#wheres that emoji of mr knightley lying on the floor bc thats how i feel

[ugly-anastasia]

On This Night, In This Light | Anatoby

Date: 15 June 2024 Featuring: @toby-determined Warnings: yeaaaaarrning

Annie makes an unexpected stop on her way home from prom.

ANNIE

Annie continued down the path, not letting up her pace. She cursed this long path; if she were at Town Hall she could call an Uber and be home in fifteen minutes. But no. That was fine, though. Every step got her closer to her destination.

Sometime halfway down the path, Annie nearly tripped over a root, and she ripped her shoes off as though they’d personally insulted her. By the time she got back into town, her feet were sore and covered in dirt, her hair hung flat around her face, her dress had picked up dirt and leaves, and her makeup was smudged across her face. But she was almost home.

Except that when she pulled up the Uber app, the closest one was twenty minutes away, and stupidly expensive. Prom night rates. Annie should have known.

I could just walk at this rate, Annie thought bitterly, stepping onto the sidewalk and starting down the road. Once in a while, she checked the Uber rates. Still ridiculous.

Annie walked. She walked and walked, pushing away the thoughts of her argument with Gaston, her argument with Georgette. She pushed away the thought of Mummy’s disappointed face when this whole ordeal inevitably got splashed across the gossip blog. Somehow, she found herself in northeast Swynlake.

Somehow, she found herself approaching Castle Suites.

Annie could blame it on Swynlake magic turning her around and getting her lost. But if she was honest with herself, she’d been on her way here ever since she’d left Gaston on the steps of the castle. Because she knew who would be here, practically the only one in Swynlake home on prom night. He’d told her he would be.

Annie knocked on the door.

TOBY

And Toby was.

Home that was. In the empty flat since Lucky was at the dance with his date. Toby had waved him off, complimenting his attire, and then turned back to the space to get started. He hadn’t been lying when he said he had plans to clean the place while he had the night to spare. Not that it ever got to the point of being concerning, but now there weren’t any dishes in the sink and the stack of mail that he’d been meaning to get to had been sorted, no longer living in a mess on the counter. His laundry had gotten done and his bed made. He had even been able to reorganize one of his bookshelves, no longer having to restack the most recently finished ones on his bedside table. They all had a place to sit without fear of being knocked over in his search for his glasses in the morning.

It smelled vaguely of pinesol, though he tried to mostly use non fragranced supplies these days. Lucky didn’t have to say it but Toby had done research, thinking too much of something would be harsh on a werewolf’s nose.

He had been asleep when someone knocked on the door. Yes, it was early, but he had been tired and needed the rest. The sound made him blink awake. He waited to see if it had been on their door and not someone else’s on the hall, because who would be here at this hour? On this night? Unless Lucky had forgotten his keys or something. When another knock came, echoing through the flat, he sighed.

He got up, put on his glasses, and wandered out to look through the peephole, raising up on his toes slightly to do so.

And there was Ms. Tremaine.

Forgetting that he was in only a plain shirt and pajama pants, still looking sleep soft and a little groggy, he opened the door.

“Ms. Tremaine,” he greeted. “What are you doing here?”

ANNIE

Annie had only ever seen Toby in the same clothing— black slacks, a white button-down, a tie. In his pajamas, he looked different— softer, and Annie again had a bizarre impulse (this time to smell his shirt to find out what detergent he used).

Something was seriously wrong with her. Why was she here?

She knew why she was here. Because all Annie had wanted tonight was for someone to see her. And Toby always did.

“Toby-“ Annie started, and her voice caught in her throat again. God, could she get through a single conversation without crying tonight? “I’m sorry, I- I just didn’t know where to go. I hope I didn’t wake you…”

TOBY

In turn, Toby was taking in her person. It was concerning, seeing her make-up as it did and the dirt on her feet, the hem of her dress. It certainly made him feel very guilty for still thinking about how beautiful she looked. Especially when her voice came out sounding like that. Clearly something was wrong. He had known that because she was here instead of where she was supposed to be, but everything together made him start thinking something horrible had happened.

