"Tell me… what did I do to deserve you?"

Just like it did then, a shiver runs down my spine. The huskiness and rawness of his voice has been haunting me ever since, distracting me multiple times a day. I can't stop the warmth in my cheeks as I remember how he stared at me - like I was the only person who mattered. What I would give to-

"Anna."

I blink; vision begrudgingly refocusing back to reality. We're discussing work. Right. "Sorry, what?"

Eric scans my face, frowning. "I asked of what you thought of this," he points at the rough sketch of a trailer. Huh, I don't recall seeing this much detail moments ago.

Hastily studying the plans, I agree. "Yep, this works." We've figured a possible solution to the food-thieving issue. By using the far-superior Dauntless trucks and attaching trailers, we could transport more food while reducing the need for multiple vehicles. To put it simply, we plan to make short trains without railways. "I'll propose it to Erudite if you want."

Eric's quick objection surprises me. "Absolutely not." I pout. "There's no way you're going to Erudite," he decrees, snatching the sketch away from my darting hands.

I cross my arms in defiance and minuscule defeat. "Why not?" Eric's refusal confuses me. Surely he of all people would love to have me acquainted with Jeanine.

He lifts an eyebrow, his piercing glinting off the light. "Because…" he starts and pauses. He thrums his fingers on his chin, thinking. I wait for him expectantly. "I say so."

I am unimpressed.

Before I can voice out my argument, he changes the subject."Now, let's focus on the real issue here." My eyes narrow in suspicion. "Why have you been so distracted lately?" He closes the gap between us, stupid cologne wafting in the air. I scowl. He's playing unfair, using scent to throw me off. Yet despite my displeasure, my breath still hitches when he leans down to my ear. "Is it a guy?"

I pull away and splutter, my calf bumping into my dog's wooden bed frame. "What? Of course not."

He doesn't believe me. "Then why were you blushing?" his head tilts, interrogating. "Is it Liam?"

My brows knit together. "No."

His eyes travel the office as he racks his brain. "Four?"

Ew. "No." Four is a good friend, that's about the highest stage he'll ever be.

My curt answer catches him off guard, but he recovers quickly. "Then?" he presses. He couldn't possibly believe that there was anyone else right? My heart rate speeds up as I hold his stare. I'm unsure on whether he genuinely wants me to admit the obvious or he was trying to prove that he affects me - big time. I cast my eyes to the ground, suddenly oddly embarrassed. Is this what happens in high-school? Where people admit their feelings for each other like a shy mouse? "So?"

I clear my throat awkwardly. Here goes nothing. "You."

His reply is instantaneous; my answer expected. "Prove it."

"Sorry?" I find him staring at me intensely, his gaze piercing and calculating.

"Kiss me."

"What do you think? Pretty amazing huh?" Skylar points at Hawk. The large beast is propped on the wall, his head between his front legs. All around me the giggles of the kids are quickly fading as they disappear into the vast area of the day-care center. "And this only took seven tries!" The fawn dog peaks his head out, turning to Skylar. "Not yet Hawky," she tells him. Hawk obediently buries his head back into his legs, tail wagging.

I look between her and my dog, wondering how an inexperienced person like her manage to teach hide-and-seek to a dog. "Why did you teach him this again?" I ask, confused.

"Okay boy, go!" Skylar pats his shoulder. Immediately, Hawk falls back on all fours, nose to the ground. He sniffs the ground, trying to locate a child with as much intensity as when we're training. When he succeeds, he perks up with his tail wagging. "He loves it! And the children love it too." Just as she says that, the child bursts into giggles. The kid stumbles into Hawk, my dog the only thing holding him up as the kid hugs him. "Plus, with him as the searcher, the kids can hide in a larger area. Nothing ever slips past him." Skylar cups her cheeks, swooning as Hawk proceeds with his task. Each time he locates a kid, he is greeted with suffocating joy and excitement.

