Hello all! I know that I haven't published anything in about a year. Life got in the way. I started working full time and I didn't really feel any inspiration to write. However, I think that it's time that I started again.

I hope that you like it. Please remember that all mistakes are mine. I own the story line, but Veronica Roth owns all the characters.


Chapter 7: "A Proposal"

2 months later…

I finish up my last email for the day. I hope Max gets this after I leave. i am not in the mood to work five hours later than I have to. I shutdown my computer and walk from my office to Eric's. When i knock he looks up with a smile.

"What's up babe?"

"I'm done for the day. Are you ready to head out?" I lean against the doorframe staring at him.

"I just gotta finish this email. Then we can head out." He continues to type away quickly. Knowing him he probably hasn't made any mistakes while typing away that fast. When he hits send, he immediately shuts down his computer, and makes his way over to me. "Ready to relax for the weekend babe?"

I nod. "Canteen for dinner or are we cooking?"

"Canteen." He puts an arm around me, pulling me close so he can kiss my temple. "I don't think either of us have it in us to cook tonight. We've been working for almost fifteen hours."

I smile. "We've gotten lazy. I can't remember the last time that we actually cooked a meal together."

"There's way too much to do. We have the choosing ceremony in about three months. I can't wait for it to be over. I'm just happy that I don't have to train the brats this year."

"What the hell did you think of me when I first came here, since you seem to hate the initiates so fucking much?"

"I knew you were going to be the death of me." He frowns. "You were a real pain in the fucking ass. I had to deal with you and Four making eyes at one another. I swear I felt like I was in a constant state of nausea from you two."

I laugh at him. "I didn't think that we were that bad to be honest."

"It was disgusting."

"We're not that much better you know." I walk through the door Eric holds open for me. "And you're still a gentleman."

Eric rolls his eyes at me. "Of course, I'm a gentleman. I'm always a fucking gentleman."

I bite my cheeks to keep from laughing. "Let's just eat and get out of here. I just want it to be the two of us. I'm sure that Christina is going to try to make me go to some party."

"She won't. You're a leader anyway. She can't make you do anything." He smirks, handing me a knife and fork.

"It's cute that you still think that." I stretch and give him a kiss on the cheek. "She'll make me go. And she'll infiltrate the apartment so she can get me there too."

"Sucks to be you then." He piles food on his plate, and waits for me to get what I want.

When I turn around, Eric is looking at me with a smile. "What are you smiling about?" I quickly look around the room. "I think that you're starting to scare the faction. Oh look some kid is crying."

"Shut it Prior. I didn't know that I wasn't allowed to look at my girlfriend."

I shake my head. "Just lead us over to a table." I follow Eric. Normally, I would tell him to go to sit with my friends, but I know that eventually Christina will make her way over to us.

I nod at Max and the other leaders. I listen to the conversations around me. The female leaders are talking about the party tonight in the pit. The male leaders are talking about initiation. I'm pulled from my musings when Max says something to me.

"What's up?" I smile, getting caught not paying attention.

"I asked when are you and Eric getting married?"

I stare at him with wide eyes. "No idea." I manage to get out.

"Max." Eric barks. His hand goes to the back of his neck.

"What? You guys have been together three months. Not to mention that you've been friends for a while before that. At this point, marriage shouldn't be a big deal." He shrugs.

His wife, Ellie, hits the back of his head. "Leave them alone Max. They're young. There's no reason for you to be asking them this."

Max shrugs at this. "We were married two years after initiation. Eric you've been here for five years. Tris you've been here for three."

Eric looks angry with Max, but I don't know why. I roll my eyes and look back to Max. "When we get married, we get married. I don't need an old man like you jinxing us." I say with a smile, so he knows I'm joking.

Max laughs. "I'm only ten years older than you. So I don't know who you're calling old man."

I shake my head, going back to my dinner. This is the first time that Max has asked about Eric and I. I thought that he didn't care what we were doing. He's never shown any interest before. I finish eating quietly. Eric has been silent since Max brought us getting married up. It's odd.

I glance around the canteen. I make eye contact with Christina and immediately I regret it. She gets up from her seat and starts walking over to the leaders table. I've never seen her do something this bold before.

She smiles widely when she stands by me. "Oh ruthless leaders." She smirks at everyone. "Tris are you going to the party tonight?"

"I hadn't been planning on it. I'm tired and I worked over 12 hours today." I reply.

"Well I'll be at your place in an hour to get you ready for the party. You shouldn't miss this one like you normally do." She says in a strange tone.

I roll my eyes. "Fine. Just text me before you come so that Eric's dressed when you walk in this time."

Eric laughs, remembering that day. He shakes his head. "I do hope you've learned how to knock."

"I have. I don't need to see any extra appendages that belong to you tonight." She grimaces. She goes back to her seat with a smile.

Max looks over at us. "So, I see, another girl has seen your dick Eric."

I can't help the giggle that comes from my mouth. Eric looks over at me with a look that would have scared me before we started dating. Now I find it hilarious.

"God forbid her friend knocks before she comes into her apartment. How the fuck was I supposed to know that she'd be in the bedroom when I got out of the bathroom?"

