I stand near the bus stop, making myself just enough visible, but not seeming too out of the ordinary. It helps that the other faction colours mingle around as they get off the buses and walk away, making my black clothes not stand out as much. Checking the time again, I realise that her bus should be here soon. And sure enough, in the next couple minutes, I see it turn onto the street.
It stops a few feet away from me, its doors opening up as students start climbing out. My eyes catch her blonde hair the second she comes into sight. She might be small, but her presence instantly draws me to her. I watch as she slowly gets off the bus, feeling immensely relieved when I realise that her brother is not with her.
Beatrice looks calm as she shares a few words with a fellow student before they part ways. And then she begins walking home. Passing right by where I'm standing, her curious eyes flit past me for a microsecond, and she immediately does a double take, stopping in her tracks. A smile works its way onto her beautiful face, and I grin back, silently asking her to follow me. She nods slightly, and I turn to walk through the streets of my old faction.
I make several turns, trying my best to stay discreet and out of the way. My eyes only look ahead, but I know that she is not far behind me. After about ten minutes, I finally stop in a narrow and dark alleyway, the sun not shining as bright here, making it perfect for us to meet. I look up and down the whole lane, making sure no one else is here.
It's after a few long minutes that I see her turn the corner, looking behind her to check if anybody's following. But she seems pleased, and then her eyes land on mine. We grin and run to each other, coming together in the middle in a tight embrace. I let out a joyful laugh before I kiss her deeply, breathing her in and feeling her soft skin under my palms. I missed her so much.
"Happy birthday, my love." I whisper in her ear after we pull away, kissing behind it lightly.
"Thank you, Tobias." She beams up at me, her eyes shining. "I've missed you so much."
"I missed you, too." I take her face in my hands, caressing her cheeks as I stare into her captivating eyes.
"I was so surprised to see you at the bus stop. I thought I was hallucinating." She laughs, her fingers holding onto my arms.
"Really?" I chuckle. "I know we didn't plan to meet up today, but I simply couldn't miss your eighteenth birthday." I kiss her forehead, hugging her back to me.
Beatrice rests her head on my chest, breathing in deeply and tightening her arms around me. We stay silent for a while, cherishing every second of being in each other's arms again. In moments like these, I can't believe how I ever bring myself to stay away from her for so long. And it reminds me just how excruciating it is to leave her when we have to inevitably part ways.
I rub my hands over the length of her back, pressing my lips to her hair as I drown myself in her unique scent. She turns her head to look up at me, and our mouths fit together again to share a passionate kiss, never getting enough of each other. But I pull away before I get too carried away, wanting to give her something. Reaching behind me to grab the box from my back pocket, I take it out and show it to her.
Beatrice stares at me for a moment before taking the box, gently flipping the lid open. A small, delicate chain is nestled inside the box, and a black heart-shaped charm is attached to it. She gasps, her eyes looking up to meet mine again, and she shakes her head. "It's perfect, Tobias. But you didn't have to."
"Of course, I did." I tell her. "My girl needs to be celebrated every day, and her birthday is just another excuse for me to show how much I love her." The Abnegation aren't much on celebrating birthdays, many members don't even know the date they were born. But since I transferred to Dauntless, I have started adopting their traditions, sharing them all with Beatrice. And she really loves it.
"Put it on me, then." She smiles, and I take the gold string out of the box, gently fastening it around her neck. It hangs just below her collarbone, making the small black heart shine over her grey dress. "I love it." She whispers, tracing it with her fingers. "Though it's a shame I won't be able to show it around."
"I know." I caress her cheek, my eyes on the chain. "But it's only a few weeks till choosing day, and then you can wear it around all over the Dauntless compound."
Beatrice smiles brightly at that, and I get dazed by her natural beauty. She's so effortlessly gorgeous, and mine. I watch in awe as the grey slowly fades out of her eyes, making them appear so blue. And the longer we stare at each other, the more vivid the colour becomes. I'm so completely taken by the effect.
"I love you." I breathe out inadvertently.
"I love you, too." She whispers, moving her arms around my neck.
"Do you have to head back home soon?" I ask her.
"Sadly, yes." She sighs. "Mom must be waiting for me."
Natalie gives her daughter a special sweet treat every year on this exact day. And that's how Beatrice got to know when her birthday is. It's a precious tradition between them, showing just how much her mother loves her, to go out of the way of the faction rules to celebrate her birthday. I know it's going to be extremely difficult for Beatrice to leave her parents behind when the time comes.
"Okay." I nod, really wishing we had more time.
I look down at her, brushing my hands over her body before I take the chain and slide it under the collar of her dress. No one should be able to see it now. Kissing her one more time, I savour every second of this rare moment. I wish it would never end, but reality creeps back in and it's over too soon. I see tears in her eyes when we pull away, and she bites her lip as she tries to stop them from falling, but they do anyway.
"Hey, no crying." I wipe her cheeks, taking her back into my arms.
"I don't want to leave you." She murmurs.
"I don't either." I say. "I hate saying goodbye to you. But we have come so far already, love. Just a few more weeks." I remind her.
"Yeah." She gazes up at me.
"You're so beautiful, you know that?" I tell her, wanting to make her smile, but she doesn't. "Tris." I whisper slowly, and I finally see a faint smile on her lips.
"I should go now." She says. "Thank you for my gift, Tobias. I'll be wearing it every day."
"I love you, Tris." I murmur.
"I love you, too, Tobias." She presses a short but love-filled kiss to my lips before begrudgingly moving away.
My eyes stay on her as I watch her walk away, and she turns back several times as she looks at me. I smile at her each time, even though my heart hurts on the inside, and all I want to do is run to her and take her back into my arms. But I stay put, willing myself to be strong for the both of us. We share a last longing glance and then she's out of my sight, leaving me feeling hollow inside.
Somehow getting my legs to work, I make my way out of the alley, taking my time as I walk the old paths to go back to my new faction. When I reach the train tracks, I hear the sound of the wheels grating against the metal, and I know a train is nearby. I brace myself when it comes into view, running at full speed and jumping through the open car door.
I catch my breath as I stand back up straight, looking out at the city as the train takes me away. My thoughts go back to my Beatrice, and I shut my eyes as I picture her face and her smile, imagining that she is right here beside me. I have done this so often over the last two years that I almost believe it now. She's always by my side, even when she's not here physically. Because she is in my heart.