I envisioned this chapter and kind of the whole story after binging Chicago Fire and then listening to For Tonight by Giveon. I love your predictions at the end of the last chapter! Keep them coming! Love ya'll!


"I can't believe we spent the entire day together" Tris muses as she sets down her bourbon.

Tobias had sprung for dinner at Rosebud's steakhouse after Tris told him how much she loved a good steak. They hadn't said one word about what they did for a living, where they grew up, about their parents or if they had any siblings. Surprisingly it had been easy, talking about any and everything else.

"Yeah this has been kind of wild"

Tris looks at her phone as it buzzes on the table.

Christina: Just checking in to make sure you haven't been sex trafficked or held hostage…

Tris: I'm totally fine, I promise. I'll see you in the morning

Christina: The D is that good? Send me a picture, I want to know what he looks like…

Tris: Goodnight Chris

Tris chuckles and puts her phone down. They hadn't said anything about spending the night together again, but after almost going at it on the Ferris Wheel, she was confident they would end up back in his bed at some point that night.

"Everything cool?" He asks after she fires off a few messages.

"Yeah, my best friend was just checking in"

"Do you need to go?" She smiles at the tone of his words, she could tell he didn't want their day to end any more than she did.

"No, she's just making sure I'm good and that I haven't been kidnapped"

"So I'm guessing you aren't from here…" Tobias smiles, he understood it was strange that both of them had basically disappeared, focused only on each other. He was shocked Shauna and Zeke weren't blowing up his phone as well.

"No, I'm just here visiting, I actually live in Atlanta" She bites her lips and looks down at the table surprised that she divulged that.

"When are you leaving?" he decides to ask at the risk of killing the mood.

"The day after tomorrow" She sighs, the week has flown by quicker than she expected.

"Oh, I have to head back to work tomorrow," Tobias says realizing this was the last night they would have together.

Tris nods her head hearing the disappointment in his voice, this had been fun, but she was going back to Atlanta. She didn't want to do the long-distance thing. Today had been something special that she would always have.

"Well at least we have tonight," She says brightly, raising her drink to her lips.

Tobias grins and picks up his glass for a drink too.

An hour later, Tobias pulls up to a building where they did fire inspections and he knew the security guards. They always were cool about letting him up to the rooftop with the women he entertained.

"VIP treatment, A girl could get used to this" Tris teases as Tobias opens the door for her after the security guard buzzes them in.

"Only the best for you" He grins as he pushes the elevator button and drapes the blanket he grabbed from the trunk of his car over his arm like a butler. He gives his arm a flourish and bows when the doors open causing Tris to shake her head with a grin.

They exit the elevator on the top floor and then take another set of stairs to the roof access. Tobias lays down the blanket for them to sit on. Tris settles down sitting between his legs, and then leans back into his chest as he wraps his arms around her.

"I had a really great time today, Tris," he says quietly. He wasn't sure what he wanted. He only knew that she was like a breath of fresh air to him. Never had he felt so comfortable with someone but she still seemed so determined to not let things go beyond that day.

"I did too" She sighs, picking at the blanket.

"I want to see you again, I have no idea what that means, or how…."

Tris turns so she can look at him and places a finger on his lips to silence him and then caresses his cheek.

"Can we just have this, today and tonight, and let it be that one perfect day that both of us will always have?"

"Don't you want more?" He couldn't believe he was pressing her for this. Relationships weren't his thing but he feels like what she made him feel, was how it was supposed to be, that feeling he had been waiting for.

"I need to figure some things out and I don't want to hurt you. I think you're amazing but if this is supposed to be more, we will find each other again"

She needed to figure out what she wanted to do about continuing at the Atlanta Fire Department or moving to Chicago with a clear head and she couldn't do that if she was putting being with him first. She had done that before and she promised herself she would never do it again.

He leans in and gives her a soft kiss just as the sky erupts as the fireworks show from Navy Pier starts. They stay like that, kissing softly as the fireworks continue to boom and light up the night sky.


An hour later Tris and Tobias stumble into his apartment. He texted Shauna while they were at the restaurant and she was out at Dauntless so he made sure they headed straight to his bedroom.

Tobias undresses her slowly, kissing each part of her skin he exposes until she's nude. Then she does the same, running her hands over him to remember the feel of his muscles. She pushes him back on the bed, lowering herself to her knees to take him in her mouth.

