There's been another factionless attack. Kyle and Veronica went to investigate.
"No," I hissed, nudging him away with my shoulder against his stiff yucky jacket.
Despite my snarl-whispers, Eric chooses not to take the hint of toning it down. "My train is only due in an hour and a half, we have plenty of time," he casually throws out, as if we were discussing the weather. His tattooed arms are around my waist, tightening briefly to coax me into agreeing.
I scowl and continue flipping through Amity's catalog, searching for the hygiene category. "I don't care, we're not doing it." Rows of soap images greet me, and I immediately locate the familiar green bottle.
Eric rests his chin on my head, peering down as I scrawl the code of the next item. The small slip of paper is half-full with similar codes. Some of which I had wrote, and others Eric had. He had a brief blabber episode over some Swedish almond cake I needed to try, confidently writing three on the quantity column. Though he spoke with total conviction, the picture of the thin edible soil with layers of cream had me doubtful. If it hadn't come from Erudite's catalog, I would've passed it off as Abnegation sustenance.
"Doing what?" he asks innocently.
The store is mostly empty, being the middle of the day. Only a few Dauntless are present, all of which are flipping through similar thick magazines as how normal people should. Occasionally there'll be a few glances at us; specifically when Eric opens his stupid fat mouth. Something about watching their big bad leader interact with a woman is interesting to them. "You know what," I growl under my breath.
He pauses for a second. "I forgot."
"No, you didn't," I seethe. All I wanted to buy a few stuff I never knew I could again. Eric had casually pointed out that there's a store that sold items from other factions during lunch, and I flipped out because he didn't tell me sooner.
I lost it again when he said ice-cream wasn't sold, after watching me flicking through the entire of Candor's catalogs in tangible frustration three times. He was incredibly amused as I threw a tantrum and threatened to thwack his head with the book. And I almost did, if Eric hadn't offhandedly pointed out the storekeeper watching us.
I placed the thick magazine back on the counter.
"You're right, I didn't, but I want to hear you say it." He rocks back and forth idly. With his heavy bulk half-draped over me, I have no choice but to sway with him. The pencil in my hand slides across the paper, unable to find purchase as his rocking dips to unnatural. A snigger escapes from him as I pressed my wrist firmly on the table, hastily scrawling the last code before Eric decides to hoist me over his shoulder for no reason other than to spite me.
Shrugging off his embrace as I would with a thick coat, I confidently head to the counter. The lady takes me in curiously, noting my scowl and Eric's probable smirk. I pray she hasn't heard everything Eric's been blabbering about, for I would melt into an embarrassing puddle.
We exchange words and she accepts the form I extend. She's warm and smiley, a subtle hint of approval for my relationship - of which I did not ask her for.
...Or she's afraid of crossing either of us.
Eric invades my personal space as the woman keys in my order, disgruntled for being deserted without second thought. His weight pushes me forward until my chest is flush against the high counter. The lady doesn't bat an eye, confirming my suspicions of her having watched our exchange like some reality series for the last half hour. Eric continues his babbles. "Fine, don't say it. But just to let you know, I deserve dessert – sex, in case you get any other ideas - after cooking. And you'll like it too, I promise."
I shouldn't have expected otherwise, but I did. My entire body freezes rock solid.
Eric had said the words louder than necessary, his suggestion undoubtedly traveling to the ears of everyone, particularly the word 'sex'.
If I wore glasses – and at this moment I truly wish I did – I would've done what an Erudite would do whenever they're thrown off in class. Delicately pinch at the hinge, slowly pull them off, fold, and gently set the accessory on the table. Except instead, I would chuck the ornament at Eric's face.
Very calmly, I twist to face the man behind me.
He's grinning devilishly, and it widens when he takes in my steeled expression.
"Is that a yes?" he asks chirpily, in complete confidence I'll agree.
I snarled loudly. "No." Snapping back to the woman, I rush my name for her to dock the points. The longer we stay here, the more chaotic everything will become. It doesn't help with the fact that we cause a scene wherever we go. Well, Eric and the dogs, technically. I try to stay out of wandering eyes – which is proving to be near impossible when with them.
"Charge it to Eric Coulter," Eric throws over his shoulder.
My eye twitches and I abruptly halt my tracks. He bumps into me, and I step aside to catch the cashier again. Holding her with a leveled stare to convey my firmness, I repeat my name.
She nods, a knowing smile gracing her face once again. I mentally flip her off and resume my march out of the store. No, lady, we are not about to head off to fuck.
Eric says his name again as I step out of the store. I decide to give up fighting, since no matter the account, the points still come from him.
