Today marks my 6 year anniversary of being on FFN! Can't believe it's been so long. I did take like a 4 year break tho, but I'm so glad I'm back because writing gives me so much joy :) In honor of my 6 years, I have a special Valentine's Day chapter that will hopefully give you all of the Fourtris feels. Also we broke 100 reviews! Thank you so much for the support. I love you guys!
I listened to a lot of Lorde while writing this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent
February 14th: Tris
I'm woken up by a tapping noise. I squint one of my eyes open to look at the clock, and I see that it's 6 am. It's still dark outside and today is a Sunday so I should be able to sleep in. What the hell is that noise? The tapping gets louder and more insistent and I shoot up, glancing around my room.
Looking over to my window, I see that the source of tapping is Tobias, who has somehow made it onto my roof. I instantly jump out of bed and open the window for him. He must be freezing cold, and my roof isn't exactly supportive so he could've fallen off at any moment.
"Tobias!" I hiss softly, pulling him into my bedroom and shutting the window behind him. I notice that he has a bouquet of roses in his hand.
"I've been trying to wake you up for like 5 minutes," he grumbles.
"What are you doing here?" I ask softly, a smile breaking out across my face because I already know the answer.
"Happy Valentine's Day," he says shyly, handing me the roses.
I laugh and hug him with one arm, the flowers in the other, and I admire them for a second. "They're gorgeous." Instead of a typical red rose, they're white, like the one I found on the ground at Marlene's cabin. "I'll get this in a vase later… I love you…"
He cups my face with his hands, "I love you too," he leans in and kisses me softly. "The bedhead is a look, by the way," he says as he pulls away. I smack his chest lightly.
"How was I to know that you were gonna climb up to my roof at 6 in the morning and surprise me? We didn't have plans until lunch."
He shrugs, "Just wanted to do something nice for my girlfriend… your real Valentine's day present is in my car though cuz I couldn't climb up to your roof with everything in my hands."
I feel something warm spread throughout my chest. No one has done as much for me as he has, not just the presents, but the thoughtfulness and the love. It's all quite literally straight out of a movie and I don't know how I've ever gotten so lucky. With all this fortune, the fear of losing my loved ones still hangs low over my head. I still get nightmares about it every so often, but not as much as I did straight after the accident. And when I do get them, I call Tobias now and we talk about it. He doesn't necessarily give me advice or try to help, he just listens as I describe the dream to him… saying it all out loud does make me feel better and helps me realize that the nightmares are just that. Nightmares.
Thinking back to what Tobias and Marcus showed me a couple of weeks ago, life is uncertain, and sometimes fleeting, so that's why it's imperative that we try to make the most of it. Especially when I'm surrounded by so much love. Loss is a part of life, and accepting that won't necessarily make it any easier to deal with when I do lose someone, but for now, it helps calm down my anxiety at the thought of something happening to someone I care about.
"Who knew you were such a romantic? And a sucker for Valentine's day, with the flowers and the presents and the surprises…"
"Shh… don't tell anyone… it's a secret," he presses another kiss onto my lips.
I set my roses down on my dresser. "Hold on a second, I have your present. I'll be right back."
"Tris! You didn't have to get my anything…"
I roll my eyes. "You think Valentine's day is just the boyfriend's thing?"
"Well, no… I just know that whatever you got me is going to blow my gift out of the water…"
"You're probably right about that," I enter my closet and grab his present, hiding it behind my back as I reappear. Despite my air of confidence, I am a bit nervous that the present is too tacky or something he wouldn't like.
He raises his eyebrows in expectation and I bite my lip, slowly bringing the gift from around my back. His face lights up with surprise, "Tris…"
"Wait, just let me show you," I adjust the lacrosse stick in my palms. "I know that the sticks the team plays with are black… so I painted this one red for you. So I can identify you on the field and for Valentine's day and whatnot. Also red is a lucky color… and this is a lucky stick if you didn't know."
"Oh really?"
"Yep, with this, you're gonna win all the games."
"Oh, and these wins will have nothing to do with my athletic prowess?"
"No… this stick is basically your best bet at winning."
"Mmm… I see."
"And look," I show him the #4 that I painted on the handle with a heart next to it.
