Fic type: angst, hurt/comfort, fluff
Warnings: mention of death, torture (semi graphic but REALLY NOT REALLY), typical divergent universe stuff, violence
Heyyy I was listening to Heavydirtysoul by 21 pilots today and got this idea lol. I haven’t read all the books so like if it doesn’t add up plot wise sorry. Also I know Peter is highkey an awful human being, it’s fanfic it’s ok. I also know realistically four would be the one to save the day but once again it’s fanfic.
Your head hurt like hell. You had no idea where you were. The last thing you remembered was going out with Tris to search for discarded rations. You opened your eyes to a sterile white room. It was completely empty. Three walls were white and one was clear glass. You saw a man standing outside staring. It was Caleb, Tris’s brother. “You psycho!” You scream as you slam your hand on the glass. “Where the fuck am I! Where’s Tris! What did you do Caleb!” You yell. He simply stares stoically, like his soul is missing from behind his eyes.
Back at headquarters Peter noticed you’d been gone for a suspiciously long time. Every Tuesday at four you left with Tris to stock up on supplies. And every Tuesday at seven you were always back. It was eight and you and Tris were nowhere to be found. Peter walked through the underground building finding Four.
“You seen Tris or Y/N?” Four asks him quickly.
“I was just about to ask you the same thing,” Peter says.
“Shit,” Four says under his breath.
“Somethings wrong,” Peter says. “They should’ve been back by now.”
“Yeah, I know,” Four says.
“How the fuck are we going to find them. They could be anywhere,” Peter says.
“I have a feeling I know where they went,” Four says.
“Care to share with the class,” Peter says, covering his panic with his usual sarcastic charm.
“I can’t tell you,” Four says.
“You can’t tell me where my girlfriend is?” Peter says getting defensive.
“It’s not like that,” Four says as he puts a gun in the waistband of his pants.
“You better tell me what it is like if you’re grabbing a gun,” Peter says.
“You aren’t exactly known for your loyalty and secret keeping skills,” Four says slightly annoyed.
“I’m loyal to Y/N, if it has to do with her I’ll keep my mouth shut,” Peter says.
“It doesn’t have to do with her,” Four says. “It has to do with Tris and I just don’t trust you enough to tell you. Y/N may think you’re a good person but I don’t. I’ll bring them both back,” Four says as he walks around Peter. Peter knows he’s fucked up before. When you first met him he was an asshole to everybody. Now he’s only an asshole to like 50% of people. In all seriousness you did change him for the better. Growing up in Candor wasn’t always easy. Peter got so good at lying, hiding his emotions, and putting up a rough exterior that it just became second nature. He never in a million years would’ve thought a girl like you would be even semi interested in him. You were a kind hearted girl from Amnity who he’d met when all hell broke loose and they hid in Amnity for a while. When Four, Tris, Peter and Caleb left Amnity, you left with them; with Peter. You always insisted that when it came down to it Peter made the right decision. You’d seen it with your own eyes. You didn’t have the mentality of wanting to fix him you just knew that he wasn’t truly a bad person. Plus you’d always loved the “bad boy” attitude.
You’d figured out you were somewhere in Erudite, the middle of Chicago. You knew why you were there. You were out with Tris, who is divergent. They didn’t want you, they wanted her, you were just collateral damage. You’d moved from the plain white room without furniture. Now you were in a plain white room with two chairs. You were tied to one and the one across from you was empty. Two guards opened the door and carried in a girl who was kicking and screaming, it was Tris. They strapped her down to the chair across from you and left.
“Y/N!” Tris said. “I didn’t realize they’d taken you too,” she said almost like an apology.
“It’s not your fault, plus now I’m here to help get you the fuck out of here. By the way-“ you pause for a moment not knowing how to tell her that her brother is a traitor.
“I know, Caleb’s here,” Tris says.
“I’m sorry Tris,” you say apologetically.
“Not your fault he’s a brainwashed moron,” she says.
“So do you have any smart ideas?” She asks. Just as you’re about to say something a couple people walk inside. There’s four guards and Janine.
“Tris dear,” Janine says. “And who’s your little friend,” she says gesturing towards you.
“My names Y/N you bitch!” You say.
“Well, she’s certainly got a mouth on her,” she says.
“It’s me you want,” Tris says. “Just let Y/N go,” she says.
“Ah Tris. Always so righteous. I’d love to get to the chase as well. We can forget all about Y/N as soon as you open this,” she says. One of the guards places a box in Janine’s hand.
“I’d love to know as much as you. Only someone with your…capabilities can open the thing,” she says.
