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Secrets
Jan 1, 2012 20:06:08 GMT -5
Post by Admin Courtney on Jan 1, 2012 20:06:08 GMT -5
"Tyler... It's not safe up here," a hesitant voice warned.
"Shh, Amb. Do you really think I'd let something bad happen to you? Look, someone's even salted it so you won't slip," Tyler's hushed voice reassured his cousin Amberly. He slipped his hand into hers and led her slowly along the rooftop. Amb was the nickname he had given her, although he usually hated nicknames. He used it lovingly, and had claimed it as his own. "It's actually a really nice view, now that there's snow everywhere," he added, revealing one of the true reasons he had brought his Amity cousin to someplace so icily dangerous that only the Dauntless students usually braved.
Amberly gasped as she looked out at the grounds beneath them. She smiled at the view and turned to beam at Tyler. "It really is beautiful, Tyler. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad you convinced me to climb up to the rooftop of the school."
Tyler grinned, pleased with himself. "Well it didn't take that much convincing," he reminded her, his tone playful. "As I recall, all I did was..." He trailed off and pulled her close to him, encircling his arms around her body and pressing his lips passionately to hers. It was thrilling, doing something so forbidden. Society would look down on them if they found out what exactly Tyler and Amberly did in private. Only the two of them knew their secret, and it would always have to stay that way, even if Amberly was adopted.
Amberly sighed in Tyler's embrace and against his lips, then pulled away and blushed. She glanced down at the tiny space between them and whispered, "You know this is so wrong."
"You always say that, Amb," Tyler said, regarding her curiously. He lifted her chin with a finger so she was looking up at him, then kissed her forehead. "And then I always reply--"
"That I know it's worth it," Amberly cut him off. "And that it's not even technically wrong--"
"Because you're not technically my cousin," Tyler finished with a proud smile.
"But it sucks. I mean, all the meeting in secret. Seeing you with other girls," she said, frowning with jealousy.
"Seeing you with other guys," Tyler added, holding her tighter and placing his chin atop her head as they hugged. "Don't think I don't get jealous too. Why do you think I go all protective cousin on any guy that talks to you? But we have to keep the charade up."
Amberly said nothing for a moment and just rested her head on his chest, savouring the moment. "One day," she began to say, her tone sad.
Tyler cut her off. "It's not 'one day' yet," he said, dismissing her thought. He did not want to think about it. He did not want to think about when they were older and what could happen.
"You're in denial," Amberly said, stepping out of their embrace and regarding him sadly. "You might as well accept it instead of lying to yourself."
"Amberly, stop," Tyler said, frowning now. He reached out and took her hands. "You're ruining it." He knew they couldn't last. But then a part of him also thought they could. Maybe. He smiled at her and looked into her eyes. Amberly cast her eyes downward and felt her face flush. She loved the way he looked at her and the way he made her feel. She grinned despite her doubts, despite how everything they were doing was socially wrong, and stepped back into his arms before initiating their second rooftop kiss, re-igniting the swarm of butterflies in her stomach. The ones that were solely caused by Tyler. His look. His touch. The taste of his lips...
They kissed for a few more minutes, Tyler testing his limits with her, kissing down her neck to her collarbone, where Amberly would always shiver in forbidden delight and redirect his lips back to hers. She wasn't ready for that yet; she was too young. She bit his lip playfully, however, then fluttered her eyelashes innocently at him. She knew he respected her enough not to push her, but also knew that he liked it when she teased.
Tyler pouted as Amberly stepped back and turned around, and was about to embrace her from behind and plant kisses on her shoulders when there was a sound ahead, and he knew they were no longer alone.
Amberly froze and stared ahead, waiting for the person to reveal themselves. She hated them for breaking up the special moment she was having with Tyler, but composed herself and put on a mask of innocence so whomever was there would suspect nothing.
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Secrets
Jan 1, 2012 21:03:33 GMT -5
Post by Jess on Jan 1, 2012 21:03:33 GMT -5
Dimitri frowned, unused to seeing people on the school roof-- especially those outside his faction. He didn't give it a second thought, though. It wasn't as if it was his roof. They had a right to be up here as well, he supposed.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," he raised his eyebrows, sensing tension. "I just came up for lunch," he held a brown bag up in the air. "Don't mind me." He smiled as he crossed the rooftop and sat on the ledge, swinging his legs over the side. Dimitri could tell that he was in fact interrupting something-- though he didn't know what --but he couldn't be bothered to care. The hell was he going to eat his lunch in the cafeteria or in the courtyard.
He unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite. "Dimitri, by the way," he said when he realized he didn't know the two of them. Candor and Amity, by the looks of it. They looked uncomfortable.