"I'm serious, it'll help." The playfulness in his tone drops, and I slow my stride.
"It's disgusting, it smells disgusting," I reply flatly. Just like in the store, the Pit is mostly empty during lunch. Few people mingle, most rushing around with a goal. It's a stark difference from the crowd at night.
He spends a moment thinking, giving me the impression I've said something wrong. "So if I can convince you it's not disgusting, it's a yes?"
"No. We're not having our first time when I'm on my period." I state in finality, no longer afraid of anyone overhearing our conversation now we're in an open space. This man is absolutely absurd.
"It'll help with the cramps. My sister told me. She did it by herself, of course," he says earnestly, noting my scrunched expression. "She made me swear I'll help my future partner. She had bad cramps, like you. Sometimes, she would be sent home because of it."
He's cute.
Eric had asked if I was alright in the store, not only noticing I've been on the edge, but also, quote 'wanting to die this morning'. My period arrived in the middle of the night, delivering unyielding pain at dawn – a punishment for pigging out on Dauntless cake. To my defense, eating the cake wouldn't have crossed my mind had not Skylar brought it over as an excuse to play with my dogs. I was writhing in agony until it eased up slightly after the effects of the heating pad kicked in. It took me longer than usual to drag myself to the meeting room. Now, the stinging pain had dulled to an irritating, continuous, thrum.
Damn Eric for being so observant.
"It's fine, I'm feeling better now." My tone has softened, touched by his care. Not one of the books I read had characters offered this. He's unknowingly surpassed every expectation I never knew I had.
The large leader beside me slows, tugging my hand once to stop in the middle of the life of Dauntless. He searches my eyes, slate blues locking onto my greens. I lick my lip in nervousness. He catches it. "Are you sure?"
Tilting my head up with a thumb on my chin and hand on my neck, he kisses me gently. From his actions alone, I know he's telling me it's okay, that he didn't mind our first time involved the metallic smell of blood everywhere.
There's something extremely raw about him offering to help. It tugs on my heart, weighing heavily as I replay everything he's said so far. I feel unworthy of his care and concern, for everything he does is so attune to me. He deserves someone better. Yet, I don't want him with anyone else, for I'm afraid I'll find no one like him.
Eric has set the standards high, even higher than John, till I can't imagine being truly satiated with anyone else. What have I done to deserve him?
When we pull away, my resolve has solidified. I shake my head, reassuring him it's fine.
Eric doesn't respond immediately, checking to see if I'm sure. There is no flash of disappointment, nor is there relief. Only plain, pure, concern.
Then he destroys the moment. "You could masturbate instead." My walls snap back up, taken aback by his bold suggestion. "The girls in Candor spoke a lot about it in school, you sure you've never heard of this?" His head tilts, eyes twinkling mischievously.
I can't relate.
This is the first time I'm hearing it.
Chunking my forehead on his hard chest, I groan loudly. This man is despicable, insane, and infuriating; I won't have it any other way.
"I won't follow if you don't want me to. Though, you'll definitely enjoy it more if I did. Go back to your apartment, sit in the shower, do it. I'll keep an eye on the dogs till you get back," he speaks normally, and a bit too bold for my liking. "Take your time too, it won't work well if you rush. The goal is to come."
I draw an exaggerated breath, mulling over his incredulous suggestion. This round is pretty bad. I should at least give it a shot lest I snap at anyone else. "Fiiine," I drag, "I'll do it alone." Between the both of us, I know only I will ultimately benefit from this.
He bends to kiss my cheek. "Good girl." Just like that, we're off to the residential wing. Another normal day, nothing out of place. "Want me to start you off?"
"No."
"What is it you wanted to talk about?" Squeaky noises come from above - Four is adjusting his black gel suit. "You said you wanted to talk about something?"
Prowling far ahead of me, Sabre's claws audibly click against the concrete. His vigilant gaze is fixated on me and the man perched on the platform directly above. Every movement is slow and calculated, the intelligent, feral beast surfaced.
Gunner lays on the mat to the side, his snout sharp and eyes keen. His regal form emits a power of control and authority. He's prepared to leap into action in the event his brother fails to subdue the threat, regardless of what I say.
Rest assured, Sabre has never failed.
"Yeah, I do. It's about everything going on with Jeanine." With a snap of attention, the animal bursts into a sprint. A knife clashes loudly to my right and I wince, snapping to the source of the noise. It rebounds into the air to a foot from me before clattering. Sabre launches at my chest, kicking off as he vertically travels up the wall. The sudden force of his weight catches me off guard, knocking me back a few steps. My back bumps into the wall and I whuff.
