Tris woke to knocking on her door. She looked around, groggy and disoriented, before realizing the knocking was getting more persistent. She threw her covers off and opened the door, shielding her eyes from both the light in the hall and Tobias's wide grin in front of her.

"Morning," he said. "Still working out?"

"Oh...yeah." She hadn't realized that it was time to start the day; it felt like only minutes had passed since she had lain down. It was the best night's sleep she'd gotten since she arrived. "Give me a second." Tris dressed quickly, running to the bathroom to apply more ointment to her tattoo and to brush her teeth before joining Tobias.

They ran through the same routine they always did: laps around Dauntless to warm up, then time spent alternating between working on arms and legs. Tris worked hard, following Tobias's instructions and moving the heavy bag with more force than she ever had before. She could feel him watching her every chance he got; she had to suppress a smile almost all morning.

"Wanna fight?"

"What?" she said, turning to look at him.

He held his hands up showing her the gloves, that crooked smile plastered on his face. "We have a little time. I just thought I could show you a couple moves. See if I'm really any good at this teaching thing."

She looked him up and down, trying to determine if she could handle being hit by him. She took in his taut muscles, the way he flexed his arms, the cocky smirk on his face. It was going to hurt, she was sure. But if she could somehow get the best of him, it would earn her some bragging rights. "I'll take it easy on you, I promise," he teased.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You'd better not."

They squared up, Tobias instructing her on basic offensive and defensive moves. He went through the motions first and then she followed, hitting and blocking, ducking and spinning, as he pointed out weak spots along the way. "Use your elbows," he said, "Or your knees." She smirked, readying her knee to hit him in the groin; he blocked her mock attempt, allowing her to spin, aiming an elbow to his face.

"Not bad," he said, planting a light kiss on the arm hovering an inch in front of him. "Let's do it for real now."

"What? Tobias, I can't hit you in the face."

"Why not?" he countered.

She didn't have a reason other than she didn't want to hurt him. She looked him up and down again before shrugging her shoulders. "Okay, but I don't want to hear you cry."

They went through the move again, only this time he blocked her arm, pulling it down and behind her back. "Needs a little work," he grunted, pulling her back against his chest; she could feel it rise and fall, his breaths heavy as he held his head next to hers. He wasn't hurting her or even holding onto her tight; it was just another lesson to keep her on her toes. She smiled as she stepped forward, twisting so her arm straightened, and landed another mock blow, this time to his throat.

"Or maybe I just need a better instructor," she quipped. They laughed as he pulled her closer, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"Again," he said. "I'll get it right, eventually." She smiled as he winked at her.

"You ready for today?" he asked when she came out of her room. It felt odd, going separate ways after all their time together, the morning feeling almost bittersweet.

"As ready as I can be," she answered. Truthfully, she was a little worried that it was going to be a waste of their time, and that she would end up doing something she hated for nothing. She smiled, though, trying to keep a positive outlook on the situation.

The rest of her morning was hectic, with information coming at her from every direction: her housing assignment, a schedule for classes, introductions to the rest of the council members she had yet to meet. She was even scheduled to spend some time at the end of each day with one of the council members, going over various things to make sure she was acclimating well and assimilating all the information she was being taught. The first couple of weeks, she learned, would be spent doing nothing more than sitting in various classrooms; for a moment she felt like she was back in the city, the same boring routine on repeat. She supposed that there was a sliver of hope that one of the council members would answer whatever questions she could come up with, and that it might lead to something.

"How was your first morning?" Matthew asked at lunch. Tobias's schedule didn't line up with theirs; she hated that she wouldn't see him until dinner.

"Informative," she answered dryly. "I'm completely looking forward to the next few weeks of non-stop Bureau history and everything that goes along with it." Matthew gave her a sympathetic look. "Please don't pity me," she said, laughing. "At least there's lunch with you."

"You have got to make some friends, Tris."

"Hey, I have friends."

