AN: Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and follows! I'm pretty surprised about reaching double digits in reviews and follows with just one part. I try to tell myself not to worry about stuff like that but it still kind of made my day. Thank you sooo much! :D

DivergentHeart4 – Unfortunately, even with Part 2, there's not much of a plot going on. I guess you can say the whole thing is just a single snapshot of their relationship—of the moment they meet.

This is the second and final part of the two-shot, just in case you didn't read the summary.

Rhythm: Part 2

- Tris -

I enter the bus and swipe my bus card on the fare machine, smiling briefly at the familiar bus driver. There is an unpleasant smell of sweat and something sour in the air and I try to resist the urge to wrinkle my nose. I walk to the end of the aisle and hold on to the aisle pole as the bus begins to move again. After adjusting my headphones, I zone out to the music and the scenery outside the window.

But I know I'm standing next to him—the same guy I stood next to on Monday, and last Wednesday, and the Thursday before that. Occasionally, I see him on the bus and I always end up standing next to him. It's not as if I choose to. He just happens to be at the end of the aisle, maybe he gets on at the previous stop, or he prefers to stand so other people can sit. Either way, I find myself standing next to him every time I see him on the bus. I've noticed we get off at the same stop too.

I wonder if he recognizes me, or if he's noticed me at all. Maybe not. I'm not exactly one to catch other people's attention and really, I'm glad I'm not.

And it's not like I want him to notice me. The only reason I noticed him is because he's tall, I guess. He's tall with short dark brown hair and a slightly hooked nose. To be honest, he's good-looking but that's not why I noticed him. I noticed him because he's wearing a model of headphones I've been wanting.

He's also wearing a backpack and I wonder if he's a student like me. The stop before mine is on the university campus as well. Is that where he gets on the bus?

The song in my headphone changes and it pulls me out of my thoughts. I try to focus on that instead, because it makes a lot more sense than thinking about a stranger who's standing beside me.

The new song is an instrumental track that I recently found online. It's composed of a catchy beat and a complicated mix of both electronic and acoustic strumming along with other sounds. I let myself drown in the rhythm of the track as I stare out the window and let the beat of the music pulse through me.

The bus begins to near my stop. I turn and squint briefly at the display at the front of the bus by habit, double checking I'm at the right place even though I know I am. When the bus stops, I make my way towards the exit. For once, I'm grateful for my small stature because I can easily squeeze through the crowd without disturbing anyone.

I get to the front and say, "Thank you," to the bus driver, but he doesn't acknowledge me. He's smiling at the rear-view mirror, though I'm not sure why. Regardless, I get off and start walking home.

The evening air is slightly cool—much more comfortable than the stuffy interior of the bus. I take a deep breath and let the coolness fill my lungs as a breeze passes by. The sun is just setting and I love the way it creates a gradient of orange, pink, and purple in the sky.

A tap on my shoulder startles me and I turn around.

It's the guy from the bus. That guy.

I quickly pause my music and pull down my headphones, looking at him expectantly.

"Uh, you dropped this." He opens his palm to reveal one of the pins from my backpack.

"Oh. Thanks…" I take it from him, careful not to touch his hand.

"You're welcome," he says. His voice is deep and husky, not exactly what I imagined him to sound like.

Not that I was imagining what he would sound like…

He continues to stand there, staring at the ground and looking unsure of himself. I stand there too, biting on my lower lip, and I don't understand why I start to feel lightheaded and a bit giddy.

"I'm Tris," I blurt out.

"Tobias," he answers back with a smile. His usual dark blue eyes look lighter in the setting sunlight.

I nod, fiddling with the pin in my hand.

"I was actually, uh…" He trails off and I watch as he takes out his phone. A few seconds later, music starts playing through the headphones around his neck and I can hear it's the same instrumental track I was listening to on the bus.

The same music, and the same rhythm.

I can't help but smile at that. "You have good taste in music," I quip.

He laughs as he turns it off. "So do you."

Another silence settles in, slightly less awkward than the last but awkward nonetheless. I stare at my shoes and try to think of something else to say.

"Do you live around here?" I ask.

"Hm?"

"Um, well, you always get off here too, so…"

"You recognize me?" He looks surprised, and I take it as a sign that he doesn't recognize me.

"Yeah, sort of… from, the bus," I stutter.

His lips pull into a smile; he has a spare upper lip and a full lower lip. I blush.

"I like your headphones."

"Thanks," he says with a laugh.

I turn my backpack over and clip the pin back in its place, an action to divert myself from the embarrassment I'm feeling.

"Do you like ice cream, Tris?"

I look at him, confused at the random question.

Tobias points at the ice cream parlor across the street, a boyish grin on his face.

"Who doesn't like ice cream?" I shrug.

"Good, because I like ice cream. And you owe me." I raise an eyebrow and he continues, "I returned your pin."

"Oh, Okay… I guess, my treat then?"

"I'll treat you."

"But, you just said I owe you."

"Well, you can treat me next time then," he says casually and begins making his way to the crosswalk.

I follow him as his words repeat in my head. Next time.

We get to the intersection and wait for the lights to cross, standing side by side like the way we stood on the bus. I should probably feel nervous about hanging out with a guy I just met on my way home, but all I feel is giddiness and I can't seem to erase the crazy smile on my face. I steal a glance at him and notice I'm not the only one.

The pedestrian light changes and we walk towards the ice cream parlor, our footsteps adjusting to a common rhythm.

AN: I really like the original drabble. It's short and simple but able to give off the vibe I wanted. Hence, I wasn't too sure about this when I first started writing it, but I think it turned out alright, just longer than I expected.

Crediting my muse:

The pin (on the cover) is from an old video game called The World Ends with You (it's not that old, just 6-7 years...). 'Rhythm' reminded me of that game because I incorrectly remembered one of the character's name, Rhyme, as Rhythm, and because the main character is always wearing a pair of headphones. Pins are used as weapons in the game (yeah, it sounds silly but just believe me). Since my mind likes to mix universes together and Tobias needed a little push to approach Tris, the pin became my plot convenience device. I was also listening through some of the instrumental tracks of the game as I wrote this (particularly the instrumental mix of 'Twister' and 'Calling'). It's honestly not something I would listen to on a bus, but hey, whatever.

Anyway, thanks for reading! (:

[To M the guest reviewer, I have honestly never heard of Eleanor and Park before, so whatever similarities there are between this fic and that novel are purely coincidental. Honestly. I'm kind of surprised something I wrote bare resemblance to a published novel that seems to have pretty great reception. Thanks for letting me know though. Maybe I'll add it to my to-read list. (: ]