"While you stab yourself in the heart repeatedly."
"Yeah," Issy sighs. "That's about it."
Issy's eyes flickered open to darkness. There was warmth on her left side between her and the wall as she layed on her back. Bree was faced towards the wall, hogging most of the duvet. They had both fell asleep in the clothes they wore to Capture The Flag and Issy was still wearing the watch that is always fastened on her right wrist. Issy looks at the watch, squinting at the time. 02:19. She's had roughly five hours sleep, including the few hours she had got before the game. Nearly robotically, she quietly got down from her bunk as she had done every other night and slipped her boots on loosely. It was a little chilly in the dorms so she threw on the hoodie she had worn only hours before and grabbed her sketch pad. Since she had gotten the pad from Josh she hadn't drawn in it much as she had the first when she had first got it. The first page has a few small doodles dotted around. Trying not to make a sound, Issy padded from the dorms, slowly opening and closing the door as it tends to squeak and once again made her way through the halls of Dauntless.
Her thoughts wandered to what she had seen in the bar. A frown is painted onto her face as the scene replays in her head. She knew that Instructor/Initiate relationships weren't allowed but Issy couldn't help but feel drawn to Eric and she didn't know why. Yes, she found his dry humour and sarcastic nature familiar and she even liked his sadistic side when he took control in training. Some times she found herself relishing in the times when Eric had really ripped Korey a new one, even when he yelled at Issy for lying about her hand when her and Alec raced up the side of an old building she found a small voice in her mind liking it way too much. Maybe he only saw her as his best friend's little sister, maybe that's all he'll ever see her as.
Issy was torn from her thoughts when she turned a corner and walked into something hard, dropping her pad and pencil. Her eyes widened in shock as she took a step back, tripping over her own feet and fell to the floor. Hands grabbed her waist before she could touch the floor and placed her back onto her feet. Issy looked up to thank whoever caught her and paused momentarily. 'Damn her luck!' She cursed in her head as Eric moved his hands from her waist to her hips. She tried to hide the small shiver that went down her spine when his hands glided over her body but by the little twitch playing on his lips he had seen, or rather felt it. He lowered his head to hers, his lips almost brushing her ear as she tried to hold in another shiver and control her damned emotions.
"Careful Issy," His voice was low and deep and she noticed the neck of his top was drenched in sweat and his knuckles were bloodied. "You don't know who you could be bumping into at this time of night."
She stared into his eyes and smirked, everything she had told Bree had vanished from her mind as she moved a fraction of a inch closer. "Are you saying its a good thing I bumped into you?"
He grinned suggestively and stepped back, quietly chucking. He cocked his head to he side as he looked at her while she crouched down to pick her pad and pencil back up. "Dec was looking for you last night."
"Bree got a headache and didn't feel well so I went back to the dorms and stayed with her." Eric appeared to believe that as he frowns and Instructor Eric comes forward.
"If she gets worse take her to Marlene."
"Yes si– Eric." Issy turns to walk away when a thought pops into her mind. "I just thought, who got the flag?"
Eric's face relaxed and a boyish grin took over. "Alec did actually." Issy's golden eyes shone in delight, she opened her mouth to ask how but he explained anyway. "Four's team had hid the flag halfway up the Ferris wheel. Three were guarding the front of the ladder, the rest were spread out around them. Alec came up with the idea of most of the team engaging those around the ladder while two creeped from behind and got the flag. He, of course, nominated himself to get the flag and I went with him." Eric looked down to his knuckles grinning at the memory. "Alec actually scaled the frame without touching the ladder until his was at the under side of it right where the flag was tied. Once he got the flag he just dropped down like it was nothing."
"I bet the feeling of winning after so long is amazing."
He nods his head, pleased with her answer. He begins to walk past her, ending the conversation when Issy lets out a small breath she wasn't aware she was holding. She had gotten so far up the hall when Eric called out to her. She spins round and Eric is stood where she was moments ago.
"I must congratulate you on your resourcefulness with the gun." He laughed lightly and shook his head. "It really was a pleasure to see." Issy's lips twitched in amusement as she nodded her head at him, acknowledging his response and bidding him goodnight . . . 'Or morning?' She shook her head, smiling as she turned and headed to her alcove by the chasm.
Sitting on the floor and leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes and listened to the roaring of the water against the rocks below. 'What the fuck is wrong with me?' She feels like she has uttered that question a lot just recently in her head. 'What happened to pulling away? What even was that?' Despite what she saw after the game Issy has found that she can talk easily to him just like all those other times it was just the two of them. But when Eric moved his hands down to her hips and the shiver that ran through her – 'No! Dammit Issy don't go there! Don't even think about it, just don – too late.' Fuck. She was so fucking screwed. Issy flipped open the pad, pushing all thought of him to the side and tried to get lost in her drawings.
