Life has been really handing it to me the last few weeks! So sorry it's taken me a while to post this next chapter. I know ya'll are waiting for Tris and Tobias to get together, but please hang in there. The setup is necessary for the tension to build! Thank ya'll for being patient and for all the thoughts and comments you have. Love ya'll!
Eric makes his way to the back entrance he used when he went to Erudite. There was a special code that Jeanine had given him so that he could come and go as needed or bring in people he had been directed to hunt down.
He sees Jeanine and Cara looking at a screen and seemingly discussing the results on the screen.
"You're late," Cara says as she types something on her tablet to manipulate the data on the screen.
"Miss me, did you?" Eric says sauntering over to a chair and sitting down.
Cara rolled her eyes. Yes, Eric was handsome, and he'd made passes at her before but there was something dark about him. She saw that same darkness in Jeanine.
"Eric, what do you have? It better be something good" Jeanine threatens as she moves to sit behind her desk.
"Max is seeing a Factionless woman, the same one that is Evelyn's second in command."
Jeanine's eyes light up at this information and Cara pulls her lips together knowing exactly who Eric was talking about.
"Good…. Someone we can use for leverage"
"There's more…." Eric teases sitting up and grabbing a small glass orb that Jeanine used as a paperweight and then leaning back to toss it back and forth with his hands.
"Eric…" Jeanine warns.
"They also have a child together who transferred to Dauntless" He finishes loving that he could get under Jeanine's skin.
"Transferred? How?" Cara asks and she looks to Jeanine who quickly pulls up the report that went to all the factions from Choosing Day.
"She wasn't born Factionless; she was born in Abnegation"
"Prior! Andrew Prior's daughter…" Jeanine says her mind running over all the information as Eric gives her a twisted smile.
"Good work Eric" Jeanine's mouth twists into her own smile.
She knew just how she was going to get Max to give in and surrender to her plan. Cara stares at the results on the tablet and feels her stomach twist. Jeanine was getting closer to her war, and if she could get Max to hand over Dauntless, the rest of the city was doomed.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Evelyn asks as she leans against the wall of a building as Cara and Eric walk toward her.
She'd received the message that Cara and Eric wanted to meet but she kept it from Natalie. She didn't need Natalie in her ear telling her not to trust Jeanine. She needed an ally, and this was the best offer on the table. Mason had agreed when they discussed it privately. She would need to do something about Natalie soon, but she wasn't sure how far she wanted to go just yet.
"Jeanine would like some information and to offer a deal" Cara states evenly.
Eric drops a large duffle bag in front of Evelyn and walks back to stand next to Cara.
Evelyn nods her head to Mason who picks up the bag and brings it to Evelyn squatting and undoing the zipper to see the contents. Inside there are several weapons and a few tech items.
"We don't need weapons" Evelyn scoffs crossing her arms across her chest.
Cara raises her eyebrows and looks at Eric who cocks his head to the side at learning this information.
"What do you want to negotiate?" Eric asks intrigued now.
"A seat on the council regarding decisions in how the city is run for starters, access to food shipments from Amity, and resources for housing," Evelyn says with a smile.
Eric scoffs and Cara clears her throat.
"You want to be recognized as your own faction?" Cara asks, tilting her head to the side.
"Look who finally caught on" Evelyn quips as Cara purses her lips, "I was starting to think you weren't really Erudite"
"We'll have to take this back to Jeanine" Cara informs her with a tight voice not pleased with her insult.
"And when do Jeanine and I get to speak, I think it's long overdue for us to have a face-to-face conversation"
"I'll see what I can do," Cara promises. She nods to Eric to indicate they were leaving. "We'll be in touch again soon"
Evelyn and Mason watch them walk away.
"They seemed surprised" Mason notes.
"Of course, but they need us, and they know it. Just sit back and watch, we'll get our demands met"
"And if they don't agree?" Mason asks.
"We will take what we want and burn their precious factions to the ground" Evelyn smirks.
"What's your problem today," Zeke asks Tobias as he walks into the surveillance room with a scowl on his face.
"Nothing" Tobias replies in a short and curt tone. He'd been in a mood all morning. Max and Harrison were moving quickly with the war plans now, he and Tris had been swamped all week long.
"I need you and Christina to look at some footage. Have to me no later than tomorrow morning"
He hands Christina a folder with the information he wanted. She nods and takes it looking at it before passing it to Zeke.
"All this by tomorrow?" Zeke confirms looking at the list of dates on the papers in the folders.
"Yes, get it done," Tobias says with a huff.
