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Even though his words and actions couldn't seem to match, she remained committed to whatever this was with Eric.

He'd kept his promise to get a video capable tablet to her parents home, and she and her mother had been video chatting often. Amazingly, the new treatment that Erudite had developed showed it's first signs of working for Natalie, and a glimmer of hope sparked in all of them. Tris has not been able to leave the faction to visit her mother since that first visit with Eric, unfortunately his schedule was all over the place and he'd had to deliver the tablet alone. Tris found out that he'd officially met her mother during that trip, and that even though both of her parents knew his time was extremely valuable, they'd been impressed that he'd stayed for almost an hour getting to know Natalie Prior.

Whatever was going on outside of the faction kept him away often, and their private time had been cut greatly as a result. They'd fallen into a routine of spending any time they're not physically together by texting or even calling now that work had gotten busier for him. He'd catch himself calling her when he was stuck driving one of the trucks out of the faction to go pick up some equipment or supplies. She'd call him often when she was alone in the shop, during the slow time when she'd work through their endless laundry basket full of towels in the shop.

The more they chose to put off the conversation about stopping this before someone got hurt, the deeper they got into whatever this was turning into.

She didn't know what to do, one on hand she loved where things seemed to be going with them. Maybe neither of them could deal with the actual title, but it felt like they were heading into something serious. Other times, she wondered if they needed space, because he was so volatile with his emotions, and usually chose to push her if she got too close. He was perfectly fine showing her how he felt, but would turn into a powder keg of sorts if she tried to get him to talk about it. It caused her to evaluate if things with him were worth continuing.

Tris decided today she wasn't going to worry about this thing with Eric.

She'd spent time with Christina during the day, catching up on much needed girl time while Peter was out of the faction with Eric and Austyn attending meetings in Abnegation. Tris was surprised when Peter had started spending nights at the apartment she shared with her best friend, and Chris denied it was anything serious, however as Tris stands next to him, handing him various tools so he can change the hardware out in their shower, she knows better.

This wasn't the first household project he'd done, and Tris had begun to take note. Peter would take out their trash, he'd cook meals once in awhile, he'd bring them both ice cream when he knew they had a sweet tooth, and she'd noticed his toothbrush now had its own cup on their sink.

Christina had sworn she wasn't going to be another notch on his belt, and Tris knew by his actions that Peter wouldn't dare treat her that way. She hasn't heard it from Peter himself, but Eric's relaxed state during their tattoo sessions loosened his lips, and she was learning that the usual grumpy leader tended to gossip in her company.

She liked that she was the one Eric felt comfortable enough to let his guard down with.

"I just need those locking grips." Peter says as he gestures over to the strange looking tool.

"This one?" Tris asks and he nods.

"Perfect. You're a pretty good assistant for a former Stiff." He chuckles and she rolls her eyes at him.

"I'm more than just a former Stiff." She replies, "So, what's really going on with you and my best friend? She won't give me a satisfactory answer, but maybe you will?"

He cuts his green eyes over to her briefly, then smiles and tightens the channel lock on the pipe, "If Chris won't tell you, what makes you think I will?"

"Because I'm your friend." She hedges, with an exaggerated smile.

"I'd think that you'd know better than me. She doesn't seem to want to put an actual title on this, so I guess we're committed friends with committed benefits?" He grins.

"Benefits including sleeping over almost every night, making us dinner, washing our dishes, and even fixing our fucked up shower?" Tris smirks at him and he laughs.

"Well, when the benefits are as good as she gives..."

"Lalalalalala" Tris yells with her fingers in her ears.

"Okay fine," Peter laughs and she grins at him, "Can you pass me a water?"

She tosses him a bottle and then grabs one for herself.

"Are you going to give me the 'if you hurt her, I'll kill you' speech now?" He smirks at her.

"You already know, no need to." She grins at him and he rolls his eyes but chuckles.

