Hey, guys! I've been super swamped with work for VBS this past couple of days, and I haven't had much time for writing between everything I need to do with that, so this chapter was written in every exhausted free moment I had XD Tonight was super stressful, since our oldest group of kids decided it would be funny to completely trash the bathrooms of our church and stuff the toilets full of balloons, and our youth director just laughed when we told him... Geez you would not understand the headache I have right now... Anyway, be sure to let me know what you think! Reviews always cheer me up :) - Loopy
Work the next morning was excruciatingly normal. He hadn't realized how simple his job was, how plain his office and cubicle were, how easy his schedule was to follow. He had only just taken part in everything, doing what the bosses told him. He enjoyed what he did, don't get him wrong, but after he met Tris and saw how hard she worked just to prove herself and to stand out, his computer systems analyst position seemed very inferior.
"Hey, dude. What's with the grin?" Zeke sprawled himself into the client chair across from Tobias's desk, a smile of his own painted across his face. He'd worked with Tobias for four years, both of them starting the year they turned twenty-one. Zeke had already crossed that line, but Tobias hit the mark halfway through the year, on a day he was working. When Zeke found out, he took him out after their shift, watching in amusement as he downed his first legal beer. They'd been friends ever since.
Tobias frowned a bit. He hadn't even realize he'd been smiling, since he was thinking about how boring his job was, but he supposed once he hit thoughts of Tris, memories of last night came swirling back, of her body curled up next to his, her arm around his waist and his under her head.
Zeke laughed at his friend's attempt to smother the smile. It had crept its way onto his face again. His hand came down on Tobias's back, clapping his shoulder companionably. "You've been all smiles all morning," he acknowledged. Tobias was a kind man, a fun man, but he was too serious for his own good. And yet something had made him like this. "So what is it? Did you finally get laid last night?" He'd known Tobias a while, and hadn't seen him show any interest in a girl, even the ones Zeke had forced him on dates with.
Tobias's eyes widened at Zeke's words. He was a good man, but he didn't really know Tobias, did he? To think he would just hook up with someone he didn't care about?
But… he had been with Tris last night… hadn't he? And he did care about her. That's why he was smiling. Because he'd held her in his arms as he fell asleep. Because he'd been holding her when he woke up.
But they weren't together. They were just friends. And the idea that he would… Tris didn't want that. That much was clear by the fear mixed in with the gratitude in her eyes yesterday. She wasn't ready for that yet, so he wasn't either. End of story.
"Whoa, man, I was just kidding…" Zeke's voice dragged him from his reverie. He didn't know what his expression read right now, but he imagined it was somewhere between deep thought and desperation. Zeke sighed, but he was still smiling. He was always smiling.
Tobias's reaction had been so genuine, so shocked, Zeke knew it had to be a girl. Even if they hadn't slept together yet, Tobias was finally into someone. He'd noticed this past couple of months that his behavior had changed. He seemed more bored as he worked, but lighter overall. And some days he showed nothing but a grin, constantly cracking jokes. Those days were weeks apart, and Zeke was beginning to notice a correlation between them and the days Tobias left work early…
But Tobias was clearly uncomfortable with talking about this right now, so Zeke shifted subjects, smoothly easing over the awkwardness. "Hey, did you finish up the Dauntless site processing? Will wants the status on their current programs by the end of today."
Tobias nodded, trying to get himself to focus on his job. "Yeah, I'm just finishing it up. Looks like we'll have a lot to research with this one," he smirked. Zeke threw his head back and let out a groan.
"Seriously?" he whined, not really wanting to go overtime. With a wife at home and a child on the way, he didn't have time to spare. It was a miracle he was even here at all, since the minute he'd found out Shauna was pregnant, he decided he would take off work the entire nine months to take care of her. But she protested, insisting that she would be fine, that she had complete control over everything.
Tobias let out a laugh at his friend's obvious distaste at the news. "I know. For a security agency, they don't have very recent technology. They'll need one hell of an upgrade," he observed, though him and Zeke wouldn't have to come up with those upgrades themselves. They just had to figure out what kind of technology would be best for the company's purposes, and then send that research off to the higher-ups to meet with the client and discuss possibilities.
Zeke's laugh didn't hold as much amusement, but he did flash a grin as he rose, figuring he should probably head back to his own cubicle. "So do we. Why do we work here again?" But the question was joking, rhetorical, and he didn't wait for a response before waving and heading out.
