Fourtris Meets Clace

Chapter 9 - Tris

TRIS

My encounter with Jace in the hallway just now was extremely awkward.

"I must admit, he is quite blunt," I say to Tobias. I told him how we kinda bumped into each other in the corridor and it would be rude not to say anything.

"Yeah," Tobias agrees. "He's not all that arrogant, I guess, but still I really dislike him at the moment."

I laugh quietly. We are in bed, and my head is resting on his stomach. I can feel the muscles from his six pack digging into my skull, but it feels nice, actually. He strokes my hair, and I can feel myself dropping off.

"I'm gonna go to sleep," I say. "Okay?"

"Okay," he says. "Night, Tris."

"Night, Tobias."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

And the darkness folds in as I lose consciousness.

|Fourtris~Meets~Clace|

I wake up to sunlight streaming through the curtains. Tobias has gone, but I can smell breakfast cooking. Bacon. Another amazing discovery we found here in Chicago. You know, since I've lived here, I realised they didn't give us a big variety of food in the old city. We just lived on meats like chicken and beef and ate vegetables that the Amity grew in their crops.

I can't remember waking up or dreaming last night, which is a rarity. I must have slept the whole night through. Usually I wake up shrieking with nightmares that generally relate to my fear landscapes from the old city. Or even things that happen to people I love, like Tobias. Ugh. I shudder. I can't afford to think about nightmares and the effects they have on me.

I get up, put on my gown and walk into the kitchen. Tobias is fully dressed, and cooking bacon on the stove. On the side there is some maple syrup, and in the microwave, a packet of Just-Heat Pancakes. He sees me looking at the food.

"Morning, sleepy head," he says. He stops frying bacon and comes to give me a kiss, which brightens up my morning.

"Hi," I say. "What's with the fancy breakfast?"

"Trying to impress," he says, smirking. "Plus, Evelyn says this is a good mix. I'm not too sure. Bacon and syrup? Still, there's a first time for everything."

"What, you've never tried this?" I say in mock awe.

"Not like you have," he laughs. On that note, Jace and Clary enter. They both have complete bed heads but look wide awake and quite happy too. I'm glad the bed was comfortable... hopefully.

"Hello," Clary says. "Yum, bacon and syrup pancakes."

"Good choice, dude," Jace says, to all of our surprises.

Tobias takes the pancakes out of the microwave and puts two on each of the four plates. He flips the bacon around one more time and puts it on top. Jace takes a plate with a 'thank you'.

"You can put your own syrup on," Tobias says, as he hands me and Clary a plate.

"Thanks," we say in unison. I go to take the maple syrup, as does Clary. I leave it for her, but she leaves it for me. I beckon for her to take it, and she does, with a quiet thanks. Lovely and awkward.

I sit at the table, next to Jace and Tobias, and dig in. Evelyn was right - the bacon and syrup are a delicious mixture. In a couple of minutes, I've emptied the plate.

"Wow, Tris," Tobias says. "Even Speedy Mouth over here hasn't finished."

"Very funny," Jace says, but he does looked shocked.

"It was nice, guys!" I say, and everyone laughs.