"Since we're discussing undefined relationships, what's going on with you and Eric?" Peter asks and Tris actually chokes on the water she's drinking, "Jesus, Tris, I wasn't trying to kill you."

"There's nothing going on with me and Eric. We're friends. I do his tattoos. Why would you even ask that?"

"He's literally my best friend, did you think I wouldn't notice?" He raises an eyebrow at her.

"Has he said something?" Tris hedges.

"Oh Eric says things all the time, but it's what he refuses to say that tells me everything I need to know." Peter retorts.

Tris realizes she wants this conversation to continue after that comment.

"Okay, I'll bite." She sighs and he grins at her.

"You've gotta be doing more than tattoos for him. He's not hooked up with anyone in months, believe me if anyone were to notice that it would be me. He was my wing man, and I noticed him not prowling around for one night stands anymore, and he'd stopped well before I got with Chris, so I started to pay closer attention. I've watched him watch you, hell Tris I've even watched him miss you when you two had a fight or whatnot. Eric is constantly on the phone texting someone when we're hanging out, and even when we're out of the faction together, but he clams up anytime I get to close to the truth. Kind of like you." He smirks at her.

"Peter, you have an overactive imagination. You're getting all of that from him looking at me? Or the fact that he's on his phone more often? It seems like a reach dude." She scoffs.

"I've also heard rumors."

"What kind of rumors?" Tris asks, doing everything she can to disguise her nervousness.

"The first one didn't ever make sense to me, because it came from Ryan, he's one of the guards who reports up to Shauna and he's always fucking drunk off his ass. I ran into him one night at the bar and he was drunk as usual, but what was unusual is that he swore he watched you and Eric getting it on in one of the restricted exam rooms. I knew he was full of shit because he said that not only did the couple let him watch, but they talked to him and seemed to get off on it."

Tris's cheeks burn, and she can tell by the smirk on Peter's face that he sees it, "Peter, that's ridiculous."

"Oh, I thought so too, but then I'm hearing stuff from other people, talking about seeing you and Eric holding hands around the faction, and spending a lot of time together down in the diner. Eric has the same reaction as you when I try to get information out of him, and being his friend for years I know when he's full of shit. He's got it bad and I know that the two of you are more than just fuck buddies-"

Tris puts her hand over Peter's mouth, "Peter, stop, Christina could hear!"

He licks her hand and she pulls away, quickly washing her hands and cursing at him.

"Christina isn't even home yet, besides, I'm not telling her okay? Eric won't admit it, and I know you won't either, but I'm going to tell you this: Eric is into you. He's never been in a relationship, and yet he's been faithful to you for six fucking months now. I know this because for three of those months I wasn't with Chris yet, and Eric would sit his ass right at the bar watching you when I'd try to get him to hook up with whatever friend of whatever girl I was trying to get with. He stopped being my wing man when he started this thing with you." Peter says.

"He's not been with anyone?" He shakes his head, "You're sure?" She asks and he nods.

"I'm positive, because at first I gave him an incredibly hard time for it, but as time passed I realized this was a big deal for him. He won't tell me it's you, but when I asked him if there was someone that he'd found that he wanted more with he admitted that he had. I asked him if it was as exclusive for his partner as it was for him and he clammed up. Eric's having a hard time with whatever this is between the two of you, because he's never had it before, but he's invested."

For a moment she feels like she can't breathe. She's been absolutely terrified of feeling anything for him because of his past aversion to relationships and commitments, and now she's hearing that Eric has likely been just as faithful as she has been since they started this.

"Why are you telling me this? What's in it for you?" Tris asks.

"Tris, I'm happy with Christina. Why wouldn't I want the same happiness for my best friend and the girl he's obviously crazy about. From your side of things, what's the hold up?" Peter asks, and he sees that Tris is conflicted about talking to him, "Hey, this conversation is between us, okay? Whatever we talk about stays here. What's holding you back?"

"He won't talk to me about it, so it feels like he's avoiding the conversation just to keep me hanging on." Tris says quietly. Even though she knows Chris went to the store for some plumbing tape, she is still afraid she's going to burst in at any moment.