Four filled pages and several hours later, Issy glanced at her and sat up straight. It was ten to eight. Issy slung her hoodie back on and sped to the dorms. She had passed several people that moved like zombies in the direction of the food hall when she made it back to the dorms. Inside not many people were up and wake. Alec, Issy noticed with a laugh, had half of the duvet off with a little bit of drool hanging from his mouth. With a silent snicker she went to her locker and got out new clothes for the day as the ones she was wearing were getting a bit stinky. A whack on the back of her head surprised her and her head flew up. Issy turned to see Bree leaning down from her bed, clearly annoyed.
"Where the hell were you?!" Bree hissed and Issy checked no one else was awake before replying.
"I was out by the chasm –"
"Issy!" Bree gasped.
"No! No, no! I was drawing!" She lifted her sketch book up to confirm it. "I wouldn't do. . . that."
"Do you do this often?"
"Do what? Oh, do you mean leave the dorm at stupid times and wander?"
"Well yes?"
"You really are a heavy sleeper, aren't you?" Bree appeared confused as Issy puffed out a laugh. "Bree I've been doing this since the second night. I didn't tell you 'cause I didn't think it was necessary for you to know."
Bree paused as she fiddled with her sleeve. "I feel like just recently we haven't been talking, ya know, just the two of us?"
"I know." Issy sighed. "How about today or whenever we both have time we – just us two – have a day to ourselves?"
"Well I know today I have plans with Noah."
A grin spread on Issy's face as Bree blushed. "A date? Damn girl, you go." Bree chucked her pillow at her friend when she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Bree grumbled as she got down from Issy's bunk while Issy made her way to the showers.
Twenty minutes later both Issy and Bree had showered and changed for the day. Noah had gotten up too and had left with Bree not too long ago. Alec, however, was still in bed. It was half past and Issy didn't want to waste this free day they'd been given. Issy grabbed at the duvet and pulled at it resulting in Alec grumbling at her and he rolled over dragging the duvet with him. Issy stumbled forward as she let it go. She prodded and poked at his cheeks, jabbed and pulled at his limbs but Alec didn't respond. An idea popped into her head and she grinned evilly down at her brother. A few pairs of eyes watched as Issy sped towards the showers with a smirk that screamed mischief. Issy grabbed a medium sized bucket from the cupboard and placed it under a shower to fill it up. She re-entered the main room and several people gasped or laughed. Issy just merely grinned at them.
"Issy!" Cody's disapproving voice came from her left as he stood next to her, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Whaaat?" She answered in mock innocence.
"You're not seriously going to wake him up like that are you?"
"Yes. He won't get up." As Cody rolled his eyes her grin widened. "There's another bucket in the cupboard. I know a small part of you wants to." Cody narrows his eyes at her and glances to her bucket and towards the cupboard.
"Dammit." Issy laughs as he gets his own bucket to fill up and joins her by Alec's bedside.
"Ready?" Issy asks. They begin to lightly swing their buckets between each number. "Three. Two. One." The water crashes onto Alec and her brother bolts up, gasping in surprise and wiping at his face. Cody and Issy are laughing hard when Alec turns to them.
"You mother fucking bastards!" Alec yelled. They laughed harder as Alec got up and flung some water in his hands in their direction. Alec fiddled around with something in his locker and walked to the showers dripping wet, muttering curses at them under his breath. When Cody and Issy stopped laughing, they hung up his sheets on the bunks to dry.
"What a good start to the day." Cody grinned in the direction of the showers and checked his watch. "Have fun with grumble guts today. I'm meeting Sam and Luke today."
"Will do."
When Alec came out of the showers fully dressed and ready for the day he seemed calmer but he was probably mentally planning a way to get back at them both. Issy was layed on Cody's bunk drawing tribal shapes while Alec tied up his boots.
"C'mon little fiend, I'm hungry."
The twins were both quiet as they walked side by side. Dauntless was partly alive with early shifters opening shops and readying for the day. Alec weaved his way through the crowd with Issy gripping onto the back of his hood. He didn't stop to look around for anyone they knew when they entered the dining hall, he just walked to the table they had sat at before and sat down. Issy sat next to him and picked at the food in front of her. A body slide in next to her and a hand piled some food onto her plate.
"If you're not gonna stay in the dorms and sleep, you must eat something." Hugo sighed next to her as he placed his travel mug of coffee in front of her. Eagerly, she took the mug and held it close, absorbing the warmth.
"Where's Dec?" Alec asked as he picked some food off of Issy's plate.