He smiles at me, "I love it. And I love you."
"I love you too. And I wrote it on here if you ever forget that."
I hand him the stick, and he tilts it to the side. "Tobias, kick some ass. I love you. Tris," he reads aloud. He shakes his head, "What did I do to deserve you?"
I smile and climb into his lap, straddling his waist and kissing him deeply. Our first Valentine's Day together and it's already unforgettable. He wraps his arms securely around my back, falling onto my bed. Our lips don't leave one another's.
As his hands slip underneath my shirt, spreading across my back, I hop up off of him. "Hey!" He pouts, as I walk towards my door.
"Just making sure that we don't have any interruptions," I tell him, locking my door. "So that we can have a proper beginning to our Valentine's Day."
His face breaks out into a wicked grin at that, and I bound back over to him, practically jumping on top of him. We make good use of the rest of our morning, to say the least.
After our… eventful morning. Tobias climbed back out of the window and went to the front door, pretending as if he had just arrived. My mom doted over how sweet he was for a good 10 minutes before calling me downstairs.
Now, we sit on the couch with my parents. The rest of my siblings are still fast asleep at this hour, so for once, it's just us. "Mrs. Prior, I'm glad to see you've gotten out of your cast," Tobias tells my mother.
"Oh, Tobias, what did I tell you? It's Natalie."
"Sorry, Natalie."
"But yes, I'm quite thankful that everything has gone back to normal… I can be on crutches now and I just need to be on them for a couple more weeks. Thankfully, Ezra is back at school now and Andrew is back at work… I'm very grateful for all my lovely children for stepping up, though," she smiles at me and I reach over from my spot on the couch to squeeze her hand.
"So, the lacrosse season is starting soon," my dad says.
"Yes sir, this upcoming Saturday."
"Well, we will definitely be in attendance at all of the games," my father tells him jovially and Tobias smiles thankfully.
Normally, I would feel embarrassed at the prospect of my entire family going to every single game, but I guess they have a good enough reason this time considering that Nathan made the team. After working with Tobias the entire fall on lacrosse, he tried out this January and he made it!
According to Tobias he's a really hard worker and shows a lot of promise on the field. Especially since he's just a freshman. It's kind of sweet how proud Tobias is of him, like a brotherly figure. And I can tell that Nathan seems a lot happier with the lacrosse team than he was on football. The whole thing worked out perfectly I guess.
As if on cue, Nathan enters the room, still in his pajamas and rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Hey Nate, you ready for the first game?" Tobias asks him.
Nathan blinks up at him in surprise, clearly not expecting him to be here so early, but he smiles. "Yeah I guess… still a little nervous…"
Tobias glances at his watch, "Well… Tris and I don't have to leave for a bit, and she still needs to get ready," he gestures to me, still in my pajamas, "Why don't we work for an hour or so?"
Nathan nods, like this is something he needs, "Yeah, sounds good. Let me eat breakfast and then I'll change."
Tobias smiles proudly at him and I subtly shake my head. "This is okay with you, right?" He asks as he turns back to me.
"Yeah, I'll just take a shower and get changed while you guys work," I tell him, happy that he's so close with my brother.
"Oh, and Tris?"
"Hmm?"
"Dress a little bit… nice today…"
I arch an eyebrow, "Alright."
After I'm changed and showered for my Valentine's Day date with Tobias, I begin making my way back downstairs. As I'm walking by Caleb's room, however, I begin choking from the intense scent of cologne emitting from there.
I wipe a few tears from my eyes, and shove his door open wanting to see what's going on. As I enter, I'm overwhelmed by the smell even more, and I instantly spot Caleb, nervously pacing around his room. "Caleb?" I ask, trying my hardest not to have a coughing attack.
He looks up at me, "Oh, Beatrice. Thank god." I notice that he's dressed up in a nice button up and slacks and has a bouquet of yellow tulips sitting on his desk. "Today is Valentine's Day!" He states, as if it's an obscure fact.
"Yeah."
He covers his face with his hands, "I have no clue what I'm doing, Beatrice! What if Susan hates all of it!" He continues pacing again,
"Okay… let's just breathe, Caleb. Sit down." I take his hand and pull him over to his bed, settling into it comfortably. "This is Susan. You've known her since we were 10… it's going to be okay."