Peter sighs and shakes his head, "I know this sounds completely immature, but go to this leadership shindig with Austyn. It'll drive Eric nuts, and maybe he'll finally quit this shit." Peter replies.

"He's not a relationship guy, Peter that's not him..."

"Neither is him being faithful to one person for over six months. Eric wants you, Tris, and I think you want him too. Going out in a group setting, maybe it'll be the catalyst to finally make things official between you two. Eric just needs a push, and seeing you out with someone else might just do it." Peter says.

"Yeah right, he'll just get jealous and stew." Tris shakes her head.

"Jealous Eric is the most honest Eric, and trust me when I say seeing Christina with Will definitely gave me the push I needed to get my head out of my own ass. That and some good advice from Eric himself."

"I really shouldn't be having this conversation with you, especially when he and I can't seem to have it with each other," Tris replies but Peter doesn't budge.

"While I usually would agree with that, someone has to be the first to break." He replies.

"He told me when this thing started that he wasn't boyfriend material." Tris replies.

"He absolutely wasn't, before you."

"Peter, if I tell him I want more, and he's not there yet, he'll bolt. You know it and I do too. I'm not ready to lose what we have." She argues, "Every single time that I try to talk to him he tells me he's not ready."

"One of you is going to have to make the first move." Peter replies, not backing down.

"I know," She finally admits, "Can we keep this conversation between us, please? I need to get my head on before I can even try to talk to Eric, and I really can't have Chris in this yet." She replies.

"You've got it, but promise me you will open up to him." Peter smiles

"I promise to try."

The apartment door opening causes them to get back to work, and Christina happily bounds into the bathroom and passes the tape to Peter, who plants a quick kiss on her lips. Tris still can't get used to seeing them like this, but she can't help but be happy because her best friend is happy.

"Tris, I talked to Austyn while I was out, he really wants you to go to the open invite night at the leadership club. You know Peter and I are going, and I'd really love for you to be there with us. Please." She smiles at her best friend.

"I'll go find him and figure it out." Tris replies and Christina squeals in delight.

She leaves them to finish and makes her way to the leadership apprenticeship wing, finding Austyn working on a computer just like she'd hoped. He grins at her and waves her over and she plops down next to him.

"I heard there is some sort of shindig happening at this top secret leadership club soon." Tris says and his bright hazel eyes sparkle.

"Indeed there is. Are you here to ask me for my hand?"

Tris laughs as she shakes her head, "Peter already told me that Christina is trying to set me up with you."

"Oh, she totally is, I've already been told what time to pick you up and what you'll be wearing." He laughs.

"She's excited. Apparently, she and Peter are going together."

"They're weird, right? I mean, that is one couple that makes no sense." He shakes his head.

"It's definitely weird, but it also seems to be working and it makes them happy. They hated each other for a long time, and now every time I'm home he's there and they're sucking face." Tris scrunches her nose.

"Maybe you need someone to suck face with. I'm still willing, I'm not completely gay you know." He grins at her.

"I know, but I don't make it a habit of sucking face with my friends." She smirks and he rolls his eyes dramatically.

"Yeah, I forgot, you don't like to kiss, just fuck. I just love the fact that you continue to refuse to tell me who it is that you love to fuck, even though I've already figured it out." He replies with a smirk.

"Austyn, I was drunk when I was talking about hooking up with people." She dismisses.

"Not just any people, you heavily insinuated it was one person, a grouchy leader who suddenly isn't as grouchy anymore. A certain hot as fuck man who you spend an awful amount of time with. I have covered for you more times than you even know, especially since Christina seems to think it's me that you spend all your time texting and hanging out with. Besides, it's not like I haven't noticed how often the two of you are up there in his office." He replies.

"Austyn, Eric and I are friends, plus I am his tattoo artist, and I also am responsible for getting invoices turned in with him so of course we spend time together in his office." She says.

