Tobias's POV:
We sit in a circle, passing around the food cans, each taking a bite, like the factionless did. There are no more factions, a small voice whispers, making an echo in my mind. I quickly push the thought away from my head, and gladly accept the can of peas that was handed to me by Tris. She smiles, her eyes glowing with passion. Planting a small kiss on her forehead, I eat a spoonful of the vegetable, and then pass it on to Cara. The dark night sky seeps into the windows, silencing the five of us. We would turn on a light, but we definitely don't want to give ourselves away. Tris passes me another can halfway full with peaches. Even though they are room temperature, I accept, for I have not eaten in a long while. Come to think of it, when was the last time I'd eaten?
Tris interrupts my train of thought by stating, "When do you think Amar will come?"
"Probably not until at least midnight, when the city appoints less qualified guards," Christiana replies.
"That makes sense. What time is it now?" Tris asks.
Caleb answers, "Around nine." Tris doesn't respond, all she can muster is a glare pointed directly at him.
I decide to attempt to calm her down, so I take her by the arm and whisper, "Come with me." She accepts my gesture, and follows me up the stairs, each step creaking beneath her feet.
"Did you need something?" she asks me.
"Why can't you just forgive him?"
She hesitates, and then responds with, "He betrayed me and my family. He delivered me to my death bed! Would you forgive him?"
"I don't know, Tris. I honestly don't know if I would forgive him, but why did you go into the death serum storage if you still haven't forgiven him?"
"Because I felt like I had to! I don't know, Tobias, I just did." Now hot tears are streaming down her cheeks.
I inch closer to her, and stroke my thumb across her cheek, wiping away the salty tears stained onto her cheeks. "I'm just glad that you're alright. Just try to get along with him, okay?" Tris nods, her movements slow. I lean in and press my lips to hers for a slow, but passionate, kiss. Tris doesn't deny me; she slips her hand under my loose t-shirt, sending a shock of cool down my back. In response, I wrap my hand around her waist, pulling her in closer. We keep going at this until Christiana yells from downstairs to come back down. Tris pulls away, slowly, our lips detaching from each other, and she smiles. I smile back, and lace my fingers with hers. Hand-in-hand, we walk confidentially down the stairs, and sit down, waiting for the second round of peas to come around.
We sit in a circle in the middle of the living room, not daring to speak a word.
The cans pile in the center of the circle, all of them completely emptied, not a single crumb spared. It's at least midnight, and Amar still hasn't returned. I glance around the room, picking out every detail; the small holes in the wall from my father's countless rampages, the simple couch covering up the biggest one, which was due to my mother walking out on him. I shudder, the memories pressing into the deepest, most dark parts of my mind.
Tris looks at me, her eyes painted with worry. She whispers, "Tobias, I'm becoming a bit apprehensive. What will happen if they find us?"
"All hell would break loose," I answer.
Tris lets out a small laugh, and then stifles it quickly. "Tobias, that's not funny."
I smirk, and plant a silent kiss on her forehead. "Just be quiet and we'll be fine." She nods, and rests her head on my shoulder.
It seems like one hundred years until we notice the doorknob struggling to turn. The five of us glance at one another, panic and worry painted all over our faces. Christiana, being the Dauntless she is, slowly rises to a stand, and lingers over to the door. She quickly steals a glance out the peephole, and lets out a sigh of relief. It must be Amar.
Christiana unlocks the door with a click, and Amar quickly rushes in the room, his steps silent.
"Is everyone alright?" he asks.
"We're fine," I whisper back to him, answering for all of us.
"I had a bit of a struggle getting here, but, fortunately, I wasn't caught." Everyone stays quiet at his comment. "Well, I guess we should get some sleep. Some of you go ahead and sleep upstairs." We scatter; Tris and I inhabiting my room, Amar to my parents' room, and everyone else spread out across the living room.
Tris immediately climbs into my bed, the covers engulfing her. I slide in next to her, and drape my arm across her shoulders. In response, she nuzzles her head into my collarbone, and I plant a small kiss on top of her head. Easing both her and I down so we're laying down in the bed, I say, "Are you alright?"
Tris looks at me, her eyes seeping into mine. "I'm fine."
I smile, and then respond with, "Good." I quickly brush my lips to hers, and close my eyes, letting sleep take over.
My body aches as I rise up out of bed, to see that I am among one of the first people awake. I steal a glance over my shoulder at Tris, who seems to be still in a deep and thoughtful slumber. My feet pressing into the cold, hard floor, I ease my way down the stairs to find Amar sitting in the living room. The one peculiar thing was, that he was the only one in the living room.
