A few days passed and just like it did every week, Wednesday night crept up on him. Tobias walked into his house, shoulders stiff after working on the school's coding program for multiple hours. The person in charge needed extra coding done for something that was going on at the end of the week, so he hadn't gotten his normal break halfway through the day which meant he hadn't gotten a chance to see Bea. Thankfully, though, he would have just enough time to finish dinner and the cleaning for Marcus. Tobias dropped his things off in his room before prepping everything for dinner.

While the potatoes boiled and the chicken roasted he worked on wiping down the tabletops and sweeping the kitchen. He collected all of the beer bottles strewn around the downstairs and put them in one of the grey bags that were typically used for waste collection in the Factionless areas. No one cared to look in them, after what could possibly be of use in Factionless trash? This made them the ideal method to hide Marcus's drinking. Tobias double-checked everything to make sure it was just how Marcus liked it. The floor was clean and everything seemed to be in its place. He always hoped that if he gave Marcus nothing to get angry about he could limit how bad his beating was. The effort was futile, there was no avoiding the cruelty of his Wednesday beating. There was a reason why his jaw stayed clenched and his shoulders were sore from tensing up.

He finished mixing the mashed potatoes and plated them with the chicken and the carrots that just finished steaming. A typical Abnegation dinner. Bland. Boring. Basic. Despite its unappetizing nature, Tobias couldn't help but hope that maybe, just maybe, he would be allowed to eat it. Whether or not he would be able to hold it down during his beating was a different matter, but he would worry about that later if he had to

"Tobias?" Marcus's voice echoed through the empty halls of the house. Tobias flinched at the sound of his name. He hated how his name sounded when Marcus said it because he spoke with such venom and hatred. It was nothing at all like how Bea said it. The difference was still startling to him.

"Yes, sir?" He did his best to keep his voice from wavering and he kept his hands clenched in his pockets. Marcus wouldn't be able to see how scared he was, this way. Tobias would take any measure to ensure Marcus never saw just how scared he made him feel.

"Oh, good. Dinner is ready." Marcus appeared from around the corner. With a light thud, the suitcase he held landed on the floor. "Put my plate on the table."

His plate. What had Tobias done to warrant no meal this time?

"Yes, father."

"You can do without a meal, can't you?" Marcus glanced at him, "we can't have others thinking you're gluttonous. What with you growing so much."

Tobias sighed. "Yes, sir. Sorry."

"My reputation would be ruined if any of them thought we were eating more than our designated food. We both know that can't happen."

"Yes, father."

"I won't have you making another mess. I already have to deal enough with your messes anyways." Tobias wanted to scoff. As if he were allowed to do anything that would cause him to mess up in front of others. What 'messes' was he creating that Marcus had to clean up? Marcus began to cut his chicken and Tobias sat across from him. The knife reflected the kitchen light, reminding Tobias of the sheath of knives back in the training room.

"I'm sorry."

"I don't know what I did to get such an incompetent son." Tobias winced. "You can't even clean, Tobias. The rugs are disgusting and the house is a mess. What have you been doing since you got home?" Another harsh bite of food. "Obviously not cooking. You can't even cook right. This chicken is hardly edible."

He had just cleaned, hadn't he? What had he missed? He thought the chicken was cooked well. How was he so ignorant about how awful he was at everything he did?

"I'm-I'm sorry."

Marcus slammed his fist into the table.

"Stop fucking saying that." Marcus took another bite of food while shaking his head. "Go to your room, we'll finish this later."

It was a dismissal. Tobias bowed his head slightly and left his seat to walk up the stairs. He tried not to focus on how tight his chest felt because if he thought too much about it, he would begin to hyperventilate. He opened the door to his room and fell onto the bed, letting out a deep sigh. His room was deathly silent, just as always. Abnegation as a faction was always silent. Noise was selfish, looked down upon. Tobias hated how quiet it was. It meant the thoughts attacking his mind were even more loud and overbearing.

Marcus with the belt. Bea. The walls of the closet caving in on him. Training. The ache of welts and bruises after a beating. Feeling her hands in his.

He hoped with everything in him she wasn't going to follow through with what she had told him nights ago. It hadn't taken him long to figure out what she meant by "I guess you won't be alone this week." No matter how much he tried to convince her otherwise she refused to promise that she would stay away. Their rest days were Wednesday and he knew she used them to catch up on sleep. Especially with school and with midterms coming up, she needed as much sleep as she could get. Not to mention the insane risk it was for her to visit.

