Marcus punched Tobias in his side for good measure which knocked the wind out of him as he fell to the floor. He landed a few more kicks for good measure, grunted, and slammed Tobias's door behind him.

Tobias laid on his stomach as still as a board for a while. The less he moved the less pain he was in. It was routine at this point for him to procrastinate getting up and cleaning his back. All he could focus on was minimizing the pain until he felt ready enough to push himself up and make everything hurt even worse. His whole body stung. Everything ached. He wasn't even sure what time-

Creak

Tobias jumped at the sound of the window opening but immediately regretted it when pain seared through his back. Bea.

He had completely forgotten she was coming, he couldn't believe it. She couldn't see him like this, bloodied, bruised, and fuck, half-naked. No effort at all had been made towards cleaning up after his father. What if he made her feel uncomfortable looking like this? A complete mess in all ways. He was in too much pain to move, what was she going to think of him? The thought was nauseating. Or maybe the nausea was from the pain talking. Either way, he hated that she was here.

Do you really, though?

She had come for him, that fact alone ignited something in his chest. It was the same feeling he got when she looked him in the eyes and smiled because of something he had said, or when she touched him to reassure and comfort him.

"Tobias?" Bea whispered. For a moment, the pain in his back was background noise to the sound of her voice. Although stiff, he pushed himself upright, to make an attempt at feigning a semblance of composure. It quickly disappeared as a wave of pain crashed through his body, forcing him to hang against the bed frame. "Oh, Toby-"

"Bea-" his voice was hoarse and slightly choked up with his held-back tears and screams. "Why are you here? You're supposed to be resting." Wednesdays were their rest days. It was a chance for her to actually sleep and recuperate from so much physical exercise. They had talked about how draining it was for her to go to school all day and then train at night with him. The least he could do was give her a day to rest.

"Well, it doesn't look like you've managed to rest much." Although the room was dark, he could still make out her silhouette framed by the light coming from his window. He tried again to sit up, this time gripping the side of the desk. Tris eyed him wearily, unsure how much privacy he wanted. He could tell she hadn't thought this through much. "Do you want help?"

He shook his head. His cheeks grew red at the thought of her helping him when this mess was entirely his fault. Plus, he wanted to avoid making her feel uncomfortable. "No, you just being here helps. Promise. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." She walked towards him and crouched down so that her eyes met his. He felt his heart race at their closeness whilst he was in such a vulnerable state. "What can I do Toby."

"There's uh, a first aid kit under my-my bed." Words seemed to stick in his throat. Tobias heard her rustle through the various items under his bed until she pulled out the all too familiar first aid kit. "I'll use it to clean off my back."

"I don't like how you have to hide it," Bea said. Tobias dryly chuckled but was harshly cut off at the pain in his ribs. He couldn't help the tension that stuck in his shoulders at her frustration. Tobias knew that she wasn't mad at him, but he couldn't help but worry she would lash out at any moment. "I can-I can help with your back? Just tell me how."

"You don't have to, I'm capable of doing it. Promise."

"I know, if you don't want me to I get it, but I want to help."

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable." It wasn't an answer, but it was all he could offer at the moment. He forced his arms to push his body up, ignoring the flare of pain in his ribs. Slowly, Tobias managed to limp over to the bed. He cursed how weak he looked. This is why he liked the training room. There, he proved that he was more than this weak cumulation of injuries. What was Bea going to think of him now? "It might be better if you go."

He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. That was the opposite of what he wanted. It felt wrong, though, to accept help after a beating. Why now, instead of any of the times when he was a kid and too young to dress his own back? Or any of the other times he had begged for someone to be there for him?

Thankfully, Bea seemed unfazed by his request. "Toby." Beatrice put the first aid kit on the desk and walked over to where he sat on the bed. "I'm not scared. You're hurt and I want to help you. I'm not going to think any less of you if you let me."

"You promise?"

"I promise. We're-" she took a shaking breath, "we're friends." Bea grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Tobias took a deep breath to calm down the butterflies that immediately stirred in his stomach. She had just told him they were friends. Nothing more. "I'm going to wet your shirt, and I'll be right back."

