Dreaming

Chapter 12

Tobias's POV

I can't bring myself to accept the fact that Tris will be risking her life for information we don't even know if it even exists. I can't let her slip right through my fingers like that. She's worth way more that she could ever imagine to me. And letting her go on a suicide mission is not something I'd ever agree to. Yes, I technically agreed to it--though I did protest--just, not enough.

I carefully run my fingers over her exposed skin, as if I press any harder and she'll crumble under my touch. Her skin is supple and smooth. It gives me goose bumps. She's been asleep for quite some time now, considering that it's two-thirty A.M. in the morning. But I've been watching her instead of sleeping myself.

That evening, we had all met back up in the training room. Zeke came in, last, complaining about how terrible his job had been that day. I rolled my eyes at him. He was nearly snoring the whole time, being woken up at times when his monitor would begin beeping or when dribbles of saliva rolled down the side of his mouth. I raised my voice at him, saying that it was late and our mini-meeting had to go by quickly, or his time spent at work the following day would be a living hell. He grew quiet the rest of the night, only adding in a comment when he thought to be appropriate. Shauna and Tris found humor in our silent stares--giggling whenever Zeke would decide against opening his mouth and me shooting daggers with my eyes.

We took an hour--hour and a half--to go over exactly how Uriah and Tris would infiltrate Jeanine's office and how they would train for the simulation. We spent most of the time talking about the training. Shauna and I will do the actual mentoring, Zeke, Lynn, and Al will monitor the program to make sure nothing goes wrong, and Will said he'd manipulate our current fear landscape serum with the help of Marlene and Christina.

The whole time I couldn't help but stare at Tris. The way she'd giggle silently with Shauna. The way her eyebrows scrunched together in deep thought. The way her face turned a shade of pink and she'd quickly look away every time she caught me staring at her, it gave me a sense of direction. Like I knew what I was fighting for. Her. I was doing this for her. And that's why I knew I couldn't let her go into the simulation.

I yawn, still watching over Tris. My hand now rests at the small of her back, touching the skin left uncovered by her rolled up tank-top. Her respirations are deep and steady, slowly lulling me to sleep. I pull myself closer to her, feeling heat radiating from her body and wrapping around me like a blanket. I secure my arm around her waist, tucking my fingers between her stomach and the bed. I sweep her hair away from her face, which is red from the heat, and place a light, feathery kiss on her cheek. Then, carefully, I lay my head between her head and shoulder. My--not so steady--breaths fan across her neck and jawline, making the hairs on her neck stand. I feel my self slowly relax each muscle, melting into the bed. I can't support my eyelids, so they close. And just like that, I fall asleep with a grin on my face, next to the most precious thing ever given to me.

• • •

My eyes shoot open at the sound of a blood curdling scream. Right next to me, Tris thrashes around violently, throwing the covers off the both of us in the process. Not knowing what to do, I forcefully take her in to my arms, locking her legs between mine. Still, she struggles to break away from me.

"Shhh. Tris, you're okay. Baby it's okay. Calm down. It's just a dream. I won't let anything bad happen to you. Ever." I tighten my arms around her as she begins to use more force. She grits her teeth, tears rolling down her already stained cheeks. Keeping one arm secured around her back, I bring the other one up to cradle her head. "Tris, wake up. Please, for me. I need to see your beautiful eyes staring into mine. Baby, please. Wake up." I run my fingers through her hair, rubbing her head. She starts shaking as she cries into my shirt. With one last throaty scream, she wakes up--shaking ever harder, tears falling faster. She balls up my shirt into her fists. We stay in that position, me cradling her whole body with mine, until she can speak. I murmured, "It's okay. You're okay," the whole time into her ear, continuing to run my fingers through her hair.

With a shaky, raspy voice, she says, "Tobias, don't let go of me, please." She holds onto me even tighter.

"Tris, I'm not going anywhere. Are you okay?" I reassure her. She nods her head.

"Just--just a few more minutes, please." She nestles her head on my chest. Now it's my turn to nod.

Those few minutes pass and then she gets up, wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath. Inhale... Exhale. She walks over to the bathroom. I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, waiting for her. I hear the sink faucet turn on, water splashing, turn off, and then Tris's footsteps.

"Thank you," I sit up against the backboard. She sits next to me.

"Tris, are you okay? I've never seen you do this and I freaked out and didn't know what-" She puts her finger to my lips, shushing me.

"I dreamt about Jeanine's sim room. But it didn't feel like a dream. It felt...real-" she looks away, "Like it actually happened before." She notices the confusion on my face and continues explaining.

"They were little different fragments like me entering the room, the room filling up with a gas--I'm guessing that it was the serum--and me fighting myself." Her voice becomes soft and I almost can't hear her.

"Okay, but I don't understand. Tris, I woke up to your scream." I stammer on my words, still a bit shaken from seeing her like that.

"Everything I did, or tried to, she deflected. She was me. She knew me better than I know me, Tobias, I freaked! But the thing is, she was no longer me. It turned into Will. I was fighting Will. I don't understand, but I felt this horrible pain in my chest at the sight of him. As if I had done something to him. I tried to stop him but he kept fighting me. All of a sudden there was a gun in my hand. I pointed it at him, screaming at him to stop." A silent tear falls down her face, "He tried taking it from me when it went off. I shot him. I killed Will." Her eyes are red and puffy, her voice wobbly.

"Come here," I pull her onto my lap, "it's not real. It didn't really happen." I run my hand up and down her back.

"I know," she lays her head on my shoulder. I feel her small, cold fingers run up my shirt, touching my bare skin. I suck in my breath.

"But you know what?" I look at her blotchy face, "now we can use that to our advantage. That's exactly the type of simulation Jeanine would use to keep anyone out of her office." I kiss the top of her head. "Now that you're awake, breakfast?" She smiles and walks me to the kitchen.

I will go into the simulation room instead of her. I won't let her experience more pain. I just won't.

___

A/N: So I'm on Vacation rn and I didn't want to not update for a long time. (Ooh that sound confusing😂) anyways, here's a little filler chapter, not that long but it'll do. And it's some Fourtris to enjoy😉 Share this story with anyone you think would like it😘❤️ I won't be updating for a while, but don't worry, you won't notice.