Tris' POV
The rest of the afternoon goes by in a blur. Tobias and I were almost late getting back to the office after lunch, purely because we spent ages just talking and walking slowly down the streets, just talking. A small part of me believed that he wouldn't be the same in person. That he'd taken time to write his letters so that he came off as something he wasn't, but he is exactly what he said he was. His words come to him as easily as they seemed to in the letters, our shock and nervousness now gone. He's funny and sweet, gives me a chance to talk. Needless to say it's as if we've been together for years.
We got back to the office on time, thankfully, but that's only because the sky started pouring with rain, and we had to run back to the office. We were both absolutely soaking, but it was worth it, because we fell into hysterics the moment we got into his office. I was almost crying with laughter, and it wasn't even funny. It was just the sight of him laughing so hard and the thought of us running like morons into the building, both having forgotten an umbrella or coat.
Eventually, we got control of ourselves and went back to work. Turns out this job is a lot more fun than it appeared, but I think that is because it's for Tobias. I'm meant to be picking up lunch, making coffee etc, but he insists on doing it himself. At about 4, I got up to make us both a cup of coffee, knowing exactly how he likes it - black with 2 sugars. I went over to the little coffee section they had set up, and started making 2 cups of the stuff. Halfway through, he stopped me. I didn't even hear him get up, but suddenly he was behind me, his arms crossed casually.
"Are you kidding? What are you doing?" he asks, gesturing to the coffee I'm now stirring and adding sugar to.
"I'm making you coffee, silly." I say with a light laugh. I sit the spoon back down on the table, and go to pick up the mugs. But I'm cut short when 2 strong arms pick me up and start tickling my sides relentlessly. I shriek with laughter, having always being a ticklish person. He even lifts me off the floor a little, as I'm almost crying with laughter. He's laughing too, his warm arms around me. I can just feel the muscle underneath his shirt, which doesn't surprise me at all. Dauntless Police, even those with jobs like Tobias' require physical agility, so I knew he'd be strong.
He holds me up for a little more, before sitting me down on my office chair, and bringing the coffees over, putting one on his desk and one on mine. I smile in gratitude at the kind gesture.
"I'm just making up for lost time." he says quietly, but I hear him. I smile and blush at the comment.
"Me too." I say quietly, hoping not to come off as flirty, not wanting to lose my friendship over some stupidly strong feelings. He sits at his desk, and we go back to work. It's just like this morning, but I'm much more excited than anxious now. I can't wait to have dinner with him, show him my apartment, meet his friends, have him meet mine...it's like all of my dreams come true. Well, not all of them.
Flashback:
It was freezing outside, it being in the middle of December. I fell asleep quickly, being bundled in blankets and pillows. I was tired too, but I didn't expect to have dreams like this one. It was just a normal night of dreams, until I got to this one point where I was in a white room, surrounded by Christina, Marlene, my mom, Christina's mom, and a piles of make-up. I stood up out of the chair I was sitting in, to be met with a beautiful white dress, that I was wearing. Christina and Marlene were wearing mermaid style blue dresses, and my mom had a blue hair ribbon in to match them.
I looked into the full length mirror on the wall, and though the picture was blurry in my mind, I could see a beautiful wedding dress, my hair was plaited in a fishtail down one shoulder, and my make-up was clearly done by somebody else. I looked like one of the women from a wedding catalog. It was then in my dream that the doors of the room opened, and my dad came in. He took my arm, and walked us off, following the rest of the girls, up a long aisle in our local church. It was then I realized - this was my wedding.
I looked around, everybody was smiling at me. I kept walking on my white flats, until I reached the altar. Will and Caleb were off to the side, smiling at me. My father took my hand and put it in my husbands'. I looked up, and saw a familiar face looking down at me. Tobias. I smiled, but my heart was thundering against my dress. He smiled at me and took his hands in mine. It was then that the howl of the wind outside ripped me away from my dream, and I was faced with the harsh reality, that I was not being married to Tobias. Though at the time, I was still with Peter.
