The Flame and the Void

by Lunaschild2016

She was controlled and calm, empty of all emotions. He wasn't fooled though and from the moment she crossed that stage he knew he wanted her. She was the master of the void. She felt no pain, no emotions and no fear when she was in her void and no one pierced that void if she didn't want them to. Until Eric that is. Could their flame endure or would it burn them both? Eric/OC AU M

34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34 -Eric's POV

Tris tilts her head and looks to them. I frown looking at them and look down at my cake. "What happened the other night Eric?" Tris asks me quietly and watches Caleb as Raven looks awkward for a moment.

I tense and scowl at my plate. "I let my own self-loathing make me say shit I shouldn't have." I say honestly.

She nods and sighs. "I thought something like that had happened. She is a strong girl Eric. But she loves hard. She doesn't let people in easily and somehow you were let in. You wanted to know why I didn't tell you about her being the one to make the tattoo? It was because I knew of your fascination with her already, all the leaders did. You might not have seen it but Raven was already that way with you too, she didn't understand it. No one would know if they didn't know her though. You saw how she was after Shane and then after your….whatever it was. Don't make me regret defending you, because I won't do it again." She meets my eyes and we stay quiet.

I nod, my lips thinned at how much I hurt her. "I don't plan on it, but I also don't think I can make up for what I did."

She tilts her head "She has already forgiven you or you wouldn't be at this table and talking to her the way she is talking to you."

I nod and smile slightly. Tris' words definitely give me some hope that maybe I can salvage something. We turn back to see them walking back to us smiling.

"That is an amazing project to be under you know. I am sure she will get her next levels soon if that happens." Raven says to Caleb who is beaming and she reaches for her cake.

"She is pretty brilliant. She seems to think you are something of her idol when I told her about how you would sneak me books and pass them to me either at school or waking to find them in my room. What it is about you and helping abnegation boys? I have no clue." He rolls his eyes but smiles. "Anyways she wanted to see if you wanted that on clear glass or on black glass with maybe dauntless flames or something etched into it. I have no clue about design but I told her I would find out."

Raven grins and I tilt my head listening. This is obviously someone he has feelings for. "Black and Dauntless flames of course. Or I could draw up something she wants to have etched into it. Sort of making her own personal stamp and not just Erudite stamp on it. It really will be amazing tech and honestly Caleb if she gets it to the patented phase that is almost leadership in training quality. I have seen leadership in training get through on so much less. Now with your help in creating the serum with me for your initiation project and hers; if it turns serious like you think you could have your marriage application approved pretty quickly."

He blushes and smiles and Tris tilts her head smiling softly at her brother. "Yeah that is what I am hoping. But I was just more excited that she wanted to do that for you. Besides trying to move the library of congress that you called a bedroom to you."

She glares at him playfully. "Hey that library supplied you with your literary crack Prior so watch the tone about my bedfellows. They know how to treat a lady."

He winks "Madam Bovary Raven? For shame." I pause eating my cake and sigh closing my eyes. I am really trying to not go there, but she really makes it so very fucking hard.

Raven chokes on her cake and covers her mouth. "I really should have purged some shit." She says and turns red, I just shake my head. "And why were you going through my room Caleb, I know where I had those books."

Tris turns and slaps his arm with a shocked look and Caleb and Raven look at her frowning. "Why are you hitting him?"

"I assumed it was somewhere super private." She frowned at Raven.

She looks confused and then shrugs. "If you call a girls closet slash weapons locker then yeah I guess that is private. It was on the top shelf with my Samurai sword so, I guess I can't really fault him for wanting to look at the nice and shiny toys."

She ate more cake and I look at Caleb curious to what the project is. "What is this person making by the way?"

He smirks obviously thinking about his girlfriend. "She knows how much Raven likes to play the piano but getting a baby grand isn't exactly going to be easy or even possible. So she is in the middle of making a vid glass piano for Raven."

Raven smiles and looks excited so I grin. "Nice, she will move up fast if that goes through. I will be interested to see it when it is done. Is she going to do the synthesized piano options?"

Caleb shakes his head "Not for Raven's as least. She likes the more classical music compositions for her own playing."

Raven nods and shrugs still smiling. "Most of the music I play that isn't classical composer still uses the same sounds."

Tris looks at Raven frowning. "I didn't know you knew Caleb from before Erudite."