An audible grunt before a muffled thump as a heavyweight crashes to the ground. Glancing up, I see the faintest speck of black fur – the tip of Sabre's tail. There are no barks or snaps, only strangled grunts from the man being assaulted.
The dogs have been trained to be silent when engaging a possible threat. It's the bite that ultimately counts, not bark. Barking is forbidden, only snarls and growls if the need for a verbal warning arises. It's something they learned from herding, as barking will send the sheep and cows into a chaos. Less barking makes them seem less deadly, which keeps the animals calmer.
More importantly, drop the guards of the enemy.
"Break." Even without the need of raising my voice, I know Sabre heard me. The grunts and shuffling stop, giving way to loud panting. A sharp head pokes from the edge, peering down at me. "That's my baby boy." Sabre grins at my praise, disappearing back to the platform.
"What about Jeanine?" Four speaks normally, like he wasn't tackled down seconds ago. He's grown accustomed to training the dogs, no longer fretting when any of the trio dive for an area other than the arm.
"We're planning to take her down next week." If all goes well with Eric's meeting today, his hearing is expected to be in two days.
Sabre bounds to me, a ball he found in his maw. He tap dances in front of me, ecstatic over the simplest of things. He races off the moment I grab the ball and pull my arm back, trusting completely I won't faux throw.
I watch my boy chase after the flying ball. Were we outside, leaves would be kicked up as it's autumn. I should bring them out after this.
"Next week?" he asks incredulously. "Jeanine's barely showed you anything yet. The recordings are not enough evidence to take her down."
We're talking way too loudly with him far above me. It sucks too that the training room has little to no padding to absorb sound. "Did you listen to the one yesterday? She was showing me the serums," I reply, oddly offended by his remark. It must be his bordering-condescending tone.
Something dark flashes from my peripherals. I barely turn when a slick silver object plummets right before me.
Clink!
Another knife.
I jerk back, swearing loudly as the blade clatters by my black running shoes. A series of clicks snatches my attention away from the mocking blade. Sabre's running straight at me, his toy nowhere in sight.
Four could've killed me. That bastard.
I'm more ready with Sabre's leap this time, and I plant my feet firmly to withstand his weight. His strides lengthen as he accelerates, only slowing at the last moment to tuck his hind legs to push himself off the ground. Having had a longer running start, the force he brings is much harder than the first. With a jolt, the wolfdog vanishes from my sight.
I look up, ready to catch him in the event he loses purchase on the concentrate wall.
He doesn't.
The expected grunts come without a moment's waste, and I contemplate letting him suffer a while longer for the ass move. As much as I know Four wouldn't intentionally harm me, I was frightened out of my skin. My heart is racing and adrenaline pumps through my veins. My limbs are jittery, ready to bot at a millisecond's notice.
Hardly a second later, a shout. "Anna!" Four yells, panicked.
I panic too, freaked out by almost being skewered in the brain by a stupid knife. "BREAK!"
Four groans loudly, letting out a long string of his own curses - Dauntless flippiting cake. I kick away the knife with more force than necessary. When it slides a good distance away, I bend over and rest my palms on my knees, focusing on my breathing. Stupid Four.
A few beats of heavy breathing later, Four says, "Gunner's up here too."
I frown. "Is he?" A turn to the right shows a vacant mat. Huh. He must've taken the stairs. "Instinct, I guess." The trainer is lucky. If Gunner had been faster like his counterparts, he could've pushed Four off the ledge.
I believe he knows that too.
Pants alert me of their arrival.
Gunner nuzzles into my bent front, checking to see if I'm fine. Sabre is doing somewhat similar, just with more force. He's trying to squeeze his head between my arm and side, adamant on stealing the attention to himself.
I chuckle and straighten. These boys are goofballs at heart, little puppies who wouldn't hurt a fly… unless on purpose. Four clomps down the stairs without the gracefulness of my dogs. I extend a bottle of water which he gratefully accepts. He twists off the cap and chugs the liquid down greedily. His face is ashen, stark in contrast with his black on black attire.
Good. Now he knows how I felt.
I don't say it out loud though, not wanting to push his buttons.
"You were saying?"
He caps the bottle and swipes a hand over his lips. "About?"
I had forgotten too. Resting my hands on my hips, I try my best to pull my jumbled thoughts together. Along the lines of me wanting to tell him something... "I told you about Jeanine showing me the serums and asked if you listened to the latest one."