It was Swynlake Prom after all.

“That’s alright! That’s not- important. Are you okay?” he asked, then, quickly moved out of the way and taking the door with him. “Forgive me, would you like to come in?”

It felt wrong to make her continue to stand there. And who knew who would come out of the elevator or stairwell next. She probably didn’t want to be seen at his door.

ANNIE

“Oh- oh yeah,” Annie said, stepping inside, very aware of the dirty she was tracking into his spotless flat. It smelled nice in here, like it’d just been cleaned. Maybe Toby had stuck with his plan to clean the place after all, or maybe he really did keep the place this tidy.

Annie had never been over here before, so she didn’t know. But the image made her smile— Toby, wiping down surfaces and playing his music as loudly as he wanted to.

For a moment, she just stood there, as though she wasn’t quite sure how she’d gotten here. And then it occurred to Annie how weird this was. How concerning it probably looked. Showing up at Toby’s door looking like something that had been fished out of the gutter with no explanation for him.

She looked into his eyes, concern written all over his face, and Annie couldn’t hold it in anymore. “I just- I just wanted it to be enough!” Annie blurted out, bursting into tears again. All the emotions she’d been holding back ever since she’d left Gaston at the castle came rushing back, and Annie couldn’t stop the flood. She sniffled loudly. “I don’t know if I can do it anymore, Toby. I just don’t know.”

TOBY

When he turned around, shutting the door behind her, Toby was thinking the same thing. That she had never been to his flat before. He had only ever been to her home. But that was because he hadn’t wanted her anywhere near here when the demon was around. And then…well, there was never any reason for her to come over. They always met out and he had a flatmate that would have made meeting here for work a bit awkward probably.

He hovered, unsure, about to ask if she wanted something to drink or to sit down, but suddenly she was talking once more. And crying. Toby stepped closer but stopped before he could breach any personal bubble, hands coming together to keep from reaching out to touch her. He had never seen her like this. The closest had been near and around the custody case but this was… He couldn’t even piece together what she was saying. It made his chest ache, desperate to fix it. If only he knew what it was.

“Do what anymore?” he tried, voice soft in response to her obvious pain. “What happened?”

ANNIE

This was pathetic, Annie realized. Showing up to her coworker’s house in the middle of the night like this, crying because a guy she didn’t even love didn’t love her.

Except it wasn’t just her coworker. It was Toby.

She wiped at her eyes, sniffling. “Sorry, that- that didn’t make any sense,” she apologized. “It’s all- it’s all quite silly. I just- Gaston and I had this fight. It wasn’t his fault. Really. I just- I just feel like rubbish, and I thought- well, you- I-“ Annie was slipping into her accent again. “You make me feel like… not that.”

TOBY

Toby looked away from her to search for where he’d put- ah. He stepped off to get to the tissue box that sat on the table beside the couch. Spring had passed by, but there always seemed to be something in the air that would trigger a bout of allergies for him. So there was always a box around. He plucked two of the top, one after the other, and returned to hold them out to her.

He had been listening the whole time, brow furrowing at the reasoning. She’d had a fight with her boyfriend. Presumably at the dance. Oh dear. Toby didn’t really believe that it wasn’t Gaston’s fault, because how could that be when Ms. Tremaine seemed so devastated by whatever it had been over? Busy thinking about all of this, he almost missed her last statement. It made him blink, looking up to see if this was said with sincerity.

Because…how could that be? How could she feel better around him when all he had done, for however long, was make her feel uncomfortable?

He decided to focus on what actually mattered, which was why she was so upset.

“It’s not silly if you’re this upset over it. What happened?” he asked. “That is, if you wish to tell me. You don’t have to- if it will make it worse.”

ANNIE

Annie took the tissues, smiling weakly. Then she blew her nose in a loud, decidedly not-weak way. It was embarrassing, but it wasn't like Annie really had any of her dignity left at this point.