"I didn't know him as Caleb or him really at all. I saw he wanted to read but you know how the Erudite kids at school could be. I had been in the area to help Four out and I saw Caleb sitting in the meadow down the way from your parent's. I was leaving after making dinner for Four and his dad and saw Caleb go in. It was just kind of spur of the moment thing but when I had gone back later that night to tend to Four again I had just grabbed books climbed up and into his room and left them on his desk. I slipped them in his school bags or had someone drop them off saying it was from teachers. I was the book fairy, come to spread knowledge and joy all across Abnegation." She winks cheekily and Tris and I laugh.

She does have a soft spot for abnegation it appears.

Caleb nudges her and laughs then sighs. "Everyone is leaving so I have to go. I will tell Eleanor you are looking forward to meeting her. I am sure she will be worried about our conversation. I may have not let her know that…" he frowns in realization and I think…uh oh.

Raven looks horrified and hits his arm. "You seriously let her think you were coming here to profess feelings for me without telling her that those feelings were a minor crush but you actually do love her?"

He nodded and frowned. Raven quirked an eyebrow and shook her head. "Better hope she doesn't have a temper like me and that you didn't take any knives or other weapons from my closet."

Caleb turns white and stands up quickly. "I think I should really be going and hope she doesn't know to how to use a samurai sword."

He walks away quickly and doesn't even look back. Tris and her laugh before she looks to Raven smiling. "So you could have been my sister in law?"

I frown and Raven snorts, shaking her head. "No. I think that would never have been in cards. Your brother is a good guy and sweet but too many fundamental differences. I don't want to be able to easily beat the ass of the guy I am with. He has at the very least go to hold his own. Then there was the whole DC vs Marvel argument and that just would never have worked out." She grins a bit impishly. Gods, I really do think I love this girl.

I can't help but smirk and laugh at the same time. Tris frowns "I don't know what that last part is."

She nods understandingly. "It's fine, Raven is here now and will help lead you to the light, you poor dear child." She grins and strokes her hand as if to comfort her. "Just like I have to lead you to the light on Jackie Chan vs Jet Li, Steven Seagal vs Bruce Lee" She sighs and shakes her head ruefully. "So much knowledge to impart so little time." Damn she is just…I sigh and eat my cake and close my eyes before I ask a question.

"Please tell me you are Bruce Lee." I mutter after taking I swallow my bite.

"As if I would pick Seagal? Bruce Lee is everything and everything flows from Master Lee." I nod smiling at her.

"Good girl." I mutter.

She turns to face me and narrows her eyes and there is that spark going on. The same one that made me have her stand in front of the target so I could throw knives at her. "Seven Samurai or Magnificent Seven?"

I scoff, that's fucking easy. "Both, the original Japanese shogun movie has love because it is the original. But the western with Brenner and Bronson adapted it well without losing any of the drama for that version."

She smiles pleased. "Good answer. Jet Li vs Jackie Chan?"

I pause, they are ok but not my first choice. "Eh, I am more Chow Yun Fat but if I had to go with either it would be Chan. He has some good humor but was also a student of Lee's."

"Really, Chow Yun? I would have said more of Donnie Yen as Ip Man but between Li or Chan; I would go with Chan. I mean don't get me wrong Crouching Tiger was really good and there are a few more that I liked. But I like Ip Man better." She shrugged and ate her last bit of cake and I grinned at her. Well that has to be a better fucking opening than the damn book again.

"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 us and left.

Raven grinned and I nudged her knee with mine. "Want to go watch some of that now that you have me wanting to see it again?"

She shrugged."Will there be beer and food other than cake involved?"

I smile and nod. And I will make every fucking effort to not take it to a physical level. But gods she makes it so fucking hard. "Yeah I think I can handle that."

She nods smiling. "Then sure. I am game." We get up and throw away our plates and then I remember.

"Of course I have to actually get food but the beer I have already." I look over at her.

She laughs. "So dining hall or do you have a place to make food?"

I shrug thinking because I cannot cook much. "I have a kitchen, not that anything I can make is considered fancy."

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

I smirk and nod. "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?"

"Fuck I don't know steak or something."

She smiles "Fajitas? We could do steak or chicken."

"Shit sounds good to me." Hell yeah that sounds good.

We go through shopping and pick out stuff together. I ask her if she can do the rice and beans and that gets added along with chips but she won't let me buy the salsa she says fresh is better. She tells me to trust her so I laugh and we get all of that shit.

"You're not going to want margaritas are you?" I frown and she laughs and shakes her head.

"Not unless you want a booze induced game of Candor, Candor and more fucking Candor. Tequila is truth serum to me." She shudders and now I am intrigued.

