I don't own Divergent!
Chapter Eight
TOBIAS'S POV:
I sprint after Tris drawing all the unexpended strength I have left in a fast break.
"Tris Prior!" I whisper loudly.
I hear a small snort coming from my left and I soundlessly step next to the tree I heard noise from. My shoulder lines up to the flaky trunk and I incline my neck forward so I can see Tris.
She's grinning and looking in the other direction. Her blonde hair is blowing wildly across her face and she looks so petite in my large jacket.
I put a foot in front of the other and another.
Gotcha now Tris.
I grab Tris under her arms and sling her across my back, as Uriah did.
"Tobias!" She screams in surprise.
She doesn't seem angry and that makes me smile. Since my recent encounters with Marcus again, I don't enjoy smiling.
"Gotcha Tris," I whisper into her ear.
She moves her arms so they encircle my neck and I feel sparks where she touches me.
"Tobias Eaton. Let me go right this instant," she says.
I hear her withheld laughter and smile again.
"Shouldn't we be getting back?" Tris asks.
"Yeah I guess," I say quietly.
I don't let go of her and she keeps her arms looped around me so I start walking.
"Tobias? About your dad..."
I stiffen my arms turning them taut.
"Yes?" I answer carefully, cautiously.
"Don't let him ever do that again," she says.
I crane my neck so I can see her slightly out of my peripheral.
"I don't think I can control psychopathic men Tris," I saw softly.
"I will then," she says her tone determined, defiant.
I just chuckle but my necks warms from her selflessness.
"I'm not kidding Tobias," she says no levity in her voice.
"Tris?" I suddenly ask.
"Yeah Tobias?"
"I'll race you back!" I grin.
"You're on Toby," she says her words streaking off with the current of the wind.
She hops out of my arms and sprints toward the cabin, which are only a couple yards away.
"Hey that's not fair!" I call out to her jogging lightly.
She stops at the cabin doors and waits for me. I speed up and almost crash into her.
"Life's not fair," she replies.
I roll my eyes and hold the door for her to walk in. She narrows her eyes at me as she steps in.
"What?" I ask my eyebrows creased together.
"Nothing," she says shortly.
We walk side by side my hand occasionally brushing hers, which makes me warm. Her elbow jabs me in the ribs and I look down to smiling blue-grey eyes.
"Hey what was that for?" I ask questioningly.
"No reason actually," she says still walking.
I take my fingers and jab her ribs causing her to giggle.
"Ok, ok we're fair!" She says after the initial jabs.
My eyes gleam.
"Now Tris, remember? Life isn't fair," I say quietly.
Her eyes widen as I tickle her ribs until she screeches. She runs down the hall but I catch up.
"What are you two doing?" A voice says.
Tris and I both turn toward our right to where the interrupting voice came from.
"Oh hey Christina sorry!" Tris says brightly brushing her hair behind her ears.
It looks cute when she does that.
"We were just coming back to tell you what happened," I say answering Christina's question.
"It sure didn't look like it!" Christina says sarcastically.
Tris looks back at me and grins. I make it so my eyes smile lightly.
"Ugh just come on in then," Christina says resigned, strutting into the room.
"But shut up because everyone's sleeping," she adds.
I see all the girls sprawled on their beds and Shauna and Marlene in clothes Zeke and Uriah would pay to see.
I grimace.
"So what happened? And why does your father want me exactly?"
I plop myself down on Tris's bed and she sits beside me her arm grazing mine making me wonder if she is doing it by accident or on purpose.
"Um well..." Tris mutters.
I don't volunteer to talk. I just lean my head back on a pillow that smells like Tris and close my eyes.
Tris starts explaining everything that happens. I keep my breaths in beat with her words, in unison with her.
"So that's basically it," she says.
My eyes are still closed and I'm still dazed by how Tris explained everything calmly without revealing my identity.
I have to admit it; I'm really starting to like her a lot.
"Is Four asleep?" Christina whispers.
I'm only half-awake and everything is slowly swimming in my thoughts so I don't respond.
Tris's warm finger pokes my hand and not aware of what I'm doing-being half-asleep- I intertwine my fingers with hers.
I hope that they still think I'm asleep.
Tris doesn't react with any words and even better, she squeezes my hand once.
I breathe out a small breath.
"I'm going to sleep, but you might want to clean up that blood Tris," she says.
My lip lazily curls up.
Tris gets up and her fingers leave mine. I count the minutes until I hear the water shut off and the door open.
My mind starts shutting down and by the time I know it, I'm only barely aware of anything going on around me.
"Tobias?" Tris whispers tugging my arm.
I groan loudly and turn over on the pillow.
"Are you that tired Tobias?" She asks.
"Yu-eh-ss," I moan.
"Lazy boy," she says poking my ribs.
I jolt.
"Please Tris don't!" I say panicked.
"You should go to bed Tobias," she says.
I groan but force myself up onto my feet.
She slips my jacket off and holds it out to me.
"Keep it, it looks better on you," I say with a lopsided smile.
She blushes whiling ushering me to the connecting door.
"Night Tris," I say opening the door.
"Night Tobias," she replies.
She's biting her lip with that same look of not wanting to offend someone but wanting to ask.
"We're going to find out about your father right?" She asks quietly.
My mind is alert at the thought of Marcus. I rub the nape of my neck where the flames curl.
"Of course," I respond sharper than I intended.
"Good because I found this," she says holding out a paper.
The paper is in Marcus's neat Abnegation handwriting. Uniform square letters spelling out an address and different names. The word that stands out the most to me is my name.
Tobias.
A/N: Thanks again for all the follows, favs, etc... I hope you guys like the chappie! And review! I like hearing about ideas and how my story is going.