"Four and I don't count." Matthew gave her a small smile. "I'm only saying something because it looks like I will have to go back out on a data run soon." She rolled her eyes and let out a quiet groan. Matthew's tone was rueful as he added, "Yeah. Think how I feel."

Tris looked around the cafeteria: not a single face looked familiar to her. She hadn't had a lot of friends in Abnegation, either, but at least she had known Susan and Robert, who lived across the street from her, and she had been friendly with an Amity girl named Lilly who sat next to her in a couple of classes. She had only met a handful of people at the Bureau: Ruby, Jones, Neil, and Emma were the only ones that came to mind. She gave Matthew a sheepish look when she realized he was staring at her.

"Okay," she conceded. "You have a point."

"I always do." He winked at her, making her laugh.

Tris's afternoon consisted of watching various videos that talked about how the experiments were started and the goals of the Bureau. They also seemed to stress the importance of reproductive safety. Tris blushed, but kept her eyes focused on the screen in front of her while her instructor read a book. It was definitely a more descriptive lesson than the basic sex education speech she had received in school, but what really worried her was that even though none of the videos said it outright, a distinct undertone ran throughout: the damaged and the pure shouldn't intermix in order to guarantee the passing along of healed genes. Tris worried for a moment that her relationship with Tobias might cause trouble for them.

At the end of the video, there was an informative piece on the policy of mandatory contraception within the Bureau; she looked down at her schedule to see a trip to the hospital wing was set for the next day. While she was in no rush to have children, it felt wrong for others to limit her choices in the matter. She had to brush off the feeling that, because of her genes, they would eventually use her to breed like the animals in Amity.

Amar was unusually silent. Tobias was sure it was because of George, but he didn't want to bring anything up around prying ears; it seemed like gossip could spread faster at the Bureau than diseases in the Fringe. They had worked together seamlessly on his first day back, designating supplies for the next trip out into one of the cities, setting up patrol shifts to monitor the compound, and assigning who would check and replace faulty equipment over the next month. It was mind-numbing busy work, and by late afternoon, Tobias found himself wishing that he could find Tris and go disappear someplace where they couldn't be found.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked Amar when the shift began clearing out.

"Not particularly. What's up with you and Tris?"

Tobias clenched his jaw at the blatant redirection. "What do you mean?"

Amar set down his tablet and looked up at Tobias. "Look, I know you like to play the aloof card, but you've turned into a whole new person since she showed up. I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice. Hell, I can see it in your step. You know as well as I do that they're watching. They're always watching."

"You think I haven't thought about that?" Tobias spat.

Amar held up his hands. "Listen, I'm on your side. She's turned you into a respectable human being capable of feelings and word usage. But you are my friend, and I just need to know that you're looking out for yourself, too." Tobias sighed and gave him a quick nod. Just like Tobias, Amar didn't show his softer side often.

"What about George?" They only had a few minutes before the next shift would begin making their way in. He wasn't going to budge until he got at least some semblance of an answer from Amar. They stared at each other for a minute before Amar looked away.

"I'll make you a deal," he said. Tobias thought he had never heard Amar sound so dejected. "I need some time to think things through, and I can't do that if I'm crammed into the same vehicle as him for a week. So, how about if I help keep an eye out here and let you know if anything seems amiss, and you can keep an eye out on this trip for me." He pushed his tablet towards Tobias; on it was the itinerary for their next mission out.

Tobias normally had no problem heading out to the cities to just get away; he and Amar often alternated trips. But with Tris in the picture, and the fact that they were snooping around, he was hesitant. It wasn't until he saw the worry in Amar's eyes that he knew he had to go. They had something in common now between Tris and George, and despite Amar's loyalties to the Bureau, they were going to have to look out for each other. Besides, Amar was his friend, and it wouldn't kill Tobias to do something nice.

"Yes, sir," he said as the next shift began filtering in. Amar tapped the screen, sending the schedule to Tobias before dismissing him.

