In Time RP (Polo!)

Toby scrunched his face up as it was pushed aside, smirking like a naughty schoolboy. However, he was not expecting to be pushed quite so forcefully that he rolled onto his back and landed on the other side of the sofa. Was Griffin that peeved at him?
However, the scolding he got was questionably serious, and throughout the entire time Toby wondered whether he was truly being scolded at all.
He blinked innocently throughout, his lips hinting a smile, but not quie revealing one in case Griffin got angry and punched him or something. Was his boyfriend really angry about being distracted from his coin documentary, or Toby telling him not to lie and see he wasn't bothered by something, or that he touched Griff's backside for a brief second? Well maybe Griff might have been a little peeved about that, but there was no reason to sulk about it. Still, Toby had learnt from the last time that they fell out that it wasn't always worth taking Griffin seriously.
So he remained smiling, right until the scolding came to a close.
“Also,” Griff added finally, spraying Toby's face with crumbs. “Nobody tells me when I can and can't have my crackers, asshole. Who died and made you King Butt Wad, anyway?”
“King who?” Toby murmured, soon enough losing the will to feel guilty. In a couple of minutes he'd already managed four things that had ruffled Griffin's feathers enough for him to pout about it? Then, shaking his head, he sat up and flicked a crumb off his dressing gown, glancing back up at Griff with twinkling eyes.
“You know I was joking about you smelling, right?” Toby cooed, poking Griff's cheek innocently. “You smell very nice. Better?” He raised an eyebrow in amusement, then continued. “And I'm sorry I touched your butt, but if we're close enough that you're allowed to spit my own cocoa onto my back, or walk into the bathroom when I'm in my Johnnies and pour champagne over me, then I should al least be allowed some sort of privilege too.” He shuffled closer, aware in case he had to get up and flee the couch to dodge a flying foot or animal cracker or something.
Maybe he was pushing it. Maybe Griff was really angry with him. But out of it all, Toby wasn't prepared to melt into an excitable puppy every time Griff wanted an apology off him.
So he shuffled forward still, then lowered his voice as he murmured, “I'm sorry if I was a douche. But... Well, you look cute when you pout like that.”

“You know I was joking about you smelling, right?” Toby replied, and though Griffin was secretly relieved to hear this, he just tsked his tongue irritably when Toby poked his cheek. "Damn right you were..." He muttered under his breath, a stony glare still set on his face.
“You smell very nice." Toby tried again, "Better?”
"I smell bloody amazing," Griffin growled, shooting him a glare, which very nearly turned into a smirk, "And don't you forget it."
“And I'm sorry I touched your butt, but if we're close enough that you're allowed to spit my own cocoa onto my back, or walk into the bathroom when I'm in my Johnnies and pour champagne over me, then I should at least be allowed some sort of privilege too.”
"That's not how it works," Griffin shrugged, dismissing Toby's well-reasoned argument as though he had just announced that the sky was pink, "You may be a dirty man skank, but I have my boundaries."
When Toby shifted closer to him, Griffin allowed it, his expression softening. He looked away, scratching his jaw absentmindedly, and playing aloof. If Toby wanted his boyfriend privileges back, then he could earn them himself. Griffin sure didn't plan to help.
“I'm sorry if I was a douche." Toby murmured softly beside him, "But... Well, you look cute when you pout like that.”
He snorted in amusement, looking back at Toby with a half-smile. "'Cute' isn't exactly what I was aiming for... But I'll take it." His lips cracked into a grin, and Griffin caught Toby's face between his hands, dropping a brief peck on his cheeks. He had never really been angry with Toby.  Perhaps a little insecure for a moment after being told he stank - who the hell said that anyway? - but not angry.
Pulling back, he held Toby's stubbled cheeks in his hands, and a sickeningly sweet, innocent smile curved his lips. The halo over his head was damn near palpable. 
"Oh, and Toby?" He tilted his head sweetly to one side, "I wasn't joking about you being an asshole. I mean it. From the bottom of my heart." He tapped his chest to demonstrate, then gave Toby a rough pat on the cheek, and turned back to the TV, looking rather pleased with himself. He changed the channel back to Top Gear, then lifted his feet onto the coffee table and lay back on the couch, arms folded casually behind his head.

“'Cute' isn't exactly what I was aiming for... But I'll take it.”
Good, Toby thought smugly, because that's how it is. Really, when Griffin was being as moody as a pregnant teenager, Toby couldn't help but find him cute. Until the moment he'd have to beg for forgiveness for the third time in the last two days.
Just then Griffin grinned and grabbed his face, and Toby wrinkled his nose, preparing for whatever might be thrown at him. Thankfully Griff only kissed him – rather wetly - on each cheek in a French greeting fashion. At least he knew he was forgiven now.
“Oh, and Toby?”
“Hm?” Toby raised an eyebrow in a cocky fashion.
“I wasn't joking about you being an asshole. I mean it. From the bottom of my heart.” Griff promised, gesturing to his chest as if to demonstrate. Toby took this like a compliment, and shrugged it off.
“I know you do.” He assured the man, wrapping an arm protectively around Griffin's shoulders. “But I'm not going to change for you, you know. I'll always be an asshole if it means I get to kiss you.” He cooed, planting a wet peck behind Griff's ear as if to prove his point.
“Oh!” He sat up as a thought occurred to him, and strolled off to the kitchen without so much as an explanation. He rummaged around the cupboards for a bit, then came back into the lounge with a large 'share' pack of salty pretzel crisps. Looking rather pleased with himself he pulled it open, sat back down in his place and offered Griffin the open bag.
“You seemed a little down this morning, so I got these for when you came back.” He shrugged, stealing one for himself.

“I know you do.” Toby replied, and Griffin leaned into his embrace when the man wrapped an arm around his shoulders, “But I'm not going to change for you, you know. I'll always be an asshole if it means I get to kiss you.”
"Good," Griff replied, squirming away and stifling a giggle when Toby planted a kiss behind his ear, "Because I wouldn't have you any other way."
Grinning, he shifted around on the couch and a laid a hand on Toby's shoulder, but just as he was about to lean forward to kiss him, his boyfriend interjected suddenly, “Oh!”
"Huh?" Toby sat up so suddenly that Griffin fell flat on his face on the couch. Flowing cushion-fluff out of his mouth, he raised his head, watching Toby leave with a rather indignant expression on his face. Then he helped himself up, and dusted off his shirt in a dignified fashion. By the time Toby returned, he had resumed his seat on the couch. He intended to ignore his boyfriend, but the moment Toby sat beside him, Griffin caught a whiff of something salty. Like an overeager puppy, he spun around, and his eyes widened when he saw the bag of pretzels in his boyfriend's hands. The moment Toby offered it to him, Griffin grabbed it, ripping it open and grabbing out a handful of pretzels like an animal. He shoved them into his mouth, then wriggled deeper into his spot on the couch, cradling the bag like a newborn baby.
"Mmmm." He mumbled, closing his eyes happily, "Salty."
“You seemed a little down this morning," Toby explained with a shrug, "So I got these for when you came back.”
At this, he looked up in surprise. Although his mouth was still full of pretzels, he had stopped chewing.
Then, slowly, his gaze softened, and Griffin swallowed his mouthful, then cast the bag of pretzels aside, and took Toby in his arms, hugging him warmly.
"Aw, Tobes..." He crooned, obviously touched, "You do care. Come here."
Beaming, he linked Toby's fingers with his own, squeezing the man's big hands fondly. Then, pulling his boyfriend close, he leaned forward and let his lips meet Toby's lightly. It was a polite, subtle kiss, but the way Griffin's thumbs massaged the backs of Toby's hands showed just exactly how much the gesture meant to him. It may have been small, but to him, it stood for something. Just the fact that Toby had taken a minute to think of him was enough.  He knew that this man, for all of his flaws, was something worth keeping.

