Eric Coulter - An honest robbery (Part 1)
In which arranged marriage between the different factions becomes mandatory in order to bring the people closer
Masterlist
Part 2
"What the actually fuck?!" Eric cursed loudly as he entered the small office, his blue eyes immediately falling on the brown haired guy who was seated by the desk, a bunch of photos and notes on the blank surface in front of him.
Without even bothering to glance up, Four mumbled dryly, his eyes stuck to one of the pictures which showed a girl from Abnegation, "For once, we are on the same page. Such lovely news they told us, eh?".
"Good fucking news my ass!," Eric sneered as he hovered over the table, an irritated look plastered on his face as he sent the pile of photos an ugly look as if they were the ones behind this ridiculous, unheard idea, "Marriage?! Do I look like someone's husband?!".
"Not really" Four replied simply, his eyes still fixed upon the photo of the young girl, unsure what to think of this whole situation.
Having woken up early this morning, earlier than he usually did, Eric had gone straight to the conference room, ready to attend a meeting they had been told last night would be one of the most important gatherings this year. He had been fully awake by the time he reached the room, prepared to pay attention to every single message and new orders that would be handed to them. So, once they announced their new, absurd idea of arranged marriage, Eric had not taken it well.
Leaving the room before he could hear the rest of the crazy plan, Eric had spent the rest of the morning letting his anger out on the poor dummies, trying his best to shut out the news, but after hours of hitting and throwing the daggers at the targets, he had gone up to the roof, allowing himself to enjoy a moment of peace in order to gather his thoughts.
Eric Coulter marrying someone? Who the fuck did they think they were? Did he strike them as husband material? Did he look like someone's husband?
Hell no.
Determined to avoid being a part of this terrible, new scheme, he had decided to go up to the surveillance department, knowing he was going to find Four there. Though the young men were far from friends, at least Eric knew, after witnessing Four's reaction earlier, that they shared the same view and opinions when it came to the arranged marriage.
"Who is that?" Eric asked, feeling sick to his stomach as his eyes fixed upon the dark blonde girl in the picture Four was currently studying.
"That," Four sighed, "Would be my fiance....a stiff".
Narrowing his eyes, Eric practically ripped the photo out of Four's hands before he studied it with a mixture of loathing and curiosity. Loathe because he did not like what he saw, but at the same time, he could not deny the curiousty which was suddenly rising in the pit of his stomach as he glanced at the girl in the photo: what did his fiance look like?
"I better not end up with a damn stiff" He frowned. Just the thought of ending up married to a stiff made him want to puke.
Tossing the photo down onto the desk, Eric began to flip through the pile of pictures on the table, set on finding his soon to be wife, "Where is my fucking fiance?".
It better not be a fucking stiff
"Hold on," Four pressed his lips together, glancing one last time at the blonde in the photo before he turned his attention to the computer, scrolling through the list of the different names, "It should be photo number....thirty six. Looks like she is from-"
"Dont say it," Eric snapped annoyed as his eyes fell on the twenty nine number in the corner of the photo he was presently holding, and with a weird feeling in his stomach, he knew his eyes would soon fall upon his fiance, "I'll find it out myself, but I swear to God if its a fucking stiff, I'm divorcing her before the marriage can even take place".
Not even bothering to say anything, Four only leaned back in the chair with a slight smirk, waiting for Eric's reaction once he found out who he was betrothed to.
Smirking even more, Four watched as Eric's body tensed and his eyes went big and round as he found the photo of his fiance.
One second...two seconds...three seconds...
"What the fuck?!" Eric practically shouted, his eyes almost bulging out of their eye sockets as he studied number thirty six.
Clenching his jaw, he turned to face Four with an angry expression plastered on his face, "They paired me up with a damn Amity?! What the fuck were they thinking?! She looks like she is barely fifteen years of age! She's a fucking child!".
"She is eighteen actually-" Four began, humored, but cutting him off, Eric snapped sharply, "I don't fucking care! I'm not marrying her. She's not my type at all".
"And what exactly is your type then?" Four asked amused, trying his best to subdue the laughter which was threatening to come out. He had known, from the second his eyes had fallen on the girl when he scrolled through the list, that Eric would be far from pleased. Though Four did not particularly like to call anyone ugly...well...number thirty six did look like a very, weak, girl.
"Good looks," Eric mumbled with an irritated sigh, throwing the photo of the young Amity girl down in the trash bin, "Is that too much to ask for?! Did they seriously think they could pair me up with-"
Suddenly closing his mouth, Eric stood completely still, his eyes fixed upon something in front of him. Leaning forward with a perplexed look, Four's eyes fell on you, a smiling beauty who was staring straight into the camera with a bright smile, showing off a perfect white, line of teeth.
