Quintis Fic Challenge Week #2
Interesting Aversion
Walking into her apartment Happy closed the door behind her with her foot. She removed her bag from around her and dropped it on to the floor as she walked into entry. She didn't care for leaving it in the way, she was the only one there; it wasn't like anyone would trip over it. Her stomach growled so she made a detour from her original plan of simply crashing into her bed and sleeping, to the kitchen area.
Happy quickly did an assessment of what would be the quickest and easiest thing for her to eat. The answer she came up with was cereal. Grabbing a bowl she opened a cupboard looking to see what her options were. She didn't have many choices, but surprisingly enough all the ones she did have seemed to have a common theme of sugar. Indecisiveness took over so Happy grabbed both of the options she was torn between and brought them out of the cupboard.
She had managed to fill half the bowl with Froot Loops when she was interrupted by what she thought was a knock at her front door. Happy paused listening for the sound she'd heard. The sound didn't repeat itself, so she returned to pouring herself cereal. This time adding Cocoa Puffs into the bowl. Once the bowl was almost full Happy set the box down and retrieved milk from her fridge and added it to the blow, till it was on the brink of spilling over. She hopped up onto the counter and crossed her legs leaning over to eat her cereal; after retrieving a spoon from a drawer located under the counter she sat on. It was her counter, she could sit on it if she liked.
Happy was able to eat her cereal peacefully for a moment. The mixture of the two cereals was an odd taste but it would do for the current moment in time. She didn't have the energy to bring herself to pour herself another bowl after getting rid of the perfectly good one she had.
The day had been long and the case Cabe had given them had left the team exhausted. Happy's mind traveled back in time as she rethought about the day's events. Her mind found itself drawn to two incidents that occurred. Both happened to involve one wiseass behaviourist.
Toby had tried more displays of heroics to impress Happy; he'd also kept up with his flirty comments. His attempts at heroic bravery that also included idiotic self-sacrifice, had frustrated her while at the same time secretly scared her to death for his safety but warmed her heart...
Happy shook her head trying to refocus her thoughts onto something else. Anything else; Just not the behaviourist, who was slowly worming his way, past all her emotional barriers and into her heart.
A loud crashing sound from the entryway snagged Happy's attention. Slowly she set down her spoon into the bowl, looking in the direction of the door. Inside her mind she went over all the possibilities of what the noise could have been. There weren't many considering the time of night. She was about to slide off the counter and investigate the source of the noise, when a particular hat wearing doctor appeared from around the corner.
Happy sat up straight and stared at him utterly confused. How in the world had he gotten into her apartment? For that matter what in the world was he doing there to begin with? She remained on the counter staring across the room at him. For a split second she noticed that around his feet was the strap of her bag.
"You know, you shouldn't really leave things lying around," Toby remarked, trying to untangle the bag from his feet.
She was tempted to make a comment about how he shouldn't really be breaking into other people's apartments, where they may be leaving things lying around. Instead she just frowned at him.
"What are you doing here?" Happy demanded still staring at Toby confused.
Seeing him in her home was strange. Happy had never expected to see any of the members of the Scorpion team in her home, let alone Toby. Toby...Happy's mind trailed off and a warm feeling began to bubble up in her chest. No. That wasn't happening.
"I have a question," Toby began to say walking towards the kitchen area where Happy didn't seem that anxious to leave.
"And you couldn't have called to ask it?" Happy questioned readjusting one of her legs underneath the other and eyeing the behaviourist oddly.
Toby leaned against the counter a little ways away from where Happy was sitting. He eyed the cereal boxes still on the counter. Glanced at her bowl, and then proceeded to nod with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Interesting combination," he remarked.
"Toby." Happy growled out; trying to bring him back to the conversation they'd been having rather than her cereal mix.
"Right, about that" he said, his hands sliding into his pockets as he leaned against the counter by her, "I lost my phone." Happy raised one of her eyebrows at him waiting for him to elaborate. "In a bet." This time Happy sighed and lowered her gaze almost shaking her head but not quite. "Against Ralph."
At this Happy's head snapped up and she stared at the behaviourist. "Against Ralph?" She repeated. Toby nodded his eyes wide as he stared at her. Happy was tempted not to believe him. "He's a kid." She stated the obvious.
