The Fourth Eaton

Chapter 15 🔪 Deserved

A/N: Hello, hello, hello!

It's been, what? Four weeks? And I really don't have an excuse (well, I kind of do, writer's block and relaxation, if that's good enough) for not updating, since I've been on winter break for the past week and a half. 

In my defense, I've been working on this chapter every since before the winter break, I just got a little stuck. And I'll admit, I'm also guilty of resting and reading a lot and not doing any schoolwork, too. 

Also in my favor, I was more focused on my New Year's one-shot that's coming out tomorrow. I meant to write a Christmas one, initially, but it just wasn't working. I swear, I rewrote the Christmas one-shot two times before I changed it to a New Year's one-shot. It just wasn't happening, not this year. I really do love the New Year's one, though, and I hope you will, too.

My venting aside, here's the chapter!

Metal creaks dangerously beneath my feet.

The scene that Tobias' mind has created could be called beautiful - the spread of sky is colored a gorgeous azure blue, dotted here and there with clouds. It looks endless, boundless, limitless, and free.

And although the view from the top of the building we're standing on is very dizzying, it's also stunning. We're so high, I can see most of Chicago, from Navy Pier to the Hub. It's all laid out in incredible detail.

Just then, a gust of wind starts blowing. Its speed and force takes me by surprise, and I stumble, trying to keep my balance.

It's only the sounds coming from Tobias that rip me from my current predicament. He's breathing hard, and he's on his knees on the rooftop. Trying to stay as close to the ground as possible.

He's afraid of heights.

I guess we didn't have reason to climb up high in Abnegation, so I didn't know this about him. But the thought that Four, the great Dauntless prodigy, is afraid of heights, makes me smile a distracted smile.

"What," Tobias' strained voice breaks into my thoughts. "Are you smiling about?"

The smile drops from my face and I move to crouch beside him. "Nothing." As... amusing as this fear might be, he's still afraid of heights, and I'm here to help him through it. He believes in me.

He must be too distracted to question me farther, because he lets it be.

Now that I'm closer to him, I can see the more obvious signs of fear in my brother; his teeth are clenched, his hands are shaking, and his eyes are squeezed shut.

"So," I start talking, hoping to distract him. "You said that we can face the fear in the fear landscape, but not in the fear simulations. So we can't jump off, right? That would mean we knew it wasn't real."

"R-Right." Tobias replies through his clenched teeth, cracking open one eye to look at me before immediately shutting it again. Talking doesn't seem to be helping, but I don't know what else to do, so I keep trying. I need him to confirm my suspicions on how to get out of here, anyway.

"So we have to stay here until we calm our breathing and heart rate?"

"Until I c-calm down, yes." I can feel Tobias' shaking breath on my skin, and my heart clenches at his vulnerable posture, curled in on himself, on the top of a roof.

"Hey." I whisper in his ear, as I wrap my arms around him. "It's okay. I'm here, I'm right here beside you." I've never had to calm my brother, or anyone, really, like this before, so I have no clue what to say or do. I just keep talking, whispering the comforting words he's probably never heard before into his ear and hugging him.