Disclaimer: I do not own the Divergent books, movie franchise or any of the characters from it. I do, however, own the plot and characters you don't recognize.
"So, Tiny, I hear you're quite the climber."
Spinner furrows her brow as she glances up from her breakfast to Mecca a bewildered look. "Rumpelstiltskin, what the hell are you talking about?"
Eric doesn't seem particularly happy about this conversation judging by the sideways look he sends her.
"Max told me you came to visit his office yesterday." Mecca says causally then takes another bite of his banana nut muffin.
"So? What of it?"
"Through his window."
The reactions at the table are comical.
Spinner tosses Max a deadpan expression as he stares right back at her. Zim's eyes dart off to the side in discomfort. Hayden pauses in mid-bite with his fork hovering in front of his still-open mouth. Mecca is laughing so loud that she's sure people in Erudite can hear him. And Eric's glaring at her to the point where she feels like the side of her face is melting.
But she recovers quickly and offers Max a sympathetic smile. "Bossman, you must be getting in your old age 'cause that never happened. Here," she reaches over and nudges his mug of orange juice towards him. "Drink this. You're looking a little flushed."
Max throws her a pointed look. "Petra, I know what I saw. You came into my office through my window."
"Seriously, I don't have any clue as to what you are talking about." She says, feigning another confused expression.
"Petra."
"Present!" Spinner teases with a lopsided grin, sending the unamused Max an innocent wink. The table – sans Eric – breaks into chuckles, but suddenly she feels his hand rest on her thigh. It twitches under the coldness of his palm, and without warning, he abruptly squeezes hard. She bites down a cry before stabbing him with darkest glare she could muster.
Eric just keeps his gaze forward in his usual guise of disinterest. But she watches as the corner of his lip tick up in a sneer. Spinner delivers a kick to the side of his boot that only has him squeezing down harder. So gritting her teeth, she grabs one of his fingers and bends it backwards.
"Bitch," Eric growls as he yanks away his hand.
"Asshole," Spinner volleys back while she's massaging the numbness out of her thigh.
"Aw, you two are such a cute sadistic couple." Hayden mockingly croons and they both glare daggers at him. He sobers up quickly, offering them a smile in peace.
"We're not a couple." Spinner and Eric say in unison, wearing twin frowns. They look at one another for a brief instant before turning away with a scoff.
"Now that was scary."
"Okay, so you're not a couple." Zim joins in with a smirk. "Then why are you two going to the banquet together?"
Another scoff blows past Eric's lips. "She's the one who wants me to take her."
Spinner's eyebrows rise before she folds her arms under breasts and slowly turns to him. "I'm sorry, am I taking you away from something important? 'Cause you're making it sound like I'm forcing you to go with me."
"Ooh, Eric's in deep trouble now." Mecca jeers.
"Fuck you, Mecca." Eric sneers at him, his eyes hardened in a glare.
"No, fuck you, Eric." Spinner snaps before grabbing her tray and pushing to her feet.
"Where are you going?" He barks as she starts storming away.
At this point everyone in the dining hall is looking at them.
"Where ever you're not around!" Spinner glares, dumping her tray into trash bin. "Since it's such a hassle for you, Eric, I'll go with Four instead!" She turns on her heel and stomps out of the dining hall.
"You want me to go with you?" Four asks slowly.
"Yes," she nods. "I want you to be my date. Unless… you're already going with someone else…"
He shakes his head. "No, I'm not going with anyone. I just heard you and Eric were-"
Spinner blows out a derisive scoff, refusing to acknowledge the rejection swelling in her chest. "Well, that was just a stupid rumor." She spits bitterly while crossing her arms over her chest. "So, Broody?" She prompts him again, looking at him beneath her lashes. "Will go with me to the banquet or not?"
Four stares at her for a long moment until a crooked smile tilts one corner of his lips. "Yeah okay, I'll go with you."
"Oh, bless your little Stiff heart." Beaming brightly, Spinner gives his cheek a light tweak, and he rolls his eyes then swats her hand away.