"It's Friday Four, come on, Let's hang out tonight, Tori's working tonight so I'm free. I already told Shauna, and I know Uri isn't doing anything. Christina you and Tris need to come too"
"Tris has a date with Lynn tonight" Christina blurts out and then instantly regrets it. If looks could kill, she would be six feet under from the look Tobias gave her.
"Just get the report done" Tobias snaps.
"Ohhhhh I see what's going on here..." Zeke smirks. His best friend had been denying his feelings for Tris and it was evident now, he was upset about Lynn and Tris getting closer and spending more time together.
"Zeke" Tobias warns.
"How long are you and my cousin going to keep doing this dance?"
Christina wisely kept her mouth closed seeing that Four looked like he would rip her head off if she said anything else.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tobias yells with an eye roll as he walks out the door.
Christina shakes her head and spins back around to her computer to start pulling the requested video footage.
"I know you want to say something" Zeke chuckles.
Christina smiles and stops typing and turns to look at him and thinks about how to answer his question.
"I think you are correct in your assessment of the situation"
"And what about Tris? Is she feeling him too?" Zeke lights up and smiles big.
Christina pauses for a moment before speaking. She could sense the chemistry between Tris and Four. Tris always evaded answering her when she asked her about it but it was clear as day. She could also see how tense Lynn became when the group was hanging out and Tris and Tobias were vibing with each other.
"I'm not putting my girl's business out there Zeke"
"That tells me everything I need to know" Zeke replies smugly as he turns to his computer. Christina groans as Zeke laughs loudly and gets back to work.
Tobias makes his way down to the kitchens for his next stop. Things were ramping up quickly and Max and Harrison wanted status reports on everything by the end of the week. He was on edge, and it made him even more frustrated that Zeke was right. He sighs, maybe it was a good thing and Zeke could give him some advice. Amar had already told him he needed to be honest with Tris. He just got so tongue-tied around her now.
He rounds the corner seeing Shauna leaning against the door to her office laughing with Jason, one of the kitchen cooks. She was wearing a black dress that stopped just above the knee. The bodice was form-fitting, accentuating her breasts. Jason bumps her shoulder and Shauna laughs. Tobias can't understand the jealousy running through him. He and Shauna just had sex, which was their deal, yeah, they were friends and they both agreed to tell each other if they wanted to call it off if they really wanted to pursue someone else. But right now, seeing Jason flirting with Shauna has his blood boiling.
"There must be a very good reason why you have time to hang out right before lunch" Tobias snaps at Jason.
Shauna fights back a smile as Jason's eyes go wide and he scrambles off and she heads into her office and shakes her head. She could always see straight through Four and his prickly disposition. He reminded her of Lynn, tough on the outside but once you really got to know them, they were loyal and sweet. Even though she and Tobias hadn't progressed their relationship outside of sex, he was more relaxed around her now, more talkative.
"Joe, I need an inventory update by this afternoon" Tobias barks and hands him a sheet off his clipboard as two of the other kitchen staff come out of the storage area.
"Selena, can you get this filled out? I need to know the ratio of fresh food supplies we have vs food we can store up"
Joe, the head cook nods and takes the paper. Selena scampers off to work on her report. Tobias walks into Shauna's office to get the remainder of the information he needed to assist Max with the plans to make a stand against Erudite and Factionless.
"I need a shipping update and this information by the end of the day."
Shauna looks at the paper and nods. The information he wanted seemed pretty straightforward.
"You hanging out with us tonight? Zeke was hounding me at breakfast, seems his new love interest is busy tonight," She rolls her eyes and sets the paper down on her desk. She had all but given up on Zeke. He was clearly all into Tori and it didn't seem that he was going to let up anytime soon.
"I have work to do" Tobias sighs, annoyed that everyone was pushing him to hang out. He knows it was going to annoy him all night that Tris was out with Lynn, and he'd rather sulk alone.
"Oh, I see..." she says remembering that Lynn and Tris were having a date tonight and Lynn hoping she and Tris were going to take things to the next level. "You know I know how you feel..."
"Get the report done Shauna" Tobias warns as he heads to the door to go about his day.
"You know watching you dole out orders is kind of hot," Shauna says with a grin deciding to change tactics as Tobias stops and shuts the door to her office.
She grinned at his aggressiveness as he turned around slowly and heard the playfulness in her voice.
"Is that what you want? Me giving you orders?" he asks, running his eyes over her body.
Shauna bites her lip, feeling her heart rate increase as she saw his eyes darken.
"Take your panties off," Tobias tells her gruffly.
Shauna raises an eyebrow, but Tobias doesn't flinch. She slowly moves to do what he says feeling an ache between her thighs.
