Tobias - after Allegiant ✔

32

She said yes. She actually said yes. She's going to live with me for a while. A week after she said yes I still can't believe it. It's unbelievable.
   
Since Tris is as good as recovered from her coma, she will be released today. This means I'll have to clean up my apartment a bit. It may not be as bad as it used to be, but that doesn't mean it's not messy anymore. She'll be walking with crutches for a while to keep her balance, and she can't put those crutches on things lying on the ground.
   
The front door opens and I know my mother is inside now, since she's the only one who has a key.
   
"Morning, Mom," I say.
   
"Good morning, Tobias," she says, and after a short silence, "So, today is the big day."
   
"Mom, please. That makes it sound like we're getting married."
   
"Right. Though I can see you two getting married." She looks around. "Are you cleaning your apartment?"
   
"What? She can't move around a messy apartment with crutches."
   
"That girl does have an effect on you."
   
"A good or a bad one?" I glance at her.
   
"A good one. Can I do something?"
   
"Yes, actually," I say. "Could you blow up these balloons?"
   
"And then you're saying I'm making a big deal of it by saying it is the big day," she says with raised eyebrows.
   
"Yes, because you were making this a different situation. One that probably won't come for a while. I'm just trying to give her a 'welcome home'-party."
   
"Okay, but just so you know: I expect a happy marriage and at least one kid before your 30th birthday."
   
"Mom!" I say. "We're just settling down. One thing at a time, okay?"
   
"Did you even listen? I said 'just so you know,' not 'I demand.' It's a slight difference."
   
"Yeah, whatever. Just make sure you don't say something like that to Tris." I glance at my watch. "I'm going to pick her up. I said I had to work today, so that's why it would be this late."
   
"Okay." Evelyn presses a kiss to my cheek. "I'll stay here and finish this and let your friends in."
   
Everyone is coming, even Matthew. I don't see him much. I don't really trust him right now. I have the feeling he knew about Tris all along. But I'm not in the mood for picking a fight today, so I'll just ignore the feeling.

+ + +

I meet Maria first in her office.
   
"There are a few things you need to promise before you can bring her with you," she says.
   
"I'm listening."
   
Maria earned my respect when she saved me from a slow death and when she got Tris though the last two months. I'm willing to do much for her.
   
"Please don't allow her to walk without her crutches until I say she can walk without them. She looks like the kind of person who would do things she can't do because she wants to be independent."
   
I nod. I can already tell Tris will try to walk without them.
   
"She has a check-up every two weeks. When it stays this way or gets better, we'll reduce that to once a month to once in three months. That's for two years. After that it's not likely she'll have a relapse."
   
Tris will probably hate this, too, though she seemed to like Maria.
   
"And last, that tremble is not gone." Something in her tone shouts concern, worry. "I've noticed it is worse on days she's nervous or when she's overwhelmed, you know, extreme emotions. I'm afraid she might collapse if things get to extreme."
   
I swallow hard and pray that it won't happen.
   
"So even though I don't think you're already thinking about this like this, I want to discourage anything that may cause extreme emotions."
   
"It's a good thing we're not working to that then," I say.
    
"Good. Now that we've discussed this, she's released from the rehab center and hospital."
   
"Thank you, Maria," I say honest. "For being there for Tris."
   
"It's my work, Tobias."
   
"And helping me," I add. She smiles and we shake hands. Then I walk to Tris's room.
   
Tris is sitting on her bed, her legs dangling off the side, in jeans and a t-shirt from the hospital. She is wearing the biggest smile on her face.
   
She sees me and runs a little unsteady to me and wraps her arms around me.
   
"Guess what?" she says.
   
"What?"
   
"I'm going home today," she says and her smile grows even wider. I lift her up and spin her around. She shrieks and I laugh and kiss her.
   
"Shall we?" I ask.
   
"We shall," she smiles. She picks up her crutches and walks with me to my car. "I'm so glad I don't have to be here anymowe."
   
"You do have to come back every two weeks."
   
She makes a face.
   
"Come on, it's not that bad," I say. Tris gives me a look. "And you like Maria, don't you?"
   
"I do," she sighs. "But I just want to leave this pawt of my life behind me, you know. The things I felt wewe not all good."
   
"I know."
   
"How would you know?"
   
"Well, if I see you glaring at a wall and throwing away forks, it tells me a lot."
   
"Wight."
   
We get in my car. I can't remember having a passenger in my car before, but then again, I was very lonely.
   
"Tobias?" says Tris. I look at her. "How did you manage to keep visiting me? I mean, at first I couldn't talk, so all you could do is sitting next to me. Then I was just... well, a bitch. I've lost count of the times I've insulted you."
   
"Your insults were nothing compared to the things I've heard before," I say. "And I knew you didn't mean it, or you would come back from it later. And Tris, you're my girlfriend. This is what boyfriends are supposed to do. It's the least I could do for you after all the joy you gave me."
   
I start the engine and drive home. Tris looks through the window, taking in everything she sees.
   
"So much has changed," she says.
   
"Yeah. We're trying to build up a new city, and remove the traces of war. It's difficult to do, but we'll manage eventually. Maybe it'll take a few generations."
    
"Doesn't sound very encouwaging that way," she says. I just shrug and take a turn left and park my car.
   
"Time to get out," I say.
   
"You live nowth of the bwidge," says Tris surprised.
   
I shrug again. "Just wanted something new." Tris looks at me and I sigh. "And I wanted to get away from my old homes."
   
We walk inside and take the elevator to the fourth floor. I put the keys in the door and say, "Welcome home."
   
I open the door and from all hiding places – which aren't many – jump friends.
   
"Welcome home!" they shout.
   
Tris puts a hand over her mouth and a happy tear escapes her eye.
   
"Guys," she whispers.
   
I see her fingers tremble and she leans heavily on her crutch and I remember what Maria said. Great. Already broke one promise.
   
I put my arm around her waist to steady her and she smiles grateful at me.
   
"Tris! We can finally go shopping in 'that not so new anymore'-mall!" Christina.
   
"Cwis..." Tris starts. "You know I hate shopping. And I want to adjust to this fiwst. It's kind of ovewhelming."
   
I have to hold her tighter to keep her up, so I guide her to the couch.
   
"I'm sorry," I mumble. "Should've thought this through."
   
"Actually, this time it's good you had to sit me down. If I didn't I wouldn't have liked it this much."
   
"Yeah," I say unconvinced. "Do you want Dauntless cake?"
   
She grins and nod. "Time for the cake!"
   
Everyone cheers.

+ + +

Once everyone is gone, Tris almost falls asleep. I carry her to my bed and cover her with the quilt. When I moved to this apartment, I painted on the wall across from my bed the words 'fear God alone,' like in my old apartment in Dauntless. That's one of the few things I kept the same.
   
I start to walk away to sleep on the couch, but then Tris says, "Stay. Please."
   
I turn around. She lies on my bed with her eyes closed, but she opens them a little to see if I'm still here.
   
"Please," she says again.
   
"Of course," I say.
   
I change into sweatpants and lie down next to her. She cuddles against me and drape my arm over her.
   
"Thank you fow today," she says sleepily.
   
"Anything for you," I say. I hear her breathing become more even and fall asleep as well.

A/N - I'm so busy with school right now. Test week starts Monday, Thursday we have some charity day at school and after Christmas break I have test week again and I don't like it.

Be brave & stay alive