"Uh, guys, I'm not sure about this one..." Spinner presses her lips together as she looks at her reflection in the dressing room mirror. Smoothing the cocktail dress over her hips, she twists her torso from left to right, turns around in a circle, before stopping at the vision of black lace.
"Well, it would help if you actually came out of the dressing room." Shauna's voice snorts.
She pokes her middle finger through the curtain as she steps outside, self-consciously tugging at the sleeves. Hailey lets out a wolf whistle from behind the counter, while Lauren and Shauna both start teasing her.
"Ow, look at those sexy legs!"
"You clean up good, third ranker. I almost didn't recognize you."
Spinner's face is hot as she wrinkles her nose at the three women. "You're all hilarious, really." She returns in a dull tone before huffing and toying at the lace again. "Don't you think it's a little too… tight?"
"That's the whole point." Lauren counters as a mischievous light enters her green eyes. "This is the one night we actually get to feel like girls. And Spin, you look amazing."
"I like how it shows off your tattoo. Tori really did a good job on it." Shauna nods in agreement. "You should definitely get the dress."
"Four's gonna go into cardiac arrest if I wear this. You know how delicate Stiffs are."
"But you're not really wearing it for Four, are you, Pyro?" Hailey cocks a blue eyebrow, her lips curving into a cunning smirk.
Spinner scowls at her, blush deepening. "Or course I am, Four is my date after all." She grounds out.
"But you wish Eric was instead." Lauren grins cheekily and ducks behind Shauna who rolls her eyes at the mention of him. She isn't very fond of the leader, one time expressing that he should trip into the chasm.
"Eric's a douche." Spinner grunts. "He made it seem like I was forcing him to go with me."
"Well, once he sees you in that, Pyro, he's going to regret he'd ever said anything."
Spinner turns on her heel and faces the full-length mirror once more. She tilts her head to the side, her eyes inspecting her body sheathed in the cocktail dress. Eric did say he wanted to be impressed, and it sounds like she was well on her way. A rosy smile dimples her cheeks as she reaches out to touch her reflection.
Just for tonight she'll forget about everything and finally allow herself to be a teenager with a crush.
The next few days past in a blur of fear landscape training, meetings, and avoiding Eric like the plague. She'd dodged him every chance she had, thus leaving him to deliver his threats of bodily harm through Zim. He would always jokingly inform her that Eric just means the opposite of what he was saying that day.
Spinner rolls her eyes while she finishes drying her hair.
Tonight's the banquet and she is nervous as hell.
Lauren skips into the room wearing strapless black dress and knee high boots to match. She takes one look at Spinner still in her towel and then with rolls her eyes with a small huff. "How are you not dressed yet? Four's going to be here in ten minutes."
"Sweets, you look beautiful, radiant-"
"Quit sucking up, Trouble." Lauren wrinkles her nose with an amused giggle. "Come on, you can't be late for your own ceremony. You're going to be an official Dauntless leader. You're the second youngest and our first girl in over five years."
Spinner shrugs her shoulders as shimmies on her undergarments beneath her towel. "I'm just not use to all the attention, y' know? I was kinda isolated for a large part of my life...and it's just weird to deal with." She releases a short sigh, slipping on the dress over her head.
Lauren crosses to her and helps straighten out the back of the garment. "You'll be fine. You just have to give a little speech and that's it."
"Wait, speech? No one said I had to talk at this thing! I thought all I was gonna do was smile pretty until my fucking jaw hurts, get drunk, and then dance inappropriately in front of everybody again."
Lauren shakes her head. "You're hopeless."
Spinner gives her an innocent smile before she heads into the bathroom to start on her make-up. While she's lining her eyes, she lets out another sigh as she begins feeling reality set it. "Or maybe I should just fake an ulcer and call it a night." Spinner mutters, moving to coat her lashes with a few strokes of Lauren's mascara brush.
"Stop being so melodramatic, you're going to do fine."
