Author's Note: It's a little patchy at some parts (since I didn't write it all at one time), but I think it's kind of cute. The title kind of loses its relevance at times. Just a two-shot, Tobue.
Disclaimer: I don't own Three Delivery or any of its characters.
Sue's POV
The whole thing is confusing and a little awkward I guess, but I think that's because we as people make it that way. It's perfectly ok, at least that's my opinion and I've come to accept that it is the only thing that should matter to me… but still sometimes, when I see Barney's face when he thinks I'm not looking or I hear the whispers of my classmates or I see Mr. Wu's strange smile or even when I see the smirk deepen on Kong Li's face when we're fighting him, I feel guilty about the way they feel about this, even though it has nothing to do with them.
But maybe I should start from the beginning.
We were always close from the day we met. That day when Tobey had helped me as I was being picked on by the older girls at the orphanage.
"And look at her hair!" one of them jeered. "I bet rats live in it!"
"She's sure weird enough to keep them around!" another laughed. I bit my lip, as tears started falling down my face, trying not to cry in front of them.
"Oh, look, she's crying now! Come on, crybaby, don't--" I didn't notice the small boy in front of me, until he spoke.
"Leave her alone, you big meanies!" he shouted. I looked up at his black hair and thought he was Sid for a moment, but his voice was different. The girls looked taken aback. No one had ever talked to them like that.
"Oh, look, crybaby's got a boyfriend!" one of the girls recovered enough to make a comment.
"I'd rather be her boyfriend than yours! She's a lot prettier and nicer than all of you!" Tobey yelled. The girls scoffed and left, realizing there was no more fun to be had if someone was defending their victim.
"Th-thank you." I whispered, wiping my tears on my sleeve. He turned to face me, grinning.
"You don't have to thank me, Sue, they were being doodiheads." he said.
"How do you know my name?" I asked, having not met him before. He looked up for a little bit, before changing the subject.
"I don't like it when people pick on each other. My name's Tobey, by the way."
"Thanks, Tobey."
After that, Sid and I accepted Tobey as a friend, a brother before we even met Nana. Tobey was like us, alone and vulnerable and too young to be an orphan (though, of course, at the time we didn't know Tobey was technically not an orphan, it wouldn't of mattered much, anyway).
I don't remember much from that time, when life was dark and bleak, besides that Tobey was a light in that darkness, my childish mind considered him a flashlight. Sid was another light, but he was more permanent- being with me all my life-like a star that was right beside you that would never fade.
Tobey would do anything to hear me laugh or see my smile and never said no to playing House, though Sid tired of it. Making others happy made Tobey happy and it seemed especially so with me. He seemed to light up a room whenever he came in, my reasoning for thinking of him the way I did, it even led me to call him 'light' as a nickname of sorts.
I was terrified that Tobey would fade like all the battery-dead flashlights in the orphanage, I was scared that Tobey would be adopted, or Sid and I would be adopted and Tobey would disappear like the dimming flashlights always did. I thought that it was inevitable that we would be separated because everything else that was good had eventually passed from my life (or so I had convinced myself at the time).
It was around that time I learned of Tobey's fears as well.
Sid and I were looking for him after an afternoon nap when we heard the taunts of the older girls who used to pick on me all the time. There was another familiar voice that was desperately pleading with them. Sid put a finger over his lips and we crouched down behind a corner.
"You think we're not as pretty as her now?" one of the girls asked, laughing.
"Maybe staying in there will give you some sense." another said.
"Please let me out! I'm scared! I can barely breathe!" I gasped when I realized it was Tobey's voice. I had never heard him sound so helpless and terrified.
"We'll let you out… in a few hours!" they all laughed as they continued down the hall. Sid held me back for a moment, making sure the girls were gone before we both kneeled in front of the closet door. I heard Tobey quietly crying and frowned.
"Tobey, is that you?" I asked. I heard him sniffle.
"Yes. Sue, they locked me in here and the walls are moving and I'm scared and hun--" he started to move into hysterics, before Sid cut him off.