Tobias leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. His eyes fell on his desk's clock, and he sighed. He'd only been here two hours.
He remembered the note he'd put on Tris's refrigerator, and he selfishly hoped he'd use what he'd left her. Perhaps he wouldn't feel so alone.
Tris's bed was empty when her eyes opened. Again, she worried Tobias had left out of disgust, but the logical part of her brain knew he'd probably had to work today. It was a Thursday, after all. She had work today, too, she realized abruptly as she sat up and checked her clock. It was nine now, so she was officially late, but she didn't think Tori would mind too much. Still, she pulled herself out of bed and got dressed as quickly as possible, ran one hand through her hair as the other rushed to pour Poe some food. He was holding his goggles in his mouth once he came into the kitchen, and Tris sighed.
"I guess you can come with me today," she grumbled around the toothbrush now in her mouth as she shuffled around her house in search of her shoes. "I'll need you to keep me sane."
Tori wasn't surprised when Tris showed up with Poe fifteen minutes after opening. She figured she would be too tired to get up on time and too stubborn to stay home, and Poe was too protective to leave her alone after yesterday, so she greeted them with a nod from her office. The last thing her friend needed right now was to be reminded of yesterday's events.
But, as Tris disappeared into her office, there was one thing Tori remembered she'd wanted to ask…
Tris dug through her bag and pulled out the sketches she would need for this week. She only had one client today, a college girl just visiting here from London, and that design had already been decided on. It was a violin made out of a treble clef, and it was surrounded by a watercolor staff and some notes.
That would be at eleven and would probably take about three hours. Tris supposed they could open their door for walk-ins after that, but she had a client she'd missed out on having yesterday…
"Hey, Tris?" Tori's voice drew Tris's gaze to the entrance of her office. Her friend was leaning against the wall there, her almond eyes narrowed a bit in innocent curiosity. Tris raised her eyebrows in response, telling her to proceed. "Did… Tobias go to see you yesterday?"
Tris froze at the memory of his strong arms around her, his chest pressed under her cheek, his heartbeat fast against her skin…
And then she remembered why he'd gone there in the first place, and her body relaxed, raising a skeptical brow at Tori. "Yes, he did, actually. Somehow he knew my address. And my cheer-up food." Tori shrugged. Tris laughed, and her tone softened. "Thanks, Tori," she sighed.
Tori waved off the gratitude. "Just glad to have you back, boss." And with that, she went back to her office.
By two o'clock, Tris had finished and bandaged her only client, bidding her a good day. She stopped by Poe's corner and sat down beside him for a minute, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his fur. It was a nice comfort; all day she'd been feeling the insecurities slowly seeping back into her mind, memories of Al and mistakes and shaky hands and instability…
Poe sighed beneath her, and she moved to meet his eyes. His thoughts were obvious even before she saw them. Call him.
She stood shakily, reaching her office and pulling shut the curtain before digging into her pocket for the note she'd found on her fridge this morning.
Had to work. Sucks to leave, but Poe's kept me company. Thanks for sleeping, and for letting me stay. Call if you need anything. - Tobias
A mobile number had been scrawled beneath that in the same neat handwriting. She stared at it now, taking out her phone, too. Her fingers shook as she typed in his contact and saved it before dialling.
"Tobias Eaton," he answered, his voice serious and expectant. She smiled at the sound, every trace of self-hatred somehow vanishing. She could hear his breathing on the other end, and she wondered if it was weird that she found it comforting.
"Hello?" Tris shook her head a bit. She hadn't said anything. Stupid.
"Hey!" Her voice was too eager. She shook her head again. Cleared her throat. "Hey," she mended, "it's -"
"Tris." She could hear the smile in his voice, too. It made her relax.
Her head nodded, and then she remembered he couldn't see her, so she spoke. "Yeah. Hey, what time do you get off?"
Tobias's head swam. Tris had followed his suggestion, and she probably had no idea how much she was improving his day. He'd only just now finished the site processing, having faced many small, stressful difficulties along the way. Zeke eased the tension a bit with his over-the-cubicle-wall comments, but he could only do so much. "Whenever you need me to." And it was true - Will had given him permission to go as soon as he'd finished the analysis.
Tris's brow furrowed. "Don't get too excited," she deadpanned. "I was just letting you know I don't have any more clients today, if you wanted to get yours colored in."
Tobias's grin widened. He shut his laptop, unplugged his phone charger and shoved it into his bag. "I'll be there in twenty."