"Well now I kind of want margaritas." I wink at her and she blushes.

"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." Her eyes light up at the name for it and we laugh.

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

"You won't know until you play."

I smirk as I punch in the code. "Well then maybe we will play…after dinner…if I still have any of that shit."

When we get in she takes of her shoes and I take her jacket then show her to the kitchen and we unload the bags.

I start to pull out the pots, pans, knives and cutting boards that I have and then I look over the grill stuff.

"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."

She smiles and nods. "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."

She smiles and reaches for a couple of bowels and moves the spices over. "Throw shit in a bowl and call it good when you aren't completely burning off every taste bud."

I look at her for a moment and my lips twitch at the way she words shit. "Okay." I dump the meats into different bowls and then sniff the spices and shrug and nod.

"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."

The knife moves fast as she cuts up the stuff for the salsa then blends that and sets it aside. She does it for the same ingredients again but she blends it finer and gives it to me to add to the meats for the marinade. I add it in and use my hands to mix it up, then wash my hands and cover the bowels before putting them into the refrigerator.

I grab two bottles of beers and pop the tops off and Raven playfully tap her bottle to mine causing it to foam up. I chuckle and tip it back and drink then sigh."Damn I needed that after having to actually deal with families today. I'll go light the grill now."

She nod and laughs a bit then takes a sip her own and starts sautéing things. When I come back in am hit by the smells and it already smells amazing.

"Damn that already smells good" I put on some music and the classical I last had it on comes up. I shrug, fuck it not like she doesn't like it.

"Breathe a word of that Raven." I playfully threaten her and she smiles.

"Mums the word." She mumbles with a laugh.

I move over to the kitchen and watch her cooking a moving around the kitchen so efficiently. I start tipping back the beer and she frowns as if in thought. "So do you want 'just a little tingle' hot, 'ok that burns' hot or 'give her the old shocker' hot?" I choke on the beer I was drinking and spit it out. It goes down my mouth and my shirt. What the fuck? I couldn't have heard that right!

'Fuck!" I yell as I wipe my mouth and flick the beer that is now on my hand off and she snorts and then laughs. I narrow my eyes at her and grin a bit wicked.

"Funny right? That's fine, I needed to change anyways." I walk towards her with my eyebrow raised remembering her comments in the tattoo parlor about me without my shirt. I start to raise it and immediately her eyes go wide and she just stares licking her lips and frowns when I just keep the shirt partially raised but not going any further.

Her gaze lingers on the trail of hair from my navel going into my pants. I smirk and watch her face closely. Her eyes snap to mine and I whip it over my head then chuckle as I walk closer to her.

She blushes so I move in a bit more and grin. "So what is your preference?"

Her gaze roams over my chest. "This is my preference, definitely this" Oh good gods she is killing me. I have to keep it together. I will just have to make sure I point out what we are really talking about. Get it back on track before I lose it. I can't fuck things up again here.

"While I am glad to know that you prefer this look to whatever other look. I was referring to the level of heat." Her eyes get wide and I realize she didn't mean to say that at all. I put my arms on other side of her still fucking grinning because she is sexy as hell this flustered.

"Yeah it is kind of warm in here." She squeaks and nods.

I drop my head to her shoulder. "You're killing me Raven, I am trying to be good here. I really am. I am just not a fucking nice guy." I take in a deep breath but it doesn't help because then all I get is her fucking wonderful smell. "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." I mutter and walk off.

I go and grab a shirt and breath as I walk back in but I hear her start to talk to herself as she is turned away from me and towards the stove.

"Seriously Raven? 'Yeah it is kind of warm in here'" She mocks herself 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." She says in this dick hardening breathy dirty catholic schoolgirl voice. "But more in a total poindexter snort laugh kind of way." She finishes and I know I am not going to make it, but I so don't want to give in and fuck up.

Oh fuck me running….

"Personally I always thought the catholic school girl thing was overrated." I say from behind her and she jumps and whirls around to face me her face red.

"Well suck big hairy donkey balls! Can I not catch a break here?" She yells.

I laugh and smirk at her for being so fucking flustered and her humor just fucking kills me Dirty dirty things to you...fuck if fucking only. "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?" She says in that breathy voice. While fucking waterboarding shouldn't inspire lust, it does me, because gods damn could it be any hotter that she knows about that shit. Or that she is so affected by me she is saying I am basically torturing her. I am just fucking twisted I guess.

