Chapter 5

As Tris sat on the end of the booth in between Tobias and Uriah the following Friday at Buffalo Wild Wings, trapped, her friends continuously badgered her with annoying comments and questions as they ate. They mainly centered around Four.

"Is he as hot as the sketch artist made him out to be?" asked Christina.

"I heard a rumor you two had a little thing going on," Marlene said.

"Yeah, is that true?" Shauna said, continuing off of Mar's comment.

"Oh, someone told me you knew who he actually was and you were trying to protect him 'cause you two had a forbidden love," a laughing Zeke said.

"Enough!" Tris practically shouted. She was getting irritated with everyone but Tobias, because he was the only one not pestering her about her so-called "forbidden love." How they found about how she and Four have a little thing for each other? She had no clue. Uriah was her best guess.

"I don't need all of these question at one time. You each get one question per day about Four. Now, let's start with Zeke, then go Marlene. Beginning to end. Now, Zeke, what was your question?"

"You two don't actually have a forbidden love, do you?" he said, chuckling.

"No. Not at all. Next, Shauna."

Shauna asked, "Do you even have a little thing for him?"

She looked down. "And I have to be honest?" Tris asked unwillingly.

All of her friends nodded in unison.

She groaned. "Fine. Yes. I do have a little, itsy-bitsy thing for him—okay? Next. Will."

He shrugged. "Is he a good guy?"

Tris laughed. "He's a good guy, but he's definitely arrogant most of the time. Christina?"

She looked relieved to finally be able to ask her question. "Is he actually hot?"

Tris grinned. "From what I can tell, yes, very much." Tris casted a glance at Tobias, and he was sipping his beer with a sly smile on his face. "What's so funny, Eaton?" she said, nudging him.

He acted innocent. "Nothing."

"Well, have you got a question?"

"Are he and his cousin both hot?"

Tris smirked. She saw what he was doing. "I'd say so."

"Wait, who's his cousin?" Christina asked.

"Ah, ah, ah," Tris said with the wagging of a finger, "you've already had your question for the day."

Christina groaned. "Fine. Tomorrow you're telling me though."

"Fair enough," Tris said.

Marlene was next. She said, "Are you actually contemplating going out with this 'Four' character?"

Tris shook her head. "I couldn't. I won't. My job means too much and he'd keep his identity a secret. Now, are we done here?" she asked. Everyone was done with their food, so she assumed she could go home.

Uriah knew he was next, so he asked, "Do you plan on ever arresting this guy?"

She shrugged eventually. "Yeah, I mean I have to at some point."

Uriah nodded his head in understanding.

The waitress was walking by, so Tris took the opportunity to ask for her check.

"Just you, sweetheart?" the waitress asked.

"Actually," Tobias interrupted, "I'll take hers and mine."

"All right I'll have that right out for ya."

When she walked away, Tris smacked Tobias's arm. "What the hell was that for?"

Luckily everyone else was in another conversation, so they weren't paying attention to them.

"For what?" Tobias asked. "Being a gentleman?"

"Well if you put it like that…," Tris mumbled.

"Yeah," he said, "that's what I thought." He smirked, then winked at her, causing blood to rush to her face. Tobias couldn't help but laugh at her reaction to his wink.

"What're you laughing at, Eaton?" Tris asked with a smirk as she nudged him with her elbow.

"Your reaction to my wink."

"You make me want to punch you and kiss you at the same."

"Preferably the latter."

"Oh, wow. You sure you aren't a fuckboy anymore?"

"Like I said—occasional tendencies."

The waitress dropped off the check. She said, "Take that up to the cashier whenever you're ready to leave. Have a nice day."

When she left, Tobias said quietly. "But you know what you want to make me do?"

"What's that?" she asked, equally quiet but obviously more nervous.

Tobias leaned in and brushed his lips against her ear. And when he spoke—God, when he spoke—his breath tickled her cheek and ear. "Pin you up against the wall, because you're masterpiece." Tobias slid from the booth since he was on the edge, and walked away, without looking back.

Tris grinned, astounded and shocked. "Holy fuck," she whispered to herself, then put her face in her hands.

Her friends must've noticed her, because when she looked up, everyone was staring at her.

Shauna grinned devilishly. "What'd he say?"

"He—" she stopped herself. "A word in the bathroom, ladies?"

They all got out of the booth and hurriedly pulled Tris into the bathroom. They checked under the stalls to see if anyone was in the restroom. No one was, so they locked the entrance to the entire bathroom.

"Well…?" Christina asked anxiously.

She blushed, looked down, and crossed her arms. "I was telling him how sometimes I want to punch him and kiss him at the same time—"

"You like him?" Marlene asked, shocked.

Tris blushed again. "I don't know. I mean, I guess. Anyway, he said, 'But you know what I want to do?'—"

"What's he want to do?!" Shauna asked, much too excitedly.

"He told me he wanted to pin me up against the wall, because I was a masterpiece," she said quietly.

No one said a single word.

Not.

One.

Word.

Then, "Oh my god!" from Christina. "He so wants to hit that!"

"Chris!" she exclaimed. "You— I— no."

"But you wouldn't be complaining, would you?" Shauna asked suggestively.

"Yes. I would be complaining. I want to get to know him better. I want us to become really good friends, and I don't know that I want anything more."

They groaned.

"You were just talking about wanting to kiss him!" Marlene argued.

Tris looked away. "And? It was just a joke. Teasing."

