Beatrice and Tobias had been training for weeks and were starting to feel like their training wasn't getting anywhere. Of course, they could do more push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises, but it never felt enough. It felt, pointless in a sense. There was little goal other than to make it alive to Dauntless. But there wasn't anything to do other than keep showing up and learn what they could. They started hanging from trees since they weren't strong enough to do pull-ups. Doing whatever made them feel stronger, which was helping. It wasn't satisfying though.

Tobias was once again laying on his stomach. It was a Wednesday night, and Marcus had just finished his routine post-work beating. After multiple meetings that often didn't go his way, Marcus ended up incredibly stressed and uptight. If he couldn't make things go right in the meeting room, he could at least make them go right in his house. And in his eyes, Tobias was always wrong. Always something to be corrected.

This night was better than most. He wasn't in the closet, for one. For another, he was still conscious. He could already hear the snores coming from Marcus' room so he was safe to clean himself off and go to sleep without being confronted.

He started his normal routine of wetting a washcloth with soap and wiping himself off best as he could. It wasn't bad enough to warrant using antibiotics. He nicked some from the school nurse's office but used it sparingly for times such as when he was in the closet for days or got a serious injury. He was grateful, though, that Beatrice agreed for Wednesdays to be their break day. She didn't seem suspicious at all, agreeing that it was good for them to rest and recoup for a night.

Tonight, though, Tobias needed to get out of the house. He felt restless and knew his mind wouldn't let him sleep until much later or until he used up some energy. Even though it felt as if it had all been drained from him mentally, his body was ready to burn some more. He needed to do something that wasn't sitting in pain.

He went to open his window, wincing at the pain in his back as he bent over. Thankfully, his window was quiet. Without looking down, he swung his legs over the side and found the footholds. Every step down was more pain, but it distracted him from the actual fear of how high up he was. He was getting better at it but still felt awkward and clumsy. Especially when he was in pain.

Landing on the ground, he realized that he had nowhere to go. He wasn't confident about how to get to the meadow, and he also wasn't sure that he wanted to go without Bea. It felt like her place, and like it was becoming their place together.

His feet began walking by themselves, following paths he was long familiar with while his mind wandered. He liked calling her Bea and was glad that she didn't mind the nickname. It felt intimate, in a way. A sign of trust between the two. Abnegation didn't do nicknames, so it was a sort of way for them to remind each other what they were fighting and working for. Plus, it fit her and her personality. He liked when she perked up whenever he said it. He liked how they just had a thing together.

As much as he pretended like he didn't, he loved whenever she called him Toby. Her voice turned playful and it reminded him that she cared about him, at least a little bit. That reassurance was soothing in a way, and he clung to it as much as he could. Over the past few weeks, he realized that he had been paying attention to her more. He didn't pay attention to her as much because she was a distraction. No, she wasn't as much of a distraction anymore. Of course, she distracted him. All the damn time. Everything about her. But she was more than a distraction to him, now. More than a curiosity. She was a friend, someone he trusted and cared about.

He hated that he had let her become close to him. He was terrified of her getting hurt somehow because of him. He just hoped it was worth it for her.

After he walked for a while, Tobias found himself near the train tracks. While they often echoed with clanking and the sound of metal against metal, they were silent right now. The night train passed by a couple of hours prior, leaving only a ghost of movement behind. His mother had brought him there a couple of times when he was a child. They would watch the Dauntless jump on and off of the trains after school, competing with each other over anything they could. It was a way for both of them to avoid the house, even though Marcus was always angry when they got back. Whether returning sooner would have helped, Tobias was unsure. He enjoyed those moments with his mother, though. He wished they could have shared more together before she died. Now he was left with Marcus.

And Bea.

He shook his head, ridding himself of thoughts of her and the monster that was asleep back home. Scanning around, he took in his surroundings since his eyes were well adjusted to the darkness. The moon was gone, letting darkness blanket the town even more. Even in the darkness, though, Tobias noticed something a couple of paces away. Walking closer, he realized it looked like a building. He assumed it was a Factionless house or something similar that was set up by the Abnegation. It was far from the city though, unlike other Abnegation housing projects.