"Who is this?" Eric asked, his voice quiet as his finger traced the photo.
Quickly glancing at the number in the corner of the picture, Four turned his focus back to the computer for a second and once again, found himself scrolling through the list to find out more about number thirty seven.
Once his eyes found your number, he read out loud, "Y/N. Twenty years old. Born in Erudite. Chose Candor. Has an older brother who stayed loyal to their birth faction...hmm, oh, she is marrying Zeke-"
"The hell she is!," Eric interrupted coldly before abruptly pushing Four's hand away from the mouse, "I'm changing".
"What do you mean?" Four asked, confused.
"I'm not marrying that child from fucking Amity and I'd be damned if Zeke marries the Erudite transfer. Clearly, she will be a better match with me" Eric said simply while he did a few clicks here and there, and the next minute, they both watched as the list got updated, revealing the new change.
With a proud grin, Eric shrugged before he grabbed the photo of you, "Looks like she is my fiance now. Fuck Zeke, he can have that ugly looking Amity girl".
"She wasn't ugly," Four trailed off before he sent Eric a disapproving look, "Anyway, you cant just change marriages like that. That Erudite transfer is Zeke's fiance, and yours is-"
"I don't give a fuck, I just changed it, didn't I?" Eric hissed before he harshly brushed the mouse down onto the floor, causing Four to give him yet another unpleased look.
"What?" Eric snapped, not in the mood for a pointless lecture.
If Four and the others for one second thought Eric would be happy marrying a weak looking Amity girl, they were certainly mistaken. Did he seem like a man who would settle down with a pale weakling from that dull faction?
Sighing, Four picked up the mouse before he sent his Dauntless leader a slight frown, knowing there was really no point trying to discuss this topic with him, "You do realize that everyone has already gotten a picture of their fiance? That means that Zeke has a picture of her, and Y/N already has one of him. How are you going to pull that one off?"
"Eh, have you seen me?," Eric replied nonchalantly, once again glancing down at the photo of you, and the smile his eyes fell on definitely belonged to a face he could explore, "And have you seen her? Have you seen Zeke? He isn't half the man I am, which means he is perfect for that child from Amity while I'm clearly the perfect man for our Erudite transfer. You can tell, just by looking at her, she needs a real man. One who can take care of her, please her in-"
"Yeah, I get it," Four cut off, rolling his eyes, "Good luck explaining the change to both of them".
Choosing to ignore Four's comment, Eric only grabbed the picture of you before he left the office, making sure to slam the door harshly as he closed it. Not in the mood to be surrounded by people, he headed straight for his apartment, his eyes glued to your pretty face the whole walk. Once he reached his flat, he lazily threw himself down on the sofa, the picture still in his hands.
Slowly sliding his index finger over your face, he could not help but relax slightly, despite having been extremely angry and irked about the sudden idea of marriages between the five factions. If an arranged married meant he would end up with you, he sure wasn't going to complain and he'd be damned if he let Zeke steal you from him.
After all, you were Eric's fiance now.
* * *
With steady steps, Eric entered the Pit, his blue eyes fixed upon the group which had just arrived, ready to find their "significant" other. Huffing, he noticed the girl from Amity, the one they had originally picked for him, and so he lazily threw her a glare, silently telling her to stay away from him since he was not interested in her.
Although he was fully aware that she had probably received a photo of him, Eric could honestly not care less what she or anyone else thought of the change he had made in the system last week. If anyone wanted a brawl, he was more than ready for it but knowing that almost everyone in Dauntless would rather jump from the Chasm than fight him, he was pretty sure he would get away with his actions.
Continuing to search for your figure, Eric did not get far when he heard a sudden, angry voice call out his name. With an exaggerated sigh, he slowly turned around since he recognized the voice, and sure enough, marching towards him with a scowl on his face, was a very fierce looking Zeke,"What the hell do you think you are doing, Coulter?!".
Ever since Eric had switched their fiances, he had avoided Zeke like the plague, heading the opposite direction every time he spotted the other Dauntless guy. Zeke had even gone to Eric's apartment a few nights ago, banging loudly on the door over and over while he had cursed Eric's name, but Eric had only answered his visit by blasting loud music and in the end, Zeke had left angrier than he had been in the first place.
"I'm looking for my fiance" Eric replied dryly as Zeke stopped in front of him, "Excuse me? You mean the fiance whom you stole from me?!".
"Oh come on," Eric huffed, annoyance in his voice as he tried to search for you again, "She needs a man like me, not a boy like you. Besides, your new wife is a cute one, isn't she-"
"You are such an asshole, Coulter," Zeke cut him off irritated, "What are you going to tell Y/N once she spots us, huh? She has a photo of me which means she will be expecting me, not you".