"Have you taught him to hide then?" I'll give it to her, teaching Hawk this is pretty ingenious. It makes my job easy too, since mental stimulation drains his energy quickly. I am impressed. Skylar has kept to her word, dutifully dropping him off and giving me a brief rundown of the day. She'd even manage to convince the kids not to disturb the other two canines, telling how it would make 'Hawky' sad.

Skylar continues keeping a close eye on the dog, waving over the children who've been found to gather. "Nah, he doesn't seem to mind being the seeker. Plus, the kids love him. If it were kid, no doubt a mini brawl will break out."

"Oh."

Gunner and Sabre flank me. They watch their brother curiously. I figured that Sabre might have wanted to join, but he seems content on the sidelines.

Skylar waves over another staff and motions for her to watch the kids. "So..." She turns to me, a hand on her hip. "Why are you here? Did something happen?"

"What do you mean you both haven't kissed!" my friend exclaimed incredulously. I wince and sink lower in the seat. "You've been dating for like… two months!"

A few heads turn to us, peering disgustingly with mouths full of food. "Can you keep it down!" I whisper-yell. Note to self: Never, EVER, eat lunch with Skylar at a diner alone. Extremely dangerous, never turns out well.

"What are you looking at?" I scowl at my dogs. The three of them are staring at me in faux shock, their jaws unhinged. "It's not like you guys ever kissed a girl before either," I grumble. Hawk tilts his furry head and lifts a paw at me, pointing. "Shut up," I snipe.

"There's nothing wrong with not kissing Eric yet!" I argue back quietly. "It's only been two months…" I trail off, pushing my food around the plate. Two months isn't that long of a time... right?

Skylar flips her hair, crosses her arms, and cocks her head to the side. "First off; it's Eric, not some other dude." She holds up her index finger for effect. "Secondly, it's Dauntless, not Abnegation. There's no such thing as a 'virginity' for kissing a boyfriend." My scowl deepens. "Thirdly," without warning, she stands and slams her palms on the table like a deranged lion. I sink into the seat some more. "IT'S ERIC COULTER. HOW CAN YOU NOT KISS HIM!" she roars quietly. From my peripherals, a waiter glances at us worriedly. Skylar - noticing it too - settles back into her seat, muttering furiously under her breath.

I throw my arms in the air. "What do you expect me to do? Just walk up and kiss him for no reason?" I argue, face red with embarrassment.

"YES! YES YOU JUST WALK UP TO HIM AND KISS HIM," she mimics my arms in disbelief. How is she more frustrated than I am? It's her who has a steady relationship with Zack.

"I can't just do that! He'll push me away!" I'm not sure why I'm even defending myself. Rarely do I have thoughts of kissing him. It's just so… awkward.

Skylar grips her hair in frustration and groans loudly, "Yes, you can. He's a guy! And guys don't pass up chances like this. You can do it anytime, anywhere. Trust me."

"You speak like you have experience," I grumble.

She deadpans and looks at me like I'm stupid. "I have experience."

How could I forget? "Well! Well… Gah!" I bury my face in my hands. "I don't even know how to do it." Me? Going up to Eric and kissing him? I can imagine him laughing at my incompetence while my dignity packs up and leaves. I'm pretty sure my dogs can do a better job. They practice on me all the time.

I peek between my fingers to find Skylar scrutinizing me. She stares long and hard, eyes narrowing as she tries to figure me out. After she finally reaches the conclusion that I, Anna Laker, has indeed never kissed, she sighs heavily. "How?" she mutters, patting her cheeks with her hands. "Insane." Then she addresses me, "Have you been living under a rock?"

I turn to my three dogs, all of them panting encouragingly. "Yeah, kinda," I reply, shrugging my shoulders. "But I did have a period of reading romances a few years back," I add hopefully, "So I do have an idea." John had sneaked me some books from Erudite's library during school. I'm surprised he even agreed to such an embarrassing request.

She continues with her vocal inner thoughts. "Unbelievable. How does one…" She then turns to me, analyzing. "She is beautiful…" she continues to mutter. Her gaze flickers to my dogs, "and her dogs are wonderful…" She cranes her neck towards the ceiling and growls, "Heck, she even came from Amity!"