"I just… don't know how to plan for the perfect Valentine's Day. I've tried researching it but every resource says something different! Are these even the right flowers? Am I dressed appropriately? I tried putting on cologne but I don't know how much or how little to wear-"
"Okay, calm down. This isn't something you can research, because there's no universal method to a Valentine's Day… it's about the two of you! Wear something that you feel like yourself in, get her flowers and a present that she would like, you know her better than anyone. And do something that you both would enjoy… the most important part of this day is that you guys have fun together… but please, for the love of god, do not wear that much cologne. I had an asthma attack outside." I pat his shoulder awkwardly.
"Okay, okay… maybe I got carried away… but yellow tulips are her favorite!"
"That's good then! And where were you planning on taking her today?"
"The opera? Does that seem too over the top? We were gonna get lunch at her favorite place in the city and then catch the matinee and then have dinner here. We both enjoy the intellectual conversation that comes with the opera so…"
"Hey, it seems like you've got it all figured out on your own. No need to stress. Today is going to be a great day for you both."
He takes in a breath and nods, "Thanks, Beatrice… and what do you and Tobias have planned today?" He asks, glancing over my outfit.
I shrug, "I dunno. He just told me to dress a little nice… so I guess it's a surprise. But whatever it is, I know I'll have fun. It's Tobias."
His face breaks out into a smile and to my surprise he envelops me in a tight hug. After a couple seconds I wrap my arms around him as well. Caleb and I are twins, but we were closer when we were children. As we started growing older, we got more distant, so we haven't been especially affectionate towards one another in a while. It's nice, though… I missed him. "I've never seen you this happy before, Bea. It's nice. I'm glad we're both… living our lives."
I pull back from him and smile, "It is. I love you, Caleb."
He kisses the top of my forehead, "I love you too."
After that, I make my way downstairs with a bounce in my step and exit the house into the backyard. Tobias and Nathan are practicing defense tactics, and Chase and Carson have joined them, dashing around them gleefully.
I stand there, observing for a few moments until Tobias notices me and his face breaks out into a huge smile. I see him say something to Nathan and they give each other a bro shake, before making his way over to the twins and high fiving them and ruffling their hair.
He jogs over to me, panting a little bit. "You look pretty," he says, trying to hug me.
I playfully bat his hands away, "You're all sweaty. Get off of me."
"Okay, okay… but I mean it. You look good, Tris." He gestures to my outfit, which consists of a soft pink long sleeved v neck and a flowy black skirt. It's cold outside so I put skin colored tights on underneath.
I look up at him from under my lashes shyly, "Thank you."
"Well, we better get going… let's say bye to your parents." He ushers me inside.
"Stop making my parents like you more than they like me," I grumble.
"Stop making it so easy, then."
"Leaving now?" My mother asks when we enter the living room.
"Yep… is there a curfew or something?" I ask awkwardly.
"Well, I'd like it if you both are back for dinner. Tobias, Susan is dropping by for dinner so you should as well," my mother says kindly.
"I'd be delighted to, Natalie," he says, emphasizing her first name.
She laughs with delight, "Let me get a photo of the two of you."
She tilts her phone up at us from her spot on the couch, as she can't get up yet because of her leg, and snaps a couple pictures. We're used to the picture taking by now, but that doesn't mean that I still don't get annoyed. She tries to photograph us when he picks me up for school in the morning for God's sake. It's like having the paparazzi stalk your every move. Tobias wraps a sweaty arm around me, and I cringe away from him.
"Oh, Beatrice, don't be rude," my mother admonishes.
"It's okay. We'll just have to stop by my house so I can get changed into new clothes. More appropriate for our plans today, as well." Tobias says.
"Okay… I know Marcus is out of town with Tiffany so I'm trusting you two in that house alone…" my mother says in a warning tone. Tobias and I give each other a side glance. If only she knew.
"Sure thing, mom… goodbye! We love you!" I say quickly, backing up out of the room.
"I'm serious Beatrice! Also, don't bother looking for your father. He's gone out to get me my own Valentine's surprise." This gets a smile out of me. Even people married for as long as my parents are not tired of Valentine's Day.