Once, she might have hesitated to tell Toby because he was a reporter, and he sought out salacious stories for the paper— it was how he made his living. Annie had helped him report on many such stories, after all. But ever since she'd asked him not to tell anyone about her custody battle, and he'd respected that, she had complete trust in him. Not something Annie could say about a lot of people.

"I guess- honestly, the details aren't important," Annie said, wiping her eyes with the remaining tissues. She looked around for a wastebin to drop the used ones in and spotted a neat, recently-cleaned one right next to the couch. This place was just so… tidy.

She walked over to drop the issues in the wastebasket and then sat down. "Sorry, do you mind if I- these things were killing my feet," Annie said, holding up her long-abandoned gold heels to demonstrate.

Annie took a deep, ragged breath. "Anyway… I guess we just don't see things going the same way. He wants to keep things c-casual, and I- well, I thought he liked me, you know? So I thought he'd change his mind eventually and want to be serious, and not want to see other people. But tonight made it very clear that that's just not happening. And- look, he's not perfect, we all have our things, but I could be happy with him. I'm sure I could. I just…" Annie shook her head, tears smarting again. "He's basically my only option, and I can't even get him to choose me! How fucked is that!"

She rubbed her face with her hands. "I'm sorry. You don't want to hear all of this, do you?"

TOBY

It didn’t bother Toby at all, seeing as he did it all time it was perfectly normal to him, and no doubt relieving to get it all out. He nodded, gesturing awkwardly to the seat that, yes! Yes, of course she could sit. He should have invited her to as soon as she came in, but he had been so worried about her it hadn’t even come to mind. And now that she was sitting he lingered, shifting his weight as he tried to decide where he should sit.

Eventually he settled on the chair that sat parallel to the sofa where she was so as not to crowd her.

He listened intently, frown deepening as she continued. At this point he was wide awake, no longer dredged in unconscious confusion. How on earth she could have said it wasn’t D’Avenant’s fault was beyond Toby. But more than that, she making it sound like D’Avenant was some sort of last option for her. That without him there was no one else in the entire world that could make her happy.

“Of course I do,” he said quickly, dismissing the notion that it was ever a bother to listen to her. Even if this was the subject. “But- Ms. Treamine, surely you know that you shouldn’t have to make yourself be happy with someone. You should just be happy, which you of all people deserve to be. And from the looks of it, he does not make you happy. Nor, may I add, does he seem to care about that either since you made it all the way here without him coming after you.”

ANNIE

Well, that last part was certainly true. Gaston was probably already off with some other girl by now. And Annie had really thought that she could make peace with that idea, that she had been through so much heartbreak with Charlie that she was immune to it by now.

But being happy in the way Toby was talking about— being really, truly in love with someone, and knowing they loved you too— she just didn't think it was an option at this point. And Annie had thought she could get Gaston at least to want to be with her, even if he didn't love her, but apparently even that was too much to ask.

"That's really nice of you to say, Toby, but-" Wasn't that why she had come here? He always told her what she wanted to hear. Tonight, though, it just made her sad— like maybe she'd tricked him or something. "But it's not really that simple. I mean, my reputation is pretty bad around here, and even people who would see past that probably don't want to date someone with kids, or they want someone prettier, or with more money, or- I don't need to give you the whole list, you get the picture. And I want to be one of those people who's happy alone, I did the whole independent woman shtick for a couple of years after my divorce, but it's really fucking lonely…"

Annie choked up again and reached for another tissue. "The point is, I think I gave you the wrong impression. I let you believe I'm, like, this confident, powerful person with tons of options, but I'm really not."

TOBY

Toby had no idea what words had been exchanged between Ms. Tremaine and D’Avenant, but clearly something more than she was saying had happened because this was…it was devastating to witness. To listen to. He felt emotion welling up in his throat, making it feel tight.

Because she was right, in a sense. She had presented herself as someone who was all of those things, but after a while, he had grown to know her. Especially after the story about her ex-husband. There was a reason she felt she had to be those things, because how else was one supposed to react to pain other than building up barriers to protect themselves against the possibility of it again?