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Secrets
Jan 1, 2012 21:10:51 GMT -5
Post by Admin Courtney on Jan 1, 2012 21:10:51 GMT -5
Of course it would a Dauntless who joined them on the roof. Amberly immediately felt uncomfortable and unwelcome. Tyler could fit in with the Dauntless if he tried, but Amberly was an Amity, and a lot of the things that the Dauntless did, she'd never do. Jumping off a train? Terrifying! However, she quickly sprung into her Amity mindframe and walked over to Dimitri as he introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Amberly," she said, hoping her voice wasn't too high-pitched, as it often was when she was freaking out. They had been so close to being caught by someone! Far too close.
Tyler sighed inwardly, knowing his cousin was panicking. He wished she would relax; her shoulders were so tense. He wanted to pull her aside and calm her down with a few sweet words and a peck on the lips, but that was out of the question now. As Amberly introduced herself to the Dauntless, Tyler pursed his lips. She was so nice and such a gentle person that it was easy for her to get along with people. But he would not like seeing her get along with a Dauntless right in front of his own eyes.
"And this is my cousin, Tyler," she was saying. "Sorry that we're up here. I know it's not really a place that a lot of Amity or Candor go. But Tyler was showing me the view. I suddenly see why you guys must like it up here," she rambled, and could have sworn she heard Tyler slap his palm to his face. But when she turned around to glare at him, his hands were casually in his pockets, his face expertly composed, as he walked over to them.
Tyler caught Amberly checking him out as he walked, and he shot her a look. "Amberly, don't bother Dimitri. He probably doesn't want to associate himself with non-Dauntless." He was being unnecessarily rude, but ignored the glare Amberly was shooting him.
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Secrets
Jan 1, 2012 21:18:46 GMT -5
Post by Jess on Jan 1, 2012 21:18:46 GMT -5
Dimitri smiled warmly at Amberly, noticing how tense and scared she seemed. "It's very nice to meet you," he said sincerely. "And there's no need to apologize. You have as much right to the roof as anyone, it's alright," he grinned again. "It would be unreasonably selfish of us to hog the view."
He then turned to Tyler, the smile dropping off of his face. He had been perfectly fine with having the two of them up on the roof with him, regardless of their faction, but the moment Tyler opened his mouth Dimitri knew he wouldn't like him. "I have no issue with Amity," he assured him. "It's Candor I tend to find to be a nuisance," his tone was joking, but he didn't so much as smirk.
Two minutes with the guy and he's already rubbing me the wrong way, Dimitri thought. Asshole.
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Secrets
Jan 1, 2012 21:22:26 GMT -5
Post by Admin Courtney on Jan 1, 2012 21:22:26 GMT -5
"Tyler," Amberly said warningly. "Stop being an asshole." She rarely used words like that, except with Tyler. There were a lot of sides to her that it seemed only Tyler could bring out: the good and the not-so-good.
"Hey, I'm just saying," Tyler said, feigning innocence.
Amberly ignored his vague comment and turned back to Dimitri. "Would you mind if I sat here, then?" she asked sweetly. "I really do like the view. And I apologise for my cousin. His head is so clouded with egotistical thoughts that he sometimes forgets his manners." She shot a smirk at Tyler, who frowned, but otherwise kept silent. Althought, he wanted nothing more than to go off on Dimitri, for no real reason at all.
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Jan 1, 2012 21:34:50 GMT -5
Post by Jess on Jan 1, 2012 21:34:50 GMT -5
"I don't mind at all," Dimitri told her. "Feel free to stay as long as you like, and don't let me interrupt whatever it is you were doing before I came. I don't want to intrude," he said, taking a sip of water. "Just here for lunch. Can't stand that God-awful cafeteria."
Dimitri piled up the small dusting of snow on the edge of the roof and put his water bottle in it, hoping to keep it cold. He wondered what the two were up to and why they seemed to nervous, but he knew it wasn't his place to ask. He didn't know them, after all, and he didn't want to be nosy or pushy.
His dark blonde hair was flying in all directions, pushed by an icy breath of wind that made the hairs on his arms stand up. Dimitri didn't mind, however. He liked the cold, especially snow. It made things look fresh and new.
"Is the view all that brings you up here today?" Dimitri wondered innocently. "It's nice, yeah, but I've never seen anyone but Dauntless here. Especially when it's cold like this."
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Secrets
Jan 1, 2012 21:43:00 GMT -5
Post by Admin Courtney on Jan 1, 2012 21:43:00 GMT -5
"Oh, we weren't doing anything," Amberly said, ducking her head as she blushed. She took a seat and laughed her nerves off. "Just arguing. Tyler is a bit difficult sometimes, but I was a little scared to come up here. Turns out he was right about the view and that I'd like it." She went with as close to the truth as she could, so that Tyler would not have to lie. "Right, Tyler?"
