It was Friday, classes were over, and Toby went to the changing rooms to change from his uniform into his casual outfit, a hoodie and sweatpants. He usually didn’t change at the HQ, that wasn’t common practice to begin with, but since he was seeing Roy today, he figured it’d be a good idea to change now. Going for a private meeting in uniform didn’t seem fitting.
He shouldered his backpack with Memis in it and went to the laboratory, where he’d promised to pick Roy up.
“Hey Roy~" Toby saw him hanging up his lab coat and waved at him.
“Mh? Oh, hi.” Roy turned around. He had also changed from his blue uniform to casual wear - even though it was much more formal than Toby’s. He wore a white button-up shirt with a blue vest and a tie, as well as a black pair of pants - a very unusual style for a boy his age. “I was waiting for you, Mr. Williams.”
“Are you ready to go?”
“Sure.” Roy grabbed his bag. “Famfay will clean the lab for me. So I’m free to go.”
“Darling, are you sure you will be fine?”
They were approached by a purple, anthropomorphic Morpho Mon with a long tail and floppy ears in a lab coat, that wore a pink dress matching his eyes - it was Famfay, but in his Pergrandis Form.
“Famfay… of course I will be.“ Roy sighed. “I won’t be gone for long. I’ll pick you up later.”
Toby looked down to Famfay, who was just a bit shorter than he was. “Oh my gosh, you look adorable!”
“Mh?” Famfay tilted his head. “Thanks?”
“Wraff!” Memis peeked out of Toby’s backpack. “Hi, Famfay!”
“Hmm…” Roy faced his partner Morpho Mon. “Famfay, wouldn’t you like to look after Memis while we’re out?”
“Ah- Sure, I could do that.”
“Huh?” Toby looked confused. “You want Memis to stay here?”
Roy nodded. “I feel like you could use a break from looking after your dog.”
“Okay-” Toby took off his backpack and let Memis hop out of it. “Have fun with Famfay~"
“Wraff! I will!”
“So, Mr. Williams.” Roy crossed his arms. “Where did you plan to go?”
“Uhm- What about Brightgo Park? That’s where I usually like to hang out~"
“Sure. Guide me there.”
~~~~~
“Thank you for having me, Mr. Williams.”
The two boys arrived at the park, it was a five minute walk from the HQ. “I don’t think I’ve ever been here before…”
“Really?” Toby climbed on the stone wall surrounding the entrance path, and balanced over it. “But it’s so close to the HQ... Do you never take some time off to go on a walk here?”
“No,” Roy replied. “Whenever I’m done I go straight home. I don’t spend much time outside.”
“Mhh… I see.” Toby crossed his arms behind his back. “That’s completely different from me~ I spend most of the time outside.”
“Interesting…” Roy looked up at him. “So you don’t really like being at home…?”
“Ah… I wouldn't say that…” Toby’s gaze was locked on the slim stone wall before him. “I just prefer the fresh air and open space over my small room~"
“Ahah.” Roy cleared his throat. “So uhm, what I don’t understand is… Why you would choose to spend your time with me… You’re a social butterfly, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you have lots of friends waiting for you?”
“Uhm… You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Toby scratched his chin. “Yeah I- I don’t have a lot of friends.”
Roy tilted his head. “You don’t?”
“Sadly.” Toby jumped off the wall. “But that doesn’t mean I’m here with you because I have no one else to pick~ I just think you’re an interesting person, and I owe you a lot.”
“M-Mr. Williams…” Roy looked to the side.
Toby giggled. “Why so formal all the time? Just call me Toby!”
“Mh-”
“Or do you want me to call you Mr.- … Uhm, I forgot your last name.”
“Fitzgerald.” Roy pushed up his glasses. “And no- You can keep calling me by my first name.”
“Fitzgerald, huh?” Toby smiled. “Like the actress~"
“You mean Dahlia Fitzgerald?”
“Yes!”
“Mh… She’s my mother.”
Toby’s jaw dropped. “Wait, for real?! My mom is a huge fan of hers! Could you ask her for an autograph for her?”
“Sure. Speaking of your mother...” Roy crossed his arms. “How’s she doing? Last time I saw her she looked… not so good.”