Tobias calls out goodbye to my mother, before heading upstairs to grab his lacrosse stick. When we're all set, we dash out to his car. "I thought we were never going to get out of there," I say breathily, yanking the passenger door open.
He slides gracefully into the driver's side and turns to me with a smile. "I want to give you your present now…"
"Okay…" I smile with my eyebrows raised.
"Turn around and close your eyes."
"Tobias."
"Just do it."
I sigh, swivelling the other way in my chair and closing my eyes. I hear him shuffling around behind me for a couple of seconds and then his hands go over my shoulders. At the feel of cool metal on my neck, I realize that he's clasping a necklace around it. Oh God, he better not have spent too much money on this.
"Can I open my eyes now?" I ask.
"Just one second," I hear some more shuffling around. "Okay. Go ahead."
I open my eyes and turn back around to see that the car mirror is positioned to where I can see my reflection clearly. I let out a gasp when I see how beautiful the necklace is. The chain is sterling silver, and the pendant hanging off of it is a gorgeous aquamarine gem. "Tobias…" I say softly, giving him a look.
"Don't give me that look, Tris… I'm not gonna tell you how much it was…"
"I just… don't want you spending what you don't have to on me… besides I just got you a lacrosse stick and got crafty with it," I grumble, feeling pretty shitty about my gift now.
"Hey, lacrosse sticks are pretty expensive if I recall…"
"Yeah, but not as much as this."
He waves a hand, "It's not about the money… I just wanted to get you something that I know you'd like and that reminded me of you. You look beautiful in it." He whispers softly.
"Okay… well, thank you. I love you." I lean over and peck him on the lips, still feeling a bit guilty over the present, but more grateful that I have someone who loves me so much. "I'll just have to repay you in... other ways... later tonight."
That gets an eager smile out of him.
After that we headed over to Tobias's house I waited in the car, listening to Lorde while he showered and got changed into a blue knit sweater and black jeans. Then he drove us to our destination, a Latin restaurant in the city called Carnivale. Apparently he had a reservation booked for a few weeks…. How sweet. The restaurant is vibrant and colorful with gorgeous artwork everywhere. And the food was amazing… albeit a little pricey so I made him promise to split the check with me. Especially after the whole necklace thing.
After our meal, I'm stuffed, but we still have some time to kill. And I have enjoyed spending the day with him so far, talking about life and our futures and what we're looking forward to. "Can I please drive?" I ask him, as we exit the restaurant.
He gives me a look. I've been asking if I could drive his Audi S8 for a while… because it's a fantastic car and it's stunning. I know how powerful I would feel behind the wheel of this shiny, silver car, but unfortunately Tobias has never allowed me to. He says it's for my own safety, as well as the car's but I'm a perfectly good driver, I just don't have as much highway or city road experience as he has. Gotta start somewhere, though, right? Besides, I really, really want to drive this car. It's like on my top ten wish list right now.
I try my best to give him my "puppy dog eyes". "Please? It'll be another Valentine's day gift…"
He sighs and after a moment's deliberation he tosses the keys to me. "Be careful… this car goes fast," he warns.
"Yeah, yeah. I know." I say, too excited to care about his patronizing tone. I practically skip over to his car and slide into the front seat.
Tobias hesitantly climbs into the passenger seat, grimacing slightly.
"Do you really have this much confidence in me?" I ask him, a little bit hurt.
"No, no," he squeezes my shoulder. "You're gonna do great. I believe in you."
I smile and nod, looking back to the road. He parallel parked, so I'm gonna have to wait for an opening. "Where are we headed?"
"I was thinking we could visit Zeke and Shauna? They just moved into their new apartment and Shauna is getting pretty pregnant now."
"Yeah, how is she, by the way? I haven't seen her since New Year's." After first semester, Shauna dropped out of school. She already had enough credits to graduate anyways, and she didn't want to show up to school pregnant. Everyone in our friend group has been pretty quiet about Shauna's pregnancy, because she still knows people at the high school and doesn't want to get slut shamed. The ongoing story is just that she wanted to graduate early, which is believable enough. But everyone in our friend group has also come to realize that potential high school gossip matters very little to us, when one of our own literally has a baby on the way. It's crazy… watching Zeke and Shauna seriously plan out their futures together… but also inspiring because they're so sure that they're meant to be together. In fact, the Pedrad's bought Zeke an apartment for his 18th birthday that was a few days ago, and he and Shauna have just settled in. It's insane.
