This chapter gets steamy so visit my a03 page if you are interested in reading it uncut. Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing, you guys rock. After rechecking the book I realized numbers 8-10 aren't mentioned by name. I used a baby name dictionary to pick their names but don't fret I'm not creating oc's just filling the blanks. They will work the fence, so they will only ever be mentioned in passing if they get mentioned again at all. If their names were listed somewhere and I just missed it please let me know so I can fix it.
I read about the evils of drinking, so I gave up reading
Tobias
Today is always one of the best days and nights at Dauntless. There is of course a formal banquet, but once the rankings are posted the whole thing turns into a party. We are a group that will use any excuse to party. As one of the leaders I am expected to arrive early and make sure everything is in order. So I am sitting at a table on the stage bored to death waiting for everyone to arrive.
Tris walks in and my eyes are drawn to her like a magnet. There is a fourth raven tattooed on her collarbone, I guess Uriah paid his debt. She looks magnificent in a black dress similar to the last one she wore. It's obvious why she favors that style, it looks really good on her. She is wearing dramatic makeup and her hair is down and deliberately messy. I just have to be patient for little while longer, once the rankings are announced she is no longer off limits. Tris looks up at me and smiles, mouthing soon. I nod knowing she is as impatient as I am to stop hiding.
Finally everyone is here and we sit down to eat. When the meal ends Max stands to address the room "today we welcome our new members, if you see your name on the board behind me congratulations, if you don't we are very sorry but you did not make the cut. All those whose names appear please follow myself and the other leaders so we can discuss your job options and housing arrangements." The names appear on the board, I breathe a sigh of relief. Tris is first, I'm not surprised but nothing is official until your name appears on that board and it was hard not to be a tiny bit nervous.
1. Tris
2. Uriah
3. Lynn
4. Marlene
5. Peter
6. Will
7. Christina
8. Calyx
9. Elysium
10. Venishah
Tris
I didn't really doubt where my name would appear on the list but it is still a relief to see it officially. I follow my friends to the room behind the stage, still in a bit of a daze. "As you all know jobs are picked in the order you are ranked, here is a list of the jobs available, take a few moments to look and then you will pick. What job you pick also determines where your apartment is located. They are already furnished so you may move in tonight after the party."
I look over the list curiously, there are a lot of options but very few are truly desirable. I smile when I'm asked what my choice is, like there was ever a question. I'm told that Four will mentor me and show me where my apartment is located. I listen as the others make their choices; Uriah takes a job in law enforcement, Lynn and Marlene both choose the tattoo parlor, Peter takes a job as Max's assistant, Will chooses the control room, Christina seems thrilled that no one picked Manager for the clothing store, and the 3 I barely know all end up at the fence.
We leave the room and return to the banquet, but in our absence it has turned into a party. Loud music is playing and everyone is dancing and drinking. Four grabs my hand and pulls me back to him, kissing me hard. I can't help but melt into it completely forgetting our audience. When we part the people who didn't know are looking at us in surprise. Uriah punches a fist in the air "pay up ladies, I told you they were an item. I always know these things." No one else says anything or seems to care so we grab drinks and move to the dance floor. The press of people is intense but I have Tobias with me so it's ok. I allow him to guide my hips to the beat and soon we are plastered together enjoying the music. I never realized before but dancing is a bit like sex with your clothes on. I blush and try to reign in my thoughts and hormones. We dance for a few songs before moving off the floor, heading to a table in the corner that our friends have claimed.
The discussion seems to be centered on us and who knew we were together. "I will save you guys the speculation and discussion. Four and I have been friends since we were kids and a couple for 3 years now. We kept it to ourselves during initiation so I could prove myself on my own. The only people who knew were Zeke, Lauren, Christina, Peter and Max. Peter, like Uriah, guessed, Max caught us together, and the rest were told but asked to keep quite. Any questions, no, good, let's move on." I down another drink and change the subject to everyone's new jobs and apartments.
Tobias
I have lost track of how many drinks I've had and I think Tris is on her fourth or fifth. The party has been going half the night and everyone is cheerful, loud and some are downright smashed. Tris and I are dancing again, the alcohol has loosened her up, and she is dancing like nothing else matters. Her hands are above her head and her hips are swaying against mine. If I don't get her alone soon I just might ravish her here on the dance floor. The song ends and we are walking back towards the table when Tris trips and falls. She is definitely drunk, a perfect excuse to leave. When I help her up she giggles and informs me "I didn't fall you know, the floor just looked like it needed a hug." This causes me and the rest of our group to burst out laughing, "I'm taking you to bed now Tris, no more giving hugs to random inanimate objects tonight." She giggles again "I like bed, we always have fun when we are in bed." We wave goodbye to our laughing friends and stumble back to my apartment, I'm not completely sober myself.
The door to my apartment is barely closed before Tris is dragging me towards the bedroom.
Tris
I wake up the next morning wrapped in Tobias arms and while that feels lovely the pounding in my head does not. Tobias gets up, reappearing with a bottle of water and some aspirin, "how do you feel?" He asks me this like he already knows the answer. I swallow the pills and answer anyway, "like a marching band in cleats got lost and look up residence in my head." He chuckles and I kind of want to smack him. He seems well enough but he obviously has more experience with Dauntless parties than I do. "Once you get up, I can show you your apartment, I already brought your stuff up. Though I wanted to talk to you about that, I was kind of hoping you would move in here with me." I'm can't say I'm surprised, I figured he would ask.
I think hard before giving my response not wanting to hurt his feelings. "I like the idea of us living together but not right away. I have never had my own place before and I think it might be nice. I doubt either of us will ever sleep alone but having someplace to go when we need some solitude will be good for us. I don't want to ruin what we have by moving too quickly." Tobias looks a bit hurt "I understand and you are probably right. I have been waiting for you to be here for so long that I want you as close as possible, but we are both private people. Maybe we can look into getting one of the family apartments later, multiple rooms so we both have our own space. And until then we learn what it's like to be around each other all the time, knowing we have someplace to go when we need space."
I smile happily, I am so glad he is ok with my decision. "You will help me shop for stuff to fix my place up right, or is shopping something I should get Christina to do with me instead? I hear the apartments are very spartan. I figure you will be spending a lot of time there so I want you to be comfortable too." Tobias pulls me towards him and kisses me, momentarily distracting me from the conversation. "I will go shopping with you; eventually everything is going to be at our place so I want to like your stuff. We should begin our new lives as we mean to continue, together. This weekend we shop and relax. Monday morning we start your training. You will unfortunately have to jump in at the deep end, there is a Faction ambassadors meeting Monday afternoon. Are you ready to start changing the world?" As long as Tobias is at my side I am ready for anything.