Tobias slowly moves over to her and slides his fingers between her legs while kissing her harshly. Shauna groans and spreads her legs as Tobias moves from her mouth to her neck. Never had he been this bold and demanding before and never had they tried anything like this outside of the confines of his apartment. Tobias continues his assault, moving his free hand to squeeze her breast and returning to kiss her, plunging his tongue in and out, matching the motion of his fingers.
Shauna squeals when he abruptly pulls away and turns her around and pulls her dress up to her waist. Tobias quickly unbuckles his belt while Shuana braces herself with her hands on the desk. They both groan as he slides inside and holds onto her hips. Shauna bites her lip hard as she tries to keep from crying out. Tobias grabs her should with one hand and picks up his speed. As soon as she falls apart Shauna gasps as he finishes right behind her, both of them shaking and trying to keep quiet. Tobias pulls her back to his chest and wraps his arms around her as they catch their breath. She giggles as he playfully nips at her ear before letting go.
"Damn that was good" Shauna sighs and reaches for her panties once she's regained her senses.
"I gotta get back upstairs or Max will be on my ass," he says, and he tucks himself back in his pants. "Catch you later tonight and um maybe we can finish this later" He and Shauna had some of the best sex when she was upset about Zeke taking Tori on a date and now it was his turn to let out all his frustrations with her.
"See you tonight. I'll have this for you by the end of the day," she tells him as she pulls down her dress while shaking her head and smiling.
Tobias flashes her a grin before heading out the door.
"I gotta tell Lynn and Tris thank you for that one" Shauna chuckles.
"Will you sit still?" Christina chastises as Tris huffs while Christina works to put a line of eyeliner on Tris.
"I'm sorry" Tris mumbles trying not to blink or move. "I'm nervous"
"Well, you won't be cute if I poke you in the eye" Christina does one more pass and then leans back to look at her handy work.
"Well, we didn't wear makeup in Abnegation…." Tris snaps.
"Hey, where did that come from? I'm just trying to help…" Christina says backing up and frowning.
"I know, I'm sorry Chris. I'm just nervous, how did you feel before your first real date?" Tris sighs and gets up walking in a circle.
Christina softens and smiles as she remembers changing outfits four different times before her first date when she was 15. She hadn't dated too much but she could understand where Tris was coming from.
"I do understand where you are coming from even though it's been a while since I had my very first date. You and Lynn have been hanging out, you've kissed already, why all the nerves?"
Christina packs all of her makeup supplies while she talks. She'd only done some light eye makeup, and lipstick and helped Tris pick out a dress to wear. She'd also helped Tris straighten her hair for the first time. Tris liked how she looked but it was all overwhelming.
Tris groans and walks out of the bedroom into the living room and sits on the couch as Christina grabs her bags. Christina sits down next to Tris waiting for an answer.
"Well, this is the first time we've really been alone, and we've kissed but…." Tris whispers.
There weren't many places to grab a quiet dinner in Dauntless. There was a bar with pool tables to hang out in but for meals you either cooked at home or went to the dining hall. She and Lynn had agreed that Lynn would pick up dinner from the dining hall and then come to Tris' apartment since she lived alone.
Normally, Tris told Tobias everything but for some reason, she felt nervous talking to him about Lynn. She didn't know why.
"Tris, have you ever…." Christina draws out noticing the look of panic on her friend's face.
"Abnegation! Remember!" Tris cries out and her cheeks flush.
"Well, you're different" Christina shrugs. "You said she wasn't the first person you kissed"
Tris flops back on the couch in frustration.
"Okay listen, just remember, you only have to go as far as you want. Be upfront about that. Let Lynn know what you're comfortable with."
"How do I even know what I should be comfortable with? I guess I never thought I would be with another girl. I don't even know what to do with boys…" Tris whispers.
Christina reaches out to put a gentle hand on Tris' knee.
"Let Lynn take the lead and just follow your instincts and remember to relax and have fun."
Tris takes a deep breath through her nose to calm herself.
"Chris, I don't know what I would do with you. It's nice to have someone to talk to about makeup and help me pick out clothes and… I've never had that before"
Christina leans over and gives Tris a hug, which she happily returns.
"That's what friends are for, now stand up and give me a spin so I can see the final look"
Tris grins as she gets up and does just that, still feeling a little anxious but more relaxed.
"You know Four seemed in a mood all day," Christina says nonchalantly.
"Yeah, I noticed," Tris says shaking her head and looking in the mirror again. He'd been short with her all through the workday. She didn't know what his problem was.
