Hello! This is chapter 35 it's kind of a filler fluffy chapter but at least it's long, I promise things will move faster in a bit but now we deserve some Christmas chapters so this is the first one. Drama will also arrive soon-ish I promise. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Divergent Trilogy
TRIS' POV
I wake up at something or better someone squeezing my hand tightly almost painfully and when I open my eyes the first thing I see are Tobias' knuckles, white because of his solid grip on my poor left hand, he's sitting next to me rigid and stiff ready to jump off his plane seat at the first signal of possible danger, his jaw clenched and his face a little paler than usual. Still a little heavy-eyed I take a few seconds to blink away the sleep lingering on my eyes trying to remember where I am and what could possibly have Tobias on ease. Scanning the surroundings makes it quite obvious: we're on an airplane… Oh right, we're flying to my parents' for Christmas!
I must be still really sleepy and drowsy, silly me how could I forget?
I'm about to turn to face Tobias and look up at him but I'm suddenly slammed against his muscular arm and then back against the cold little window, my stomach tightens and for a second I feel like I could throw up.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign. We are now crossing a zone of turbulence. Please return your seats and keep your seat belts fastened. No need to panic. Thank you." A robotic sound precedes this brief and disturbed announcement, the flight attendant's voice not really clear but the message obvious.
With worried written all over my face I squeeze Tobias hand back, not that I'm frighten or something but mainly because I know he's not a fan of heights and flights at all and this little complication certainly isn't helping. I look up at him but he's staring right in front of him, his eyes fixed and unmovable, his breath short and painfully shallow.
"Tobias" I whisper fastening my belt - his has been fastened all flight long - before sticking my head in his direction, finding a position that allows me almost face him. No answer.
"Tobias look at me" I say softly trying not to think about this turbulence or any other negative thing, trying to ignore the panicked comments and sentences of worried and anxious people sat around us. I use my thumb to draw invisible circles on the back of his hand attempting to smooth his nerves "Tobias relax, it's going to be fine. It's just some little turbulences, we're almost arrived" I say glancing at my watch, we should land in like 20 minutes. I keep talking hoping my voice and words will somehow make him feel at least a little bit better "We're about to land, just a few more minutes and this will be over. It's going to be fine, I promise" I say, not sure if I'm actually helping him but I feel the grip on my hand is slowly and almost imperceptibly loosening, I can still see fear and panic in his eyes but it seems like he's trying to calm and control his breath, maybe it's just my imagination but I don't think so. I try to be as close as possible to him, I'm almost sat on his right leg and I'm sure the flight attendants would tell me to sit properly if the saw me but I honestly don't really care right now; I take both his hands in my own and massage them whispering soft reassurances until the plane stops swinging and the crew informs us that everything is okay and that we're about to start out descent, they also notify us that it's 4:35 p.m. in Chicago, that the temperature is between 25 and 35F and then they 'thank us for flying with them' and wish us Merry Christmas and this kind of stuff.
I can still sense Tobias is tensed but luckily it only takes us five minutes to land and we have a safe and almost pain-free landing: thankfully no quick swoops or risky feet of agility. The seat belt sign is no longer illuminated and passengers are starting to awaken and get up all together to reach their bags and trolleys to get off the plane as soon as possible… unnecessary to say that it's suddenly a mess: people talking all together, trying to reach their bags all in a hurry, 'excuse me' 'sorry' and things like this echoing in the small place whenever someone hits or slams into someone else… A total mess.
I'm not in a hurry and I know for sure it would be useless to stand up right now and try to get out of here so I focus my attention on Tobias who is still holding my hand but now seems much more relaxed. I squeeze it and he turn his face towards me as I smile up, a reassuring smile. He smiles slightly back, still a little shaken but definitely looking better now, I press my lips softly yet firmly against his in a chase and affectionate kiss. "Here we are, safe in Chicago" I mumble pulling away but I don't get to go very far as he presses his forehead against mine and brush his mouth against my slightly parted lips once again.
"Here we are" he repeats before adding "I'm sorry for...ya know… turbulences-" I cut him off immediately shaking my head and looking directly into his blue deep eyes "Hey it's okay, it's totally fine. No need to apologize, you silly" I say before giving him another happy peck. Excitement is hitting me all at once, now. I can't believe I'm meeting my parents and brother in a short time, we haven't been this geographically close in months and I've missed them terribly, my granny too and all my family in general, so excited and happy to spend Christmas here with them all and Tobias by my side!
