The Fourth Eaton

Chapter 16 🔪 Meet-and-Greet

A/N: Eyyyy, I told you I'd do it! (Even if it is late at night and I have school tomorrow)

This has to be a new record, shortest time between updates. 4 days! I braved the wild seas (of writer's block) and sailed through the storms (even though we've had no storms recently, just a little drizzle. Also, I'm in the middle of the freakin' Coastal Plains of Texas. Technicalities) to bring you this chapter, so enjoy!

Tobias is the first one to move, gently pulling out of our hug. I suppress the urge to chuckle; he's always been less keen with the idea of physical contact than me, or even many of the Abnegation.

I guess that comes from our childhood. Because touch has brought the both of us more pain than we'd care to admit.

I never knew how much he worried about me. I mean, he told me that he'd had nightmares in the year that we'd been apart, of what Marcus was doing to me, but I didn't know he feared it so much that it was in his fear landscape.

I don't know whether to feel terrible or honored.

"Well, we've had enough bonding time to last us a while." I tease, trying to break the heaviness in the air.

It works. He brings a hand to his heart and pouts in mock-hurt. "Oh, I see. You're tired of me already, aren't you?"

"Of course I am. I spent literally the whole day with you, and not by choice."

"Wow. I didn't know I was so insufferable."

"Haven't I told you that before, multiple times? You really need to start paying attention."

"The amount of attention I pay you is perfectly fine, thank you very much."

"What a way to thank your sister for everything she does."

"Ha, ha. But, seriously." His face sobers instantly, and I can feel my expression doing the same. "Thank you for your... help, in the landscape. I was supposed to be showing you how to get through them properly, but I guess they just overwhelmed me. I know you shared some of my fears, but you got both of us through them calmly." He sends me a half-smile. "You'll do great in the fear simulations, Cam."

My heart warms at his praise. "Thank you."

"One last thing." I look at him curiously. His hand goes to the back of his neck, which he rubs, a nervous tick. "In the last fear, when he was... beating me-" I cringe, and Tobias does too. He clearly has to force these words out. "-I heard your voice calling to me, telling me it was only a simulation. Was that really you, or just my mind?" He watches me curiously, waiting for an answer.

"That was me." My voice is soft. "Watching you like that... it hurt me, a lot. And the simulation froze me in place, away from you, so I couldn't get to you. All I knew was I had to get you out, so I tried that."

I stare into his deep blue eyes as he processes my words. Once he does, he smiles at me, a full smile, not just a half-smile. And it makes my already-warm heart even warmer. "That was probably because you were actually in that fear. Thank you. You're an amazing sister."

"Hey, what did I tell you about my ego?" My teasing tone is back.

"And what did I tell you about it already being too late for you?"

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I stand outside the entrance to the Pit. Already, I see clusters of people, families, gathering. My stomach is churning like a bowl of pancake batter being mixed by Tobias.

It's Visiting Day.

I swallow hard, as memories begin to rush into my brain.

Last year, I wasn't allowed to visit Tobias for Visiting Day, because of his "traitorous choice", in Marcus' words. Marcus didn't come either, probably because he had another punching bag at home.