Fighter

// five \\

They were all eating breakfast one Tuesday morning when the doorbell rang.

Tris peeked out of her curtains, seeing an expensive car and a man who she thought wanted nothing to do with her.

"Mr. Eaton, what are you doing here?" she asked, completely confused.

"I'm here because I want to get to know you and your family," he whispered quietly, peering down at her with his intense, sad blue eyes.

She blushed, "Um they have to go to school and to the sitter. I have to go to work."

"I'll take the two to preschool then. I bought them car seats for my car. I'm really serious about this, Tris."

She squinted at him accusingly, "I'm not so sure that's a good idea, judging by the way you treated me last week."

His signature frown seemed to deepen, "I'm sorry, but now I know what I want, and that's you Tris."

She blushed again and looked at her colorful, fuzzy socks. "You have one chance, alright? I have to get Lyle on the bus."

"Will you please introduce me to them?"

He was acting so quiet and shy, not power hungry or dark like she had seen before. It was adorable.

"Well my oldest boy is Lyle who's six, and then there is Milo who's four. Stella is two, and little Evie is 7 months. Guys this is Four, he's a friend of mine."

They all said hi, Stella tugging at his pants and he picked her up tentatively.

"Hi Mr. Four! I like you," she bopped his nose with her nose before resting her head on his shoulder.

"Lyle, time to go. Milo and Stella, Four is taking you to school."

"Can you take the day off to go out with me?" Four asks, grabbing Stella's bag off of the bench and opening the front door. "I need help with their car seats too."

Tris giggled and loaded her two babies into the brand new looking Audi while Four held Evie with a terrified face.

"I'd love to spend the day with you, but I really need to work. Maybe Saturday we can all do something. This means so much to me that you took the time to come meet my family and help me," she said sincerely, peering up at him.

"Get used to it. I'll be over when I get off work. Do you need me to pick up anything for dinner?"

"No, I was just to throw some beef stew into the slow cooker when I get home. You don't have to come over if you don't want to."

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," his lips turn up in a barely there smile, but Tris takes it like it was gold. "I'll see you later." He kissed her cheek and was off.

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Tris prepared dinner while the kids ran around the house, using their last bit of energy before they had to go to bed at eight.

Six rolled around and the kids finally slowed down, taking their large Lego blocks in front of the television and watching cartoons.

Four arrived a few minutes later with a large tub of chocolate ice cream. "I didn't know if they were allergic to anything so I made sure it was made in a peanut free facility. Your home smells amazing by the way."

"Thank you. Wash your hands and we can eat."

"Where's your restroom? I'm going to change out of my suit."

He looked just as beautiful in his casual sweatpants and t-shirt as he did in his nice suits. She wanted to know why he wanted to be around dumpy old her.

She had to find something for herself to sit on because there were no more seats at their table.

"This is delicious," he told her nicely, getting himself another serving of her stew. "I can't believe you make your own food for Evie too."

"Well if I can't stomach it, how can she?"

"You are truly amazing," he told her sincerely, before throwing himself in a conversation about sports with the boys, something she had no idea about.

She could get use to him.