Chapter 13: Tris
It's been a week since Christina visited and I thought Tobias was going to propose, our groups are in their classes so Tobias and I have time to ourselves. There isn't much going on in the city since it's a Tuesday and everyone who can is working, so the city is almost vacant when we travel through the streets towards the lounge I normally meet Caleb at.
Today Tobias decided to come with me so he could see Caleb but I know it's just an excuse to get his blessing on the engagement, but he thinks he's being sneaky.
"I'll meet you there?" He asks squeezing my shoulder and planting a kiss on my cheek. "I'm going to see Johanna and see how she's doing."
He runs off and I continue through the streets to the lounge where, as always, Caleb is already sitting and reading a book.
"Hello, Caleb."
As I sit down he marks the page he's on. "Hello, Beatrice. How are you?"
"I'm well." We never really got rid of the Abnegation greetings even though both of us chose different factions. "Still working with the force, they've made progress. How are you?"
"Working, there's a lot of research that still needs to be done."
"Tobias is coming, he wanted to see you but he had to stop and see Johanna first."
There's something in Caleb's eyes that makes me want to ask why he doesn't like Tobias, I know that he still feels like as my big brother he has to protect me from the crazy, dangerous Dauntless boy and that when they met Caleb didn't trust him as far as he could throw him. But so much as happened now and I had hoped it would be different.
"I look forward to seeing him."
For the next half an hour we catch up on our work, what's going on in our parts of the city, and how Caleb has started to notice a girl in the lab that he finds attractive.
When Tobias walks in he's trying not to smile but allows the corners of his mouth to turn up a bit when he greets my brother. "Hello Caleb, how are you?"
Three former Abnegation sitting together and none of us know which faction we really would belong to right now. "I'm well, and you Tobias?"
"I'm well, Tris and I have done some great work with the force and I'm actually starting to feel confident in some of them to do well."
From across the room I see Christina and her sister and excuse myself to say hi.
"What are you doing in the city today?"
"It's Caleb day." Christina nods but her sister looks confused, so she explains it to her while I sneak a glance at the boys. "They look really serious."
Christina follows my glance and sighs. "Wonder what they're talking about."
"I think I have an idea." I smile and fill her in before she shushes me as the boys walk over.
"Hey Chris," Tobias says giving her a warm hug before sitting next to me. "What's up?"
Again, the difference in how we speak to each other astounds me every time, but the differences also show the relationship with each person.
We're there for another half hour before Caleb and Christina need to get back to work so Tobias and I catch the train back to Dauntless.
"Caleb seems to be doing really well." The relationship between my brother and I is rocky at best, enough went on that I can't always trust his judgment or his loyalty but I am trying to let it go.
"He does." I turn and wrap my arms around Tobias' middle. "What did he say?"
"What do you mean?"
I know that Tobias is a good liar, we both had to be to survive as divergent, but I've learned to know when he's keeping something from me. "When you asked for his blessing."
"So you know about that?"
"I figured that's what you wanted when you offered to tag along with me today. You and Caleb haven't always gotten along so it seemed odd."
His body stiffens against mine. "He wasn't happy, but I explained to him that I was only asking out of respect for you and for our roots and that ultimately I didn't care what he had to say and the only person I needed to agree was you."
"And he agreed." Nodding Tobias dips his head and kisses me. "You have a way of convincing people."
"I didn't have a single way to convince you before you got shot."
The reminder stings, and I try not to cringe away but I can feel it happen anyway. "I'm sorry."
"About what?"
"About everything that happened." His eyebrows knit together in worry. "I was reckless, and I made decisions for everyone on my own, and I was a terrible girlfriend. Sometimes I don't even know why you're still with me!"
His eyes bore into mine and a calloused hand cups my cheek. "I don't care about any of that, not anymore. You're alive, we're together because I love you Tris and what happened before was done out of necessity. We both made mistakes and we both learned from them but right now all I want is the future and I want it with you. I want us to be happy and to be together, so if it takes me reminding you every once in a while that the past is done then so be it."
"We should jump." The rooftop is racing towards us and hand in hand we jump off the moving train, not once does Tobias' grip falter because he knows that together we will land and even if I fall he'll pick me back up. But he doesn't stop walking once we land on the roof, instead he leads me over to the initiate entrance and stands on the wall. "What are you doing?"
"Beatrice Prior, will you marry me?" And he jumps.
I know that there's a net, I know that he'll be safe, and I know that my answer will be yes but none of those things keep me from running to the wall and watching him plummet. I also know that I have to wait at least thirty seconds before jumping and by the time I climb onto the wall my knees bend and I launch off the wall, not waiting any longer.
When I fall into the net and my lungs exhale automatically from the force of it beneath me, I don't waste any time to roll out onto the floor.
Tobias is standing there with an expectant look on his face and I barely register that our friends are standing behind him. "Of course I'll marry you!"
