Four gets up walks to the closet. He grabs out an extra pillow and blanket. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable but I don't think it's a good idea that you go back to the dorm and to be honest, I wouldn't let you even if you wanted to. Are you ok with staying here? You can have the bed, I have slept in worse places than the floor." He sees Tris' eyes get big with surprise as he offers up his bed to her. He would give her anything she asked for. "To be honest, I don't want to go back, I wouldn't be able to sleep. I can take the floor though, you don't have to give up your bed for me." Four lets out a loud laugh, amazed that this girl, who almost just plummeted to her death, was offering to sleep on the floor. "The bed is yours. Did you need anything else?" She smiled at him, "No, this is great thanks." He saw her look over the bed before grabbing his pillow and gently lay her head on it.
Four realized his pillow was going to be covered in her scent as she closed her eyes and he imagined falling asleep to that smell every night. He threw his pillow on the ground next to the bed and laid down. He already knew he wouldn't get much sleep tonight, especially with the sounds of her gentle breathing coming from so close. This is what he had always imagined and although they weren't sharing the same bed, this was close enough for him right now. Eventually his eyes became heavy and he drifted off to sleep. He was woken up later to her walking around but he kept his body perfectly still. He felt her studying him and wanted more than anything to pull her down in his arms. Eventually he heard her breathing even out again and he fell back asleep.
When his internal clock woke him up, it took Four a minute to remember why he was on the floor, then he heard her and a smile broke out on his face. He also realized this was the first time he slept in a room with the opposite sex, oh the scandal Abnegation would have with this if they found out. He quietly got up, removed some fresh clothes from his dresser, and slipped into the bathroom to freshen up. When he finished, he got dressed and as he exited the bathroom, he sees her standing by his mirror, barely able to see into it. "Hey." He watches her eyes flit over his body and he blushes slightly. Four is feeling extra bold today and walks straight over to her and brushes his hand over her cheek to examine the bruise, "Not bad, how's your head?" "Fine." He can tell she is lying but he lets it slide, marveling at her tenacity for toughness. Four continues with his boldness as he slides his hand down her side, enjoying the feeling of her body against his hand. "And your side," his voice low full of tension. "Only hurts when I breathe." He breaks out into a smile, "Not much you can do about that."
The tension is killing him but Tris is able to break it with her smile and sarcasm. "Peter would probably throw a party if I quit breathing." At first Four couldn't imagine the thought of her not breathing but decides to tease her a little. "I would only go if there was cake," giving her a wry smile. He hears her laugh and then wince immediately, her hand flashing to her side in reflex, which covers his still lingering there. Four knows this is the moment, she has to feel the connection they have, but his fear beats him out and he backs away. As he pulls his hand off her side, he feels an ache in his chest for letting that chance go. "I'll go first, see you soon Tris."
With that Four turns and walks out of his apartment kicking himself for being weak in that moment. He was so sure of how he felt but had no idea where she stood. After just being attacked, he didn't want to put anymore unwanted pressure on her. He truly believed she had feelings for him as well, trusted his instincts from her touches and looks, but didn't want to risk it right now.
Four walked into the dining hall and it takes everything in him to not walk over to Peter and smash his smug face into the table. He sits down next to Zeke and Shauna. "Where did you end up last night? You bailed on all of our plans. If it's because of what we said in the practice room, I'm sorry but seriously man you just have to make a move soon." Four wasn't paying attention to Zeke at all, his eyes were on the door, hoping she would take his advice. He sees her walk in and Zeke follows his eyes and gasps. "What happened to her?" Four can't talk as he watches Tris hug the wall with her head down, hating seeing her act weak but knows it's for the best, and cower while she shuffles to the table with her friends. Four holds his breath, this is the pivotal moment, wondering how her friends will react. Four sees Uriah move for her and they all stare at her bruised and battered face, looking shocked and clearly drilling her for information.
"Four, dude you with me? What happened to her?" "She got attacked, by three assholes. I only got there just in time, she was hanging over the chasm when I rescued her. They were going to throw her over." He saw the look of horror on Zeke and Shauna's face. "Is that why that Drew kid looks like he got hit by a train last night? Was that you?"
