𝐀𝐦𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐚 (Ticci Toby x FEM reader)

һᥱᥲr𝗍ᑲᥱᥲ𝗍

McKenny shined her flash light in the direction of the dark corridors in the mall. She cursed under her breath, pulling her radio from her belt.

"This is officer McKenny; the mall is clear," she said, listening for the response.

"Are you sure?" The other officer asked, their voice sounding static on the radio.

"Damn positive," McKenny responded, beaming the flashlight around and continuing to make another lap around the mall.

"It was probably some stupid teenagers trying to cause trouble," the other person said with a light chuckle. McKenney sighed.

"I'll head back to the station," she said into the radio, clipping it back to her belt. The soles of her shoes clicked against the mall tile until there was a slight squish under her foot. She looked down to see a mud print on what looked like a boot. There just so happened to be another set of shoe prints that followed the boot ones. McKenney pulled out her radio and switched the line.

"Hey, Mr.Detective, I think I found something."

"Toby! What are you doing?" Y/N protested, trying to squirm her way out of his arms. If it weren't for the grocery bags that crowded the back seat, she probably could have gotten out of his grasp. Toby wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face into her chest before he started to sob.

Y/n froze. She had no clue what to think of this. She has never had someone, let alone a man, cry and cling to her with a death grip. Even when she was in her old relationship, Brad was never vulnerable in the slightest.

Y/N's hand slowly found its way into his hair, combing through the mess of chocolate locks. Her upset expression faltered, and she relaxed—or at least she tried. Toby gripped her hoodie and trembled, crying the hardest he had in years. The last time he cried in front of someone was... before his sister died.

"Toby, what's wrong?" Y/N asked, her voice becoming softer. Toby's breathing stuttered, and he hiccupped.

"I don't know..." He said, stuttering profusely. He almost sounded panicked. Y/N rubbed his back, shushing him and trying to calm him down so he wouldn't hyperventilate.

"Toby, it's okay; just breathe, sweetie." Y/N bit her lip. Sweetie!? She didn't mean for that to slip out. She silently prayed that he didn't hear her or that he wouldn't think much of it.

Toby's frantic breathing soon got to slightly more stable terms. Tears continued to fall down his lightly freckled cheeks like shooting stars in the night sky. He sniffled and laid the side of his head on her chest, listening to her soothing heartbeat. Toby seemed very small, as if his inner child was resurfacing after years of being trapped beneath brutal murder and mental illness.

"Why are you crying?" Y/N asked, gingerly brushing his bangs away from his sad eyes. Toby took a deep breath, trying to compose himself enough to speak.

"I hate people; I don't like it here," Toby mumbled. There was more to the story than just that, but Toby didn't want to vent it all to her in such an inconvenient place. A wave of vulnerability and embarrassment washed over him. His iron grip loosened to a gentle hold on her, and he rested in her welcoming arms—even if they weren't entirely welcome.

Y/N figured that he was probably overwhelmed by so much so fast. Toby had been isolated in his cabin for a very long time. He had no human interaction except for the people he killed. Even when he didn't kill people, such as in his childhood, he was quiet and reserved.

"You know, I can't take us home unless I'm in the driver's seat." Y/N shifted her uncomfortable position. Toby thought about what she said. Home. She called his cabin home. It was a stretch, but he let himself think that's what she truly meant. Toby hesitantly lifted himself off Y/N, his cheeks flushed from the snowball of emotions he just experienced. Toby agreed, but his voice was still a bit croaky from the strain of his pent-up emotions.

"Alright, let's go home."

A soft shower of rain pitter-pattered on the roof and windshield. Y/N turned off the car and unbuckled her seatbelt. She looked over to Toby, who was asleep on the passenger side. They had a long ride home, and Toby didn't even realize that he was tired due to his CIPA. Y/N debated whether to wake him up or not, but she decided on the former.

"Toby, we're back at the cabin," she said, putting a hand on his arm to gently shake him. Toby shifted in his seat, muttering something under his breath, then resting his head back on the window. Y/N rolled her eyes. "Wakey, wakey." She gave him a firmer nudge.

Toby's eyes opened abruptly, and his head snapped to Y/n, but he relaxed when he saw that it was her. He stretched his arms out with a yawn.

"Good morning," he said with a slight smile, rubbing his eyes.

"It's almost three in the afternoon," Y/N said. Toby shrugged and unclipped his seatbelt.

"Close enough," Toby mumbled, looking at Y/N with a faint grin. Y/N's words caught in her throat as she forgot what she was going to say next. For some reason, whenever she looked at him, she felt butterflies suddenly flutter up in her stomach.

"We need to bring the groceries in, especially the food, so it won't go bad," Y/N said, glancing out the windshield.

"Alright, I can bring them in," Toby said, turning around in his seat and attempting to put as many bags on his arms as possible. If he had to walk out in the rain, he would make the least number of trips possible.

Y/N watched as Toby had at least twelve bags in his arms, wondering if he could actually pull the stunt off. Toby struggled to open his door, but once he did, he booked it for the cabin. Y/N couldn't help but laugh as she watched the antics through the car windshield.

Toby made it inside, and a few seconds later, he emerged from the cabin and ran back to the car. He flung open Y/N's door, catching her by surprise.

"We gotta hurry! It's bucketing down out here!" Toby scooped one arm under her knees and the other under her arms, picking up her bridal style. She held onto him tightly, not wanting to be dropped on the muddy floor. He shut the door with his boot and ran inside. Thunder crackled through the sky. Toby set Y/N down on the couch.

"There's still more bags in the car," Y/N chuckled, standing up. Toby pushed her back onto the sofa.

"No! I must sacrifice myself to the rain gods!" He stated it, sounding completely serious. He yelled as he sprinted back outside into the downpour. Y/N covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt not to laugh. She peeked through the window behind the sofa to see Toby getting soaked in rain as he brought more bags inside.

"Toby! You're going to get hypothermia!" She said this as Toby set the armful of bags on the floor. His dripping wet hair clung to his neck, and his clothes were soaked with water.

"I was able to get all the bags," he said on the bright side. "Plus, it's not cold enough to get hypothermia," he giggled, wiping his face with his sleeve as he shut the door.

"You should go change; I'll put away the food," Y/N said, picking up one of the bags and sorting through it. Toby nodded. He wanted to offer to help, but the way his clothes clung to his body made his sensory issues flare.

"Okay, okay, I'll change quickly," Toby said, kicking off his muddy boots near the door. He went back to the bedroom to change. Y/N sorted through each bag; it's been a while since she's bought a whole fridge and pantry of food.

Y/N found a brown paper bag in the mix of plastic ones, and she tilted her head. She set the bag on the counter and peeked inside. A bouquet of pink roses was looking back at her. Her eyes widened at the sweet fragrance of the roses, and he took the bundle from the bag. She walked towards the back room with the flowers, feeling butterflies bubble up in her stomach again, but she didn't want to just assume they were for her.

She looked up from the flowers to see Toby completely shirtless.