How do you know if someone is the one? I'm not sure, exactly, but I do know that I can't imagine myself with anyone besides Tobias… though maybe that's dangerous. I don't want to be dependent on him… I'm still my own person after all.
"She's doing good. According to Zeke her morning sickness has started and she's had pretty intense cravings, but he thinks having their own place will be good for them. They were both talking about how their families were driving them a little crazy and they just needed some space."
"Okay, you'll need to navigate me to the new place." I tell him, as I see an opening in the road, and begin to pull the car out.
Tobias begins directing me to Zeke and Shauna's apartment, and my driving is pretty good. I'm a little hesitant behind the wheel, being extra careful and going below the speed limit as I don't want to let Tobias down. And like he said, this car is a little bit daunting.
"Tris… can I offer you some advice?" He asks, when we're about 2 minutes away.
"Yeah?"
"Stop being so… stiff."
"What do you mean?"
"Just let loose behind the wheel… really feel the car and enjoy driving it. Just have fun. I know I told you to be careful earlier… but a car like this is meant to be driven with some passion. I believe in you.'
I nod, and after I make the next turn onto Zeke and Shauna's street I speed up a little, and try to become one with the engine. I grin a little, pushing harder on the gas, enjoying how it all feels. After a few more blocks, Zeke and Shauna's building comes into view and I pull into the sidewalk parallel parking perfectly on my first try. I turn to Tobias, my face in a wide smile. I feel exhilarated.
He's looking back at me with a smirk. "See… I should let you drive my car more often Tris… because that was pretty fucking hot-"
I cut him off by grabbing the neck of his shirt and crashing his lips with mine. After a few seconds I pull back, breathing heavily. "Yeah, I agree."
"So, how's your Valentine's been?" I ask Shauna. We sit together in the kitchen while Zeke and Tobias watch baseball on the TV they've just set up.
"It's been good… we finally got unpacked today with the help of my and Zeke's families. And then Zeke got me chocolate covered strawberries and pickles… it's an odd combo but it's what I've been craving." She looks down to her belly and I smile, she's beginning to show.
"So, you're about 5 months along now?"
She nods, smiling, and I notice a new glow to her cheeks. "The baby should be due in about early July… and the ultrasound to find out the sex is this upcoming week. Though I'm not sure if I want it to be a surprise or not."
"Well, surprises are fun."
"Yeah, plus it's not like Zeke and I are going to go all crazy with pink if it's a girl and blue if it's a boy. All that shit feels way too binary for me… don't wanna enforce any weird ass gender roles on my child before it's even born. So, yeah. I think I might wait to find out… but have the doctor write it down in an envelope in case I get curious."
"Good idea, then… You're going to make a fantastic mother."
She gives me a grateful look. "That means a lot Tris… I've been hearing that from Zeke and Zeke's family and my own family… but I'm not sure if they're just saying it for their benefit as well. Truth be told, I think we're all freaking out a little bit… But to hear it from you… I'm really grateful."
I squeeze her hand, "Anytime. The place looks great by the way."
She sighs and shoots me a look. "Zeke turning 18 is the best thing that happened to us. Now, it's like one of us is a legal adult so I feel less weird about the whole we're-having-a-baby thing… and also his parents are literally angels and got us this whole place for ourselves. We really need this… I'm so indebted to the Pedrad's it's not even funny."
"Well, all of you are family at this point. And this baby is so lucky to grow up with so much love."
She nods in agreement, "I feel so fortunate. And… I really want this. To have this child with Zeke. He may be a dumb ass… but he's my dumb ass."
"He's gonna be a good dad as well," I tell her.
"That, we can both agree on. I know he's nervous but he has no reason to be. I've seen how fatherly he can be with Uri, and he's just a naturally protective person. This was meant to happen for us," she says confidently. "And also…" he glances over to the boys, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm really glad you're in Tobias's life. You guys are really good together, and I've never seen him so happy. I guess I've always been a little worried about him… he was only ever close with me and Zeke and even when he was with Nita it was obvious he was unhappy… and with me and Zeke being a grade above him, I wondered if he would just close himself off once we graduated. Maybe that's just the protective motherly side of me, though. But then he met you and it's like this whole other side of him was brought out. I mean, I always knew it was in there. He just didn't let it show that much. Just… I'm glad he has you."