He decided to investigate it to quell his curiosity. It seemed abandoned, anyways. The closer he got, the less it looked like a Factionless house. The materials were too nice, and the structure was different from any other he had seen, and one thing Abnegation were not was creative. He yearned to have something to give to Bea, as a way of thanking her. She shared something so personal with him, and he felt as if he hardly gave anything back other than a couple of instructions here and there. Maybe they could start meeting here as well as the meadow.

The door creaked as he pushed it open, resisting his force. Lights flickered on, impressing him. He figured they must be attached to motion sensors as a way to conserve energy while also keeping it lit when it was in use. That was clever. Much more advanced than anything the Abnegation would use. Updated technology was considered selfish, of course.

Tobias found himself stunned as he began to explore the building. It was separated into different sections, there were targets in a corner and then a couple of punching bags in another corner. In the middle, there was a raised platform, which was assumably for fights. The thought of fighting Bea made a pit in his stomach, so he immediately dismissed the thought. Tobias sneezed, realizing that there was a thick layer of dust that coated everything. The room smelt damp and of metal. As he looked around it became clear that this must have been a Dauntless training room, maybe where they practiced after or before school. Who knew. He just knew that it was perfect for him and Beatrice.

He began to look around for supplies. There wasn't anything to throw at the targets and there weren't any gloves for the punching bags. They could make do, of course, but it seemed weird that they wouldn't have the supplies here already. They wouldn't carry all that stuff with them needlessly every day, would they? Were they just that bold? Plus, where were the first aid supplies? They couldn't be dumb enough to practice without any first aid nearby.

Walking closer to the targets, Tobias realized that the holes were larger than typical arrow or bullet holes. Were they from knives? It seemed odd but completely possible. On his side, a doorknob shone in the light. Realizing it led to something, Tobias walked towards it and opened it, wincing at the loud creak. He smiled, realizing what was inside. There was an entire sheath of knives, which looked in relatively good condition other than their coating of dust. A couple of worn punching gloves hung from hooks on the wall, and a first aid kit was sitting on the shelf in the back of the closet. It was everything they needed. Plus, a broom and mop rested against the back shelves with various other cleaning supplies.

Opening the first aid kit, Tobias began to feel even more excited. It was well stocked-whoever trained here before was smart enough not to injure themselves. Perhaps he could nick some of the numbing cream and antibiotic for his nights with Marcus. Not all of it, of course, just some.

He debated whether he would start cleaning now, or wait until he showed Bea. Home still seemed to be unappealing, and he would much rather be here. Plus, he really liked the idea of surprising her with a clean training room. Set with resolve, Tobias picked up the duster and a cloth and began wiping everything down. There didn't seem to be a fan or windows, so he propped open the door with a bucket to let the air out. Once everything was wiped and sanitized he got to work sweeping and mopping. After an hour or so, the room was looking much cleaner. It was nearly two am, according to the conveniently placed clock above the door, and a light sweat shined on his skin. Satisfied with his work, Tobias brought the bucket back in and shut the door gently.

He started walking home, imagining Beatrice's reaction to the room and their futures together. For the first time, Tobias had something that his father couldn't take or beat out of him.

Hope.

The next night, Beatrice was laying in her bed, trying to hear if her family was snoring. Her mind subconsciously separated the three, even though they were similar enough to not matter. Caleb's was light, hardly noticeable, whilst her dad's was deep and mingled with her mother's gentle one. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it read 12:50. She couldn't sleep that night, too busy thinking about school and Tobias. They hadn't met up the night before, and she already missed his soft laugh and gentle smiles. Getting up, she re-brushed her hair and put it into a high ponytail. It was a fun change from her typical bun and she enjoyed how it felt when it swung against her neck. By now she remembered to change into her training clothes before pretending to sleep, so once she finished with her hair she was all set to open the window and scale her wall.

As soon as she reached the ground, she bolted to the front of her house where Tobias was waiting for her. Wind whipped against her skin, making goosebumps spread along her arms. She basked in the feeling as chills went down her spine. This was the closest to freedom she would get for years to come, so she savored it as much as she could. It kept her going during the long hours of school and never ending service projects spent working with her family.