"Don't worry, Tobey, we'll get you out." Sid and I looked at the chair jammed under the door and Sid had to push on it with his back against it to move it. I opened the door and Tobey fell out, wrapping his arms around me. I hugged him back, rocking him a little as I had seen the nursery keeper do.
"I was… so scared." he whimpered into my shoulder.
"Come on, don't get all your snot and tears on mei-mei." Sid said. I shot him a nasty look, as Tobey sat back.
"It's ok, Light, I don't minds." I said.
"No, I shouldn't cry when dey didn't eben hurt me." He sniffed a little. "I just don't like being in little spaces, that's why I so bad at hide-and-seek."
"I think a lot of grown-ups has that too." I told him.
"Yeah! I think it's called classterpobia." Sid said.
"Really? I never hear of that before." Tobey looked a little relieved as he got up.
"Let's go get a snack!" I suggested, smiling now that Tobey was ok. We ran together to the kitchen.
Later, when all three of us were adopted by Nana, my fears vanished and Tobey was assured a place in my life forever. Whenever he would leave for camp or a sleepover though, my fears rushed back and I would sulk around the house, imagining everything that could go wrong.
Over the years, I matured and realized Tobey's strength, ridding myself of the abandonment issues, but even today, sometimes, I'm scared for him, I'm scared that his light will be extinguished. I put it to being siblings back then, but now I know it's deeper. I don't think I realized anything though until the day Tobey dyed his bangs white.
"Nana would've let you do it, if you would've asked. She would've taken you and this wouldn't have happened." I had heard Sid say from his and Tobey's room. The door was cracked open and I quietly looked in.
"I know, I just wanted… to do it myself, you know? Please don't tell Sue." Tobey lifted his head to Sid. His black hair was dotted with white and a couple of brown places even.
"Why not?" Sid asked. Tobey looked a little panicky for a moment, before smiling.
"She'll go on another rant about how irresponsible I am, again." he said, now frowning.
"Yeah, good ol' Mei Mei." Sid laughed. I silently walked off for a few hours, now mad at them both. When I came back Tobey's hair was perfect the way it is now; apparently Nana had taken him to the salon and had gotten his hair fixed. I remember focusing on that moment of hesitation, wondering what the truth he didn't want to tell was.
Two years later, I was just hitting puberty. I was moody, I had just started to need deodorant (and unfortunately had none), black hairs were sprouting up all over, and my hair was so greasy it looked wet. Sid tended to avoid me, since I would snap at him if he tried to playfully comment that I looked like crap. At first, Tobey avoided me too, until one day I had run crying from the house after a particularly brutal argument with Mr. Wu. Unable to find my bike, I just took off towards the park, now angry that my bike was gone.
Unfortunately, it started pouring when I was nearly there, so I decided to stay under the gondola at the park and wait it out. I sat down, shivering in the cold air, and watched the rain fall.
Soon, I saw a hazy figure through the rain, steadily approaching. I stood up, watching it, warily, hoping I wouldn't have to fight some drifter in the rain.
But I recognized the white of Tobey's band and the bright blue of his bike as his form came into focus. He was holding a poncho over his head, as if in his haste he had forgotten to put it on (which, considering Tobey's personality, was the truth). I crossed my arms and leaned against one of the pillars holding the gondola up, as Tobey hopped off his bike, letting it crash to the ground. He looked a little agitated, as he stepped underneath the gondola.
"So, you're going to yell at me, too?" I demanded, but my voice sounded weary. Tobey almost smiled.
"No, wouldn't dream of it. I was-we were all worried, so I came to get you… if you want to come back now." he answered. I sat back down on the swing bench.
"Not yet…" I muttered. Tobey sat down beside me and stretched a little bit.
"Mr. Wu's crazy, isn't he?" Tobey asked. I assumed he wanted an answer, so I stubbornly offered none. "He's always like,"-Tobey took on a low, grumbly voice and held his hands out wide as he tottered from side to side-"'Tobey, clean these dishes! Tobey, wake up! Tobey, stop watching TV! Tobey, it's been a week since your last shower, go take one!'" I giggled a little bit at the ridiculous look on his face.