She goes slow, enjoying all of the reactions she gets from him with every motion as she pleasures him. Tobias thinks his eyes roll back in his head at one point as his chest heaves. She becomes more aggressive, alternating between sucking and licking the head and then adding her hand into the mix.

"You give the best fucking head Baby" Tobias praises with a breathy voice, looking down and he can tell she smiles at him with her eyes as she continues to work.

"Tris, please, I need to be inside you" he begs when he feels himself about to go over the edge.

She grins as she gets up and he points to the drawer on his nightstand and then climbs into the bed. She grabs a condom, playfully shaking it before opening it and rolling it on him.

"Tris…I.." Tobias starts as Tris moves on top of him, and he sits up to hold her close. Never had he felt this way with someone. Maybe it was the fact that he knew they only had that night? Maybe it was the close moments they shared during the day? All he knew is in that moment he felt like he could stay with her forever. He feels like he wants to say I love you, even though it's completely crazy.

"I know…I know, Baby," She whispers as she stops moving and leans in to give him a kiss.

She felt how special this was. And for some strange reason, she knew what he was feeling, and she knew that it scared her but if all they had was tonight, she wanted to enjoy this last moment with him. But saying it out loud would make it more real than she wanted to admit. She presses herself closer to him, feeling the cool metal of his necklace press against her chest. They move together, never taking their eyes off each other, drinking in the sight of the other. The sound of their labored breaths the only noise.

"Baby, I'm so close" she whispers.

"Me too, Come with me right now" Tobias commands.

Tris nods and as if her body was waiting for him to ask, she whimpers as the heat runs through her and her orgasm radiates throughout her body. Tobias pulls her down for a kiss, as he comes, gasping into her mouth.

"Wow" Tobias breathes after a few minutes and they press their foreheads together.

"Wow, is right" Tris grins touching his lips with her fingers.

He goes to take care of the condom and grabs them a bottle of water. It was just after 11, he heard Shauna come in and head to her room. He needed to get some sleep before shift in the morning but he wanted these last hours with Tris to count. They lay together naked, the soft light coming from his bedside lamp the only light in the room. He traces random shapes on her hip as they lie on their sides with their hands propping up their heads facing each other.

"What's this tattoo mean?" He had been so caught up in the flames on the other side of her body the night before he hadn't paid close attention to the two smaller ones on the other side.

She looks down and points to the flag. "I'm half Dominican so this is for my mother's country"

Tobias runs his fingers over it as she speaks.

"Ah, now the Spanish makes sense, which is sexy as hell I might add"

Tris laughs. Sometimes she didn't even realize she did it. She and Caleb would switch between Spanish and English in the middle of a conversation.

"And what does this mean?" He moves his hand to the bird that seemed to have its neck backward right below the Dominican flag on her torso.

"That is the Sankofa symbol. In Ghana, it means "go back to the past and bring forth what is useful", my dad is Black and this was one of the things I remember him teaching me when I was younger"

"Is he not around?"

"Not really, he cheated on my mom, decided he wanted a divorce, and started a new family…" She rolls her eyes and twists her face at the comment.

"I'm sorry," He says softly while rubbing her arm in a comforting motion.

"It's cool, my mom is remarried now and really happy. My Bonus Dad is amazing, I just wish my dad would... I don't know…" She sighs and he can tell she has conflicted feelings about her father.

"I know how you feel though, my father loves to step out on my mom…"

"They aren't divorced?" She asks curiously as she runs her fingers over his. He raises his hand and she presses their palms together.

"No, and I have no idea why she keeps taking him back, I think they both love the chaos"

Tris scoots closer to him and he lays back on the bed allowing her to rest her head on his chest and he kisses her forehead.

They make love again, one last time, slowly, savoring each other's touches dreading the sun coming up.


The next morning, Tris grabs a shower in his bathroom before putting on the dress she wore two nights ago and she decides to add another of his shirts over it to not quite look like she was on the walk of shame while Tobias took his turn in the shower. She goes to his closet and is shocked at what she finds.

"You have got to be kidding me" Tris chuckles to herself as moves the shirts in his closet looking for a clean one.

There hanging in his closet were his work uniforms for the Chicago Fire Department. She runs her fingers over the embroidered insignia on the sleeve of one of the shirts. Then it dawns on her why the medallion he wore on the long silver chain was familiar. It was a medallion of St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters in the Catholic church.