"Here." Their oldest brother's voice came for behind them and Declan ruffled Alec's hair and leaned down to give Iss a quick side hug from an awkward angle. He sat down in front of Issy and picked at her plate, fighting against Alec's fork for a strip of bacon. Alec won their mini fight and shoved it into his mouth, chewing smugly causing Dec to roll his eyes. "So what do you want to do today with your free day and all?"
"Aren't either of you working?"
"Nah," Hugo began, taking the mug from his sister and talking a sip. "When the instructors and initiates normally get back from Capture The Flag there's a lot of partying whether or not they joined in or not. It causes quite a few people to have a hangover or just not wake up. So most people have a day off today."
"So, any ideas?" Dec asked again.
"Wooftap tag." Alec said through a mouthful of food.
"Can you repeat that?" Issy laughed as he struggled to swallow it all.
"Rooftop tag." He says again clearly. Declan and Hugo just stop what they're doing to look at him.
"We are totally doing that!" Hugo grinned like a kid.
"We have to check with Max though." Declan began clearing up and motioned for the twins to follow him. Declan leads them to the higher halls of Dauntless where all of the offices of the leaders and other important staff are placed. Declan points out his office as they go by and to Tris's which is only a few doors down from his if they ever need to find either of them. They come to a larger hall way with at least ten doors. All of the doors are a dark grey colour and have nothing to suggest who's office it belongs to. A few have secretaries sat outside, typing away. Declan points out Eric's which is the second from the end of the corridor. They walk past his to the door at the end and Dec knocks twice.
"Come in." Sounds through the door and Hugo opens the door wide enough for Issy to see Max sat behind a desk with piles of paper every where. "Uhuh, trouble." Max jokes as they all pile into the room.
"Ouch." Declan hisses mockingly, grabbing at his chest over his heart. "That hurt Max."
Max just raised an eyebrow in his direction as Issy and Alec tried stifling their laughs with their sleeves. "What do you want?"
"We were wondering if we could take Mischief 1 and Mischief 2 out of the compound to play Rooftop tag?" Hugo piped up.
"Rooftop tag?"
"Yeah, it's basically tag but on rooftops. We'll only use the buildings that make up the compound. Pleeaase?"
"If," Max raised a finger. "And only if, you be careful and check in with me before sun down. Am I clear?"
"Sir!" Declan and Hugo agree without a problem. Hugo reopens the door and they don't even leave the room when Alec taps Dec on the arm shouting "Tag! You're it!" before running down the corridor. Issy and Hugo race after him, leaving Declan to look at Max and Eric and another Leader apologetically, who were both nearly push out of the way by Alec before chasing after the little shits he calls siblings.
Hugo gets in front of Alec and motions them to follow him as they sprint through Dauntless. They go through a part of Dauntless Alec has never been to before, Issy has through her late nigh wanderings but she has never truly explored it. Hugo throws open a door and the twins are blinded by bright light. They had never thought how dark Dauntless is until they're running outside. Hugo leads them to a metal fire escape and they start to climb. As Issy turns to climb the second set of stairs she spots Declan run out of the door they had just came from.
"Shit! Hugo, speed up!" She shouts to him. Instead of climbing step by step, Hugo now jumps three steps in one go until they come to the roof.
"Right, you can't go past the fifth rooftop radius from this one okay?" Hugo puffs out as the clattering of boots against metal get louder. The twins nod in response. "Okay, go!" Just as they spilt from one another, Declan jumps onto the roof and launches himself towards the closest person being Alec. Alec jerks away a second too late as Declan's fingers brush against his brother's skin.
"Tag, you're it!" Dec shoots away quickly as Alec steps forward. Issy sprints away to his right and Hugo to his left. Alec's head quickly jumped from the three of them before sprinting after his sister. Issy smiled as she heard footsteps behind her. The end of the rooftop she was on was ending soon with a smallish gap between this one and the next. Issy sped up as she neared it and propelled herself into the air, flying for almost a minute before she tucked herself into a roll as she came into contact with the next roof. She popped back up and started to run just as Alec had jumped. 'And so the game has begun.'
The slowed to a stop when the family of four registered the sun had started to set. They trudged their way down the metal steps huffing and puffing tiredly. They had had a good game. No one had fallen or hurt themselves and they agreed to do it again sometime. Breathily, they laughed when Issy brought up the memory of how they'd sneak out of Erudite at night just to play it. It was dangerous when it was dark but that just added to the fun.
By the time they had got to Max they were ready for bed, even Issy felt particularly knackered and felt like she could manage to sleep a few more hours than normal. At the Pit the older siblings said later to their younger siblings as they re-started training the following morning and so the twins wander back to the dorms.
This will be the last update in a while I should think as I'm re-starting college soon and I won't be able to update as much.