Four/Tobias Eaton Imagines

Winning

The worst part of the fall only comes at the end. You expected the panic to set in when you were plummeting through the air, or even when you jumped off of the roof in the name of Dauntless initiation, but no. Even after you lie there on the net, dazed after losing those few lungfuls of freedom you'd managed to snatch during your drop, it still doesn't feel as if you've done much of anything.

You only know you've irrevocably changed the course of your future when you feel a young man take your hand to help you out of the net. You're blinking up at the ceiling, delighting in what you've done, and then you find yourself staring at somebody you know will ruin your life, even without seeing the future.

The problem is him, of course, the problem is the fact that your heart starts to beat so loudly in your chest upon coming face to face with him that you're certain he must be able to hear it. He's handsome, obviously, the kind of beautiful they only lie about in stories, but most importantly, he's regarding you with the sort of half smirk that tells you he'll be nothing but trouble.

Looking back on it, you probably loved him from that moment forward. He might have felt the same way, too, judging by the way he kept his fingers wrapped around yours for a beat too long. Eventually, he coughed and looked away hurriedly, but even after the other initiates came down, his gaze kept flicking to you, over and over again like a compass finding true north.

He introduced himself soon enough, first to the initiation class at large and then, later, to you alone. You'd already been awake when the leaders called for everyone to get over to the training center, having been forced into uncanny awareness by the sheer excitement of what was to come.

Thus you'd been the first to show up to training by a long shot. Four met you by the door with a wry grin and a prediction that this could surely only mean good things for your future as an initiate. You had heard that he was known for his sharp wit and cool words, but Four never showed you that supposed side of him.

Instead, he treated you with genuine kindness, something you quickly learned is a rarity around here. As the days went by, and Four's temper remained even, you got to know him better than most. He spends long evenings practicing his skills in front of punching bags and targets so he doesn't have to think about anything else, he got a lot of his tattoos to cover himself up instead of calling attention to himself like everyone else.

Most of all, you learn that you love him. It is not an easy decision to make, acknowledging this stubborn feeling, but it somehow seems right. You knew from the first time you laid eyes on him that Four would mean more to you than anyone else here, and you weren't wrong. He makes you feel complete, even more so than switching factions and finding a new home in Dauntless.

As it turns out, you aren't the only one harboring feelings. One night, after a late party and a couple drinks, you find yourself walking back to the dorms alone with Four. He keeps starting to say something and then stopping, swallowing back his words before he can commit to something he may regret.

Eventually, one hall away from the initiates' quarters, Four manages to get over his tied tongue long enough to say that he loves you too. He does it with eyes averted, body practically shifted away from you as if in fear of how you'll respond.

In return, you mention that you love him as well, and watch a slow sunrise of a smile dawn on his face. Four is typically good at concealing his emotions, but it doesn't work out today. He's grinning like a child, the boy he must have been before this world sucked him dry of all his joy. For once, he is more than skin and bone, more than blood and bullets. He is in love with you, and that is all that matters.

You think you would be perfectly content with your story ending there, with a confession and a smile and a kiss hidden in the dark corridors of Dauntless. Unfortunately, you're still an initiate, and that means your relationship has to remain a secret. Four doesn't want anyone to think that you're only getting a good ranking because you're seeing one of the training leaders, so you keep everything under wraps.