He was lost in various thoughts of Tris, wondering how her day went and if she missed him even half as much as he missed her. He had some time to clear his things from the dorm before meeting her for dinner; he knew it was selfish, but he hoped she was housed near him. It would certainly help them to spend more time together without looking like they were going out of their way to do so. As desperate as he was to touch and hold and kiss her all the time, he knew he couldn't keep throwing caution to the wind.

He hadn't brought much with him, so he shoved it in a bag and lugged it back in one trip. He also changed his sheets and did other mundane things to pass the time. With nothing left to do, he decided to wait for Tris in the common room so he could help with her things.

She saw his feet propped up on a chair as she walked down the hallway. Tris peered around the corner to see him dozing on the couch, and couldn't help but smile at how he looked; it was nice to see him relaxed, his near-permanent look of intimidation hidden away for a few moments. The only time he seemed to let this side of him be seen was when it was just the two of them, and Tris wished she could see it more. She sighed and set her things down quietly, tiptoeing over to him. Just as she leaned down to kiss him on the cheek, he turned his head and met her lips with his.

"No fair," she said. "How'd you know?"

"I could hear you breathing."

Her mouth fell open for a second. "You're not the quietest breather in the room either, you know."

Tobias smiled and reached out, pulling her down into his lap. He nuzzled into her neck, relieved to finally have her in his arms. She let out a small laugh that turned into a sigh; his breath was warm, his hands gentle as they roamed across her back. He placed a soft kiss on her neck and she arched a little closer, the lack of space between them tempting.

"You don't seem to mind my breathing now," he whispered.

Tris smiled, clearing her throat and pulling away, despite how badly she wanted to stay put. "I have good news." She stood and pulled him up off the couch.

They carried her things down the same hallway where Tobias lived. His hopes were high for good reason; they stopped only three doors down from his. "Surprise," Tris said, sliding her keycard through the reader and pushing the door open; it was identical to Tobias's unit.

"How'd you pull this one off? Did you have to promise them your firstborn or something?"

She frowned at the thought. "I didn't have to do anything," she said, setting her things down on the small table. "This is what was assigned to me."

Tobias watched as she grabbed her bag of clothes, taking it to her bedroom. He knew it would have become occupied at some point, but it didn't stop the thought from crossing his mind that it was too convenient for Tris to be assigned so close to him. Tobias hoped it was his own insecurities that were fueling his mistrust, and pushed the thought aside, accepting her assignment as pure luck.

He followed her into her room, pulling the sheets and blanket out of the dresser while she put her clothes away. They were silent as they worked together: making the bed, filling her bathroom cabinet, putting her paperwork away neatly in the desk in her room. It was relaxing, structured. It was Abnegation.

"So," he said, pulling her badge so he could see it. "Administration. You're officially one of them."

"Yeah," she said, sighing a little.

"Feel any different?"

She shrugged. "I just want what's best. For everyone."

"I know." He stepped forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. "You know, in Dauntless they throw a party when they move into a new unit."

She pulled back to see a grin on his face. "How do you know that?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, okay," she said, laughing. "Sometimes I forget about the screens. And your obsession with them. Did you have a party?"

"It's not an obsession. And I'm not Dauntless."

"Neither am I," she countered.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead again. "Yeah. Keep telling yourself that." His confidence in her made her smile.

The rest of the week went smoothly as she followed the same daily routine: working out with Tobias, breakfast, classes, lunch with Matthew, and more classes that ended in meetings she'd yet to figure out how to work to her advantage. The routines she had loathed in Abnegation were slowly becoming comforting to her.

Matthew hung out with them once after dinner, and Amar and Ruby and Jones — who now insisted she call him Benjamin — joined them a couple of times. It was nice spending time with other people, forming new friendships. They rarely talked about work or the Bureau, but with Tris being the new person they seemed to always end up on the topic of the experiments. She often caught Tobias's subtle questions to his friends and paid attention to the answers; trying to gauge his motivations, she finally decided to ask when they returned to their rooms.