Toby prepared himself in case he was showered with more crumbs, but he was surprised to see that Griffin looked deeply touched by the gesture, even though they had only cost a few minutes at the shop. They hadn't taken much thought, Toby just knew they'd help Griffin's salt binge when he got home from work.
But still, he was glad to see that it was appreciated, and accepted the hug gratefully. It was warmer than anything he'd received that evening, and he was touched that Griff was so moved by his gesture.
“Aw, Tobes...” He cooed gently. “You do care. Come here.”
Toby pulled away slightly, just enough to see Griff's face. He felt a pair of hands find his and his fingers wrapped around them automatically, and his face warmed at the gentle touch massaging the back of his palms. Then, just out of the blue, Griff leant forward and pecked him lightly on the lips. Toby felt his cheeks blush for a moment, but he hid this quickly by looking aside, pretending to glance at the bag of pretzels.
Then, Toby rested his head gently against Griff's brow and smiled at him, letting his eyelids slide gently closed. He remained there for a few long, wonderful moments, until he finally felt like ruining it.
“You know I didn't buy them just for you, right?” He teased, kissing Griffin's nose then reaching across his thinner body to try and grab the bag of pretzels. Griff wasn't the only one who felt like snacking. But he kenw his boyfriend would resist. At least the battle would be worth it.

Griffin noticed the colour in Toby's cheeks, and a fond smile curved his lips. He was about to say something, but then his boyfriend turned back to him, and when Toby's forehead pressed against his, Griffin closed his eyes automatically, soothed by the simple fact that the man he loved was right there in his grasp, where nobody could take him away. He relished the moment, until Toby - jerk that he was - decided it was time to give it a cruel and abrupt ending.
“You know I didn't buy them just for you, right?” He teased, kissing Griffin's nose. He groaned in despair, clearly giving up on Toby ever being a decent boyfriend, and pulled the bag of pretzels out of reach.
"You know," Griff growled, raising his knee to push Toby's chest back with his foot, "You make it really damn difficult to lover you sometimes." His eyes narrowed, and he added firmly, "My pretzels, dammit. Back the hell off!"
With a self-satisfied huff, he raised his chin haughtily, and straightened his leg, pointing his toes like a ballerina, so Toby was forced right to the opposite end of the couch. Then, with the utmost dignity, Griff plucked a pretzel from the packet, and dropped it into his mouth, shooting Toby a sharp glare as he started to chew. Just let him try to take the pretzels away. Just let him try.
With an irritable sniff, he slumped back in the couch, still keeping his leg outstretched as a shield between him and Toby, and nestled the pretzel packet in the crook of his arm. He was like a mother hen, taking her precious baby under her wing. Smirking to himself, he turned back to watching Top Gear, snacking shamelessly on his pretzels. He had no intention of sharing, no matter what Toby said. It was too late now - 'Finders Keepers' and all that...

“You know,” Griff said, laying the pretzels out of reach. “You make it really damn difficult to love you sometimes.”
“I know.” Toby grunted, scrambling forward in attempt to reach the bag of pretzels, but Griff had got them just out of reach. Asshole.
“My pretzels, dammit. Back the hell off!” With that, Griff pushed Toby away with a surprisingly strong foot, poking his toes right into Toby's chest. The force was enough to shove him onto his back and pin him against the chair arm, and he watched with despair as Griff chewed proudly on another pretzel. And he'd spent four whole minutes on that thing.
Well, he wasn't letting Griff get away with that.
He glanced down at the foot on his chest, then at Griffin, then back down at the foot. Raising an eyebrow, he lowered his mouth and grazed Griff's big toe with his teeth. ((Toby. That's gross. O.o)) It would be enough not to hurt Griff, but surprise him enough to get his foot off his chest. Then, with a devious little grin, he shoved the foot aside and crawled back in the direction of the bag, pursing his lips teasingly at Griffin as he went.
Unfortunately trying to dodge the limbs in his way remaining on the sofa proved difficult, and he misplaced a hand whilst crawling across and tumbled off the sofa, landing on his back with a grunt.
He didn't have the will to admit defeat, so in his pathetic state on the floor, glaring up at Griffin, he ordered proudly, “Give me a pretzel, Gryfindor.”

Griffin grinned deviously, enjoying his victory, but just as he was about to pop another pretzel into his mouth, he felt a sharp pain in his toe.
"Hey!" He spat out the pretzel, yanking his foot away and blinking in shock. Toby looked up at him with a toothy grin. "Are you a bloody piranha?" Griffin accused savagely, kicking out as Tovy advanced toward him. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Hey!" His limbs thrashed wildly, and he scrambled away, holding the pretzels as far up as he could reach. "Get off!"
Then, to his delight, Toby put a hand over the edge of the couch, and toppled to the floor with a grunt, landing in a tangled heap on his back.
"Ha!" Griff exclaimed, grinning vindictively, "Now that's justice, Toaster!"
“Give me a pretzel, Gryfindor.” Toby ordered, glaring stonily, but Griffin just grinned  widely at him, clearly enjoying the hell out of seeing his boyfriend flat on his arse.
"Here you go." He chirped innocently, flicking a pretzel at Toby's face. It bounced sharply off his forehead, and landed on the floor. Snickering to himself, he grabbed another handful and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Mmmm, Dewifious!" He mumbled, his mouth so stuffed with pretzels that his words were barely coherent. His cheeks bulged like a hamster's.
Clearly delighted with himself, he kicked his feet up again and slouched back on the couch, hand still buried in the pretzel packet.

Toby's stony glare didn't win him anything but a single pretzel bouncing off his nose and onto the carpet. He felt like a sea lion being thrown a fish for balancing a ball on his nose. It was patronising. He wanted more.
But he was too lazy to get up. So instead, he just shuffled around until he'd found the pretzel on the floor and ate it shamelessly, his glare remaining. He was tired. He wanted some affection. Like a stubborn puppy. He'd just keep biting Griffin until he kissed him. With the way they were going, he probably wasn't going to get anything that way.
So, he wriggled out of his dressing gown – it was warm in the house anyway – and climbed back on the sofa, ignoring Griffin's crumb-covered face.
“Next time, I'm getting the chocolate covered animal biscuits.” His eyes narrowed further. “To spite you.” Then, he plucked the bag from Griff's fingers, dropping it on the floor at least three feet away form him, then turned back to Griffin. But before his boyfriend could reach and get them, Toby wrapped an arm around Griff's neck and pulled it forcefully to his chest, ruffling up his hair with his knuckles.
“Do you want me to sleep without pants on as well? Eh?” He grinned down at his boyfriend, unashamed of the prospect.

