Bare Hands (Sequel To No Sympathy)

Erudite

With Tris following close behind, I walk back to her room, ignoring when she runs her hand down my back slowly. It does feel good, but it's not something my Tris would've been doing to me in the middle of a hallway. I miss my Tris.
When I look at her giddy face I can see a hint of her, swimming around in there somewhere.

Once I'm inside of her room, I set her down on her bed and tell her to stay put, which results in a goofy grin to show up on her face.

But when I turn around to leave, she gets up and follows me.

"No Tris, you can't come with me. Just stay here and I'll be back in an hour to check on you." I place my hands on her shoulders and look her in the eye.

"But I wanna go with you!" She pouts.

"No. Sorry but I can't be babysitting you everywhere I go. And stop with that puppy dog face, its not going to work. You can come back with me when you're normal." A frown stays plastered on her face a bit longer until a smile replaces it.

"But Fourrrr. We can have so much fun!" She giggles as she says third, and I almost laugh at how foreign she looks. As much as this is not the Tris I've grown to love, I feel like life would be a whole lot better if she did that more often.

Of course, Tris sees me daydreaming as an opportunity to kiss me, which is exactly what she does. Out of instinct, I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her closer to me.

All of a sudden, my brain registers what she's doing and I gently set her back down on the bed. "Tris I can't get distracted with you right now. You're not yourself right now. I want the real you."

"But didn't you like the kiss?" She looks up at me with innocent eyes.

"That's beside the point. I'll see you in an hour." I kiss her on the forehead. "Stay." I tell her, and then turn around and leave the room.

Once I'm in the hallway, I touch my fingers to my lips. Even in her giddy, unusual state she still can make me lose myself.

+++

As promised, I come to check on her every hour. And every time she's been the same. By the 4th time, I'm starting to think that when we get ready to leave I'll have to leave her here to smell flowers or whatever it is she wants to do in the state she's in.

I'm about to go check on her for the 5th time.

I hope she'll be different.

I open the door and right away I know she's back to normal. She's sitting on her bed with her fists clenched, glaring at the wall.

"I'll kill them. I will kill them." She data bitterly.

"Don't worry, you won't have to. We're leaving soon."

"Why couldn't I resist the Peace serum? If my brain's weird enough to resist the simulation serum, then why not this one?" Her eyebrows are pushed together in confusion.

I sit down next to get on the bed. "Maybe in order to resist a serum to have to want to."

"Well of course I wanted to..." Tris looks like she's indecisive.

I put my arm around her. "Sometimes people just want to be happy, even if it isn't real."

"You might be right." She says, her voice a little above a whisper.

"Are you conceding?" I fake gasp. "Maybe that serum did got some good after all..."

Tris shoves me so hard I almost fall off of the bed. "Take it back. Take it back now."

"Okay...okay." I put my hands up on surrender, but I can't resist my next comment. "But it makes sense. You know because I'm not that nice either that's why I like you so-"

"Out!" She yells, pointing to the door.

"Bye Tris." I'm nearly shaking with laughter ad I kiss Tris on the cheek and leave the room.

+++

I let her alone when dinner time comes, figuring that she probably doesn't want to be seen in public yet.

When I get my food, I sit down at the table Caleb and Susan are at and begin eating.

Several minutes after I've started, a loud bang sounds at the back of the dining hall, towards where the door is.

I turn to it and see Tris running towards me frantically
With pieces of leaves and twigs falling out of her hair.

When she gets a few feet away I get up and grab her uninjured shoulder so she's looking at me.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Erudite. Coming here. Now."

+++

Heyyy peeps hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've been writing it all day and my phone is literally at 9% right now but I wasn't putting it off. I had to finish this chapter before I put it on the charger. I go back to school tomorrow so things will be a bit more packed but of course I'll deliver for you guys!! Omg it's at 8% now. Gotta blast!!