“Ahm-” Toby fiddled with his fingers. “She’s doing okay… Not great - but okay.”
“Mhmh… I don’t want to offend you, Toby, but seeing her got me worried.”
“Ah- yeah she…” Toby looked before him. “She’s been… drinking a lot. She has trouble dealing with her depression - which is why I’m always out to help her as much as I can.”
“I wasn’t just talking about her.” Roy sighed. “I’m worried about you, too.”
“Huh?” Toby faced Roy with a puzzled expression. “Why’s that?”
“Sure her state is worrying, especially considering what you just explained. But… You’re her son, and I can only imagine how draining it has to be living with her.”
“Ah- you don’t have to worry about me.” Toby smiled. “I’m fine~ I’ve known her my entire life, and I’m always glad I can support her.”
“Mhm. Fine. But please make sure you also look after yourself,” Roy said with a serious expression. “You’re just a teenager. You shouldn’t have to worry about your mother that much.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine-” Toby raised his hands. “You don’t have to worry~ Especially since I think I’ve figured out a way to help her even more~"
“Aah… If you say so.”
“Now I have a question for you, Roy - and I hope I don’t sound rude…” Toby now climbed on the fountain they were passing. “How do you manage to be so… calm, collected and - mature all of the time?”
Roy looked up silently.
“I mean - I’ve known and seen a lot of people your age and, frankly, they’re usually more like me~ Clueless, air headed, still trying to figure everything out. Yet, you seem so different! How do you do that?”
“...” Roy’s expression sank, looking to the ground. “It’s not something I chose.”
“Mh? What do you mean by that?”
“Well… You see…” Roy tightly grasped the strap of his bag. “When you need to be mature very early on, it kind of sticks with you. I never really chose to be this way.”
“... You mean-” Toby climbed off the fountain and stood before Roy. “You don’t intend to be that… stern?”
“Hm. Nice way of putting it. But yes.” Roy’s blue eyes met Toby’s worried gaze, and he quickly looked away. “So… I should ask you back... How do you manage to be so carefree, with everything going on in your life?”
“Mhh…” Toby rubbed his chin and thought. “I guess my secret is that I don’t think.”
“You… Don’t think?” Roy furrowed his brow. “How?”
“I just don’t do it~ I try to live in the moment, to do things that bring me joy. For example…” Toby looked around. “I wanna climb that tree!” And he ran off.
“He- Hey!” Roy shouted after him. “D-Don’t do that! That’s dangerous!”
“How about you try to catch me?” Toby grabbed onto the thick branches of the tree and pulled himself up.
“Th-That’s preposterous!!” Roy followed Toby to the tree and looked up. “Just get down there!!”
“I will not get down until you come up here!”
“... Fine. Watch me!!” Roy grabbed onto a thicker branch and tried to lift himself up, but he had a much harder time doing it than Toby did. Eventually, he got up the first branch. “Hahh… Th-This is ridiculous…”
“I’m still waitiiing~" Toby sat on the tree a few branches higher than Roy, his legs swinging back and forth.
“Gh…” Roy carefully and slowly climbed his way up to Toby, panting loudly.
“Oh man, you’re totally out of breath!” Toby held his hand out for Roy.
“O-Of course I am!” Roy grabbed his hand and climbed up the last meters to sit on the same branch next to him. “I work in the lab, I don’t need to be as fit as the defenders!”
“So~" Toby smiled. “How do you feel now?”
“Exhausted…”
“And what else?”
“Hah... My heart is pounding… I’m-” Roy looked before him. From this position, they could see a large portion of the park, its pathways, the fountain, the pond, and even a bit of the city itself. It was truly a view he had never seen before. “... this is- wow…”
“See...” Toby grinned. “Sometimes it’s worth taking a risk. You get to see and feel what you have never felt before! And the adrenaline is such a mood booster too, right?”
“Hahh… I’m- yeah…” Roy smiled lightly. “I feel… good, actually.”
“I’m glad~”
“And... “ Roy looked at him. “You do stuff like that all the time?”
“Yeah! I have mastered the art of not thinking and just doing what brings me joy, and it helps me be the person that I am~"
“... you have to teach me.”
“Huh?”
