Chapter 3: I feel Pretty
"Tris, meet me in the car," Tobias yells as I finish applying lip gloss to my lips. My eyes take in my appearance in the mirror, my hair is loosely curled, and touching my shoulders. I look pretty. I feel pretty. My hand, subconsciously, smooths down the light blue dress Christina sent me. Tobias had the dress laid out on the bed for me before I exited the shower. On the dress, a note that read: Can't wait to see you in this. Per Four's instructions, I found you a dress, it should do what he needs it to. Blowing my bangs out of my eyes, my mind drifts wondering: What is Tobias Eaton up to? Slipping on my nude pumps, I attempt to walk down the stairs and try not to break my neck. Opening the front door, my eyes glance at the truck, Tobias is already inside, quickly, I move to the truck, opening the door, my eyes fall onto him, wearing his dark green flight uniform. My heart leaps out of my chest. He glances at me from under his lashes, whispering, "You look beautiful."
"Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself," I babble, my cheeks heat from his compliment, still not believing this man loves me, wants to spend the rest of his life with me, "Are we going flying?" I continue, asking excitedly, smirking at him, my eyes falling on in his flight suit. Why do I need to dress up if we are going flying? Tobias answers, "Not tonight, tonight we are doing something better, something special." His fingers tentatively touch my wavy hair, his voice lowers into an almost dream-like state, "I like this color better than the black and the red. It brings out your eye color." My ears heat at his compliment, he pushes my golden brown hair, behind my ear, he leans toward me, kissing me briefly on the cheek.
"I was ready for a change," I grin at him, he laughs, "The black hair especially made you look pale, sort of like queen of the dead." Rolling my eyes, I giggle, "Perhaps, Captain Eaton, I like looking as pale as a dead vampire. Maybe, I have a thing for them. You know when I was younger, I had a thing for Edward Cullen." Tobias makes a gagging noise, smirking playfully, "Sure you do, Miss, I would totally marry Chris Evans, if he asked me."
Pulling onto the airfield, Tobias pulls up to a booth, hands both of our IDs to a solider, who lets us through without issue, I shoot Tobias a look as he parks the truck near the airfield, "You sure we aren't flying?" I ask suspiciously. Tobias grins, "Positive, or my name isn't really, Tobias Aaron Eaton!" Tobias moves quickly to my side of the truck, opening my door, he looks into my eyes, asking, "You ready?" For what?
"Yes!" I whisper, beginning to feel excited for whatever he has planned for today, putting my trust in him completely, in whatever he has planned for us. He whispers shyly, "We are going to do engagement pictures." Squealing, I launch myself into his arms from the seat of the truck. Tobias smiles, laughing. Suddenly, I hear the Click. Click. Click of a camera snapping photos of us. "Captain Eaton?" A female voice questions.
"Yes?" Tobias answers, glancing at a woman, who looks familiar to me. I feel like I have met her before. His eyes move back to mine, never leaving mine for very long as if he is trying to read my mood. His eyes show nothing, but love in them, a look I want to see for the rest of my life from him. "My name is Cara," The woman replies. My ears catch the name, Cara, it can't be the same Cara. My eyes fall onto the woman subconsciously looking for similarities to Caleb's girlfriend. Tobias extends his hand, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, "Nice to meet you, but please, call me Four. This is my fiance, Tris. Thank you for doing this on such short notice for us." Internally, I'm ecstatic Tobias isn't paying this woman very much attention. When did I become so petty?
Scanning the woman standing before me, my eyes take in her appearance, she is wearing high heels, has black wavy hair, and brown eyes. She taps her camera nervously. The familiar feeling hit my gut again, I feel like I know her, but from where? I don't know any Cara's personally, except for Caleb's girlfriend. Is she Caleb's girlfriend? We only met one time. My eyes connect with hers for a short moment, she smiles at me politely. It can't be the same Cara, can it?
