INTERLUDE // Tubbo X Reader

13

You couldn't get the feeling of Toby's hand over yours out of your head. It followed you through the rest of your classes like some sort of ghost. It was a little strange how well it stuck, but you were beginning to think that Maya hadn't been completely wrong when she had said there was something there even from the beginning. 

You just hadn't really seen it before. 

You plopped down at the table next to Maya, dropping your lunch beside you. She looked up from her phone as you sat down, grinning at you. "Heyo."

"Hi." You said, cracking open your water bottle and taking a large sip. A little ways away, you could see Toby sitting down with his friends, laughing at something someone had said. He ran a hand through his hair, brushing it away from his forehead, and you looked away, back at your own lunch. 

Maya set down her phone in favor of picking up her orange, peeling away the skin. "So did you get your piano piece finished?"

"Yeah." You said. "Uh, it's pretty much all done, there's still a couple things we want to change, but other than that it's just the practice bit left."

"Cool cool." Maya said, popping a slice of orange into her mouth. "I can't wait to hear it, you should play it for me sometime." She narrowed her eyes, grin falling somewhat. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm?" You asked, busying yourself with your lunch. "Nothing's wrong."

"You're being all quiet and shit." Maya said. "Did you do something embarrassing? I promise it's not that bad bro, I don't even know what it is but I bet you I can do something way worse that'll make everybody forget whatever it is-"

You laughed, shaking your head. "No, I didn't embarrass myself or anything."

"Then what is it?" Maya asked again. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I just..." You paused, steeling yourself against the barrages of 'I told you so' and 'c'mon, you couldn't have realized this before you hung out with him over the weekend' you were about to endure. "Do you remember what you said about holding hands earlier?"

"What, that that's how I stole Kieran's soul?" Maya asked. "I mean- I was just making a joke, but yeah, what about that?"

You just waited, letting her turn your implication over in her head. You could see the wheels spinning - Maya blinked a few times, her face blank before something clicked and a smile started growing, stretching out from the corners of her mouth. "Don't tell me..."

You looked back down at your lunch, taking a bite as Maya just grinned at you.

"You accidentally touched hands on the piano, didn't you." Maya chirped, a smug sort of grin on her face. 

"It wasn't accidental." You said. 

"Oh my god, it wasn't accidental?"

You shook your head. "We were trying to figure out a note that we wanted to change, and he just kind of put his hand over mine and played the piano with my hand and I don't know why that made me react the way I did but..." You trailed off, miming what had happened so that Maya could see. 

Maya burst out laughing."See? I was right about the hand holding thing - all it takes is one touch." She said. "You should have listened to me - I know what I'm talking about when it comes to this stuff."  

"Well then you'll be so kind as to tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do now." You said.

Maya's face lit up. "Wait, really? You want advice?"

You nodded, resting your elbows on the edge of the table. "Well, you are the one that's been dating the same guy for two years now. Allegedly anyway."

"Fuck you, he's real." Maya said, pouting slightly. "I'm not giving you advice anymore."

You just grinned, batting your eyelashes at her. "But we're best friends."

Maya rolled her eyes and popped another slice of orange into her mouth. "Fine." She said. "This is prime advice, alright, so take notes. When I was trying to get Kieran to realize that I wanted to date him, there was a lot of smiling and laughing at his really bad jokes, and like casually touching his hand and stuff."

"That sounds like something that would give me anxiety." You said. You tried to imagine yourself being flirty with Toby - and already a pit was forming in your stomach at the thought. Terrifying, yet enticing as well. 

"Confidence is key, mate." Maya said. "If you want to hold his hand for real, you're going to have to at least try."

She had a point there - this newfound realization wasn't going to go anywhere if you just sat on it. And Maya knew what she was talking about... most likely anyway. You tapped your fingers on the table - running over an imaginary keyboard in your head, playing along to the song you had written with him. Toby Toby. If it was going to be anyone, you were glad it was him. He was nice, and funny, and seemed genuinely sweet.

Not too bad for someone to be crushing on, if you did say so yourself. 

Still, Maya was too goddamn smug for someone who had almost nothing to do with it. "Stop looking at me like that." You griped jokingly. "We get it, you were right."

"Let me bask in the glory of my victory." Maya said, popping another orange slice into her mouth. "It's not often that people admit that I'm right about things, even when I am."

"Well maybe that's because you're so insufferable about it." You needled. 

Maya dramatically gasped, turning in her seat so she faced away from you. "How dare you." 

You smiled, leaning your head on her shoulder. "C'mon Maya, you know I'm joking."

She just huffed, and you sat back up, turning your attention into the rest of the room instead. Your eyes immediately wandered back to where Toby was sitting, watching him joke with his friends. As if sensing your gaze on him, his eyes darted over to you, and you looked away, a heat rising to your face. 

Damn.