“No,” he shook his head. “You are so much more than that.”

After their conversion in the office Toby had sworn up and down to himself she wouldn’t say anything like that again. But he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t just sit there and allow her to believe all of the things she was saying when it wasn’t true. So what? So her edges were showing, jagged and fragile with the wounds of the night. If anything it endeared him to her all the more. How could anyone think otherwise?

“I know you’re not those things all of the time but that’s fine! That’s-! …the human condition. But you never gave me the wrong impression. You are confident, just like you’re clever and petty and eager and bossy and warm and-” He could have kept on but stopped himself, starting again. “The point is, you’re you. And that should be enough for anyone. I know you’ve been wronged by these men, but you can’t take that as a reflection on yourself. That’s on them. Because they have no idea what they’ve let go. And I know that when you find a man you deem worthy of you, that he’ll understand what I mean. He will never treat you like all these others have because…he’ll know he was never worthy of you, but he’s going to do everything in his power to try to be.”

ANNIE

Annie stared at Toby. And it wasn't fair. Because how was she supposed to keep denying her feelings for him when he went ahead and said things like that?

Did he know? Did he know what he was doing? Did it occur to him that his words had that power, that they could wrap around her like an embrace, even if Toby and Annie weren't touching? He named all these things about her and they weren't all positive, but the way he said them, he made them sound like they were. Because he was saying them, and he liked her anyway.

"Toby, I-" Annie struggled to find her words. More tears rolled down her cheeks. "I have to tell you something."

There it was. No going back now. And if this ruined things, if he was scared off forever or if it ruined their friendship, well, hadn't Annie already done that by showing up at his flat in this state?

"Ever since our conversation the other night. The one when you walked me home, when I had a bit too much wine, I'm sorry about that— I know what I felt, though, and it was real, I— the way you talk about things, the way you see the world, the way you see people, and the way you see me— I feel- I am-"

Annie swallowed, trying to stop her stammering. "I thought if I could be with Gaston, I could make it go away, because I didn't want to ruin our working relationship, or our friendship. But I have to tell you, Toby— when you talk like that, you make it really hard for me not to feel these- feelings for you."

There. She'd said it.

"But- but you don't have to- if you were just talking hypothetically- I understand if- you know- anyway- I'm sorry-" Annie added, uncharacteristically awkward in her speech. What a pickle she'd just put him in, right?

TOBY

Toby wanted to do something more. To reach forward and wipe the freshly fallen tears away. To take her hand between his own. For the first time, he understood what people meant when they said words weren’t enough. Instead he remained in his seat, watching her, his fingers laced together tightly so they would stay put.

He knew what she was going to say. It had been coming on for a while. In fact, he was surprised she had remained in contact with him for as long as she had. Right from the start it had been a wonder she had chosen him to talk to at the Squire. Then to work with. Then to call a friend. He had gotten too greedy in his desire for connection. His first real find of it and now he had gone and ruined it. But he couldn’t say he regretted it. At least he had experienced it. At least she knew it was possible for someone to care about her, she just needed to find the person she could love in return, too.

Toby looked down at his hands when she started talking about the other night. The one where he thought she’d discovered him. Here it comes, he thought, bracing for the impact, eyes closed.

Except it was not quite the blow he had been preparing for. Feelings for you, she said. As in… Toby slowly raised his head, eyes finding hers, searching. It seeming so impossible he could hardly think on it too long before she was saying something else, implying that he didn’t have to reciprocate. But surely…? This whole time he thought she had to have….why else would she…?

Toby let out a breath, eyebrows creasing as he looked at her with fondness and awe because maybe she didn’t see it. After all she had said tonight, maybe it wasn’t impossible to think she had not noticed.

“Anastasia, don’t you know? I’ve been half in love with you since we met,” he said, regretting that it had only been in the past few weeks that he had fully understood his feelings for her, back where it had started, sitting across from her in the tea shoppe.