"Where would you like to start?" Cara asks, her question directed towards Tobias. Tobias shrugs his shoulders, "Where do you think we should start? After all, you are the professional here," Tobias mimics, pulling me into his left side, and locks elbows with me. Cara taps her chin, "MMM. Let's start on the tarmac while there aren't any planes scheduled to land or take off for a few minutes according to soldier boy over there," Cara replies, pointing to the man over her shoulder, who let Tobias and me onto the airfield.
Cara sets Tobias and me up on an area, looking like a huge crosswalk, I ask nervously, whispering, "Tobias are we going to get killed from standing here?" I bite my lip, thinking about a fighter jet running over us at a high speed. Tobias glances around, whispers into my ear, "No, this is an unused airstrip. Practice runs are done on here for the Naval Pilots. You see, the area we are standing on?" My eyes glance at the surrounding area. I nod my head, he continues, "The wheels on a Navy plane need to be off the ground for a Naval Pilot, otherwise, technically they are in the ocean if they were on a carrier."
"That's hardly any room to get a massive plane like that off the ground," I say shock filling my voice, eyeing the end of the runway to where Tobias and I are standing, my mind drifting to the size of the plane Tobias flies. Tobias grins, "Why do you think, I didn't join the Navy as a pilot?" I giggle, "I don't know the Air Force had a better uniform?" Tobias laughs, "It's hard to land something big like a plane in a small area that is constantly moving like a boat." Sighing, I change the subject, "I'm nervous Tobias pictures of me always come out horrible." Tobias's loving eyes meet mine, he grabs ahold of my hand, rubbing the back of my hand with his fingertips, and murmurs, "Don't be nervous, I got you, always remember that." Cara's voice breaks our moment, she orders, "Stare into each other's eyes, holding hands." Tobias and I do, what we were doing before she interrupted us, and before I realize it, his lips are on mine, making me forget a camera is taking my picture, or Cara is standing there with her camera. The only thing I know: his lips are on mine. The only point of contact between our bodies: our lips touching. I begin to lose myself in the kiss. I melt into the kiss in bliss. Cara poses Tobias and me around the airfield in various positions, and we have fun messing around, laughing together.
Suddenly, Cara smirks, "Okay, my two love birds, let's try something a little different." Her eyes move to a plane. She suggests Tobias and I lean against one another, our foreheads touching, holding hands, the setting sun behind us. Tobias whispers, "I love you, Tris." My eyes slide shut, letting his words float over my ears, I whisper back, "I love you, too." A smile tugs at my lips. I can't remember ever being this happy in my life.
"Where next, Captain Eaton?" Cara asks professionally, winking at me. Tobias doesn't answer, instead, he tugs me over to a huge plane, one he normally doesn't fly, the only time he ever flew this big of a plane was after he had surgery. He leans against the tire, pulling me into him, he plants a small kiss on my cheek, I let my eyes close, letting the love I feel between us, wash over me. Tobias surprises me, lifting me into the air. Suddenly, laughter bubbles into my chest, he smiles up at me, the moment is perfect between us. Looking down at him, I lean to give him another kiss, no longer shy about Cara nor her camera. It is only Tobias and me, acting like fools together, fools who love each other more than anything in the world. Our moment is broken, once again, by Cara's voice, she sings, "I'm getting some great shots last one in this uniform Captain Eaton, then I need you to go change," she smirks at Tobias, shooting another picture. This time the sun is behind the plane and us, in my mind, it probably mirrored how our first kiss looked at Travis, but with a fighter jet, instead, of whatever this type of plane is called. My cheeks heat at the memory, "You look cute when you blush," he whispers against my hair, "What are you thinking about?"
