As usual, Four walks me home tonight. We don't talk as much and it seems like something is bothering him this time. I hope he doesn't regret defending me. As I walk up to my apartment, I turn around to say goodbye, but he has already started walking away. The only goodbye I get is a raised right arm in a half-hearted wave. He doesn't even turn his head to look at me.
Great. I think to myself. What have I done now?
It's hard not to worry about Four. I don't even really understand how he became such an ever present force in my life. I mean we just work together, it's not like we're soul mates or anything. But the way he treated me last night was so different, that I worry I've upset him in some way. I think about it for a better part of the next day and decide that I want to talk to him about it and try and apologize for anything I've done. Hopefully I can catch him on a break or something.
As I walk into Dauntless tonight, I know there is something wrong. The music has been turned down so it's barely above a whisper. The staff is quiet. Even Eric sits at a back table, quietly watching the bar like a hawk. Four is behind the bar as usual, but he seems different. Every movement seems stiff and cold. His expression is blank as he pour drinks. I walk up to Zeke at the end of the service bar. Maybe he has some kind of clue as to what's going on.
"Hey, is everything alright?" I practically whisper. If I speak any louder, I'll stand out like a sore thumb. Four shoots me a chilling glare and I know that I need to be quiet.
"I guess that depends on what you consider alright. You're pretty new here, so I guess you wouldn't know. Check out who's at the end of the bar." Zeke lifts his head toward a man sitting alone on the other side of the bar rail. He has a glass of scotch in front of him, neat. He has no food and every once in a while he speaks in a hushed tone. He is too far away for me to hear anything, but Four replies at the same volume in short, staccato phrases. I'm studying the man, trying to figure out who he is. Why is he so important and why has everyone changed so dramatically because of his presence?
And then it hits me. He looks up for only a split second and our eyes meet. It's Marcus Eaton, the billionaire business man on the front of all the magazines at the news stand. This man is worth more than Apple and Walmart, and he's sitting at the end of our little bar.
"Holy shit—" Zeke nudges me in the side to remind me not to yell. "What the hell is Marcus Eaton doing here?" It's just Dauntless after all. This man can afford to eat at any bar in the world, and he chooses Dauntless?
"We ask ourselves that every damn week." He replies. "He only comes in on Thursdays. He sits at the bar and only talks to Four. He started coming in when Four started working here, so I figure he's a regular from an old job or something. But he's very particular. He likes the bar a certain way and Eric and Max will do anything to please him. He buys 4 or 5 glasses of our most expensive scotch and is a big benefactor of the bar." This explains why everyone is so tense.
"So he just talks to Four the entire time?" It seems a little strange. I mean, I have plenty of regulars, but this is truly bizarre. I look up at Four and notice just how tense he really is. This doesn't exactly look like an enjoyable experience. When my regulars come in to chat with me, it's like a breath of fresh air. I don't have to play the servant game, I can just be their friend. And by the way Four is acting around Marcus, they are most definitely not friends.
"Yep. Every once in a while he exchanges a few words with Max, but that's it. Most of the time, it's just Four." I hear a noise from the end of the bar. Marcus had set down his final glass and hands Four a credit card.
Four runs it through the machine and hands the slip and card back to Marcus. Even from here, I can tell that Marcus only signs his copy before getting up and walking out the front door. I swear I hear him say something to Four. It's something that rhymes with bias or maybe highest. Four nods his head before returning to his work.
"So, this asshole comes in every week and acts like he runs the place and doesn't even tip his damn bartender?" I ask Zeke. It's interesting. I almost want to run after him and make an example of what a jerk he is. Bartending isn't easy after all.
"Yeah, I think that's why Four looks like he's got something up his ass every time Marcus is here. I wouldn't want to wait on a regular that can't even tip! Besides, Four needs all the help he can get! It's not like he has a charming personality and dashing good looks like yours truly!" Zeke laughs, quite pleased with himself.
Something flies across the bar and hits the side of Zeke's head with a loud thud. I look down at the ground to see an orange slice lying by Zeke's foot. It definitely came from Four's direction. My suspicions are confirmed when I see a smile creeping up on Four's face. And with that, the music in the building gets louder again and everything returns to normal.