"Whatever, Positive Patty." Spinner rolls her eyes as she re-enters the bedroom, bending down to slip her feet into a pair of black ankle boots. When she's finished, she muses with her choppy locks to give hair some volume. Then grabbing her clutch, she turns Lauren with her arms outstretched. "Well, what's the verdict?"
"Eric's going to eat you alive." Lauren smirks naughtily and Spinner blushes with a girlish giggle.
At that moment a knock sounds at the front door and they walk out of the room to answer it. Four's dark-blue eyes widen at the sight of them, looking positively floored. "You two look nice." He says lamely, running a hand down the back of his neck in a nervous fashion.
"Aww," Spinner coos, looping her arm through his. "My awkward little date," she pinches his nose and gives the end a teasing wiggle.
Four rolls his eyes and slaps her hand away.
Lauren catches it with a laugh, and laces their fingers together before the three of them head to the dining hall.
"Why do I have to talk at this thing?" Spinner drones again. "I hate public speaking. I get all fucking awkward and it's a huge ass mess from there. And Broody, if you're next words are be and brave, you're not gonna have a good time at this thing."
Four's mouth promptly snaps shut.
"You're making too much of a big deal about this," Lauren grins. "Just do what you do best."
"Getting myself killed?"
Four and Lauren simultaneously roll their eyes. "No, moron, talk."
"Hopefully there's alcohol 'cause I can't do it sober. I'm sorry."
When they reach the entrance, Shauna and Zeke are already waving them down from their usual table. They receive a few wolf-whistles and catcalls from the older men as her eyes seek out the leaders' table. Zim and Hayden are salivating at the mouth, Mecca and Max send nods of approval, and Eric is nowhere in sight.
"You guys look great." Shauna compliments as the trio sit across from her and Zeke. Her dress is a soft black and off the shoulders, and her dark hair is twisted into a ponytail.
"Thanks, so do you. I'm really liking the braid." Spinner returns, nodding in thanks when she hands her a bottle of alcohol. She takes a long, hearty swing before passing it to Lauren.
"Was this an initiation year or what?" Zeke asks, taking his own bottle back from Four and treating himself to another drink.
"I'm just glad this shit's over with. Well, this year at least..." Spinner mumbles, resting her head on Lauren's shoulder as the alcohol begins to warm her body.
The table agrees whole-heartedly.
Then suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as if electrified, and awareness, heat, and excitement strike her. She feels Eric's smoldering gaze and she lifts her head from Lauren's shoulder to look across the room. A microphone squeals before he steps out of the shadows, his steely eyes locking with hers as he's climbing up onto the table. He taps the mike with his fingertips and waits for the crowd of Dauntless to quieten.
"See, Spin, I told you," Lauren whispers teasingly in her ear.
Spinner tries to calm her racing heart as his eyes drink in her entire body with a zealous sweep of his gaze. Licking his lips, Eric clears his throat before he addresses the dining hall. "We aren't big on speeches here. Eloquence is for Erudite."
The Dauntless laughs and Spinner heckles. "Booo, that was lame!"
Eric glares at her while the crowd chuckles again. She gives the leader a bright smile in return, flipping him her middle finger.
"It's a new year and we have a new pack of initiates, and a slightly smaller pack of new members." Eric continues. "We offer them our congratulations."
The room explodes into cheers, heavily mixed applause, and fists pounding on the tabletops.
"And we would also like to congratulate Spinner McCall on successfully completing the leadership program and becoming one of our new leaders of Dauntless."
Spinner's face burns with humiliation as the room whoops again. And it's so loud that the sound vibrates within her chest. She gives the room a shy wave and the Dauntless burst into laughter.
"Spinner, why don't you come up here and say a few words? As an official leader." Eric says and she can hear the mockery in his voice.
Spinner smirks as she decides to play his game. With liquid courage coursing through her, she slides out of her chair and then saunters over to the table.