"Our first kiss," I reply, remembering Travis, and how perfect the night was after, we went up in a fighter jet for the first time, with the setting sun behind us. My mind suddenly flashes to Tobias, of tasting whiskey on his lips after he kissed me for the first time when I was still with Peter. Tobias's voice breaks me from my memory, "Which one?" He asks a sly grin, pulling at his lips. "Both of them, but mostly our first sober kiss." I giggle, pushing him away from me. Tobias catches my wrist, he murmurs, pulling me against his chest, "Oh yes, I'm sure, it looked something like this." His breath fans over my lips, his fingertips lightly brush my cheeks, sends goosebumps down my spine. His lips brush against mine, once, twice, three times, then finally meet mine in a steady kiss. My arms cling to him, determined to never let him go, determined to keep him with me for as long as I can. His arms wrap around me, pulling me tightly to him. My mind drifts to how much longer I have him with me until he isn't mine anymore until he is deployed. His low groan, deep in his throat, brings me back to the present, to Tobias still kissing me, to the fact we have an audience with a camera. I push all the ugly thoughts from my mind, feeling my cheeks heat when the realization comes upon me: I want him in that moment in time.
Cara nervously states, "Okay, I think, I got all the pictures, go change, please." Tobias pulls away from me, a lustful look flashes through his eyes momentarily. My eyes snap to Cara automatically, who is beat red, fidgeting with her camera. Tobias kisses the crown of my head before walking away, whispering, grasping my chin, attempting to stare into my eyes, I avoid his eyes at all costs, "Don't think about this deployment, enjoy the time we have left together." I smile, trying to break the tension I feel in my chest. After he is gone, I turn to Cara, looking at her, trying to figure out where I know her from. I ask, unable to contain my curiosity any longer, "Have we met before?" Crossing my arms over my chest. She quips, "Perhaps."
"That doesn't answer the question, it is either a yes or a no, there is no in-between here, Cara." I shoot at her. She smirks, "Perhaps," at me again. I snap, "Answer the damn question, Cara. Don't play stupid with me." She rolls her eyes with me, replying, "Yes, we have met before, silly, don't you remember me?" Narrowing my eyes, I ask skeptically, "Are you the same Cara, the one who is dating my brother, Caleb?" She smiles excitedly, "Yes, the very one!"
"Don't you work for the FBI or something?" I ask, not believing her story. She giggles, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "I love doing photoshoots like this on the weekends, it keeps my mind occupied from my regular job's craziness. Not to mention, Caleb had to work this weekend anyway on a special project which has been keeping him busy at work, I found myself with a free weekend, and I saw an advertisement posted to a website looking for a photographer to do a surprise engagement shoot. The only catch, you needed a government ID. I contacted the person about the job, the person happened to be Four, and I knew I couldn't turn the job down after I spoke with him. Your brother would have killed me if he found out about it. He has has been pestering me, to contact you, and to ask to do your engagement session ever since Four, called one day after work asking if Caleb would give his blessing to marry you." Holding up a hand, I ask, "Wait a minute, Four asked Caleb for his blessing to marry me?"
Cara shrugs her shoulders, lowering her voice, "Yeah," her eyes move back to her screen, darting to something behind me. Boots can be heard in the distance, and my eyes darts in the direction, Tobias walks towards us in his camouflage fatigues. Cara smiles, "You ready?"
"Yup," Tobias and I respond at the same time. Cara positions Tobias standing toward the camera, instructs me to make a heart around his last name with my fingers, my soon-to-be last name. The camera catches my engagement ring and his dog tags twisted between the fingers of my hand. "Perfect!" Cara yells looking at the pictures. Tobias yanks his jacket off, teasingly saying, "You ready to get sweaty, baby?" I giggle, "No, I'll kill myself in these heels!" Tobias replies seriously, placing his jacket on the ground, "Well, I guess it is a good thing you just need to lay on the ground and look pretty into my eyes. You will give me a reason to forget the pain, I'm going to be feeling in my muscles again." Suddenly, he snaps, staring at Cara, "You ready? I don't feel like doing a million of these, especially, since I had PT today, and I still have another outfit change to make!"
