In an attempt to keep my first story(Happy? Yes) closer to cannon I am picking up where Chapter 19 of that story left off and continuing a story here. Will pick that story up when season 2 starts.
"I would have thought more people would be out by now. It's almost midnight." Sylvester said as he tried to sound normal. Toby was sitting to his left at the bar and was nothing like his normal, confident-talkative self. Sylvester had never been into a night-time establishment before but he knew that given Toby's height, weight and rate of drinking, Toby was going to be terribly drunk in an hour and unable to drive them home. Sylvester was understandably anxious.
"Places pick up after midnight." Toby slurred in response to Sylvester's comment.
"Oh." Sylvester said. Toby hadn't said more than five sentences since they arrived an hour ago. Sylvester was sure pretty sure normal people would try to reassure their friend that she was a loser and try to get the lovelorn friend drunk to forget it all. But Sylvester couldn't do that. He wasn't exactly normal and the girl in question was his friend too. "Are we supposed to talk about what happened between you and Happy today or just now before we left?" Sylvester ventured to ask, if they were going to have to talk about it, Sylvester wanted a running start.
"Do you ever have moments when you feel that your head and heart are completely disconnected? Toby asked, indirectly answering Sylvester's question.
"I don't think so." Sylvester answered as he pondered the question more,"Usually my head is in charge but then on the occasions when I get really emotional, my head doesn't care."
"Lucky you." Toby said. His head was telling him that he had to let Happy go, they had talked about it and he had agreed that was the better thing to do. His heart however didn't want to give up. The result was Toby feeling a crushing sense of despair. Looking over at Sylvester's slightly concerned expression, Toby pulled himself out of his head and reminded himself that this night shouldn't be just about him. This was Sylvester's first time in a club. "I see you almost finished your beer, down the rest, I'll get you another." Toby said.
"I really don't think that's necessary," Sylvester started to say but Toby cut him off and played on Sylvester discomfort in offending people.
"We've been sitting here an hour and the bartender is going to be mad you're not drinking more."Toby said. "If you want to forget a beer, why don't you try something else, how bout a classic cocktail; an old-fashioned, a martini; shaken not stirred or a screwdriver." Toby offered.
"Screwdriver?" Sylvester asked, wondering if Toby meant a drink or a reference to Happy.
In Toby's hazed mind, he took Sylvester's question as an answer and asked the bartender to fix a double screwdriver for Sylvester. Satisfied that Sylvester was sipping his drink, Toby did his best to be focussed on Sylvester and not on Happy.
"How are you and Megan?" Sylvester heard Toby ask with a dopey grin.
"We are good. Moving out of the garage to be closer to her has been great." Sylvester answered enthusiastically. Maybe the alcohol was taking effect Toby thought at Sylvester effervescent- honest response.
"Proud of you buddy, who would have thought the youngest of us would be in the most stable relationship." Toby said. "It's pretty awesome. However, tell me the truth, how many episodes of Dancing with the Stars has she made you watch?" Toby asked with a knowing grin.
"Every episode this current season and her top three favorite dances from the first 19 seasons." Sylvester answered. "How'd you know she'd be into that?" Sylvester continued to ask.
"Megan is a romantic, can't dance but loves everything about it. Figuring that out wasn't exactly the fundamental theorem of integral calculus." Toby said nonchalantly. "Have you showed her your moves?" Toby asked teasingly.
"We dance." Sylvester replied.
"How does that work?" Toby inquired.
"I hold her up, she stands on my feet and I move around." Sylvester said.
Toby felt a lump form in throat as he was simultaneously proud and jealous of Sylvester good fortune. "That sounds incredible." Toby said so quietly that he was certain Sylvester couldn't hear him in the increasingly loud room. "You should dance." Toby said more loudly.
"No, it'd be weird." Sylvester said as he turned to survey the growing number of people on the dance floor.
"Everyone on that floor is too consumed with themselves to care about who else is on it. You should go, 'El Guapo' it out there, for Megan. " Toby persevered. Toby was certain that the alcohol must be kicking and that Sylvester must want to dance, even if just a little.
"Would you come dance with me?" Sylvester asked. He was a little intimidated of the dance floor.
"No, cause that would be weird. Sylvester, you're in a relationship, dancing with anybody but Megan would be weird. You can be there by yourself, you're strong enough" Toby responded as he signaled the the bartender to get another screwdriver for Sylvester.
"Here, drink that and go down there and dance. I will be here keeping an eye on you." Toby said as the bartender put the screwdriver in front of Sylvester.
"Are you sure?" Sylvester said, remembering that Toby already had 4 shots of whiskey and two beers.