With the help of a Dauntless soldier, she steps up onto the tabletop and plucks the microphone from Eric's hand, dismissing him with a condescending pat to his cheek.
A flash of a camera suddenly goes off.
"Well, first off I'd like to say thank you all for letting me come in here and fuck shit up." She grins as they laugh and pound on the tables once more. Second, I'm happy to be a part of a faction that speaks of courage, prosperity, and belief in not only ourselves, but in each other." Spinner blows kisses to her friends, and they all hoot and cheer her name. She giggles into the microphone. "I mean, what can I say? Dauntless is the bee's knees and now you're all stuck with me. So thank you for being such awesome human beings. Goodnight everybody!"
Clapping sounds, booming and enthusiastic while rowdy cheers arise from the crowd. Spinner smirks at Eric as she hands him back the microphone, and his fingers intentionally brush over hers. "You don't disappoint, Red." He lifts his pierced-eyebrow and his gaze slides down her body appraisingly.
A bewitching smile graces her features and she touches his arm, leaning in until her lips are by his ear. "I know." Spinner murmurs before nicking his chin. She jumps down from the table and then strolls back to her friends with an exaggerated sway of her hips.
"Damn, Eric, you are one lucky man!" A Dauntless member yells from one of the tables.
"How'd a kid like you manage that?"
"I'd kill a man for her too!"
"Thank you, Spinner." Eric nearly growls and she wiggles her fingers at him in an impish wave. He clears his throat again, appearing as though he's trying to regain his composure. Well, to her Candor-trained eye. "We believe in bravery, we believe in taking action, we believe in freedom from fear and in acquiring the skills to force the bad out of our world so that the good can prosper and thrive. If you also believe in those things, we welcome you."
The dining room celebrates again.
"Tomorrow, in their first act as members, our top ten initiates will choose their profession in the order of how they are ranked." Eric says. "The rankings, I know, are what everyone is really waiting for. They are determined by a combination of three scores—the first, from the combat stage of training; the second, from the simulation stage; and the third, from the final examination, the fear landscape. The rankings will appear on the screen behind me."
The names and pictures pop up on the enormous screen almost overtaking the wall:
1. Oscar
2. Danny
3. Serene
4. Penny
5. Jed
6. Adrian
7. Kale
8. Zero
9. Alley
10. Munroe
Spinner tosses a thumbs-up at Serene, and in the midst of celebrating with the other lucky nine intimates, she smiles back at her widely.
Grabbing her clutch from her lap, Spinner pushes out of her chair again then turns to her friends. "I'm gonna go outside for a bit. I'm still feeling a little jittery from the adrenaline rush. I'll be back."
Four nods and Lauren shoots her a secret smile, which she replies with a puckish wink.
Yeah, she probably won't end up coming back…
"I'm off to feed my father's flocks, his young and tender lambs." Spinner sings around the cigarillo tucked into the corner of her mouth. Striking the wheel of her lighter, she lights the end then takes a few puffs before she draws it away from her lips. She holds her breath and with a soft exhale, the smell of cherry and Chicago green fills the cool midnight air. "That over hills and over dales lie waiti-"
The crunch of the gravel causes her to pause. She whips around, tucking the cigarillo behind her as Eric approaches her. She rolls her eyes at him, lifting her hand to take another long drag.
"You smoke green?" He asks with his eyebrow raised, coming to lean on the ledge a little away from her.
Spinner coughs twice before answering, "Yep." She clears her throat then sighs happily as euphoria wraps her body in a warm cocoon. "Cuz came through in a clutch. I love that girl."
"What kind is that?" Eric nods at it again. "It smells different, kind of earthy."
"It's called Chicago green. Wanna try it?" Spinner holds out the cigarillo towards him.
Eric looks at it for a moment then back up to her face. His expression is heavily guarded. For what reason, she doesn't have a clue. "Not out here. Let's go back to my apartment."