"That last one was Nana." I said, grinning, but trying not to. I can never manage to stay mad around Tobey, even back then.
"Don't get me started about Nana, always with,"-now, he spoke in a high, stiff voice, one hand on his hip, the other in the air with the index finger extended-"'Tobey, you need to practice more! Your form is sloppy! You need to be more observant, Tobey! If you think Calvin is horrible, wait until you fight Kong Li, alone.'" I couldn't help laughing at this one, making Tobey smile like a child that had finally gotten his way.
"That's just like Nana!" I agreed, between fits of laughing. Tobey mock-bowed.
"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week." he said.
"Do you take requests? Sid's had this coming for a while now." Tobey's grin grew even wider.
"Well, of course, for mine lady." he kissed my hand, jokingly. He puffed out his chest, widening his shoulders and adopting a deep voice. "'Tobey, why are your dirty clothes on MY bed?! I'm sooo strong; look at these guns! I wish we were normal, instead of knowing awesome kung fu and cool magic, it's so convenient and great.'" His voice took a sarcastic note, before taking a more frivolous tone. "'Oh, sigh, if only I was as handsome and ingenious as Tobey, I could--'" I playfully punched his arm.
"You're ridiculous." I said.
"In a good way, though, right?"
"Of course…" I shivered a little.
"Oh!" Tobey slapped a hand to his forehead. "I knew I forgot something!"
"What are you--"
"A coat! I was going to bring you a coat!"
"Oh, how thoughtful…" Tobey looked a little crestfallen. "No, really, it's okay. We should probably head back anyway, this rain isn't letting up."
Perking up, Tobey lifted his bike and walked it under the gondola. "You're thin enough to ride behind me or on the handlebars, but…" He looked at the one poncho. "I guess I should've brought two of these, at least." He offered it to me.
Taking it in my arms and stretching it, I said, "It's fine. If I ride behind you, this one's big enough for both of us to wear." Tobey smiled.
"You're so smart, Sue. Now, hop on my valiant steed and we'll ride into the sunset!" We climbed onto the bike and rather uncomfortably both fit on the seat. Pulling the poncho over our heads, Tobey whispered, excitedly, "Ready? Hold on tight!"
I grabbed his waist as he suddenly took off, obviously showing off his speed. Soon, his pedaling slowed to the rhythmic beat we used while delivering Mr. Wu's meals. Tiredly, I laid my head against his back, wondering why he was so warm against my freezing skin.
"Sue…" he suddenly grumbled, barely loud enough for me to hear.
"What?"
"You're freezing." I started moving my arms, an angry remark on my tongue. "No, it's fine-I mean. It feels kind of nice. I think I have a fever or something… Anyway, I was just saying that for being so smart, you should of known not to run out here when it was going to rain."
"If I had known that I would of just gone to the bookstore."
"I mean, you should of just come back. I was really worried."
"Just you? What about everyone else?" I raised an eyebrow, even though he couldn't see.
He looked down, muttering something incomprehensible.
"Hey, do you think we could go by the bookstore? I don't want to head back, just yet."
Tobey immediately took the next right in the direction of the bookstore, speeding up to fly down the next hill.
Turns out Tobey didn't have a fever, but still opted to lay down after we finally came back, and when I thanked him, he grinned and said, "No prob. Don't scare me like that again, though."
Through the years, Tobey and I had a strange relationship that outsiders and even Mr. Wu had commented on. Every once in a while Tobey and I would sneak into each other's room and talk (usually about anything) until we fell asleep next to each other. We had done this since we were at the orphanage, it only felt natural. Sid would come too, occasionally, but usually only Tobey would squeeze through my door and sit down next to me on my bed.
What made it more strange to others was that we didn't mind huddling when it was cold or sitting in each other's laps when there was no room or walking from class to class arm in arm. At first, the remarks didn't bother me, but eventually I realized as the comments were said less jokingly and more insultingly that they were true.
It was almost like Tobey and I were dating.