I give her a watery smile, "Trust me, he has the same effect on me."
"Hey, ladies. What are we talking about?" Zeke asks, walking up to us, Tobias in tow.
Shauna doesn't miss a beat, "Breast feeding."
"Oh, well this is a subject I'm interested in hearing about," Zeke waggles his eyebrows and Shauna shoves him gently.
Tobias comes up behind me and places a kiss on the top of my head. I'm feeling particularly clingy as I remember Shauna's words so I grab onto his hand tightly, fiddling with his grandfather's band that he always has on.
"Hey," I whisper to him, as Zeke and Shauna continue their chatter.
"Hey," he whispers back.
"I'm glad I met you."
I feel him smile against my neck, "I'm glad I met you too."
We hung out with Zeke and Shauna for another hour or so before heading out, giving them their Valentine's day time alone. Tobias confessed to me that seeing Shauna pregnant got him a little bit emotional, as she's been one of his best friends since freshman year and he can't believe she's going to be a mother.
After we left, we walked around the block for a bit because Zeke and Shauna moved into a pretty nice neighborhood and we had some time on our hands to explore. We went to an antique store, got some ice cream, and checked out a stationary shop. I was just about to suggest we head back to the car when I noticed Tobias's eyes on something and I followed his line of sight.
"No," I had said instantly, because I knew where this was going.
"Tris, please… let's just look…" he insisted, tugging on my hand like a 5 year old.
And of course, I gave in, because I also wanted to look as well.
Now, that is how I find myself in an animal shelter, willing myself not to get attached to any of the cute cats and dogs, looking at me with their wide eyes. A lady who introduced herself as Zoe is guiding us around the shelter, introducing us to the animals.
I can tell Tobias is getting attached, giving every animal we pass by a forlorn look. God, why did I agree to come in here with him? Pain, that's all there is.
"I have a special friend I want you two to meet," Zoe says, leading us to the end of the room. "This here is Milo," she opens a door to a pen and a small puppy runs out, jumping all over Tobias's feet. He looks like a german shepherd, but mixed with something else.
I swear, Tobias completely falls apart as he gathers the dog in his arms. "Hey there little guy." Milo gives his face an abundance of kisses and he laughs. Oh god.
"How long has he been here?" I ask Zoe, eyeing him warily.
"About two weeks. He's a german shepherd and siberian husky mix." Well, that explains the beautiful pale eyes. "We suspect he's only about 3 months old, though we don't know his exact birth date."
"How'd he get here?" Tobias asks, lifting him up under his front legs.
"Some folks brought him in after a storm a couple of weeks ago… said they found him hidden underneath a bunch of fallen tree branches. His leg was badly injured but we fixed him up and he's all better now…" Well… that's just… great. And judging by the way Tobias is looking at him, I already know what's going to happen.
Tobias holds Milo out to me and I take him hesitantly. He instantly begins licking my face and I laugh a little. Yep, Zoe knew what she was doing when she brought us over here, I'm already in love with this mutt.
I see Tobias giving me a knowing look and I shake my head. "We can't… we're so busy."
"Your mom is home all the time! And on the weekends and evenings he can come over to my place… it'll be like… dual custody."
I snort a little, but my heart melts as Milo snuggles his head into my shoulder. I look over to Zoe who is giving us a knowing smile and I sigh. "Alright…"
"Milo!" I say, grabbing his leash tightly. "This is your last chance to pee, Tobias is coming out of the store soon."
We spent an hour filling out paperwork with Zoe and then some more time doing an interview with her to make sure we were fit before we could take Milo home. I had to hold him tightly in my arms when we got into the car so he wouldn't ruin Tobias's nice leather seats.
We made a stop at PetSmart and I took Milo out for a potty break while Tobias went in and bought all the stuff we'll need for Milo, double that since he's going to be living at his house and mine. Tobias told me he doesn't think Marcus will mind Milo, and he actually thinks Tiffany will like him. I know for a fact my siblings will love him, which makes me feel better about having some helping hands around the house, though I'm not sure how my parents will feel about having a puppy to take care of on top of the 8 children who live under their roof. Once they see him, though, I doubt they'll have the heart to send him back.
