"Truth or dare?" Christina asked.
"Dare," Tris said, unwilling to answer any more private issues. As a freshman in college Tris tried to fit in, but Christina was definitely something. She loved her friend and was glad that due to her outspoken way she managed to make friends right away which translated into Tris making friends, but the fact that Christina deliberately asked questions of a more intimate nature started to get on Tris' nerves.
"Alright," Christina said grinning. Perhaps Tris should have chosen another Truth and then called it a night.
Tris couldn't believe it when she heard her dare. Get a tattoo. What? Apparently Christina did it so that Tris would come more out of her shell. But what does getting a tattoo have to do with that? Tris tried everything to talk her way out, but nothing worked and on top of all her new friends sided with her BFF and practically pushed her inside Tori's Tattoo Shop. They all said they would wait outside until she was done and then they needed to see proof.
Reluctantly, she enters the parlor and looks around, trying to figure out what to get. While she's inside she receives a text message. She pulls her phone out to see who from and groans when she sees Uriah's name next to a very annoying message: "Don't chicken out, Prior." They're gonna see how brave she is. Coming in she wanted something discreet, hard to see and preferably small, but not anymore. Well, it would still be tasteful.
She looks around and three birds catch her eye. She picks up the plastic plate they are painted on and examines the design more carefully. The more she looks at them the more convinced she is this is the right one.
"Have you decided yet?" a deep, male voice asks from behind her, startling her momentarily. Thankfully, she doesn't drop the plate and turns around to see who spoke. A tall, handsome man stands behind her and Tris thinks she might recognize him.
"Four?" she asks unsure. Uriah's brother, Zeke, once came to their dorm with his girlfriend and his best friend. Tris was preoccupied with her Literature assignment and barely looked up. But she is almost certain the guy with these mesmerizing deep blue eyes is indeed Four. What a name is that anyway?
"Yeah," he says with a smile. "You're Tris, right? Uriah's girlfriend," he adds as he stares at her intently. Tris almost nods when his words finally reach her brain.
"Uriah's what?" she asks incredulous. "Did that punk say I'm his girlfriend?" she asks putting her hands on her hips and huffing, which causes the tall man to chuckle.
"Might have misunderstood that," he says. "But you are Tris, right?"
"Yeah."
"So, have you decided on a design?" he asks again with a charming smile.
"Uh, yeah. I want this one," she says handing him the plate and Four inspects it.
"Alright. Where?" he asks. Tris thinks for a moment and then smiles, before pointing toward her collar bone.
"You sure?" he asks with furrowed eyebrows.
"Why wouldn't I be sure?" she asks nervously. Doesn't he think she has the guts to go through with it? She'll show him.
"I don't know. You don't seem like the type to get tattoos and display them like that," he says and suddenly she gets angry.
"Hey, if you're not up to it, call someone who is," she says a little louder than intended. Four looks at her with wide eyes before a mischievous grin spreads on his face.
"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you," he says. He motions her toward the back where his station is. They are alone, since Tori, his boss, had to leave town for a convention and Bud called in sick. Four actually had something else in mind for that day, but it seemed like going to work on a Saturday morning wasn't as bad as it could be. He locks the door, not wanting some strangers to walk in while they were in the back and he especially didn't want any interruptions while he tried to ask her out.
He remembered her from when he visited with Zeke the freshmen's dorm, but he also saw her on campus. She was always carrying her books and always seemed deep in thought or studying. He tried to get some information from Uriah, but it proved difficult. That little shit was even more curious than Zeke, which was saying something. When both brothers figured he had a crush on the petite blonde they teased him to no end. But fate was kind to him and he would be damned if he didn't try his luck.
Tris sat down in the chair while Tobias locked the door. She was already wearing a tank top that revealed her collar bone and there was no need for her to take anything off. Tobias prepared everything he needed and glanced at her every now and then.
"You okay?" he asked as he watched her playing with the hem of her top.
"Yeah, it's just," she starts saying but then gets lost in his eyes.
"Just what?" he inquires.
"This is my first tattoo," she confesses.
"I figured," he says with a warm smile.
"Does it hurt?" she asks looking at him with curiosity.
"A little bit, but each person experience the pain differently. It really depends on how much pain you can take. But from former customers I've heard that waxing is more painful, in case that helps," he says trying to reassure her.
"Not really. I'm not a fan of that either."
"If you don't mind me asking. Why are you getting a tattoo if you're scared?" he asks genuinely interested.
"Well, the other night we played Truth or Dare and my friend Christina dared me to get a tattoo," she explains and as she does so she realizes how stupid that sounds. She half expects him to burst out laughing, but he remains serious.
"You know, you don't have to do it just because someone dared you."
"Also Uriah called me a Pansycake and said he would keep on calling me that until we graduate," she says with a chuckle.
"Sounds like that dimwit. But really, you shouldn't let them tell you what to do if you're not comfortable doing it. Getting a tattoo is permanent," he explains in all seriousness.