Natalie being Dominican was Roman Catholic. When they moved to Atlanta, Aunt Edith took Tris and Caleb to her baptist church and Tris started to forget some of the things she learned that were aligned with Catholicism. But when she became a firefighter, her mother had gotten her a similar medallion that she kept with her rosary in a box on her nightstand. She didn't look at it often, thinking more of it as a keepsake since she didn't go to mass often anymore. Natalie had gotten Caleb a similar medallion with St. Michael the patron saint of police officers. She couldn't even wrap her head around how this had happened. Of all the guys she had to choose from in that club, what were the chances that they were both firefighters?

She closes the closet after grabbing a random shirt and finishes dressing as Tobias saunters out of his shower with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Hope you don't mind me borrowing this" Tris says walking up to him and running her hands over his chest seductively as he wraps his arms around her waist.

"No, you wearing my clothes is fucking sexy. I was kind of hoping you would have joined me in the shower" Tobias says quietly as he drops his head to give her a soft kiss.

"Yeah but then you would have been late to work" She chuckles.

"You have a point." He chuckles and looks into her eyes. She was right, they would always have the one perfect day together. Normally he bragged about his conquests with Zeke and Shauna. This he wanted to treasure and not in a boastful way. The past two nights with her and yesterday had been amazing. He knows he's never had such a quick connection with anyone. He felt like he had known her for years even though they had been selective about the information they shared with each other.

"So this is it…" He states as she plays with his necklace and he tightens his arms around her waist.

"Yeah, I head back to Atlanta tomorrow."

"You are an amazing woman, Tris, I'm glad I met you" He admits while stroking her cheek.

"I'm glad I met you too" She looks into his eyes, feeling the vibe between the two of them.

He pulls her to him for a kiss, moving his lips slowly against hers. Just when he's about to deepen the kiss, she pulls back. She had to back away, to stop herself from becoming lost in him again. They stand there, still wrapped around each other for a moment before she gives him another quick kiss and fully pulls herself away, and grabs her purse. Placing her hand on the bedroom door she opens it but then turns with a grin.

"Catch you later Smoke Eater" Tris winks as she walks out of his bedroom.

She notices his roommate in the kitchen fixing herself a cup of coffee. She gives her a wave and a smile and keeps on heading out the door.

Tobias stands there dumbfounded blinking for a minute. Smoke Eater was a term that firefighters only used with each other. Was her father a firefighter? There was no way he had just spent the most amazing day with this incredible woman and she was a firefighter just like him.

He throws on a pair of shorts and runs out into the living room just as the front door closes and Shauna eyes him from the kitchen counter over the rim of her coffee cup as she takes a sip.

"Don't think for one minute that you are getting out of explaining this one. Go get dressed, before we're late for shift"

Tobias drops his head in a laugh. He loved Shauna. The morning after for both of their hookups was usually funny and there was never any judgment from either of them.

"I'm shocked, honestly. You and I never go for the same type. I only caught a glimpse but Eaton, I have to give it to you, but I can tell that one was sexy as hell"

"Shauna, you have no idea" Tobias shakes his head with a chuckle as he heads back to his room to finish getting dressed so they can leave for work.


"Beatrice Prior, you have some explaining to do" Christina demands as Tris walks into the apartment with a grin on her face.

"I know, I know, let me change and we can go grab breakfast"

Christina squeals with delight as Tris heads into the guestroom. She was glad that her leave for the day was still intact so she could miss shift and spend the last day Tris was in town with her.

Thirty minutes later they head out the door to a breakfast spot and Tris tells Christina about meeting Tobias in the club, going home with him, and their day at Navy Pier. She leaves out his name and doesn't show her the pictures though. She wanted to keep those things close to her.

"Okay let me get this straight" Christina starts dramatically as Tris rolls her eyes as she leans back in the diner booth.

"You meet a guy, have the best sex of your life, then you spend the ENTIRE day with him like a fucking fairytale, have another night of the best sex of your life and you are telling me you didn't get his last name or even his phone number?"

"Uhhhh yeah, that's about it…"

"Chica, how do you meet your dream guy and walk away"

"Chris, I'm not relationship material, you know this, I would have just hurt him, and besides who wants to do a long-distance relationship anyway…" She shrugs and goes back to her french toast.

"And you didn't think meeting this amazing guy was the motivation to move to Chicago?"

