Tobias and Tris: A Childhood Together

~21~

TrisPOV

      "What's his problem with you anyway?" Christina flips her hair over her shoulder, focusing back on the hamburger on her plate.
      Will looks at Tobias' retreating body,"Hm, maybe the dude's into you."
      I shrug, trying to play off the butterflies in my stomach.
      "What faction is he from?" Al asks.
      "That military vibe, definitely a Dauntless from the start."
       "No way, he barely talks and keeps his guard up, have you heard the Dauntless? No, he probably was a Stiff, maybe an Erudite." Will retorts.
       They all start arguing on the subject so I just zone out, thinking of the message I gave to Tobias.
      Meet me at the train tracks at midnight, we can talk then.
      There's not many places I have actually been but the tracks are somewhere I can get to and are secluded enough.
       Chris snaps her fingers in front of my face,"Hey, Earth to Tris."
       I focus back on the present,"What's up?"
       She smirks,"Who you daydreaming about?"
       I lean in close to her,"Don't try and call me out, I see you flirting."
      Her smirk fades but the humor stays in her eyes. She leans even closer,"What you think? Cute or no?"
      I glance over at the boys who shoot us questioning stares and have begun to whisper among themselves.
      I laugh,"Definitely cute."
      She pulls away,"Yeah I think so."
      The guys just look at us in hopeless confusion. Then Will turns to Al and says in a loud whisper,"Lets talk about them quietly and see how uncomfortable we can make them, hehe."
      We all burst into laughter.

...

      It's not hard for me to stay awake, my swirling thoughts and churning stomach keep my eyes wide open.
      11:43
      Al's watch glows in the darkness of the room, alerting me of the time. It sits on his limp arm that hangs outside his blankets, his fingertips just inches from the floor.
      As quietly as possible, I get out of bed. I'm dressed in my workout leggings, Dauntless T-Shirt, and sneakers. Exiting the dorm, I walk silently through the hallways, the only sound is the soft pat of my shoes. However, Dauntless is wide awake and after a few turns the sound of drunken voices, obnoxious laughter, and steady beat of music meet my ears.
I can't help but smile, if I wanted to I could blend with the chaos, grab a drink, and dance until the sun rose. Yet the Abnegation in me screams for me to stay focused, stay selfless.
In the Chasm groups of Dauntless are swaying their bodies, there's no order, no specific rhythm, just fun.
Staying on the outskirts, I make my way out and into fresh air. The light breeze grasps the wisps of hair that have flown free of my braid. Savoring it for just a minute, then I turn to the tracks.
A quick scan of the area and I see that he is not here yet. With an exhausted sigh, I sit and lean against the wall, the cool metal chilling my skin even through the fabric of the shirt.
I close my eyes, letting myself relax and rest, even for just a moment.
"Well you look exhausted."
My eyes flutter open to see Tobias with his hands stuffed in his pockets and a hesitant smile on his face.
"Well, today I had a lot to take in." I tap the ground beside me,"Come, sit."
He sits down,"Tris it's so good to see you again."
I smile,"Yeah, it's nice to see you to. I must say you've changed." I take in his appearance, his hair is military cut short, he keeps his back straight with amazing confidence, his dark clothes make the color in his eyes pop. I knew Dauntless would change him but I had no idea how much.
He looks up towards the horizon,"Well, it's been two years and a lot has happened."
He doesn't elaborate on what he means.
I nod,"So how have things been here? With Tori and Amar? How have they been?"
      Avoiding my eyes, his voice takes on a less cheerful tone,"After Initiation I became one of the instructors so that has been going well. Tori still works at the tattoo parlor and as for Amar..." He takes a breath before continuing,"He passed a little while ago."
       "Oh, I'm sorry for your loss. I know you guys were close." I decide not to continue on the subject,"So what prompted you to become an instructor?"
      His gaze stays locked on the horizon,"A few reasons. They actually wanted me to take a job in the higher ranks but I refused."
      I nod slowly,"Makes sense, keeping a low profile and all."
      "Yeah, it's been good though. The job pays well and I've got friends to keep me company and get me having some fun once in awhile."
      I smile,"Glad someone did when I couldn't."
      We both laugh but there's a weight to it.
      Finally, Tobias makes eye contact with me,"I know we're both avoiding the subject but I might as well ask now. What are we?"
      I swallow.
      What are we?
      Shaking my head, I sigh,"I don't know. It's been two years but we made a promise to each other yet I don't even know what has changed since then."
He reaches up to rub his thumb against my jawline, his dark eyes glittering,"I still love you if that's what you mean."
I take his hand away from my face, holding it with both of mine,"I do too but I know for a fact that things aren't the same."
He frowns slightly,"Yes but we can work through it."
"But I still have to survive Initiation and I bet there's still...things we're gonna have to learn about each other." I cast my eyes down, unwilling to meet his gaze.
His frown deepens and he pulls his hand from mine,"What are you trying to say?"
I look at the rusted metal of the tracks,"Maybe we should start as friends, at least through Initiation so we can learn more about our changes and so I can get my bearings."
There's a silence and I glance up to see Four with his brows furrowed.
Eventually the tension in his stare relaxes but his guard stays up,"Alright, if you think that will be best then we'll do that."
I can tell he's hurt and it hurts me too but we need to figure it out before we rush in headlong.
He stands and I follow. We walk silently back inside the Dauntless building. Inside the party has died down, three people passed out on random benches and the music now a low throb.
1:34
I yawn,"I'll see you in the morning."
He doesn't respond and instead strides steadily out of my sight.
My heart drops but I know we will figure this out, even if that means we don't actually get back together.