So I know it's been a few days... but this was a long Chapter that had to be written and done right. I hope you all agree to it! Happy Reading! Please commnet below :)
Chapter 25
It's moments like this, that I am most please about my training in Dauntless. Apart of training to become a trainer is basic medical training. Sure I can't perform open heart surgery but I can defiantly perform basic simple medical treatments. Not to mention, all those times treating my own wounds after Macus was done with his daily lessons.
As we got closer to the house, Zeke and I both agreed that while I got Tris upstairs into my room. He was to comb my house, make sure no other unwelcomed guest were waiting for us to arrive. Zeke walked in the house first, after a minute I made the judgement call to go in after him. Tris still craddled tightly to my arms. Even after a half an hour of holding her tightly to me, she still feels light in my arms. I can carry her forever if she would allow me.
Some would be worried that she hasn't woken yet, but I know she passed out from the shock of the day. The mind has ways to protect us when something might be too much to take in. She will wake when her mind decides she can handle the stress.
I hear Zeke's boots through out the house, while I lay Tris gently on my bed.
"How is she?" Zeke asks at the entrance of my bedroom. He glances around the gray house taking in it's plainness.
"I think she will be alright. Just have to get her wounds clean is all." I answer him taking my last glance at Tris before I spring into actions.
"Zeke I need you to go to housing 28, Tris' parents house. Thier names are Andrew and Natalie Prior let them know everything please. If they want to come and see her, tell them to give her a few hours. Hopefully she will be awake by than. Than you should head back. It's going to be hard enough to explain all of this..." I say and he agrees with a nod.
"You let us know if you need anything alright. We are all here for you and Tris. Let me know what you guys decide what to do." He says and give each other a man hug.
"I cant tell you how much I appreciate all you have done for us.. for her today." I say.
"Anytime brother. Anytime." Zeke says and we both walk down stairs.
I secure the door behind him. Not needing any unwelcomed guests tonight after all. I start working fast, going back upstairs heading to the bathroom, I grab my first aid kit, a bucket and fill it with warm water, a wash cloth, and a dry towel. I place all the items on the floor close to the bed, my mind running a mile a minute. I grab one last thing, a t-shirt from my dresser. I know we are in Abnegation and all but I have seen Tris naked before. My mind thinks back to our night at the Burear, the night before my worst nightmare came true. The night we shared was so passionate, and magical, I had hoped it would never end. We made love three times that night, each time it got more sweeter, loving, and longer.
I just hope now that she doesn't feel embarassed or angry when she realizes I changed her. I can't leave her in these wet, bloody cloths.
I feel guilty enough about what has happened to her. She was so close, I should have kept a better eye on her. I should have went against her wishes and kept right next to her. Maybe if I did she wouldn't have had to endure all of this today.
I knee down beside her, slowly removing her shirt, I gasp at my discoveries. Those monsters really did a number on her. She is bruised through out her chest, and ribs. She has scratches on her stomach. I try not to think and get to work. I wet the wash cloth and start to clean her cuts and the dried blood on her. Than I start to work in the healing cream anywhere there is a cut or bruise. I decide to leave her bra on, hoping that it would make her feel better when she wakes and finds herself in my shirt. I turn her over and do the same to her back. I check with my fingers her ribs, luckly nothing broken. When her top half of her body is done, I pull my shirt over her head and makes its way over her arms and body. Than I work on her bottom half. Taking off her pants, and checking for injuries other than a few bruises and cuts on her knees... thankfully there wasn't anything else. Once she is cleaned, creamed, and clothed, I cover her up to her chin with a blanket. I lean in and kiss her on the forehead. Than I turn and clean up the first aid kit, the wash cloth bucket and towels and I leave the room. I decide to leave the door to the bedroom cracked open for her.
I head to the bathroom, putting the first aid kit away, the trash in the bin, along with Tris cloths, the towel and wash cloth goes into the hamper. I than decide that I am in a need of a shower and badly. I stay a little longer than I should, resting my head on my forearm that is against the wall allowing the hot water sooth the knots on my back. Allowing the hot water to wash away the events of the day down the drain. I know I should feel terrible, I took two lives today. Two men that could have been someone's husband, father, or friend. But what can drive two men to do something so beyond hateful? What could what I think is Nita, hold over their heads to perform such a act?
I groan remembering I forgot to bring in a change of cloths before jumping into the shower. I turn and shut the water off, I dry myself and than wrap the same towel around my waste. With any lucky Tris will be alseep. I would really hate to make her any more uncomfortable than she is already. After all she had such a strong fear of intimacy before. Even though we have already made love, she has no memory of it.
