Hey guys! This chapter's kind of short, too, and a bit more angsty :l The next one will be packed full of all of the sarcastic bickering we all know and love, so hang in there! (It's honestly not that bad, though) Anyway, I'm going to see Civil War (FINALLY) tonight, so I wanted to make sure to get at least something posted today. Hope you enjoy!

Tori wasn't surprised when Tris called out sick three weeks later. It was a Tobias day, she knew, and that meant Tris was taking this harder than she'd thought.

Her gaze scanned the screen before her again, a sour taste budding in her mouth. "Sparks Ink: Losing Its Spark," it said, as if that was some kind of clever name. She wondered how long he'd spent trying to come up with it. Probably all three weeks since he'd been here.

She exhaled deeply, shutting her computer and wiping her hands down her face, trying to ease away the disgust. Al was someone she'd seen in the shop often, always scheduled with Tris. He'd said hello to her a couple of times, and Tori never failed to notice the look in his eyes when he got to Tris's workstation.

So what could have led him to do this to her? She guessed he didn't really know Tris all that well, otherwise he would have thought twice about publishing this. He would have known how much it would destroy her. This shop was one of the only things she allowed herself to take pride in, and now she felt as if she'd done it wrong. As if she didn't deserve it.

Tori would be over at her house with White Castle sliders and red wine if Tris hadn't insisted on keeping the shop open today. She didn't want to make things worse, she'd said.

Tobias was Tris's only client today. The coloring was supposed to be finished by closing time, and that meant it would have taken her from five to nine. That was a lot of work she was canceling, but Tori assured her Tobias would understand completely.

Tori didn't have any clients today. It was a Wednesday, after all. She would leave at noon, like always, and head straight over to Tris's, usually.

But Tris wanted the place open as long as she'd have it open. She felt horrible asking Tori to do that, Tori knew, but Tori said she would. And not because Tris was her boss and she didn't have a choice.

No, other than wanting to make Tris feel better, Tori had an ulterior motive. One that wouldn't come in until five o'clock.

Although a selfish part of her wished he'd show up earlier again.

At four, she wasn't disappointed. Of course, Tobias noticed something was up right away. He glanced into Tris workstation before coming into Tori's with a confused smile.

"Hey, Tori. Is Tris around?" It was the way he asked where she was, not an inquiry as to whether or not she was actually here. Of course she was… right? But when Tori shook her head sadly, Tobias's heart sank. Was she okay? "Where is she?"

Tori opened up her computer again and turned it around, gesturing for him to sit down so he could read. He did so, confused and intrigued but mainly concerned.

He felt his face heat up as he read the words, felt his hands clench into fists. "An unprofessional atmosphere?" he took in the criticism, "A shaky-handed, unstable owner?" What the fuck is wrong with these people?

And then he scrolled to the top of the screen. Read the name of the author. Albert Finch. His fists clenched tighter, and he could almost feel blood where his nails dug into his palms as he stood. Al.

"So… Tris called out sick. For the first time in three years." Tori sighed. Tobias could hear her voice, but he was only half-comprehending what she was saying. How could someone do this to her? After everything she'd done for that lowlife, he went around and burned her out of what...jealousy? It made Tobias sick, made his knuckles ache to be pounded against this guy's head…

"Tobias," he heard his name, firmly stated, and it brought him slightly back to reality. He turned his head in the direction of Tori, but he couldn't see around his blinding fury. "I need you to do something for me. For Tris."

That got his attention, and he tried his best to focus as he forced his hands to his sides. They were still clenched, but he gritted his teeth and listened. He needed to be there for her.

Tori handed him two slips of paper and a bottle of wine. "This is a coupon to White Castle. Get two Crave Cases of cheese sliders," she started, pointing to the smaller paper. It had a yellow and white castle on it. Tobias lifted an eyebrow. Was she really thinking about food right now? And sixty burgers?

Then she pointed to the wine. "This is Cabernet Sauvignon, Tris's go-to cheer-up wine." Tobias's eyes widened. Was this going where he thought it was…?

"And this," Tori smiled gently, pointing to the last item, "is Tris's address."

Tobias swallowed. He was going to Tris's house. And she didn't know he was coming…

"Are you sure this is a good-" but Tori cut him off with a stern look.

"Look, man, I'd be over there now with this stuff if she hadn't insisted on keeping the shop open. She's stubborn as all hell, but I don't believe she deserves to be suffering alone, taking naps on that dog of hers, do you?" Tobias shook his head, barely able to do that at Tori's harsh tone. "Good. Now scram."

His Buick was parked around the block, so he had to walk a bit to get there. He got strange looks on his way, people eyeing the bottle in his hand, but he kept going. He was on a mission.

White Castle was forty minutes away from the city, but he didn't mind driving all the way there if it was to help Tris. He ignored the part of him that wanted to find Al and beat him to a bloody pulp, at least for now. Tris needed him.

He figured she wasn't doing too well. This was one of her main insecurities, after all, and Al had been someone she trusted, at least a little bit. The image of her at his second session flashed through his head, of her curled up on Poe, holding on for life. She'd seemed so upset that day, so weighed down by the world's worries, and his fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter at the thought. He didn't want to think of her so...lost.

When he reached her house, he admired it from outside. It was small, but it was bold, standing out among the ones around it. There was only one floor, but the siding was a vibrant blue color, purple flowers sprouting outside the windows. They were wild, he could tell, but they fit the place.