I felt guilty about the dream, thinking that I was being unfaithful to Peter and risking my cherished friendship with Tobias. But I would be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy the dream, which perfectly reflected upon the feelings I had been discovering I had for Tobias. I did keep the dream in mind, and the more I thought of it, the more I liked it. I never told a soul.
After work finished at 7, George Wu knocked on the door to ask how the first day had gone. I simply smiled and told him I was glad I took it. I was just about to grab my bag when George blurts out casually,
"You know that girl you always talk to Zeke about? I heard you say she was coming here, you going to meet her tonight?" he says, completely oblivious to the fact I'm the girl he is talking about, and I'm right here. I freeze for a moment, but I turn my head towards Tobias. He is beet red, and I can tell he didn't want me to know just how much he talks about me. It doesn't mean I'm not stoked to hear it though. Just knowing he thinks about me so much as to talk to his friends about me makes me feel honored.
"He talks about me?" I say casually, my bag on my shoulder. I walk over to them, standing next to Tobias. George looks between us for a moment, before he realizes what I'm saying.
"So, you're the famous girl? Tobias never shuts up about you. You should hear him, every day in the break room, talking to his friend Zeke! Every day he has something to say about you, something that you wrote to him to say. Well, I'll leave you to get home. It was lovely meeting you Miss Prior." he says kindly, before leaving the room. I turn to Tobias with a smirk and my eyebrows raised.
"Well, I, uh. I do talk about you, well, a lot, I'm sorry-" he says nervously, running his hand through his hair. I interrupt him before he can finish his sentence.
"Sorry for what? Tobias, I'm honored you talk about me. So, are we going for dinner, or what?" I ask eagerly, walking out the door before he can respond. He simply chuckles, and follows me out onto the busy street. He walks toward the car park, so I say goodbye to him, giving him a hug for good measure.
"Where are you going Tris?" he asks, his face riddled with confusion.
"Back to my apartment?" I say, as if it was obvious.
"No, you're coming with me to my apartment. We can order pizza, and watch a movie or something." he says with a crooked smile, before taking his hand in mine and dragging me to his car. We laugh all the way, before we unlock our hands and get into his black Volvo. He reverses out the car park, before driving off onto the street.
We're in his car for about 20 minutes, until he pulls into an underground car park. I know from the letters that he has horrendous claustrophobia, and judging from his face, even this makes him a bit unnerved. I put my hand on his, keeping it on top of it while he still holds the gear stick. It seems to relax him a bit, so I don't remove it until I have to. The building we're in is definitely on the higher end of the price scale. I knew his job is payed well, but to afford this place? He must be payed tonnes.
He retakes my hand, intertwining our fingers. It feels so strange and good to have physical contact with him, after waiting so many years. I know that this gesture, us holding hands, is just from friendship. He is probably just holding hands with me because he just wants to make up for the long distance these past years, but I can't help my heart thundering a million miles an hour as he holds my hand tightly. I immediately notice how expensive this place is when we walk through the lobby, everything made of sparkly black stones.
I notice he doesn't take the elevator, probably due to his claustrophobia. I notice the grin on his face as we climb the stairs, stopping on the 6th floor of the building.
"I didn't know you were so...loaded." I say bluntly, not knowing what else to say to the fact he has a freaking key card for his room. He literally just swipes it over a little panel on the thick wooden door, and opens it. Ever the gentleman, he steps to the side and lets me go in first. I admire the apartment. It's open plan, the kitchen to my left flowing into a dining room, which is on one side of a long room that also contains a comfy looking living room. The whole place has a very modern, airy feel. The aesthetics and colors are surprisingly similar to my apartment, but much more masculine feeling.
I must have just been staring around in awe, because I hear his deep chuckle behind me. I spin around on my heel to see him smirking at the expression on my face, which I have no doubt is wide eyes and wonder.
"To answer your question, I'm not loaded. Not by a long stretch, but I am comfortable." he says casually, tossing his keys on a little wooden sideboard and kicking his shoes off onto the floor. I slide off my flats, placing them next to his. I admire the decor of the room even more as I walk through it.