Before he could protest, she let go of his hand and walked towards the door. She cracked it open before slipping out towards the bathroom. Tobias sighed, letting his head droop. He just hoped Marcus was too asleep to notice and wouldn't wake up anytime soon.

"Ok, I'm back. Here, do you want to lay down on your stomach?" Bea asked. He flinched and shook his head.

"He-he kicked my stomach a bunch. Laying down would hurt too much." Even his voice sounded weak. He tried to clear his throat. "I-I can if it is easier for you though, forget I said anything."

"No, no, no. It's perfectly ok Toby." She met his eyes and he once again admired how grey and soothing her eyes were. "I'm here to make you feel better. Forget about me."

"I don't think that's possible." Fuck, he shouldn't have said that. He hoped the comment didn't scare her, though, she didn't seem fazed by it. If she was, she didn't show it.

"Are you sure you're ok with me being here?" She asked. Tobias nodded

"I wouldn't want anyone else to be here." There was something about the pain that made it impossible for him to filter what he was saying, or maybe he was just too tired to care. Bea offered a smile before scooting around him on the bed to the other side. His muscles tensed once she left his line of vision, unsure of when they would be touched.

"Is this okay?"

"Y-yeah."

"What's wrong?" Bea moved so that Tobias could see her face again. He felt his shoulders relax as soon as he could see her again.

"Nothing."

"Tobias, you can tell me. I'm not going anywhere."

"I-I know. It's silly, don't worry about it."

Bea gently trailed her fingers down his arm. The touch was soft, yet comforting. "You always tell me that even silly problems are worth talking about."

Tobias chuckled at the irony. That was right, he did. "That's true."

"So just tell me, and then we can get you sorted and feeling better, okay?"

Tobias nodded. He took a breath and glanced down at his bloodied hands. "I get really nervous when you're behind me and I can't see you. I don't know why, it's stupid."

"I don't think it's stupid." Bea shifted so she was sitting at his side instead of behind him. "How about here?"

"That-that's a lot better actually," Tobias said.

"Is there anything I should know before I stop?"

"It's going to hurt regardless. Just don't stop until you're done, otherwise, it'll hurt more. "

"Ok." When the damp cloth touched his back the wounds on his back flared up in pain and he gasped. Immediately the cloth left his back, causing Tobias to feel bad. "Sorry, sorry I know you said not to stop."

"It's ok, Bea. Promise." After a pause, the cloth returned and he bit his tongue to keep from gasping again.

"You know, it makes sense that you don't feel comfortable with me being right behind you." She commented, wiping down the upper portion of his back. Tobias wanted to comment but only managed a grunt in response because of the pain. "Your body is still tense from Marcus, it probably always is to a certain degree. When you can't see me, it's like you're in danger again because you don't know what's coming."

"But it's you." Tobias took a deep breath to keep talking. "I should know you're safe to be around, even when I can't see you."

"Toby, you just went through a brutal beating over nothing. I don't think there's anything you 'should' feel or do."

"It wasn't over-" he gasped as the cloth wiped a particularly deep welt. She didn't let up though, which he appreciated. "nothing."

Bea's hand reached over to grab his for a moment. "We'll talk about that tomorrow, okay?"

Toby nodded and she went back to wiping his back off. He didn't mind the pain, if only because it distracted him from the fact that she was sitting with him on his bed in the middle of the night. And from the fact that she had come over to take care of him without prompting. And she thinks she isn't selfless.

"I can't believe you have to hide the first aid kit. That's so stupid." Bea commented. He liked that she was making the silence less looming.

"It's selfish. According to Marcus, anyways." Tobias said. She scoffed. "I know."

"Says the man who beats his child to cope with stress. How disgusting." He flinched at the anger in her voice. Stupid. "I'm sorry. I'll stop you don't need this right now. What's after I wipe it off?" He felt her wipe down the last of the scars as the air around him stung against the fresh cuts on his back.

"There are bandages in the kit, just take those out and cover the cuts best you can. Put down some gauze first and then tape them up. Don't worry too much about it being perfect." Tobias sighed, knowing this next part would hurt even more. "You don't have to help with this part, though. I can take over it from here."