"Sly, I have been nursing the same Budweiser for the last thirty five minutes. I am less drunk than you think. I am perfectly capable of standing right here and keeping an eye on you right there." Toby said as he pointed to the dance floor.
"Ok." Sylvester said excitedly as he finished his drink and started towards the thickening crowd. Toby smiled, as big as Sylvester was, he somehow managed to not touch or bump into anyone, Sylvester must be really afraid to catch something.
As Toby absentmindedly watched Sylvester, his mind wandered as his head involuntarily swayed to the beat of the music. Toby thought about what letting go of Happy would mean. Giving up meant never getting the chance to wake up next to her. Giving up meant never having even the possibility of holding a dark haired baby in his arms. Giving up meant not being getting to be the one to hold Happy's calloused wrinkled hands in the twilight of their lives. As Toby thought about all the thing he was giving up, Toby realized he had never actually thought about those things before. The whole time he was pursuing her, Toby had never once dared to dream about what it would be like if he actually had her. He had just believed that it would be great because they had such a surreal connection. But maybe that had been the problem, the lack of a concrete idea of what they would be like must have fed into his own fears and her fears and...just as Toby was finishing his epiphany, Toby felt someone tap his shoulder.
"Hey you, what are you staring at?" Toby turned around to find a beautifully dressed lady standing close to him. She didn't look young, he pegged her to be between thirty to thirty-three. She had a good body and wasn't afraid to show it. And to her credit, she wore just the right amount of make up.
"Just keeping an eye on my friend." Toby replied as he gestured towards Sylvester.
"So you are on friend duty too. I am keeping an eye on someone too" The lady said as she gestured towards a brunette in a shiny dress. "She just got dumped." she explained.
"Congratulations or condolences?" Toby asked.
"Condolences. They were together four years. He just woke up one morning and decided he was bored." She answered. Toby knew she was waiting for him to pick up the conversation but Toby didn't feel like being polite. He expected her to leave his side after an awkward minute or two. She didn't.
"Did your friend get dumped too?" the lady inquired.
"No, he is actually in a happy relationship." Toby replied.
"So his dancing with such abandon is because he is happy." she questioned with a raised brow.
"Yes." Toby affirmed curtly. He knew he should be more enthused that such an attractive women was taking such interest in him.
"Our friends seems fine, would you like to dance?" She asked as a new song started.
Even though part of his mind told him he was being stupid for turning down a girl who was interested in him in favor of a girl who had just made it clear she didn't want anything to do with him, Toby politely declined the offer. Happy still had a hold on his heart.
"That's a shame." She said as she started moving away."It's a good song."
Maybe he should give the song an active listen Toby thought, it was the least he could do.
Oh Don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me. I said you're holding back. She said,"Shut up and dance with me." This woman is my destiny. She said,"ohohoh, shut up and dance with me…"...
In spite of himself Toby grinned. It was as if the lyricist stole those lines out of some imaginary conversation he hoped to have with Happy.
Oh we were born to be together, born to be together. She took my arm. I don't know how it happened…
My discotheque Juliet teenage dream. I felt it in my chest as she looked at me…
Deep in her eyes, I think I see the future, I realize this is my last chance.
Last chance...the words echoed in Toby's mind. Did the protagonist of the song think that that moment was his last chance with the girl or did he think that the girl his last chance at being with his soul mate, Toby wondered. The song wound down and chorus repeated. This woman is my destiny. She said,"Oh oh oh. Shut up and dance with me."
Who was Toby kidding, Happy was his destiny. That failed date couldn't have been his last chance and that fight couldn't be the end. Happy had once seemed happy that he didn't give up so maybe he shouldn't. However, maybe it was true that he needed to give her more space, space to figure out that they were born to be together. Toby knew that despite what she said just now, she had softened a fair bit since their disastrous almost date. Maybe with a little more unconditional love and silent persistence he could make Happy believe once again. She was his last chance. Toby looked up to see Sylvester still swaying to the music. Toby grinned. He was glad the night had been a success Sylvester-wise. He whipped out his phone and tried to take a video of El Guapo getting down on the dance floor.
After semi- successfully filming Sylvester for a few minutes, Toby turned around to order another drink. However, before he did Toby thought about how he was turning a new leaf; he was going to be more responsible and someone trustworthy. By default he was designated driver. Knowing this, Tobias M Curtis asked for a cup of water and closed his tab. Part of loving someone was being there for them.
Tonight he was going to be there for Sylvester and with any luck he would get to be there for Happy forever.
Shut up and Dance belongs to Walk The Moon. There is an incredibly high chance you already know this song. However, if you haven't heard this song before, please do go listen to it. It's a really great song.