Luckily for him he has at least already met my parents, otherwise he would have had to meet my family all together and all at once, poor him! Now he 'just' has to meet my brother Caleb who will arrive here in Chicago tomorrow along with his finacé Susan, then he'll have to meet my granny and oh God I can already picture it in my head and... it will be definitely embarrassing for both of us, that's for sure and then well we usually visit my aunts, uncles and cousins so yeah it will totally be a family meeting with a newcomer. It will be something but I can't wait to see them all after such a long time, I love San Francisco and I have most of my friends there but being apart from my family is really hard sometimes.
When almost everyone has gotten off the plane and the corridor is not complete chaos we can eventually get off and head towards the check point and the airport baggage claim crossing our fingers we'll find our baggage, thankfully we're lucky and we're out in the main hall in less than twenty minutes when sometimes it takes you even an hour between ID documents checking, finding your things and walk through the crowd that is often crazy in airports. It's quite crowded today as well but not too much so we manage to be quick and head towards the 'arriving hall' where my parents should be waiting for us. We walk side by side carrying our things: two bags and a big luggage we've decided to share, no need to bring two when all out stuff fitted in one, right?
"You can see them from up there, your highness?" I ask chucking looking up at Tobias that of course has a better view being a good feet higher than me, from down here all I can see are shoulders, bags, chests and not much more, so annoying sometimes… He stops in the center of the hall, people all around us in every directions but on his tiptoes he manages to look above everyone else's head, he turns around a couple of times before nodding towards me with a smile on his face and taking my hand in his to guide me. With each step my excitement grows and I squeeze his hand earning a squeeze back, I guess he's not nervous yet… he gets on well with my parents even if they've just met once, quite many phone and video calls have helped and my mum adores him and does nothing to hide it, my dad tries to control and restrict himself but he likes him too, a lot.
The interesting part will arrive in the next few days, let's enjoy the tranquillity now that we can, I chuckle at this a little lost in my own thoughts but a squeal promptly brings me back here, in the Chicago Airport hall but my mum doesn't give me enough time to process all this and I found her arms around me in a matter of milliseconds, I blindly hug her back tight taking in her familiar and unique scent that brings back so many memories of my childhood.
"Let me look at yourself" she says after a few seconds taking a step back to eye me from head to toes before exclaiming something similar to "so beautiful, my baby" at which I can only blush and roll my eyes as Tobias chuckles catching my mum's attention as she now turns towards him and pulls him into a hug as well as I step towards my father to greet him too and I'm welcomed by another strong yet loving embrace.
Time flies away and before we know it more that half an hour passes between hugs, kisses, compliments and hugs again before we finally head outside to reach the car and go home. It's freezing here, much chiller than in San Francisco but that was predictable, we're in Chicago after all… We spend the forty minutes ride towards my old childhood house catching up, well Tobias and I are asked a million of questions so it's almost just us talking since they seems really and particularly interesting in almost everything about San Francisco, us, our friends and so on… We get to know that Caleb and Susan won't arrive until the day after tomorrow because of some problems with their flight but there's still a whole week before Christmas day so there's no rush and I'm super ready to enjoy these two weeks break as much as I can. I have to say I don't really like winter but I love Christmas day and break a lot, it's synonym of family, love, snow, reading on the sofa by the fireplace, presents, joy and I love it plus it's my first Christmas with Tobias so everything sounds even more appealing.
Thankfully my parents are understanding so as soon as we arrive home, after a short tour of the house, a cup of tea and a few minutes of chatting they let us free to go upstairs, unpack our stuff and take a nap: we're both exhausted since this morning we got up at 5 and we haven't slept one bit on the plane: I was too busy looking out of the window and Tobias was not calm and relaxed enough to rest.
"So this is your childhood room?" he says lazily wrapping his strong arms around my small frame from behind scanning the room shortly after we've put our bags down and decided we'll unpack later or tomorrow, just not right now.
"Yep" I say leaning more into his chest "Those are some of the projects for my art classes, some picture of me with Caleb, my parents or a little Chris, there are some books I have never moved to San Francisco and then the bed" I say pointing around the room I've spent years and years in and looks exactly like I remembered. "You know" I say chuckling at the memory "when I was a kid I used to be so proud of my 'big bed' I'd go around inviting all my classmates here at home just to show them my 'bed like the parents' ones' and let them feel how comfortable and fluffy it was"
"Mmmm" he mumbles in my hair "comfortable, big and fluffy sound really appealing to me. Think we could give it a try and see if this bed is really this special" he says teasing me with the last part.