My nostrils flare as I come so close I can feel the heat of her skin. "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." I take one big step and at least have the mind to turn off the fucking burners before I break my resolve to keep this from not getting physical and claim her mouth.

We both groan at the feel of my skin against hers and I pull her to me by locking my hands behind her neck. Her hands move up to my chest and ribs and I growl as she moans and arches into me. I press her to the counter and move my body closer to her.

A knock sounds at the door. Gods that can not be fucking happening right now. I pull back with a snarl and yell. "Go the fuck away!" Then I claim her mouth again.

The knock gets louder and fucking Matt goes into morse code. We break apart and she laughs as we pant. "Want me to sound out the code that says 'no we aren't fucking yet but thank you for cock blocking'?" She asks me.

I laugh and bite my lip and my nostrils flare. "Fuck you are god damn sexy." I sigh.. "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." I move in and kiss her again but when I hear 'ready or not' I growl and pull back.

"I am going to fucking kill them." I step back and go to grab the shirt I put on the kitchen island and she gets a look at the tattoo and her jaw drops. I pull the shirt on and pant for minute before I can speak again.

"Like the placement? Guessing you didn't get told I was the one that picked out the mechanical design we were talking about." I smile and grab my beer still feeling like I am going to kill the fuckers.

She shakes her head but I see her smile and pleasure that I have her design. I am pleased too.

"Hope you two are decent and if not oh well." Matt calls and I want to punch him.

"Not like you two fucking listen. But I do believe I said go the fuck away." I glare at him as he comes around the corner.

"Matt right?" She tilts her head and grins at him.

"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 her to me.

She snorts and nods while I take a sip of my beer and eye Raven hungrily debating on just shoving then out of the fucking door.

"Did you say Raven?" Ajay comes into view, her face lights up when she sees Raven. "Raven!" She looks between me and her and glares at me. "He isn't fucking trying to take advantage of you is he?"

I scowl at her. "Yeah thanks for that."

Raven snorts and smirks a bit. "I wasn't the one that lost my shirt earlier."

I quirk an eyebrow and scoff. "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 Raven. "Ray have you been drinking tequila again?"

I glare at her and push her arm off of Raven. "No, but we were thinking of playing Random Raven Roulette later after we eat. You're not welcome to join." My eyes turn hard hoping they get the fucking hint.

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

I mutter curses under my breath and shake my head and look between my two supposed best friends who are very much fucking cock blocking me right now. "We are making fajitas and were going to watch a movie to solve some debates we were having earlier."

I pick up the beer and grab the meat out the fridge and try to breath.

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 Ray. "What debate by the way?" She moves past me to the fridge but purposely rubs up against Raven and then smirks at my scowl.

"Ajay hands and other parts to yourself. I am going to put the steak and chicken on the grill." I move closer to Raven and grin trying to get myself under control still and reach behind her and turn on the burners. "We will finish that later Raven." I whisper into her ear. I feel her shiver and I smile.

I grab the utensils and go throw the steak and chicken onto the grill. "Good fucking gods I can't fucking control this. She doesn't even mean to turn me on…she just opens her mouth and instant fucking boner." I mutter and head back in.

I scowl as I see Matt and Ajay gathered around the chips and salsa dammit. "Can you not hog all of the salsa and chips?" I make sure to get as close to her as I can and smile after I eat some. Fuck me that is good. "Now you are going to make sure I have a supply of this Raven."

She laughs and goes to tease me back as she leans over me rubbing her chest against me as she dips a chip on some salsa. "Sure thing chief" I close my eyes for a second and feel the breath being taken from me and she smirks happily to herself.

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

I smile with a shrug, oddly happy to be having this kind of interaction with Raven. "Oh you know age old questions. Dc vs Marvel, Chan vs Jet Li, Lee vs Seagal. 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 her.

Fuck! I sigh. "Well I guess we are having more people for dinner than we planned. Wait, Raven doesn't that burn at all?" I frown at her just using her fingers to warm up the tortillas.

She shakes her 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.

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

Ajay 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."

"Not sure I would have to think about it."

I grin remember that little button so of course I have to taunt her a bit. "What's the matter Raven? Are you afraid to let go of that control?"

She quirks an eyebrow and takes everything off the burner and faces me with that fucking fire I love so much. "I have no problem with giving up control if the person I am giving it to knows how to handle it." She almost purrs to me.

I can feel my control just blow as my nostrils flare and my pupils blow and I lock eyes with her.

"I think we are going to step onto the balcony and check on dinner." Matt mutters.

"You guys do that." I pant as I keep my eyes on Raven.