"Fine, fine." He started to jog, faltering when his back flared in pain and dots began to fill his vision. Before he could start jogging again, Bea stood in front of him blocking his path.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"Uh, hurrying up as you told me to?" Ok so maybe he hadn't thought that through fully. She rolled her eyes again.

"I meant to hurry up and start walking. No training, remember? You've been through enough tonight." Tobias grimaced. Part of him felt guilty for holding them back from training. Bea didn't seem to mind too much, so it shouldn't be too big of a deal, right?

What if she's just pretending and tricking you?

Bea wouldn't do that.

"Okay, fine." He slowed to a walk to match his pace with Bea's. They walked in a comfortable silence until they reached the meadow. He looked over at her, noticing her smile as they walked up the familiar path. On the crest of the hill, he noticed a blanket on the ground. When they walked closer it became clear why Bea had seemed so excited. There was a bag of food in the middle of the blanket and plates. He turned to her, incapable of expressing how much it meant to him that she had done this. She risked so much for him. It was all so thoughtful.

Telling her his feelings seemed infinitely harder now. He already didn't deserve her friendship. How could he even think about anything more?

"I know it's not much-I tried to get as much as possible but I could only get what wouldn't be noticed. And I figured with everything going on your dad hasn't been letting you-"

"You don't need to apologize, Bea. It's perfect." He interrupted her doubtful ramblings. They sat down on the blanket and Bea started to divide the food between their plates. It was obvious she was putting more on his plate than hers, but he chose not to mention it. "You didn't have to do this, you know. I would have been perfectly ok with just sitting in the meadow and talking."

At this, she lifted her head. Tobias could see her grey eyes glistening from the moonlight reflecting onto them. How can she be so oblivious to how stunning she is?

"I wanted to, Toby. You're my friend. And friends help friends." There was that word again. Friends. He wished and dreamed that they could be more than that. Tobias looked her in the eyes, meeting her familiar grey stare. He hoped she could tell just how thankful he was, even though he didn't have the words to express it.

"Thank you, Bea." His voice was thick with emotion when he spoke and he attempted to clear his throat.

"It's nothing," she sighed and broke their eye contact to look at her fingers, "you deserve everything, Tobias."

"It's so much more than nothing, Bea." He reached out to place his hand on hers, "This is everything I want. You give me so much, without me even asking."

Of course, there was that one other thing he wanted...but it was selfish beyond belief and more than he deserved to even consider. Bea shook her head softly, a small smile on her face. Her hands left his to hand him a plate filled with food.

"C'mon, eat silly." It was clear that the shift in topic was because she didn't know what to say, but that was okay.

"How did you get the chicken? That must've been hard to sneak." Tobias asked, curious.

"There are certain advantages to cooking food without parental supervision." Tobias rolled his eyes dramatically. Her rebellious spirit was untamable, he had learned in their first year of training there was nothing he could say or do to repress it. Nor did he want to.

"Such a rebel." He smirked back at her before taking a bite of his chicken. Before he knew it, it was gone. And so was the rest of the food on his plate. Bea eyed the chicken bone and he immediately knew what she was thinking. "Don't you dare give me more food. This is more than enough. I can't ask you for any more."

"Well, it's a good thing you don't have to ask for more." She said as she shoved her leftover food onto his place. Before he could protest she cut him off. "I already had my dinner and I'm pretty sure you haven't. So take my share, it honestly isn't even that much."

"But-"

"No but's Tobias!" Her voice raised slightly, the loudest he had ever heard it. He flinched involuntarily, images of Marcus yelling at him hours prior overwhelming his mind. Bea's face twisted when she realized what she had done. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice like that."

"It's okay." And it was. The images were fading and he was back in the meadow, sitting with her on the picnic blanket.

"I shouldn't have done it, regardless. But you need the food, Toby. I've grown up with enough food and you haven't. You probably need twice the food I get and Marcus hardly gives you half of it. So take the food this one time, please."

"Fine, okay." He let her push the rest of the food onto his plate. He couldn't help but feel guilty, this shouldn't be happening. He couldn't refuse her gift, though, she risked herself to get this food for him.

"Why do you care so much anyway?" She asked, scooting closer so that they were sitting next to each other instead of across. "It isn't like that was the only food I have." Tobias shook his head, casting his eyes downwards.

"I don't care that much about the food, I mean, I do. Thank you. But I care about you more. I worry you could have gotten in trouble for this, which meant you would have gotten in trouble because you were trying to help me. I don't deserve your help, or your kindness, or any of it. Especially if it comes at the price of you getting in trouble."