ANNIE

It was like the breath had been knocked out of Annie. All this time? Since they'd met? Annie's mind raced through all the years, all the memories together— but of course. There was never a time when he wasn't there for her, when he hadn't looked out for her or had her back. It was like putting on a pair of glasses and suddenly seeing everything in focus.

Half in love with her since they'd met. Toby really did have a way with words, didn't he?

One in particular, actually. Because he called her Anastasia again, and she just about melted.

"Oh- Toby." Annie didn't know what her plan was, really, with what she did next. She launched herself off of the couch, maybe to grab his hand or something or just be closer to him, but she tripped over the hem of her floor-length dress and wound up crashing into the chair as she tried to catch herself on the arm of it. Annie laughed, though some tears leaked out too. "Sorry, I- I don't know what that was."

TOBY

Even after what she had said, Toby was still scared that he had said too much with that. He also was not entirely sure what to do next. He had never done anything like this before. It was by some miracle or the very grace of God that she decided he was at all suitable for her feelings and he didn’t know where the limit was. He seemingly had none, his heart an insatiable thing of constant hunger for whatever it wanted. Right now, all it wanted was whatever she was willing to give.

He didn’t really have time to react as she came forward, also not sure as to what she was going to do, only leaned back into the cushion of the chair. His hands separated from one another, raising up as if to catch her but she did that herself so his hands were left to hover at her sides. He smiled at her laughter, it feeling like a splash of water, before he realized just how close she was to him.

“That’s alright,” he said, voice quiet. With hesitant movements he reached up. Although he was quite desperate to touch her he didn’t know if it would break whatever this moment was. Because maybe it was one of those Swynlake dreams, they had been married in one before after all. Or maybe it was just one of his own. He didn’t want to wake up either way. Toby swallowed before brushing the back of his knuckles across her cheek, clearing away the fallen tears, eyes tracking the movement as his skin felt hers.

ANNIE

Toby had told her that he'd been half in love with her since they had met, but that wasn't the case for Annie. In fact, when she'd first met him, she'd completely written him off— a dork whom it wouldn't be hard at all to manipulate so that she could get a good story written about her, the job she wanted, a friend at all when the Squire office intimidated her. Annie had thought she held all the power. And she'd thought that was a good thing at the time.

But as time went on, that perception had changed. Slowly, so slowly that Annie hadn't even realized until it was far too late. Yes, he was dorky, and that was something Annie liked about him, even if she wasn't sure her Nashville friends would understand it (or that her past self would understand it, honestly). The way he lost control of his rolling office chair sometimes or kept his abandoned story ideas in a Google Drive folder called "the graveyard."

And in this moment, the back of Toby's hand gently brushing against her cheek, the kindness in his eyes, Annie realized something else— she didn't need to hold all of the power in a relationship. She didn't even really want to. Maybe it was better to know that someone could break your heart and trust they wouldn't.

Annie reached one hand up to her cheek to hold Toby's hand there. It felt warm and solid against her cheek. Just like him— not that she'd ever been this close to him before, but Annie was suddenly desperate to find out.

"Toby…" She blinked, leaning closer, heart pounding as her face hovered slightly above his. "Can I- do you want to…"

TOBY

It had always marveled him when she reached out toward him and made contact. With his hand, his shoulder, when she had hugged him. Since leaving his family, people hardly touched him. If they did it was by accident or necessity, never because they decided to all on their own. But Ms. Tremaine did. Another wonder that he didn’t know if he would ever come to fully understand.

She had her hand against his and while it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar it was still something he looked at with surprise. Now her palm and fingers suddenly felt like a massive weight. As if being touched, even when it seemed to be given out of affection, was unbearable despite how long he had gone without it.

He had been so consumed with watching the way her fingers looked and moved against his that he hadn’t noticed her leaning that move closer. Her voice saying his name dragged his eyes away to find hers and then, at her half questions, traveled down to find her mouth. Toby swallowed and forced himself to make eye contact again because that probably wasn’t what she was asking. He didn’t actually know what she was asking, mind too muddied to try figuring it out because whatever it was she wanted he probably wanted it, too. Even if he didn’t, he would still give it to her.