Recognition fills his expression. "Ah yes. I only listened to half. You wanted the files last night, so I spent my time compiling it, didn't had the time to continue the rest." He reaches an arm behind and digs for the chunky plastic zipper. Once located, he drags it down. The suit loosens and bunches on his shoulders. "Speaking of which, you didn't tell me why you needed them."
"To take down Jeanine," I say with forced simplicity. Warning signs go off in my head. I did not think this through. Why did I open my fat mouth in the beginning?
Oh right, so Four won't feel betrayed when Jeanine is taken down next week.
Well, he's gonna feel betrayed now. Dumbass.
His brows pinch to the center, confused. "How? What did you do to it?"
"I'm brought it up to Candor, Jack Kang is currently processing the evidence." My mind whirls at the possibility of conjuring a lie. Would Four believe if I said I did this by myself?
His voice drops in shock. "What?" he hisses. I squeeze my eyes shut and grimace. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?"
"The opportunity arose, so I took it. Jack Kang believed me. He's working hard on it." Shit. Shit. Triple shit.
A ruffle of cloth, a thump as the suit hits the bag, and clomping of steel-toed boots - Four is making his way to me. He must be incensed, for a furry body suddenly presses to my side. Drawing courage, I peel my eyes apart and look at him.
He stares me down, jaw clenched. I hold in a gulp, saliva stuck at the back of my throat. His glare flickers to the dog, and his lips twist to an infuriated scowl. Gunner is unyielding, his body firm as stone.
Four takes a step back and crosses his arms. The interrogation begins. "So you truly believed Jack Kang believed you."
I reply without skipping a beat. "Yes."
He aims one long reprimanding finger at me, and I can't blame him. "You do realize that you're just a trainee, right? Why would the head of Candor believe your accusations towards a faction leader?" His words nipped at the back of my mind, the bluntness and accuracy pricking at my control.
"Well he did. It took time, of course, but he did." Thank the heavens Four is nothing like Eric. If Eric were in his place, he would've fished out all the secrets ages ago. It's impossible to hide anything from the man; his period detection episode today proves it.
However, to my dismay, Four isn't exactly a meathead either. "Okay, let's assume he did. Because why would the leader of truth lie to you?" He says mocking, crossing his arms. "How did you bring the recordings to him? You couldn't possibly have traveled to Candor and back so quickly. Email?"
A deep longing settles on my abdomen. How I wish Eric were here to handle this. He would grab the facts and shove it down Four's throat. Then we would hold hands and walk into the sunset while Four writhed on the ground.
I'm such a child.
The training door opens. My head whips with great enthusiasm, the dream fresh on my mind.
Hawk plops down on all fours, and I try not to sulk. The expected piece of paper is between his teeth.
"You found Uriah?" I ask, still grateful for the distraction. Hawk blinks at me, probably feeling insulted that I expected otherwise. A corner of the torn tissue a damp with spit. I suppose this is in better condition than the last.
Your dog is freaky as hell.
I found him sitting RIGHT outside the bathroom, waiting for me.
Do you understand how creepy that is?
Marlene called me a pansicake pansycake for screaming like a girl.
Which is
He stops his rant, realizing he's running out of space on the first side. Nonetheless, he manages to squeeze in one more sentence in super tiny script behind.
P.S. If you don't bring your dogs to chase tag soon, we're kicking you off the team. Zeke orders. And I won't lend you any shirts anymore.
Four waits for me to finish reading, force smile, and praise the fawn animal before continuing. He does not share Hawk's success. "So?"
I swallow, hit by an avalanche of irritation. We wouldn't be dancing around if it weren't for Four's hatred for Eric. On one hand, he'll say Eric's getting better. On the other, he'll hint on how Eric is a ruthless son of a bitch, never to be trusted.
Calm.
I need to be calm. Breathing deeply, I let my mind drift back to the beautiful, thoughtful, man. His advice had worked. The pain had completely subsided by the time I came down from my high.
It is slowly building back up again, but I shall not dwell on it.
Giddiness had overwhelmed me at the miracle. I scrubbed my hands free from the smell of blood and practically skipped back to work. Eric didn't expect me to burst into his office, perform a questionable victory dance, and kiss the heck out of him. To his credit, he didn't complain, laughing at my uncoordinated movements before turning all possessive caveman. I swat him away when he tried to grope my ass. No way he's touching my period panties, much less blood.
He pouted but didn't push, likely figuring his chance of succeeding was slim to none.
