White Walls [DIVERGENT]

15. Popcorn

"If this is my last night with you, hold me like I'm more than just a friend. Give me a memory I can use. Take me by the hand while we do what lovers do."
Tris:

Tugging on the sleeves of my white cardigan, I lean my head against the cool wall, listening to the sound of rain splattering against the windows.

A smile creeps onto my face as I watch Tobias attempting to make homemade popcorn, using the machine that he found deep inside one of the cupboards.

Brosnan is off for the weekend, and Marcus isn't supposed to be back for a few days, so Tobias decided that I should come over.

Obviously, we're going to be safe and responsible teenagers who don't make out on the sofa.

My parents don't know that we're dating yet, and I probably won't tell them for the next few months. Although I'm dying to tell them that I have a boyfriend, my dad says I'm not allowed to date until after high school.

"Tris, it's not working!" Tobias exclaims from the counter, his back turned to me as he continues pushing every button on the popcorn maker.

Rolling my eyes, I get up and walk over to him, trying to stifle a laugh. No wonder it's been ten minutes and still no popcorn—Tobias didn't plug it into an outlet.

"Don't you work at a restaurant?" I tease while taking the chord and shoving it into the outlet.

We were planning on going to buy ice cream, but because of the rain, it seems less likely. But not impossible, because if our attempt to make popcorn fails then we might end up going.

Turning to face me, Tobias reaches a finger up and taps me on the nose. "I'm a waiter, not a chef."

"It's the same thing!" I reply with a curl slowly forming on my lip.

Love does this weird thing to a person. Sometimes it takes away their sense of rationality, their sense of relatability to the world.

It feels like you're the only two people alive, and you don't want to be around anyone else other than that one person.

You can't get enough of each other, even though you see each other regularly. Love causes a deep ache to spread throughout your gut, and you have to squeeze your hands into fists to control the inevitable pain.

I feel like this every single time I'm with Tobias.

It's like watching the sunset from the balcony, watching it dip underneath the grass and the sky to turn hues of different colours. Or licking the delicate, fluffy icing off a red-velvet cupcake, feeling the sweetness tickle your nose and smother your lips.

Those moments give everybody pure happiness. No matter how shitty your day is, you'll see something beautiful in it. One thing or maybe ten things. There will always be a brightness during the darkest of days.

And Tobias somehow makes me feel all those joyous feelings at once.

His eyes crinkle when he smiles at me widely, shaking his head while trying to hold back a laugh. Wearing the shirt I bought him recently, a white and grey pocket tee, Tobias looks incredibly cute.

Comfortable, and handsome and boyish at the same time.

"I was thinking about it earlier," he says gently, "the first day we met."