing his shoulders, more for my benefit than his, I felt a nice collection of knots, sighing as I calmed myself, continuing to think. He bowed his head, relaxing. Running my hands down his back again, inspiration finally hit me, making a smirk move across my face.
"How much time do you have?" I asked him.
"All day." He grinned. Turning his head, he didn't meet my eyes and at the angle he was at I could see the length of his eyelashes, the shape of his lips, and the relaxation that settled on him.
"Okay, let's do this." I told him, blinking repeatedly as I regained focus. Pulling out inks, setting them on the floating table, I picked up a pen, picking up a tip from the row I had set out. "Just remember, you told me to surprise you." I stated, pausing with the tip just above his skin. "You ready?"
"Do it, Pen." He shot at me.
Smiling, shaking my head, I started without stenciling or anything. It took all of two minutes for me to become focused and serious. Continuously running my hand along his skin, wiping the blood and ink away, every move I made was precise and calculated. The image was so clear in my mind it were as if the tattoo was already there and I was simply tracing it onto his flesh. This was one of the best feelings in the world. To be able to lose myself. People filtered in and out but for me there were only two people. Eric and me. As horrible a person as I thought he was, I took my work extremely seriously, and I wouldn't ruin it just to entertain myself.
After a few hours, we took a break. I went and grabbed us lunch, eating in silence, though there was a moment where he dropped ketchup all down his bare chest. He was clumsy as he attempted to wipe it and keep the rest of it from falling onto him. Actually laughing, I helped him out, though in the next second I got to witness him tear the shit out of some young teens. He had been unnecessarily cruel to them, all leaving with pale expressions. I called him out on it but that only ended up with heated words and another Tori intervention. Then it was back to work. The sooner I got this over with the better it would be for everyone.
It was several hours later when it was nearing completion. The Amity tree stretched out across the left side of his back, stopping above his waist. Subtly placed within the branches was the Abnegation symbol. In the center of the trunk an eye for Erudite. The scales of Candor entwined with the roots. Flames spread out from the leaves, lapping just over his shoulder. Using the colors of the factions, I created one single entity to depict them all. Though only three were noticeable without studying it.
"Damn." Tori said as she watched. The parlor had been closed for a while and yet we still lingered. "That is something."
Smiling, I kept going, adding as much detail as I could. Feeling rebellious, I looked at Tori, who frowned, knowing what that face meant. At the base of the roots, I gently intertwined my name with them, branding him. No one would notice unless they knew what they were looking for, and Tori wasn't about to say anything. She shook her head at me. I just shrugged and kept going. When I was finally done, I taped together a big enough swatch of gauze bandage before placing it over the tattoo, securing it, and took a step back.
"There." I told him. "All done."
He stood and turned to me. He hadn't said a word throughout the entire tattooing process. We had all said enough during the couple breaks we had taken. I was grateful for that. He would have ruined it if he had spoken with the pen in my hand. But since this wasn't the first tattoo I had done for him, he knew how I worked.
"I swear, Pen." He told me as he gently put his shirt back on, me helping with the back to keep it from catching on the bandage. "If you put something grotesque on my back I'll be coming for you. And you won't like what I do."
Grinning, not wanting to fight with him anymore, I stepped up to him, running my hand up and down his right side, brushing my breasts against him as I kept his eyes. "Bring it on." Then I walked away, calling over my shoulder, "It's on the house."
"Like I would pay you for anything." He called after me.
"Of course not, my fearless leader." I grinned, walking backward so I could meet his eyes. When I was out of sight, my small faded and I waited for him to leave so I could clean everything up. "Is he gone?" I asked Tori when she came into the back with me. She nodded. "Good."
"For someone who hates him so much you do flirt a lot."
"Flirt?" I frowned at her. "Wasn't it you who had to break up multiple fights throughout the day?"
She nodded, "Yeah. But there was still a few moments in there."
Scoffing, I shook my head, meeting her eyes, "I'm not a complete fool. I know what pissing him off will do."
She scoffed in return, "And what do you think he'll do if he figures out that you branded him?"
"Probably throw me into the Chasm." I grinned.
She didn't laugh. "That's not funny."
My smile disappeared and I nodded at her, "I know." Her brother had been murdered there. At least that's what she told me. Everyone else had called it a suicide. "I'm sorry."
"You should be." She frowned at me. "And stop antagonizing him. He will make your life a living hell."
"Okay." I nodded. She had become like an adoptive mother since I'd been here. The moment I met her and showed her what I could do, we'd been nearly inseparable. Which was nice. We were both transfers and even though she had been Erudite, I found the Amity in me needed the bond we had made.
Cleaning up the giant mess I had made, the Pit was lit only with the blue lanterns when I finally made my way back to my apartment. Throwing on a tank that was already covered in paint, I did the same with a pair of short shorts, starting to pull out the paints I needed. I had just picked up a brush when I heard someone drop onto my balcony. Hearing the door open and close; I didn't even glance behind me.
"Where you been?" Four asked.
"Tattooing Eric." I stated.
"Why?" He asked, I could hear the frown in his voice.
Turning to look at him, I mirrored the frown on his face as he lay on my bed. "Because he told me to."
"Tell him no." He stated.
"I tried." I told him. "He didn't want anyone else to do it."
He stood up and stepped next to me. "It's suspicious."
"He doesn't know anything." I stated already annoyed.
"Keep it that way." He stated as he looked at my wall. "Why ravens?" He asked.
"Don't you remember my fear landscape?" I countered.
"I do." He nodded.
"Okay then." I said and put my brush in the paint.
He stood and watched me for a few hours, watching with wonder at the shapes that started to appear. It was very abstract, many images mashed together in one. But if you stared at it long enough, you'd be able to pick out the different factions, each picture depicting my thoughts on them. People were represented but never shown.
"What did you tattoo on him?" Four asked.
"It was an elaborate tattoo depicting all of the factions in one." I told him. "And don't worry, I branded him."
"Branded him?" He frowned.
"I put my name in the roots of the tree." I grinned at him.
"Opie." He frowned.
"He doesn't know." I told him.
He sighed and raised a brow at me, "And when he finds out?"
"I'll worry about it then." I stated. "Don't worry about it, Four. I can take care of myself."
"Can you? Against Eric?" He asked.
Sighing, I lowered my brush. "You're ruining my creative mind."
"Remember, you're Dauntless." He told me making his way to the balcony.
Sighing heavily, I started to put away my paints. "I wish people would stop telling me that."
He just smiled at me, getting an eyebrow raise from me, leaping up and grabbing the edge of his balcony. It was kind of fun having him above me. After I cleaned up, I showered and crawled into bed. In the distance were the shouts of the Dauntless still awake, relishing the night as only we can. It had become my lullaby over the past five years, falling asleep quickly and soundly.