OK, interested in how people feel about this, and whether it's realistic that Leo & Four would have this kind of conversation. Not so much about Tris, but about Leo & Four. It's not really a guy thing to talk about each other, but they're in extreme circumstances...
Leo and I sit off to one side, talking about the mission. I keep one eye on Tris, who looks like she's having a good time with Uriah, Lynn, Fernando, and Inez.
Leo clears his throat. "Four," he says, "there's something I want to talk to you about - something serious." He pauses to take a drink. "No one can replace Sam for me, I'm not looking for that. But I feel like you're becoming another brother to me."
I tense at his words, not sure if I can afford to feel the same way.
He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "I don't know how to say this," he starts, "but now that I know about your dad, I'm really sorry. And I'm sorry that I hit you, too." He looks at me anxiously.
"I'm...I'm not sure what to say."
Apparently, Leo isn't either, so we sit there for a few minutes, in an uncomfortable silence.
"Do you think you'll ever be able to get past it?" he says softly, "to trust me?"
"I'm already past it, Leo," I say sincerely. "It's not the same. What you did is much, much worse, but that's not about the fact that you kicked the crap out of me. That's about the massacre of the Abnegation. I don't know what to tell you about that. You've done a lot to make up for it, but it's not up to me to give you forgiveness."
"In fact, Tris is one of the people you should talk to. Both her parents died in the attack." Leo winces.
We look over at Tris and see Uriah doing a body shot off her neck.
"She seems to be healing," I say dryly. "But look, don't worry about me. I was your prisoner, not your son." I grin at him, trying to lighten the mood. "The expectations are a little different."
Leo smiles. We both watch Tris for a little while. "It's good to see her acting her age for a change," he says, taking a long swig of beer.
"So, Max told me there was one initiate this year with only seven fears," he says casually. "Pretty unusual. But the part he thought was even more unusual was that one of her fears was about having sex. They all thought that was funny. Except for that psychopath, Eric, who offered to personally cure her." Not for the first time, I am glad I killed Eric. "Want to talk about it?" Leo asks.
I sigh. Sounds like Leo is determined to be brotherly. "Yeah," I say. "That was Tris."
"Was, or still is?"
"I'm not sure," I admit, telling him about the night before she turned herself in.
"Wow. That sucks, man."
"If that's the best you got, then you're fired from this brother thing."
Leo chuckles. "I'll get Cara to talk to her," he holds up his hand as I start to protest. "Cara's smart," he says. "She'll know how to talk about it. Besides," he adds, "she already guessed."
"Look," he says, "just take it slow - especially tonight." He dips his chin toward Tris. "Don't do too much when she's been drinking, no matter what she says, okay?" I nod, intensely embarrassed, but I also appreciate the advice.
"You obviously have it bad for each other - it's almost hard to be in the room with you two without needing a cold shower."
"Look who's talking!"
"Yeah, right?" he grins. "I would have never guessed an Erudite would be my type, but she does it for me like no other woman I've ever been with. It's like I can't get enough of her."
"It'll be the same for you and Tris," he adds, and then gives me some specific, very graphic advice about female anatomy.
"First time's the hardest," he sighs, "to get started, and to get over. Not that I think you and Tris are temporary," he says hastily.
"Was Tori your first?" I ask him.
He shakes his head. "But I was hers." He sighs again.
"Now what could you guys possibly be talking about?" Cara says, kissing the back of Leo's neck and wrapping her arms around his chest.
"What men usually talk about," Leo chuckles. "War and sex."