Tris realizes whatever it is probably dangerous. “Not happening,” Tris says.
“I was afraid you’d say that,” Janine says.
One of the guards opens a case with various sharp devices.
“Torture me all you want!” Tris says. “Someone will come for us!”
“Oh dear, it won’t be you learning what all these fun little blades do,” Janine says turning towards you. Tris’s and yours eyes go wide. Fuck, you thought.
“No,” you say. “Don’t open the thing Tris. It’s probably a bio weapon or something!” “I’ve been trained for this. I can take it.” You say.
“Isn’t that touching,” Janine says sarcastically to the guard.
“Tris look at me, even if I beg you to open it, don’t,” you say as your final plead.
It took Four three hours to get to the middle of the city. He figured you guys were in what erudite considers to be there weapons research building. The tricky part was just getting inside said building, finding both of you, and the three of you getting out in one piece. In retrospect, he probably could’ve used Peter’s help, he just didn’t trust him enough to tell him Tris’s secret. He took out a guard and put on the uniform. As he walked inside prepared to check for you two floor by floor, he just hoped he wasn’t to late.
While Four was driving to the center of the city he was completely oblivious to the fact that Peter was hiding in the car trunk the whole time. Peter watched Four take out a guard and walk right inside the weapons research building through a crack in the car. Peter decided he’d take a different approach in attempt to run into less problems and find you faster. He’d have liked to simply work together with Four, but he knew his reputation was set in stone.
Blood ran down your face from your broken nose, bloodied lip and split skin. This guard, who was a fully grown man, had punched you so many times you’d begun to hear faint ringing in your ears. Through your watery eyes you saw Tris sitting across from you, hopeless like a rabbit about to be eaten by a snake. “Still don’t want to help?” Janine asked Tris.
“Don’t…do it” you mumbled
“Y/N,” Tris says like she’s in physical pain.
The man holding the knife held the blade to your shoulder and made a cut, if you lived it would need snitches. You screamed and then yelled, “don’t fucking open it!” With that, everyone in the room turned their heads when they heard a knock on the door. A guard was standing outside, like he was waiting to be let in. Janine whispers something to another one of the guards in the room. The fourth guard opened the door letting the man in. He bashed the guard who opened the door in the head with his gun. He tried to attack the others as well but was quickly restrained by two guards. For a moment you’d hoped it was Peter coming to save you.
“Peter?” You mumbled incoherently under your breath. The guards ripped off his armored mask.
“Four!” Tris said. It wasn’t Peter, but at least someone had come. You hoped, you knew, Peter had to be somewhere…doing something to help. Whether he was ready with the get away car or right behind Four you knew he wouldn’t just leave you here. You began to cry slightly, you tried not to, remembering your training at dauntless to keep a strong front. It was all too much though, the burning from the cuts, the bruising on your face, the inevitability of Tris eventually caving and opening the box to save you. Your goal was just to stall Tris opening the box till someone could come save you.
“I have to Y/N,” Tris says.
“Don’t, I’m okay,” you say as the guard slaps your bloody face. “I’m okay,” you say again despite clearly being far from okay.
Tears fall from Tris’s eyes as she says, “I’ll do it.”
“No!” You yell, with that the guard hits you so hard your vision goes blurry.
Suddenly there’s a gunshot and the guard who’s been torturing you drops dead. Another gunshot and one of the guards restraining Four drops dead. Janine quickly retreats out of the room. Four takes down the other guard who was restraining him. Someone drops down from the vent in the ceiling.
“Peter!” Four says surprised.
Peter shoots the last guard. Four rushes over to Tris and Peter runs over to you. You’re going in and out of consciousness.
“Y/N! Y/N!” Peter says quickly. He takes a knife from his pocket and cuts your hands free. He picks you up bridal style and exhales with relief when he feels your hand on his chest.
“We gotta go Peter!” Four yells. Him and Tris walk in front, guns at the ready.
“It’s okay,” Peter says to you. “I’m gonna get you out of here,” he promises. You know he’ll do whatever it takes to get you out of here, and it kind of scares you a bit.
Running through each floor of the Erudite building you don’t really know what’s going on. You’re safe in Peter’s arms. Periodically you hear Four and Tris shoot someone or someone yell. You guys are almost to the last floor where the car is hidden when suddenly Four and Tris stop. You pear your head up as much as you can to see Caleb standing in front of the door holding a gun.
“They want to help!” Caleb says. “They want to help us Tris, you have nothing to run from. Just stay and you can help save everyone.”
“Caleb they’re the enemy,” Tris says plainly.
“They’re not though!” He yells.
