Chapter 10
-London, England-
Tobias and Tris were on the train to London. She was in the shower, and that was when Tobias decided to call his mother.
"Mum?"
"Tobias?"
"Yeah. How are you?"
"Good. I haven't spoken to you in about two weeks. What's been up with you? You usually call me at least once every three days."
"Sorry. I'm in a bit of a… situation. You see, I'm with the First Daughter of the United Stat—"
"What?!" his mother exclaimed.
"Mum, it's okay. I'm an agent, remember?" he chuckled. "Fully capable. Anyway, she basically escaped from this thing in France, and I've been assigned to her. We've been all over Euro—"
"You're in Europe and you didn't even tell me? Tobias," she breathed.
"I know, I'm sorry. This was supposed to be strictly business. But she and I need a place to stay. Would you mind if we stayed there tonight?"
"Of course you can stay the night."
"Another thing… She doesn't know I'm an agent."
"Tobias Eaton, you can't be serious. You've been lying to her?"
He sighed. "If she knew who I was, she'd be roaming the continent unknown to her by herself. She can't know. And she can't know you know her, either. Okay? Please, Mum, just trust me on this."
"Okay."
"Another minor detail. We kind of… have a thing for each other."
"Tobias Frederick Eaton," she said, exasperated.
"I know, I know, Mum, but… she's an amazing girl. Really. You know my fear of heights?"
"Of course."
"She got me to go bungee jumping yesterday."
"You're joking."
"Nope."
"She sounds like she'll get you into trouble."
"Mum, I don't care about this job. I'm quitting after this and coming back to London."
"We'll talk about this later," she said adamantly.
"Okay. Bye."
Tobias hung up and blew out a breath.
He knew his mother wouldn't be all that happy about a last-minute overnight stay, but he knew she'd let him stay there. He also knew his mother would disapprove of him harboring the First Daughter at their place. Nor would she have approved of them having a thing for each other. He didn't care if she disapproved though. He knew that if anything worked out with him and Tris, that her parents would loathe him. He figured they'd want her to be with a politician from a good family, not a freelance photographer that's not even from their country. Well, technically he was, but there was no way he was moving back to America.
And Tobias kind of hoped Tris thought the same and would stay in England after she graduated. Disobey her parents' wishes to be with him, to live in London…
But he knew that hope was far-fetched. He knew it would probably never happen because he was just a boy from England and that she was one of the most adored people in America.
He was just the boy that was from England, and he couldn't change that fact. He was just a photographer. Not from an important family, not a politician, and certainly not good enough for her. Nowhere near good enough. Tobias hoped she didn't care though. Hoped she didn't care he was from England, hoped she didn't care he was kind of a loser, and really, really hoped she didn't care he'd lied to her about being an agent.
The sad thing was that he knew it'd ruin whatever chance he had with her.
Tris came back into the cabin and sat down on the bench questioningly looking at him.
"What?" he asked.
"If I kissed you in your sleep, you couldn't expect anything, right?"
He chuckled. "You're digging too deeply."
She smiled. "I know. But I'm trying to figure out when the best time would be to do it."
He just shook his head. "Do you have anywhere certain you want to go in London?"
"I trust you as my tour guide. Except one thing I know you won't like."
"What?" he asked unsurely.
"The London Eye. You know, the big ferris wheel thing. I've always wanted to go on it, but I know your claustrophobic and acrophobic, so I can go up by myself."
"Tris, you got my to go bungee jumping. You can make me do anything," he chuckled.
She smiled. "Seriously though. You don't have to."
"Yes I do."
"Attention passengers of Eurostar, we have arrived in London, England, at 7:11 P.M. Please take all luggage and exit the train. Thank you for riding Euro Rails."
So Tris and Tobias exited the train and Tris said, "Am I awesome now?"
Tobias smiled down at her. "Totally."
"Now would be a totally cliché time to kiss you," Tris said. "It's a shame. Anyway, where's your madré's house?"
"My what?"
"Your mother's. Madré is mother in spanish."
"Oh," he said simply. "Follow me."
So Tris did. Tobias led them down a series of main streets, then stopped in front of a quaint, small, cute little house an inch apart from it's neighboring houses.
"This is it. Small, but it's home."
Tris smiled. "I love it. It's so cute."
He smiled at her, and then he walked up the steps. He opened the door that wasn't even locked and yelled, "'Ello? Mum?"
"Tobias!" His mother came down the stairs and hugged her son. "How are you?"
"I'm well."
"And whose this?" she asked, accusingly looking at Tobias. "A girl?"
Tris awkwardly stood in front of the closed door, not exactly knowing what to do. "Um, hi. My name is Tris." She held out her hand, but Evelyn hugged her, causing Tobias to laugh.
When his mother pulled back, she said, "I'm Evelyn Johnson, Tobias's mother, obviously. Let me show you to where you're staying." She welcomingly smiled at her.
Tris smiled back, took off her shoes, and followed her up the stairs, Tobias in tow.
