Chapter Nineteen
I don't own Divergent!
TRIS'S POV:
He gives me a fleeting look, a wicked crooked smile at the edge of my peripheral.
"Want to know something Tris?" He asks pulling out a chair for me to sit.
I take a seat my eyebrows threaded together in confusion. There are two porcelain plates of fettuccine pasta on the slab of wood used as a table and tall glasses of vanilla smelling liquid.
"Yeah sure Tobias," I say acting only mildly curious although I'm buzzing with interest the adrenaline rush ready to start.
"Well you know how you're a Stiff?"
"Oh God, Tobias I'm Dauntless now! Stop with the Stiff," I say with a defiant stare him.
"No, that's not what I meant... Did you know I'm a transfer to Dauntless?"
"Yeah, you told Christina and me on the first day of training," I say.
His eyebrows knit as if he's just verbally unlocked something I should understand.
"So you're a transfer? I am too," I say my fingers tapping steadily against the small table we are sitting at.
"Tris." He says laughing quietly with that wicked grin plastered to his handsome face.
"What? I don't get it!" I exclaim breathily.
"Have you ever thought about what faction I came from?" He says an inquiring look emanating from his face.
My stomach twists. No, I have never thought of what faction he came from because he is the epitome of Dauntless to me. I regard him with a questioning gaze.
"What faction was...? Were you from?" I ask scared of what his answer might be.
However, why am I scared? Tobias is Dauntless now and that won't change. If he was a Candor, would I not like him? No, Tobias is the dark blue-eyed boy that taught me how to shoot a gun, throw a punch, and be Dauntless.
He nervously retrieves his fork from the middle of the table and swirls some creamy pasta into his mouth. I watch him eat engrossed in the simplicity of his eating habits that I don't ask a question.
"I was Abnegation," he blurts out suddenly. I'm immediately aware that I have stayed silent for a long period.
My eyes widen and he stares back at me with the same placid expression he usually reverts to with foreigners. "You were Abnegation? Like me?"
"Yeah… I am- was a Stiff like you," he says knotting his slender fingers together and fixating his blue gaze on his lap.
"Wow so we're more alike than I thought," I say reasoning with myself.
Tobias stays silent for the longest time just staring with a conflicted look as if he's having an internal fight.
"If you look at it that way then yes," he says his tone low and deep.
"What's wrong Tobias?" I ask laying my hand halfway across the table so he can lace his fingers through mine. The only thing that rattles me is that he doesn't. He doesn't look at me affectionately or touches the back of his rough hand to my cheek or laugh at me as if I'm the funniest person ever. He stays unnervingly silent.
"Tobias?" I say again.
His blue stare is directed somewhere between my head and the crisp dark that surrounds us. The small candle Tobias lit with a match burns dimly illuminating Tobias's face to a greater extent than it brightens anywhere near mine. His deep-set eyes shadow under the wavering light making his eyelashes long, beautiful.
"Four?" I say regressing to the former nickname, I knew him as.
He doesn't answer and a quiet buzz emanating near my gut spreads to my chest making my hands sweat and my body become taut with nervousness. I stand and round the table and go shake his broad shoulders. In all my nervousness, I can't help but notice how muscular he is through his jacket. Randomly he snaps out of his odd trance like state and wraps his arms around me burying his face in my hair.
"Four?" I say looping my arms around his stomach.
"Why are you calling me Four?" He asks sudden panic apparent into his tone.
"Tobias? What happened Tobs?" I say cautiously tipping my head back to meet my eyes with his.
Meeting Tobias has made me more open, less Abnegation. Although I have long shed away my Abnegation robes, my gut feeling is, as Abnegation would act. He has also brought out the caring side of me.
"My back... It hurts... I can't-"
"Tobias sit down." He sits at my command. "Breathe."
I pull my chair next to him and lay my head in his lap carefully seeing if he ok with my actions. He nods although I'm not exactly sure if the gesture is directed toward me. He mentioned his back in his small panic attack. The only thing that comes to mind is Marcus. Marcus. The name might cause something to arise in Tobias so I don't mention the name just quietly pat the back of his hand.
"I'm sorry Tris. I must look like an idiot I just-"
"Don't worry Tobias," I say.
His jacket I'm wearing muffles his low sobs greatly. My mind is on edge considering Tobias is crying on me. Tobias, the stoic Dauntless instructor, my epitome of Dauntless, is crying. This isn't him, which makes me wonder who or what triggered his emotions like this.
"Tobias? Tell me what's wrong," I say in an absolutely unfamiliar coaxing voice that I have never used on anyone until now.
"I don't… my back- I'm sorry Tris," he pants vigorously trying to compose himself.
"Tobias come on let's go back, you can sleep. I think you're just tired." No, I don't think he's "just tired", but I know he doesn't need to worry about what I think at this moment.
He bites his lip and his eyes gleam with sense of vulnerability that is never present. His arms embrace me tighter to him before gently letting go so that we can walk. I lace my fingers though his after carefully blowing out the candle and making a mental note to come back and clean up the food later. The silence that looms over us as we advance toward each step worries me.
[PAGE BREAK]
I sit on a chair in the boys' room waiting for Tobias. He went and showered without a word to me just a kiss on my cheek, painfully close to my lips but not close enough. I decide that I should probably go and clean up our little date so I leave Tobias a note.
The air has turned brisk and chilly an unapparent whip on the skin. The steps burn my knees while I mount them reminding me that this is my second time going up them. To my surprise, the candle on the table is burning again and a rush of relief spreads through me that it did not tip over and burn something while I was gone. I swear I blew it out though.
"Hello Ms. Prior nice seeing you again," a voice, says making me jump back in surprise.
A large shadow sits at the seat Tobias was sitting at and next to him a smaller figure, although still larger than I am.
"Hey Stiff," familiar voice sneers.
"Peter what-"the larger figure emerges and I see a disgusting sight. "And Marcus, I should've guessed."
I slowly start backing away praying that they don't notice my movement but they do and Peter lunges to hold me down and whispers profanity when I kick him squarely between his legs.
"Oh no Ms. Prior you are not leaving."
A/N: Thank you for waiting for this come out! Please if you have any suggestions or ideas or such please tell me. Thank you for reviews, favs, follows, etc… As I said in FCS if you read my new fanfic: Please do me a favor and vote for Texas in the Allegiant Tour! Read& Review!