"And most teasing is flirting. Girl Code," Christina said. "We love that show, you should know what girl code is and isn't. Speaking of which, I'm coming over Wednesday to watch that."

"Okay. And yes, I know that most teasing is flirting, but… Why would a guy flirt with me? I mean, I know I'm decent looking, but… I'm kind of a bitch," she admitted, chuckling.

"Only sometimes," Shauna said with a laugh. "But that doesn't matter because he totally likes you and you totally like him."

"I want to get to know him better. I said that before."

"Well then you're leading him on. And that's not cool," Christina said.

"I know, I know," Tris said, groaning. "But it's just so much fun flirting with him."

"You are so complicated," Marlene said.

"It's a part of who I am," Tris said, laughing.

They all laughed.

"Do you think you can catch up to him if you were to leave now?"

She shrugged, then shook her head. "Probably not."

They sighed.

"A shame," Christina commented. "You'd make a great art piece on a wall." Christina then walked out of the bathroom, leaving Tris shocked. They actually wanted her to do Tobias.

"You guys are insane!" Tris yelled. "I'm leaving."

So she did. She walked right out of Buffalo Wild Wings and into the dark night. The wind was blowing and her hair was going astray. She was about to walk toward the alley where she was hopeful to see Four, but she saw a figure standing by his motorcycle with an evil smirk on his face.

When she neared, he said, "Need a ride, sunshine?"

She laughed. "Tobias Eaton. Were you waiting for me?"

That sly smile stayed on his face. "Maybe. Hop on."

Tris grinned and wrapped her arms around Tobias's waist as they sat on the motorcycle.

"Ready, shorty?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be."

Tobias started the bike and rolled off. Her apartment was just a minute or two away, but she didn't mind having her arms wrapped around his muscular build for just that minute or two.

They arrived at her apartment shortly.

Tris asked, "Do you want to maybe come up to my apartment? I want to get to know you better."

"I don't know," he said with a smile. "What's in it for me?"

"Being in my presence," she teased.

Tobias laughed and turned off the motor.

They walked into the complex of building and took the unstable stairs up all the way to the fourth floor.

"Must've been hard moving in," he said breathily.

"There's an elevator," she said. "I just always take the difficult way in life."

Mid-sentence, she turned around to see Tobias about to fall down and wheezing.

"Tobias! Tobias, oh my god, what's wrong?" she asked, even though she already had an idea of what it was.

He sat down on the stairs and was reaching into his pocket, scrambling.

He couldn't finish, but she knew what he meant. Asthma. He had Asthma.

She reached into his pockets, since it looked like he was too busy catching air to dig around for his inhaler.

She finally found it, then put it up to his lips. She laid her hand on his back and clasped on hand around the inhaler. One of his hands wrapped around her hand; the one that grasped the inhaler.

His pulse slowed down to normal and his breathing along with it. Tobias pulled the inhaler and Tris's hand away from his face.

"Thank you," he said. "I'm sorry."

"No, no don't apologize," she said. She sat next to him on the staircase. "I'm just glad you're okay. That terrified me."

"How'd you know I was having an Asthma attack?"

"My friend would always have them back in high school. I knew what the symptoms were."

"Well thank God you knew I was looking for inhaler." Tobias stood up, taking a deep breath. "Okay. I'm fine. It's all good in the hood. Shall we?"

Tris stood up too and began walking up the stairs. She unlocked her apartment when they reached it and stepped inside. She took off her shoes, Tobias doing the same.

"Can I get you water or something?" Tris asked.

"No, thank you. I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

She sighed. "Okay, okay. Fine."

Tobias walked toward her in the kitchen. She backed up as he stepped forward.

"What'cha doin'?" she asked, laughing.

He chuckled. "You're cute when you're nervous."

Tris's back hit the wall. The fridge was to her left and the cupboard to her right. Her kitchen was just a little straightaway.

Tobias put his arms above her, trapping her.

And she couldn't feel anything but electricity coursing through her veins.

And she was pinned. Just. Like. A masterpiece.

Tobias smirked. There was still a little less than a foot in between their lips because of Tobias's arm length.

He put his arms down, crossed them, and stepped closer.

"You think you're so clever," Tris said. Her voice was small and quiet.

"I do."

Tobias leaned in, wrapped his arms around her waist, and Tris sucked in a breath. Their lips were a millimeter apart, and that was when Tris said, "Tobias. We shouldn't."

"Why not?" he asked. Neither of them moved—not even a centimeter.

"We don't know each other very well."

Tobias obviously didn't care, because he pressed his lips to hers, and she kissed back. She pulled back slightly, and her head grazed the wall.

"We've known each other about a week," she reasoned.

Tobias kissed her again, and this time Tris wrapped her arms around his neck.

"And I need to focus on my job."

Tris kissed him again.

"And you need to focus on yours."

And again.

"Plus you're older than me."

And again.

"And…," she breathed.

And again.

But then she finally restrained herself.

"Tobias. Stop it. You got your wish. You got to pin me against the wall. Now please. Go," she whispered against his lips.

He struggled to pull back, but eventually he did, and walked over to the door. Then he left.

Tris knew she shouldn't have. She just knew.

She blew out a big sigh.

She knew she shouldn't have, but God, she wanted to. So badly she wanted to.

And so badly she wanted to do it again.

But she knew she couldn't. And all she could do right in the moment was tap her fingers.