I blankly stare back at her, a little lost by her internal battle over something I'm not quite sure what. Since when was there a correlation between Amity and kissing? I point with my thumb and whisper to my dogs, "She's a bit crazy, don't you think?" Hawk tilts his head while the other two stare back dumbly.

After a few more moments of her mentally berating the innocent ceiling, she heaves a loud sigh and directs her attention back to me. "Okay. So, as a good friend," she starts confidently. When she doesn't immediately continue, I slowly connect the dots to her train of thought. My eyes widen and a wave of horror washes over me. She couldn't possibly be wanting to… "I'll teach you how to kiss."

I spaced out.

"There, you'll do fine. No biggie," she reassures, flipping her hand nonchalantly. Gunner and Sabre turn to me from Skylar, nodding in agreement. I must be seeing things.

I clear my throat, shaking off my mental game of chase tag. "Sorry, what?"

"I said you'll do alright. Go lay claim on your man. I know Eric can be… frightening at times, but even the most vicious beasts come undone when the girl gets all possessive. Trust me. As long as you follow my advice, what could possibly go wrong?" she shrugs. "Right boy?" she pets Hawk, who had moved to her side somewhere in the middle of her speech, "Anna's got this."

As much as I hate to admit, I should've taken notes. Having zone out in mortification since she started, I feel as unprepared as I was when Eric confronted me.

"So, why did you bring this up in the first place?" she asks curiously. Gunner makes a huffing noise and rises to leave. Sabre follows him, enlightened by the idea of not having to wait for me to finish my neglected chicken chop. "Where are they going?"

"Use the toilet, probably." Lifting the cool glass of apple juice to my lips, I consider my next words. Half of me tells me to lie on the explanation. With Skylar's earlier outburst, I'm not confident that she'll take the news well. Then again, I did come to her for advice. Taking a deep breath, I cross my fingers. "Eric asked me to kiss him," I say somewhat calmly.

Instead of bursting into fits of rage and condemning me for missing the shot, Skylar merely frowns. "Why?"

I shrug. It's the same question I've been asking myself too. "Not sure. He caught me blushing and wanted to know who it was. When I admitted that it was him, he asked me to prove it." Hawk hops onto the vinyl bench, getting comfortable. "I told him I couldn't, and asked for him to give me time."

Confusion thickens for her. She reels back and sag her shoulders. "That's odd." She stabs a piece of her sliced cold sausage, munching on it thoughtfully. "I always thought Eric would've taken what he wanted." She jabs her fork at me, "And he just agreed to it? Just like that?"

I scratch my neck. "Kind of, yeah."

"Huh." She stabs another piece, relaxing back onto the seat. "Insecurity maybe? Who knows? Have you been hanging out with other guys? I know Jace had a small crush on you when initiation first started," she remarks casually.

My cheeks warm. "Oh. I didn't realize." That explained his initial suffocating friendliness. I did minutely suspect it during initiation, but didn't want to dwell.

"It was pretty obvious. I mean, I get why he did. The way you hold yourself screams confidence, even from the beginning. Plus, with the transfers talking about the way you fight, it's not hard to see why people are drawn to you. Heck, if you don't believe me, you could ask the man you have wrapped around your finger," she winks.

My face contorts like I tasted something sour. Attracting men was never my intention. Did Liam have a crush on me too?

Skylar slurps on her milkshake. "It's not a bad thing. It gives Eric competition, keeps him on his toes, you know?"

I sigh heavily. "To the point that he doesn't believe that I genuinely and only like him?" I say exasperatedly.

"Yep," she replies, popping the 'p'.

"Hey! Where's the other one?" Jace hands me a bulletproof vest, gesturing to Gunner and Sabre beside me.

Today I'll be going on my first patrol, and I've been conveniently placed with Jace. "I figured that there wasn't enough space in the Caiman. Plus, I was worried that the dogs may get out of control." Not that they have, yet. "I wasn't supposed to bring them anyway."

He seems disappointed. "Oh, okay."