I bite my lip to hold back my response. "While talking about my boyfriends dick is fun, I'm going to head up. I want to get a nap in before I'm dragged out." I wave goodbye to everyone, before kissing Eric's cheek. "Head up soon." I whisper in his ear. I walk back slowly to the apartment.

I feel Eric's arms wrap around me, pulling me to him. "It only took you fifteen minutes to get away from Max? I'm impressed."

"Well I wanted to take a nap with my girlfriend. It was smart of you to go to my apartment though. I hope to god your little candor friend won't be bothering us."

"We can both dream." I laugh. I shift so I can rest my head on his chest. Listening to Eric's heartbeat is one of my favorite sounds. It can always calm me down enough to sleep.

We're quiet, just listening to each other's breathing. I can hear Christina knocking on my door across the hall. Banging would be the proper action of what she was doing. I hold in my laugh, like she can hear us. I'm surprised she didn't think to come here. Then again, she wouldn't dare enter Eric's apartment. Eventually the knocking stops… And thankfully it doesn't move to the door here.

"You know I never understood why the two of you are friends. You're completely different people. Two drastically different personalities." He whispers in my ear.

"She means well for the most part. Some days it's just too much. Today is one of those days. I'm not in the mood to go to the pit. I just want to spend the night with you in this bed." I gently kiss his chest.

"Your friend is exactly like Max though. Most people don't know it, but Max is the opposite of me. He strikes first and thinks it all over after, just like Christina. I'm the complete opposite. I'll think it all through before I even strike. It's like you." He smiles. "It's kind of like today."

I sit up, looking down at Eric. "What do you mean?" His hand moves from my shoulder to my lower back making me shiver.

"That marriage question didn't come out of nowhere." He removes his hand, turning on the lamp. "I love you, you know that I love you. All week I planned to ask you to marry me, but I couldn't gather up enough courage to do it."

I look up at him. I can't help, but look at him with wide eyes. I had no idea Eric wanted to get married. I thought we weren't at this step yet.

"I know this is the worst marriage proposal in the history of them, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want the good, the bad, and the horribly ugly. I've wanted nothing more than to spend every night next to you since we spent that first night together. So will you please marry me? Please spend the rest of your life with me." He reaches in the nightstand. He pulls out a small box and hands it to me.

Tentatively I open it. Inside is a beautiful ring with a black stone. I look at him. He's not smiling, just starring at me.

"Eric…" I don't really know what to say.

"I know. I don't need to hear you say how we've only been dating for two months. I love you and I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So marry me."

I look at him. "You know this is fucking crazy right? It's crazy that you want to marry me. The ruthless dauntless leader wants to marry the stiff?"

"Shut up Prior. Just say yes." He takes the box from me. "Say yes."

I look at him. "You really want to get married? After two months of dating?"

"Yes. God, how many times do I have to tell you that! Just say yes. We basically live together. Let's finally start our fucking lives together." Eric growls.

"Okay." I laugh. "Let's get married."

Eric smiles; he takes the ring out of the box placing it on my left hand. He pulls me to him, kissing me his tongue slides against my lips and I immediately open up. Our tongues dance with one another. We kiss until we run out of breath.

I smile back at Eric. I look at the stone sitting on my left hand. If this were abnegation, my father would have picked the person I would date. They would have to ask my dad for permission to marry me. It would be a small wedding with a quiet ceremony. Everyone would help prepare and everyone would help clean up. We'd live a quiet, simple, and selfless life. It's completely different from what will happen here at Dauntless. The abnegation ceremony is all that I know, but I'm excited to be married in Dauntless spending the rest of my life married to Eric.

"What do you think your candor friend is going to say?" Eric's voice pulls me from my thoughts.

"Probably that I'm crazy for getting married before her and Will." I shrug. "What's Max going to say?"

"You heard what he thought earlier." He laughs. "I think Max thinks of us as his only way to get grandchildren."

I smirk at Eric. "Kids Eric? Who knew the big scary leader wanted children?"

"Yes. Lots of little leaders in training." He nips my neck.

"Fine, but I have one condition."

"What's that?"

"We get married tonight. We wear what we wore to work today. Max marries us in a quiet ceremony and then we go celebrate in the pit."

"Deal, but after the ceremony we go to the canteen and steal some cake."

"Stealing from the faction. This seems familiar." I get up and put my boots back on. "Come on baby. Let's go spend the rest of our lives together."

We quickly walk down the hall to Max's apartment. Eric pounds on the door.

Max opens up with a scowl. "What the fuck do you two want? Shouldn't you two be in the pit celebrating your engagement?"

I look over at Eric. The party in the pit was supposed to be our engagement party?

"That's why we're here. We want to get married now. Why should we wait? We basically live together anyway."

Max looks at me with a smirk. "It was your idea, wasn't it Prior?"

I nod. "Please Max. Let me start the next chapter of my life with the ruthless leader."

Max's wife, Ellie, walks over to do the door. "Max let them inside. Marry the couple. Weren't you the one who asked why they hadn't gotten married already."

Max shakes his head. "Fine. Come inside. I'll do this here." He steps aside and let's us in.


I hope that you liked this chapter. I worked hard on it. Please review. I can't wait to see what you all think.