"Right..." He drawls, "I'm just going to tell you now that you two are pretty good at fooling most people, but those of us who know the two of you aren't buying it. Max and Harrison even noticed that their incredibly crabby youngest leader has been much happier, especially when a certain beautiful tattoo artist has spent time in his office with him." He smirks at her.

"No way, Max and Harrison too?" Tris gapes.

"I think the whole team wants to buy you a thank you gift for getting the stick out of Eric's ass." He laughs when she playfully smacks his shoulder.

"Stop it." She scowls.

"Tris, how serious has this thing gotten between you two?"

"Did you and Peter plan this out? Are you two staging an intervention?" She sighs.

"Not an intervention, but we're both friends with Eric, and we've both watched him change over the past several months. We also both care about the two of you and want you to be happy." Austyn says.

Tris buries her face in her hands and shakes her head, "I can't do this."

"You need someone to talk to, especially since Christina has you and me practically planning a wedding based on how she perceives you changing too. You're welcome for that, Peter and I are keeping her away from the actual truth about you and Eric until you're ready to talk about it yourself. I figured I owed you this much since you've covered for me for a long time. Tris, you're my best friend, talk to me."

"I can't talk to you when I can't even talk to him." She replies quietly, "Peter tried it when we were alone in the apartment earlier too. I just came down here to find out about the leadership club or whatever it is."

"Are you sure you want to go with me?" He asks and when she looks up at him she can tell he's being serious for a change, "What if Eric asks you?"

"I think he and I need to figure things out before we go any more public than we already have." She sighs.

"What's the hold up?" He asks and she looks around before answering.

"His refusal to talk about it. I've tried Austyn, but any time I bring up how the dynamic of our relationship has changed, he shuts down and tells me he's not ready to end things." She replies.

"Okay, so it sounds like you two started this with some sort of agreement of how it would happen, correct?" He asks and she nods.

"Yes. It was casual, he was not relationship material, if any one-sided feelings developed we ended the physical relationship before one of us gets hurt."

His light hazel eyes meet hers, "Are the feelings one-sided?"

She shakes her head, "Not for me."

"And you think they are for him?" He asks and she shrugs.

"He's heavily insinuated they're not."

"What the hell are you two waiting on then?" He asks, throwing his hands up dramatically.

"We've both had some strong reactions when feelings started creeping out." She admits, "The first time it was me, more recently it was him, but lately when we actually do dance around the subject of what we are he's been the one shutting down. If I push him too hard, I lose him, and all of this we've built is gone with him."

"But what if it's not, sweetie? What if he just needs you to tell him that this is real for you? What if he just needs a slight push?"

She shakes her head, "He's not going to commit."

"Because he's adventurous?" Austyn hedges.

"You know, don't you?" She asks and he nods.

"Eric and I run in similar crowds." He says vaguely and she nods her head.

"How does he just give that up? What if he doesn't want just one person for a period of time?" She asks.

"You know that being fluid, or whatever it is that Eric actually identifies as, doesn't mean you can't have a successful committed relationship, right?" He asks.

"Except when the person has repeatedly told you that he doesn't want a relationship, and that he's not a relationship person. I can't talk about this anymore, at least right now, okay?"

He sighs heavily, "You can't keep this inside forever."

"I won't, but I want to continue whatever it is that he and I have for as long as he lets me."

"I'm going to let it go for now, but I won't let you get hurt in all of this. I love you entirely too much to pick you up from another failed relationship. That shit with Four was rough."

"It was because I loved Four at one point." She replies.

"You love him too," He gestures down the hallway where the leader offices start, "I see the look on your face, don't even try to deny it."

"Austyn..." She sighs.

"Tris, I've known you since the minute we transferred here, I watched you continue to be a meek Abnegation during your relationship with Four, and I don't doubt that you loved him, but you also didn't become you until you left that relationship. I saw you suppress who you were for years, and when you started this thing with Eric you came alive. You're in love with Eric, more than you ever loved Four, and it's okay to feel that. You need to accept it, and eventually tell him, because this shit is going to get volatile if one of you doesn't start the conversation."

