Chapter 19

"You guys lost me when you said I will lead you to the light. I am going to go find Four since he basically went on watchdog status to make sure Peter or Silas didn't come around." Tris got up and waggled her fingers and me and left.

I grinned and Eric nudged my knee with his "Want to go watch some of that now that you have me wanting to see it again?"

I shrug "Will there be beer and food other than cake involved?"

He smiled "Yeah I think I can handle that."

I nod "Then sure. I am game." We get up to throw away our plates and he walks beside me

"Of course I have to actually get food but the beer I have already." He admits.

I laugh shaking my head. "So dining hall or do you have a place to make food?"

He shrugs frowning. "I have a kitchen. Not that anything I can make is considered fancy."

I smile with a shrug. "If you have a kitchen and the basic utensils and we pick something up then I can make it. Otherwise dining hall is fine."

He smirks and quirks an eyebrow at me. "Hey anytime I don't HAVE to eat in the dining hall I am going to go with that option. Let's stop by the market."

"Sounds good, anything you have in mind?"

He thinks then kind of tosses his hands in the air. "Fuck I don't know steak or something."

I smile "Fajitas? We could do steak or chicken."

He grins wide. I realize that just as I had started showing him a different side of me, Eric has been doing the same thing. "Shit sounds good to me."

We enter the market and he pulls out one of their cloth bags to put everything in as we shop. We got all the ingredients for chicken and steak fajitas along with; tortillas, cheese, pepper and onions, sour cream. Then he asked if I could do the rice and beans that goes with it and that went in the bag. We even ended up getting chips and the stuff for me to make salsa.

"You're not going to want margaritas are you?" He asked as if pained and I laughed.

"Not unless you want a booze induced game of Candor, Candor and more fucking Candor. Tequila is truth serum to me." I shudder.

"Well now I kind of want margaritas." He says and winks at me.

I blush shaking my head. "You really don't. It is that random kind of honesty."

"See now I really, really do."

"If you must you could always go to another of Zeke's' parties. They like sneaking it into random drinks of mine. It is kind of like Russian roulette but Random Raven Roulette. Hey I might coin that." We both chuckle.

We check out and head up to his apartment "So what kind of random things are we talking about? Like you talking to the 'little people' random or…"

I shrug and blush but am not about to tell him some of the shit I say. "You won't know until you play."

He punches in his code and smirks. "Well then maybe we will play…after dinner…if I still have any of that shit."

He frowns in thought and opens the door and lets me in first then comes in after me. I see he has shoes and boots by the door so I move all the bags to one hand and pull my boots off and put mine in that area.

I had expected the apartment to be smaller until I realized it was on the same level as the other leaders just on the opposite side. He has a big balcony and a wall of windows giving a view of the ferris wheel. The apartment has a small entryway that opens into a big living room to the left with the balcony on that same side. The couch is L shaped and maroon with black and grey throw pillows. The furniture all looks to be something more industrial but not too bulky and streamlined. The coffee table looks like it used to be a grate of some kind that was welded onto a set of metal cart wheels and glass set on top. Clean steel in a low shine silver and almost black at times. His Vid Glass is huge and is flanked by tall bookcases and low bookcases running under it with the equipment for media discs for older models and the most recent. They are all mostly filled with books and I smile at them all. After he takes my jacket and hangs it along with his vest on hooks he has for them I follow him into his kitchen that has the same theme with industrial without being cold. -

He has a space for a table in the big dining room but no table instead there is a big kitchen island counter with stools.

I start to unload the bags with him and he pulls pans out.

He pulls out cutting boards and knives "I have a grill so we can do the meats in it on the balcony if you want because that I can do pretty well."

I smile "Yeah sounds good. Just have to get them in a marinade and they should be able to set for a little bit and they will cook fast so it won't be too long."

"Sounds good, tell me what I can do to help."

I smile and reach for couple of bowls and lay out some spices. "Throw shit in a bowl and call it good when you aren't completely burning off every taste bud."