"You have really good taste." I say with a smile as I admire the place.
"Thanks Tris. I just wanted you to know...I meant what I said last night. In that text, I mean. I love you Tris, you're literally my closest friend." he says, the last part more quietly. I can hear the emotional and sincerity in his voice though. It melts my heart.
"I love you too Tobias. I know that isn't something you just toss around lightly, and I-I'm grateful that you trust me." I say, staring into his deep blue eyes and admiring every aspect of his face. There is just as much emotion in my voice too.
He smiles at me, a full smile this time, not just a smirk. It melts my heart to see it. It's then that he picks up his phone and shows me the living room, where he has a pretty massive flat screen TV on the wall. He dials what I assume is the pizza place, while simultaneously opening a cabinet filled with countless movies. I cross my legs like a little kid, going through half of the movies before deciding on one. I doubt he'll understand why I picked it, but it's worth a shot.
I take the disc out the box, carefully putting it into the player before sitting on the comfortable black leather couch. He sits next to me, still on the phone to the pizza place. He takes the phone away from his ear and covers one end and says quietly,
"What flavor do you want?" he asks, smiling at me still. I can't help but smile back.
"Just pepperoni, please." I say, taking the remote and selecting the language on the movie. I hear a beep as he hangs up the phone, and then puts an arm around me. I stiffen slightly at the touch, and feel a path of flames where his arm is laying around my shoulders. He tugs on my shoulder, and I take the hint, moving along, so I am sitting much closer to him.
"What movie are we watching?" He asks, smiling expectantly at me. I know we have similar taste, so I hope he'll like what I've picked.
"The Simpsons Movie. You know...for old time's sake." I say quietly, not looking him in the eye in case he has completely forgotten.
"God, I remember that. I wanted to take you to the cinema to see that movie so bad." he says with a nostalgic tone to his voice, as if thinking back to a time that seems just minutes ago on one hand, but centuries on the other. I try not to dwell on the fact that he could be saying that with a double meaning, that he wanted to take me on a date all those years ago. But he mustn't mean it.
I click play on the movie, and it starts up. We watch it in peace, both of us having seen it multiple times before. We laugh together, make little comments about it all throughout. About 20 minutes through, we hear a knock on the door, and Tobias gets up to get the pizza. When he comes back in, he's carrying a massive box that I stare in surprise at. So much for being comfortable, he must have quite a bit of cash to afford pizza that size like it's nothing.
He sits the box down on the little coffee table, and opens it up. A massive pepperoni pizza is sitting there, and I swear my mouth waters. I reach forward to grab a slice at the same time as he does, our hands colliding as we reach for the same slice. We break out into laughter, and I can't help thinking that this is how it's meant to be. That it should've been this way all along.
The pizza is even more delicious than I thought, and I actually ended up eating a full half of it. When I finally finish my final slice, and take a gulp of my water, Tobias is flat out just staring at me with a curious expression.
"God, I don't think I've ever seen a girl eat so much and not be worrying about her weight in my entire life." he says bluntly, causing me to bark out a laugh. I know what he means, and to me it's a huge compliment. I know a lot of people, women in particular, worry compulsively about their weight and figure. I don't think I've ever worried about my weight, because I regularly go on runs, and sometimes I even go to the gym. After the whole Peter incident, I booked some self defense classes and since then, I feel so much more confident that I can defend myself.
I blush at Tobias' comment, but my selfless upbringing tries to pass off the compliment.
"Thank you. I don't see why I should worry about my weight, I go on runs and things like that, so I don't have to worry." I say like it's nothing. Tobias just smiles at me and shakes his head in disbelief.
An hour later, the film has long finished, as well as the pizza and the bowl of popcorn we ended up eating. By this point, it's half past 8, and I'm finding myself sleepy, but energized at the same time. Somehow, Tobias and I have moved even closer to each other, because my thigh is right against his and his arm his holding me close to his chest. He turns off the TV with the remote, and we start just talking, about nothing in particular. As if we've been doing this forever. It feels so natural, and perfect.
