ALLEGIANT

Chapter: 2

It takes me what feels like hours, but was really no longer than a minute, to absorb what just happened.

I look over at Tobias, sliding his shirt over his head, and see his hair falling unruly around his face as he turns to look at me. His face is plastered with a fake smile and I wonder what I did wrong. I smile back and realize that just seconds ago we were going to...what? What were we going to do?

I feel my stomach flip and heat rushes to my face as I look away but I know he saw me.

           "So-Uhh" clearing my throat I walk over to where my shirt was tossed and shake my head.

'How do you forget that your shirt was taken off?' I ask myself, 'You really are losing it, huh?'

I pull it over my head and I feel the build up of static, fly-aways stick up and around my face. I ignore the pesky strands of hair and smooth the small wrinkles on my shirt to avoid looking at him.

"So, What's all happened since-"my voice catches and Tobias looks at me now, his expression mimics the stoic glance I received when we first met.

Crap.

"Since what? Since you sided with my father", The heat comes back making my already pale skin blotchy with shame, he stands with his back to me, toward the window in his room over looking the glass ceiling of the dauntless compound. Since the first time I was here, when Peter nearly threw me in the chasm, I had always wondered why he had such a nice room. I mean, I didn't think that an initiate trainer would be held at such high standards especially with a covetous asshole like Eric around, but discovering his near perfect score in all three levels of training made it less hard to believe that he would be held to such adulation. 

"You already know that I had to do it, Tobias, it's not a bad thing" I tell him, my voice coming out husky and unsure. A few minutes ago he was saying how he saved me, how he would always be there to save me, I feel as if the arrival of Peter triggered some unknown hostility. Well come to think of it, I elicit enough hostility on my own.

He sighs, pushing his hands through his growing hair and he turns around to me, "How do I know that though? If it wasn't as bad as I thought, then why couldn't you have told me before I had to find out you went behind my back and deliberately sabotaged what I was trying to do, Tris? What we all needed to do. " I see the effort in his face as he tries not to raise his voice.

He's standing closer now, much closer, close enough that I can see the line of black ink trailing it's way around the arc in his neck. I quickly flick my eyes to his; now luminous, and they burn into me as he looks down, I look away and see the stumble on his jaw ,usually smooth to the touch. Unaware of my actions I reach out and rest my palm the side of his face. He hesitates for a moment then his eyes shut, and he lets out a quiet sigh that is nearly inaudible.

We stand like this for a few minutes, as tense as two blades in a stalemate, until finally he reaches his hand up and covers my hand with his, lacing his fingers between mine.

"We can talk about this later" he breathes out, his breath stirring up the loose strands of hair on my forehead. I sigh, relieved in knowing that the questions I don't know how to answer are gone for the moment,  but the look in his eyes hold a promise.

Feeling as if I've said enough, and feeling spent on all the arguing I turn and start off down the dim corridor that Peter went through, leaving Tobias behind.

***

I'm about halfway to the pit when hear the commotion. The echo of voices slip their way down the corridor, bouncing of the walls as the shouts create a pounding headache.