He looks at me for a moment then with his lips twitching and he shrugs "Okay." He dumps the steak in one bowl the chicken in another and sniffs spices until he finds something he likes.

"You know you should get one of those tables that can be turned into a poker table, I would so fucking do that if I get somewhere that has a place for a table. I love poker nights."

"That is an idea, never thought of that, not that I play poker that often but it could be fun." He nods as he works on the meat.

I do quick chops on the stuff for the salsa and blend that to be set aside and eaten whenever we feel like it in smaller bowls. I blend up a bit more to add to the marinades then begin cutting up the peppers and onions.

He puts the stuff I just blended in with the meat and mixes it with his hands and washes his hands. He wraps the bowls in a cling wrap and sticks it in the refrigerator pulls out two bottles of beer then pops the top and hands me one.

I take it and tap the bottom to his top. He smiles and lets the foam that comes up go over the lip of the bottle a bit before tipping it back and taking a few gulps and sighs. "Damn I needed that after having to actually deal with families today. I'll go light the grill now."

I nod as I laugh a bit then take a sip of my own and start the rice to sauté. The beans only have to be cooked with whatever spices we want because they are the canned while the onions and peppers are put to sauté as well. Already the smell is mouthwatering.

"Damn that already smells good." He comes in saying then turns some music on and shrugs when it comes on to classical.

"Breathe a word of that Raven" He playfully threatens me.

"Mums the word." I mumble with a smile.

Once I have the rice sautéed and the seasoning for that added I add the liquid and put the lid on and turn to the beans. "So do you want 'just a little tingle' hot, 'ok that burns' hot or 'give her the old shocker' hot?" I ask without thinking and he chokes on and spits out his beer he was sipping.

'Fuck!" He yells as the beer spills all over his shirt and mouth. He wipes the beer from his mouth and flicks it from his hand as I fail to stifle a laugh and he narrows his eyes at me and grins.

"Funny right? That's fine, I needed to change anyways." He walks to me with an eyebrow lifted as he starts to lift the shirt up off of his stomach. It's like watching a peep show where the window gets stuck but doesn't go any further up. Just fucking taunting and teasing you.

Until I notice he is purposely watching my face as my eyes have been glued to his abs and the little line going from the belly button downwards. I had started licking my lips and when my gaze flicks to his eyes he is smirking. Then he whips the shirt up and over his head.

I blush a bit and he chuckles and comes even closer. "So what is your preference?"

My eyes move over his chest and I think, 'This is my preference, definitely this'.

"While I am glad to know that you prefer this look to whatever other look. I was referring to the level of heat." Fuck I said that out loud? He kept getting even smugger as he came closer and hemmed me in by putting his hands on the counters around me.

"Yeah it is kind of warm in here." I almost squeak and nod.

He drops his head on my shoulder "You're killing me Raven. I am trying to be good here. I really am. I am just not a fucking nice guy." He takes in a slow breath. "Ok, here is what is going to happen. I am going to go grab another shirt. You decide on whatever level of spices you want to put in the food. I might just jump in a fucking cold shower, I don't know." He mutters and walks off.

I turn back to the stove and continue to tend to the beans and everything. I scowl at myself "Seriously Raven? 'Yeah it is kind of warm in here'" I mock my own words and tone. "Could I be any more of a schoolgirl right now? It's not even in that, 'hey I am a catholic schoolgirl here to dirty, dirty things to you' way." I said in a breathy dirty catholic schoolgirl mocking voice. "But more in a total poindexter snort laugh kind of way."

"Personally I always thought the catholic school girl thing was overrated." He says from behind me and I jump.

"Well suck big hairy donkey balls! Can I not catch a break here?" I yell turning red.

He laughs and smirks at me. "I changed my mind about the shower and the shirt so maybe that is a break?"

"Sure you don't want to just water board me while you are at it?" My voice is breathy as I try to get control of myself.