"He's a genius!" Toby countered moving away from the counter he'd been leaning against. "How was I supposed to know that betting against him about the odds of Wal-Wait! That's not important!"
Happy uncrossed her legs and turned herself so she was facing Toby. She'd picked up her cereal bowl and held it in her hands as a comfort. "I told you, you and gamb-" she began to say, shaking her head as she spoke.
"Happy," Toby said in a strange tone that was unlike Toby. She stopped, looking at him curiously. He was looking at her with an odd expression that told her he knew the drill: Gambling, bad.
She had to admit, she was interested in what had brought him to her home but at the same time she couldn't care less for it and just wanted him gone.
Sighing she dropped her gaze and moved the spoon around in her bowl, mixing the Froot Loops and Cocoa Puffs further. "Fine, what's your question?" She asked.
"I wanted to know you were okay," Toby stated, unashamed, so plainly and basic like it was that uncomplicated. Maybe for him it was, but for Happy. No. It wasn't. For Happy it was a complicated mess of emotional barriers and past grievances from being hurt. "You left the garage before I had a chance to talk to you." He carried on to say.
"So you break into my apartment?" Happy stated staring at him questionably.
"Technically I used the spare key." He corrected her. Happy frowned at him. No one except for her knew where she kept the spare key. "It was simple enough to figure out where you kept it, knowing you and your, uh, um, height."
The expression on Happy's face told Toby, he should have gone with his gut instinct and not made that remark. And judging by how one of her hands had curled into a fist, Toby was glad he'd kept his distance to avoid being hit.
Scratching at the beard at his chin, he looked around awkwardly. "It surprised me that you have a spare key at all, since you carry a slim jim and all the means of picking a lock at all times." Toby stated trying to defuse Happy's anger by complimenting her skills.
Happy continued to frown at Toby. He sighed looking down at his feet. "Also there's nothing wrong with your height, I find it quite-"
"Stop talking." Happy ordered glaring at him.
Frowning Toby nodded. He managed almost a full minute before he began again, "all I was going to say is that it's clever how," Toby almost stopped speaking when he noticed Happy continuing to glare at him. He rolled his eyes and carried on explaining himself, "despite your short stature you keep the spare key hidden in a place where you have to climb to reach it. Most people leave it at an easy place to reach or the classic under the doormat." He explained.
"Are you done?" Happy asked staring at him.
Toby grinned at her, and moved towards the counter she was sitting on. He picked off a Froot Loop that had been stuck on the edge of her bowl. "Are you planning on answering my question?" He replied eating the piece of cereal he'd stolen.
Happy stared at Toby as she considered his question. Was she okay? The answer to that could have been many things. Such a as: No; she was hungry and Toby was keeping her from eating. No, she was tired; again Toby was keeping her from going to sleep. Yes; she was perfectly healthy. Yes; she had a good job with good pay. No; she had a million emotional problems running through her head at all times along with other millions things she never stopped thinking about. Yes; she had finished fixing up the truck her and her father had been working on together. No; because her father had no idea it was her -his daughter who had helped him. So the question of: Was Happy okay? Was tricky for her too answer.
She thought it over and each time she came up with a pro towards yes she was as well as a con to that fact that no she wasn't okay.
Getting off the counter she stood in front of Toby and nodded, "I'm fine." She told him.
One quick glance over and Toby knew that was a lie. Still he nodded playing along as if he believed her. "Alright, I'd believe that," he began to say staring at Happy with a sad expression. She narrowed her eyes at him waiting for him to continue. "If it weren't for your posture, lack of eye contact, the clipped off tone in your voice when you spoke, the fact that your hand has been curled into a fist this whole time and you practically fled from the garage when we got back." Toby stated slipping his hands back into his pockets and leaning against the counter. "I'm picking up basic signs of avoidance here, Happy." He added looking at her watching her face for any kind of response.
Happy glared at him, "if you already know how I'm feeling, why bother asking then, doc?" She snapped and picked up the cereal bowl. Having the cereal bowl in her hands was as means so she wouldn't do anything stupid. Whether whatever possible stupid action could have been she wasn't completely sure. The thought of hitting Toby had crossed her mind, but so had the thought of grabbing him by his jacket and kissing him. Neither of those options sat well with her, completely. So Happy held onto the cereal bowl in order to prevent either from happening.
