Clusterfuck

extra i: christmas miracle

<<< A/N: So, a few things. I wrote this as kind of an exercise to get out of my massive writer's block because I haven't been able to create anything in literal weeks. So with that being said, I haven't put nearly as much effort into this little bonus chapter as I have the rest of the story, meaning it's barely been revised. I just wanted to give you guys a lil something based off a headcanon i have (though i guess it's canon now lol)
ALSO, if you look at CF's summary, I uploaded the final chapter to this novel about a year ago, meaning i haven't really been in touch with Toby's inner voice for a while. i did my best to match the tone of the rest of the story, but if it feels off in some places, i'm very sorry
ANYWAY i hope you guys enjoy! hopefully i'll write more of these soon :) >>>

Mid-December of some nondescript year
~ ~ ~

As soon as he passes through the automatic doors of the craft store, Toby books it—as discreetly as he can—toward the aisle he's looking for.

The paints he wants—well, the paints Leo wants—have been bought out every single time he's come to this place, and today he got the notification—yeah, so maybe he did sign up for their mailing list—that they're back in stock. And there's a week until Christmas, so time is seriously of the essence.

Toby has to hold himself back from sprinting across the craft store, past the displays of cheap holiday decor, past the brand new Valentine's day setup, because wow, they're already preparing for that. Toby doesn't even want to think about the panic that will undoubtedly be overwhelming him come February.

Finally, he makes it to the aisle he saw listed on the website, and he sees it. He sees the box. It's the last one on the shelf, already, but who fucking cares, because it's his. He disregards all thoughts of calmness and collectivism as he practically lunges for the paints, and he gets them, but—

He feels himself collide into another solid figure, and it's not one of those columns that tend to stand inconveniently in the middle of some aisles, as he's come to notice from his many futile expeditions to this store. It's a person. A woman. And he has just knocked her to the ground. The slap of her hands on the linoleum floors is deafening, along with the clunking and—fuck—shattering of everything that spills ot of her arms.

"Oh, shit," Toby says, vision slightly blurred from sheer humiliation. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? I'm really sorry, I'll pay for everything that broke—"

"I'm fine," the young woman says, accepting Toby's outstretched hand to pull herself up. "It's fine. Don't worry about—"

She looks up at him, the first time Toby can get a clear view of who he just sent flying, and they gasp in unison.

"Toby?"

"Lily?"

There's no mistaking it; everything about her may be different now, from her hair length and color to her clothing to the number of piercings on her face, but Toby could never forget those two different colored eyes.

Lily's gawking mouth quickly spreads into a smile, her eyes shining the way they always used to. Toby doubts he's ever been hit by a wave of nostalgia this hard. It's like he's back in high school again, and they've just shared their first kiss, and she was ecstatic, while he was internally combusting. Except, he doesn't have to worry about that anymore.

"Wow. Wow! I can't believe it's you!" Lily exclaims. "I mean, I knew you went to school around here, but I didn't expect to see you here of all places—"

"No, yeah, I—well, what about you?" Toby says. "I thought—I thought you stayed in state for college?"

"I did, but I'm up here for the holidays. My fiancé's family lives in the area."