I do not own Scorpion.

Happy was woken up to Toby tightening his arms around her. It wasn't uncomfortable, it was just tighter than he usually held her while in his sleep. She looked at the time the alarm clock projected on the wall-1:19am. She looked up at her boyfriend slowly. His eyes were squeezed shut, as if he were in the middle of a nightmare. But his breathing told Happy he was awake. Very awake.

"Toby, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Why aren't you asleep Hap?" he asked, his voice dripping with apparent anguish.

"What's wrong?" she sat up, reaching for her phone to call Walter.

"No!" he cried, pulling her back against his chest before her fingertips even grazed the glass screen of her cell. "I need you." He mumbled into her hair. She ran her hands up and down his back, beginning to understand.

"Bad night?" She guessed. He nodded. She continued rubbing slow circles in his back, praying to whatever higher power was listening that he would be okay soon.

"I just need you. And then I'll be okay again." He whispered quietly, almost to himself. As if he were convincing himself the gambling wasn't screaming his name. He had been "sober" for almost a year, although every few months he would have a bad night. Happy was always there to comfort him and lull him back to sleep. The first few weeks were especially brutal. He had gone through his boxes still unpacked in the office closet full of his gambling trophies, throwing out everything from playing cards to racing forms. He even got rid of his playing card boxers, the several pairs he owned. Those first few nights were like withdrawals. She kept him occupied with all night movie marathons, endless games of Monopoly, and a lot of kissing.

"You're okay." Happy assured him. He clung tighter to her. She kissed his shoulder. "Breathe for me Doc. Can you do that for me?" He drew deep breaths and exhaled loudly. "There you go. See it's better already. You hear my voice? How calm I am? You're gonna calm down soon too. You taught me that right? When I had to help out Sanchez? Do you remember?" He nodded, his face still buried in her messy midnight curls. She could feel his breathing slow, his grip on her still tight but not as frantic.

"Happy?" He asked quietly. She kissed his shoulder again.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you." He whispered, kissing her temple. She smiled and relaxed into his body. He was back.

"You're welcome. Do you want to go watch a movie?"

"No. I just want to hold you. You can go back to sleep." She looked up at him, his eyes glassy as he gazed down at her with adoration.

"We're in this together Doc. I'm not going to go back to sleep and let you hate yourself for the rest of the night. I've done it once and I'm never doing it again." She told him resolutely.

"I love you." He whispered. She hugged him closer to her.

"I love you too." She whispered in return. As the early morning darkness turned to the dawn, the two lovers held onto each other, each providing something the other always wanted. For her, a forever home. And for him, a safe bet.

What do y'all think? I found the prompt somewhere on tumblr (account in bio. I post quintis all the time) and thought it would be interesting to see a vulnerable side of Toby. How did I do? I love hearing feedback. It helps my writing get better. oxoxo Em