She came to a jog once she reached the front of her house, slowing to a walk once she reached the porch where Tobias sat. His face was lit with a smile, which was unusual for him this early in the night. Typically she couldn't get a smile out of him before they reached the meadow. He waved slightly, pushing himself up to walk over to her. She found herself smiling back at him, though she couldn't figure out what it was either of them were smiling about.

"I have a surprise for you." His smile grew as he looked at her expectantly. Realizing this was what his smile was all about, Beatrice let her smile grow as well.

"You do? What is it?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise would it?" She rolled her eyes.

"I guess not. Come on then, are we jogging to the meadow?" He shook his head, still grinning. Beatrice's smile fell a bit, replaced with a look of confusion. They always jogged to the meadow, where else would they go? Why was he changing their routine after they spent a month perfecting it?

"Its your turn to follow me." He said, smirking slightly. Beatrice followed him as he began to head towards the other side of town, but before they got any further he turned around, "I never said we weren't jogging." He said, speeding up into a light jog. Beatrice rolled her eyes and followed him, wondering whatever could have influenced this spontaneous trip.

It didn't occur to her until they stopped jogging that this could all be an entire set up to get her in trouble with her father and Marcus. For all she knew, they could be in whatever building loomed ahead and would scold her as soon as she entered. She would be reported and any hope of joining Dauntless would be crushed. Tobias wouldn't do that, would he? She didn't think he would, but she couldn't tell if that was actual trust speaking or just her hopes.

"Here we are." Tobias said, breaking the silence and giving Beatrice a moment to take in their surroundings, though there wasn't much to take in. She wiped sweat off of her forehead, glancing at the building that stood in front of them. It seemed windowless and completely empty. What had Tobias lead her to?

"Are we going in there?

"Yup."

"And it's safe?" Her voice was skeptical. He turned around, hurt flashing across his face as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Would I bring you here if I wasn't sure it was safe?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess not. But for all I know, you could be leading me to your father and made this all a set up to get me into trouble." Tobias scoffed, glancing at the building and then back to her.

"I wouldn't do that to you, Bea." His voice was sincere and Beatrice decided to trust him. After all, he trusted her when they first met at her house. It was only fair she proved that she trusted him in return.

"If you don't want to go in, we don't have to. There's still time, we can go back to the meadow."

"No no, it's ok. You seem really excited about this, I want to see what the surprise is." He smiled and his face relaxed.

"Trust me, you'll be glad you came to see it."

"I trust you."

Walking inside, the lights flickered on, revealing the room to the both of them. Training equipment was everywhere, and for a moment, Beatrice felt like she was in Dauntless. Knives, gloves, and wraps were laid out neatly on a side table. Her jaw dropped as she scanned the room, taking it in. Processing that Tobias was the one who discovered this, she turned around and ran to hug him. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, causing him to wince. She immediately let go, scared that she hurt or scared him. Before she could apologize, though, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.

"How-How did you find this place? And all this stuff!" Beatrice asked, voice just above a whisper. Tobias chuckled, squeezing her tight.

"Last night I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk. I made my way to the train tracks, found this, and cleaned it up." A hint of pride laced his voice. Pride wasn't allowed in Abnegation, but Beatrice welcomed it. Especially from Tobias.

"You did all this on your own? For me?" Breaking away, Tobias held her arms and looked her in her eyes seriously.

"For us. You and I are going to make it into Dauntless, I know it. We'll make it. Together." Beatrice nodded. Her cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling so hard. "Now, come on, what do you want to do first?" She looked around at her options, before landing on the punching bags. She looked from them to Tobias and back. He nodded. "Thats a great starting point. Punching bags it is." Before she could walk over, he held her back. "After we warm up." Groaning, Beatrice nodded, falling into their normal stretching routine.

