Listener Fic: Missing Scenes and Episode Tags - S01E03 - "A Voice in the Dark"
Title: Listener Fic: Missing Scenes and Episode Tags - S01E03 - "A Voice in the Dark"
Author: saralikeme
Characters/Pairings: Toby, Oz
Rating & warnings: PG
Summary: Before and after the talk.
Notes: I own nothing related to The Listener. It makes me sad.
Spoilers: 1x01, 1x02, 1x03 (noticing the trend?)
Toby was scared. Not in the same way he had been scared for Ashley, or frightened for his life - heart racing and focused forced by adrenaline. This was almost worse in some ways. The cold terror that squeezed something in his chest when he thought of exposing that part of himself. He'd never told anyone about his ability. Ray was the only person who knew about him, and that hadn't been by his choice. Hell, he didn't even remember most of what happened at that time in his life. Now, as an adult, he had to tell his best friend something completely unbelievable and hope he took it well. Hope he didn't walk out of his life.
His hands were shaking slightly, Toby poured himself a shot of vodka, for courage, as he waited for Oz to come over. He normally didn't let himself drink too much, because it became difficult to concentrate on blocking thoughts when he wasn't in control.
In a panic, Toby tried to think of something else to tell Oz. Some other reason for the way he acts, sometimes. Maybe he could use the headache excuse, but that wouldn't really explain anything about his disappearing and playing investigator. What was he thinking, telling Oz he could read minds?
"Hey, man, the door was open," Oz said as he walked into Toby's kitchen with a six-pack of beer.
"Hi, uh, hey," Toby said nervously with a smile.
Oz glanced at the vodka bottle and shot glass with a raised eyebrow. "Feeling ok?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm great. Ah, let's go up to the roof."
He'd made a promise to tell Oz the truth, and he couldn't break it. Oz was right, he needed to be able to trust Toby, not only because they were partners, but because they were best friends.
When he finally took a deep breath and told his best friend about reading minds, he felt relief so strong that he was almost dizzy with it. He couldn't stop laughing at Oz and his amazing response to Toby's secret. Oz didn't think he was a freak, not in a bad sense, anyway. He just accepted it as one more thing about Toby. Orphan, paramedic, mind reader.
They talked about the pink haired girl with blue eyes and all the other girls that couldn't stop thinking about Oz. Toby relaxed and wondered why he had ever doubted his friend.
"Can I ask you something about?" Oz asked, waving his hand around his head but more serious than before.
Toby nodded and resisted poking into his friend's thoughts. "Yeah, of course."
"Does it hurt? I mean, sometimes you seem..."
Toby cut him off, "I know what you're talking about. Sometimes, yeah, it's pretty intense. Most of the time I can block everything out, but lately... it's been different. Strong emotions can kind of shove thoughts into my head, you know?"
"That sucks, man."
"Yeah. It's good when I can help someone. But, yeah, it can sort of hurt when the person is in a lot of pain or afraid." Toby sipped from his bottle. "When I was a kid, it got bad. I didn't know how to block people's thoughts, and it's easy to lose yourself when you have foster families or a few dozen schoolmates' thoughts invading your head."
"But, now, you're ok when you're just listening, right?"
"Yeah, it's just like listening to anything else."
"Awesome." Oz grinned. "We have to go out. This power must be harnessed for The Good."
"You think having me reading girls' minds to get us dates is The Good?"
"Well, it's good for us. Besides, you've been doing the saving people thing for a while, now. I figure you deserve a little something for yourself."
"Ah, and something for you, too?"
"Well, no one said you can't do a favour for a friend."
"Yeah," Toby nodded. He continued to learn a lot about friendship from Oz, was grateful to him for so many things that he could never say aloud. "I could do something for a friend."
Author: saralikeme
Characters/Pairings: Toby, Oz
Rating & warnings: PG
Summary: Before and after the talk.
Notes: I own nothing related to The Listener. It makes me sad.
Spoilers: 1x01, 1x02, 1x03 (noticing the trend?)
Toby was scared. Not in the same way he had been scared for Ashley, or frightened for his life - heart racing and focused forced by adrenaline. This was almost worse in some ways. The cold terror that squeezed something in his chest when he thought of exposing that part of himself. He'd never told anyone about his ability. Ray was the only person who knew about him, and that hadn't been by his choice. Hell, he didn't even remember most of what happened at that time in his life. Now, as an adult, he had to tell his best friend something completely unbelievable and hope he took it well. Hope he didn't walk out of his life.
His hands were shaking slightly, Toby poured himself a shot of vodka, for courage, as he waited for Oz to come over. He normally didn't let himself drink too much, because it became difficult to concentrate on blocking thoughts when he wasn't in control.
In a panic, Toby tried to think of something else to tell Oz. Some other reason for the way he acts, sometimes. Maybe he could use the headache excuse, but that wouldn't really explain anything about his disappearing and playing investigator. What was he thinking, telling Oz he could read minds?
"Hey, man, the door was open," Oz said as he walked into Toby's kitchen with a six-pack of beer.
"Hi, uh, hey," Toby said nervously with a smile.
Oz glanced at the vodka bottle and shot glass with a raised eyebrow. "Feeling ok?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm great. Ah, let's go up to the roof."
He'd made a promise to tell Oz the truth, and he couldn't break it. Oz was right, he needed to be able to trust Toby, not only because they were partners, but because they were best friends.
When he finally took a deep breath and told his best friend about reading minds, he felt relief so strong that he was almost dizzy with it. He couldn't stop laughing at Oz and his amazing response to Toby's secret. Oz didn't think he was a freak, not in a bad sense, anyway. He just accepted it as one more thing about Toby. Orphan, paramedic, mind reader.
They talked about the pink haired girl with blue eyes and all the other girls that couldn't stop thinking about Oz. Toby relaxed and wondered why he had ever doubted his friend.
"Can I ask you something about?" Oz asked, waving his hand around his head but more serious than before.
Toby nodded and resisted poking into his friend's thoughts. "Yeah, of course."
"Does it hurt? I mean, sometimes you seem..."
Toby cut him off, "I know what you're talking about. Sometimes, yeah, it's pretty intense. Most of the time I can block everything out, but lately... it's been different. Strong emotions can kind of shove thoughts into my head, you know?"
"That sucks, man."
"Yeah. It's good when I can help someone. But, yeah, it can sort of hurt when the person is in a lot of pain or afraid." Toby sipped from his bottle. "When I was a kid, it got bad. I didn't know how to block people's thoughts, and it's easy to lose yourself when you have foster families or a few dozen schoolmates' thoughts invading your head."
"But, now, you're ok when you're just listening, right?"
"Yeah, it's just like listening to anything else."
"Awesome." Oz grinned. "We have to go out. This power must be harnessed for The Good."
"You think having me reading girls' minds to get us dates is The Good?"
"Well, it's good for us. Besides, you've been doing the saving people thing for a while, now. I figure you deserve a little something for yourself."
"Ah, and something for you, too?"
"Well, no one said you can't do a favour for a friend."
"Yeah," Toby nodded. He continued to learn a lot about friendship from Oz, was grateful to him for so many things that he could never say aloud. "I could do something for a friend."