Toby nodded.

ANNIE

Annie rested her other hand on Toby's shoulder, his soft t-shirt. And then, very slowly, as though looking for any signal she had misread this—

(She rarely moved so slowly— with Gaston, everything was hungry and fast-paced. But there was a pleasure, Annie was finding, to taking one's time).

—Annie's eyes fluttered shut and she closed the space between them, gently pressing her lips to his. He was warm and solid, just as Annie had thought he might be. But softer, too, than she'd realized.

TOBY

Toby’s eyes fell, only half lidded when she kissed him, unwilling to part with the sight of her just yet. He wanted to know every inch of sensation, including the way she looked this close. Her eyelashes, wet and clumped by make-up, and the way her hair fell forward with her. It was only when the sensation of her lips on his got so overwhelming that they shut completely, but that merely made the touch all he could focus on.

Soft was what the kissed remained, as he didn’t want to press any further than that. As much as he may have wanted to, she had been through a lot tonight. This was enough. Even if she left and changed her mind, came to her senses, and never spoke to him again come the morning, he wouldn’t regret that this was what he had been gifted.

Instead he brought his other hand up to the side of her neck to keep her from moving away as he pulled back, eyes still closed, so he could press their foreheads together. He was content to simply be near her, to be able to breathe her in. Attempting to soak up the feeling of her proximity while he could.

ANNIE

Annie had meant what she said when she'd told Gaston she wasn't in the mood to sleep with him tonight, or anyone for that matter. It wasn't just about him. She was tired, mentally and physically and emotionally. And as much as Annie enjoyed what she and Gaston did together, there was always an element of performance to it, at least on Annie's part. She felt like she had to make herself enticing, like she could get a good score in a hookup. And that took energy that Annie just didn't have tonight.

But this— this, Annie felt she could do all night. Her forehead pressed against Toby's, her eyes closed, breathing in the detergent smell she'd wondered about earlier. There was no performance to it, just quiet, gentle intimacy. Intimacy that Annie realized she'd felt with him from the moment she'd read his abandoned story about the man in the park— no, longer than that, from the moment she'd told him the truth about the custody suit. Maybe longer. All of it leading them to now.

She opened her eyes again and smiled. "Hi," Annie said, maybe a little bit shyly, uncharacteristic for her. "Was that, uh, okay?"

TOBY

As if able to feel her gaze on him, Toby opened his eyes to be met with her smile. Her greeting. It made him smile, too, before falling into the depths of disbelief of all that was happening. It still didn’t feel quite real. Nothing like this had ever happened to him and he had never expected it to, but here it was all the same.

“Hi,” he echoed and then before he could answer her question with the probably never ending string of compliments that would have poured out of him, concerned crossed over his features. He pulled back another few inches so he could look at her properly, letting their still joined hands at her cheek fall between them. He didn’t let go, pulling it toward himself to rest against his chest, didn’t think to in the haste to ask, “Was…was that okay for you?”

Because he could have done something wrong. He didn’t know. It seemed a more likely thing than him having done anything right, especially in regards to…this.

ANNIE

Annie's smile widened. She felt like a kid again, giddy.

"More than okay," she replied. Annie already knew she wouldn't forget that kiss for a long, long time. Maybe ever. "It was… very good."

For a long time, Annie didn't move, she just leaned against the arm of the chair and looked at Toby and felt his heart beating steadily under his t-shirt, not quite believing what was happening.

"You, um- you too?"

TOBY

He breathed out in relief, shoulders dropping with it. His smile grew softer as the silence lingered, and not in a bad way. Not in the way he thought it had for these past days since that night. There didn’t feel like anything needed to be said now, because he felt he could already hear her despite her not saying anything at all.

It gave him more time to admire her, the hand on her neck moving to brush the hair on that side back behind her ear, fingers running down the length of it.