"Most certainly avoidance" Toby observed watching her more closely; trying to pick out the tiny little ticks and reactions she'd make so he could figure out what they'd been towards; allowing him understand the full situation. "Now the question is," Toby began to say eyeing Happy carefully. "What are you avoiding?Are you avoiding the team?" Happy let out a breath of a laugh and shook her head looking down at the bowl in her hands.
"Ah," Toby moved away from the counter so he stood in front of Happy. "So your just avoiding me then?" He pressed watching her.
Trying to keep herself from giving away answers from facial expressions Happy tried to school her emotions. Avoiding Toby's gaze by moving over to where she'd left the cereal boxes she replied, "don't be so full of yourself, doc."
"Am I? Or is that the explanation for your hostility at the fact that I'm here?" Toby challenged. "Why else would you be so upset?"
Happy frowned at the space in front of her, biting down on the inside of her lip to keep herself from spewing out the first thing that crossed her mind in response. She grabbed the box of Froot Loops and poured more into her bowl. "I can think of a few reasons." She commented quietly glaring at the cereal.
"Happy," Toby said trying to catch her eye, "we need to talk."
"No, we don't."
Toby rolled his eyes, sighing. "Maybe we don't need to but I want to talk." He corrected himself.
"Well, I don't." Happy snapped back. She looked down at her freshly refilled cereal and then at Toby and frowned. There was no way she was going to be able to eat that in peace. Picking up the cereal bowl after sticking the box of Froot Loops under her arm, she walked out of the room.
Toby looked after her confused. He was frowning while following her with his eyes trying to figure out her actions. "Happy?" He called after her.
The response he got was the sound of a door being either kicked of shoved shut.
At that Toby made his way out of the kitchen and followed after where he'd seen Happy go. He followed the little hall and found himself standing between two doors. One was partially open that glimpsed into what Toby assumed was Happy's room. While the other door was firmly shut.
"So what were you were saying about not avoiding the situation, Happy?" Toby said, sarcastically as he turned around in the hall awkwardly. After a view minutes of no response Toby began to worry. "Happy?" He wondered if she managed to escape fleeing once more from his confrontation. Honestly Toby wouldn't put it past her but it also didn't seem Happy's style. "Hap?" He knocked of the door to what he assumed was the bathroom.
"For Christ sake!" Happy yelled from behind the door. Toby grinned in a smug manner. "I'm trying to eat freakin cereal in peace, Tobias!" For a moment his grin falter and he considered that getting under Happy's skin wasn't the best of plans.
"And I'm trying to have a conversation." Toby countered feigning innocence.
"A conversation I don't want to have." Happy replied.
"C'mon Happy, you can't run away from everything." He argued.
"I'm not running away." Happy snapped. The sound of the spoon hitting the side of the bowl carried to out behind the door. Toby frowned trying to figure how she saw that. "But thanks to wiseass crazy shrink's the only place you can eat cereal without being harassed is in the bathroom!" She yelled. "Even then they still won't leave you alone."
Toby hummed and slid himself down the side of the wall so he was sitting on the floor leaning against the doorway. "I'm only trying to have a discussion with you." He said calmly. "Not meaning to harass you at all. Just trying to talk to one impossible but hot woman."
From inside the bathroom Toby heard Happy make some kind of noise out of anger and annoyance. He wasn't exactly sure how to describe it. It made him smirk to himself and he rested his head against the closed doorframe. Toby closed his eyes and marvelled at the silence and at the fact he was in Happy's home and that she hadn't kicked him out. Sure she was ignoring him and in a separate room, hiding behind a closed door.
He laughed and tapped on the door again. "You know this kind of reminds me of a popular kid's movie I've heard about," Toby called to her on the other side of the door. He heard Happy growl in frustration the moment he began to speak again. Quietly he laughed and smirk, "the girl in it sings to her sister to try to get her to come out of her room. Course this is a method that's foolish and very childish. Not very effective either. Though it could drive someone mad enough to come out just to shut the person singing up. Maybe I should give it a try?" Toby said leaning towards the door way.
"Do not subject me to that." Happy ordered from inside the bathroom.