His nostrils flare and his eyes were already full of desire but that just made it worse as he steps closer to me "Why do you have to be so fucking sexy? Water board…how do you even…you know what I don't even fucking care. Fuck it." He asks rhetorically just before he takes one big step towards me turns off all the burners and claims my mouth in a kiss that curls my toes and sends waves of warmth from my stomach to pool in my thighs. Then it send volts of electricity up to bloom through the contact of every inch of skin against skin.

His hands move to the back my neck holding me in place as my hands move to his ribs and lightly trace up to his chest. I moan into his mouth as he presses my back against the counter.

A knock sounds at his door and pulls back then snarls. "Go the fuck away!" He yells and then goes right back to kissing me.

The knock gets louder and they use Morse code causing us to pull back panting. I laugh when they do it again. "Want me to sound out the code that says 'no we aren't fucking yet, but thank you for cock blocking'?"

He gives a laugh and bites his lip. "Fuck you are gods damn sexy." Then he sighs. "They will use the code to come in if I don't answer. So if you can get that code out before they do that. Then please by all fucking means." He claims my mouth again and pulls back with a sigh when his friends do the code for 'ready or not'.

"I am going to fucking kill them." He steps back and goes to grab the shirt he put on the kitchen island. I get a last look before my jaw drops at the site of one of my designs on his ribs, the side part of his abdomen and from the way it carries down into the pants probably lower. He pulls the shirt over and stands there panting a moment.

"Like the placement? Guessing you didn't get told I was the one that picked out the mechanical design we were talking about." He asks amused before he grabs his beer and his friends enter the code and enter.

I shake my head but am interrupted before I can answer. Though I am oddly really fucking pleased it is Eric that has it.

"Hope you two are decent and if not oh well." A male voice calls out and I hear a smile in the voice.

"Not like you two fucking listen. But I do believe I said go the fuck away." He glares as one friend, a guy about Eric's age that I have seen at Zeke's parties before, comes around to the kitchen.

His hair is on the longer side and he keeps it in a kind of man bun. I swear he gets highlights because the brown has lighters strips through it. He has piercings all up the cartilage of one ear along with big red gauges on both. I haven't seen tattoos on him but I think Mar said he has a 'shirt' of tattoos that she has seen when he has had to come to get fixed up a time or two. His skin is almost a copper color that suits his hazel eyes and he likes to smile just as much as Zeke. I always thought he looked like he might have a lot of energy because of his wiry tall and lanky frame.

"Matt right?" I tilt my head and I see him grin.

"Raven? Wow, well I am surprised to see you here. Four usually has an apartment sized chastity belt on your general area." His eyebrows are quirked as he looks from me to Eric.

I snort and nod while I take a sip of my beer and eye Eric almost a little hungrily, who is doing the same to me.

"Did you say Raven?" I see Ajay, a dauntless-born mutual friend come into view next. I met her through Shauna and Zeke too and I kind of have a girl crush on the black haired girl.

She is Tris' size but walks and acts like she is a giant among dwarfs she just has that much confidence. From what I understand she is really good at hand to hand combat. With her black hair in a symmetrical bob cut and her almond eyes she is stunning and I hear a hit with the ladies. Her face lights up when she sees me. "Raven!" She looks between me and Eric and glares at him. "He isn't fucking trying to take advantage of you is he?"

Eric scowls at her. "Yeah thanks for that."

I snort and smirk a bit. "I wasn't the one that lost my shirt earlier."

Eric quirks an eyebrow at me. "Only because you made me commit alcohol abuse with your asking if I wanted it 'just a little tingle' hot, 'ok now that burns hot' or 'give her the old shocker' hot."

Ajay gives a whoop of laughter and Matt collapses to the ground laughing. Ajay comes and throws her arm around me. "Ray have you been drinking tequila again?"

Eric scowls at Ajay and shoves her arm off of me. "No, but we were thinking of playing Random Raven Roulette later after we eat. You're not welcome to join." He says pointedly.