I quickly make my way into my bedroom across the hall from the bathroom. I open the door slowly, looking towards sleeping Tris. I let a breath that I didn't know I was holding go. I cross the room in two long strides and open the top drawer, seeking out gray boxers. Without thinking I drop my towel and pull them on one leg at a time. I than look into the second drawer grabbing a dark gray sweat pants... than I hear it a gasp coming from the direciton of the bed. I turn quickly hoping that she is still sleeping. No such luck. She is sitting up staring at my almost naked body. I realize I am still in my boxers and holding my sweats in my right hand.
Her eyes are wide open, and her jaw almost hitting the floor. I feel a twitch in my shorts start, I need to get control of myself. I do not want to frighten her. I clear my throat and pull my sweats on one leg at a time.
"I'm sorry. I thought you were still sleeping. I forgot to get cloths before I went into the shower." I try to explain.
"Your back." She says. Of course. Even though the bedroom light is off, the light that is seeping through the window is enough for her to see my scars. How I wish I still had ink on my back covering the ugly marks Marcus left behind. I nod and make my way to sit on the edge of the bed.
"How are you feeling?" I ask her, placing a hand on her hand that rests on her lap.
"I'm sore. Everything hurts. But I think I'll live." She says giving off a small smile.
"Good. Cause I would hate to tell you that I told you so." I say returning her smile.
"I'm sorry." She says as a tear falls down her cheek. "I'm so sorry for pushing you away. I thought if I did than I wouldn't hurt you any more than I already have been." She says not making much sense at all.
"What?" Alright now she has lost me. How can she see that the only way to hurt me is by not being with me.
"From what you told me... We aren't good for each other, Tobias. I took you for granted every time I could. I hurt you time and time again. I also hurt the people I loved and cared about. Why would you want to be around someone like that?" She explains. I'm at a lost. How can she think that?
"Tris, we were in a war. You would never intentionally hurt someone you loved or other wise. The things we went through... yes it hurt, it was hard, but it made us stronger in the end." I take a deep breath. "Tris, I don't want to continue looking in the past. I want to move forward with you. Missing you is the one thing that can truly hurt me, the rest I can swallow."
"I love you, Tobias Eaton. I just don't want to cause you pain." She says another tear escapes her eyes.
"Than don't keep yourself from me." I lean forward brushing my lips slowly and tenderly with hers. Hesitant that she will push me away, but she doesn't. Instead I feel her empty hand raise behind my neck, entwining with my hair. The kiss hardens, passion raise between us. Just than I feel her take a deep breath and wince with pain. Only than do I remember her bruised ribs. I pull back just slightly, kissing her forehead and than leaning my forehead against hers.
"How does chicken soup sound?" I offer her.
"That sounds amazing!" She answers with a wide smile.
"Would you like to lay back down, or would you like me to help you downstairs?" I give her the option.
"Mm mm... could you help me downstairs please?" She asks and I slowly grab her arm to help support her. Only than does she notice that she only is wearing my shirt. Her eyes widen.
"Your cloths were wet and bloody. I also had to attend to your wounds." I say, when I see that still didn't comfort her... "Relax, Tris. It's not like I never seen it all before." Her checks blush at my words. "By the way, you are still as beautiful as the day I did see all of you." Yup, that did it. Red as a tomato with a side of a smile grin. I will never get tired of seeing that blush or that smile.
I help Tris downstairs after stopping at the bathroom. I let her find a comfortable spot seeing that she has so much bruising and cuts... only her body can tell us what position feels best. Than I drape a blanket over her to make sure she doesn't get cold. The shirt is four times bigger than her, but her legs are still bare.
I place a load in the washer along with Tris' cloths. I offer her some tea before getting started on making the soup and she accepts it.
I'm thankful for the small domestic chore at hand, cutting the vegetables and the chicken. Filling a large pot with water and getting it on the stove. The chore relaxes me, allowing me to escape my own mental hell for a little while.
I can't help and hope that one day down the road this might be normal for us. Not the whole saving Tris and making her feel better part. But the whole taking care of her, making her dinner, and cherishing her the way she should be cherished.
A knock on the door takes me out of my day dreaming of the "what if" down the road. I drop all the ingredients into the pot and make my way top the door. Before I can reach for the knob I notice Tris is tying to move.
"Are you alright?" I ask.
"No just wanted to answer the door for you." She says with a light chuckle. "Obviously you are little more faster than I am." She answers with a wince.
"Just relax. Let me take care of you. It's ok for you to be weak, Tris. It's just you and me here." I remind her.
