Divergence: Choices

Chapter 18

It's been almost a week since Tris spent the night with me. Sure she had stayed there before out of necessity, but this time, this time was so much different. Since then, we haven't had many opportunities besides stolen moments, I need to get her alone again, and soon.

As soon as I enter the fear landscape room my eyes meet hers. "Tris, you're up first today." I say waving at her to follow me. I open the door for her and lead her back. I instantly notice her eyes are darkened and her bottom lip is worn. Her nail beds are bitten raw and the skin around them red. "Nightmares?" I ask her softly taking her hand in mine to look at her wounds more closely.

"Yeah, I haven't slept well in about a week." I immediately smile knowing she is referring to the night she slept with me.

"Me either." I whisper back giving her a quick smile.  "After you've gone through your landscape, go get these taken care of, okay?" I take the chance to brush my thumb across her knuckles before I drop her hand. She gives me a shy smile, before exposing her neck to me to inject her.

"She ok?" Lauren ask me once Tris begins her simulation.

"Yeah, her hands look infected, most likely from biting on them in her sleep."

"Maybe we should sit with them at lunch." She replies. I give her a questioning look before she continues. "They all look like hell, you remember how terrible this week is. I'm getting nightmares just from watching them go through theirs." I nod, remembering the horrific scenes I endured every night of my training.

I'm not exactly thrilled to spend my lunch listening to the initiates, especially the loud mouth Candor ones, but it gives me an opportunity I can't turn down. I stay behind a few minutes once Lauren leaves for lunch. I grab pen and paper as quickly as possible:

Tris,

I will be in the control room until late tonight. Here is a key to my apartment. Feel free to use it and get some rest.

Tobias

I see Lauren take a seat next to Marlene who looks at her confused. I quickly slide in between Tris and Will who I am sure was saving the seat for Christina. Tris looks at me shocked before smiling into her food.

Lauren begins asking each of the initiates how they are doing, offering tips to get some better rest and deal with the stress and nightmares caused by their landscapes. My hand slips under the table, allowing my fingertips to graze over Tris' thigh, trying to prompt her to bring her hand to meet mine. I watch from the corner of my eye as Tris blushes, biting her bottom lip to discourage it from forming smile.

After several bites Tris casually brings her hand under the table where our fingertips join in a dangerous dance. After too brief of a moment I slip my note into her hand, giving it a squeeze before bringing mine back up to the table. My breath hitches and I almost choke on my food when Tris drags her hand up my thigh, getting dangerously close to my groin. Her hand lingers there for a few moments before squeezing and moving it away.

My thoughts are now completely consumed by one word, Tris. I know I told her I was fine with waiting to be intimate, and it's true, I would wait forever to be with her, but oh. We'll take that step someday though, when we're both ready.

After training is complete I meet Zeke in the control room. I'm not on shift but Shauna will be guarding the storage closet tonight and Zeke is worried about her. We have an hour before her shift starts, I sense Zeke's eyes on me, I had already prepared myself for his third degree.

"Sooo, how's things with Tris.?" He ask, wavering his eyebrows at me.

"They're fine." I tell him while rolling my eyes.