Infallible

Chapter 23

   "Oh my GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!"
  Rae's ears rang uncomfortably at the sound of her best friend's squealing.
"He did NOT! You're lying."
"Swear on my life."
  Deidra stood in her apartment next to Jackson, both of them wearing the same shocked expression. Rae laughed loudly at their reaction to the news of Eric's proposal.
"But... Dauntless don't get married very often I thought. Kinda part of the lifestyle-?"
Rae shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea. All I know is that he asked and I said yes."
Deidra gave her a long, hard look. Almost as if she was trying to measure the truth in Rae's claim. Finally, she shrugged her heavily inked shoulders.
"Well, damn. I can't believe it. So what happens now?"
"I'm not sure," answered Rae. "I guess we have to wait and see!"
Deidra narrowed her eyes at Rae. Clearly, she was trying to plan all the details in her head and the lack of information in Rae's part was irritating to her.
"I'll talk with Eric soon to see what he had in mind."
At this, Deidra threw up her hands in mock defeat.
"Whatever. Just let me know when you two FINALLY make a decision. Like he's going to have a say in it, obviously I'm picking your dress."
  She kept mumbling on and walked off, making herself busy around her apartment. Rae smiled at Jackson's still-open mouth.
***
  The plans (or lack of) were set. The details were in place. Everything was perfectly coordinated according to Deidra. The day was approaching.
  There was much buzz around Dauntless, even still, after a month since the news of Eric and Rae's engagement broke. Marriages weren't a generally accepted practice among Dauntless members, so the fact that the youngest ever leader was marrying a new Amity born Dauntless transfer was a big deal.
  The only people who didn't seem fazed at all by this event, were Eric and Rae. To them, this just felt natural. To each, the other was the epitome of all the things they didn't know they needed. To them, Dauntless was only a small detail in their world that they had created.
  As their day drew near, Rae thought back on her life- where she started and where she has arrived. She became increasingly insecure. When Deidra pressed her for her input about food, or colors, or any other wedding related thing, she found herself looking for excuses to exit the conversation. She couldn't vocalize her insecurities to her friend, as much as she wished she could. But putting her mess of a brain in to words was often times more work than it was worth.
  The one thing she and Eric both wanted to do themselves were their vows. Rae's heart pounded hard in her chest when she learned from Deidra that Eric was just as adamant about writing his own vows as she. She still couldn't believe that he loved her as much as he claimed... as much as she loved him.
  Rae's apprehension soon mounted to nearly unbearable levels. She was certain that Eric would change his mind. Or maybe they would be laughed out of Dauntless, or that after a month Eric would realize the huge mistake he's made and terminate their marriage.
  Most of all, she was afraid that her last and greatest secret would undo them, should Eric find out.
  However, she tried her best to not think of it. The odds of him finding out were almost zpshe'd passed initiation. Not only that, she had been living with him for a few months now. Surely he would have noticed by now, if he was going to. Rae had every hope of living her life with no mention of her Divergence, ever again.
  The night before their wedding, Rae was set to stay the night with Deidra at her place, while Jackson stayed with Zeke at his and Shauna's place. They had celebrated with a small get together of girls and drinks. By the time she and Deidra finally made it to bed, Rae was exhausted. Yet as she lay there, she couldn't turn her brain off. The thought of what she was doing tomorrow made her head spin.
How did this all happen?
She pondered the series of events that brought her here and was surprised how much she felt like this all happened to her on accident. All she had wanted was a way out of her old life. Well... she had received what she had wished for.
The next day dawned beautifully. Sunny and warm, a slight dew on the mid-summer morning. She woke before her friend, who slept next to her. She thought for a moment about waking her to share in the "morning of" marriage excitement. Instead, she rose alone, and padded quietly as possible up to the rooftop.
She stood, looking out upon the glorious beginnings of the morning, feeling excited. For once, she felt as if she was right in the spot she was meant to be.
Just then, she felt a familiar tingle as warm, large hands began encircling her waist. She sighed in content.
"Eric. We're not supposed to see each other yet." Rae mumbled happily.
"So says your friend. Who died and made her queen of our wedding anyway?"
Rae laughed. "I think she has done a pretty good job so far."
Eric didn't reply, only nodded. Deidra had done an excellent job, even Eric couldn't deny that. Everything she had planned was minimalistic, intimate and low-key...just as Rae and Eric wanted. Only time would tell at this point.
The moment, for Rae at least, came too fast. She couldn't believe she was marrying a Dauntless leader in a matter of hours. Much less could she believe that he was marrying her, just because he wanted to.
Deidra had of course broken up their morning together on the rooftop, screeching about "traditions" as if those were actually a thing.
One minute, her best friend was asking her if the ties on her dress were too tight. In what seemed like the very next moment, she heard the music that was supposed to be her signal to walk. She moved her feet, but her legs both felt like jelly. Briefly, she thought of how she now regretted her decision to walk down the isle alone; she wished now for a steady arm to hold to.
  Somehow, she managed to walk far enough to catch a glimpse of Eric. It was that moment that she found her strength. Others may have seen a dangerous man in a perfectly tailored suit, intimidating tattoos and severe blue eyes. Rae only saw him, as he saw her. His look of pure happiness, with zero regard of the opinions of others, that was what gave her the courage to stride her way across the Dauntless rooftop and meet her new husband under their favorite alcove.