"I'm going out on a mission to one of the cities soon."

"Oh." She wasn't quite sure why that meant he had to secretly interrogate his friends, but she urged him to continue.

"Just want to make sure I can trust them."

"With?"

He gave her a half-grin. "You."

She smiled. "I can take care of myself."

"I never said you couldn't. But it wouldn't hurt to have a couple sets of eyes that I can count on watching out for you. Just call it backup."

"Are you really that worried about me? Nothing's happened, Tobias."

"I know," he said, pulling her close. Nothing had happened. In fact, nothing seemed amiss at all. But that didn't stop the ever-present doubt that lurked in the back of his mind. "But if something did…" She gave him a soft smile when he didn't finish. He leaned down and kissed her, hoping to convey the words he couldn't find.

When they were alone, they rarely kept their hands to themselves; tangled in hair, trailing down backs, pressing each other close, it was all new territory for the both of them, and often left them both wanting. Tobias held back, much to his frustration, worried about pushing Tris too far or too fast. But Tris was just as desperate for him, her Abnegation teachings about modesty and the power of touch thrown right out the window. She knew how powerful it was; their experiences together brought out something from the depths of her, something that let her know beyond a doubt that everything they were doing was right and that she had no desire to experience it with anyone else.

"You okay?" he asked.

She hadn't even noticed he was staring at her, their lips long parted. "Oh. Yeah."

"You sure? You looked a little lost in thought there." He gave her that easy smile, the one that made her heart beat a little faster.

She slipped her hand in his. "What are we?" The words were quiet, a little too unsure for all that had been happening between them. Tobias's brow furrowed, and she realized he probably had no idea what she was talking about. "I feel weird asking, but I'm your girlfriend, right?"

Tris looked away for only a moment, trying to keep her breathing normal. She knew it was odd to think otherwise, to doubt everything that was happening between them; it was nearly impossible for them to keep to themselves. But they had never talked about it, and being raised Abnegation didn't exactly give her any experience in that aspect of life. She hoped that asking for a little confirmation wasn't too out of the ordinary.

"Well, I hope so," he said, pulling her into him and wrapping his arms around her. "Considering the way I feel about you."

She bit her lip, trying to stifle a laugh as relief coursed through her. "So, that's it?"

She looked up at him; the look in her eyes left him wondering if she knew how he truly felt, if she was asking him to say he loved her out loud. He started and stopped a few times, every response feeling like too little. He wasn't sure there were enough words to describe how much he cared for her. His eyes narrowed when she laughed.

"I just thought there might be, like, a little more asking and a little less agreeing."

"Oh," he said, smiling at her teasing. He cleared his throat and stood up straight. "Beatrice Prior, would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

She laughed again, and this time he joined her. Tris thought it was hilarious how awkward a seemingly normal moment had become, but she was thankful that Tobias was doing his best to put her at ease. She cleared her throat and stood straight like he had done, and put on her best serious face. "Well, that depends."

"On?" he asked, his face mimicking hers.

She lifted her hands, spreading them across his chest, feeling every defined muscle as she leaned up on her toes. "If you want to be my boyfriend, too," she whispered in his ear.

Her pulse quickened as he fit his mouth to hers. She gripped his shirt, pulling herself against him. The feel of his lips and his body against hers was euphoric and dizzying. He ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her so close she had no idea whose heartbeat she was feeling. All she knew was that she had no desire for the moment to end, the thoughts in her mind repeating themselves over and over: she wanted to revel in these feelings for the rest of her life.

His lips found their way to her cheek, her jaw, just under her ear. "Yes," he whispered, his breath and his words sending a wave of goosebumps over her body. He felt her nod and held her tighter; he swore his heart was desperately trying to meld with hers to become one. "I am yours, Tris. I will always be yours."

A/N:

Sometimes, a little cheeseball fluffiness is in order. :P

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