He wasn't sure if there was any excuse he could make that would be plausible enough to save her if they were caught. Bea was stubborn and willing to take risks. She had already said she would do anything for him, an idea he made sure she knew that he was extremely opposed to, but he still couldn't help but doubt she would actually visit.

Really, he just didn't want her to see him as weak. And he knew that if she visited that night after his beating she would see him for what he truly was. Weak. Pathetic. A good for nothing nobody. Maybe she would think better of it and not visit. He would be able to see her and they could keep training like usual.

Heavy footsteps grew louder as they approached his room. Realizing Marcus was on his way, Tobias jumped out of bed. The last thing he needed was for Marcus to get angry from thinking he was lazy. He took out a shirt from his closet and acted as if he were putting it away so that Marcus saw he was being productive when he walked in.

The doorknob turned and Tobias's door opened.

"Hello, father." Tobias kept his voice polite, just like Marcus taught him. This part was routine.

Before he could react, a stinging pain burst through his cheek. Marcus's hand fell to his side. The violence doesn't shock him, but rather, Tobias was surprised that Marcus had hit him in such an obvious place. Normally he hit anywhere that was easily covered. For his reputation, of course.

"Cut the crap." Air whooshed out of his lungs as Marcus pushed him against his desk which banged against the wall. Some part of Tobias's brain worried that someone would hear it, but was interrupted by Marcus's tight grip on his throat. "What are you supposed to do every day when you get home from school?"

His dark blue eyes looked black in the evening darkness. Tobias held himself up against the desk, dread seeping into his chest.

"I immediately make dinner and clean the house." His voice had already resorted to a whisper. Tobias was too scared of saying anything wrong or anything that Marcus could take the wrong way.

"So you know what I expect you to do?"

"Yes sir."

"Then why didn't you fucking do it?" Marcus's voice was low, bordering on a growl. His grip on Tobias's throat loosened and was replaced with a quick jab from Marcus's elbow. Tobias choked and tried to catch his breath. "Answer me."

"I-I don't know sir. I tried to clean."

"Don't lie to me boy." Marcus punched his stomach, causing Tobias to bend over in pain. While unbalanced, Marcus took the chance to shove him onto the ground.

"I didn't want to."

"Of course." Marcus scoffed. "You're lazy and a liar. Do you know what that means?"

"I deserve to be punished"

"Good. Wait here." As if he could go anywhere else without Marcus finding him. Tobias felt a shiver run up his spine in anticipation. He knew full well that Marcus would be back, angrier and with more power. Because he would come back with his belt. The belt Tobias knew all too well. It was Marcus' preferred method of punishment because it meant he didn't have to physically touch Tobias. It offered enough distance to keep him safe from the reality of his actions.

"C'mon boy, take the shirt off." Marcus's voice was cold and filled with hate. Tobias pulled off his shirt and turned around, revealing his naked back to Marcus. He pushed himself off the floor and stood up, gripping the edge of his desk until his knuckles turned white. His back was already filled with welts and unhealed cuts. The last time he was fully healed was but a distant memory, locked away by the distance of his past memories. "This is for your own good, Tobias."

He flinched at those words, back muscles tense with anticipation as the sound of the belt whipped through the air.

Crack

"You are a disgrace to the community, I should've given you away when I had the chance, it would have saved me so much time and effort. Now I have to deal with you, you little shit." The belt hit his back again in synch with the curse. Tobias groaned and felt tears well up in his eyes. He couldn't control how long his beating would last, but the least he could do was keep Marcus from getting the satisfaction of making him cry. "You're pathetic. Can't even take pain like a man. This is a fraction of the pain your existence causes me.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

A metallic taste spread through his mouth from biting his lip so hard. All he wanted to do was scream out. But of course, that wasn't an option. He just wanted it all to end.

(Past A/N)

Hey guys! Thank you so much for all of your positive and supportive feedback. It really means a lot that you guys are enjoying this story so far. Sorry I haven't been uploading much lately. I have recently been in the mood for writing original stories instead of fanfic, most of which can be found on my Wattpad account (thebooktrooper). But do not despair; I shall always return to the world of Fanfiction. And I'm not giving up on this story until it is finished :P

DFTBA,

thebooktrooper