"If only I cared" Eric responded and without waiting for Zeke, he brushed past the other Dauntless guy with a smirk before he headed towards a very familiar face: you.
Standing in the middle of the Pit, a photo of Zeke in your hand, you glanced around, trying to spot the young man, but since there were so many dark clothed Dauntless people in the huge area, it was hard to see anything, especially since most of them were taller than you.
Sighing softly, you decided to ask the nearest Dauntless member if she knew who Zeke was and where you might found him, but before you could reach your hand out to tap her shoulder, a broad figure stopped right in front of you.
Startled, you glanced up, raising an eyebrow at the young Dauntless man in front of you.
"Can I help you?" You asked, trying your best not to look at his arms, but even from the corner of your eye, you could see how fit this young man was.
"I'm your fiance" The guy answered with a smirk, his blue eyes slowly taking in your figure and you could not help but blush slightly. It was clear from the way his eyes were devouring you that he liked what he saw.
Suddenly recalling what this guy had just told you, you quickly glanced at the picture they had given you last week and with a slightly confused look, you looked at the man in front of you again, still one eyebrow raised as you spoke slowly, "Well...you have clearly changed. A lot".
"Fuck that guy, he is no longer in the picture," Eric said and before you could do anything or respond back, he quickly grabbed the photo from your hand and tore it apart, "Let's just call him ex-fiance from now on. I'm your soon to be husband, and the name is Eric. Eric Coulter".
"I'm so confused" You admitted with a frown as you watched the pieces of the torn picture hit the ground softly, "What happened to Zeke? Was I not good enough for him?".
"He wasn't good enough for you" Eric said simply, his eyes suddenly falling on the incoming figure of Zeke who was trying his best to make his way towards them through the crowd and right behind him was none other than that weak girl from Amity, a very confused look on her face as she followed after him.
Not in the mood to end up in an uncomfortable situation, Eric quickly turned his focus back at you and softly grabbed your hand and began to drag you out of the Pit, happy to notice that most people immediately backed away once they spotted his tense body, "Let me give you a tour of your new home, alright?".
"Uhm, sure" You replied, still very confused by this whole situation as you allowed this Eric guy to drag you away from the chatting crowd, and soon, you found yourself following after him up a bunch of stairs until he stopped in front of a huge, grey door. Finally letting go of your hand, which you honestly had completely forgotten he was holding tightly, Eric turned to face you, an alluring smile on his face as he looked at you, "This is my apartment, so....that makes it your home as well".
Not sure what to say since you were still bewildered, you only watched as he opened the door, revealing a very neat, yet simple flat. Hesitating slightly, you stopped in the doorway since he had gone in, and you stood there for a moment, just taking in the apartment.
Your new home...the words felt strange in your mouth.
"What do you think?," Eric asked after a minute or two, "Do you think you can live here? I mean, it's not like you have much choice, but still, it would be nice to know what you think of my place," Smirking, he added quickly, "Our place, I mean".
Running a hand through your hair, you nodded with a faint smile, "It's perfect. Just the way I like it, but seriously, why did they suddenly change the marriage? They didnt tell me anything, and I have spent the past few days reading and learning about Zeke since I thought he was my fiance. I don't know anything about you".
Shifting slightly on your feet, you crossed your arms as you sent him a curious look while trying your best to keep your own emotions at bay since the whole situation made you feel a bit uneasy. Especially since you knew nothing about this Dauntless man in front of you, and the fact that they hadn't mentioned that they had given you a new fiance (which in your opinion was a very important detail you thought you deserved to know about) you were not sure if being up here alone with him was such a good idea.
"Well," Eric said after a moment of silence since he had been busy studying your wary figure, and with a quiet sigh, he went on, "What do you want to know then?".
Not particularly fond of having to answer a dozen of questions, Eric knew you would probably head back to the Pit if he decided to be difficult. Besides, he knew it was fair that you should know the basic information about him since he had gotten time to read your profile and journal. In fact, reading about you had become his favorite bed night stories lately and he was pretty sure he had memorized everything about you from the journal by heart now.
"Why did they change my fiance?" You asked and though Zeke's face suddenly flashed through your head for a moment, you quickly brushed his features aside as you studied Eric. It's not like you had gotten the opportunity to meet your previous fiance, but you were pretty sure that Eric was much stronger and from the way he had easily pushed through the crowd down in the Pit, it was clear to you that he carried some authority around here. Also, there was something about his aura that made you think he was more than just a regular Dauntless member. He seemed like a man who was used to getting it his way.
