Chapter 26

So… Yeah… This is the last chapter shockingly enough. There's no epilogue, but I do have to tell you all something in the A/N after this chapter is posted.

Tris P.O.V.

It's been seven months. Seven months since Metallica, who was awesome, by the way, seven months since Evelyn, in whom he's forgiven, and seven months since Tobias told me he loved me. I ended up telling him a few days later. I moved in with him about three months ago. All of our friends were pretty ecstatic because now we all live in the same apartment complex. Uriah finally grew the balls to ask Marlene to marry him, and Will the same with Chris. Shauna and Zeke just got married two weeks ago and just got back from their honeymoon. As far as I know, Nicole has a boyfriend and hangs out with him 24/7.

But all of this seems so surreal. Tobias and I have been together for eight months. Eight months. I don't know if Tobias plans on getting married someday, but I assume he does. I mean, he wants kids, but I don't know if plans on having them with me. Or if he was serious when he said he wanted kids, for that matter. Yeah, I'd really like to have kids, and having his of all people would be a dream come true. He's nice, strong, loyal, and not mention, hot. How could he get any better? Plus, he puts the toilet seat down. He's absolutely a keeper.

Right now, I'm curled up on the couch at 5:15 waiting for Tobias to get home.

I hear the lock slide and the doorknob wriggle and Tobias comes walking in.

"Hey." I smile. "How was work?"

"Listen, can we talk?" he asks hesitantly. Oh, shit, here it comes. And, here I was thinking about us having kids. I'm rash.

My smile falls and I purse my lips as I move my legs so he has room to sit on the couch next to me.

He sits close enough as to where I know he's probably not breaking up with me.

"Come here, I'm not breaking up with you." He opens his arms.

I nuzzle my head into his neck and he wraps his arm around me.

"You know how much I love you, right?" he asks cautiously. "Well, it's an insane amount because you are the best person in my life and I would never leave you because I love you. A lot."

"Tobias. Spit it out already," I tell him.

He takes a deep breath. "I have to train at some academy in Seattle for four months. I've known about this for awhile, but I've been putting it off because I didn't want either of us to have to worry about it. But now we have to worry about it because I leave in four days," he says all too quickly for me to understand.

I pull out of his grasp and stand up. "What?" I say hoarsely as I process the information. "How could you tell me just now?"

"Tris, I didn't want us to focus on it. I wanted to savor the time we had."

"But it's not like I would have dwelled on it. I would've enjoyed the time we had together while it lasted, but now I barely have the chance." I shake my head as I try to contain the tears in my eyes as I run a hand through my hair.

He stands. "Tris," Tobias says softly as he reaches out to grab my forearm.

I flinch back. "Don't." I pause. "I just… Give me an hour." With that, I walk out the door, slamming it behind me and begin to wonder the halls.

"Tris!" A voice says behind me, but I ignore it. "Hey," Chris says as she catches up. "Do you want ha—" She stops talking once she sees the tears in my eyes. "Did you get in a fight with Four?" She grabs my arms so I'm looking at her.

I slowly nod.

"Oh gosh, come in." She drags me toward her door.

We sit down on the couch.

"So. What happened?" she asks softly.

"Christina!" Will shouts from the bathroom. "We're out of toilet paper!"

I almost chuckle, despite my bitter mood.

"Will, shut up and use a tissue! I'm having girl talk with Tris!" she shouts back.

"Hi, Tris!" he shouts.

"Hey, Will!" I yell back. "Anyway, uh, T—Four, he has to go to a training camp in Seattle for four months. He leaves in four days," I sigh.

"Then what are you doing here? Get your fine booty up down there and spend as much time as possible with that boy!"

"I just… I needed a few minutes. But being in a long-distance relationship is going to be hard, Chris. I don't know what to do." I put my cheeks in my hands.

"Wait, you're not seriously considering breaking up with him, are you?" she asks.

"Oh my god, no. Never. I love him too much to ever do that." I shake my head.

"That boy would be like Ebenezer Scrooge if you left for good." She chuckles.

I give a small smile. "I don't know… He's probably not even considering us having a life together."

"Oh hon." She gives a hearty laugh. "You haven't a clue about what goes on inside that boy's mind, do you?"

I suspiciously raise an eyebrow at her.

She shakes her head with a smirk planted on her face.

"I don't know how you two will live four months without each other," she mumbles. "Now go get your man!" She stands up and pushes me out the door. It's been fifteen minutes since I left.

I walk down the hall and stand in front of my door. I slowly open it to see Tobias on the couch with his head in his hands and his elbows resting on his knees.

His head jerks up though at my sudden movement.

