Toby loved sleeping. It was the one thing he could do where his brain was not being put to use. All day long Toby watched people, not being able to help silently analyzing them. Behavioral ticks screamed out to him as he passed people in the street, the same way out of tune notes seemed to shred musicians ears. Normally, geniuses found no relief in sleep; their minds, now unburdened by the trivial thoughts of everyday life, raced over every topic imaginable. But Toby didn't dream like a genius. Because of his expertise, he dreamt like normals did; trivial stories that mean nothing.
So when he arrived home at the hour of 6:27 in the morning after being awake since a little before midnight, he crashed into bed and didn't wake up until around 3:30 that afternoon.
Toby rolled over in his bed, sighing contently. Not waking up to an alarm clock is one of the world's greatest gifts. The shrink rolled out of bed and slid down the hallway in his socks, stopping only to watch the hard rain that was currently ruining his neighbor's petunias. Raining Sundays were the best Sundays at the Curtis residence. Rainy Sundays meant there was NO way Walter would call an emergency meeting for scorpion, Sly hated the rain.
Toby made his way to the kitchen of his one bedroom apartment and pulled out a pan, some bread, and some butter. He grinned even more, Sunday traditions were his favorite. He turned the stove on; simultaneously trying to make sure the butter was still good, when he heard a soft knock on the door.
Frowning, Toby examined his wardrobe (red flannel pants and a white shirt) and deemed himself acceptable for answering the door. He padded over just as the visitor knocked more insistently. "I'm coming; I'm coming, sheesh…" He called out, reaching towards the handle.
Toby pulled the door open; shivering a bit when the cold wind hit his arms, and looked up to a soaking wet Happy Quinn. "Haps? What wrong? Why are you wet? Why are you here? Oh gosh get in here before you get hypothermia." He grabbed her shaking arms and pulled her inside his apartment. Happy nodded a quick thanks, unable to speak because her teeth were chattering. She was dripping all over the hardwood but Toby couldn't find it in himself to care.
"One second." Toby said, walking back down the hallway, leaving Happy standing in his entryway. He returned minutes later with a towel, some sweatpants, and a gray shirt in hand, "Showers second door on the right," Toby said, placing the towel over her shoulders, "We'll talk once you're warm." He patted her on the back and Happy stepped forward, wandering into Toby's apartment.
Happy wrapped her arms around herself as she walked stiffly down the hallway, examining the paintings on the walls as she went. She opened the door to the bathroom and closed it behind her. She scanned the sparsely covered counter and looked in the curtain to see what shampoos he had. Happy was over all surprised at how clean the place was.
Sometimes, not that she would every admit it, Happy was envious of what Toby could do. He would look at this bathroom and tell you everything about the person that used it. Happy wished for that kind of ability right now. She dropped the towel on the counter and peeled her wet clothes off, laying them in the sink. She turned the shower on to the exact right temperature on the first try. Happy scoffed, it was one of her favorite perks of being a mechanical genius, no matter whose shower it was she knew how it worked. She hopped in a quickly scrubbed her body, relishing the warm stream coming from above her.
On getting out of the warm tub, Happy wrapped the fluffy towel around her and picked up the clothes Toby had offered. They were two big for her, but with a little adjusting she made them work. The sweatpants she rolled up three times so they were at her knees. The gray shirt, just a bit too big for her small body, had a good neckline but slipped off Happy's shoulders from time to time.
She walked back down the hallway, scrunching her hair with the towel, bare feet sticking slightly to the wood. She rounded the corner to see Toby standing in the kitchen and her nose scrunched up, "What are you burning in here?" she accused.
Toby turned, he hadn't heard her come in, and had to stare for a moment. He could get used to a view like this, Happy looked good in his clothes. He tore his eyes away from her shoulder and collarbone as she tugged up the sleeve on the t-shirt he had given her. The gray one he knew would be slightly too large for her slim frame.
Toby, determined not to make this creepy, cleared his throat and held up his pan, "I'm burning toast if you must know." He sat the pan down on the fire, making sure it was to perfect blackness on each side before sliding it on to the plate of other burnt toast squares.
Happy padded to his island and slid onto a stool at the bar, "On purpose?" she asked with raised eyebrows.
"Hey," Toby said, turning to brace his hands on the side on the island opposite her, "We can talk about burnt toast Sunday when you explain to me why you're here. Not that I mind at all." He grinned cheekily and added his last slice of buttered bread to the frying pan.
Happy rolled her eyes, "I've been banned from the premise of my apartments until further notice." Without turning around Toby gestured for her to continue and she let out a big sigh, "Okay, so here's what happened. I woke up at like 2 because my apartment complex is undergoing construction and the guys got to work around noon and were being obnoxiously loud outside my window." Happy waved her hands around, "But anyway, I went downstairs to ask how long construction would take and they explained their project, saying it would be about 2 weeks. I told him I could finish it by myself in 2 days."
