Birthdays
Happy woke up earlier than usual and got ready in a flurry of black hair and black clothes, something about today put her on edge. She needed to get to her workshop as soon as possible, tools were the only thing that put her at ease. She expected to find the garage empty, but to her surprise Toby was sitting behind his desk blaring music that she could hear clearly through his headphones and tapping on his desk. He didn't notice her until a pair of black boots clouded his view of the floor he'd been staring at. He removed his headphones and she leaned on his desk.
"What are you doing here so early?" She asked.
"I could ask you the same thing." He never answered a question straight, everything is a mind game with him.
"I missed my motorcycle." She shrugged.
"Don't let me stop you. Your chariot awaits." That's a little odd. Why was Toby trying to get rid of her?
She walked into her workshop and spotted it.
It wasn't much. A cupcake, a card, and a small wrapped gift box.
"Toby." She knew he followed her.
Sure enough when she turned around he was standing in the doorway, looking scared.
"What's this?" She gestured to the small display that was placed on top of her welding mask.
He shrugged. "Happy Birthday."
She was about to speak, but he cut her off.
"Before you ask, when I snooped around to find your father I stumbled upon your birth certificate. That's how I know that today is your birthday. I knew you wouldn't want anyone else to know it was our birthday because God forbid someone do something to show that they care about you, so I didn't broadcast it all over the world like I wanted to, but I had to do something. So go ahead, open it."
Happy had spent years trying to convince herself that today didn't mean anything. Birthday's weren't important. Toby wasn't helping her case. But she isn't that bad of a person, she wouldn't get mad at him for doing something nice for her like this. Honestly, she was trying to find it in her to be at least a little angry with him, but she couldn't. So she rolled her eyes, all for show of course, and opened the card. Obviously Toby could see that she wasn't that upset. He considered that a small victory. He was slowly breaking down the walls around her. He'll get through eventually if he tries hard enough. When Toby Curtis wants something, he never gives up, and Happy is the thing he wants most in the world.
He noticed her face softening as she read the card.
"Happy Birthday Happy" sounds utterly ridiculous so I'm not going to say it. You are one of a kind, Happy Quinn. I'm lucky to even know you, and even luckier to be one of the few people you trust. You say that tools never let you down, and I'm the biggest tool you will ever meet.
-Toby
P.S. As much as I want to tell everyone your birthday so Paige can throw you a party, I want you to still like me more. Your secrets safe with me.
He held his breath once she stopped reading. It was a risk doing this, Happy tends to hate anything that even remotely reminds her of childhood, and birthdays remind everyone of their childhood, good or bad.
"I hate you for doing this, but I appreciate it." She finally looked him in the eye.
"That doesn't make sense, and you're lucky that I can tell which emotion is winning out from that pretty face."
She shook her head again.
"You're not done yet, princess." He nodded towards the gift box.
She picked the box up.
"If you ever call me princess again I'll kick your ass."
There's the Happy he knows and loves.
She unwrapped the box with surprising gentleness, and opened the lid.
She lifted the necklace out of the box and stared at it for almost a full minute.
It was a long and thin silver chain with three charms.
The first was a tiny wrench that she could tell was made of titanium, one of her favorite metals to work with. The second was a metal replica of a tire with a tiny sample of her birthstone in the middle. The third was a piece of metal that was formed into an almost irregular circle.
It looked just like a cyclone.
Toby saw her playing with each of the charms and when she got to the cyclone he said "Check the back."
She flipped the cyclone charm over and it was engraved.
"My favorite scorpion."
She looked back up at him again. He was inching closer to her very slowly. Honestly, she didn't know what to say. So he spoke for her.
"It's one of a kind, just like you."
She held the necklace out to him. At first he thought she hated it and was giving it back, until she moved her hair away from her neck. He stepped closer to her and put the chain around her neck. He closed the hook and let the necklace go. She was playing with the charms again.
"Its long enough that no one has to see it if you don't want them to. Our little secret."
She turned around to face him.
"Thank you Toby."
She smiled. A real, bright, Happy smile.
The smile that Toby thought could fix everything.
He was about to reply when they heard the door swing open and Paige walked into the garage.
Happy smacked his arm.
"What the hell was that for?" He said, rubbing his arm.
"Don't come between me and my motorcycle."
He walked away, smiling and shaking his head. Yep. That was the Happy he knows and loves.
"Whatever you say, Princess."
She never kicked his ass.
Next Chapter: Cabe
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M.
