But Then I Met Her | ✓

Chapter 41

A/N: Better known as chapter 23 in the actual book.

Tris doesn't go back to the dorms that night. I'm glad that she doesn't. I make her sleep on the bed and she doesn't protest for once. She sleeps on top of my pillow, and something brightens in me. When she was asleep earlier, she looked so peaceful. I want to see her like that every day. I think. Then I shake that thought out of my head. That could never happen.

The floor is uncomfortable, but I don't bother asking her if we could share the bed. One, that would be inappropriate. Two, that would be awkward. And three, we're both still partially stuck in a different world, one with gray clothes and plain food and hours of volunteer work. Sharing a bed- even if we're not doing anything- would still be technically a sign of affection, from me for asking and from her for allowing it. That would be considered selfish, and it would not feel right to either of us.

I close my eyes and slow my breathing, pretending to sleep. I hear the mattress creak as Tris moves, and then slowly start to fall asleep. It's easier with her here, so close that I could reach my hand up and have her be right there. Soon enough, sleep drags me under.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

I wake up early, long before Tris. I sit up to see if she's awake or not. Her face is almost at the edge of the mattress, so close that we're mere inches apart. My skin heats up despite the chill in the air. I lift my hand and brush some hair from her face.

Shaking my head at myself, I stand up and grab some clothes. I take a quick shower, wanting to get clothes on quickly. My heart is pounding. She's right on the other side of the door, sleeping. Sure, Shauna and Lauren have crashed here a few times, but that's different. One, they're my friends and Zeke was there too. Two, I've never felt like this with them.

I walk out of the door and find Tris staring in the mirror. She'd tied her hair in a loose knot at the back of her head, and I wish she'd take it out. She looks so much prettier with her hair down, but her bruise will show more this way. I use the towel in my hand to dry off my hair, and I feel her staring at me. I catch her eyes on my stomach, right where my T-shirt came up a little when I dried of my hair, and feel my face heat up. It's probably just her usual curiousity, though- in Abnegation, the only skin you really show is your hands, face, and some of your neck.

"Hi." Her voice is tight- I don't think she knows that I caught her.

Her eyes are a really bright blue today. They almost catch me off guard. Almost.

I reach out and carefully touch the bruise on her cheek with the tips of my fingers, not wanting to hurt her. "Not bad," I muse. "How's your head?"

"Fine." She lies. If I didn't know how to read people so well, I might not have caught the lie. But her face is still paler than usual, and she is in no condition to lie right now, though normally she's extremely convincing.

I drop my hand down to her side. She stands up straighter, as if she can make herself taller. I try to make it as not-intimate as possible, since neither of us are used to it. "And your side?" I ask in a low voice. We're standing close; this is usually how far apart people stand when they're going to kiss.

"Only hurts when I breathe."

I smile down at her. "Not much you can do about that."

"Peter would probably throw a party if I stopped breathing." Her voice is different- I can't really explain it. Usually it's all attitude and tone and words, but now I think it's more breathy than normal. Her eyes glint in the sharp light.

"Well," I say, "I would only go if there was cake." I know I shouldn't be joking, not when she was almost killed last night, but I might as well say it.

She laughs and then winces. Her laugh, like everything else about her, is pretty. It's probably the most delicate thing about her. Her face twists in pain, and her hand covers mine to steady her ribs.

A jolt goes through me. This, I think, is the most we've ever touched besides when I had to carry her here. I slide my hand back slowly, reluctantly, even though I want nothing more than to close the space between us.

I nod a little and lead the way out of the room.

She's close behind me the whole way, so close that occassionally her arm brushes against my back and heat races through me. Can she feel it too? Or is it just me?

"I'll go in first." I tell her when we're right outside of the dining hall. "See you soon, Tris." I want to do something more, hug her or something, but I don't. Instead I walk through the doors.

I sit down with Zeke, Shauna, and Lauren. Uriah, Marlene, and Lynn are sitting at the table next to Christina and Will. Al is- not surprisingly- missing.

Tris walks in, her head down. Uriah lifts a hand to wave at Tris, then sees how afraid she looks and puts it down. I see Uriah's eyes widen. After Tris sits down next to Will, Uriah leaves his table and slides into the seat next to her.

"Oh God," Shauna gasps. "What happened to her?!" She watches with a pitying expression as Tris holds her side and reaches across the table for something, then winces and hunches over in pain.

"I don't know." I shake my head.

Zeke's eyes narrow at Peter's smug expression. "I'll tell you what happened. He made her into another version of that other transfer that kicked his ass."

Lauren looks at me, mouth open in horror. "Four? Do you...?"

I sigh and lean in. "Yes, I know exactly what happened." They lean in close, and I explain to them what happened. I leave out all of the slightly intimate parts of this morning and last night, but Shauna and Lauren look ready to murder someone when I'm done.

"That ass!" Lauren snaps.

Drew walks into the dining hall, then. Tris drops her toast, her eyes wide. His face is swollen and purple, and he has a split lip and a cut on his eyebrow. He keeps his eyes down. I allow myself a satisfied smile, and Will asks Tris something. She watches me for a minute.

My three friends turn to me, varying degrees of shock and fear on their faces. "Four...did you do that?" Shauna sounds slightly afraid.

"You guys know that I show no mercy when I fight." I stand up between the tables. Conversation abruptly stops, something that no one does for anyone except for Max and that everyone used to do for Amar. "Transfers. We're doing something different today." I announce. "Follow me."

A few words are exchanged between Tris, Will, Uriah, and Christina, and then the three transfers leave their table and follow me out. I notice that Will and Christina flank Tris on either side. Oh what, so since she's vulnerable and injured you're now best friends again? I think bitterly.