Divergent: No War

Chapter 21

I wipe my palms on my pants, getting the sweat off. It felt like I was in there forever, but really, the landscape only took twelve minutes.

Tobias wraps his arms around me, and I clutch at the cloth on his back, leaning my head to he chest to hear his heartbeat.

Christina comes up to me. "So, Four, did you have to, like, watch Tris do it?"

"She didn't have that fear." Tobias tells her.

"Oh, and why is that? Hm?" She wiggles her eyebrows.

"I realized he wasn't like that." I say. "It's complicated, but not in the way you think."

Christina leaves, disappointed.

"We have to go through yours now." I state, changing the subject.

"Yea, but at least you've been through it before. Only one thing has changed." He tells me.

"Oh." I reply, recalling that night he told me about his fear landscape.

He hands me a syringe, and I inject it into his neck, his eyes on mine, and I stare back.

The others sit on a bench, and I hear someone clear their throat, and I turn away. Tobias taps my shoulder, and I turn back around to him. I suddenly feel like an initiate again, as he sweeps my hair back, and injects the serum into my neck.

He touches my cheek, and kisses me. I smile slightly, pressing my lips to his.

"Four, can we get on with it?" Zeke asks, annoyed.

"Oh, let them be." Shauna says, rolling her eyes.

She kisses him, and he kisses back.

~~~

The lights go out, and soon, we stand on the top of the Hancock building.

He takes my hand, and sprints off, more confident with our hands together.

Before we reach the ground, the scenery goes dark, and before I fully get up, wooden walls slam into my spine, and Tobias groans, as last time.

I bring his arms around me, and wrap my own arms around his waist, pulling him down. He is sitting, with me on his lap. I bury my face into his chest, clutching some of his shirt in my fist. He keeps his arms around me, and kisses my forehead. His heartbeat still feels fast, but he seems calm.

He sighs. "I think you're keeping us from continuing."

"How so?" I ask, knowing the answer already.

If he makes my heart race, chances are, I make his as well. I smile at the thought. He must see my realization, because he laughs, and the walls break free.

I stand, and wait for the next obstacle.

The scene changes, and Marcus stands in front of us, his hands behind his back.

"No, not again." Tobias says.

His father draws the belt back, but Tobias grabs it, and launches a counter attack.

The scenery changes, and I forget to breathe. That was fast. The lights turn to a new scene, and I realize it is the Pit. A faceless man comes up to me, taking me by the throat.

I shriek, and Tobias stands still, screaming my name. He wants to help, he does, but he can't. Then I realize the fear.

He is afraid of not being able to help me when I'm in danger. He is afraid I will die, and he won't be able to save me.

"Tris! Tris!" He yells, not knowing what to do. "Tris..."

He voice becomes hoarse as he continues. I try and pull free of the man's grip, but I can't.

"Tobias!" I struggle to cough out. "Calm down..." I trail off, as the man tightens his grip.

"Tris!" He calls out again, his eyes becoming glassy with tears.

He breathes, inhaling, exhaling, trying to slow himself.

The dim light of the Pit fades, and then the lights of the landscape room come on. Tobias rushes over to me, and wraps his arms firmly around me.

"I'm not doing that again." He says, running his fingers through my hair.

"You don't have to." I say, softly. "You never have to go through it again. Ever."

He presses his lips to mine, and he sighs, grateful it wasn't real.

Uriah comes up to us. "What was that? All I saw was Tris looking like she was being strangled and Four, you weren't doing anything."

"The fear was watching her suffer. I couldn't help." He says, almost a whisper.