Happy stopped for a moment and Toby turned around to see her fiddling with the neckline of her shirt, "And?" he asked leaning against the counter, "Landlords wouldn't kick you out for being arrogant. I wouldn't have a home if they were allowed to do that."
Happy grinned absentmindedly and Toby counted that as a point for him, "Well. The construction guy didn't take me seriously. Which naturally pissed me off but I wasn't going to say anything until, and this is word for word, he told me 'oh sweetie I bet you would like to try'" Happy did her best to imitate the man's voice, making Toby smile as he turned off the stove.
"That's not that bad Haps." He said softly.
"You're not letting me finish doc," Happy said, growing irritated now. Toby turned and leaned with his elbows against the island again, confused at why she was getting upset, "Well, I was gonna walk away but he grabbed my hand and I told him to let go, and I guess I did it too nicely because he thought I was kidding apparently so he pulled me closer and so I defended myself because who wouldn't do that? But he classified it as "assault" and I can't come back to my apartments until construction is finished."
Toby wasn't overjoyed about the guy who touched her, but he began to see where the conversation would be going, "So…" he drawled out, "You're not going to have a house for 2 weeks." He kept his face blank, "What ever would you be coming here for?" he finished in a singsong voice, leaning his chin on his hand.
Happy glared at him from across the island, "I'm just asking for a place to sleep." She looked around, "Apparently the floor since you're not a fan of couches."
Toby shrugged, "Hey, personal preference. And nonsense, you can sleep in the bed." When Happy stiffened Toby chuckled, "And I'll take the floor." He finished.
Happy acted like she had to think about it before nodding her approval, "Sounds good. Thanks Doc. Now why are you burning toast?" her nose scrunched up again.
Toby pulled his large plate of burnt toast onto the island and took an exaggerated bite out of one of them, "Tradition, Haps." He chewed for a moment and Happy was impressed that he didn't spit it out, "My mom wasn't the best cook, but she liked feeling like she was helping with it, so on Sundays she would get up early and make toast for me and my old man." He smiled and shook his head, "We would come down and shove it in our mouths, pretending we didn't have to throw up."
"It was always burnt?"
"Always burnt." Toby laughed, "We loved her though, so we choked it down with a smile and a thank you. And soon we became accustomed to it. After my mom… died, one of the ways I helped my dad cope was to make burnt toast for him every Sunday. Then after he died and I finished off Harvard, I couldn't shake the familiarity of it. Burnt toast Sundays have been a part of my life ever since." He finished off the piece he was on, "The end."
Happy tilted her head to the side and considered the man in front of her. She slid her eyes from Toby's and down to the plate of ashes that used to be bread. Toby watched, amused, as she delicately picked up a piece, biting into it without hesitation. He couldn't help but let his mind analyze the fact that she willingly took part in a very big and personal part of his life. He would have been a little more touched if she hadn't looked like she was eating a dead rat.
Toby doubled over laughing, "It's an acquired taste Happy, don't feel bad."
She held up a finger and forced herself to swallow the small mouthful. She smiled weakly when she did and Toby applauded her. Happy rolled her eyes and held out the rest of the toast, "Sorry doc, can't do it. Maybe some other time."
Toby leaned forward and Happy thought he would take the bread from her hand, but he just took a bite from the part she was holding out, "Mmmm…" he closed his eyes, chewing silently, "So good, to me at least."
"Well it holds sentimental value to you," Happy said, shoving the rest of the toast into his mouth, ignoring the muffled cry, "of course it tastes good. I understand traditions."
Toby wiped his mouth, "Well wuhfts waur radidton?" he mumbled around his toast.
Happy just sat with pursed lips, "Swallow please."
"Well sorry princess, should have known you wouldn't like that. I said whats your tradition." Toby cleared off his toast plate and came around the island to sit next to Happy, who by now had hopped up to sit on the counter. He took the stool by her feet.
She crisscrossed her legs and shrugs, "Chinese food. Every Friday. But only from Trey Yuen." Happy begun spinning the tale more eagerly, "In my first foster home, when I was 2, the family had a tradition to go to Trey Yuen's every Friday. Since I was so young, they were my longest foster home, so the tradition stuck with me. When I got moved to a new home when I was 6, it was still relatively close to the restaurant, so I would bike there on Fridays. The owner knew me by now, so I would get free egg rolls when I couldn't pay for anything else." Happy was smiling now, her legs swing in front of her, occasionally letting them rest in Toby's lap as she reminisced, "No matter how far my home was from that place I would go, every Friday. Sometime I had to bike for hours. It's about 10 minutes from my apartments now. I've come a long way."
"Yeah. You have…" Toby mumbled under his breath.
Happy and Toby talked for a while after that; about anything and everything. Different traditions they had, different funny things their families did, cases at scorpion, why they "hated" each other…
"Well. I don't think I hate you." Happy said thoughtfully, sitting up on her place where she was laying on the floor.