She holds her hands up laughing "Good name for it. Fucking fits perfect. What are you grilling?" She says as she sniffs the air.

Eric mutters something under his breath then shakes his head and answers. "We are making fajitas and were going to watch a movie to solve some debates we were having earlier."

He eyes me for a long moment and picks up his beer and sips it while he grabs the meat out of the refrigerator. He shakes his head at the intrusion of his friends.

Matt had popped up at the mention of food. "We were going to ask if you wanted to go to the dining hall, but that sounds a hell of a lot more appealing." Matt grins eagerly and Ajay smiles.

"I fucking love your cooking Ray. Shauna says it was all she was eating when you were staying to take care of her. I kept trying to steal the frozen shit you made ahead for her and she revoked my refrigerator privileges." She smiles at me. "What debate by the way?" She goes over to the fridge scooting by Eric and brushing up against me on purpose, then grabs a few beers from the fridge, smirking at his scowl.

"Ajay hands and other parts to yourself. I am going to put the steak and chicken on the grill." He says looking at me his nostrils flare as he grins and reaches behind me, coming in close and turning on the burners. "We will finish that later Raven." He whispers in my ear and smiles at my shiver.

He grabs all the utensils for the grill along with the meats and heads to the balcony. Matt had started to taste the chips and salsa and closed his eyes at the taste. "Fuck that is good. Did you make that Raven?"

I turn to the stove and watch everything and nod. "Yeah fresh salsa is always the best. It's easy enough to make. And Ajay we had gotten into a 'vs' debate earlier."

Ajay had moved over to eat some of the chips and salsa and was smirking at me knowingly. "What kind of 'vs', who were the opponents."

Eric walks back in and scowls. "Can you not hog all of the salsa and chips?" He comes to lean beside me getting as close to me as he can and pulls a bowl to him and grabs some chips and when he takes a bite he smiles. "Now you are going to make sure I have a supply of this Raven."

I laugh and reach over his body on purpose and let my chest brush against his arm. "Sure thing chief." I smile at his intake of breath. I dip a chip in some salsa and pop it into my mouth. I munched on it while I took the onions and peppers off of the heat and move to start warming up the tortillas on the burner.

"You never said what type of debate." Ajay said after taking a sip of her beer.

Eric smiles with a shrug. "Oh you know age old questions. Dc vs Marvel, Chan vs Jet Li, Lee vs Segal. We haven't decided which one exactly one we are going to review to debate. I kind of want to check out the Ip Man movies. Raven says she likes them and prefers that to Chow Yun Fat."

"Well we are game to help decide that shit." Matt winks at me.

Eric sighs in annoyance. "Well I guess we are having more people for dinner than we planned. Wait, Raven doesn't that burn at all?" He frowns at me holding each tortilla briefly on the burner and flipping it to warm it up.

I shake my head "Nah I move it off before it burns me."

"Hey Raven, you know I am in a band right?" Ajay asks after eating a few chips.

I nod and and side eye her. "Yeah I have gone with Zeke and the others to see you play a few times. Why?"

She shrugs "I was wondering if you wanted to do a few sets with us at some point. It would be the harder stuff. But I have heard you doing the acoustic version of a few of the songs we play."

I frown and trying to come up with a way to get out of that shit. "Not sure I would have to think about it."

Eric grins and taunts me. "What's the matter Raven? Are you afraid to let go of that control?"

There is that challenge shit again. My eyebrow quirks and I take everything off the burners and turn to face him "I have no problem with giving up control if the person I am giving it to knows how to handle it." I say in a low voice beside him.

I try not to let my jaw drop from my own words again with him. Where is this shit coming from? It is like he flips this switch inside of me.

Ajay and Matt snicker then Matt sees Eric's face. He grabs the plates to go check on the food "I think we are going to step onto the balcony and check on dinner."

Eric is breathing hard and doesn't even turn to look at them. "You guys do that."