Spoby One Shots

13 • I Wrote It About You (6x09)

"She looks gorgeous."
"That dress really was made for her."
"That right there is my very own happily ever after right there."
These were all thoughts going round Toby Cavanaugh's mind on Prom Night. These were of course, all directed to his stunning girlfriend: Spencer Hastings.

She and her friends had been through about hell for the last 2 years but especially over the last few months. They'd been kidnapped, held hostage, been tormented in every way and come within inches of loosing both their lives and their minds.

Toby couldn't even begin to imagine how it must have felt to be there and how scared they must have been. Every day since they'd gone he'd been kicking himself for not finding them sooner. But the important thing now is that she was in his arms, as close as she could be, looking absolutely stunning and for all the crazy, she was finally getting an aspect of a normal high school experience, dancing at the prom. Even though technically they were banned and had to sneak into said prom.

Toby tuned back into the conversation they were having, Spencer was talking about Alison in a low, hushed voice about the fact she thought it was ridiculous Ali had the nerve to say Spencer never even liked her.

Spencer and Toby were a brilliant match for many reasons. One of the most obvious ones being that they balanced each other out. Spencer tended to spiral, overthink or get paranoid whilst Toby generally stayed pretty calm, tried to look at the bigger picture and rationalise.

"Why would she say that? Why would she say I never even liked her?"

Toby knew Spencer better than she knew herself and could sense she was about to overthink this whole thing so he made sure to keep himself calm.

"Because she hadn't always been the easiest person to like."

"Yeah, but we came here to protect here. It's all any of us have trying to do for weeks, years. We basically missed out on our high school experience trying to figure out the mystery that is Alison. The whole reason we survived is because we had each other."

"Is that what your speech is about? For commencement?" Toby said, trying to change the subject to something slightly less Ali related.

"Urgh, forget about the stupid speech, no one's ever gonna hear it." Spencer replied. Toby had been bugging her for days trying to get her to read her now useless Valedictorian speech but to be honest, that fact the opportunity had been snatched away was upsetting enough without having to bring it back up by reading it.

Spencer felt his grip get a little tighter, like he was trying to protect her just that little bit more.

She sighed, giving in.

"I wrote about what it means to support someone unconditionally, even when they haven't been entirely honest with you."
Ha, that was an understatement in her and Toby's relationship. No matter how many secrets, lies, messed up situations, arguments and emotions they'd had they had never, not for one minute stopped having each other's backs.

"And how everyone needs somebody to be inspired by: someone who sets the bar really high." 
Okay, academically not so much. Toby has dropped out of school without graduating, he'd been to juvie and he rode a motorcycle and had a tattoo. Basically, he was the Hastings' parents nightmare of a boyfriend for their daughter.

But Spencer knew him better than that. He inspired her no end. She'd never known such a hard worker or someone so loyal, so loving, so protective and above everything, so kind. Spencer didn't have many people in her life like that. Toby made her a better person in every way she could be.

"Somebody who'll put someone else's needs before their own and not resent them for it."
He'd literally changed his entire career just to keep her safe. He'd been through the gruelling police academy, been pretty much bullied by Tanner, fought with his dad about the job, cut his hair and gone to boring police seminars that kept him away from her and he'd never used it against her or blamed her. When she came back from London and he went to her house he reminded her that all this shit was for her sake. But at the same time he knew that he would do it again endless times for her.

"Somebody who always expects you to do the right thing and then forgives you when you don't."
That was another thing. Toby had forgiven her more times than she could count. Obviously it had gone both ways, he'd messed up at times too but none of it had tainted his view of her. He still thought so highly of her, believed in her so much and always reminded her that despite everything that had happened, she was still a good person.

"Wow." came Toby's response. "I think your mother would be pretty moved by that." He said, holding onto her a little tighter. God, he loved this girl so much.

"She might be." said Spencer nonchalantly.

"But I wrote it about you."