Fighter

// eleven \\

"In bed you go," Four said to Tris the next evening when she had finally been checked out of the hospital. The three kids surrounded him, trying to peak over the edge of the tall bed. Evie was already asleep in her crib.

"We have to make mommy a worm before you guys can go to bed," he told them seriously, picking each one of them up and setting them on the edge of the bed. "Then you three have to become worms, then I become a worm, and then we go to sleep," he said playfully, watching Tris and the kids giggle.

"Now in the process of worm making you must untuck the sheet from under the mattress, and scoot the person to the edge of the bed," he demonstrated happily, glad they were all home. "Then you roll!"

Tris laughed, "But now I'm stuck!"

"Worms don't have arms, mommy," Milo whispered. "They have to wiggle to move."

"I wanna be a worm!" cheered Stella, quite loudly in fact.

"Okay, but you have to be extra quiet because your sister is sleeping."

Four finally came back to bed a few minutes later, genuinely radiating happiness. "How do you feel, Trissy?" he asked, pulling off his pants and t-shirt to slip into the cool sheets. He placed her head on her forehead to check for a fever.

"I'm great, Four. You take such good care of us. I can't ever thank you enough." She had managed to unroll herself when he was with the kids and fix the sheets. She curled into his chest, closing her eyes.

"I tell you all of the time, Tris. There is honestly no other place I'd rather be. I can't imagine life without you now."

She opened her eyes and sat up slightly, still staying close to his body heat.

He grinned at her, raising a hand to stroke her cheek before leaning in to softly brush his lips against hers. Electricity and comfort flooded their veins as Four moved his hands to around her waist.  He moved back to breath, kissing the corner of her mouth and cradling her to his chest.

Tris shifted and moved up the bed so she was eye level with him, running her hand along his face in a loving gesture before placing her face in his neck.

"I love you so much Tris," he told her. "I love you more than anything, and I love our kids too. You guys are the best things that had ever happened to me," he murmured, kissing her head.

"Four," she started but he cut her off.

"My name is Tobias."

He said it like he was ashamed and Tris would have none of that. "Tobias, I love you too, so much. I really struggled when you weren't here."

"I know, baby, but things happen for a reason. Lyle calls you Mommy now."

"And he calls you Dad," she smiled, eyes fluttering closed. "Tobias promise me that if our relationship were to ever fail you'd be there for the kids," she muttered.

"I'm not going anywhere," he chuckled. "Stop thinking and go to sleep. You need it."

She gave a barely audible hum, snuggling further into neck and going to sleep.