"Zeke seems to think it's because you and Lynn have your date"
"What?" Tris snaps her head to look at her.
"Tris are you for real...that man is completely head over heels for you" Christina couldn't believe that Tris was that oblivious to how Four felt about her, but she could tell she wasn't lying.
Tris bites her lip as the realization washes over her.
"I... I mean... I... we've always been best friends and well except for..."
"Oh my God, he was your first kiss, wasn't he?" Christina squeals with excitement.
Tris sighs and nods her head.
"And you don't feel the same way about him?"
Tris thinks about it for a moment.
"I don't know, Yes, maybe. Things were so crazy, and now you know all about what was going on with the Erudite and finding my mom, and then I came here and met Lynn and I really like her too..." Tris sighs and sits down feeling her eyes burn with tears threatening to spill over.
"Hey Tris, it's okay really..." Christina soothes as she places a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Take a deep breath"
"What do I do?" Tris asks sounding defeated.
Christina thinks about it for a minute.
"Remember when you asked me how I felt about Uriah and Will?"
Tris nods.
"I think I'm still confused about how I feel but I committed to getting to know Will, if Lynn's what you want then be upfront with both of them about where you are and what you want"
Tris takes a deep breath through her nose and closes her eyes.
"I'm always here if you want to talk"
"Thanks, Chris" Tris told her and leaned her head on her shoulder.
A few hours later Lynn and Tris are laughing after having a great dinner and enjoying the moonshine that Lynn got from Uriah. Tris had only drunk alcohol a few times now and Lynn thought it was hilarious how she frowned at the taste. The alcohol was helping her firmly put all thoughts of Tobias out of her mind for the evening so she could focus on Lynn.
"I think you should try this one. Uriah said it's pineapple flavored. Wait, have you ever had a pineapple?" Lynn teases.
Tris glares at Lynn and then sticks her tongue out and grabs the cup after she finished pouring. This one tasted much better, and Tris does a little dance, wiggling in her seat after the first sip.
"You're so cute" Lynn laughs and smiles leaning back on the arm of the couch.
Tris drinks down the rest of the small amount in her cup. The alcohol was coursing through her veins, and she was feeling bold. She crawls to the end of the couch straddling Lynn's lap and leaning down to kiss her. Lynn smiles against her lips kissing her back and letting her hands roam. She notices Tris pull back a little as her hands moved to cup her breasts.
"You know we can go slow if you want" Lynn reassures her by moving a hand to stroke her hair.
Tris bites her lips, telling herself to calm down.
"I know, but I'm tired of taking things slow, I'm tired of thinking like I'm in Abnegation"
Lynn grabs the back of her head and kisses her more aggressively. When Lynn moves her hand up the bottom of her dress, Tris doesn't stop her. After several more kisses, Tris could feel the ache between her legs, and she was out of breath.
She gets up and pulls Lynn by the hand, walking backward to her bedroom. Tris pulls off her dress watching Lynn as she comes out of her pants and tank top. Lynn moved to kiss her again and then down her neck causing Tris to moan. She'd never felt so wound up before as Lynn slowly moved her bra strap down and kissed her shoulder, then repeated it on the other side. Lynn pulls back to look Tris in the eye as she unhooked her bra and lets it fall to the floor.
Tris swallows hard and fidgets as Lynn pulls her own bra off. She pulls her arms across her breasts. She'd never seen anyone else naked before or been naked in front of anyone either. Her eyes rake over Lynn's many tattoos, and she sees for the first time
"You're beautiful" Lynn whispers moving her hands to pull Tris' hands away and cup her breasts. She rubs small circles over her chocolate nipples. Lynn guides them to lie down on the bed as their kissing resumes.
Tris is breathing heavily as Lynn lightly runs her fingers over her body. She leans down and runs her tongue over her bottom lip.
"Have you ever touched yourself before?" Lynn whispers against her lips.
Tris nods, swallowing.
"Show me"
Tris moves her hand down to her center, spreading her legs so she can move her fingers across her clit. She'd done it a few times late at night wanting to explore, knowing how the Abnegation told them anything related to self-pleasure was wrong.
Lynn lowers her head to lick one chocolate nipple, raking her teeth against it before suckling. Tris moans as she arches her back as she feels the wetness on her fingers from her arousal. She feels like she's on fire and she's never felt desired like this. Lynn was barely touching her but the way she was carefully watching her turned her on even more.
Lynn lifts her head as she watches Tris, please herself. Tris looks her in the eye, biting her lip at the smile and lust she saw there. Tris felt so alive at that moment, and she wanted more of it.
