Ordinary Acts of Bravery [A Divergent Fanfic]

Chapter 52 - Candor

"Heres to the nights that turned into mornings, with the friends that turned into family."

While Four and Tris ate with his mother, Ezekiel had been taken to see a doctor, or someone who could rebind his wounds properly. Then he had been shown to a room to rest. I hadn't left his side because he had been out the moment he laid down. I had settled down next to him on the bed, one hand in his. There I sat, and remained until someone knocked on the door. I was surprised to see that it was Four who entered.

"Dauntless is hiding in candor." Four explained and I nodded, biting down the urge to tell him I had known. "We will go there in the morning—get some rest." He ordered with a low sigh. Again, I nodded and turned back to Ezekiel. I had expected to hear the door close behind him, but it didn't.

"Four?" I asked confused. His shoulder twitched, eyes snapping up to meet mine again. "Is there something wrong?" I asked again when he didn't answer. The man looked clearly bothered as he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"I would appreciate it if my name stayed as Four between us all—Tobias. I no longer—" Four trailed off when I smiled at him. I had never intended to call him other than Four. He must've chosen to change his name for a reason. And it was not something for me to know. Four was a friend, or I considered him a friend, but we weren't that close.

"I understand—I'll tell Ezekiel to keep the name secret. Sleep well—considering." I smiled to him. Four nodded and retracted, leaving the room seconds after. It was a reasonable request. Not long after I felt the exhaustion sign up. I suppressed a yawn, but it escaped anyway, and I had to cover it with the back of my hand. I decided I didn't want to be alone tonight and climbed over Ezekiel, settling myself on his other side, mindful of his wound but my movements had woken him up.

He stirred and blinked at the celling. I had stopped moving and watched him lift a hand to cover his eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them before he turned to me. He smiled before adjusting his arm, leaving enough room for me to settle there. I did take the opportunity without hesitation as he wrapped his arm around my waist, hand settling on my hip.

My head rested against his shoulder as I had to cover another yawn. I didn't care what it looked like. I loved Eric, but Ezekiel had become something like a brother to me, and I a sister to him. He had never betrayed my trust nor tried anything that showed differently. His eyes had been on another one for a while now. It wasn't hard to mistake the way he had looked at Roxy. It was the same way Tadeo had looked at me.

His eyes had been full of affection—but he knew very well that it hadn't been the time nor place to voice such things. Roxy had barely recovered from the fall, where she lost everything else but her life. I dared look up one more time, but Ezekiel had already closed his eyes again. I chuckled soundlessly and nudged closer to Ezekiel, shimmied to get comfortable and allowed everything to go blank.