fourtris oneshots

Role Reversal #3

"I just heard your voice."

Tris's head turned to where Tobias stood in the doorway. Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion. She stood from the chair she was sitting in. Her eyes glanced to the gun Tobias was holding as she lifted her own.

"Drop your weapon," she said.

"Tris," Tobias walked closer a step, "you're in a simulation."

The name felt unusual when he spoke it, there was rarely a time he said the name ever since Tris told him. He usually called her by her full name, when they were alone.

"Drop your weapon," Tris sternly repeated, "or I'll fire."

Jeanine told Tobias earlier that day that Tris didn't know who he was. Jeanine also said the simulation turned her friends into enemies, and her enemies into friends. Tris would shoot Tobias if she had to.

Taking a deep breath, Tobias set his gun by his feet.

"Drop your weapon!" Tris shouted, straightening her arms that held the gun.

"I did," Tobias said fast. He wondered if she could hear him. But again, she didn't see him and didn't know him. Perhaps, she couldn't hear him. But, grasping that fact, Tobias agreed with himself that he couldn't stand there and let her shoot him.

He ran forward and grabbed Tris's wrist. He felt her muscles tense and Tobias ducked just in time for Tris to pinch the trigger. The bullet lodged itself into the wall behind Tobias. He tried to refrain from lifting a foot to weaken her. But, as if she had the same thought, Tris lifted her foot and kicked Tobias in the ribs. He twisted her wrist to the side, making her drop the gun.

In a fight against each other, Tobias could barely win. But, that's not the goal. He needs to destroy that computer. The gun lays on the floor a few feet away from him and Tobias dives for it. But before he could, Tris wrenched him to the side.

As Tobias stared into Tris's eyes, he noticed the dark and conflicted look. Then, her hand wrapped around the side of Tobias's head, grabbing his hair in a fist. She pulled his face down, knocking it into her knee. Tris punched a fist across his jaw and attempted to push him to the ground.

Tobias knew he couldn't fall. He couldn't fall unless she would end up kicking him. He ignored the aching feeling in his jaw and took her dominant hand, twisting it back again. He kicked her feet out from under him.

Before he could try to get the gun again,  Tris was up and she kicked his feet under from him, kicking him in the chest as soon as Tobias hit the floor. She ran to get the gun but Tobias pulled her foot. He winced as he saw her hit the ground face-first. When he tried to reach for the gun himself, Tobias paused. What would he do with the gun? He couldn't shoot her. He couldn't. She was in there somewhere.

Tobias didn't let that thought move from his mind.

Again, she reached up and grabbed a hold of his hair. Tris yanked him to the side. Tobias tried to reach up, tried to get a hold of her wrist, but Tris already was pushing his face. As Tobias's forehead smacked into the wall, stars surrounded his line of vision and an ache overwhelmed his head.

She was in there somewhere.

"Tris," Tobias said again.

For a moment, the grip Tris still had on his hair faltered. Did he imagine it? Still, Tobias twisted, kicking back to Tris's leg. Tobias dove for the gun when his hair slipped from Tris's grip. He felt his fingers touch the cold metal and his stomach turned. He tried to forget the dead body that fell to the pavement as he flipped onto his back and pointed the gun at Tris.

"Beatrice," he said, "I know you're in there somewhere."

Though if she was, Tris probably wouldn't head toward him as if she was about to kill him for certain at last.

Tobias's head throbbed again. He stood up on his two feet.

"Beatrice, please." He felt pathetic as he begged. His eyes stung and he willed himself not to cry. "Please. See me." Tris walked toward his, her movements dangerous and fast. "Please see me, Beatrice, please."

Even as her mouth lifted up into a scowl, her eyes looked thoughtful. He looked at her lips and remembered how they looked when lifted into a smile.

The gun shook in his hands. He couldn't kill her. Tobias wasn't sure if he loved her, wasn't sure if that was why.

Though, he has done this before--in his fear landscape, with the gun in his hand and a voice shouting at him to fire at the people he loved, at his family. He had volunteered to die instead, but he couldn't imagine how that would help now. But, he did know what he needed to do.

His father, the leader of Abnegation, used to say how there was power in self-sacrifice.

Tobias turned the gun in his hand and pressed it into Tris's hand.

Right away, Tris pressed the barrel to Tobias's forehead. A traitor tear slipped down Tobias's cheek but he didn't bother wiping it. He took a shuddering breath as he heard the bullet click into the chamber.

Perhaps it would be as easy to let Tris shoot him as it was in his fear landscape. Perhaps it would be a bang, and the lights would lift, and Tobias would find himself in another world. Whatever it was, Tobias stood still and waited.

But, the shot did not come. Tris stared at him with ferocity and didn't move. Why didn't she shoot him? He felt her heartbeat as he pressed a hand to her chest and remembered; she was Divergent. She would, and could, fight this simulation.

"Beatrice," Tobias repeated. "It's me."

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Her body is stiff in his hold. He felt her breaths pick up. There was a thud as Tris dropped the gun, making it slam onto the floor. Tris grabbed his arms--too hard, her fingers digging into the top of his left arm, where the bullet had recently been extracted from. Tobias winced in pain as Tris pushed him away. He wondered if Tris planned to kill him in a more cruel way.

"Tobias," Tris gasped, and it was her again. She pulled Tobias to her, and her mouth collided with his. Her arms wrapped around his middle, pulling him closer and holding him against her. Her body is shaking. Tobias's shoulder pulses with pain but he does not care, he does no care, he doesn't care.

Tobias picks Tris up, kissing her more deeply. As they kissed, Tobias felt Tris run her fingertips along his cheeks. Tobias felt Tris pull back and felt her fingers run over his lips, his eyebrows, his forehead.

As he set her down, a sob slipped through her lips and she embraced Tobias again, holding her face into Tobias's chest with her shoulders shaking. Tobias hasn't ever seen Tris cry. He hoped he would never have to again.

Tobias puts his arms around her, and places his chin on her head. His heart ached and he felt tears fill his eyes. Tris leaned against him, and he supported her.

"How did you do it?" Tobias asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I just heard your voice."