Tobias walked to the door, following the little stone path leading to it, but when he lifted his hand to knock, he hesitated. If she was sleeping, he didn't want to wake her. And if she was too upset to answer the door, how would he get in?

He was pulled from his thoughts by Poe coming to greet him. He came around from the back, so he figured there must be a door there, too, one he could get in and out through, but he waved away the thought. Breaking and entering was not the right way to do this.

Tobias crouched down to rub his ears, setting the wine and burger cases on the pavement before doing so. Poe's eyes were tired, and it made Tobias wonder if he'd just gotten up from a nap with Tris.

"Hey, Poe," he said quietly, "I have something for Tris." He gestured to the items beside him, and Poe's ears perked up a bit as he sniffed around the burgers.

You did good, his eyes said, and Tobias felt a moment of triumph, though he knew it was irrational. He stayed around a moment longer before lumbering toward the back again.

It was hot today, Tobias abruptly realized. Probably eighty-three, considering it was evening in June, and he was borderline sweating in his black t-shirt and dark jeans. But there were more important things to think about, he thought bitterly, letting himself sit fully on the porch and dropping his head into his hands. He was sure he looked insane there, but he didn't know what else to do. The most important person to him, the most amazing one he'd ever met, was quietly suffering inside of this house, and he couldn't get to her.

Poe nudged Tris with his nose, pressing it against her hand, then when she didn't respond, her face. She pushed him away, groaning. Her eyes were closed, and she was trying in vain to forget the world, forget herself. Forget whose appointment she was missing right now…

And then Poe barked. It was a low, rough sound, and it sprung Tris out of her curled position on the couch. She stared at her dog with wide eyes. He never barked. "What do you want?" she snapped, quickly growing tired again. Perhaps if she went to sleep now, she could never wake up…

His beady eyes told her she better get her ass up, or he would keep barking, even though he knew she had a migraine.

She stood. The movement made her body ache. Her eyes followed Poe to the front door, and then her body did when he sat down there, waiting. She figured the mailman had delivered a package or something, perhaps the new shipment of temporary tattoo paper she'd ordered, but when she opened the door and was assaulted by light, she saw a man sitting on her porch, not a box.

Tobias flinched back at the sound of the door opening, startled. His gaze was met with slender, bare legs, and it moved up to meet Tris's squinty, confused eyes. He tried to ignore the length of her pajama shorts, the section of her stomach visible beneath her shirt's hem.

Her eyes met Tobias's, and she was suddenly aware of how she looked. She was sure her hair was wild, tangled ferociously around her head from when she was rolling in her sleep. There was a heaviness around her eyes that let her know they were lined in purple rings. Nightmares are a bitch…

And then there was the damn sun, that was shining directly on her, even in its low position above the horizon, and her skin was practically transparent in the brightness. She felt pale and small and horrible and self-conscious, and she wanted to yell at this man, this beautiful human being who was here for her, but she was too tired and too relieved to push him away. Yes, she wasn't good enough for him, and she'd wasted his time today by suddenly canceling, but he was here, and her mistakes didn't seem to matter as he grinned at her.

Tobias stood quickly, grabbing the wine and burgers and holding them up for her to see. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms when he saw the redness around her eyes that let him know she'd been having trouble sleeping again, but he simply stood and smiled, hoping she'd accept his offer.

Tris stepped out of the way, letting him into her home. It was clean, eerily so, and she was suddenly nervous. What would he think of her like this? Impulsively cleaning to ease the stress, weak and tired, shaky-handed and unstable

"What are you doing here?" she croaked, but she already knew the answer. The White Castles and wine in his hands told her everything she needed to know. Tori.

But Tobias walked further into her home, gently placing the offerings on the bar between her kitchen and dining room. When he turned around, his smile softened. She was upset, that was obvious, but he couldn't help but notice her stance. Her shoulders were slightly squared, and her arms crossed. Trying to be strong, despite everything, and it was breathtaking.

Tobias didn't answer her. She wondered what he was thinking, staring at her like this. He didn't speak, but he moved toward her, and before she knew what was happening, his arms were locked around her, her cheek pressed against his firm chest. Jesus.

His entire body was on fire at the feel of hers pressed against him, and he tightened his grip on her. He wanted her to know that despite what he'd brought with him, he wasn't here just because Tori had asked him to be. He was here because of her and because of the person she is, and he didn't give a shit what Al said because she was beautiful and amazing.

Tris's heart was racing, and her head was swimming, since she'd never been this close to a man before, but it felt good and it felt safe, and she relaxed into his embrace, allowing herself to feel for the first time this morning.

Tobias could hear her shaky breaths, her body wracking with the tears he now knew were falling from her eyes. His heart fluttered a little, both from the pain he felt seeing her cry, and from the relief he felt at having her trust him like this. It lifted a weight from his chest, which caused him to feel slightly light-headed, so he led them to her couch. It was big and black, taking up much of the living room, and he was grateful for the room. He sat down on the end, outstretching his legs across the length of it, Tris between them. She was still crying.

Tris wasn't sure what she was feeling, only that she was overwhelmed by emotion and appreciation, and she held on to Tobias tightly, trying to ground herself to reality.

Ahhh so many feels XD Oh yeah, make sure you check out the author note from the last chapter, since I haven't really gotten responses to it (Thanks, WeirdMal), and I kind of need to know your opinions O_O Anyway, thanks for reading, and be sure to let me know what you think!