Max's words were a blur as their officiant. She didn't absorb a single thing that was said, until Eric spoke.
"You are the weirdest, most interesting person I've ever met. I hate the way you want to trust everybody. I hate that you always ask me questions I don't want to answer. I hate that you always sing, but I love your voice. I hate the way your hair gets in my mouth when I'm trying to sleep, yet I can't sleep without you safe by my side. I love that you sweat near your temples when you're trying to lie to me, and the way you chew on the inside of your tongue when you think really hard. I love that you have real fears, rather than superficial ones. I love that you aren't afraid of me. I love the fact that you can't throw a punch, yet you always find ways to defend yourself. I've never met someone who commands as much of my attention as you do, and even though I really can't stand it sometimes... I just want to promise you today that I will always give you as much of myself as you need. I'm not sure why we are together, or what makes us work, but I will die before ever living without you again. I swear, Rae, to love you all of my life."
As he spoke, the only other sound was the buzzing of Deidra's tattoo needle as she sat discreetly on a stool between them, opposite Max. She was quickly and skillfully adding a simple band around Eric's ring finger as he spoke his vows.
Rae's heart caught in her throat at his words. She had never dreamed of his vows being this perfectly intimate. Maybe, by anyone me else's standards, they would have been less than endearing. But to Rae, she had to stop her tears from spilling over her perfectly made-up cheeks. She didn't believe her vows could measure up, but she had no choice now. She was surrounded by the most important handful of people in their current life. Not only that, but there was an entire faction of people waiting to observe them from here on out, criticizing their every move. And most importantly, she was about to promise her entire future to Eric. Max instructed her to proceed with her vows and Deidra gave her hand an encouraging squeeze as she gently grabbed it, preparing to begin once Rae did.
Rae took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. She hadn't actually written any official vows, only roughly mapped out what she wanted to say. A large part of was regretting that now that the time to speak had come. Yet, with a deep, love- heavy gaze from Eric, she proceeded.
"From the moment I met you, I couldn't seem to stay away from you."
She held herself from flinching as Deidra's tattoo needle but into her ring finger.
"I tried, believe me. Yet, it seemed that the more I tried to avoid you, the more directly I put myself in your way. I'm so grateful for being clumsy, because if I was graceful maybe I wouldn't have tripped and spilled vodka all over you."
  At the reminder, Eric rolled his eyes a smiled. His smile melted her, and she had to refocus.
"I'm thankful that my childhood was awful, because if it wasn't, who knows, maybe  I would have never left Amity. I am happy that I suck at throwing a punch, because if I didnt, maybe I wouldn't have seen how for you'll go to protect me. I want to promise you that although I will continue to be less than perfect, I will always make lasagna when you have a bad day, and never let you forget how crazy about you I am. I want to thank you for somehow being everything I need, right when I needed you. I wouldn't be as strong or as brave as I am today without you pushing me to be be my best. I love you, Eric."
As Max continued on with his speech and Deidra finished up her work, Eric and Rae's eyes were locked on to one another. Rae didn't even know that the ceremony was over until the buzz of the tattooing stopped and Max told Eric that he could kiss his bride.
Deidra stepped to the side as Eric wrapped one large arm protectively around Rae's tiny yet solid waist. With his other hand gently grasping the side of her cheek, he tipped her backward gently before kissing her. Rae relished in the feeling that washed over her as he claimed her as his wife.
She was his. He was hers.
As the kids ended and the newlyweds reluctantly pulled away from each other, they were met with the rowdy cheering of the small Dauntless crowd that were fortunate enough to have received an invite. Deidra waved them over to the hole in the roof where Rae first entered the Dauntless compound; the first spot she had ever laid eyes on her husband.
"Alright, which of you lovebirds wants to go first? I'd let you go together but broken bones won't make for a very fun wedding night." The crowd murmured with laughter as Eric looked at Rae.
"Ladies first?" He offered.
"No way... your turn to go first this time!" Rae replied mischievously. Not hesitating, Eric hopped easily up on the ledge, helping Rae up so her dress wouldn't get in the way.
"See you down there, baby." He whispered in her ear before he planted a passionate but quick kiss on her lips. With that he turned to the crowd, threw his fist in the air triumphantly, and let himself fall expertly backward into the blackness.
As Deidra hopped up next to her , Rae squeezed her friend's hand and gave her a small peck on the cheek.
"Thank you!" She said to her friend before giving the crowd a quick thumbs up, gathering her dress and following Eric down the hole.
The first time she jumped she was full of apprehension and fear. This time, she felt happy, excited and free. She landed with a bounce in her back, her dress falling in waves around her, smiling up at the beautiful blue sky above. Just then, she felt a disruption on the net as Eric's body rolled over to lie next to her. They both smiled as he pressed his lips to hers.
"We did it." She whispered, unable to believe it.
"Yeah, we did it." He kissed her deeply again. "I love you, my beautiful wife."
Her chest seemed to constrict, making it hard to speak, but she managed a breathless reply.
"I love you too, Eric."

OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS I'M SO SORRY FOR THE SLOW UPDATES!!! I want to give a HUUUUUGE giant THANK YOU to those of you that are still following along. Had a hard time writing this chapter. I wanted to make it romantic but not corny and I also have my beautiful kiddos that are keeping me busy! Hope you all like it!