"Tris!" I hear Tobias call out, and see he's standing by the car with a huge cart full of stuff.
"Look Milo! There's Tobias!" Already, Milo seems to recognize his name and he barks excitedly, running up to him and pulling me behind him. For a puppy he's pretty strong.
Tobias laughs excitedly at Milo and I can't help but smile. I swear, every new day of our relationship he becomes more of a softie than I ever thought he was. "Hey buddy! Just got your bed and some toys! Not to mention your food cuz you're gonna be needing a lot of that!"
I sit in the car with a restless Milo, trying to hold him down while Tobias loads the trunk up with our stuff. As we're driving away, I notice a small smile on his face. "What?" I ask, running a hand over Milo's head.
"We're parents now," he says excitedly.
I shake my head. I don't know how I saw my first Valentine's Day in a relationship going… but adopting a dog certainly wasn't in my predictions. Still, as Milo snuggles up to me the same way that he did at the shelter, I feel content, like this was meant to happen. Me, Tobias, and Milo. A family of our own, I guess.
"Are you ready?" Tobias asks, as we walk up to the front door, Milo on his leash, sniffing the grass and plants in my front yard excitedly.
"I would tell her it was your idea… but I just know she'll blame me anyway," I grumble and he grins.
I knock on my door gently and a couple seconds later my mother swings it open, leaning on one of her crutches and greeting us with a wide smile. It falters when she looks down and notices Milo, though. She looks back up to us, her mouth pressed in a firm line. "Beatrice Natalie Prior, what is that?"
"It was my idea Natalie," Tobias says quickly, though she holds a hand up to stop him, still glaring at me.
"Hey mom, guess what! We adopted a puppy…" I say meekly.
"Puppy?" I hear Oliver's voice call out excitedly, and he shoves my mom aside to run outside and greet him. Chase and Carson bound out behind him, ignoring my mom's protesting, and Milo jumps up, excited to greet them all.
"What's all the commotion about?" My dad says stepping into the doorway. His eyebrows raise when he sees Milo playing with the boys.
"We got a puppy!" They all say excitedly, and my mother sighs, knowing that the thing is staying for good. There's not a chance she could rip Milo from these boys' hands now.
"Get him inside then, Beatrice," My mom says, rubbing a hand over her face. "But we're still having a chat later."
Tobias and I look at each other, smiling in victory. "Hey everyone!" I call to my family as I bring Milo inside, "We have a dog now!"
After that I hear several footprints rushing out from their bedrooms, the kitchen, the living room, all to greet our new furry friend. I laugh a little. At least Milo is going to grow up in a house full of love.
Sorry about the late chapter! I've been SWAMPED with school starting this week, more than I expected, so idk when I'm going to get to consistent updates. I know this contradicts what I've been saying, about me getting to make a better update schedule after September 12th but I'm busier than expected. I hope that you can understand, I'm sorry if I let you down though :( I have other obligations that I need to focus on and fanfiction is just a hobby when it comes down to it. A hobby that I enjoy immensely, but still.
Do not fear, though! I am not abandoning my stories at all! Not even putting them on hold… you just might see less frequent updates… and I apologize. I hope this Valentine's chapter was adequate enough for my 6 year fanfiction anniversary, and I hope you enjoyed the Fourtris fluff. As well as me highlighting the friendships and stories of other characters (like Caleb and Shauna). This story is called 'Comfort Crowd' and if you've listened to the Conan Gray song it's about wanting friendship and love and good company, which is a consistent theme throughout the story. So obviously I have to include arcs about everyone's journey in finding strength within the people they love and becoming happy. This also lines up with the theme at the end of Allegiant, when Tobias says "we can be mended, we mend each other". Anyways, there's the author intent paragraph that none of you were looking for :D
Also Carnivale is a real restaurant in Chicago that I've been to! It is really beautiful and nice. And yeah! Tobias and Tris have a furry friend now… stay tuned for the next chapter if you want to see some lacrosse ;)
-Kiki