Catching a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye, Griffin saw Toby squirming out of his dressing gown on the floor, and he huffed irritably to himself. His boyfriend really did have no respect for his boundaries. He might have said something, but he was still busy chewing his pretzels, so instead he just ignored Toby as he climbed up on the couch, clearly looking for attention.
“Next time, I'm getting the chocolate covered animal biscuits.” He challenged, and Griffin shot him a sharp glare, “To spite you.”
He swallowed quickly, eyes watering as the half-chewed pretzels scratched his throat, and couched painfully, "You wouldn't dare!"
But apparently, Toby was determined to prove him wrong, because before Griff could stop him, he had stolen the bag of pretzels and dropped it onto the ground, out of reach. Griffin made a mad grab for it, but Toby caught him. He made a sound like a heartbroken puppy, and squirmed like one too as Toby pulled his head to his chest.
"Let me go!" He demanded, wriggling desperately when Toby's knuckles ruffled his hair. "Owww!" He whined, hammering Toby's beefy chest with his pixie fists. It made no difference.
“Do you want me to sleep without pants on as well?" Toby teased grinning down at him, "Eh?”
At last, he managed to yank his head away, and shot Toby a withering glare, jabbing a finger in his direction. "I will end you!" He spat, eyes flashing fire.
He might have had more to say, but at that moment the doorbell rang, so Griffin just narrowed his eyes at Toby. Huffing like an angry bull, he jabbed a warning finger into Toby's chest, then got up and stomped over to the door.
"What?" He demanded, stabbing the intercom button with his finger, and glaring at the security camera screen.
"Let me in!" A shaky female voice responded, "Please, just open the gate!" He saw her in the screen, hair tangled and face bruised, with bloodied hands grasping at the gate.
"What the hell happened to you?" Griffin gasped, stunned.
"There's no time! Just-"
"Okay, okay. I'm buzzing you in." Releasing the intercom button, he pressed the other button beside it, which uttered a low buzz to inform him that the gate was opening. He jogged over to the window, peering out into the gloom to see the woman jogging up the driveway. Running back to the door, he closed the gate, then opened the door just before the woman knocked. In an instant he came face to face with her, and as their eyes met, Griffin's expression changed. "Toby!" He shouted, jumping back with remarkable agility, "My gun!"
The disheveled, bloodsoaked form of the assassin stood framed in the doorway, her face recognizable up close, even despite the black eyes and bruises marring her pretty features.

At the accusing finger pointing in his direction, Toby just grinned toothily at it. If it pissed Griffin off, he'd do it. He'd do a strip tease right before bed just for him, and he'd plant his backside – with underpants on, of course – right on Griffin's side, on his pillow if he had to.
In fact, he was just about to do a strip tease of his thick, loose sweat pants when the doorbell went off, signalling there was someone outside the gate. Thinking nothing of it, Toby just grinned angelically as the finger was pointed at him again, and he replaced Griffin's spot on the sofa, kicking his legs out in front of him and folding his arms coolly behind his head. He was far too proud to put his dressing gown back on.
He paid no attention to the figure on the tiny screen, not until they'd reached the door completely. He recognised the assassin immediately, in fact, at the same time as Griffin, and they both shared the same reaction. He was on his feet in an instant, although goosebumps covered his bare torso with the evening wind seeping in through the open door. Feeling suddenly vulnerable like this, he grabbed the nearest jumper and yanked it over himself, then rushed towards Griffin in a moment of protection. That came naturally to him. When you'd had everyone you cared about taken from you, the next person you care about becomes your top priority. He was literally ready to jump in front of a bullet to keep from losing Griffin.
“Toby!” A voice cut through his thoughts, catching him before he did anything stupid. “My gun!”
He knew Griff kept it in his work pile, so Toby wheeled round to grab it. It was in the pocket of his Timekeepers jacket, in the back, hidden from view.
He tossed it to Griffin, then stepped beside him, squaring his shoulders. They weren't going to let her into the house after what she'd done.
“You have some nerve.” He growled, taking note of her pretty, yet bruised face. Someone had beaten her up badly, and it wasn't difficult to guess who. “Let me guess. They found out you didn't do your job? So now you've come crying back to us so we'll give you shelter?” He scoffed. “So you can kill us in our sleep, more like.” With that,he reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone, waving it mockingly at her. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the government and tell them where you are.”

"That won't be necessary!" The assassin exclaimed quickly, throwing up her hands in surrender; but it was too late. Like clockwork, Toby grabbed Griffin's gun, and tossed it to him immediately. Before the assassin could even react, Griffin had it pointed steadily at her, his eyes hard and threatening. He was about to tell her to spill her guts, but thankfully, Toby stepped up to do it for him. 
“You have some nerve.” He growled angrily, “Let me guess. They found out you didn't do your job? So now you've come crying back to us so we'll give you shelter? So you can kill us in our sleep, more like.”
"Hmph." Griffin snorted appreciatively in agreement, perching a hand on his hip, and narrowing his eyes at the woman. "He's right," He said, "If you think we'll help you out just because you look like you've been through a garbage disposal system, think again." He flicked the gun at her, raising his chin threateningly, "Now spill. What the hell do you want?"
The assassin had remained surprisingly quiet throughout all their threats, and when at last it was her turn to speak, she lowered her hands and asked simply, "Do you know a woman called Grace Everett?"
Griffin froze, blinking in wide-eyed surprise, and slowly lowered his gun. "You know Grace?"
The assassin nodded. "She's my best friend, and she told me about you, Griffin."
He narrowed his eyes cautiously, and the assassin continued, "She told me who you are, and why this Renwick fellow wants you dead, and she begged me to spare you. Grace can be pretty persuasive." She smirked, "So I told Renwick that you were dead. Needless to say," She lifted one side of her leather jacket, displaying a white shirt stained thickly with blood, "It didn't go well. Now..." Her eyes narrowed as she pulled the jacket sharply closed again, "If you're half the man Grace says you are, and if you have any conscience at all, then you'll help me out. After all..." She met his gaze challengingly, "I'm in this state because I showed you mercy. So what'll it be, Slick?"
For a long while, Griffin watched her silently, arms folded, then he asked simply, "What's your name?"
"Jennifer."
He considered her a long moment, then, "What's your real name?"
"Raven."
"You sure?"
She glared at him, so he shrugged, turning aside to let her into the house. She accepted the gesture, shooting Toby a glare as she limped into the lounge.
"You can sit down." Griffin said, pointing to the couch. "I'll go get you a coffee. Toby," He looked up at his boyfriend, meeting his gaze meaningfully, "Care to help me?"

It didn't take the assassin long to need 'persuading' to speak, although by the time she spoke she didn't sound much like she was being interrogated with a gun pointed at her face. Toby wasn't obliged to believe a single word she said, but she seemed to know a lot about Griffin.
As soon as Toby heard the name 'Everett' he realised this was even bigger than what it had first seemed.
And what's more, the way they spoke about this 'Grace Everett' was present tense, so she couldn't be Griffin's mother. By the sound of it she was long since dead, and she wouldn't have left Griffin like this if she wasn't.
Whoever this 'Grace' was,she must have been important, and very much interested in finding Griffin. Was she his sister? Did he have yet more parts of his life he hadn't told Toby about? Any other people out there to try kill him? Anyone else who might snatch him away in the night?
By the time he was sick of the conversation, Griff had concluded that this woman's name was Raven – or so she claimed – and Griff had long since lowered the gun from her face and moved aside to let her into the house. She had to shove past Toby, because he was too busy gaping stupidly at Griffin like he'd just claimed he was half unicorn. This woman could have been lying. She could just be an assassin claiming she was there to do him a favour, and he was just inviting her in like they were old pals?
“You can sit down.” Griff offered her in a friendly fashion. Eyes blazing, Toby followed him around the room, shooting the visitor a glare. He didn't care who she was or who she knew. He didn't trust her.
Griff mentioned getting her coffee, then turned to Toby with a meaningful look in his eye. For a moment Toby was too peeved to notice. “Care to help me?”
No, He wanted to grunt. To hell with her coffee. You owe me a f*cking explanation for this.
But he caught on, and nodded quietly, following Griffin to the kitchen. Great idea. He'd arm himself with three steak knives and a wooden spoon...
As soon as he'd reached the kitchen he boiled the kettle and closed the door behind him.
“Are you going to tell me what all that was about?” He hissed, jerking his thumb behind him to gesture towards the front door. “And who Grace Everett is? And why you've just let an assassin stroll into your house and why you're about to serve her coffee?”