“I feel like… I have missed out on so many things…” Roy folded his hands. “Teach me how to be… more like you.”
“Uhm- Okay.... I can try!” Toby smiled. “That will be fun!”
“I- I hope…”
“I think that was enough for today though, I should head back to the HQ and get Memis~" Toby stood up from the tree, and jumped on the lower branches to land on the ground.
“H-Hey-!! Toby- H-How do I get down now?!”
“Uhm…” Toby looked up to Roy, who was still up on the tree. “Just climb down?”
“Oh my god…” Roy carefully stood up and held on tight to the tree branches as he carefully and slowly, very slowly climbed down the tree with shaking legs.
“Don’t worry Roy!” Toby took a few steps to stand under him. “If you fall I will catch you!”
“I- I will not fall!!” After several minutes had passed, Roy jumped a short distance and landed on his two feet.
“You made it!” Toby applauded him.
“Mhh… Don’t make me climb up a tree ever again…”
“I won’t~ at least not anytime soon.” Toby folded his hands behind his back. “Does that mean there will be a next time, though?”
“Mmm…” Roy ran his fingers through his bangs and glanced at Toby. “Sure.”
“Ahh- I’m glad!” Toby smiled. “Let’s head back to the HQ!”
“Y-Yes please…”
~~~~
“And, well… He said we can meet again!”
“Whraaaf! That’s great!!”
Toby and Memis went up the stairs to the apartment. Toby had picked him up from the HQ and said good-bye to Roy and Famfay.
“Does that mean you two are friends now?”
“I think it does~" Toby smiled. “I’m so glad. He is very nice.”
“You’re on a roll Toby! I’m happy you’re getting along with everyone so far!”
“Me too…” Toby unlocked the door. “Hi Mom, we’re back!” He hung up his stuff and took off his shoes.
His mother looked up from her room. “Hey, Toby.” She was lying on her bed watching TV, as she usually did.
“Memis, can you go ahead to my room? I’ll have a talk with mom, I’ll be there in a minute!”
“Oh sure!” Memis nodded, went ahead and jumped on Toby’s bed.
Toby swallowed hard, then he approached his mother, standing in the doorframe. “Mom I… I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Mh?” She turned the TV’s volume down and looked at her son. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Well,” Toby fidgeted with his hands. “You know, I’ve been a Defender for a while now and, I really, really enjoy it. Everyone’s so lovely and I’m having a lot of fun! And I can truly imagine working there for the rest of my life!”
“... Uh-huh?”
“And… that would mean I no longer have the need to go to college.”
His mothers expression quickly went from neutral to frowning. “Uh-huuuh?”
“And that means we could use my college fund to pay for your therapy!”
“... No.”
“Huh?” Toby’s smile faded.
“I said no. This money is saved for college. Not for me.”
“But- I don’t need to go to college anymore, I-”
“You’re just a kid, Toby.” His mother stood up from the bed and faced her son. “You have no idea what you want to do in the future after three weeks of work.”
“B-But- Mom…” Toby got worried. “It makes much more sense for you to get the therapy you need than save the money for nothing-”
“TOBY!” She raised her voice. “I SAID NO!”
Toby jumped in fear. “Ah--”
“... Ah. I’m sorry honey.” She sat down again. “I didn’t want to yell at you.”
“I-It’s okay…”
“But my point stands.” She looked at him with a serious expression. “I will not allow you to throw your future away because of me. I allowed this Morpho Bullcrap for now, but I will not allow you to bind yourself to it for life with as little experience as you have made.”
“... Okay…” Toby hung his head.
“Go to your room. It’s getting late.”
“Yes, mom…” Toby left, went to his room and carefully closed his door.
Memis’ ears perked up. “Toby? I heard a loud yell from the other room. Are you okay?”
“Mh?” Toby looked at his Partner Morpho and gave him a weak smile. “Yeah… I’m fine.”
“... Are- are you sure?” Memis spoke with a concerned voice, for he could see Toby’s eyes swimming with tears.
“I’m fine! Really, I’m…” Toby broke off in the middle of the sentence. Suddenly, he covered his mouth with his hand and let out a choked sob.
“T-Toby!!” Memis quickly jumped up as Toby collapsed to the floor, crying bitterly into his hands.
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