"Yes, sir, Captain Eaton," Cara smirks, pointing her camera at us. Right before Tobias drops to the ground, he sarcastically says, "Oh Cara, stop with the sir crap, and most definitely stop with the Captain Eaton, shit! My name is Four!" Cara turns bright red, stammers, "Yes sir, I mean Captain Eaton, I mean Four, sir." Tobias rolls his eyes toward the sky at her. I almost feel bad for the poor girl. Tobias can be intimidating when he wants to be, but he also doesn't realize the effect he has on people, it isn't his fault he looks so good in a uniform. My possessive side screams: That's right he is all mine, back away. I narrow my eyes at her, I can't help the way I feel, even if Cara says she's in love with Caleb, why isn't he here with her?
Tobias helps me down to the ground, resting my head on his jacket, I straighten my dress, cross my ankles, then stare into his dark blue eyes, absorbed in them. Tobias crawls above me, suddenly he begins to do pushups, and each time comes close enough to me to kiss me. After five, he grumbles, "I'm done, if she doesn't have a picture, then she is a crappy photographer!" I giggle as he swings me off the ground, my shoes fly off my feet across the grass. "Sorry," he mutters shyly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Leave them, my feet are killing me, remind me to never wear those again, or send them back to Christina." I smile at him. He smiles lovingly back at me, pulling me closer to his chest, he begins to dance with me while I stand on his boots, and he hums our song. I murmur, "I used to do this with my dad all the time when I was a kid." Tobias pulls away, his eyes are filled with love and devotion, more than anyone could ever ask for. "What?" Tobias asks, going back to humming, lost in our world together.
"Dance on his feet," I reply. Tobias whispers, "I can imagine it now, a little you, dancing on your father's feet. You must have been adorable." He kisses my nose, but before I can reply to him, Cara, exclaims from behind her camera, "God, you two are too cute!" Our moment is broken once again, my cheeks heat once again. I had almost forgotten she was there. Tobias carefully looks at me, he commands, "Go change into your red dress." I nod my head, he shoots me a smile, leaving me breathless, not wanting our moment to end.
Tobias and I head off in different directions. When I return, Tobias is standing, talking to Cara, in his dress blues. The sight of him knocks the breath out of me. I have never seen him in his dress blues before, I have always had to imagine what he would look like, but seeing him in them in real life is so much better than anything I could have ever imagined. "Tobias," is the only word I can say, the words not forming in my sticky mouth. He looks utterly handsome!
"You look stunning!" He murmurs, moving a fallen piece of my hair out of my face. "Thanks, I believe you should wear this uniform more often, maybe every day," I reply, pointing to his suit. Tobias laughs, winking, "Nope, this is only for you, baby," I feel my cheeks burn. He rubs his fingertips along them, I reply, "I still think you should wear this suit more often, now that I have seen it, I think you should wear it all the time, at least more often than the flight suit."
"Tris," Tobias pointedly says, pulling me into him. I lose my breath looking into his dark blue eyes, which almost match his dress uniform. He smirks, "I like these heels, you should wear them more often too." I giggle, "Why?"
He winks, whispering into my ear, his breath sending another round of chills down my spine, "Because, now, I don't have to bend if I want to kiss you." Heat floods my cheeks, Tobias laughs, and pulls me to him, pressing his lips against mine. Cara stays quiet, not making any comments, only telling us which way to pose. She poses us a multitude of ways, half of which I don't remember, I'm too busy staring at Tobias, my eyes on all of his medals and ribbons. I desperately want to ask him how he earned each of them, but the one time I asked, he told me he never talked to anyone about it. I want to be that one person though, the person who he shares all of his stories with. Deep down, I am curious about the mysterious man, who is Tobias Aaron Eaton. He grins, takes his dress flight cap off, and places it on my head. He grabs ahold of my hand, spins me, and then dips me, he whispers while dipping me, "You look troubled, my love, talk to me." I brace myself to ask him again about his ribbons and metals which adorn the left side of his dress blues.