“Me?” he questioned, bemused that she should even think to ask after him. Wanting to convince her, he began rambling instead of thinking of something tolerable to say, “I- yes. Of course. Nothing could compare, nothing- nothing will feel the same after that. I’m still not convinced I’m not asleep right now. You are the dream.”

ANNIE

Annie shivered pleasantly at the gentle touch. Don’t stop, she thought, as though he could read her mind.

“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be the first time,” she said, referring to that magical medieval dream from a few years ago when they’d been married, which they’d oddly never really spoken about.

(Of course, it wasn’t so odd, knowing what Annie knew now).

She blushed, realizing it might have sounded like she was insinuating something else, though. “I mean— that dream, when we were Lord and Lady Bookworm or whatever it was. Do you remember that?”

TOBY

That made his skin grow warm, too, rising from his neck up to his cheeks, thinking exactly what it sounded like. But that she had meant him. Because it was true.

In fact, thinking about it, it may have always been true. Even before they had even met and he had come to Swynlake where the magic seeped into even that portion of one’s life. He had dreamed of someone whose hand he could hold without them recoiling and someone who would listen to him when he talked. Now here she was, and better than any dream his mind could have created.

But then she clarified and, oh. Toby nodded. A new wave of embarrassment and guilt washed over him, making the heat on his skin burn that much warmer. “Yes but those weren’t exactly the best circumstances.”

ANNIE

“I still think we made a rather good team, didn’t we?” Annie said. “And that was right around the time we put out that article about Dian Morey and Princess Elena. You know, I was quite amazed by you that day, the way you told off the security guard. I don’t think I realized until that moment, how… handsome you are when you’re confident like that.”

She brushed some of his hair to one side with the hand that had been resting on his shoulder, smiling fondly.

TOBY

Toby couldn’t deny that, they had been just that. Even if he had acquired her companionship in that world through necessity on her part and opportunity on his, it had felt like they were on the same page. Just like in this life.

He balked at her compliment. It was rare that he was bestowed one and when it did it certainly was not in reference to his appearance. But she was being sincere, so he couldn’t even contest the point without invalidating her word, which he would never do. A breath of disbelief left him at the smile she had on her features, directed at him. He had to look away, overwhelmed by it and her touch.

“Well, I couldn’t have done that without you. You made a very compelling speech,” he said. “But yes. We do make a good team.”

Which, like a hefty rock being tossed into the peaceful water they had been floating on, reminded him of work. Of them being co-workers. Of everything that was going to be beyond the door to the flat in the morning.

ANNIE

Annie wasn’t thinking of that now. It would occur to her later, much later, but right now, she was still basking in the glow of the moment. She smiled.

“My mum has the kids for the night. I don’t have to go home,” she said. “I mean- unless, uh, I guess your roommate will probably be home…”

Not that Annie had any grand plans for the night. She just imagined she could do this all night, sitting here and talking and looking in each other’s eyes.

TOBY

Toby hummed with acknowledgement in regards to Lucky, about to check the wrist where his watch usually resided only to realize it was still on his bedside table. Same as his phone. So he had no way of knowing what time it was to guess as to whether his flatmate’s night, and date for that matter, was going well and if they had time.

It did not even occur to him that she might be concerned about his thoughts on her staying longer, or even the whole night. As if he would object to more time spent in her presence.

“Yes, and I doubt anything I own would be comfortable for you,” he said, glancing down at her dress. The thought had jumped about five steps ahead in semantics but he was thinking about how tired she was, and how no one wanted to sleep in something with dirt on it if they didn’t have to. “I’ll leave it up to you. I wouldn’t want to strand you here without something to sleep in.” Then he managed to hear his blunder and tried to correct it. “Or- er, to change into.”

ANNIE

It wasn't like Annie would really have minded. Her original plan, after all, had been to go back to Gaston's, and he much preferred her when she didn't have any clothes on at all. Most nights she spent there, she just pulled on her dress from the night before when she left the next morning, carrying her shoes. Occasionally, she stole something out of his closet, but never because it was particularly comfortable— just because she thought he might get something out of it. She always ended up giving it back before she left, anyway.

