Soulmates

Chapter 22: Moving

Zack, Katrina, and their daughters have a short stay in the leadership wing. After two weeks in Eric's apartment, the cleanup is done in their unit, and they're free to return home. Technically the apartment is returned to Eric at that point, but Tris calls another "family meeting."

"I know you can go home now," Tris says nervously, "but I was kind of hoping you would stay here. I mean, Tobias is still here and all, so we might as well just keep things as they are, right?"

She bites on her lower lip as she awaits Eric's response. He doesn't say anything, but reaches over and gently tugs her lip free before giving her a soft kiss.

"Or I could move in to Eric's place," Tobias offers. "That way you wouldn't be living alone with some guy, and you could have your place back."

"Tobias," Tris chides gently. "You're not just 'some guy.' I have no problem living alone with you - with either of you. I just… I just like having you both here. Is that bad? That's bad, isn't it? I'm not being fair to you guys. Are you sick of sharing me?"

"No!" Tobias says emphatically. "I'm more than happy living here and sharing life with you two. I just don't want to be a burden, so I was making a suggestion."

"I think we're all happiest when we're together," Eric summarizes. "I'll stay as long as Max lets Tobias stay. Deal?"

"Deal," says Tobias, shaking hands with Eric.

"Yay!" cheers Tris. "Now who's up for a family movie night?"

"I'll make popcorn," Eric says.

"I'll pick a movie," Tobias offers.

"Then I'll put my PJs on," Tris says.

She gives each man a soft kiss, then hurries into the bedroom, returning a minute later in her favorite pajamas.

xxxx

For another month, the trio manages to avoid Max' censure. But as more apartments are repaired and more people get back to old living arrangements, he notices that Four has remained in the leadership wing. When he looks for Eric one evening and finds him in his pajamas at Tris' apartment, Max's patience runs out.

"Why are two of my leaders and one non-leader still playing house?" he asks in an irritated voice.

"Well, Sir," Tris begins somewhat nervously. "As long as Four is here, Eric is staying too. It's less awkward that way."

"Less awkward?" Max exclaims. "Nothing about the three of you is less awkward. Like ever. If I didn't know better, I'd think Tris was some kind of underage queen bee with her own harem. Why doesn't Eric move back to his apartment? Four can go stay with him if living alone with a man is uncomfortable."

"We talked about that," Eric says. "But Four should be moving soon, so we thought, why bother moving twice? We're comfortable living together. We each have our own bedroom, good company, and help around the house. It just works."

"People are starting to talk," Max says lamely, knowing he's losing the fight.

"People were talking before we became roommates," Tris points out.

"Besides," Eric says, "there are weirder things that go on in Dauntless. Three single people living together isn't even unusual."

"Ugh," Max says. "It's different with you three. You act so, I don't know, so joined at the hip. You're like soulmates, or an old married couple, but there are three of you. And two of you are leaders, so everyone is noticing. I just want the distractions to end. We have a faction to run."

With that, Max turns and leaves, completely forgetting whatever he needed Eric for.

Eric sighs. "I guess we knew it was coming."

Tris sniffles, and both men turn to face her, surprised to see tears streaming down her face.

"Tris!" Four exclaims.

"Baby, he's not making one of us factionless," Eric says, hurrying over and lifting Tris into his arms, then sitting down with her on his lap.

She buries her face in Eric's shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just PMS'ing. I'm just so happy with the two of you here. I don't really want to go back."

"None of us do," Tobias says, "but what can we do?"

"If you married me you could keep living here," Tris says. "But there are a few problems with that. I mean, what about Eric?"

"And there's the little problem of you not being eighteen," Eric says.

"You could marry each other," Tris says with a giggle, knowing that neither man will go for that.

Both men scrunch up their noses in distaste. "Nope," Eric says, tickling Tris. "That would not stop the rumors. And what would we do without our 'underage queen bee?'"

"I could give in and join leadership," Tobias says quietly.

Tris gasps. She and Eric understand why Tobias won't join leadership. The three of them have talked about it at length. Joining leadership would put Tobias in contact with his father again. It would also likely lead to revelations about his true identity, which he worked very hard to hide.

Tris springs from Eric's lap and pulls Tobias into a fierce hug. "You don't have to do anything," she assures him. "You are part of our weird little family no matter where you live. We want you to be comfortable and safe. Don't risk that. We won't shut you out if you move, I promise."

xxxx

Max eventually gets what he wants. The last of the fire-damaged apartments is repaired, and Tobias is forced to go back to his place outside the leadership wing. Eric moves out at the same time, and Tris hates being alone in her big, empty place.

Oddly, though they have both moved out, Tobias and Eric continue referring to Tris' apartment as home. The trio carries on their routine of togetherness much like they did before the fire, except sometimes after a late evening together, the guys stay overnight. Both keep a pair of sleep pants and a toothbrush at Tris' place for nights like that.

In the spring, the two men begin preparations for Tris' seventeenth birthday. Eric brings up the topic one morning when he and Tobias are out running without Tris.

“What are we going to do about Tris’ birthday?” he asks.

“You realize she’s never celebrated her birthday before, right?” Tobias asks. “In fact, I doubt she even knew when it was until she transferred.”

“Really?” Eric asks. “I get that celebrating could be seen as selfish to the stiffs, but how can you not even know when it is?”

“From my experience, most Abnegation just know something general, like what season they were born in. They know which grade they belong in at school, and what year they’ll choose their faction,” Tobias explains.

“Wow,” says Eric. “Now I’m not sure if we should go all out to make up for sixteen years of missed celebrations, or if we should keep it simple to avoid making her uncomfortable.”

“It’s hard to say with Tris,” Tobias muses. “I still don’t celebrate my birthday, though I know when it is now. But Tris has always been more Dauntless than I am, so she might like to celebrate.”

“What does that mean?” Eric asks, a little harshly. “More Dauntless than you?”

Tobias shrugs. “She has embraced the lifestyle more. She’s social. She shows off her tattoo, colors her hair, stuff like that. She does the daring things that Dauntless do just for fun, like ziplining.”

“That’s it!” Eric says. “We should take her ziplining for her birthday!”

Tobias groans. “I had to mention that…”

“What’s the matter, Mr. Four Fears?”

“You know very well what’s the matter, Twelve; I’m afraid of heights.”

“Someone has to stay at the bottom to catch the first zipliner,” Eric suggests. “Talk to Zeke about it. You know Tris would love it. We can invite Zeke and Shauna, Uriah, Christina and Will, all of Tris’ friends. Then we can all play Dare on the train or come back and have cake or something.”