Tobias doesn't think he's ever seen Tris this disheveled, mascara smudged beneath her eyes and hair tangled like a rat's nest. If he didn't know any better, he would've said she got wasted last night, but all Tris really did was sit in front of her laptop screen until it was way past midnight, trying desperately to finish writing the columns she was supposed to submit to Dauntless magazine. She had gotten a severe case of writing block earlier in the month, and it hadn't let up until the night before the submission deadline Tori had given her. It was either staying up all night or risk losing her spot on the senior team, and if she had to lose a night's worth of sleep to keep the job, she was going to do it. Really, she didn't mind the writing - she loved it - but it was the tedious task of staying awake that was challenging, especially when the words started to blur into unintelligible phrases as the hours wore on. The only thing keeping her up was the stress. She wasn't one to leave her work till the last day like that, but there's a first time for everything, right?
When Tris finally hit send on that email, the sky was starting to acquire a lighter shade of blue, and all she could do was groan because in two hours she would have to be at work - and frankly,she really, really wanted to sleep. She stood up from her spot on the carpeted floor, hissing as her joints cracked and her muscles refused to comply to movement after hours of sedentariness, simply fitting herself against a sleeping Tobias on the couch because he didn't want to leave her alone last night. She was out like a light barely after she took shelter in his arms. It wasn't until hands were rousing her rather insistently that she awoke, slapping away at Tobias's hands instinctively and mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like "5 more minutes, please.", not bothering to open her eyes. She could feel him untangle himself from her and press a kiss to her forehead, his warmth disappearing with him.
The next time she was being woken up, Tobias's warm hands were caressing her back, and she leaned back into his touch, slowly peeling her eyes open. Her eyelids felt heavy and swollen like some irresistible force was gluing them shut, and her body was aching all over. Through slitted eyes, she could see an amused smile on his face, and she almost wanted to wipe it off of his face because she can't look that funny. She could, actually.
"Morning, baby," he whispered, kissing her cheeks, one hand moving to sift through her hair.
"Morning."
"Breakfast is ready, so come on, up and at 'em."
She unwillingly rose from the couch with his help, and only when she was in the bathroom, peering at her reflection in the bathroom mirror did she understand why Tobias found her to look rather comical this morning. Tris wasn't the type to wake up looking like a supermodel, but this was definitely a new level with black framing her eyes and her hair forming angry knots. No wonder her skin felt stiff. Cross that; her whole body - and if possible, her mind, too - felt stiff. It took scrubbing with her facewash to get rid of the smudged mascara, and deciding that her hair won't magically untangle on its own without the help of water, she stepped into the shower, letting the warm water soothe her. The one downside she hadn't taken into consideration was that warm showers tended to make her sleepy, and by the time she exited the shower and was sitting on a barstool in the kitchen, her body was urging her to drift into sleep again.
"I made you coffee," Tobias said, handing her a mug. "Figured you would need it."
That drew out a smile from her despite her grogginess, and she let her lips curl into a smirk. "Honey, I think I'll need 6 of those to keep awake," she deadpanned.
She heard his answering chuckle as he moved towards her, setting a plate with pancakes and bacon in front of her, his lips connecting to the still damp skin on her forehead. He sat alongside her, their knees bumping unconsciously as a comfortable silence filled the air. They shared the occasional glance and smile, both shoving food in their mouths quickly to get to their jobs on time, and when Tris scurried into their room to get dressed, he prepared her another cup of coffee to take on the go, knowing well enough that she'll need it.
"Hey, babe?" he said when they were both standing next to their cars outside their house.
"Yeah, Tobias?"
"You don't need six cups of coffee, you only need four," he teased, a roguish grin playing on his face.
She rolled her eyes, smiling at his antics. "So funny, baby. See you tonight."