“Are you going to tell me what all that was about?” Toby demanded furiously as he strode into the kitchen after Griff, “And who Grace Everett is? And why you've just let an assassin stroll into your house and why you're about to serve her coffee?"
"You remember Grace!" Griffin scolded, frowning and folding his arms as if Toby was the one being crazy, "We met her back in Dayton, remember? My "long lost cousin"." He enclosed the words in imaginary quotation marks with his fingers, "Then again," He smirked, "You might have been too busy shitting yourself to remember. She had scary girl parts, after all." He ruffled Toby's hair patronizingly, flashing a wink, then strode over to the counter. The coffee was on the top shelf, so he climbed shamelessly up onto the counter to reach it, leaving a dirty shoe print on the work surface. He hopped energetically back to the ground, then grabbed three mugs and started making the coffee.
"Look," He went on, talking to Toby as he worked, "If what she says is true, then she's going to die if I don't help her out." He stopped, turning back to Toby, "Because of me. I don't want that on my conscience. Besides," An innocent little smile curved his lips, and he trotted up to Toby, eyes shining angelically. "I've got my Superman with me." He crooned, cupping his boyfriend's cheeks in his hands, "What could happen, huh? We've already bested her once, we can do it again."
He grabbed a mug, which at this stage only had hot water in it, and handed it to Toby. "Drink up." He chirped cheerfully, "And finish the coffee while you're at it, would you? I gotta wizz."

Toby frowned as Griff went on happily about his long lost cousin Grace, as if Toby was supposed to remember. He didn't. He knew barely anything about Griffin, and it was starting to worry him. Strangers were coming into their house, one of which had tried to kill Griff days ago. He still didn't trust that woman, no matter how much Griffin did.
“Then again, you might have been too busy shitting yourself to remember. She had scary girl parts, after all.”
Toby's stare hardened. He was in no mood to be patronised like he was the bad guy in all this. Griff's lighthearted mood was beginning to piss him off, but only because he wanted to be cautious. This woman knew where they lived, after all. Since they were both wanted in New Greenwich wasn't that sensible?
He watched with great annoyance as Griffin skipped around the kitchen, scrambling onto the worktop to reach the mugs and leaving dirty shoe marks all over them. Toby didn't have OCD, but this still bothered him. What the Hell was Griff's problem?
“Look,” Griff said as he began to prepare the coffee. “If what she says is true, then she's going to die if I don't help her out. Because of me. I don't want that on my conscience. Besides, ” They locked eyes, and Toby suddenly found it very hard to remain as angry as he'd just been. “I've got my Superman with me.”
That was it. He couldn't help it. With Griff's large, shining eyes staring up at him and that angelic smile, he couldn't stay mad. It was impossible.
Slowly, the firm line his lips were et at relaxed to a tiny smile.
“What could happen, huh? We've already bested her once, we can do it again.
The touch on his cheeks caused them to go slightly warm, but he cleared his throat and pretended the motion hadn't affected him. Just then Griff pulled away, then shoved a mug of hot water in his hands. “Drink up, He ordered, but Toby had no intention of doing so. “And finish the coffee while you're at it, would you? I gotta wizz.”
Toby nodded, as if this was of any interest to him, and placed the mug of hot water on the work top. He waited until Griff had disappeared, then quietly scrubbed away at the worktop with the dirty shoe mark on it, then finished making the coffee. He made it black, and had no intention of putting anything in it besides water. If this woman wanted anything else in it... Tough.
“You're a bugger, do you know that?” He called after Griffin, then picked up the mug of coffee and brought it back into the lounge where the 'assassin' was sat shivering on the sofa. He handed her the mug with a slight smugness about him. It was evident she wasn't getting anything in that coffee, besides his spit, if she really pissed him off.
“So...” He began awkwardly. “Why did Renwick get you beaten up? If he believed you were dead he had no reason to be peeved at you.”

When Toby called after him, Griff turned around with a grin, walking backwards, and blew Toby a cheeky kiss. Then he spun on his heel, and skipped off to the bathroom. Locking the door behind him - there was a lady in the house, after all - he turned to the loo and unzipped his pants, whistling to himself as he attempted to pee in a five point star pattern. He couldn't help but think that if pattern peeing was an Olympic event, he'd be a gold medalist. Yeah, he was that good. Smirking, he flushed the toilet, then zipped up his pants and turned to the basin to wash his hands, humming quietly now that he'd grown bored of whistling.

Meanwhile, Raven sat perched uncomfortably on the edge of the couch, awaiting her coffee. It felt wrong to be sitting in the home of the enemy, but from what Grace had said, she hoped that maybe Griffin would be able to help her. She hoped so, anyway, because she certainly wasn't ready to die just yet. The thought made her jaw clench, and as she shifted, she winced when pain rocketed through her side. She was badly hurt.
“So...” A male voice said awkwardly beside her, and Raven looked up to see Griffin's 'friend' offering her a mug of what appeared to be some piss poor excuse for coffee. She took it, and sipped it snarkily. A little black coffee wasn't scaring her off.
“Why did Renwick get you beaten up? If he believed you were dead he had no reason to be peeved at you.”
"What do you think, Genius?" She grumbled, cupping her hands around the warm coffee mug, "He didn't believe me, duh. He found out that I'd lied, and Griffin is still alive. Then he figured he'd take it out on me." Her lips curled into a snarl, "All part of the job, right? Anyway..."  She looked up, glaring icily when she saw Griffin enter the room. Suddenly, she wasn't talking to Toby any more.
"I expect you to do something, on account of this whole thing being entirely your fault."
"Of course I'll do something." Griffin said brightly, trotting over to the couch and sitting down between them, even though there was clearly no space for him. He ended up half on Toby's lap and half on Raven's, and she moved aside with a growl of annoyance.
"But for the record," Griff went on, wiping his wet hands on his pants, "It isn't my fault that you tried to kill me in the first place. And maybe it's my fault that you screwed up a little, but," He shrugged, "I think we could just as easily blame Toby for that.  Besides, I don't feel even a little bit bad about that."
"Well, good for you." She spat bitchily. Griffin just smiled, then stood up and offered her a hand. "Come on," He said, "Let's get you cleaned up." He glanced to his boyfriend, "Come help, Tobes."
"No way!"
"Hm?" Griffin looked back at Raven, blinking in  surprise, to see her glaring stonily at Toby.
"I'm not letting some guy rip off my shirt and stare at my chest while the pair of you pretend to sort out this cut."
"I'm a guy." Griffin pointed out coolly, folding his arms, "And you seem okay with me doing it."
"That's because you're gay enough to pull off a fedora."
"So's Toby. He'd look ten times better than me in a hat. I'll get one right now, you'll see-"
"God, just stop! No means no. Now would you help me the f*ck out before I bleed to death?"
Griffin rolled his eyes, and muttered snidely under his breath, "Drama queen..."   He hoisted Raven's arm more firmly over his shoulder, then glanced over at Toby. "I'd better get her sorted out." He sighed, "Wait up for me before you go to bed, okay?"