"They didnt," Eric answered calmly, "I did".
Allowing his words to sink in for a few seconds, you asked casually, "May I ask why?".
"I liked what I saw when I spotted your face," Eric admitted with a shrug, smirking, "Besides, you were born in my old birth faction. I figured that alone should make us an unstoppable force".
Blinking, you could not help but smile, "You're from Erudite as well?".
"Fuck, yeah," Eric chuckled, "Dauntless today, obviously".
"How old are you?" You asked, and this time, you could feel a sincere curiousity arise inside you as your eyes met his blue ones. Not sure if it was because you knew he was born in your home faction, you found yourself suddenly relaxing more in his presence.
"Twenty four" Eric mused.
"And what do you do here in Dauntless besides stealing other men's fiances?" You asked with a giggle.
Suppressing a smile, Eric said, "I'm a leader and I have been so since I was seventeen".
"Oh wow," You sent him a look of admiration, "That's pretty early for a Dauntless member to become a leader, isn't it?".
"It is," Eric admitted with a grin and he could not help but bask in the praise you had just given him, "What can I say though? I'm the best".
Taking in his bold tattoos for a second, and his biceps which were impossible not to see since he too had crossed his arms, you could not help but mentally admit that your fiance was quite good looking. Though you had found Zeke handsome as well, there was definitely something very alluring about Eric.
Lowering your guard, you asked, "Who did you originally end up with?".
Huffing in annoyance, Eric responded with a dark look, "Some poor girl from Amity. Not my type at all. She looked like a child still".
"What is your type then?" You shot back, your curiosity once again growing.
Without thinking twice, you pushed yourself away from the door and with the next step, you entered his apartment. Leaning against the table, you found yourself standing in front of Eric, who had seated himself by the kitchen counter, a satisfied smile lingering upon his face since you had joined him inside.
"You" He responded simply, a lustful gleam flashing through his eyes as he studied you and you felt a slight shiver run through your body when you noticed how he was biting his bottom lip slowly, clearly thinking nothing but sinful thoughts.
Not sure how to respond to that, you instead asked, "Are you happy with the engagement?".
Personally, you had been quite upset when they had informed you about their new plan. Sure, the idea of bringing the five factions closer was more than welcome, but still, knowing that you would not be able to chose your own husband, scared you.
Taking a deep breath, Eric remained quiet for a moment and it was clear that he was thinking about your question and probably how to answer it as well.
"Do you want an honest answer or a white lie?," He asked quietly, "Though, since you are Candor today, I'm sure you will see through my lie if I make one".
"I always prefer the truth, so yeah, don't bother coming up with a false answer" You responded, giving him an expectantly look from beneath your dark lashes.
"Fine," Eric sighed, a focused look appearing on his face, "I'm not. I'm far from happy about it and no matter how upset I have been about their new plan of action, I have slowly accepted there is nothing I can do. So, with that said, if I am to be married, it better be with someone who I can stand looking at every night and morning".
Blinking for a moment, you could not help but chuckle quietly at his answer, "I take it you are satisfied with me then, seeing as you stole me from this poor Zeke guy".
Eric shot you a lopsided smile, his eyes traveling your figure for a second, and even without responding to your question, you knew what his answer was.
Pushing himself away from the kitchen counter, he stepped forward and with a few steps, he had nearly closed the little gap between the two of you. Raising one eyebrow, you looked up at him since he was, obviously, taller than you.
As he gazed down at you, a flash of excitement danced through his blue eyes.
"What's on your mind?" You asked quietly as the two of you stared at one another.
"That despite how much I dislike this arrange marriage idea," Smirking, Eric sent you an alluring look, "I can't wait for the wedding night".
"You're a pig" You retorted, though you could not help but blush faintly at his honesty. For some reason, you had not really thought much about that upcoming night, despite having been very busy reading about your fiance (back when you thought it was Zeke).
As if reading your sudden worry, Eric surprised you by gently lifting your chin upwards with his finger, and at the soft touch, you found yourself gazing up at him once again.
"Dont be scared, I won't do anything you don't want me to do," He said, sincerely, but before you could reply, the touch on your chin disappeared before Eric brushed past you, heading back over to the door, "Let me show you the rest of the faction. If you're going to be my wife, you need to learn how to fight and protect yourself....though seeing as I'm going to be your husband, believe me when I tell you nothing or no one will ever harm you".
Leaving the apartment, Eric's figure disappeared out of your sight and so you hurriedly made your way after him with a faint smile on your face. For some weird, unknown reason, you believed him even though you barely knew him, but then again, if you could not trust your own soon to be husband, who else could you trust?