Zeke was looking at the door and Four followed his eyes to see Drew shuffle in. Four wanted so badly to continue what he did last night but Tris assured him Peter was the only one who put his hands on her. "Yes and he's lucky he is breathing." Four turned his attention back to her table and saw everyone rally around her. "We have to start stage three today too. I hate that I can't give her the day off. I better get going." Four lifts himself from the table he was sitting at and walks over to the transfer table. He tries not to look at Tris, knowing he won't be able to hide his emotions if he does. "Transfers we're doing something different today, follow me." With that he turns and walks out but not before he hears Will promise Uriah he will protect Tris. Four feels slightly better at having Will on his side.
He leads them out of the dining hall and around through the Pit. They are headed to his least favorite part of the compound today and with the mental state he is in, it is going to be extremely difficult to keep his emotions in check. As they climb higher, Four concentrates on the only thing that has ever made heights bearable, Tris' face on the Ferris wheel. He turns and walks across a narrow passageway backwards, the same one he always does and watches the initiates stumble up the ladder. Four can't help himself before he yells out, "Let's go Drew! Pick up the pace!" He sees Tris trying to fight off a smile and he wishes they could share one together. He steals a glance toward her and his eyes harden at the sight of Will's arm around Tris, taking back his previous feeling of happiness that Will was close by. Jealousy flares up in him at the fact that he should be helping her walk right now, he was the one that saved her last night and stayed up most of the night to make sure she was ok. He turns and heads up the metal stairs trying to clear his mind. Four keeps his eyes up as he walks across the glass ceiling, hating the sensation of seeing the ground so far below his feet. As he leads them through the area, he notices quite a few Dauntless are sparing and wonders how they can do that in this awful place. He proceeds to head into the fear landscape room and turns to address the initiates.
"This is the room that houses the feat landscape simulation. It has been disabled for our practice time and the next time you see it, it will be much different. As you've gone through your simulations, the computer stores information about your worst fears and will present you with a series of virtual obstacles. Some will be fears you have already faced and some will be new. The difference in this simulation is you will be aware which will allow for you to keep your wits about you to go through it. The number of fears you have in your landscape varies according to how many you have."
"This third stage focuses on mental preparation, because it requires you to control both your emotions and your body, using the physical abilities we've trained so hard on with the emotional mastery you learned in stage two." As Four talks, he stops his eyes on Tris, talking directly too her. "Next week you will go through your fear landscape as quickly as possible in front of a panel of leaders. That will be your final test, which determines your rankings for stage three. Just as stage two is weighted more heavily than one, stage three is weighted the heaviest. You can get past each obstacle in one of two ways, find a way to calm down or find a way to face your fears either which will force the simulation to move on. I suggest you take this week to consider your fears and figure out how to face them" Just as Four was getting ready to move on, Peter speaks up and it takes all his willpower to not punch him. "That doesn't seem fair. What if someone has seven fears and someone else has twenty?"
Four stares him down hard and then lets out an uncharacteristic laugh in front of the initiates. "Do you want to talk to me about what's fair?" Peter's face pales as all the initiates move aside for Four when he walks toward him. Four gets right in his face and using his deadliest voice says, "I understand why you are worried Peter. The events of last night certainly proved you are a miserable coward." Four hears the crowd whisper and realizes he is going to give away who saved Tris but he no longer cares. "So now we all know, that you are afraid of short, skinny girls from Abnegation." Four smiles as he walks away watching Will put his arm around Tris again, resisting the urge to wrench if off from her and pull her back to his room.
Four waits near the dorm, watching as the initiates head back into the space. Will and Christina are always by Tris' side and he is somewhat relieved but wants to be the one to protect her. He stiffens at the sight of Al walking into the room and edges closer listening through the door. "Tris, can I talk to you?" Four clenches his fists to keep from pounding that idiot's face in, what right does he think he has to ever talk to her again. He hears Will speak up, "Are you kidding me? You don't get to come near her again, ever." "I won't hurt you, I never wanted to. Please forgive me, I don't know what's wrong with me, please…" Four is about ready to step in when he hears her voice, filled with venom." "Stay away from me, " she says quietly but then finds her voice, "Never come near me again and if you do, I swear to God, I will kill you, you coward." Four walks away smiling at her strength. He is glad she not only has people willing to protect her but she is strong enough to stand up for herself as well.