Sabre gives the vest a good sniff before approving it for wear. I slip my arms in and tug it down. "Yeah, Eric insisted I bring at least all, but meh ." Now knowing that Jace had a small crush on me, I can't help but feel slightly tense around him. "So, how are you and Riley?" I ask.

At the mention of his girlfriend, he brightens. "We're great! Did you know that Riley is a great cook? She made chocolate ice-cream the other day. It's really good, tastes like the Dauntless cake! I'll bring it to you sometime!" Just from hearing the dessert uttered, my mouth is already watering. Would it be a crime to travel to Candor to get some now? I could go under the guise of work with Eric…

"Oh, that's nice," I say, unsure how to politely decline as I've been borderline-nasty to his girlfriend. "Don't need to share it with me, you can keep it," I force myself to chuckle, praying it doesn't sound as weird as it does in my head.

He passes the gun to me skeptically. "You sure? She could teach you sometime, I'm sure she wouldn't mind. She taught Zack the other day too."

I nimble my lip; the offer tempting. Imagine the never-ending flow of ice-cream, made from the comforts of my apartment. "Sure," I quickly agree, completely writing-off any reservations for the sake of good food, "any day is fine."

Jace grins at my response. "Great! I'll tell her tonight." Perhaps my relationship with Riley can improve, seeing that she no longer relies on me. "Come, I'll introduce you to the team."

The large hall is full of mingling Dauntless carrying their guns and equipment. There are Caiman trucks lined up, some already having their engines roaring. My dogs trot ahead of me, unaware and uncaring of the multitude of stares focused on us. Both canines are intrigued by everything around them, their attention darting and fleeting. "The next shift is coming up, hence the crowd. It's usually quieter when it isn't."

I do my best to keep my face straight and follow his pace. "How long are these shifts?"

"Three hours. We typically have two a day, with an overnight one every once or twice a week." We stop in front of a group of four. "Team Whiskey-35; one of the younger teams here," he states with his chest puffed. "Everyone, this is Anna. Anna, this is everyone." He then proceeds to individually introduce each person to me, of which all their names except Ruby's completely evaporates from my head. I'm a horrible person.

"So, how's Eric been lately?" The question catches me off guard. My dogs snap to me in concern from my sudden flinch. I had purposely picked the passenger seat, believing that it would give us peace from all the attention earlier. Much to my dogs' dismay, practically everyone pounced on them after Jace had introduced us. Both were less than pleased with all the human contact, silently communicating it to me with their tucked ears.

I peer over Gunner who's sitting between us. "Sorry?" The blond Dauntless has her posture relaxed as she drives, like she just asked about the weather. My lips purse as I struggle to remember her name. Was it something that started with a D?

"Eric? Eric Coulter? You're the chick who's dating him right?" My left eye twitches.

"Yeah, I guess I am," I do my best to say calmly. My hands bury into my dog's soft fur in an attempt to cool myself. "You know him?"

The girl beside me only looked a few years older. Perhaps his sister. She has sharp features. Pointed nose and high cheekbones, definitely features any guy wouldn't mind. Luckily for her, she has that and more.

A grin spreads to her lips, her face brightening as she remembers a memory. "I do! Eric and I had an arrangement about a year ago."

It takes me a while to understand what she meant. Once it does, the phone in my pocket suddenly feels heavy. "Oh," I finally say. Sneaking a glance to find her still grinning like a fool, I add on stupidly, "That's nice." I shift slightly towards Sabre, creating more space between me and D.

"Yep! Some of the best nights I ever had." When she laughs suddenly, I flinch. "Not that I had many in the first place."

I'm not sure how to respond to a girl informing me that she had great sex with my love interest, so I don't. The phone flips over and over on my palm; I contemplate on texting the subject of conversation. Of all people I'll be stuck with on a drive, it just had to be one of his past… I don't even know what to call it. "So… you both dated?" I do my best to sound casual and unaffected. This is far more awkward than my conversation with Skylar.