"Oh, Tobias." Her fingers brushed his cheek, wiping away the tears that had begun to fall down it. He cursed himself for bothering her with his overthinking. Why was he so selfish? "Please don't feel that way. Of course, you deserve this. You deserve more, honestly, I just can't give it to you yet."

He nodded his head, not wanting to make her any more upset with further resistance. Instead, he took a bite of food and kept eating until it was finished. For the first time in weeks his stomach felt full. It was a nearly foreign feeling.

They moved the plates and pillowcase onto the ground beside the blanket and settled onto the blanket, laying next to each other on their sides. He turned his head and looked into her eyes again. Her chest rose as she took a deep breath.

"I have something to tell you," Bea said.

"I do too." The words left his mouth before he could think. Fuck.

"You go first." She said.

Why did he do this to himself?

"Okay." He took a deep breath.

Why hadn't he thought about this more? Come up with a speech, a catchphrase, something.

"Bea, ever since last year...My feelings for you have changed." He admitted. Her eyebrows rose.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Tobias swallowed thickly, feeling sweat bead up on his neck.

"I like you, Bea. I like you a lot. As more than a friend." The words fell out of his mouth, one after another. "I have for the past year, but I've been too scared to tell you. And I completely get it if you don't feel the same way, but it's only fair that you know. I don't want to ruin our friendship, though, or make you feel uncomfortable and if you want I can go and never see you again or-"

"Tobias."

How did she manage to keep her voice so soft and gentle?

"Huh?" He hated how his voice shook like that. Hopefully, she wouldn't notice. They were about half a foot from each other. All he wanted to do was close the space between them and make it nonexistent.

"I like you too."

"What?" She chuckled, brushing his cheek again lightly with her fingertips.

"That's the thing I had to tell you tonight. I like you." She said

This was really happening.

"I could kiss you right now," Tobias said.

Fuck, why did he have to screw it up like that?

"You should do it."

He closed the distance between him that he so desperately wanted to make disappear earlier. His lips were on hers. Heat filled his body from his core and everything felt right, for once. Kissing her, being with her, it all felt right. He brought his hand to her hair, holding her head close to his.

They broke apart moments later, spending time staring at each other in the dark. That actually happened. He kissed Bea. She kissed him back.

A twig cracked in the distance, causing them to sit up and scan the trees around them. There was nothing to be seen, so Tobias turned back to Bea. He took her hand, eliciting a smile on her face that was nearly as big as his.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." He admitted.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted you to do that." She replied, causing his smile to grow even bigger.

"What does this mean for us?" He asked and squeezed her hand. It was grounding, but also reassuring.

"What do you want it to mean? I mean…" She bit her lip and paused for a moment, "I wouldn't mind being your girlfriend."

"Really?"

"I mean, not that it matters too much. We aren't even allowed to court until we're like, 20. But yes, really."

"I'd be honored to have you as my girlfriend," Tobias said. The words didn't feel real. How could this actually be happening? To him, of all people? She squeezed his hand back. "It doesn't have to mean anything to anyone else, as long as it means something to us."

"That's true." She looked him in his eyes. His stomach filled with butterflies as he admired her gentle features, not for the first time that night. "Can you promise me something?"

"What would that be?" He was pretty sure he would promise her anything, he would do anything if it meant he could be with her. The reality of that scared him.

"That when you transfer to Dauntless you won't forget about me and move on to a prettier, better girl." She looked down. "And if you plan on doing that, please don't start a relationship with me because I don't want to be hurt like that." He felt his face relax and soften and he tilted her chin up with his finger so that he could look into her gray eyes again.

"Hey," he made sure to keep his voice soft and reassuring, "I'm never going to do that. I promise not to leave you. I'll remember you, forever and always." Bea smiled, her face brightening again as her furrowed brows relaxed.

"Yeah." She repeated, "forever and always."

(Past A/N)

Hey guys! So I am finally getting back onto my updating game-sorry about that month where I didn't update anything. I was really into Camp NaNoWriMo and my original story so I kinda put this on the back burner. But I'm back! I swear I will finish this story-even if I delete all my others, I won't give up on this one. I have the entire outline up to chapter 50 made, and I'm not going to throw it away. I just need time. So thank you all who have stayed with me, it really means a lot! Now, to thank you all, here is a Fourtris filled chapter!

DFTBA,

thebooktrooper