Toby chuckled grinning, "you're leaving me no choice, Happy." He replied trying to sound apologetic though he found it rather comical. The plot point he was telling Happy about came from a children's Disney movie that he had had to hear one of his patients go on about because her daughter was obsessed with it ever since she'd seen it. Of course Toby had never seen the movie himself but the length that his patient would say her daughter would go on about it was endless. Toby was able to give a fully vague accurate plot description and still have never seen the film.
"Happy," Toby began to say.
"You're singing is terrible, Toby." Happy stated the sound of her spoon moving around the bowl could be heard and then she sighed. "Get me more milk and then we can talk." She offered.
He didn't take offence to her comment about his singing. Toby knew how she and the rest of team felt about it due to previous days where he'd been listening to his music loudly through his head phones and unknowingly been singing along.
"Right away!" He replied springing up to his feet and finding his way back to the kitchen.
After retrieving the milk from inside the fridge Toby carried it back and stood outside the doorway of the bathroom. He knocked before entering only for Happy to ask if he really had just knocked after she told him to bring her milk. So Toby opened the bathroom door and entered stopping to stare confused at the sight of Happy sitting cross legged fully clothed in her bathtub. Toby had figured she'd been sitting either on the floor or toilet sit while they'd been talking but it appeared -by the fact that her boots were off and placed to the side, that she'd been there the whole time.
"What?" She snapped at him. It was her bathroom she could sit where she wanted to.
Toby stepped forward and added milk into the cereal bowl she held in her hands, "interesting choice." He remarked.
Happy stared at him taking the end of the spoon in her one hand and mixing the milk in with the rest of her cereal. "Why's it matter so much to you?" She asked quietly mixing the cereal and milk still.
Toby looked at her and smiled, "because you matter." He said and before either of them said anything else he left the bathroom with the milk.
Happy frowned down into her cereal and stabbed the spoon into it a couple times before Toby returned. She watched him as he walked back into the bathroom and sat himself down in front of the side of the bathtub. He stared back at her with a blank expression and for a moment she could have sworn he shrugged.
"What?" Happy asked staring at him.
"Nothing." Toby replied then smiled at her.
Happy sighed in frustration and to distract herself she ate a spoonful of her cereal while watching Toby underneath her eyelashes.
Toby leaned back against the counter watching Happy. He wanted to ask her about the case, if she was okay or not but...something about the fact she was sitting in a bathtub and eating cereal in order to avoid those questions he couldn't bring himself to bombard her with them.
"When you're done in there," Toby began to say but stopped at the look Happy gave him and he smirked in return almost tempted to wink. "We should watch that movie." He finished.
"Not happening." Happy declared, setting her spoon down.
Toby laughed and nodded in agreement. "Another movie then?" He suggested eyeing her carefully.
A smile tugged at the corner of Happy's mouth and she gave something of a nod, "when I'm done my cereal." She stated.
Toby grinned and leaned towards the bathtub and nabbed a rebellious Froot loop off the side once again. "As you wish." He stated grinning around the cereal piece he'd placed into his mouth.
Happy glared at him, "do that again and I'll drown you in this tub." She threatened but Toby could tell she was joking. The smile was still playing at the corner of her mouth in a shy fashion.
"Bet you don't mean that." Toby challenged.
Happy frowned and looked down into her cereal and resumed eating it. Stupid shrink getting through her walls no matter how hard she tried not to let him.
Toby grinned and leaned back again, from his view point Happy was pretty much okay and if she wasn't he'd make sure she would be.
Written for the second week of the Quintis Fanfic Weekly Challenge from Tumblr.
So, I'm sorry if this was really bad and dumb -Like I think it is. I started writing it, and it was fine but then I hit a point and just struggled with it after that (personal issues and Pretty Fish a.k.a-my idea helper when I get stuck was M.I.A a lot didn't help either) but I was determined to finish it. I'm also still new to whole writing based off of prompts thingy... That being said I also wrote most of this at 1-2 in the morning-ish...and a lot of it was pieced together from thoughts Pretty Fish suggested so I'd like to thank her for that.
I hope you did like it though! Any thoughts or comments you have to share about it please don't be afraid too inform me of them. They help a lot and mean a lot to me. :) I don't own any of these characters of the show they're from I just enjoy writing about them. :) Let me know what you thought please. -H. R