Pain Infliction

Pain

"Why should you care?"

He growled, suddenly, taking my mask off. Quickly, I covered my face, ducking my head.

"Give me my mask." I said, trying to be calm about this.

"Let me see!"

So you can call me a Monster?

"Give it to me!" I shouted instead of trying to be civil.

"(Y/N), now!"

"Eric, that's enough!" Four's voice interrupted us from the top of the staircase.

"You stay out of this." Eric growled.

I looked at the hand that gripped my mask. I kicked his knee, making sure I didn't kick too hard, and grabbed my mask from his unexpected hand. I put it back on my face. Then, I quickly ran back down to the staring initiates.

"Uh.." One of them shyly started.

I flipped them off, then shooed them away from the stairs. They didn't wait another second to obey.

* That Night *

"You do know that he cares, right?" Four said beside me on the, was, quiet elevator.

"He doesn't."

"Does."

"Doesn't."

"What makes you think he doesn't?"

"Stuff." I answered, taking off my mask.

"He loves you, (Y/N)."

"I hate him, Four."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Then why didn't you willingly take off your mask? You take it off when I'm around."

"You didn't call me a monster!" I shouted in the small space.

The tension thickened between us even more.

"When did he call you a monster?"

"The last time he visited me in the hospital."

"Did he really say it?"

"..No."

"Then, how do you know that's what he said it?"

"I.. I could tell." I whispered, hearing the doors open.

"He's a hard person to read, (Y/N), you know this."

"But I could.." I whispered.

We both walked from the elevator.

"Could what?"

"I could always read him. No matter what."

"(Y/N), he changed the night of the attack."

"That doesn't matter! I could still read him! He was disgusted by my ugliness, and so pitiful when he saw how bad I got beat, Four! He was so.. so disappointed in me!" I shouted.

"How do you know?! He could've been disappointed, disgusted with himself!" He shouted back, "I've never seen Eric like this, but I know when he wasn't there for you, something in his small heart snapped, (Y/N)! You weren't the same, either, you know?! You've changed too."

"For the best." I stopped walking.

"For the worse." He stopped.

"How is it for the worse, Four?"

"You use to be Dauntless' smiling girl. You use to be the only one that could smile, even through the pain. You let.. You let one guy hurt you, (Y/N). You use to give someone a reason to wake up in the morning to see that smile, but now.. you're just so, so sad, so quiet. People miss hearing that laugh!"

"I don't! I hate it! It showed that I was weak. Why aren't you happy for me?! I changed for Dauntless Society! I changed because it was better. I changed so I wouldn't get hurt, Four!"