Spinner furrows her brow. "I can't just ditch Four like that," she counters, staring at him in disbelief. "He's my dat-"
"Give me a fucking break." Eric sneers, his steely-gray eyes flashing in aggravation. "The only reason you asked the Stiff to go was because you were pissed at me." His face becomes smug and he leans sideways with a smirk. "You and I both know it's me you wish you were with."
"And if you didn't go and fuck it up, it would've still been that way, huh?" She shoots back, turning her nose up in the air and jerking her head away from him. She scoots further down the ledge, wanting to put some distance between them. Spinner takes deep pull of her cigarillo, blowing a few smoky rings in front of her. "I was actually excited to… go with you..." Heat surges into her cheeks, even as she continues scowling.
Eric is silent beside her and after a minute of just him staring at her, he finally speaks in a gruff tone. "I'll make it up to you."
Spinner's head snaps to face him, gazing at him with heavy-lidded, incredulous eyes. "I beg your pardon?"
He scoffs. "Don't act like you didn't hear what I said."
"No, I heard what you said. I was just making sure I wasn't fucking hallucinating the first time."
A hard, irritated look is sent her way.
Spinner sighs before carefully stubbing out the cigarillo on the brick and placing it back into her case. "Alright, Tank, you win. Let's go." She waves him forward and Eric kicks off the ledge, before they head back inside.
Ten minutes later, they're sitting together on Eric's fire escape. Spinner has never seen him look so relaxed. He's now wearing a loose pair of jogging pants and a gray t-shirt, and he gazes up at the night sky with a sombre expression. Smoke blows up from the wind with each draw of the cigarillo between his lips, and Spinner feels a gentle flush rise up her neck
"So," she ventures at last after a minute of silence. "What do you think?"
Eric sighs contentedly, his head lolling to the side to stare her with lazy, hooded eyes. "It's nice. Where'd your cousin get this stuff anyway?" He asks then takes one last drag before handing back to her.
Spinner accepts cigarillo from him and takes a deep pull. She exhales softly, watching the cloud of gray billow out the side of her mouth. "Venus has a connection in Amity." She flicks away a large chuck of ash and blows on the end to keep it lit.
"Why am I not surprised?" Eric scoffs as he leans back against the wall. "Goddamn hippies." He releases a loud snort.
A breathy laugh leaves her, and she cocks her head to the side and shoots him a cheeky grin. "Those goddamn hippies gave you the best green you've ever had."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever…"
With a fond smile, she draws on the cigarillo again before she passes it back to him. Then Spinner lies down on the fire escape and closes her eyes as the Chicago green relaxes her body.
She listens to him breathe out, feeling the iron grate suddenly vibrate underneath her. Frowning, she cracks her eyes open to find him hovering over her. He stares down at her attentively with the cigarillo dangling from his lips. "Um… may I help you?"
Red-eyed, he gives her a lazy smile. "So, you went all out for me, huh?" His eyes are smouldering with hunger as he drags them down her body, marking a trail of flames in its wake. With a deep exhale, twin jets of smoke leisurely filters out through his nostrils. "I must say, Kitten, I'm very impressed." His chest rumbles with a low growl of appreciation.
Spinner squirms as her face burning, which has his smirk broadening across his mouth. She couldn't fence with him verbally when he let his voice drop like that. Her features tense, watching as Eric take a long draw from the cigarillo. Smoke whispers out from between his lips as his face begins to slowly descend towards hers. Her lips part in recognition and he blows out a strong, steady stream into her mouth.
As he's pulling back, Spinner shifts up onto her elbows and releases the smoke up above her. From beneath hooded lids, their eyes lock. Before she can stop herself, she eliminates the distance until their lips meet in a ravaging kiss. It's fraught with need too long denied, frenzied and unbearable and maddening.
Growling in his throat, his arm swings out to toss the remains of the blunt over the side. He nudges her thighs apart and settles down between them as her arms wind themselves around his neck. She grips locks of his blond hair to coax him closer while he tucks a thickly muscled bicep beneath her head. He plunges his tongue into her mouth, seeking and teasing. He drinks greedily at her lips and tongue, feeling his broad hand start to smooth up her calf. The calloused surface of his palm rasps along the skin of her thigh, bunching the hem of her dress at her waist.