I should really get going and go home, but Tobias' grip on me is telling me otherwise. We're broken out of out little bubble by loud voices coming from the door. Whoever it is must have a key card for his apartment, because Tobias doesn't seem worried. We don't even have a chance to move from the position we're in, because an older woman is standing at the door of the living room, a little girl that is about 7 or 8 holding her hand and standing next to her. This must be his mother, Evelyn, and his sister, Melanie.
Evelyn gives us a strange, knowing smirk, before smiling fully at us. The little girl hides behind her mother for a moment, clearly confused at who I am.
"Mom. I didn't think you were calling tonight." Tobias says with a hint of embarrassment on his face and in the tone of his voice.
"I didn't know you had company tonight." she says back, clearly not expecting me to be here. I feel awkward now, knowing that I really should be going.
"Where's Kevin?" Tobias asks, Evelyn now coming over and sitting on the other sofa, Melanie still clinging to her hand, looking at me with wide eyes.
"At home. He's got a touch of the flu, so I gave him some medicine. I should've rang you, I didn't mean to interrupt." Evelyn says with a sympathetic smile. I think she's surpised that somebody other than Zeke, Uriah or Shauna is here. Tobias mentioned he usually didn't have visitors. It's then that I decide to speak up, standing up to leave.
"I'm sorry, I'm really overstaying my welcome. I'll see you at work Tobias?" I say, smiling in his direction, my coat folded over my arm. Tobias takes my elbow and pulls me back onto the sofa.
"You certainly are not overstaying your welcome. Mom, this is-" he starts, wrapping his arm around me again. Evelyn interrupts before he can introduce me.
"Beatrice Prior. I'm friends with your Mom, and I know your face from the picture Tobias has on his bedside table. It's nice to finally meet you." she says kindly, causing me to turn to Tobias.
"It's nice to meet you too, Evelyn. You didn't tell me you have a picture of me next to your bed!" I exclaim, giggling slightly.
"Yeah, it's been there for a while-" he starts, but surprisingly, Melanie catches all of us off guard by exclaiming loudly,
"You've had her picture by your bed for years! Are you Beatrice!?" she says eagerly, standing up and making her way over to me.
"Yeah, I am. You're Melanie, right?" I ask, smiling at the adorable little girl who has brown eyes, like her mother, and similar cheekbones to Tobias, but that's about it. I know from Tobias that Kevin must be her father, and that he is now married to Evelyn. Technically, Melanie is only Tobias' half-sister, but I know they are very close.
"Yeah! My middle name is Beatrice, just like your name!" she says excitedly, surprising me even more by giving me a tight hug. Being what my mother calls "maternal" I can't help but hug her back. One of the most touching things Tobias ever did was giving his little sister my name as a middle name. Needless to say I was absolutely speechless and almost cried when he told me.
"Your brother talks about you all the time. I didn't know you were so tall!" I say, smiling at her, despite the intense gaze I can see Tobias giving me from the corner of my eye.
"Hehehe! He talks about you all the time!" she says with a giggle. I blush and turn to Tobias as she goes back to sit with her mother.
"What? I talk about you to everybody, you're basically famous with everybody I know." he says with a shrug. I just laugh and shake my head. I send up staying for another half an hour, just talking with them, before Melanie literally falls asleep on the couch. I take that as my cue to leave, so I take up my coat again and walk towards the door. I shrug my coat on as Evelyn comes up and hugs me, catching me off guard, as well as Melanie hugging me from the other side. I giggle as she does, until they eventually let go. When they do, Evelyn says,
"It was great to finally meet you." with a curious expression on her face. Melanie just giggles and waves as Tobias comes up to me and hugs me so tightly I can barely breathe. I hug him back just as tightly, not wanting to let go.
"I can't wait to see you again." he whispers in my ear, before kissing my cheek as close friends do, and waving with Melanie as I walk out the door, the skin where his lips touched my cheek burning. I smile to myself as I walk towards the bus station, just thinking about how this day went from average, to one of the best in my life in literally seconds. I suppose that's what happens when you meet somebody you've been longing for, for almost 2 decades.