Tyler just nodded, not really wanting to be up here anymore. His moment with Amberly was ruined, and so was the lunch hour, in his opinion. He had half the mind to just leave, but he did not trust Dimitri with Amberly.
"Well, yeah, just the view," Amberly lied, glad she was not subjected to Candor's views. She did not know how to avoid lying at this point. "Why else would we come up here?" she asked, meaning her question to be rhetorical. "I don't mind the cold too much," she added, her lie obvious as her teeth chattered. Today she was wearing her thinner yellow jacket instead of her warmer white one, and was regretting it.
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Jan 1, 2012 21:52:13 GMT -5
Post by Jess on Jan 1, 2012 21:52:13 GMT -5
Dimitri noticed Amberly shivering and shrugged out of his own hoodie, tossing it to her casually. "It can get pretty cold up here," he said. "Especially if you're not used to it." He was used to the cold, so much that the snow landing on his skin barely phased him. He didn't understand how anyone could not like the cold, or the feeling of snow on their skin, but he was too much of a gentleman to let Amberly stay shivering cold. It didn't look like Tyler was about to do anything about it, either.
"Sorry, Tyler," Dimitri laughed, "Don't have a sweatshirt for you," he joked. He knew that the joke would probably piss him off, but he didn't really care. It wasn't his fault if Tyler couldn't take a joke. "Hope you don't mind."
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Jan 1, 2012 22:03:11 GMT -5
Post by Admin Courtney on Jan 1, 2012 22:03:11 GMT -5
Amberly caught the sweater out of reflex and smiled gratefully at Dimitri. "Thanks!" she chirped happily, instantly pulling the hoodie over her head and onto her body. As it was a guy's sweater and she was pretty tiny, it fit snugly without stretching, and she felt instantly warmed. She also felt glaring eyes behind her, and knew Tyler would not be too happy about the whole wearing another guy's sweater. But Tyler was not wearing one to offer to her, and they could not act romantically involved around other people. So he could not get jealous. That was something that Tyler was just going to have to learn and get used to. Besides, Tyler had gentleman issues, in which he sometimes forgot how to hold open a door for someone, or lend a shivering girl his sweater.
"Don't worry. I'm not bothered by the cold." This, at least, was true. He did not particularily like the cold, but his jacket was warm enough. And he was too pissy to feel the chill in the air, anyways, onsidering the steam coming from his ears.
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Jan 1, 2012 22:25:55 GMT -5
Post by Jess on Jan 1, 2012 22:25:55 GMT -5
"Glad to hear it," Dimitri smirked. "Wouldn't want you getting cold or anything," he joked, turning back to Amberly. "So, Amity, right? What's it like?" he wondered. "Dauntless through and through myself, but I've always wondered what it's like in other factions," he explained. Again, he didn't want to seem too nosy, but he didn't see how small talk could offend even someone as tense as they were.
Dimitri crumpled the plastic wrap from his sandwich and stuffed it back in the bag, which he balled up and tossed in the trash can some brave Abnegation had brought up to the roof ages ago. Rumor had it the kid was afraid of heights and some Erudite told him how much he hated trash on the roof, knowing he had no choice but to help out. Kid had a panic attack the second he got on the roof and had to go to the hospital. Erudite bragged for weeks, 'til the administration shut him up.
"What about Candor?" he asked Tyler, already over his annoyance at him. Dimitri was good at putting the past behind him. Grudges just weren't his thing.
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Secrets
Jan 1, 2012 22:32:53 GMT -5
Post by Admin Courtney on Jan 1, 2012 22:32:53 GMT -5
Amberly smiled at Dimitri, ignoring Tyler for the moment. He was being annoying and she would not give in to his pouting. He learned nothing that way. "Amity is great," she nodded. "I absolutely love it there," she said to Dimitri, a bright smile of her face. "Everything is just so.. peaceful," she laughed. "It's kind of like this, she added, looking out at the grounds below. Not many students were outside because of the cold, but a layer of snow covered everything. It was a beautiful sight, to Amberly. "Peaceful. Serene. Calm." She relaxed completely, forgetting about how close she and Tyler had just been to getting caught. She caught sight of something on Dimitri's wrist, and reached for it without thinking. She realised it was a tattoo and looked at him with interest. "A tattoo? It looks really cool. Does it represent something?" she wondered, choosing to ignore the huffing sound behind her which she knew was Tyler.
"Candor is fine," Tyler said abruptly, not really wanting to engage in small-talk. Sometimes he wished Amberly would just learn to be mean. She did not have to be so welcoming and nice to this guy. Tyler could not stand it. Especially when Dimitri was nice back. To both of them! Well, Tyler was not going to play nice. Never.
