Discoveries ✔ (Divergent Fourtris Fanfiction)

Chapter 26

Hi everyone,

before getting to the new chapter I have to tell you that I will be going on a longer trip after posting this chapter and spend some weeks abroad. I won't always have connection to the Internet and don't know if I'll spend much time writing. But I've written and edited four chapters ahead, so there will at least be updates about every two weeks during October and November, or maybe more if I get to work on it. I hope you'll stick around and keep reading this story despite the less frequent updates! I'll keep my promise that this won't be left unfinished.

So, now about this chapter: It's a little different from the others and has both Tris' and Tobias' pov's. I had to change the original layout due to the limited options on wattpad, so now there are lines indicating the change of pov and I put Tobias' pov in italics. Still, it's not how I first planned it to look like. If you want to read with my preferred layout, check out this story on ao3, too.

I listened to "Any other name" by Thomas Newman while writing this, to me it supports the mood well with its simple tune. I linked it above, so you can listen if you like.

Okay, now I'll let you read the chapter... finally... ;-)

I'm always happy about votes or comments!

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Tris & Tobias

Tobias is quiet on our way home, but it's not just that. We never talk much out in the open. No, in addition to that, he's also distant.

If it has just been a suspicion while we were walking along the hallways, it becomes a fact when we reach his apartment. He kicks off his shoes and wordlessly walks over to the bed where he sits down and buries his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees. He looks drained, vulnerable in a whole different way than I've already seen him in this bed.

I don't know what it is that is bothering him, but if he wanted to let me know, he'd already said something, I suppose. Or maybe he's still making up his mind. I hope it doesn't have to do with me. I'm not sure what I should do, stay or leave?

But since he doesn't say anything against my presence in his apartment, I untie my shoes and hang my jacket on the hook. I go to the kitchen, fill two glasses with juice and take them over to him, setting them down on the nightstand as I sit beside him.

"Tobias," I whisper.

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"Tris, I can't..." tell you.

I wish I could.

But I can't.

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His continuous silence frightens me. What has happened to him today?

I lay an arm around him and rest my head on his shoulder, deciding not to push him. He always respects my boundaries when it comes to physical affection and now he apparently needs me to respect his when it comes to emotional confidence.

I tell myself to be patient, that he's going to open up to me when he's ready, that he won't keep me in the dark for long, that all he needs right now is time and the reassurance of my closeness.

We sit like statues, neither of us moves an inch until I start stroking his back with my hand after a while, just to test if I'm still able to move. And then I swallow as I feel his body start to shake softly under my hand.

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A tear falls from my eye and rolls down my cheek, and I can't even remember the last time I cried.