"Nah, I've got it." She got off the bed to grab the first aid kit and then resumed her space next to him. "Oh! I got something while helping my mom with the Factionless that I think would help? Would you be okay if I put it on?"

"What is it?"

"Numbing cream, apparently. I nicked it from the care packages when we put them together today. I think it'll make the pain go away a little bit."

"Bea, you shouldn't have taken that-"

"Why? It's meant for people in need. And you need it. I just redistributed it." Her voice was filled with stubbornness, which was frustratingly endearing to Tobias. "I'll put it on and leave it in the kit for next time."

Tobias nodded, staying silent as she rubbed the cool cream against his cuts. He had to admit, it felt much nicer than past times Gauze followed, and then bandages were stuck to his skin. For once they weren't too tight or too loose against his skin.

Bea moved so that she was sitting more directly next to him. Her hands gently ran along his chest and down his stomach. He winced when her fingers brushed against the places where Marcus's boot had hit him. Her brows furrowed.

"This man-" she sighed, "he'll get what he deserves after we've transferred. I promise you." So many promises. The scary part was that he trusted them because he trusted her. "You'll just have to go easy in training so that this doesn't get worse, ok?"

"I don't think I have much of a choice."

"You would be correct." She laughed quietly. "Is there anything else I can patch up?"

"Nah, you did it all. Thank you. The cream really helped."

It wasn't even a lie, he hardly felt the usual sting of the cuts and ache of the bruises. He adjusted his position to sit on the bed facing her direction. Their faces were half a foot away from each other. Thoughts of closing the distance and pressing his lips to hers overwhelmed his imagination until he pushed them away. There wasn't a single reason why she would like him back, especially after tonight. They were just friends. Good friends. He couldn't help but cling to a sliver of hope that she felt something more, though.

The lights outside shut off outside. It must be midnight. The outline of Bea's figure disappeared with the lights, leaving the two of them in the dark together.

"Okay." She whispered back, her voice cracking from whispering so quietly.

"Okay." He responded, not sure how else to respond. She giggled.

"Do you want me to stay? I guess you should probably sleep... But you know I can stay and talk if you want. I don't want to be bothersome or in the way or anything though." Her words jumbled together before coming to an abrupt halt. Tobias noticed her hands twisting together in her lap, a nervous habit of hers. Why would she be nervous, though? He wasn't in any position to ask, so he chose to ignore it.

"You should sleep."

"What do you want, Toby?"

For you to stay here and hold me. Tell me everything will be okay until I fall asleep.

"I wouldn't mind if you stayed for a little longer. I don't want you to be super tired at school tomorrow, though." Tobias said. It was a close enough compromise. Bea shook her head.

"I'll be fine. You're the one I'm worried about. Never mind me."

"Me? Why worry about me?" Her head tilted in a way he knew all too well. "Ok, ok, I see your point. Maybe there is a thing or two to worry about."

For the next while they sat and talked. Marcus stayed out of the conversation while they focused instead on school and childhood memories. Beatrice was great at cracking jokes that made Tobias laugh and temporarily forget everything.

Beep Beep

It was his 12:45 alarm that he had set on his watch. He looked up at Bea, admiring how her face was illuminated by the moonlight out his window.

"We should both sleep." Despite his words, he knew he wouldn't be sleeping much that night. He wished Bea could stay but was torn with making sure she actually took care of herself.

"Yeah, I guess." She grabbed his hands again, and squeezed them between hers. "It's like a hug, but this way it doesn't hurt your back."

"You're too kind to me." He didn't deserve this. She was too cute and too kind. Bea shook her head, still holding his hands.

"Good night, Toby. I'll see you tomorrow?" He nodded.

"Of course." Bea nodded back before quietly getting off his bed. "Hey Bea?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything. For coming tonight, for helping me, for… for being my friend." His voice cracked. "It really means a lot."

"Oh, Toby." Her voice was soft with worry and care. She turned around and hugged him for real that time, taking care not to touch his back too harshly. "You don't have to thank me. I love being your friend. I wanted to come tonight. You shouldn't have to suffer this alone, no matter how much you are used to it." She let go, leaving Tobias wanting of her warmth. "Good night, Toby."

"Good night, Bea."

And for once in his life, Tobias realized that it had indeed been a good night.