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Jan 1, 2012 22:43:11 GMT -5
Post by Jess on Jan 1, 2012 22:43:11 GMT -5
"Sounds nice," Dimitri said, though it wasn't entirely true. To him, Amity reminded him of an old folk's home-- a place for those close to death who couldn't handle fun or excitement. He'd read about them in an old novel at one point. Though, if that was your cup of tea, so be it.
He pulled away awkwardly when Amberly mentioned his tattoo. His thumb stroked the faded gray writing, worried that she had read it though, at the same time, knowing she couldn't have. "It was a competition with a friend," he said, his usual lie. "To see who had a higher tolerance for pain. Whoever could get a thicker band won," he explained. "He won, of course," he said, as his band was only about two inches thick. "But only because Ali-- the tattoo artist --had to leave because of a family emergency while doing mine," Dimitri laughed. "Though if you ask my friend, he won't tell you that part."
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Jan 1, 2012 22:48:48 GMT -5
Post by Admin Courtney on Jan 1, 2012 22:48:48 GMT -5
Once he pulled away, Amberly blushed, feeling bad. She had just gone and reached for a strange guy's arm. What was she thinking? She brought her hands to her lap and kept them to herself, then listened as he explain the tattoo. Regarding him curiously, she grinned at his story. "Well then no one really won, did they? Didn't you call for a rematch or something?" She tilted her head slightly and eyed the tattoo again. "Do they hurt? I know my cousin wants one," she said, with a nod at Ty, who she noticed was now glaring out at the empty sky and not even listening to their conversation. "He's not allowed, though. His mother -- my aunt -- thinks he's too young. He's fifteen," she added conversationally, and wondered how old Dimitri was. She knew he was not in any of her classes. Perhaps he was older, then. He certainly looked it. She looked him up and down, trying to be discreet. Older, and hot, she could not help but notice. Amberly held back a grin by biting her lip and ducking her head.
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Jan 1, 2012 22:59:23 GMT -5
Post by Jess on Jan 1, 2012 22:59:23 GMT -5
Dimitri laughed, "I tried, but he denies the fact that Ali left mid session," he said. "And the first one hurts, but it's nothing unbearable. After a bit you kind of just zone out. It kind of depends on where you get it, too. This one was my first," he tapped the words on the left side of his neck. "But it hurt less than the band, because part of that was on bone." He rubbed his wrist absentmindedly.
"You're cousins, then?" They didn't look alike, really. Dimitri shrugged. "I'm fifteen, too. But I suppose it doesn't matter as much in Dauntless. They'll tattoo you at thirteen if you're persistent enough and they know it's not a dare," he explained. He noticed Amberly looking at him, but didn't react. After all, it wasn't like he wasn't looking at her, too.
He wouldn't say that she was hot, because she wasn't dressed provocatively or even in an attention-drawing sort of way. She was curled up in his sweater, snow sticking to her windblown blonde hair, with a soft sort of look on her face. No, hot wasn't the right word. She looked too sweet for that, too innocent.
She's cute, he decided, because he was still too much of a guy to admit to himself that he thought she was beautiful.
"What were you thinking of getting, Tyler?" Dimitri glanced over at him, almost forgetting he was on the roof with them until then.
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Jan 1, 2012 23:19:39 GMT -5
Post by Admin Courtney on Jan 1, 2012 23:19:39 GMT -5
"on bone," Amberly repeated, thinking about it. "Yeah, I guess that would be pretty painful, huh." She peered at the one on his neck and silently mouthed the foreign words. "What does that one mean?" she asked, wanting to touch it, but remembered how he had acted the last time, and refrained. Instead, she clasped her hands together on her lap to keep them still.
She nodded at his question and confirmed, "Yeah, we're cousins." She almost wanted to add that she was adopted, but realised that didn't and wouldn't really matter. Not to Dimitri. So she left it out. Besides, she only ever started recognising the fact that she was adopted when she and Tyler began acting on their feelings for oneanother.
"Huh?" Tyler said, snapping back to reality. He had tuned out, staring thoughtlessly out at the view, which he didn't really think was much, now that Amberly was no longer appreciating it. It was when he saw the glowing awe on her face when she looked at something she thought beautiful that made Tyler appreciate it too.
"Your tattoo, Tyler," Amberly said to him, repeating Dimitri's question to her unattentive cousin. "What did you want to get before Aunt Marina said no?"
Ty scowled, remembering the argument he had had with his mother. "Oh, I don't know," he said dismissively. "Probably my name."
Amberly smirked and rolled her eyes. Of course he'd want his name, the vain Candor that he was.
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