"Alright, here's my room," Evelyn said, pointing, then walked father into the hallway. "And here's Tobias's." Tobias's room was tidy. It had navy blue walls with two windows. There was a a striped comforter with different shades of blue, a nightstand, a desk, and a closet. "If it's all right," Evelyn said, "you'll be staying in here. We only have two rooms. But Tobias would be glad to take the couch, wouldn't you?" she asked him.
Chuckling, he said, "Of course."
"So is that okay, Tris?"
"Yes. Thank you so much for letting us stay here. Well, more so me than him," she chuckled. "Tobias has a lot planned for me to see here in London."
"Well," Evelyn said, "I'm sure you'll love it."
Tobias merged into the conversation and said, "We're actually going to see the Eye tonight."
Evelyn's eye's widened at him. "Are you sure?"
He smiled. "Positive."
"Okay," she said as she smiled. "You two better get there before nine. That's when it typically gets quite busy."
"We will," Tobias said.
"I'll be downstairs," she said.
Tobias and Tris walked into his room, and Tris set her bag on his bed. She took out the camera and their wallets, probably for the Eye.
"I'm ready whenever you are," she said.
"Let's go."
They arrived at the Eye at 8:23, beating the rush hour. When they got onto the little capsule, they found themselves alone. Tobias was immediately hit with fear. His eyes went wide as they traveled upward. Tris on the other hand was fascinated.
They got to the very top, and Tobias felt like he was going to puke.
He must've looked like it too, because Tris said, "Woah, hey, are you okay?"
He sighed. "Not really."
"Close your eyes."
First he took a deep breath, and then he closed them.
He heard her turn back toward the city. He moved and leaned against a bar. Tris must've moved to the other side, because he heard footsteps. He wasn't all that hyper-observant though, because next thing he knew, there were lips on his. His eyes opened, and he didn't kiss back for a second.
And then he realized what he was doing. So he eagerly kissed back, putting a hand on her cheek. They came back for air, then kissed again. Finally, they pulled back, still leaning their foreheads on each other, and smiled. Tobias wrapped his arms around her waist, and she put her hands on his cheeks.
"Were you expecting that?" she asked softly.
"Nope. Not at all."
She kissed him once more, but just shortly. "How about that one?"
"Nope."
"How about…"—She kissed him for a few seconds longer, so it lingered—"that one."
"Kind of. But as long as you keep kissing me, I won't ever expect anything."
She smiled. "I hope you don't." And then she kissed him again.
They walked back hand in hand to his mother's house. When they reached the front door, Tris blushed and pulled her hand back from his.
He opened the door, and let her step in first.
"I think I'm going to go to bed," Tris said. "I'm exhausted."
"Okay. I'll wake you at about nine?"
"Sure. Goodnight."
"G'night."
She walked upstairs to Tobias's room, and laid down in bed.
Tobias figured his mother was in the kitchen, so he went in there. She was baking cupcakes.
"Mum," he said, "I must ask. Why you are baking cupcakes at 9 P.M.?"
She shrugged. "I was bored."
Tobias laughed.
"So, where's your girl? Gone to bed?"
He nodded. "And she's not my girl."
"Well that's not what those two long, blonde hairs on your shoulder say. That says you were kissing. And your sweaty hand. That means you were holding her hand. Plus the brightness in your eyes. That's a given."
"How are you so… observant?"
She shrugged. "Eight seasons of Psych on Netflix can get you far."
"Well, if you were that good, you'd be able to tell that I'm stressed."
"What's wrong?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I'm not remotely good enough for her, and there's no way we can actually be something."
"In order to love another, you must first love yourse—"
"Bullshit," he interrupted.
"Excuse me?"
"I've never loved myself. But her… Oh god. I love her so much that I forgot what hating myself felt like."
"You… You're in love with her?" she asked, incredulous. "You've known this girl for, what—"
"Two weeks," he sighed.
"How can you love someone in two weeks?"
"When you spend every single second with them, they tend to grow on you, Mum."
"Tobias, you can't… She's the First Daughter—"
"And I'm just a poor photographer. I get it."
"I'm not saying that. It's just… Aren't you moving back here when she gets back to her home?"
"Yeah. But guess where she's going to college. KCL. And guess what she wants to be. A photographer."
Evelyn didn't say anything for a minute or two. "She sounds perfect for you."
Tobias put his elbows on the counter, then his face in his hands. "That's the problem."
"How could that be a problem, Tobias?" she chuckled.
"She'll hate me once she finds out who I am."
"…That's on you."
"I know, Mum, I know. Things are just so complicated."
"Tobias, go to bed. You're about to go into overload, and you need relax."
"Okay. You're right," he breathed. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Tobias went upstairs and quietly tiptoed into his room. He went to his closet for two extra pillows to sleep with on the couch.
He saw Tris sleeping soundly in his bed, and that caused him to smile. He swept a piece a stray hair that was in her face behind her ear, and then he kissed her forehead.
Tobias went to sleep that night peacefully, having the memory of her lips on his.