𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗥 (Ticci Toby x Male Reader)

┆⍟┆✪┆ႦჁiႺႬ აႶძ ოიჁႵმჁ┆✪┆⍟┆

I opened the door, standing face-to-face with the few officers, as a ball of anxiety formed in my gut.

"Sorry to disturb you so late at night, but we've been on the lookout for the looney-bin runaway. Would you mind if we took a quick look around? We're trying to sweep all the neighborhoods of Colorado for the guy." One of the bald officers asked. He had a bit of a southern twang in his accent.

My eyes widened, and my heart thundered in my chest. I opened the door a bit wider. I weighed my options before realizing that it could clear my name and that declining the small search would look suspicious.

"Yeah, sure, look all you want." I said, gesturing for them to come inside. I silently prayed that Toby was hiding, or even left the house for a bit.

The three cops walked in and split up; one took the back hall, one searched the kitchen, and the other looked around the living area and closets.

I crossed my arms, trying not to convey my worry through my expression, but at the same time, I was wondering where Toby went. I watched the officers sweep the house before the one in the hallway yelled "clear" to the others.

They all nodded, and the bald cop sighed.

"Sorry for wasting your time so late at night," he said, his hands on his hips as the other officers went out the door.

I shook my head quickly.

"No, it's fine. I wouldn't want a lunatic in my home." I chuckled.

The bald cop shrugged and went toward the door.

"Have a good night," the cop said, walking out and back to the cop cars.

"You too!" I smiled, shutting the door.

I peeked out the blinds, waiting for them to disappear down the road. My nerves simmered down, and I looked back into the quiet house.

"Toby?" I said, walking back into the hallways.

Even though the cops only looked around, I was damn sure that Toby couldn't find that difficult of a hiding space.

"The cops are gone now." I emphasized.

I could have searched the house a thousand times, down to the brick and mortar inside the walls, but he wasn't there.

"Where the hell did you go?" I mumbled, wandering back to the living room and taking a seat on the couch.

I went to grab the TV remote, but then the couch shifted under me. I jerked to a standing point, my head whipping around to see Toby crawl out from the cushions.

"Holy shit!" I stated. "How did you fit in there?"

"I'm malnourished." Toby said flatly, pulling his legs out of the couch and fixing the cushions.

I let out a chuckle at Toby's forwardness, wiping a hand down my face and glancing at the door.

"Well, you did a nice job at hiding." I smirked, sitting on the other side of the couch.

Toby nodded, fixing the jacket I gave him.

"I'm surprised you didn't turn me in..." Toby muttered, looking down slightly as he picked at his calloused hands.

My face contorted into confusion.

"Why would I do that?" I asked, sinking back into the throw pillows.

Toby slowly tilted his head to meet my gaze, his expression more numb than the way he spoke.

"I'm crazy," he said.

My eyebrows nearly shot up to my hairline. I knew he was a bit self-aware and blunt, but I didn't expect him to try to say that.

"Don't phrase it like that; you're not crazy." I said, my voice laced with sudden compassion.

"But I am crazy," Toby insisted. "I see things and hear things."

I crossed my arms and pulled my legs onto the couch.

"What kind of things?" I questioned with a tilt of the head.

Toby stayed silent for a bit.

"The voices," Toby said, clenching his jaw. "They tell me to do things."

I cringed at Toby's habit of grinding his teeth. I thought that was a stereotype about schizophrenia, but I guess it's more common than I thought.

"Right." I said, biting at the inside of my cheek. Then a pang of worry twisted my stomach, and my words seemed to just jump out of my throat. "Have they told you to do anything to me?"

Toby stared off for a moment before shaking his head.

"No..." he answered, itching his left wrist.

My eyes trailed back to the marking on Toby's scarred forearm.

"What's that from?" I asked, staring at the slashed ring.

Toby looked down at the symbol before rubbing at it. He looked back up at me, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I used to do jobs for someone," he said, tracing around the symbol with his thumb. "I forget why I did it."

Oh great, he definitely killed people.

I took a deep breath, trying to hold a smile over the horrific feeling in my chest. Letting out another exhale, I asked Toby another question.

"How come you forgot?" I asked, hoping that those four words weren't too personal.

Toby stared off slightly, tucking his hand into his sleeve.

I watched as Toby contemplated his next words, and a few beats of silence filled the room. His eyes glossed over, and a few small tears fell down his cheeks like raindrops on a window. My heart clenched in my rib cage as I watched the sight.

"It was something important that I forgot." He said in a feathery voice, blinking another set of tears over his face.

My hand twitched as I wanted to reach out and hold his hand, but I didn't want to bring back Toby's discomfort, so I settled for a hand on the shoulder.

"It's alright; you don't have to try to remember." I said, wanting to ease some of the pressure. Toby pressed his sleeve up to his eyes, drying the tears with a silent nod.

I glanced over at the clock, noticing the time.

"It's late; I need to get to bed." I said softly. "And you should too." I added with a small, warm smile.

Toby sat in silence, looking down at his hands. I sighed quietly and took my hand away, getting up. I stopped when I felt a rough hand catch my wrist.

"You're not going to go forever, right?" Toby asked, a small sign of disparity and vulnerability in his tone.

I shook my head as my smile grew.

"Of course not; this is my house; I come back every day." I said as Toby slowly let go of my arm.

Toby grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch, draping it over his legs.

"Good night," I said, turning out the lights in the living room as I walked down the hallway.

"Night..." Toby mumbled, staring at the blank ceiling.

I glanced back at him one last time and went to bed.

Toby's POV:

I stared off, silently cursing myself for being so emotional toward Y/N. I didn't want to seem completely pathetic, only enough to make him stay. His words gave me enough reassurance for the time being, plus I knew he was right—I should sleep.

Tomorrow was an important day after all...

I get to meet Y/N's ex girlfriend.