Toby was used to not receiving anything for Valentine’s Day. It wasn’t like it was a big deal or anything. A box of chocolates (the caramel would stick to his teeth), a heart-shaped card (a paper cut just waiting to happen), he didn’t need those hassles in his life. He was perfectly fine staying Valentineless. It never bothered him at all when Kelly would come in with a giant teddy bear holding a heart that had “I wub you” stitched into it (besides, Toby knew for a fact that she bought it for herself and told everyone that it was from Ryan). It didn’t bother him when Andy had dressed up as Cupid and serenaded Erin with a rendition of “I Think I Love You” (Toby did have to reprimand him for wearing inappropriate attire in the workplace, though, so… And he was pretty sure that the whole thing did bother Gabe). Jim and Pam didn’t even bother Toby anymore on Valentine’s Day. Well, sure, Toby still made a Valentine for Pam every year (with glitter and lace and an original poem written inside), but, just like every year since he’d known her, he never had the courage to actually give it to her (he has them all stored in a box in the bottom drawer of his desk. Sometimes he takes them out and rereads them all and imagines Pam being so touched by them that she breaks down into tears and engulfs him in a hug and decides to divorce Jim because she finally realizes that she’s been in love with Toby all along). And it really didn’t bother Toby when Michael would give out a Valentine to everyone in the office except for him (maybe Toby would get a little excited whenever Michael would come into the annex showering Ryan and Kelly with paper hearts and giving them each a cupcake, and maybe every year a little part of Toby would hope that Michael would finally include him, but it was inevitable that Michael would just turn to him and go, “Oh, blech, are you still here? You don’t get a cupcake,” [Michael shoves the last cupcake into his mouth and talks around it] “and do you know why? Because these are for people who deserve love, Toby! Ugh, I can’t even enjoy this cupcake when I’m looking at you. Only you could ruin the joy that comes from eating something so delicious”).
Toby was used to not receiving anything for Valentine’s Day, and that’s why it shocked him when he saw a heart-shaped cookie sitting on his desk when he returned from lunch. It had pink icing with a sloppy brown smiley face on it. He wasn’t sure why, but as he stood there holding the cookie in his hand, he suddenly felt… warm. Happy. Giddy? His vision even blurred from the tears that snuck up on him. He smiled, bigger than he’d smiled in a long time, and he lifted the cookie to his mouth, savoring that first bite. It was a little burnt, and not all that good, really, but for Toby, it was like a taste of heaven. It was—
“NO!”
Toby choked and turned to see Michael coming towards him. “Oh, hey, Michael, what can I d—“
Michael slapped the cookie out of his hand. Yeah, he really… he did that.
“What… why did you…” Toby kept looking from his hand to the (now crushed) cookie on the floor.
“Damn it, Toby! That wasn’t for you.”
“But… it was on my desk.”
“So you ate it?”
“Well... yeah.”
“Of course you did. Of course you did! God, Toby! Augh!” And with that he knocked some folders off of Toby’s desk and walked out in a huff.
Toby sighed and looked down at the cookie. The very broken cookie, and if Toby really cared, he’d say it was a metaphor for his heart. Oh well, it had been nice… for a minute or two.
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timeasmymeasure
The Office | Michael & Toby | Don't Go Breakin' My Heart
Date: 2010-11-09 02:02 am (UTC)Toby was used to not receiving anything for Valentine’s Day, and that’s why it shocked him when he saw a heart-shaped cookie sitting on his desk when he returned from lunch. It had pink icing with a sloppy brown smiley face on it. He wasn’t sure why, but as he stood there holding the cookie in his hand, he suddenly felt… warm. Happy. Giddy? His vision even blurred from the tears that snuck up on him. He smiled, bigger than he’d smiled in a long time, and he lifted the cookie to his mouth, savoring that first bite. It was a little burnt, and not all that good, really, but for Toby, it was like a taste of heaven. It was—
“NO!”
Toby choked and turned to see Michael coming towards him. “Oh, hey, Michael, what can I d—“
Michael slapped the cookie out of his hand. Yeah, he really… he did that.
“What… why did you…” Toby kept looking from his hand to the (now crushed) cookie on the floor.
“Damn it, Toby! That wasn’t for you.”
“But… it was on my desk.”
“So you ate it?”
“Well... yeah.”
“Of course you did. Of course you did! God, Toby! Augh!” And with that he knocked some folders off of Toby’s desk and walked out in a huff.
Toby sighed and looked down at the cookie. The very broken cookie, and if Toby really cared, he’d say it was a metaphor for his heart. Oh well, it had been nice… for a minute or two.