"I know." She nods.

"I'm here for you always, and if I thought that man back there wasn't worth the effort I'd be dragging you away. He's definitely been a wild card for a long time, but what I've seen over these past several months is nothing like he used to be. Now go see Eric, he's been working his ass off all day and I'm sure you know just how to get him out of here." Austyn grins at her and she rolls her eyes.

"He's still here? It's way after hours for him."

"He sure is. He's probably waiting for you so he can ravish you on his desk. So how is he? I bet it's great because I can imagine he's huge."

"Austyn!" Tris giggles and blushes.

"So, he is! Do you think he might finally give me a taste before the two of you get married?" He grins at her.

"I'm not having this conversation with you. I'm going to go see Eric." She begins to turn but Austyn puts a hand on her arm.

"I'm serious about that taste if the two of you are ever interested, you know I can be discreet too." He smirks at her.

"Austyn Michael Turner!" Tris shakes her head.

"So, it's not a no?" He asks, grinning at her.

"I definitely can't have this conversation with you. I love you dearly, but I can't offer him up for a threesome without talking to him first."

"So it's definitely not a no. I can take that, just at least think about it." He retorts.

"Bye Austyn!" She waves as she walks away.

She makes her way up to Eric's office, and she's surprised when she finds it open. He looks up at her from his computer screen, handsome in his glasses and the smile on his face let's her know he's just as happy to see her as she is to see him. He invites her in and she closes the door just to be pushed against it. His body is warm against hers and he rests his forehead on hers.

"Where have you been all day?" He asks.

"I spent some time with Christina since Peter was out of the faction with you for the day. I don't get to see her a lot anymore. Then I helped her and Peter try to fix our fucked up shower." She replies as she loops her arms around him.

"I could have fixed it for you when we got back to the faction." He offers.

"Right, and give Christina gossip for weeks?" She grins.

"Let her gossip." He shrugs.

"You say that until the entire faction hears about you being in my apartment within minutes of you being there." She replies and he laughs.

"Maybe I don't care. It's you that is worried about who knows who you allow into your apartment." He smirks at her.

"Touché." She laughs.

"I missed talking to you today." He admits and she smiles at him.

"Why are you here so late?" She asks.

"Just catching up on some emails I didn't get to while being out of the office and I was waiting for you to let me know what you wanted to do tonight," He replies before he plants a kiss on her forehead, then her nose, and pauses at her lips. She turns away so he can kiss her cheek and when his lips meet her ear he speaks, "One day I'm going to say fuck your rules." He kisses his way down her neck and wraps his hands around the back of her thighs, picking her up and carrying her to his desk.

"I'd much rather hear you say that you're going to fuck me."

He pulls away from her suddenly and he looks almost feral as he shakes his head at her.

"Maybe I don't want to fuck you, Tris." He says lowly.

"You don't?" She asks innocently and he shakes his head.

"No. Not you..." He trails off.

She grins wickedly at him, "Leader Coulter, I am here to bring a message from our great leader, Mister Marcus Eaton. This behavior is very unexpected from a leader such as yourself." She says in her most innocent voice.

His dick is instantly hard.

"Oh, my sweet little Abnegation, are you offended by a man touching you?" He asks.

"I've never been touched before." She says demurely, "I'm supposed to be married before a man can touch me."

"Have you been promised to someone else?" He asks.

"Oh yes, my father has arranged for me to marry the son of one of the respected elders, a very successful man who will take good care of me. We are due to be married this very weekend. Mister Eaton and my father wanted me to personally bring you an invitation. It's an important event for a leader's daughter to take a husband." She replies.

God, he loves their role playing.

"How will you know how to please your new husband if you've never known the touch of another man?" He asks as he pulls the zipper of her light jacket down.

"That's not allowed Leader Coulter, I'm to be pure for my husband." She replies.