Toby found out almost straight away that Raven had decided she didn't like him by the way she replied to his fairly innocent question. By the snapping retort he got off her, he quickly decided the feeling was mutual. He didn't like her either, and he'd much rather have gone to bed.
Griffin took his time in the lavatory, and skipped intot he room with as much enthusiasm as an American Thane salesman. This was not reciprocated by either of the other people in the room. Toby just glared at him, frustrated that he'd been left on his own in a room with a crazy woman.
Toby didn't listen to the conversation for a while, until Griffin mentioned getting her 'cleaned up'. Noticing his cue, Toby shuffled in his seat. His lap had gone numb where Griff had cut the blood circulation on his leg from sitting there with such a bony backside. Glad to have the pressure off, Ttoby rubbed it gratefully.
The next thing he noticed he had Raven's eyes on him. He glared right back at her. What had he done now?
“I'm not letting some guy rip off my shirt and stare at my chest while the pair of you pretend to sort out this cut.”
Toby was about to promise to her that he had zero interest in anything under her shirt and that he didn't even understand bra sizes, but Griffin pointed out fairly,
“I'm a guy.”
This obviously didn't have the same effect. They both knew Griffin was girlier than Toby, but Toby was glad that Raven hadn't used the 'g' word out loud. She steered around it cleverly.
Griffin's offer to find a hat for Toby to wear nearly made him excrete in fright, but thankfully Raven stopped him. Toby released a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding.
Raven made it very clear to Griffin that she didn't want Toby to see him, so Griffin finally turned to Toby, oddly apologetic and told him to wait before he went to bed. Glad for the excuse to leave Toby leapt to his feet.
“Alright,” He shrugged, strolling lazily towards the kitchen. “But I'm stealing a packet of your animal crackers.” He murmured gruffly, then fled to the kitchen before Griff had the chance to chase him.
Moments later, he tossed a small packet at Griffin's head, then stood with his back to the door, still in the kitchen and munched loudly on his crackers. He wasn't even hungry, but there was no way he was going to wait in the bedroom with an ex assassin and her last target in a room together without keeping an eye – or an ear – out for his boyfriend. Now they were in a foreign place there was no way he was going to spare a moment to have a break from protecting the one person he truly cared about. No matter what Raven thought.

“Alright,” Toby answered, and Griff watched as he shrugged, and walked off toward the kitchen, “But I'm stealing a packet of your animal crackers.”
"What?" Griff gasped, his eyes stretching wide, "Toby, no!" He dragged out the final syllable like a wounded animal, pouting miserably, but his boyfriend didn't even look back. With an unhappy sniff, he turned around, ignoring the way Raven rolled her eyes at him, and began helping her toward the bathroom. However, before he'd even taken a single step, something plastic hit him noisily on the head, and he jumped in surprise, scrambling around to catch the falling packet with his free hand. He turned it over and looked at it, then grinned. Animal crackers.
"Thank you Toaster!" He crooned, stuffing the packet of crackers into his pocket,  then turning back to Raven. She glared stonily at him, so he remained pleasantly silent as he helped her into the bathroom. She stopped him to pull the door closed, even though Griffin argued that it wasn't necessary, and then she perched on the edge of the tub, and started shrugging off her jacket.
"Here," Griff said kindly, reaching out to take it from her, "You're hurt. Let me help you." She just uttered an annoyed huff, but he removed the jacket anyway, then gripped the bottom of her shirt, and started peeling it gently up. She winced as it went over the wound, and Griff mumbled an apology, then gritted his teeth and pulled it over her head, tossing it aside. She just sat there in her bra, proud as a lioness, and watched him expectantly. "Well?" She demanded sharply, "Are you going to give me some painkillers, or must I just sit here and bleed to death?"
"Either is fine with me." Griff shot back, clearly growing weary of her attitude, "Just give me a minute, would you?"
He grabbed his first aid kit from the cabinet, then ran some hot water, and began gently cleaning the blood from the wound. He tried to be as gentle as he could, but inevitably, he felt Grace flinch as the damp gauze touched the wound. "Sorry." He mumbled, wincing on her behalf.
"That's okay." Her voice had softened now, and Griff cast her a brief glance as he leaned over again, continuing to clean the last of the dried blood away.
"Thanks for doing this." Raven said quietly.
"Don't mention it."
"No, really." This time, Griffin looked up at her, frowning slightly in surprise. Her eyes were wide and earnest, and he could tell that she really did mean what she said. He smiled slightly, and replied, "It's no problem."
With that, he rinsed out the gaze, then gave it a shake and tossed it into the bin. Next, he armed himself with some alcohol wipes and antiseptic liquid, and as he set to work disinfecting the wound, Raven watched him quietly, surprisingly mellow now, like a lion with a thorn removed from its paw. 
"Grace was right about you." He said after a while, offering an awkward smile, "You are too kind for your own good."
"She said that?" Griff laughed, looking faintly awkward himself as he wiped the back of his hand over his forehead. Raven nodded, so he shrugged in response, and mumbled, "I just don't want your death on my conscience, that's all."
She chuckled softly at this, and when Griffin looked up, they shared a subtle smile. He was obviously lying. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he did care a little. He didn't like to see people suffer at the best of times, let alone when it was his fault. Unless, of course, they were his sworn enemies. Then he didn't mind so much. If Theo had showed up, Griffin would gladly have kicked him right in the dick, no questions asked.
Realizing that he had been looking into Raven's eyes a little too long, he cleared his throat awkwardly, and blushed as he returned to his work, faintly embarrassed. With the wound clean, he placed a swab of gauze over it, then started carefully bandaging, wrapping his arms around Raven's waist to get the bandage wrapped tightly around her. He bumped his head on her boobs a couple of times, but that couldn't be helped. They were fairly large, after all, and the wound was in an awkward place.
"There." He said at last, pinning the bandage, then stepping back to admire his handiwork. "Good as new."
He flashed his usual heart-melting smile as Grace got to her feet, and her eyes fixed on him with a near predatory stare.  For a moment, Griffin's smile flickered.
"Thanks." She replied, her own lips twitching into a devious smirk, "I think for that, you deserve some sort of reward..." Slowly, she reached behind her, fingers searching for the clasp of her bra.
"What are you doing?" Griff demanded,  frowning suspiciously at her as be backed away toward the door.
"Come on, I saw you looking at them. I know you want me." Her bra dropped to the floor, and Griffin blushed beet red, but even though he tried to avert his eyes, he could not look away.
"I'm g-gay..." He stammered weakly, and Raven uttered a silky laugh.
"That's what you think, Slick."
Then she grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him right into a passionate kiss. Too polite to object, Griffin allowed himself to be jerked forward like a ragdoll, his hands straying automatically to Raven's hips as she kissed him, bare chest pressed right up against him.
Despite himself, Griffin began to feel aroused...