He did give me another hickey though. I've yet to find it in me to put my foot down. He had a valid point – my hair is nicer 'effortless'. However, I face the problem of the never-ending tangles and slight frizziness - which should be improved once the hair products arrive. A waterfall, that's how I describe it. The frizzes are towards the ends like splatters but the rest is straight. Now the only time my hair is smooth and tangle-free t is right after I thoroughly comb and before Eric plays hairstylist – which isn't very long.
Breathing out slowly through my mouth, I steel myself.
"Eric brought it to Candor. He's on the way back now." Be upfront, get this over with.
"ERIC!" Four yells in disbelief. His stiff demeanor is gone, ripped away like wax on skin. Gunner's apprehension grows, uncaring of the fact this man is his friend. The dog's expression still blank, but his hackles have raised. "You gave the evidence to Eric!"
As a friend, I know I should have Gunner back off. However, Four actions are currently unpredictable.
Gunner's presence merely serves as a precaution – a reminder to the man to not do anything stupid.
I also can't hold my ground against him.
"He knows," I say. Best to lay out all my cards. The situation has already soured. "He knows about the dogs too."
Four's reply is sarcastic. "Might as well tell him when you're on your period too, init?" I remain silent, without a comeback. He catches it. "He does, doesn't he? What is wrong with you?"
"Look, I trust-"
Four cuts me off sharply. "Just because you 'trust' him, doesn't mean I do. And the last time I checked, Jeanine's project does not revolve around your relationship with him. How can you so foolishly give it up?" His words are said with venom, each a strike meant to harm me.
Except I am not deterred. Nothing has been as clear as now.
"Eric isn't working for Jeanine."
He scoffs, loudly. "Oh yeah? Explain to me what happened to Amar, and that Amity transfer. You think he brought them for a trip to the amusement park? Amar is dead. And more likely than not, so is the transfer." I plant my feet firmly and hold my head high. "I can't believe you're so selfish and ignorant to throw away our only shot at bringing them justice. Having feelings for him doesn't mean you should vomit out your secrets. Not only have you placed yourself in danger, but you've also placed my life on the line."
"I didn't tell him about you."
"And that's supposed to make me feel better? If you haven't realized, Eric's smart." If it weren't for Gunner beside me, I have the feeling Four would be doing more than just yelling. "He'll figure out eventually. There's no way you are pulling this off yourself, you're only a banjo-playing transfer."
My mouth twists down and my eyes harden at his implications. I am capable. I know what I'm doing. I am not weak, dumb, nor inadequate. My parents and Eric have drilled it in my head. Hell, if my dogs aren't living proof of my capabilities, I don't know what is.
My fists clench and unclench. I look to the ground, eye twitching.
Four huffs in exasperation. "Unbelievable. Ridiculous. Despicable."
I count to ten, weaving my next words carefully. Control, control, control. My fingers touch soft lavish fur, and I sink into it. "I understand why you're upset, and you have the right to continue to be. However, understand that unlike you had assumed, I did not act on impulse. I had spent a few days thinking it through before I'd even brought it up to Eric, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. That being said, I will not apologize for my actions," I say crisply. Inside, I'm patting myself for not choking over the words.
Quite the accomplishment.
I shall celebrate later.
Four's dark blues flash dangerously. As with Gunner, I remain unfazed, standing my ground. The vein on his neck pops, pulsing visibly even from a few feet away. When he doesn't speak, I take it as my cue to continue. "Eric stopped the divergent hunts before initiation ended. He also hasn't been as involved as before." I decide against sharing Eric's divergence, not trusting Four to keep it to himself.
Today's training is over, and from the looks of it, until further notice. I stroll over to the equipment and squat down, stuffing the suit and toy guns into the bag. "He's exposing Jeanine to Candor, and will stand trial for his own actions." Saying the fact alone disgusts me. I can't stand the idea of him undergoing it.
This must be what my dogs feel like when protecting me. All I want to do now is guard him and rip everyone's head off, regardless of what he deserves. Eric's mine. He only answers to me, no one else.
"And you believe that?" Four asks abrasively.
Slinging the duffle back over one shoulder, I head towards the door. The dogs get up and follow silently. They've always been very perceptive on situations. "I don't believe, I know," I say evenly. "I was there with him when we spoke to Jack. He'd even brought physical evidence of Jeanine's plans."
"And you convinced him to quit?"
My hand pauses at the handle. Three furry heads look up, watching me. The dogs eye me attentively, expecting a command. "No. He convinced himself."
A/N
Was supposed to update last night, but got caught up with exam prep. Its the first time I left questions blank, and it's an official exam :'D
Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate it! Would've fallen out of my chair if I hadn't read it in bed haha