So the thought of Toby lending her pajamas— well, it was just very sweet. And very him.

"What, you don't think I can pull this style off?" Annie teased, poking at his t-shirt. She did wonder what Toby's things would look like on her. What they would feel like. Would they smell like him?

Well- maybe that was a thought for another time.

"I'm just teasing," she added. "I'll get out of your hair. We can talk more tomorrow, okay?"

Annie made no move to get up, though. She just remained there, leaning against the chair, one hand on Toby's shoulder, the other on his heart.

TOBY

He looked down at his shirt, as if unaware and needing a reminder of what he was wearing, before smiling at what he assumed was a joke since, in his opinion, she could no doubt embody any type of clothing. She had worn leaves and dirt and the brutal night very beautifully.

What she said next made his smile falter slightly.

“Don’t say it like that,” he said, voice quiet again, like she had wounded him with the implication that she was some sort of burden. “You’ll always be welcome wherever I am.”

He had the impulse again to punctuate this somehow and then realized that it seemed like he could act on that now. So he did. Toby picked up their still woven hands, that had been pressed together so long he had forgotten they were two separate things at all, to briefly press her knuckles to his lips.

ANNIE

Annie smiled, the gesture, the light touch of Toby's lips on her hand sending little electrical currents through her. She'd long understood that there was really nobody else like Toby Determined. But this was a new side of him. Annie felt a little bit like she'd been dropped into the new Bridgerton season she'd spent yesterday binge-watching while she did work around the house. But she hadn't thought that could be real.

"Aw, Toby," Annie said softly, before learning in to kiss him again briefly. "I should go. The Uber prices probably calmed down by now…"

TOBY

He blinked after she pulled away, dazed at how easy that had seemingly been. Toby didn’t know if he was ever going to get used to it. That was, if there would be time to. But she had said they would speak tomorrow and he didn’t want to keep her from getting any needed sleep.

“Right,” he said and cleared his throat, reluctant to let her go. From his hold, from the flat. But, hopefully, there would be more of this to come. Toby moved to stand, waiting for her to follow so he could walk her to the door at least.

ANNIE

Annie could have stayed there all night, continuing to prattle on about Uber prices, but she knew this was probably for the best. Right now, it really did feel like a dream, like Toby had said. Once she had a shower and a good night's sleep, it would be real— or it would all be a dream, either one.

She slid back to her feet and picked up the shoes, taking her phone out of her purse to call the Uber. Still much more expensive than it should have been, but oh well. Worth it.

"Barry will be here in six minutes," Annie said, looking up from her phone as she walked with Toby to the door. "Thank you for everything, Toby. Really. This went from the worst prom ever to, well, definitely the best in a long time."

TOBY

He nodded, wondering if maybe he should offer to go with her to the ground floor but knew that was just an excuse. It was best he stay and let her go now, otherwise he would be tempted to ask for more and push too far. He already wandered so far over the line, there was no need to plead farther.

Toby smiled and shook his head, waving away her gratitude. It hardly seemed earned. He had done nothing more than what he felt he had always done. If anything, he should be thanking her for all that she had said, all she had given. The latter statement did make his chest fill, heart oozing something sweet and warm with the knowledge that a moment spent alone in his flat had not only compared to such an event as prom, but had beaten it, too.

“I’m glad to hear it,” he said. “Sleep well.”

ANNIE

"You too," Annie replied reluctantly. She lingered in the doorway a moment longer, impulsively kissed him on the cheek, and then it was down the hall, into the elevator, into Barry's car, and back to her quiet, dark house.

As she locked the door behind her, as she shed her dusty dress and showered and changed into pajamas, Annie couldn't help wondering if she could have stayed. If she could have insisted on one of Toby's old t-shirts, if he would have held her in his arms into the night. If he would have minded her snoring. If he would have made her breakfast or if he'd want her to do it. The thoughts carried her into bed and under the covers.

She didn't do what Toby asked, though. She didn't sleep a wink.