For a long while Toby stood with his back to the door, staring blankly at a knot on the mahogany worktop for what seemed like forever. He wasn't even sure why he had to stay away in the first place, couldn't this woman trust he was going to keep his eyes on hers? Besides, Griff was far more open about that sort of thing, even if he was, as Raven had put it, 'gay enough to pull off a fedora'. Toby wasn't quite sure why she'd had something against him from the start, it wasn't like he'd been the one to beat her bloody, was it?
After a while he decided boredly that he was going to make himself a coffee, despite the time of evening. It had become a habit over the years.
“You want another drink, Griff?” He called through the wall, but no one answered. Frowning, Toby tried again.
“Griff?”
No longer caring about he lady in the house, Toby peered his head around the door to see them both disappeared. Where the hell-
Come to think of it, he'd been expecting talking from somewhere. Maybe an 'ouch' or a stupid remark from either of them. But all he heard was silence. But there had been no sign of a struggle, so it wasn't like this woman could have kidnapped Griff and betrayed them. Confused, Toby wandered quietly to the downstairs toilet. It was the only place Griff kept the first aid box so they should be there, and besides, Toby needed the toilet.
“Griff?” He called as he wandered to the door to the downstairs lavatory. The door was slightly ajar but not closed, and he could see through a crack that there was movement of some sort. He narrowed his eyes. All he could see was skin.
He grabbed the door handle and swung it open to reveal a sight he never wanted to see. Not the fact Griff was kissing someone else, not the stitched up cut on Raven's stomach, but Raven's-
Her...
Breasts.
He squinted and looked away, as if she'd radiated a blinding light that he didn't want to see, and quickly covered the sight with his hand. “Urgh. Jesus.” He murmured, squinting back at her and trying not to look at her bare chest.
“Oh yeah, you look like you're in so much pain.” He shook his head and shot her a look of disgust, more because of the sight of her rather than what she'd been doing. He then seemed to remember Griff, and turned round, shooting him a look also.
Then, with a flick of his hand he waved Griffin off. He'd deal with him later.
“Get out.”
He was looking at Raven now, still staring at her as if she had a giant, hideous wart on her face and he was trying not to notice it. “Get your shit and leave.”
As if to emphasise his point he picked up her clothes and shoved them at her bare chest.
“Get out!”
If she'd wanted to resist earlier she wouldn't have wanted to anymore, because by this point Toby was sick of the sight of her. He grabbed her shoulders and swung her round, then herded her out of the house with little sympathy for her wounds. She'd been treated now, she could bugger off whilst he tried to understand why his gay boyfriend was kissing a woman.
He slammed the door behind her, then turned round and fixed his eyes firmly on Griffin. What was his excuse going to be? Was it possible to have a valid one for having a braless woman shoving her tongue down his throat?
“You wanna tell me what that was all about?” He asked Griff quietly, and at this point it was unsure whether he was being quietly angry or just plain disappointed.

Griffin nearly lost himself, but when he heard Toby's voice, his senses returned rudely to him, just in time for him to feel a thrill of horror as he stepped back from Raven, who finally broke the kiss upon seeing Toby. Her hands, however, remained perched flirtatiously on Griff's shoulders, and her only reaction to Toby's entrance was a coolly raised eyebrow as he shielded his eyes, looking almost indecently uncomfortable. 
“Oh yeah, you look like you're in so much pain.” He spat venomously, and Raven just shrugged. “Get out.”
"What's your problem?" She demanded, eyes narrowing, "It's like you've never seen breasts before."
This just seemed to anger Toby further, and he began chasing Raven from the room, herding her so effectively, it was as if he was armed with a cattle prod.  She complained, but she did not resist as Toby pushed her out, ushering her roughly toward the door.

By this point, Griffin had backed away into the corner, his angelic eyes wide with shock as he watched his boyfriend chase off the woman that he had just been making out with. The look that Toby had shot him still burned his eyes, and he felt it like a lead weight in his stomach, twisting his gut anxiously.
Left alone in the bathroom, he stumbled timidly after Toby, emerging just in time to see his boyfriend slam the door behind Raven.  He flinched at the sound, and cowered away when Toby turned to face him, his expression completely unreadable.
“You wanna tell me what that was all about?”
He asked quietly, and Griffin shrunk away at the disappointment in his voice. He knew that he had let his boyfriend down, and the guilt that came with that knowledge threatened him as he looked Toby in the eye. He hated the feeling, and as it grew, so did his frustration. He couldn't deal with this... He just didn't know how.
"What are you implying?" He demanded, folding his arms over his chest defensively. When he felt threatened, aggression was all he knew. "You think I've betrayed you? Is that it?" His eyes narrowed, and as his hands curled into fists, he dropped them firmly back to his sides. He knew he was in the wrong, but at this point, he was too scared to apologize. So instead, he attacked the very man he had wronged.
"God, Toby, who do you think you are to stand there and accuse me? I thought you loved me." He growled, trying desperately to pile his guilt on Toby's shoulders, "So why the Hell can't you trust me, huh?" His voice rose, and through the anger in his tone, his panic was obvious. "Stop looking at me like I'm a f*cking criminal!"

Toby was trying his hardest to control his anger, but when Griffin started to snap back at him he damn near lost it.
“What are you implying?” Griffin spat accusingly. “You think I've betrayed you? Is that it?”
“That's generally what kissing another person is, smart arse.” Toby growled, his eyes narrowing into a cold glare. He didn't like Griffin's tone, as it was just the same as the last time they'd argued and Toby had got angry about something that wasn't worth getting angry about. But this time was different. When he thought back to that moment, only a minute or so ago, he felt sick to his stomach. Not only was Griff kissing someone else, he looked like he was enjoying it. A woman, also. A rather desperate one at that.
“God, Toby, who do you think you are to stand there and accuse me? I thought you loved me.”
Toby's eyes widened. How could Griffin make it sound like Toby was the one in the wrong? He'd been the good guy tonight. He'd not liked that bitch and yet he had held himself back for Griff's sake. And yet Griffin was stood here implying that Toby didn't love him? It was supposed to be the other way round. “So why the Hell can't you trust me, huh? Sop looking at me like I'm a f*cking criminal!”
That was it.
“Don't you dare try put me in the wrong here, Griffin!” Toby roared, coming at Griff like he was going to attack him, but stopping at the last minute. His arm muscles rippled with fury, and his fists remained firmly clenched by his sides. “Are you trying to say it's my fault you had a woman's tongue down your throat? Really?” Shaking his head, he turned away, forcing himself to calm down enough so that he didn't end up throwing a punch at the man he loved. “You... You were kissing her... That desperate bitch...” He lowered his voice, gasping suddenly for breath as an anger attack threatened to take over. “If you didn't want to, I'd have thought you would at least have been man enough to say 'no'.”
It's not like she'd even pinned you to the wall either, you bastard.
“You dare to question my love for you, and tell me that I should trust you... But why, Griffin?” He swung round again and jabbed a finger in the direction of the door, where he'd just slammed it in that Raven's face. “Why the Hell should I, after this?”
He stared at his boyfriend for a long time, desperate to find a way out of the situation. He wanted to punch him and kiss him at the same time. He wanted to turn away and trash the stupid house.
But he darent't, because he was worried he'd never stop.
“F*ck this.” He growled, grabbing his coat from the hanger. “I'm going out. And don't bother trying to follow me.”
I need to get this out of my system.
He left his phone, because he didn't want Griffin tracking him down that way, yanked on his coat and opened the door.
Then, he stopped. Turned to look at Griffin.
“If you were so desperate not to be alone, maybe you should have thought that through before you put that bitch before me.”