Miraculously, she buys it, the grin not once slipping. "No no, it was just purely sex and maybe a bit of friendship. He made it clear that he wanted no strings attached." At the word 'sex' I cringe, my stroking on Gunner intensifying. The dog is unaffected by what's unfolding, focused on the blurring images of buildings that we're driving through. "He's a good man. I dare say that he shaped me for the better." I'm not sure if she meant her bed-skills; I don't want to know.

My phone buzzes, distracting, and saving me from the moment.

You in the truck?

Speak of the devil.

Yes.

I lift Gunner's paw, rubbing small circles on the back. There's no way Eric could've known that she was in this team. Then again, he does have information over everything. It's probably why I've been slotted with Jace in the first place.

We've been scheduled to patrol Abnegation. I have no idea how far it is from Dauntless, but I hope we're arriving soon. Not that she could tell, the air is starting to become suffocating.

Where's the dogs? Send pic as proof. The camera button is next to the text box btw (by the way), the camera-shaped icon.

My eyes roll back. Not only has Eric been baby-ing me on how to use the phone, he's also been adamant about teaching me the abbreviations used in texting. Yes, I can see that. I only brought two, didn't want to cramp up the truck.

"Is that him?" D says from the wheel. "Probably is, since you're smiling," she concludes herself; my stress increases. How does eye-rolling equate to head-over-heels grinning?

"Err yeah," I reply, tugging my collar. I stretch my phone out towards the door to include everyone. Sending pictures of myself to Eric wasn't something I'm fully comfortable with, especially when I don't look as good as I can be. Once I've sent the picture, I slump back down my seat. "Question, why did he call the arrangement off?" Now that it's all out in the open, the word arrangement is an understatement. I get the feeling that she's only calling it that for my sake.

She shrugs, twisting her head when she spots something insignificant on the road. "Beats me. He just called it off, didn't really give a reason why."

All three of them could've fit in the truck snugly. Only a few seconds later do I get the expected reply. That Taya? I couldn't resist the opportunity of including her too.

Ah, that's what her name is. "Oh. Okay." Grey square buildings enter my view. I don't think I could survive another minute here. It's not hard to see why Eric wanted to sleep with her. At the thought of it, I immediately shove it all to the back of my mind. This wasn't a big deal, it's not like it was an official relationship. I suppose better Taya than some jealous psychotic woman.

Are you alright?

The truck finally rolls to a stop. Absolutely. Despite my conclusion, I'm still sour that I had to meet her. I have to go.

Abnegation is bland. The buildings are all the same boxy shape, color, and appearance. Everything is identical, even the trees. I hop down the truck the moment Taya had it parked outside the faction, dying to escape the situation. My dogs didn't complain as I rushed out, following promptly. In most ways, we are quite similar.

"Alright, we'll split into teams of two. Ruby, you and Taya take the truck, the rest of us on foot. We're doing the east and south side today." Jace is quick to lay out the plans once everyone had gathered, something I appreciate. It's distressingly quiet, considering that it's afternoon. I crouch to remove my pups' leashes, stashing it into their vests.

Abnegation is an odd place. In many ways does it resemble a prison. Their color scheme and lack of beauty is sure to sap the life out of anyone. The pictures during school didn't lie about the atmosphere. This is supposed to be the faction claimed to be stealing food. Yet for logical reasons, I find that hard to believe. If they were to break rules, they should start with their own living conditions. "Abnegation hands out food to the factionless right?" I ask. Then again, the duller the place, the more secrets it holds.

By the grace of God, I've been paired with Jace. It would've been a struggle to converse with someone I didn't know the name of. "Yeah. That's on the north side. What about it?"

"Just wondering," I say. Gravel crunches beneath our feet as we walk down the street. The buildings surrounding the dwarf cube houses are abandoned and rundown, wind howling through the gaps of each building. I shudder slightly, unable to imagine anyone choosing to live here and not minding the eerie environment. "So we just walk around for three hours?"

Jace hums, kicking a crumpled can to the curb. "Pretty much. It's quite boring, but once in a while something comes up."

I flick my hand, indicating that my dogs are free to roam. Sabre trots up to the dejected can, examining it. "Like factionless sightings?" I probe.

