Anger Management

Testing the Waters

Toby POV

God, she was going to be mad. Toby knew she wasn't a morning person; hell, he'd experienced just how much she valued her sleep personally. But if he was going to help her come to terms with her anger, he was going to have to get her way out of her comfort zone.

With a sigh, he picked up his phone and dialled her number. At least it was 5 a.m. and not the middle of the night, though he was sure it wouldn't make much of a difference to Happy.

The phone rang four times before his phone clicked; she had answered. Toby held his breath and mentally prepared himself for the onslaught that was sure to follow.

Instead, he heard a confused moan followed by a muffled, "Toby?"

He shifted in his seat and felt his skin burn. "H-Happy? Are you awake?"

A pregnant pause greeted his words, followed by a raspy, "I think so. What time is it?"

"Five a.m."

"Toby. I thought we were past the 'wake-Happy-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night' stage." She groaned. "Plus, I'm your girlfriend now. Shouldn't that count for something?"

He felt a warmth spread through his chest at the thought of Happy officially being his girlfriend. He still couldn't believe he had been that lucky. "Yes you are, Hap, but I'm still your therapist. C'mon. We're going swimming."

She let out a burst of laughter, quickly stopping when Toby didn't join in. "Oh. You're serious."

"Well, yeah. Swimming is great aerobic exercise, plus I've been dying to see you in a swimsuit." He grinned at the thought of her cheeks turning pink.

"Perv. And seriously Toby? Couldn't it wait?"

"Nope. I'll pick you up in half an hour. Don't go back to bed."

Happy groaned loudly and Toby heard the disconnected beep sounding in his ear. He smiled to himself, and started getting ready. Today would be an interesting day.

**

"So, where exactly are we going to swim?"

Toby glanced over at her questioning gaze before returning his to the road. They had been driving for a few minutes and Happy couldn't seem to keep her curiosity contained. "You'll see." He said with an evil grin.

She rolled her eyes and kept them on him. He felt her gaze roam over his body and he could tell by the slight rise in her eyebrows that she was picturing him in a swimsuit. He smirked. "Like what you see?" She turned an attractive shade of pink and turned quickly around in her seat. Toby's laugh reverberated through the car.

**

Once they had gotten to the university, which boasted an Olympic-sized swimming pool, they separated to change. Toby finished first and made his way to the vacant swimming pool. He stretched his arms and dived into the sparking water. He did a few laps before resurfacing to find a curious Happy watching him swim. His breath caught when his gaze roamed over her body.

She was wearing a sharp black one-piece, which crossed across her front, leaving a tiny space open on her midriff. Toby gulped. The swimsuit fit her curves perfectly, accentuating them. She looked perfect. He had expected her to swim in clothing, too. He knew how reserved she was and how challenging it must be for her to reveal so much skin.

She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly uncomfortable, and Toby lifted himself out of the pool. He walked to where she was standing and smiled at her. "You look amazing, Hap."

She lowered her gaze and smiled, before lifting her eyes to his chest where they seemed to be stuck. She stuttered softly before saying, "You too," so softly Toby almost thought he had imagined it.

With a wide grin he held out a hand and gestured to the pool. His skin was already coated in goosebumps and he knew she would be more comfortable once she began swimming.

"Oh, that's okay. I'll just watch you swim for a while." She said, before walking to the bench to take a seat.

"I don't think so, Hap," he said before rushing towards her and lifting her into his arms, bridal style. "For such a tiny thing, you're pretty heavy."

Happy's eyes narrowed slowly. "It's muscle, numbnuts. Would you like me to show you how I use it?"

Toby laughed and started walking towards the pool. Realisation dawned in her eyes and she started shifting in his arms. He realised how much he liked using that term, in his arms. She fit against him as if they were two pieces of a puzzle.

"No way, Doc. Put me down. Now."

Toby laughed before jumping into the pool, submerging them both in the cool water. When they resurfaced, Happy was still holding tightly onto him and he was still laughing. She blinked the water out of her eyes before narrowing them at him. "That wasn't very nice," she said.

Toby shrugged. "I guess you'll have to get me back." He said before sinking down into the water and swimming away from her. She chased him for a while, always coming close enough to grab onto him, before he swam away quickly. They continued for a while before Happy called out, "Okay, okay. I quit."

Toby turned around and swam to where Happy was treading water, glowering silently at him. "Oh Hap. Don't be mad," he said before he saw the evil glint in her eye. Quick as a flash, she pressed his head under the water, and was still giggling manically when he resurfaced and tasted the sweet, sweet air. He couldn't help but laugh with her.

After swimming some laps, the pair floated side by side, hand in hand. Toby thought about how comfortable he felt around her, a kind of comfort he had never felt around anyone else. He thought about how his chest constricted when she looked at him with that spark in her eye, and how he constantly felt like he would somehow mess up what they had.

After what felt like hours, the happiest hours of his life, they decided to climb out. They sat together on the bench, silently, lost in the moment, not even bothering to towel off.

Toby looked to his left, at a dripping wet Happy, looking, well... happy. She met his gaze and he lost himself trying to count the dark flecks in her even darker eyes. Her gaze dropped to his lips and he licked them, gauging her reaction. Her brows furrowed slightly and her own lips pursed. Her pupils dilated and the air between them became charged. He dipped his head, lifting his hand to her damp cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed and he felt, more than heard, her stuttered intake of breath. He glanced at her puckered lips once more before surging forward, closing the distance between them and pressing their cold lips together.

A warmth spread through his body and he ran a hand through her dripping hair. Their lips moved together, causing a spontaneous symphony to play in Toby's head. He tried to move his hand to cup her neck, but found it tangled in Happy's hair. She gasped against his mouth and he broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers. She giggled softly and Toby felt the vibration run through his bones. Their lips were millimeters apart and he was tempted, so tempted to press his lips to hers once again but he stopped himself at the last second. Happy opened her eyes and looked at him with a question in her eyes.

Toby took a breath and broke away from her. Laughing at her confused expression, he said, "I wanted to ask you something."

She helped him untangle his hand from her hair before smiling at him and nodding. "So, um," he said nervously. God, when was the last time he was so nervous to ask a girl out? 8th grade? "Happy Quinn, would you like to go out on a date with me? A real date, not a therapy session or an anger management exercise. Although if it's exercise you're looking for, I'm right here." She snorted. "We could go out to dinner or to the theatre or we could-"

Happy cut his nervous babbling off with a quick kiss, that he was embarrassed to say, made his toes curl. "I'll go on a date with you, Tobias Curtis." He grinned triumphantly and leaned in to steal a kiss from his girlfriend. She shifted away from him and Toby felt his brows furrow in confusion. She laughed at his expression before saying, "Doc, I'm a mess." She pushed a tangled lock of hair out of her eyes. "How about I go clean up-"

Her words were cut off by Toby's hand, which he placed over her mouth. "I think-" he cleared his throat, "I think you look perfect." He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and handed her a towel. "I'll get dressed, too." Still smiling, she turned to walk to the changing rooms. Watching her retreating figure, Toby decided to make their date the best of her life.