"I know, but I want to. I kind of wanted to for a while and I think that's why Chris dared me in the first place."
"Well, if you're sure," he says and she nods.
Four starts his work stopping every now and then to let her breathe through the stinging. He tries to keep her mind off the pain and himself concentrated by making small talk. In fact, he enjoys talking to her. He planned on asking her different questions that would help him gather his courage to ask her out, but as they continued talking he half forgot about his initial task.
"Can I ask you something?" he asks and Tris looks at him as he pulls back.
"Sure."
"Why the birds? I like them and I think it's a good choice, even the place you chose, but I'm just curious as to why birds."
"Well, they represent my family back in Chicago. One for my mom, one for my dad and one for my older brother; this way they are always with me," she says with a smile on her face. She misses them all terribly, but Berkley is a great college and she really wanted to go there.
"I think that's beautiful. A lot of people come in here and just get something that looks cool, at least by their standards. We rarely get people who do this because it truly means something to them," he tells her.
"As you said, I'm defiling my body with it, so better make it worth it," she says with a chuckle.
"I never said defiling," he replies and joins her laughter.
Four resumes his work and before long he finishes. He puts a bandage over the tattooed area and walks with Tris outside for her to pay, but just as she pulls out her wallet he shakes his head.
"It's on me," he says.
"What? Why?"
"A little gift for being so brave," he says smirking.
"I can't accept that," she says and tries to persuade him to take her money.
"If you want to repay me you can do me a favor," he says hopeful.
"What kind of favor?" she asks tentatively.
"Will you have lunch with me?" he asks smiling.
"Huh? What?" she asks incredulous, thinking she might have misheard him.
"Will you go out with me? For lunch? I know that usually a date is in the afternoon, but I don't have to work anymore and I'm kind of hungry," he explains.
"You want to go out?" she asks and he nods. "With me?" she asks pointing at herself and he nods again. "On a date?"
"Yes. So, Tris, will you go out on a date with me?" he asks again finding it cute that she doesn't seem to grasp the effect she already has on him.
Tris remains silent for a moment trying to assess what just happened. She went on dates before but never with guys as hot as Four. Maybe it's a trick or a bet or some prank.
"You don't have to if you don't want to. I actually wanted to ask you out for a while now, but I never managed to get to talk to you by yourself. You always seem to walk in a pack," he says chuckling. She starts laughing. Uriah kept saying about her and her girlfriends that they always run around in a pack as if afraid they might get lost otherwise. Tris suddenly feels a burst of energy and decides to go with her gut feeling and trust the guy.
"Okay. Let's go. My treat," she says.
"No way. I asked you out," he says as he gets his stuff from the back and returns to the front of the shop with a key in his hand. He unlocks the door and lets her walk out first. Upon seeing her, her friends bombard her with questions until Marlene finally sees the bandage on her collar bone. Tris removes it slightly so that they can see what she got.
"They look great, Tris," Uriah says.
"Yeah, I'm so proud of you," Christina says.
Four remained in the back looking amused at them until Christina notices him there. She looks from him to Tris and then her tattoo and a wide grin splits her face. She too had noticed that the man had a thing for her best friend and was the one to suggest they'd go to Tori's instead of another tattoo parlor. Uriah and her were secretly hoping that Four would be here and they could finally talk and the pansycake would ask her out and by the smug grin he wears she figures he did and that Tris accepted.
Tris' friends congratulate her for being brave enough for getting a tattoo and decide to meet later in the dorm to celebrate.
Six months later.
"Babe, you ready for Zeke's party?" Tobias asks. After the lunch they shared Tris found out that Four was indeed just a nickname and he revealed his real name, which is Tobias Eaton. Tris promised that among their friends she would still call him Four, since he prefers it that way.
"Yeah. Hang on," she says and fixes her hair in a ponytail before emerging from his bathroom.
"Having your own place does come in handy," he says smirking. Tobias feels as nervous today as he felt the day he asked her out. But today he plans something bigger than just a date. He hopes she will say yes. But even if she's not ready he has the spare key to his new apartment already ready for her for whenever she feels ready to move in with him. But hopefully it's sooner rather than later.
"Yeah. Thank God I brought some clothes over. I don't want to play Truth or Dare and not have enough layers on," she says chuckling.
"But this time don't let them bully you into getting a tattoo," he says laughing remembering how she came into the shop and got her first one.
"Nope. This time I'll do it out of love," she says and he raises an eyebrow.
"I was thinking of getting another tattoo, but this time I let Tori do it. It's a surprise I have for you," she says a little sheepish.
"A surprise, eh?" he asks and embraces her tightly.
"Yup. But enough about that. Let's go get the party started," she says and he laughs.
Yeah, he would ask her tonight and he has a feeling she'll say yes.
A/N: I wrote this one-shot because today, February 11th 2016, I became Dauntless and got my own tattoo. I will post it on my blog, in case you want to see it. christiwind. tumblr. com (no spaces). #proud #Dauntless