"I'm never making another decision like that because of someone I met ever again" Tris snaps.

"Whoah, where did that come from? What are you not telling me?" Christina looks at her best friend, knowing that something was going on with her to lash out.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you…" Tris says with a grimace, feeling bad for lashing out.

Chistina just nods, and reaches out across the table, placing her hand over her best friend's.

"You know I'm always here for you, you can talk to me, Tris, about anything, that's never going to change"

Tris feels a tear slide down her cheek. There had been so much that she held in about her relationship from years before. She knew it affected her but sometimes until times like this one, she didn't really realize just how much.

"When Nita and I were together, I got into Northwestern…" She admits quietly.

Christina gasps and her eyes widen. How had she not known this?

"Tris….You never told me you applied….I thought you didn't want to go because of your dad, "

Tris takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I didn't tell anyone, not my mom, not Caleb. I really wanted to go to Northwestern, especially since you were coming to Chicago and Caleb was already here. I wanted it so bad but I was scared because that's exactly what my dad wanted for me. I think I applied just to prove to myself I could do it without having his name attached to it. If I didn't get in, no one would know, and I didn't have to deal with all the disappointing looks "

Tris was just as smart as Christina, she was one of the top students in their graduating class. Christina had been salutatorian and Tris wasn't that far behind her in the class rankings. All her school counselors had thrown all these college applications her way and that coupled with the pressure from her father everything was just so overwhelming she panicked. She didn't know what she wanted to do or how to move forward.

"And then Nita got into Spelman…and you decided to take a gap year" Christina finishes putting all the pieces together.

"Yeah and I really thought if I stayed, things would be better for us, we would have more freedom to just be together while I figured out what I wanted to do… and when things fell apart with us, I promised myself I would never put myself in that situation again."

Tris wipes a tear from her eye. She hadn't initially wanted to be a firefighter. She had thought about being a nurse, she and Christina joked that when she became a doctor, Tris would be her nurse and they would run their own practice. She knew she could have gone into business, and helped her mother run the cleaning business but nothing seemed to fit. She spent her entire gap year, focused on Nita while helping Natalie with the cleaning business and not thinking about her own future.

Then one fateful day one of the maids working for her mother had an accident right outside their office building. Tris called 911 and was mesmerized as she watched the paramedics work. She started researching that night and decided that's what she wanted to do.

Once she got to her first firehouse in Atlanta she was drawn to the work the firefighters did. It was so much more than running into burning buildings and hauling fire hoses. It took a few years but she worked up the courage to take the firefighter test and had the fastest time through the obstacle course in the training academy.

"Tris, I'm sorry, I wish I would have known.."

It was no secret Christina wasn't a big fan of Nita. They didn't travel in the same circles in high school. Nita's parents were upper class and all about image. Nita was a debutante, in Jack and Jill and a cheerleader. While Tris and Christina were seen as less than because they were enrolled at their private school on scholarship. Christina kept the peace with Nita for Tris but when Nita walked away from her, it solidified her dislike for her.

"It doesn't matter, I never would have become a firefighter if I had gone to Northwestern and I love what I do but I can never make a decision like that ever again. I won't allow myself to do it"

Christina nods in understanding. She felt like Tris was making a mistake, but Tris was stubborn. Hopefully, if she and her mystery guy are meant to be together, they would find their way back to each other.

That evening, Tris and Christina have dinner with Caleb. They had laughed and reminisced about all the things the three of them used to get into back in Atlanta. She had the most amazing time on her vacation and she was sad it was coming to an end. It was a reminder of how good things could be if she came to Chicago but she just wasn't ready to make that decision yet.


Tobias and Zeke sit in their lawn chairs on the roof of the firehouse puffing on cigars. Tobias had relayed to Zeke the play by play of his time with Tris.

"Damn Bro… sounds like you are officially an ass man now" Zeke teases.

"Ha, yes, I have now seen the light" Tobias chuckles with a wicked grin remembering the wonderful sight of Tris and her curves bent over in front of him.

"But seriously, you really aren't going to see her again? It sounds like you two had a real connection"

"We did but she was leaving, didn't want to do the long-distance thing. I guess she was right when we would ever have time to see each other"

Zeke takes a puff of his cigar. He hoped his best friend would find love, a real love, someone to be there to support him. If he and this woman had such a strong connection, Zeke could do nothing but hope that they would find their way back to each other some way.