fourtris oneshots

thankful

happy thanksgiving to anyone who celebrates! i wrote this while stuck on the couch with a broken foot...enjoy!

"What are you thankful for?"

Her grey-blue eyes were bright as she stared up at him as she ran her fingers over his chest. They were cuddled together in the cold night, layers of blankets over them as the orange fire danced back and forth. The kitchen still smelled of the fresh chocolate cake Tobias had made for dessert. Soft snores were coming from the yellow labrador on the floor, their first child curled up against him, both sleeping soundly. Their family--Tris's parents, Caleb and his wife, Evelyn, all of their friends and their parents--gathered at the Eaton household this Thanksgiving. It was crowded, but joyful nonetheless.

It took him a moment to answer the question. Tris was patient as he did so, breathing in his scent and leaning to kiss his chest. Tobias looked around, to his house, to the dining room where all his family was just gathered for the holiday, to his daughter on the floor and his wife in his arms. He thought of his Electronic Technician job, and his car sitting in the garage, and the women next to him.

"The list goes on," Tobias started, "from the house, to my job, to our friends." He moved his eyes down to look at Tris, setting a hand on her head and watching her smile softly. "But everything points back to you and Thea."

+++

"What are you doing for Thursday?"

Tobias sighed as he leaned back into the back of his chair. They were sitting in the library for the day, since the weather was freezing. Tris bit into her sandwich, reaching into her lunch bag to pull another one out for Tobias. She handed that to him, along with a bag of chips.

"My father said he was invited to someone's house, so I have to go with him."

"You could...ask him if you could spend it with us. I'm sure he wouldn't mind since he knows my father."

Tobias shrugged, "He won't say yes."

Tris rolled her eyes, annoyed with not Tobias but his father. As she always was. "Well you can come over after."

As she watched him, Tobias's blue eyes scanned the room. He was always worried with that; who was watching them and what drama would start next. Tris tried to convince him all the time that no one cared who she hung out with at school. If anything, she should be looked at weirdly for being so close with the mayor's son.

It's not like she could help herself. Tobias Eaton was handsome and for some reason, after their chemistry project they had worked on together, he decided to stay her friend.

Tris wasn't complaining.

"What are you thankful for?"

His dark eyes looked slowly back to her. Tobias dug into the second half of his sandwich, looking down and away from Tris. It was a long few moments before he shrugged.

"That's okay." Tris lifted her lips into a half smile. There was very little things Tobias found enjoyable, after the emotional trauma happening years ago ruined him. "You don't have to give me an answer."

As Tris pulled out a container from her bag, reaching to grab the two forks she had remembered to get from home, Tobias's eyes lit up. It was the expression Tris had grown to love most; Tobias's joy.

Especially for cake.

"Chocolate cake," Tobias said, moving closer to her and taking the fork she held out. "I'm thankful for chocolate cake."

...

"I'll be home by ten, dad."

They stood in the doorway of the Prior household. The person who invited Marcus over for dinner ended up being Andrew. Tris had laughed when Tobias and his father showed up, and it was enough to make Tobias let a smile show on his face. All dinner long, they had exchanged looks when their parents weren't paying attention to them, engrossed in conversation between them. Her older brother, Caleb, might've caught on something, but he wasn't important. He couldn't tell the signs that it was obvious something was happening between Tobias and Tris.

Marcus had stayed three hours after dinner, and weirdly allowed Tobias to stay after. It wasn't a bother, since they lived in the same neighborhood, but Tris would still by driving him home later that night.

Muscles stiff, Tobias faced his father as Marcus turned to him, wrapping his scarf around his neck before laying a hand on the side of Tobias's neck. "You better," he said. From knowing his father, Tobias new that tone had no good intent, even as Marcus smiled.  "Happy Thanksgiving, son."

After that, Tobias and Tris sat down on the couch with the rest of her family, starting a Christmas movie. When it was done, Natalie and Andrew went up to bed, kissing both of their children goodnight with words of thankfulness. Caleb went up an hour after that, leaving Tobias and Tris alone on the couch, sitting across from each other.

"One more movie?"

It was only eight o'clock. They had two hours until he would have to go home for the night. Noticing that, Tobias nodded, brushing his hair back and pulling his tie free. When he looked at her, she was looking away, trying to pick a movie on Netflix.

Before it started, Tobias said, "You."

She looked to him with furrowed eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

All Tobias could see was Tris's courage with Marcus when she knew what he did. Tris's pretty features never holding pity. The way she always managed to lift his mood. How she always helps when he can't reach an injury himself.

"You." He said again. Tobias stood up, walking the four steps it took to get to where Tris was sitting on the same couch. He bent down, taking her face in his hands, and said, "I'm thankful for you."

And he kissed her.

+++

Tobias, out of the memory in his head, furrowed his eyes when he noticed the tears in Tris's eyes. He bent his arms to wipe the few that fell down her cheeks, his eyes narrowing in concern. "What? What's wrong?"

There was hesitation in Tris's eyes as she took one of his hands in hers. She took a deep breath before saying, "Would you be thankful if our family of three turned to one of four?"

Nothing stopped Tobias from kissing her. His wide smile as he did so told Tris all she needed to know.

Yes.

He was more than thankful for the family they were building.