Toby chuckled as he watched her from a chair in his living room, "Yeah I know." Happy glared at him, "What? How could I not know? First, I'm a behaviorist, and second, even if I couldn't catch all the hints you subconsciously throw my way, what about Valentine's Day?"
Happy stiffened a bit before sighing, "It's like 8 o'clock now Toby, I'm going to pick up some real food, you want anything?"
"Can I try that Chinese place you were talking about? Trey Yuen, right?" Happy started at him with a slightly shocked, if not grateful expression.
And then she shook her head, "I told you." She smirked, "Fridays. I promise I will still be here on Friday. We can go then."
Toby grinned. He couldn't help it. She said we. As in the collective noun. "Okay Haps, then whatever you want, it doesn't matter to me."
She shrugged, "Fine but your picking tomorrow." She walked out his door. Their door, for the next couple of weeks, Toby liked to remind himself. Toby sat quietly, flicking through a book he already had memorized when Happy returned around an hour later with Taco Bell bags in her hands.
"Sorry." Happy said, with a sincerely apologetic expression, as Toby raised his eyebrows and glanced at his watch, "I wanted to see if they would let me go back and get some clothes from my apartment."
Toby bit his lip and slid his eyes up and down her body, "I'm guessing it was a no?" He pushed himself out of his chair and joined Happy at the kitchen table, "Don't worry about it, keep those clothes for tonight and I'll wash yours and you can wear them to work tomorrow."
Happy nodded as she unwrapped her burrito, also handing Toby his food, "I thought you would say that." They sat in silence for a moment, "Thanks."
Toby just smiled in response, biting into his quesadilla. They finished their food quickly and Toby could tell Happy was having a hard time keeping her eyes open, and it was only 9:30. Toby thought it was great. He had never seen a tired and exhausted Happy. A Happy that trusted him enough to let her guard down to be tired in his presence.
Happy smirked as she watched Toby's eyes scan her face, "Something you wanna say Doc?" The mechanic sat up straighter, "Your right, I'm tired, lets sleep."
"Good with me." Toby stood and pushed in his chair and Happy's, turning out the lights as he followed her into his bedroom. He stood as Happy crawled into his bed and couldn't help but sigh as he watched her cuddle into his blankets, burrowing into his pillows.
Happy pointed a finger at him, "Don't you make this creepy."
Toby held up his hands and reached across her to grab extra blankets and pillows. He threw them down on the floor next to the bed and flopped down ungracefully after turning out the lights.
"Wait," Happy's voice rang out in the now dark room, "You're sleeping in here on the floor?"
Toby rolled his eyes but kept his voice even, "I can move."
"No. No. Its fine." Her reply came quickly and Toby turned on his side to face where he knew his bed was, although he couldn't see it. He let the silence last for a moment.
"Hey Happy?" he waited a beat.
2 minutes later a single word was uttered, "What."
Toby put his hand under his head and rested on his elbow, "You know last Valentine's Day? When you called me your best friend? I thought maybe you should know… you're my best friend too."
Toby had always hated silence, his thoughts were too loud in his head as is, and with nothing else to hear… well it was horrible. However, this silence, he didn't quite mind. Toby wasn't sure if he would like the answer he got, if any, so he was willing to wait however long for a response.
To his surprise, Happy spoke instantaneously, "Shut up and let me sleep Doc."
Despite the slightly convicting tone Happy said her statement in; Toby broke out into a huge grin in the darkness, "You know, I would believe you were annoyed if I couldn't see you smiling."
Happy sat up quickly, "It's pitch black numbnuts."
"Oh I'm sorry; I should have said felt you smiling." He chuckled, "I've got you memorized Haps. I can feel your happiness from miles away."
Happy lay back down gingerly, "We've got work tomorrow, Toby, I can't do this tonight."
Now it was Toby's turn to pop up, "But that doesn't mean you don't want to do it."
"I'll give you your shirt back tomorrow, goodnight." She said in a desperate attempt to change the conversation.
Not one to be dissuaded, Toby plead with her, "No, Happy please. I'll tell you what. Give me my shirt tomorrow and I will leave you alone. Forever. We will just be friends. Keep it and… and I promise I will never give up. I will never give up on you and I will never leave you, Happy." She didn't respond, "Okay, you've heard my deal. I'm going to put your clothes in the dryer now. Take them in the morning, don't take them in the morning, it's your choice. I promise I won't back down from either proposition." And with that he got up and left to change the laundry.
Happy lay there, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes. She already knew she loved him. However, she didn't want to make him go after her. Happy was still firm in her belief that Toby was only tricking himself into loving her, but… there was a little light in the room, coming from the moon; and when he had turned to her, saying she was his best friend the look on his face made her waver.
She could hear it in the silence. She could feel it when she got home. She could see it with the lights off as he told her he would never give up. Happy Quinn already knew she loved him.
But maybe Toby Curtis loved her back.