Jace slings the rifle across his back, adjusting the strap. "Well, I guess. Even the factionless are boring, but at least I could write something other than 'Nothing out of the ordinary'."

"What counts as a sighting? Especially here in Abnegation, where there is a food distribution going on." I ask. Sabre trots into one of the buildings, his nose glued to the ground. I glance down to Gunner who's yet to leave my side, perfectly content with the slow pace of humans.

"Well, the factionless know not to come to close to faction grounds. Sightings here in Abnegation are typically reported when the food distribution aren't occurring. Usually, when a team has run-ins with them, we have to ensure they leave. Rarely do weapons get involved – at least, that I've heard," he says.

I wipe the bead of sweat trailing down the side of my face. "Why not just patrol the factionless so you'll know where they are? At least that way, you'll know where they congregate."

Jace sighs heavily. "We can't. The government passed a law a few years back saying that we can't patrol the factionless. They said that it was pointless and we shouldn't be patrolling them like prisoners. Something along those lines. 'The poor don't need policing', or something like that."

"Oh. So we have no idea where they stay?" There are hundreds of abandoned buildings in Chicago. For all I know, the one right here could be a hideout.

"Nope. What makes you think they congregate anyways? Out here, it's every man to himself."

I sling my rifle on my shoulder, hands aching. "I just assume they do. Factionless still need to interact with others, it's just the way people work."

"That may be true. However, from what I've seen so far, most factionless come in groups of three to four. I don't think they group by the tens or hundreds," he says.

I hum in response. A wet nose nudges my palm. My dog pants in greeting. "Hi Sabre, nothing interesting?" I smile. Sabre moves and stops in front of me, bending to the side to scratch his ear.

"He looks like he's smirking," Jace comments. He hunches to pat him, chuckling.

"He does," I agree. Sabre shakes himself and continues his search for nothing and everything. "He's quite the curious one. This one on the other hand," I bend down to cup Gunner's face with my hands, "likes to stay with me. Don't you boy?" Gunner wags his tail in response, his tongue darting out to lick my wrist. "Aren't you a cutie?"

Jace laughs. "You're like a mom to her toddler. You talk to them often?"

I plant a kiss on Gunner's fuzzy forehead. "Of course. I'd like to think that they understand me," I say, straightening up.

"Do they?"

"Nope."

"How did you find it?" Taya is in an extraordinary mood, considering that we just spent three hours walking mindlessly and toasting in the sun. I struggle to pull off the vest, probably looking like an idiot to her.

"It was fine," I rasp. Once the vest if off, I sigh heavily and sag onto my seat. Sabre takes the opportunity to unhelpfully poke his snout into my ear. I swat him off.

It's amazing how she wants to keep the conversation going. "Did you see anything? Ruby and I saw a squirrel I think, we don't often see them around. It was carrying something between its teeth too."

"Oh, that's nice," I say. I turn up the fan in the truck, using my shirt to create air currents into my chest. "We didn't see anything."

Her lip quirks down as if she felt my non-existent disappointment. "Aww, that's sad. You know-" My cell phone rings to life. "Is that Eric?" she suddenly squeals. "Oh my gosh, that's so sweet! I wish my boyfriend would check up on me like that too," she rambles wistfully.

Much to my dismay, it isn't Eric. "No, it's my friend." This is the first time Skylar is calling me. A small wave of panic surfaces at the possibility that something happened because of Hawk. "Sorry, give me a few minutes."

"Skylar? Did something happen?" I rush out. Over the phone, I can hear loud chatter; loud adult chatter. Was there an accident?

Skylar gasps in shock. "Anna! You picked up!" She sounds excited. Whenever Skylar's excited, it means it's nothing good for me.

"Of course I did," I frown. "What happened?" She then starts giggling. I wince and pull the phone further from my ear. Sabre takes this moment to jab his snout in my ear again. I swat him away and move his snout to face the front. 'Stop it.' I mouth.

Once she calms herself, she starts speaking in short breaths. "You know. How. Summer. Is almost. Over?"

I narrow my eyes. "Yeah…?"

