Indulgent (TOBIAS EATON/FOUR X READER)

Chapter 12

Four and I are leading the initiates on a path in a pit, going up.

Higher and higher we go. When I first walked this, I was out of breath, gasping for air, and slower than the rest. Four had pushed me foward, helping me go on.

I hear him shout, "Pick up the pace Drew!" While walking backwards.

I turn around to see Drew, whose struggling to keep up with the rest of the group.

I take a good look at him. Fucking hell, someone really did a number on him.

A busted lip, deep cut going through his eyebrow. His face, so swollen and purple. He's wincing a bit. I wonder what happened.

I look at the initates. Some of the quiet, and walking, the others talking.

My eyes land on Tris, and she's looking at me?

No.

She's looking at him.

Four. She's looking at Four.

And he's looking at her. He's looking at her hand holding onto Will's arm.

He's face, is he angry? Yes? Yes. He's angry.

Why?

We walk across the glass floor, through the Dauntless staff room. I smile at the memory of Theo and I.

We go through another door. Through that is a big space, complete with walls full of garffiti and open pipes.

Four speaks. "This, is a different kind of simulation know as the fear landscape. It has been disabled for our purposes, so this isn't what it will be like the next time you see it."

My turn. "Through your simulations, we have sorted data about your worst fears. The fear landscape accesses that data and presents you with a series of virtual obstacles. Some of the obstacles will be fears you previously faced in your simulations. Some may be new fears. The difference is that you are aware, in the fear landscape, that it is a simulation, so you will have all your wits about you as you go through it."

"The number of fears you have in your landscape varies according to how many you have." Four says.

I look at the transfers. They look uneasy, yet determined.

Four continues, "I told you before that the third stage initiation focuses on mental preparation. That is because it requires you to control both your emotions and your body- to combine the physical abilities you learned in stage one with the emotional mystery you learned in stage two. To keep a level head."

"Next week you will go through your fear landscape as quickly as possible in front of a panel of Dauntless leaders. That will be your final test, which determines your ranking for stage three." I speak. "Just as stage two of initiation is weighted heaviest of all. Understood?"

They all nod.

"You can get past each obstacle in one of two ways. Either you find a way to calm down enough that the simulation registers a normal, steady heartbeat, or you find a way to face your fear, which can force the simulation to move on. One way to face a fear of drowning is to swim deeper, for example." Four picks up.

"So I suggest that you take l the next week to consider your fears and develop strategies to face them." I add.

Peter asks, "That doesn't sound fair. What if one person only has seven fears and someone has twenty? That's  not their fault."

For a moment, Four is quiet, staring at him. "Do you really want me to talk about what's fair?"

He starts to walk towards Peter, the transfers splitting to make a part for him. "I understand why you're worried Peter. The events of last night certainly proved that you're a miserable coward. So now we all know, that you're afraid of a short, skinny, girl from Abnegation."

"We're done for today." He dismisses the transfers, watching them walk out.

"Haven't see you in a while." He says once they all leave."

"I've just, been going through some things. But I guess I'm back."

"That's good to hear, I've uh....... missed having you help me."

A small smile forms on my face. "You missed me?"

He's quiet for a moment. Then I watch  as a small smirk makes it's a way on his lips.

His lips, so full, so perfect. I wonder if they're as soft as they look. It'll probably feel so nice, so wonderful. Like fireworks, like-

"Y/N?"

Oh gosh, I've been staring. I hope he didn't notice.

"Yes Four?."

"Are you alright? You spaced out on me."

I feel my cheeks getting warm, so I turn away.

"I'm fine," I say, moving to get myself together.

I start to walk out the door, but before I can take a step he grabs my right arm.

"You're a terrible liar."

Twisting my arm out of his grasp, I say, "I said I'm fine Four."

"You're still upset over Eric, aren't you? You really need to let that go."

Part of me knows he's right, bu the AUDACITY of tha man.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? Telling me how I should feel?"

"You need to take my advice." He says, ignoring my emotions.

"Yeah, amazing advice coming from an emotionless robot." 

I walk to the door.

"Tell me Four, when was the last time you got YOUR heart completely shattered?"

I stand in the doorway, waiting for an answer. 

Nothing.

"Didn't think so."