The Natural {Divergent | Eric Coulter}

Part I: Chapter 9

originally Chapter 11

"What the hell are you doing now?"

Footsteps behind me pull me out of my rhythmic punching. I'm not surprised that it's Eric. It's always Eric, isn't it?

"What's it look like?" I laugh, "Training, dumbass."

A leg sweep later, Eric has me pinned to the ground.

"Not training very well, dumbass." He teases me. "Look, I get the importance of training more than anyone, but I know for a fact that you only have two sets of clothes."

"Hey! How-?"

"Still have your point card, sweetheart." Damn it. "And the clothes I bought are still in my apartment. How the hell do you not smell?"

"I've been washing them!"

"Sure you have. Let's go, stiff."

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I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Dauntless is pure chaos.

There is a lingerie shop next to a boot store and a classy restaurant next to the tattoo parlor. Eric gives me a suggestive look as we pass the lingerie store and I laugh as I drag him into the boot shop.

"You've got some in my apartment, stiff." He laughs.

Everything in Dauntless is black, but I've never actually worn color. Except the lace.

I pick out some black and dark gray pants to train in, and some shorts to sleep in.

"Hey stiff, do you like this?" Eric's holding up a black shirt sleeved t-shirt. "Oh wait, you already have one." I roll my eyes and he cracks up.

A dark red tank top with Dauntless flames on the front.

Eric clears his voice and I turn back to him. This time he has a black long sleeved shirt. He's smirking and pointing as he holds it up. I laugh this time and he just grins back.

Good lord, it's like shopping with a little kid.

I grab some basic makeup- I was the only girl in Abnegation allowed to wear makeup, and I'd like to have some for special occasions. Some decent soap and shampoo, a new brush.

Eric grins and hold up a pair of black boots. Hell, I've got a pair of those too.

Apparently I don't need to go shopping, I need to go to Eric's apartment.

More socks; flip flops because the dorm shower floors are nasty.

Eric tosses me a leather jacket not unsimilar to his own, and we walk towards the front.

"Can I have my point card?"

"If you ask nicely," he grins. I'm serious, little kid.

"Yeah, yeah," Eric just smirks in response to my outstretched hand. Hell, he's being serious. "Dearest leader Eric, o mighty one, may I have my point card please?"

My sarcasm is rewarded with my card and a smug smirk from Eric. Which is rewarded with a punch in the shoulder from me.

"Alright, stiff. You've gotta punch me harder than that." Eric's grin might be the cutest thing ever.

Probably shouldn't think that.

The employee behind the counter can't take her eyes off of me and Eric. Probably never seen the asshole- leader be nice, but a glare from him quickly causes her to turn away.

He grabs some sort of box, for his apartment, maybe?, and a lock.

"That'll be 179 points, ma'am."

"Am I going to have enough points for all of this?" I ask Eric.

"Hell yeah, stiff. You got a shit ton more points than everybody else. First rank will do that for you."

I shoot a smirk to him and the employee, who is still blushing from the glare.

"Here you go, ma'am."

"Can you possibly check how many points I have left?"

"You've got 321 points left, stiff." Eric butts in.

How the hell does he know that?

"I put them in, remember?" Righttt. And an Erudite mind.

How the hell am I expected to use all of those points? This many clothes was only 179 points. I've only been here a week, and I've already got more clothes than I ever had at once in Abnegation. Damn stiffs.

"We'll leave them here and come back in a little bit to get them." Eric tells the cashier. He doesn't ask for anything, he just tells. He's in control here, and he knows it.

"C'mon stiff."

"Where are we going? And did you notice how she called me ma'am? Maybe you'd should take note."

He just laughs. "I'm not calling you ma'am. I'm not that kind of guy, babydoll."

Even the Abnegation in me got that innuendo, and I blush scarlet at the thought of Eric like that.

"Let's go get you your first Dauntless drink, Stiff." 

published Feb 1 2020

updated Sept 25 2023