“Don't you dare try put me in the wrong here, Griffin!” Toby roared, and Griff flinched at the tone of his voice, cringing away as if Toby had hit him. From the looks of him, he was about to. “Are you trying to say it's my fault you had a woman's tongue down your throat? Really?”
"I didn't say that!" He snapped defensively, "Who the hell do you think-"
“You... You were kissing her..." Toby muttered, and Griffin broke off upon hearing the utter disappointment in his boyfriend's voice. It was worse than the anger. "That desperate bitch...”
He swallowed thickly, and lowered his head. "I didn't-" He began, clutching his stomach as snakes of guilt twisted hotly in his gut. But before he could utter another word, Toby headed off his excuse.
“If you didn't want to, I'd have thought you would at least have been man enough to say 'no'.”
"Man enough?" Griffin repeated sharply, pulling back with his lip curled in disgust, "Well at least I was man enough to be in the same room as a woman without running for my life."
It was lucky, really, that Toby was still raging at this point, because Griffin realized that his porcupine-like defense mechanism of shooting hurtful comments in  every direction was likely to do more harm than good at this point, so as Toby went on, he did his best to bite his tongue and remain silent to accept his scolding. Until, that is, he heard Toby's voice change.
“F*ck this.” Griffin looked up sharply, narrowing his eyes as Toby grabbed his coat from the hook by the door, “I'm going out. And don't bother trying to follow me.”
Cold terror shot through Griffin like a bullet, hurrying along his beating heart as the thought of losing his companion overwhelmed him. He was scared, scared to lose Toby and be alone again, scared that he had already dug his grave too deep... But instead of doing what he knew was right, grabbing Toby's hand, crying out apologies and begging him to stay, Griffin let his fear take flight, and fell upon his usual fatal instinct. Instead of backing off, he lashed out. Viciously.
"Well then don't bother coming back!" He spat venomously, his usually angelic face twisted cruelly as he folded his arms in front of his chest. Toby stopped, and Griffin's eyes narrowed as he turned back, keeping a strong front even as his aching heart hammered sorrowfully at his chest.
“If you were so desperate not to be alone, maybe you should have thought that through before you put that bitch before me.”
With Toby's words came another terrible stab of fear, and suddenly, Griffin could take it no longer.
"F*ck you!" He shouted, grabbing a glass from the table beside him and hurling it at Toby, where it shattered against the wall, "Who are you to tell me what's good for me? I was just fine on my own before you came along, and I'll be fine now. Get the hell out!" He jabbed his finger toward the door, teeth bared savagely, "Get out, and don't even think of coming back!"

Griffin's outburst came as quite a shock to Toby, and despite his fury his eyes flashed in fright as a glass was hurled in his direction. He jumped away from it, listening to it smash against the wall, and shot Griffin a look of horror. Was this man genuinely trying to kill him?
“Who are you to tell me what's good for me? I was just fine on my own before you came along, and I'll be fine now. Get the hell out!”
Oh, so it was gunna be like that then, was it?
“Fine!” Toby snapped, already half out the door. He wasn't staying in a house where he would have to suffer Griffin's tantrums even after Griff was the one in the wrong. Toby had done nothing worth being threatened for, and he was sick of it.
“Get out, and don't even think of coming back!”
That hurt, but by this point Toby was too angry to care. He just knew he had to get out of there before he did anything he'd regret. He needed time to himself: time to cool down, to relax and think about things. He couldn't do that with his boyfriend screaming accusingly in his face.
He said nothing as he walked out the house, slamming the door behind him. He just wanted out.

It didn't take long for him to be out of the neighbourhood and back on the border of New Greenwich. He hadn't quite reached the gate, since that would cost him far more Time than it was worth, but he had now found the hill in which he and Griffin had sat and eaten a picnic, watching over the Midas city. Now, Toby sat alone beside his motorbike knees pulled up towards his chest with his chin resting on one of his lower arms.
He'd never felt more alone.
Why had Griff done it? It wasn't like he'd been forced into kissing this woman, or that she had been threatening him whilst doing so.
He could have said no.
Toby curled up tighter, glaring with watery eyes down at the glowing street lights below him. It had never even occurred to him that Griffin would be into women...
He sat there for a long while, fighting anger attacks and furious tears, when he finally checked the time on his phone. It was nearly 3am.
I've been here two hours.
Come to think of it, it was getting rather cold. And he really needed some company to keep himself together. So, instead of going crying back to Griffin, he went to the kennels to pick up Angel.
She was extremely pleased to see him, and Toby had given the vet some Time to pay for some cataracts treatment. This meant that although Angel's sight was still severely damaged from the years of eye infections, she would no longer be completely blind, nor in any pain.
The first thing he did when he found her was take her to the hill. She rather liked it, but she soon grew tired, and so did he. So he found a B and B near the border and booked himself in for a single night.

He laid in bed for a long time, frowning at how cold it felt compared to Griffin's, even when Angel had flopped in the bed beside him. She was company, he guessed, and he was grateful for a distraction, but she wasn't Griffin.
He wouldn't sleep that night, nor would he have any breakfast in the morning, but he would be far more willing to make up with his boyfriend than the previous night.

The moment the door slammed behind Toby, Griffin's eyes filled with tears. For a moment he just stood there, trembling with shock and heartache, but as he heard the sound of a motorbike pulling away, he sniffed, and wiped his eyes quickly on his sleeve.
"Screw Toby," He muttered under his breath, "Who needs him, anyway? I'm better off on my own."
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but then he caught sight of Toby's cellphone lying forgotten on the couch, and the tears welled up all over again.
With a strangled sob, he turned away, bowing his head and hugging himself as he trembled on the spot, trying desperately to keep from falling apart.
How could he hurt me like this? He asked himself painfully, I should never have let him into my life. I knew that it was only a matter of time until it all fell apart, and now look! I gave him my heart, and he tore it to shreds. Well, never again. Next time I'll know better.
He squeezed his eyes more tightly shut, but all he saw was Toby's face swimming in front of him, that handsome smile, and loving eyes... The grief of it overwhelmed him, and suddenly Griffin threw his head up, tearing at his hair with an angry roar.
"F*CK YOU, TOBY!" He shouted, his own raw voice echoing off the walls back to him. Blinded by the anger that shielded him from his guilty fear, Griffin spun around, and began storming through the house, gathering up anything and everything that had once belonged to Toby, and throwing it all together into a big black bag. It took him until the early hours of the morning, but when he was finally done he stomped out into the garden, and hurled the bag over the gate, eyes still hard with fury. He spat when it his the ground, and hissed a vindictive 'good riddance' under his breath. Then he turned on his heel, and strode back into the house, kicking the door shut behind him. Just as the clock on the wall chimed four AM, Griffin tore off his shirt, threw it onto the couch, then stormed into his bedroom with another bone-rattling door-slam, and flung himself down on the bed. For several minutes he lay there, chest heaving, and glared at the ceiling. Then his expression slowly softened, and under cover of night, he crumbled, rolling over to cry his eyes out into the soft, cool pillow beneath his head.