Two hours later, they finished their last reps by the targets. After working on their punches and kicks they moved onto their typical body strength exercises, and then worked to figure out the targets and knives. Neither of them hit the target, but they were getting the handle of it and starting to feel more comfortable throwing them. They both were covered in a sheen of sweat and breathing heavily. Beatrice couldn't believe how Tobias managed to be good at everything. He seemed confident in his kicks and punches, strong while doing the body strength exercises, and clever when they were throwing knives. As impressive and awe inspiring as it was, Beatrice couldn't help but feel insecure. She couldn't meet Tobias' eyes, afraid that he would call her out on her weakness. What if he decided he didn't want her holding him back and told her to leave? She wasn't sure if she could handle him calling her out on her failures.

Tobias noticed Beatrice's abnormal silence. Particularly after a workout, especially new ones, she liked to ask him questions but also talk about her favorite parts. It had become Tobias's favorite part of their nights together. Worried, he walked closer to her and gently put his finger underneath her chin, pulling it up so he could look into her eyes.

"What's the matter, Bea? Are you okay?" His finger drew away, and with it, so did the fuzzy feelings that it put into her chest. She nodded slowly, unsure whether or not to voice her doubts. If she told him her worries it could cause him to realize she was weak before she had the chance to prove otherwise and improve.

"It's nothing - just tired." The lie felt wrong on her tongue. They hadn't known each other long, but she already hated lying to him. It was obvious he didn't believe her, even before he gave her a look of disbelief with his eyebrows raised. She refused to let on anything more until he sighed. A pit of disappointment settled into her stomach.

"Well, okay then. Do you want to walk back home?"

"I guess so, it's getting pretty late."

"Yeah, you need your sleep for school" Beatrice chuckled. "Let's go then, after you m'lady."

She led their way out of the training room, pulling her aching hair out of its ponytail. It ran free down her back, more free than she would have the chance to be until she was in Dauntless.

"Your hair looks nice when it's down." She jumped, not expecting Tobias's voice. Her face grew warm at the compliment.

"Thank you." She shook her head. "You don't have to lie though, I know its plain and boring, it's okay."

"It's not plain or boring." He protested, "I don't know how to explain it but-but it looks nice."

"I appreciate that."

"Of course." Tobias paused, as if thinking about something. "What's your favorite color? I meant to ask you last time."

"I think, sunset orange."

"Say more."

"I don't know. It's pretty." She sighed, thinking about all of the sunsets she had seen from the window in their living room. "Everything around us is so plain. Theres no color or distinguishing features for anything. But we still have sunsets."

"Thats true." He smiled, bumping into her casually. "I don't think I noticed them that much, honestly."

"I watched the sun set a lot from our living room, since it faced west. It was my favorite time of the day as a kid, growing up. The color makes me feel kinda peaceful."

"Like the meadow?" Tobias's voice was gentle, soft. Beatrice smiled.

"Yeah."

"I like getting to hear about your childhood." Tobias said softly. "It's nice." Beatrice looked towards him. He looked like he was longing for something.

"I can tell you many stories about it, then. We have all the time we want together."

"I like that idea." He had that gentle smile back on his face.

Soon the reached the all too familiar entrance to their neighborhood. When they reached Beatrice's house, she turned towards him.

"Thank you, Tobias. For finding that. I had a really good night with you." He smiled.

"I did too." She waved good bye and turned to walk towards her window. She paused when she heard his footsteps stop.

"Tris!" The nickname was unfamiliar, but obviously was meant for her. "You did good tonight. Real good. I knew you had it in you."

Relief filled her chest. The tightness from her previous worries eased in her chest, offered relief by the pride Tobias shared with her. He believed in her, even though she wasn't as strong as he was.

As she climbed up the wall and got into her bed, Beatrice noticed another feeling in her stomach. It wasn't the pit of disappointment from earlier. It was light, airy. It made her feel restless. And the feeling only grew when she remembered her night with Tobias and his dark, blue eyes.

(Past A/N)

Hey guys! So I hoped you liked the chapter. I hope you all had a good week, and I'm sorry I didn't upload sooner. Getting back into school was really tough after winter break. Anyways, leave your thoughts and ideas down below in a review. And are you guys excited for Allegiant to come out? Even though Insurgent was way off from the book and Allegiant is too, I am really excited for it-especially for more Fourtris. Have a great week!

DFTBA,

thebooktrooper