Our bodies collide in a hug and we kiss, I can hear the others cheering behind us but I don't care.
"So, what do we do now?" I have no idea how to be engaged. Is there an actual wedding to plan? Is something different expected of us?
"Just figure out when we actually want to get married."
Zeke is cheering so loudly that someone from the hallway opens the door to investigate only to leave right away. Almost immediately after the goof picks me up and throws me over his shoulder running through the Pire and then the Pit screaming the good news.
When Shauna, Tobias, George, and Amar all catch up to us Zeke has already bought a couple of bottles to share and a group has formed around the pair of us.
"Congrats Tris." George says giving me a big hug.
Amar follows soon after. "Four asked me to do the honors, figured I should double check with you first."
"Of course!" And with a wink he retreats out of the way for others to give their congratulations.
I never thought that when Tobias and I got married that everyone would be excited, most of the people living within Dauntless don't know the story of our relationship and even some who do don't actually care. The majority are the recruits and all the girls want to know how he asked me and when the wedding will be.
Finally, at dinner time everyone disperses from the Pit but the six of us are drunk and have trouble stumbling through to the dining hall. When we get there though Bud finds us and gives me a hug before telling Four that if he hurts me his next tattoo will end up being something ridiculous.
After dinner we continue to celebrate in the training room taking turns throwing knives at targets and Zeke even wants Tobias to throw a knife at something balanced on his head. I'm stuck with a nostalgic feeling of when Uriah shot a muffin off Marlene's head and for a moment I don't actually see Zeke laughing and joking.
Uriah was the only Dauntless born initiate to befriend me, he was the one who found me in an abandoned corridor and invited me to ziplining, he was the one who encouraged me to beat Peter and Drew, he celebrated with me when I made first in our initiation class, and he fought beside me. Uriah was one of my best friends, I'll miss him forever and I am glad to have Zeke as a friend but even someone who taught Uriah everything he knew can't replace him.
"Are you alright?" I was so lost in thought that I didn't even notice George sit with me. "You look like you're about to burst into tears."
"There's a chance I just might." I take the bottle from him and take a deep drink. "Just watching Zeke reminds me of Uriah, I miss him so much and I just realized that his brother and I are both getting married and he won't be there to see it."
George's arm drapes over my shoulder and we pass the bottle back and forth for a few more minutes before the others join us and sit in a circle, George squeezes my shoulder and continues on so he won't embarrass me.
By midnight we're all bleary eyed and stumbling back to our apartments, I don't even remember getting in.
When I wake up, my clothes are rumpled and my head is pounding. "What time is it?" I groan pulling a pillow over my face.
"Just before breakfast, are you coming?"
I pull the pillow off and look over at Tobias who looks awake and not like he's body is soaked with alcohol. "You look refreshed."
"I drank water before bed. You should drink a glass and take a shower, you'll feel better." He brings me a glass and kisses my forehead. When I jump in the shower he gets dressed and together we walk down to breakfast.
The others arrive shortly after looking ragged, Zeke is even in the same clothes.
"How is it," He says falling into the bench next to Tobias. "That whenever we get drunk, you always come out the next morning looking like nothing happened?"
Tobias laughs and keeps eating his eggs, but Zeke just glares and pulls faces.
"So when are you and Shauna getting married?"
"We talked about doing it in a month or so it really just all depends on how we feel." He shrugs and shovels more food in his mouth. "What about you two?"
Tobias smiles at me. "We haven't had a chance to talk about it yet."
"I think we can agree that we want you all there when it does happen though."
"Did you get a ring Tris, or did you decide not to because of training?" Shauna's ring is beautiful, but I just can't see myself wearing any jewelry on my hands just yet.
"I think I might want a simple band or something when we get married but anything else I would probably lose." I laugh at myself before turning back to Shauna. "What are you going to wear when you get married?"
"Traditionally Dauntless don't have a dress code for their weddings because there's a chance that after the ceremony they're just going to go do something crazy so why ruin your clothes? But every wedding I've been to the girls have worn a dress."
It's nice having friends who were raised in Dauntless so I can get an idea of what Tobias and I will do at our wedding, but that night when we get back to the apartment I can't help my feel conflicted.
"We were Dauntless before the city went to hell, so obviously I would want to do something honoring that in our wedding," My legs are crossed and I'm facing the kitchen watching Tobias clean the glasses in the sink. "But we both were from Abnegation first and I want to do something to honor that too."
He tried so hard to erase his Abnegation roots even going as far as to change his name so no one would recognize him, but it shines through every so often even if I'm the only one who sees it.
"I think that sounds like a great idea." Drying his hands he strides towards me and places one on each side of my body. "But honestly, I don't care what we do so long as at the end of the day we're married."
"Let's do it at the pier."
He kisses me again and I lose myself in him, wedding planning can wait.