The next day was Toby's first day at the bar, and he couldn't say he was looking forward to it. It wasn't that he was nervous for the job itself, but he had to be there early in order to prepare the casino for the evening, and to learn on the job how to do everything. But his mind was somewhere else, and all he could think about was...
Griffin.
Seven times he'd lifted the phone to call. But not once could he find it in him to call Griff himself. It was killing him being away from his boyfriend, but then he'd remember how Griff had reacted when Toby had noticed him kissing that woman, as if he'd done something wrong, and he'd put his phone back in his pocket. Earlier he'd found a hotel to stay in who would allow Angel to stay in his room, and he had a private landline by his bed. But it remained mostly untouched.
Toby checked his watch. 9.14am.
He had sixteen minutes to get ready and get to work.
Releasing a sigh, he sat up and took the uniform out of his bag. Within minutes he was ready to go. “See you around, Ange.” He told the Rottweiler, shooting her a sad smile. Her trusting, brown eyes shone back at him. For a moment he remembered Griffin's eyes looking at him like that, and he felt his own grow hot when tears threatened. But he quickly blinked them away.
“Time and a place.” He reminded himself firmly, and closed the door behind him.

He told the room service to come check on Angel after four hours and gave them a small tip, then headed off in a taxi to the Rendezvous Casino.

The job itself wasn't anything too hard. You served the customer, took their Time and polished glass. He'd done it all before in Dayton, except this time he was wearing a posh uniform and addressed the customers as 'Sir' or 'Madame'.
“Never question the customer's request.” Nathaniel, the second in command from behind the bar informed him whilst they polished the silver cutlery. “And if they change their mind, reply with 'Very good, Sir' or 'Madame'. Don't forget your place.”
Toby just nodded. He'd barely said a word since he'd arrived there. All he wanted to do was work the shift and leave.
“Do you mind staying until tonight? You might as well practice serving customers. Since there's not really...” He trailed off, gesturing to the empty bar. Toby's eyes followed his hand, then glanced back down at the spoons he was polishing. Without noticing where he was touching them his thumb caught the round end of one of the spoons and he winced as the metal burnt his skin. He grunted.
“Careful.” Nathaniel warned him, a moment too late. Toby resisted the urge to role his eyes. “Go have a break, and I'll go introduce you to the cleaners. They'll need a hand getting the casino ready for later.”
Grateful for the break, Toby nodded, grabbed his coat and went for a walk outside.

'Outside' wasn't as pleasant as inside, as employees had naught but the back yard beside the large garbage bin to rest. But it was enough to let Toby unwind. It was hard to think about a new job when his mind kept replaying Griff's beautiful face in his mind over and over again, as if mocking him for his actions. But Toby knew he wasn't the one in the wrong, and he refused to let it break him. But he felt empy, and he wasn't sure how much he'd be able to take.
Ten minutes later he headed back into the casino to continue his shift.

Nathaniel had promised that Toby wouldn't have to stay any later than 7pm, but Toby wasn't aware of how busy it would be around that time until he saw it himself. The Casino itself was huge, full of pool tables, gambling wheels and poker tables. The main room was heaving with high-class New Greenwich citizens out for a good time, all dressed in shining suits and sparkly, black dresses. Champagne was the popular choice for a Tuesday night, sometimes wine, but the bar never ran out. Barrels appeared from the basement three times on the hour, far unlike the bar in Dayton where they probably owned three barrels to last the week. By dinner time, Toby was getting rather into his role. He loosened up and put on his charming side for the customers, and even earned a few winks from the ladies. All was going well, until a group of men in suits and sunglasses flooded in, and ushered them out of the bar area. The sight of them made Toby panic for a moment.
Who were they? What did they want? Were they there to arrest him?
But Nathaniel was beaming at the sight of them. He watched proudly as the guards ushered the other customers to the casino and cleared a space in the corner for a certain man. He tapped Toby's arm excitedly.
“It's Renwick.” Nathaniel chirped, his thin lips twitching with glee. Apparently sub-consciously he began to adjust himself, tightening his bow tie, checking his cuffs, straightening his waist coat. Toby, however, was trying his very best to hold his bladder.
“H-how do you know?” He stuttered.
“Who else do you know with that many body guards?” Nathaniel hissed, shooting him a look as if he'd gone completely stupid. “Besides... He's a regular customer. All this,” he gestured to the empty bar. “It's procedure for him. He likes being on his own in public.”
Toby peered through the sea of black and white satin, to see that bittersweet face he recognised from the TV finding it's way to the corner sofa. Renwick looked as hideously young and charming as always.
If he'd eaten anything that day, Toby would have vomited it there and then.
Just then, a hand slapped his beneath the counter. He turned to see Nathaniel glaring at him. “Don't stare at him, you fool.” He hissed furiously. “I'll serve him. You just keep polishing.”
Nodding nervously, Toby forced his eyes downcast to the bucket of crockery on the lower counter, scrubbing furiously at them with a towel. He wasn't sure whether the sweat on his brow was from the steam of the hot water or the general terror of the situation.
Renwick... He should have known. The Rendezvous was New Greenwich's most popular casino. There were obviously going to be some familiar faces from the News.
But still... Griffin's fathe? The one who had sent an assassin, had beaten that assassin to a pulp, had sent from him and his mother to be killed? And here he was, sat with his wife and a dozen body guards, ordering wine?
I need to tell Griffin. Toby thought, his eyes wide with terror. But he couldn't get out back without Renwick noticing. No doubt the bastard would recognise his face. But he had nowhere to go, could only hide there behind the counter and pray Renwick wouldn't...
“Ah, a new face.”
...Notice him.
Toby's head snapped up. Renwick was sat across the room, wife under his arm, sneering at Toby like he was some rent boy Renwick had just pimped. The sight made Toby's hair on the back of his neck stand on end. “How long has he been working here?”
Nathaniel placed a bowl of roasted nuts on the table proudly. “It's his first day, sir.”
Renwick nodded slowly, and Toby felt his blood run cold when he felt the man's eyes burning through the top of his head. “I want him to serve me.”
Bollocks.
Nathaniel looked confused, but he didn't question Renwick's choice. Instead, he nodded in acceptance. “Very good, sir.” He replied, then turned and walked stiffly back to the counter. “He wants you.” He hissed, like Toby hadn't heard him. “Only speak when you're being spoken to, always smile, and most of all, don't ask any questions. He'll want some Martini with pineapple and a glass of Rosé for the missus. Got it?”
Toby nodded. Honestly, he barely heard it. He was trying far too hard to keep from relieving himself into his new work pants.
“Why are you still here?” Nathaniel pushed, and Toby quickly got the message. He handed te bucket to Nathaniel and went straight to Renwick. He held his hands behind his back to hide their trembling.
“How can I... Be of service, Mister Renwick?”
Renwick smirked at him, probably mistaking his hesitance for first-day nerves. Toby could feel himself blushing. “Get me the usual, Newbie.”
Newbie... Asshole.
“Martini with pineapple and a Rosé on it's way.” Toby replied, his voice faintly snide, and shot Renwick as charming a smile as he could muster.
Renwick pulled a face at him, then slowly, very slowly smiled at him. “I like you, Newbie.” He said sweetly, caressing the skin of his wife's shoulder beside him. The sight of him made Toby hide a shudder.
Then, he finished. “Be careful.”

Nathaniel dismissed him at seven-thirty, and Toby couldn't get out of there fast enough. He ran to the hotel to pick up Angel and give her a decent walk, then picked up a taxi to take him straight to Griffin's house. The drive would take at least half an hour, but thankfully, the taxi had a phone inside.
“Griff...” Toby was panting as he heard his boyfriend's voice at the other end of the line. Whether it was recorded of Griff's actual voice, he didn't care. “Griffin, I'm... I-I'm sorry about last night. But I really need to talk to you. Please. It's urgent.” He closed his eyes, fighting off the panic attack that threatened to strangle his throat. “I'll be at your house in about ten minutes. Love you.”