"Tris," he whispers and quickly walks over to me, hugging me tighter than I've possibly imagined. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you so much, but I understand if you need to take a break from me while I'm gone. I understand. But I need you to know that love you, and that I will never stop loving you until the day I die."

I smile up at him and lay a palm on his cheek. "I know." I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips to his as my palms cup his face. He presses my waist closer to him as I happily sigh.

"Tris," he moans and pulls back a little, but I don't relent. "Tris, we need to talk." I kiss him again and pull back, but my hands remain on his chest, travelling up and down.

"Do we have to right now?" I pout and slip my hands under his shirt, tracing his abs and pecs.

A small guttural noise rises out of his throat. "Yeah. We do."

I lie down on the couch with my head on Tobias's lap.

"What do you want to do?" he asks as he runs a hand through my hair.

"Lay here," I simply say.

"No, Tris, about my… leave of absence, per se. I mean, about… you know, us."

"Well, Tobias, I think it's quite simple, really. I love you, and you love me, so I think we should try it. I mean, you can call and Skype, so how hard can it be? It's only four months," I say like it's no big deal. "Four is my lucky number." I smirk.

He stops running his hand through my hair rest it on my cheek. "I'm going to marry you someday." He smiles widely.

"Oh, really? And why's that?" I wear a shit-eating grin.

"So I can kiss you anytime I want." He smirks. "Are you okay with me doing that? Having to deal with me for the rest of your life?"

"I'm all for it."

-3 months later-

-7:30 A.M.-

"Hey, hey, it's okay. You've only got one more month. And you talk to him every day, right?" Chris asks as she rubs my back while tears stream down my face.

"Yeah, but I didn't think it'd be this hard, Chris. Sure, I'd never breakup with him. We talk everyday and stuff, but I just really need to see him."

"God, you haven't kissed or had sex with a man in three months. That's what I call devotion." Chris smiles.

I nod. "I don't see anyone that interests me except Four. Wait, I don't see him either," I say sarcastically with a mock laugh.

Chris sighs. "We need to get you to your performance, alright? Let's go." She stands up.

I already did my hair, so all I have to do is my makeup. Once I get to my bathroom, I re-apply my mascara and go out to where Chris is standing. She walks me down to the sidewalk, telling me she'll be there tonight.

Thank God for Christina Schaefer. She's been here with me every step of the way, coming to all of my performances and being the best friend I always wished I had. Now I do, and I couldn't ask for more.

"Alright, bye," she yells as I get into my cab.

I arrive at the Symphonic and sit in my spot behind Crash on the stage after I get my beloved bass.

"What's wrong, Tris? You seem down," he asks as he tunes his violin.

I shrug and do the same. "I just haven't seen Four in three months. I miss him, you know?"

He nods and still doesn't look at me. "That sucks."

Now that, that's definitely normal. He's a better friend than to say things like that. Typically he's push me to talk more about it, not just shrug and say, "Hm, sucks for you."

"Well. What's up with you? Got something on your mind? Usually you care more than that," I point out.

"I always care. You'll see though." He gives a knowing smile.

I suspiciously eye him. "Uh huh."

-8 o'clock-

The curtains open, and I begin to hear the illustrious clapping of the audience.

We begin playing Pathetique.

I'm in one of those moods again, where I feel invincible. Like nothing can stop me from playing my heart out of this piece to the best of my ability. It's just one of those days where I've bottled up all my emotions and they all pour out in the middle of performance.

We finish quite awhile later, but the curtains don't close like they always do. Instead, everyone starts playing except me and Crash, but he's smirking. I immediately recognize the tune the rest are playing, but it befuddles me as to why they'd play it.

Crash turns around. "This is the part where you cry."

I turn my head to see a man in a dark green camouflage uniform. Tobias. Even though he's not in the military, I assume he had to wear that while he was training. But I can't think. All I can do is fling my arms around his neck and hug him.

"Oh my god." I get tears in my eyes. "Oh my god. I've missed you so much. I can't believe you're home already."

He pulls back, which perplexes me, and smiles. He gets something out of his pocket and drops to one knee.

My hands immediately fly to my mouth. I turn around, giving myself a second to compose, wondering if this is real. But sure enough, there he is when I turn back around, still smiling.

"Tris Prior, I have been in love with you since high school, and I've been wanting to do this for months. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you, because you are the most important person in my life, and I can't face the dark without you. You are the most beautiful, talented, robust girl I have laid my eyes on. So, for all of those reasons, will you marry me, Tris Prior?" Tobias opens the velvety box to reveal a striking ring.

As I cry silently with tears dripping down my face and my hands still on my cheeks, I nod. "Yeah. Yeah, I will."

He stands up and engulfs in the warmest hug I've had in months.

He whispers, "I love you so much."

I take a deep breath and smile. "I know."