Another knock on the door suggesting other wise. How I wish I can tell who ever it is to go away. I groan and turn the knob. I peek outside the door and relief rushes over me when I realize it's Tris' parents. I move to the side, opening the door little wider for them to walk in. Natalie is the first one in, wrapping me in a quick embrace as she enters. She rushes over to Tris and whimpers at her daughter's injuries. As Andrew that was behind her giving me a awkward one arm man hug.
"I'll give you guys some privacy, I'm going to finish the soup." I say with a nod and make my exit. It's one thing to see tears fall down Tris' face but when it comes to Natalie...
Once again so thankful for this chore, I add some salt and pepper for taste. Along with some of seasonings from the secret stash I have from Zeke. I taste the broth, patting myself on the back. This tastes amazing. I let a mmm escape my lips.
"That smells wonderful, Tobias." I hear Natalie from behind me. I turn to see her face is flushed. "I want to thank you, Tobias, for everything you have been and are doing for Tris. I know that you do it out of love for my daughter, for that I thank you. I am so pleased that Beatrice... Tris has found such a loving and caring person to be with." Natalie expresses.
"Of course, Natalie. I would do anything for your daughter. Anything." It's the truth.
"I hope that now, Tris will be more reasonable and open." Natalie says. I nod my head in agreeance.
"Natalie, I have to be honest... We don't know how far Nita will take this, or how many Nita really hired to do the job." I hate the thought that there could be more after Tris.
"You think Nita may have had multiple people out there to..." Natalie says.
"If I know Nita, she will stop at nothing. She will so anything as well." I answer. "Tris has some choices to make. She doesn't have a lot of time to make them." I say, filling a bowl with the chicken and vegetable soup.
"Choices?" Natalie asks as I start to exit the kitchen towards Tris.
"Let's discuss this together. Shall we." I say heading into the living room. Tris gives me a appreciative smile while I hand her the bowl full of the delicious chicken and vegetable soup. I offer the same to Natalie and Andrew, which they both graciously decline and I take a seat on the love seat next to the sofa. Natalie and Andrew already taking the spot on both sides of Tris. "Tris there are things we have discuss. But if you want to wait for the morning to have more strength, I think we will all understand. I see both her parents nod at agreeance.
"What things?" Tris asked her eyebrows creasing together.
"Our next step in ensuring your safety. Like I said we don't have to make a decision tonight. It can wait for the morning." I ensure her. She nods weakly.
"Sweetheart, would you like to stay with us tonight?" Andrew asks.
Tris doesn't respond at first, pondering on what would make her feel more comfortable. "I would like to stay here if it is alright?" She says looking at each one of us. Natalie smiles, Andrew's eyes looks like it might pop out of it's socket, and I let a chuckle escape my mouth before catching it. The expression on both her parent's faces are too much to swallow.
"I don't mind of course. You can take my bed. I'll take the couch." I say mostly for Andrew's benefit. I wouldn't want him to have a heart attack on the very sofa I will be sleeping on.
"Well that is settled than. Now eat up Tris. You need to get your strength back." Natalie encourages Tris.
"I will cover training tomorrow with the initiates. You and Tobias take the day off to rest, than Monday they are all yours again. What was on the agenda for tomorrow?" Andrew asks to confirm our schedules.
"Helping with the Harvest at Amity." I answer. He nods and says he will help out with that than.
We spend some time talking about today's experience and Tris' injuries. Than after some time both Andrew and Natalie both agree it's time for them to leave and allow Tris to get her rest. Once the door is closed I hear Tris once again wince. It's when I turn around I struggle with wanting to scold her...
"You really shouldn't try to move on your own, Tris. You may aggravate your injuries more." I say stepping closer to her.
"I hate being...useless." She says, her eyes fighting the tears.
"Tris, your hurt. Let me take care of you, please. Plus you are anything other than useless." I say taking a seat next to her on the couch. I let my arm fall behind her, wrapping her than leaning in and kissing her hair. I take in deep her scent. The scent I know I can breath deep for the rest of my life. If she lets me.
"Fine. But by the way you are not sleeping on this coach, it's too small. The bed is big enough for the both of us." She says more demanding than offering.
"Now who am I to turn down such a invitation?!" I try to make light of things.
I see Tris trying to hide her yawn that escapes her, and that's when I tell her it's time to head to bed. Even though she tries to protest, I pick her up once again cradling her in my arms and head up the stairs. I try to explain I don't mind in fact I prefer her to be always in my arms...
Atleast for tonight we are both safe in each other's arms. Safe and Sound, like it should always be.