He pushes the jacket off her shoulders, exposing the tank top she wears. Without a bra. She's easily the hottest person he's ever been with.

"How will you know how to enjoy a man's touch if you wait until your wedding night?" He asks as he ghosts his lips over her shoulder.

"I'm meant to be with only my husband Leader Coulter. He will be the only man to ever touch me. It would be selfish of me to give myself to anyone who I will not spend my life with. It would also be selfish of me to have intercourse for reasons other than reproduction."

He pulls her tank top off of her slowly, and she covers herself.

"You're beautiful." He whispers, and for a moment neither of them is in character as he leans back to look at her, "Every part of you is perfect. You are perfect for me." He then leans in and runs his nose down her neck and places wet kisses there.

"Eric.." Tris whispers as she tries to pull his face up to hers.

His nose touches hers, and they're breathing the same air for several beats before he slowly pulls away. He's not going to push her, but he's also not able to deny how he feels about her.

"Your rules, not mine." He says and then drops his lips to her neck, sucking lightly on her pulse point.

"Sir, what are you doing?"

"If I were to take you, would that tarnish you for any other man?" He asks.

"Yes sir."

"Then I suppose you'd just have to be mine." He says before his lips wrap around one of her nipples. She throws her head back and he gently lays her back on his desk.

"You'd want me to be yours?" She asks him as his breath raggedly washes over her.

"Mine, and only mine." He growls.

"That means marriage." She retorts.

"I'm fine with that." He peppers kisses across her body and she shivers beneath him.

"Kids?" She breathes out.

"As many as you'd want." He licks and then bites her nipple and she arches against him.

"You're a Dauntless, I'm an Abnegation, that would never work." She breathes out.

"Why wouldn't it?" He asks.

"You'd never be faithful to me." She replies.

"Why do you say that?" He asks in between of soft kisses across her torso.

"Because you can have anyone you want in this faction, or even in the city, there's no way I would ever be enough for you." She says softly.

"I want you."

"Eric-"

"You're the only person I have ever committed to." He breathes out as he rocks against her, "I couldn't imagine being with one person until you. Now, I can't imagine being without you. You're the only person I could ever love. So sweet and pure, so innocent until me..." He trails off when he takes her nipple in his mouth again and pushes his erection against her leg.

She has no idea if they are still playing their parts, and when his lips land very close to her mouth she feels him sigh against her before he moves down her neck again. He kisses or touches every inch of her exposed skin, his eyes raking over all of her creamy flesh. He rarely can see her this exposed, their penchant for fucking in public keeps them relatively dressed during their intimate moments, and he's taking advantage of their privacy.

"You're beautiful, you're smart, you challenge me every day. I've changed because of you."

"Eric... how... what..."

"You are it for me. You just say the word, and I'm yours, Tris." He whispers in between hot kisses all over her body, "I want to kiss you so fucking bad. I need the rules to be gone... I need you."

"Eric?" Her voice pulls him out of his thoughts and he looks up at her from where his head rests on her stomach.

"Yes?"

"Are you..." She stops speaking and he can see how flustered she is, "Are we, I mean, is this..." She closes her eyes tight and he moves closer to her, leaning over her face and rubbing his nose against hers.

"Are we what, Tris?" He says, and she can feel his breath on her lips, "Don't be afraid of me. Ask me the question."

"Are we real?"

"What do you think?" He counters.

"Stop it! Stop answering all of my questions with questions. What do you want?" She asks.

"To jump." He whispers, and he leans in to her, poised to break that fucking kissing rule once and for all when a sharp knock on his office door startles them both and Tris scrambles to cover herself.

Thankfully, he locked the damn door this time.

"Coulter, Max needs all of us in his office right now. All leadership including the apprentices. Don't be late." Charissa's stern voice calls through the door and he sighs deeply before helping Tris to her find her clothes.

"Eric-"

"Later, I promise." He presses a long kiss to her forehead and then slips out of his office door.