“Really!” Tris yells back. “Look what they did! Look what they did to my best friend!” She yells as she points to you bloodied and bruised in Peter’s arms.
“They’re trying to help,” is all Caleb says in return.
“Get out of the way,” Four says, pointing his gun at Caleb.
“Come on, you two aren’t gonna shoot me,” Caleb says to Four and Tris.
“They won’t,” Peter says. He holds up with one arm as he reaches for the gun in his waistband. “But I will,” he says, pulling the gun on Caleb.
“You’re just gonna let that psycho point a gun at me!” Caleb yells.
“We need to go now!” Peter yells.
“Don’t do this,” Tris says.
“She’s bleeding all over me!” Peter yells. “He just let them torture her! He’s a traitor Tris.”
“He’s my brother!” She yells.
“Peter,” you say trying and failing to form a sentence telling him to not kill Caleb. He looks down for a split second to see you glassy eyed looking up at him. He exhales deeply, trying to not freak out about you clearly needing medical attention.
“Cuff him then,” Peter says.
“What?” Tris and Caleb say.
Peter holds the gun steady, still pointed at Caleb and says, “cuff him.”
“What if they hurt him?” Tris says.
“Bring him…bring him with us,” you manage to say.
“She’s right,” Four says as he grabs Caleb’s hands behind his back.
Four drove, Tris sat shotgun, and in the backseat Peter was in the middle with Caleb, who was hand cuffed, on one side and you half sitting on the other side of him- half in his arms. The ride home was virtually silent. You drifted in and out of consciousness, each time Peter saw your eyes close he promptly made sure you stayed awake and told Four to drive faster. It felt nice knowing you were safe; you felt secure in Peter’s arms.
You remember getting back to headquarters and Peter carrying you to the medical wing. After that your memory went blank.
Peter sat by your side all night in the medical wing. He watched as they stitches you up and fixed up your face. All night he simply sat beside you just thinking. Thinking about the pain you must’ve been in, thinking about how he couldn’t take any of the pain from you, thinking about how Four demanded he not tag along, thinking of the look in your eye when he almost killed Caleb. Suddenly a few tears ran down his face. He wiped them away quickly, then he noticed Tris in the doorway.
“What do you want,” he said quietly.
“Just checking in on Y/N, plus I wanted to talk to you,” Tris says.
Peter sighs slightly and says, “I’m sorry for almost shooting your brother. I didn’t mean to scare you…I didn’t mean to scare anyone” he says looking at you for a moment. “But he was standing between Y/N and getting out of there.”
“I know,” Tris says with a suprising level of understanding.
“I debated shooting him in the leg or something myself but he is my brother,” Tris says.
“I wasn’t going to shoot him in the leg though, I was ready to kill him,” Peter says. “I’ve killed so many people now I’ve lost count you know. Sometimes at night I go through them all trying to land on a number but I always swear I’m missing a couple,” he says. “I think I’m turning into a monster,” he adds.
“A monster wouldn’t have saved us,” Tris says. “You saved Y/N and me and Four. None of us would be here right now without you.” “We all think about doing crazy stuff when people we love are threatened, I almost did what Janine wanted when I saw Y/N in so much pain. I was without a scratch meanwhile she was being tortured in front of me begging me to do nothing to help her. Y/N is one of the best people I know. If she trusts you then I do too,” she says. “Four didn’t want you to come not because we think you’re a monster, sure you’ve fucked up but who hasn’t. He just didn’t want to tell you my secret cause it wasn’t his to tell. I’m divergent. Y/N knows, I made her not tell you. Only the four of us know now,” she says.
“I won’t say anything,” Peter says simply.
“I know you won’t,” Tris says as she leaves.
“Hey pretty girl,” Peter says as your eyes open. You see Peter sitting beside you in a metal chair, very bright lights, and realize you’re in a medical bed. You open your eyes fully and it stings a bit around your eyes. You can feel the stitches in your shoulder and tape and band aids on your face. Your eyes focus on Peter and you could’ve sworn you saw the remnants of a couple tears.
“Thanks for saving me,” you say softly.
“You never need to thank me for protecting you. You’re my everything, I’ll always be there for you,” he says. “Plus I think in the end you more saved me,” he adds with a soft kind smile. As much as you could without being in excruciating pain, you smile back.
Heyyyy I hope yall liked this fic. It was super cool to write. I know Peter’s highkey a piece of shit in the actual story but I think fanfic versions of him can be interesting. Any feedback is always appreciated. If you liked it I have another Peter Hayes fic posted that might turn into a series so feel free to check that out. Thank you for reading!