She squeals again. "So like. Every start of the next season. There's like. War games."

I pause. "Like the one we had during initiation?"

"YES! Exactly like the one during initiation!" I get the feeling that she signed me up for it. However, only signing me up seems a bit gracious for Skylar. "I signed both of you up!"

I blink. "Who?"

"You and Eric, dummy!" Her squeal is cut short by someone in the background asking her to shut up. She snaps back with a stream of curses before returning to the conversation at hand. "Don't worry, me and Zack will be joining you too," she adds only marginally softer.

"Are you insane!" I snarl. "You can't just sign the both of us up for this! I have rights!" Gunner bays beside me, jabbing his wet nose to my cheek.

"You can't back out! Even your dog agrees!" she adds cheekily. Gunner bays louder, his hot pants making my cheeks gross. I reach a hand out and grab his snout, scowling.

"What are you even talking about? Dogs don't understand us. Also, Eric will never agree to this," I state harshly. Gunner forcefully blows air out of his nose, pellets of snot flying to my face. "That's disgusting," I snap, using my sleeve to wipe it off.

She must have thought I would've said that, for she already has a solution. "Nonsense! Just say that you signed him up, he wouldn't mind." I take a deep breath and lean against Sabre. This is insane. "Look, think of it as a date. I'm sure you both will have tons of fun. Plus, I'm going to be there with you. Please?" she drawls.

I sigh, staring at my cheeky canine who's gleefully panting back. "You're annoying, you know that?" I snap at him. "Asswipe," I mutter. To the phone, I groan, "Fine, I'll do it."

"Really?" the cheerfulness is back in her voice. "I knew you'll come along! The game is in five days, remember to tell him then! Bye!"

'Beep.'

"So…" Taya drawls. I had forgotten all about her presence. Perfect.

"I'm sorry," is the first thing Eric says to me. I wait for Gunner to hop out before shutting the door. "I didn't know she was in Jace's team."

"It's fine." I shift the vest and rifle in my arms, handing him the leashes. "I survived. Taya is somewhat pleasant."

He shoots her an unconvinced glance before turning back to me. When I don't say anything else, he sighs. "I have to tell you something," he says wearily.

Hanging the rifle back onto the wall, I turn to him. "I have to tell you something too, but you go first." Now that I'm properly seeing him, I can see how today's taken a toll on him. He seems far more exhausted than usual, the area under his eyes slightly darker than normal. His jacket hangs limply in one hand, an indication that he came straight from the train station.

"Jeanine requested you meet her in Erudite in two days." My hand mid-hanging the vest freezes. I knew I had to eventually meet her, but I don't think I'm ready yet. "Don't bring the dogs."

I inhale and continue my task. "Okay." There was no way I'm going to let her near my dogs to begin with. "It's alright. Does that mean I could still propose the trailer concept?" I ask hopefully, trying to lighten the situation.

It works. He smiles a little. "I guess you can." He's cute when he smiles.

I grab his jacket, folding it over my arm. "So, I may have signed us up for war games," I say nervously.

He takes it better than I did. "Is it the one that's happening this Saturday?"

I nod. "Yeah." He entwines our free hands together, heading back to the apartments. Eric couldn't honestly be insecure like Skylar said, right? He always makes it a point to show the public that I'm taken.

"Sure." I am stumped. Never have I ever taken Eric as one to enjoy menial activities. He always so busy that it's hard for me to wrap my head around him doing anything fun. And he agreed so casually.

"You know," Eric starts. We're on the way back to the daycare, picking up Hawk as I had told Skylar that I wouldn't be at the office.

"Yeah?"

Eric glances at me, a smirk playing on the corner of his lips. "You should take more photos of yourself. Just try not to hide behind your dogs when you do."

A/N

I wanted to try something different from the typical 'jealous sex buddy', hence, Taya's character.

School is pretty hectic. They release a new timetable for tests. So I've been quite busy with studying and keeping up with homework/notes. My exams are in a month or so, but I should be able to upload twice before that. My next update will be the following week.

Thank you for your patience!