Today is the same as any other day. I have one guy sitting at a table drinking alone. I try to talk to him as much as possible. People think they come into a bar to drink, but in reality, they just want someone to talk to. I find out his name is Al. He's in the city visiting family and just needed to get away for a little while. I tell him I understand and that my family is overwhelming to, which is an obvious lie. I would do anything to see my family. Every once in a while he stumbles on his words and I can tell he is pretty nervous. He laughs at my jokes, even though I don't think they're very funny, and by the end of the night it's obvious he's a little tipsy. I cash him out and tell him that he should go and be with his family. He smiles at me before wishing me a goodnight. When I go back to get his credit slip, I see an extra piece of paper with a phone number on it.
Text me sometime. I might need another escape soon. I quickly shove it in my pocket and go through the rest of my shift as normal, and before I know it, it's time to break down the bar. I haven't even gotten a chance to talk to Four and I need to do it soon. Hopefully, he'll decide that he still wants to walk me home tonight. As I grab my things out of the back, Four comes up behind me.
"I'm starving. Want to grab a bite to eat?" He asks. I'm a little surprised. I thought for sure he was angry with my last night and I wonder if I should let it go. It's totally possible he was just tired. It wasn't exactly an easy night of work last night. But it doesn't matter, this gives me the perfect opportunity I've been needing. A chance to talk to him face to face without any interruptions.
"Sure, I'm done now anyway. I think there is a diner a few blocks over that's probably still open." Diners are really the only places open after the bars are closed.
He follows me out the front door and I notice that the temperature dropped a lot between now and when I got to work. I curse myself for forgetting to bring a bigger jacket. I start to shiver a little bit and walk a little faster to get to the diner. A warm cup of coffee will definitely make me feel better.
I feel something wrap around my shoulders. I turn around to see Four's jacket on me.
"You don't have to do that." I try to sound as sure as possible, but in reality, I'm thankful for the jacket. His warmth still lingers on it.
"You're obviously cold and I'm not cruel. We're almost there. You can give it back the minute we walk in the door."
We walk the rest of the way in silence. As we walk in, I notice we will be one of the only tables in the entire restaurant. I double check with the host to make sure that they aren't close to closing down for the night. We don't want to be that table that refuses to leave. She assures me that they are open 24 hours.
As we take our seats, Four orders two cups of coffee. I hand him back his jacket and he places it in the booth next to him. I look over the menu a little bit and quickly decide on pancakes and bacon. As the coffee arrives, I take a greedy sip, effectively burning the back of my throat in the process. Four notices this and laughs at me a little bit.
"Hey, I'm cold and tired. There isn't much that could have prevented my instant consumption of the delicious coffee in front of me." I say.
He holds up his hands in surrender. "No judgement here! I just didn't realize the need for coffee outweighed your physical wellbeing."
"Well, it's good to know that you care again…" The words trail off and I slightly regret saying them.
I look up from the cup of coffee and see a concerned look has crossed his face.
"So, do I need to ask what exactly you mean by that?" I'm a little frustrated that he doesn't know exactly what I mean.
"You don't have to walk me home every night if you don't want to. I never asked you to in the first place. You went from asking me ten thousand questions about my life to not even speaking to me. And then when I walk in today, you shoot me a death glare because you have some big shot bar guest?" The words spill out a little quicker than I would have liked. I'm nervous for his response, but instantly grateful when our server comes back to take our order.
I order my meal and look back to my coffee. Four orders his meal and then another to go with it.
"Hungry?" I ask, trying to lighten the mood. He simply shrugs his shoulders. Before our server leaves, I order another meal and politely ask her to box it up to go. It will be nice to have something ready for me to eat tomorrow morning. I have a feeling I just initiated a long conversation.
I continue to stare at my coffee like it's the most interesting thing in the world.
"I guess you don't know me as well as I thought you did." Four eventually says. I'm filled with the same frustration I felt earlier.
"It's not like you tell me anything. You avoid all of my questions like I don't even ask them." He's done this every night and I can tell that isn't about to change now.
He thinks about this for a long time. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable, wishing I had just said no to his invitation. I could be in bed right now.