Spinner shudders beneath him, whimpering when his rigid, throbbing erection presses against her core. "Tank," she whispers between his powerful kisses.
"Do you want me, Spinner?" Eric's deep voice is grated raw and ragged as he grinds his hips into hers. His fingers hook beneath the thin band of her panties, fisting it in his hand.
She arches up to him, brushing her lips over the shell of his ear. "Yes," she answers in a sweet, velvety purr.
"Say it."
"I want you, Eric."
With an aggressive tug, the delicate material is ripped clean from her hips then tossed aside. And then his mouth moves, taking hers in a fierce, voracious kiss. As their tongues wrestle, his hand cups her bare mound, thrusting two fingers into her. He swallows her cry as she arches up into him, his touch sending crazed shivers shooting throughout her body. "That's it, Red," he rumbles, thrusting his fingers repeatedly in and out of her. "Mmm, you're so fucking wet for me."
Bucking against his fingers, Spinner cries out again. Her hands fly up to latch onto the front of his shirt, ripping the material straight down the middle. She emits a breathy, high-pitched moan, raking her nails down his chest. He begins feasting on the side of her throat, his thumb roughly circling her swollen nub. She's on fire, her mind, her body, and her soul. Even as he withdraws his fingers and he starts fumbling with the ties of his jogging pants, her body continues to thrum.
The head of him presses against her slick, wet folds, and she trembles in anticipation.
Holding Eric's hooded gaze, he guides himself inside her with a swift, expert thrust. Her head falls sideways and she bites down on the swell of his bicep to suppress her scream. Her muscles clench down on him and flutter at his thick intrusion.
"God," he releases a long, guttural moan into her ear. "You fit like a fucking glove." He grounds his hips against Spinner's, further stretching her with his impressive girth. "Do you know how long I've wanted to do this?" He pulls his hips back only to push back in and she mewls again, wildly gouging her nails into his back. "How many cold showers I had to endure?" Eric hisses as he rocks into a strong and steady rhythm. Whimpering, Spinner wraps her legs around his potent, solid body, forcing his thrusts to be fast, hard, and deep. "And don't get me started on the damn dreams."
"Tank…"
"Again," he demands in a low groan.
"Ta-nk..." Spinner pants breathlessly, rolling her hips into his while a tight coil begins to form in her belly.
"Fuck." Eric lets out another strained groan. He presses his scorching body atop hers, driving into her more roughly and deeply. "Like you mean it."
"Tank."
His hand slips between their bodies, his thumb stroking her sensitive pearl and sending her body surging up into him hard. "I want to hear you scream, Spinner."
And just like that, she comes undone.
Spinner throws her head back in ecstasy, her iron thighs clamping down on his torso as she spasming around him. Her blood sings with her pulse a thunderous roar in her ears. "Tank!"
"You are mine and mine only, understand?" Eric's pace quickens and her breath comes out in a strangled gasp. A string of intelligible words, curses, and moans follow afterwards. "And I will kill any man who gets in the way of what belongs to me. Your buddy Number boy being one of them." He murmurs darkly as he thrusts into her once, twice, and then plunges his length deep into her pulsating warmth. With a growl that is both savage and primal, his lips latch onto her pulse point, his teeth sinking into her flesh. A great shudder racks his entire from and sends her careening into another soul-shattering orgasm.
"Yes, yes, yes!" She squeals so ardently that her voice echoes into the night air. "Eric!"
There, there, there! Right on the fire escape! LOL!
The shotgun (blowing smoke in someone's mouth) scene was inspired by The Runaways. I freaking love that movie! And the chapter title is from The Stooges' I Wanna Be Your Dog. Lines from the book do not belong to me. Mostly Eric's part of the speeches.
Thank you all for the amazing reviews, the favs, the follows!
Love, Peace and Tranquility!