"Let's find out" I say pulling him down with me by his hand, it takes a second for both of us to find a comfortable position and fall asleep still in our clothes and with light coming in from the two windows but we're both too tired and too fast asleep to care, lost in our closeness and dreams.
--
Times flies and all of a sudden it's already the day, Christmas day, the day Tobias will officially meet almost all my family. In the past few days we've been around Chicago and we've visited here and there since Tobias hadn't been here before, we've spent quite a lot of time with my parents, we've been on a trip in the countryside, went shopping to buy some more presents and went to the beach a couple of times, it's so different here from where we live now!
Two days after our arrival Tobias was also introduced to my brother and Susan and I happily hugged them both again after months and months of just texts and calls. I was so happy to finally have Caleb and his fiancé that has always been a friend of mine - she used to live in out neighborhood and come to our school, she's been my brother's sweetheart for years! - by my side again, I had missed them.
Let's just say that at first it was awkward as ever, my brother being the protective and suspicious guy he is questioned Tobias quite a lot and I personally found it funny since they had already spoken briefly but still spoken on the phone and that Tobias and I have been together for many months now but he took his brotherly role really seriously and questioned my poor boyfriend quite a lot and even if Tobias has successfully proved he's a perfect guy and loves me my brother is still protective, I sense it. He has understood we're serious and in this for the long haul but it seems like he can't help but want to protect and keep an eye on his 'little sister'. So apart for the awkward introductions, all the questions Tobias and I were forced to answer and the inquisitive glances they, seem to get on quite well, they don't necessarily need to become best buddies or somethings, they seem to respect one another and be leal and friendly so I can't complain.
Susan though had me blushing more than once, she's not usually one for girly or dirty talks but Tobias gorgeousness hasn't gone unnoticed and she has not failed to make it obvious, of course I'm not jealous of her but she's made me blush a handful of times in the past three/four days and my mum as well, she can be so embarrassing sometimes and in front of other people or Tobias himself! A couple of times I just wanted to disappear or run away! For example… yesterday… was it really necessary for my mum to show Tobias and Susan and Caleb (who had already seen them but years ago and he had probably and hopefully forgotten them) some extremely embarrassing photos and videos of me at some birthday parties, randomly at home or at my grandparents' or God knows where.
Was it really essential to show them a video in which I put on a show singing with a fake microphone, dancing wildly and ungraciously dressed in terrible childish clothes, making funny stupid faces at the camera and eventually even said "C'mon everybody" inviting the audience to come closer using my hand??
I was five. I was carefree. I was impossibly embarrassing.
I will never see the end of it, did my mum really need to show it for God's sake? That's just one word to describe it and it's embarrassing. I seriously hope she won't dare to do something similar today with all my family reunited or ever again.
I've been in bed awake and thinking for the past good half an hour too lazy to get up, too awake to fall back asleep and too comfortable to walk away form Tobias' firm chest, his embrace and his gorgeousness, my fingers softly tracing his ribs and abdominal muscles, my eyes fixed on his perfect jawline and lips, the only parts I can behold from where I'm lying and reliving these past few days experiences in my head when eventually the alarm on his phone goes off interrupting the stillness and announcing it's time to start this eventful and magic day.
Tobias stirs beneath me and I roll on my back to be able to face him, he's softly groaning now - the sound he always makes when he's waking up, still half asleep in his dream world and half awake but not completely coherent, I love it the soft groan he mumbles, the way he hides his face deeper into the pillow and the way his arms always seem to tighten around me pulling me impossibly close to him before he buries his head in my hair finding it more comfortable than the pillow or the bed. Fortunately the annoying sound of the alarm stops in a few seconds and I spoon closer closed to my lover as I bring my hands to his head and scrap his scalp lovingly "Good morning" I say cheerfully still massaging his scalp and back.
"Good morning love" he mumbles, his voice suffocated as he roam his hands on my stomach and torso under my shirt until he finds my braless breasts and shows them a great interest. I squeal in surprise as I was not expecting. "Tobias stop" I try to say but I don't sound convincing at all "C'mon my parents are in the next room, we can't fool around you perv plus we need to get up and get ready" I say before squealing in excitement "It's Christmas" at which Tobias suddenly stops and looks up at me, his mind processing what I've just said before a content smile starts appearing on his face until it's more like a wide grin, excitement evident in his eyes as well.
Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!
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