"Marcus is an old family friend. He's really the only family I have, so it's not exactly the best situation. He took me in when I was little." I don't know why he's deciding to tell me this now, but I'll take what I can get.
"So he's not just a bar regular then?" He shrugs again. I can tell he doesn't like having this conversation with me. "You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to. I really didn't mean to pry. I'm sorry."
"It's not a big deal. I've never told anyone about him before. It's a bit of a sore spot." Now he's the one looking into his coffee. I don't really know what to say next. I feel warmth creeping up into my face, and not the good kind.
"Why are you called Four?" I don't really remember deciding on my next words. He chuckles again.
"That's really what you want to know right now?" He asks. I stay silent, deciding that's the best way to stand firm in my question.
"It's just been my name for a long time." He says. Apparently, he has decided that our talk is over. At this point, our food arrives and we eat in silence for a little while. I can feel my phone buzzing in the seat next to me. Christina will have realized I'm not home yet and she'll be wondering where I am. I try my best to ignore it.
We eat in silence for a few minutes. I'm suddenly not as hungry as I originally thought. After a while, Four notices that I have stopped eating.
"I'm sorry, you've got to be exhausted. I'll be right back." He gets up and hands the server some cash at the register.
"Why did you do that?" I ask him. I have my own money. I don't want him thinking he has to make up for acting like a jerk the other night.
"Don't worry about it. I'll walk you home. Here." He hands me his jacket again. As much as I don't want to take it, I know it's still probably freezing outside.
We box up the rest of our food and leave. He's quiet again tonight as we walk. I consider asking him another question, but I know he'll just dodge it and direct it right back at me. I start to notice that he and I have moved closer and closer. I try to justify it in my mind by blaming the cold, but a part of me knows that's not the actual reason. We come up to my building and Four turns to me.
"Do you work tomorrow?" He asks.
"No, it's my first day off since I've started. I definitely need it." It's not a lie. I was supposed to have a few days off between training and when my schedule started. But then I took up Myra's schedule. Her week started as mine was ending.
"Well, I hope you enjoy it. Any big plans?" No. Did you want to make any? I debate asking. But I know that Christina is dying to have a girl's day. She has tomorrow off too and she's been bugging me about it since I moved in.
"Yeah, with Christina." I smile when I say this. Maybe I'm looking forward to it a little more than I thought.
"Have fun then. Goodnight." He smiles and I think he's about to turn around and walk away. But he stops and does something I don't expect. He reaches back and grabs my hand. For just a split second I feel his warmth spread through my hand, and it feels good, comforting in a way. And just as quickly as he grabbed my hand, he lets it go and walks away.
I'm still a little mesmerized as I turn up to the door of my building. I walk up the stairs slowly, feeling the exhaustion of the night even more than before. As I walk into my apartment, I realize that I still have his jacket on. There's no point in running back downstairs after him, he's probably a few blocks away by now. I can give it back to him the next time I work. Besides, there is definitely a part of me that doesn't want to give it back.
I throw the jacket on my bed before going through my evening routine of showering and decompressing before bed. When I get back to my room, I put on my pajamas and pick up Four's jacket and start to lay it across my dresser.
But I stop halfway and put it on once more. It actually still smells like him, and once again, I feel comforted. I lay down on my bed and start to think about the last few weeks of my life. Moving in with Christina really was the best idea, and I should try and find a way to thank her again. I really enjoy my new job, even though it has its ups and downs. Uriah and Christina are great friends, and Christina has been begging me to meet Will, which I'm sure will happen sometime tomorrow. I'm making great money at Dauntless and I've even started talking to Caleb a little more. It's just a text message here and there, but I really missed talking to him. Four has turned out to be a really good friend. I really like being around him, hell, I'm pretty sure I'm even falling for him…..Damn it.
A.N. So, I thought I was going to be able to get this up a little earlier, but I ended up having to work 2 shifts I didn't originally plan on this weekend. Like I've said before, I really hope you guys are still liking the story. Reviews help a ton! I'm super new to this and it helps me out a lot, even just to know that people are reading what I write. Thank you again!-dauntlessbybirth