TWs: Tord's confused, savage Matt, alcohol & drunk Tom, tension & awkwardness, use of chloroform, and insinuated kidnapping.
Tord was hanging out at Matt's place a few days later, playing Uno. They didn't have anything else to do and were bored out of their minds, so they decided to play.
"How long have you liked Edd?" Matt spoke, startling Tord out of his daze.
"Way to start a conversation, Matthew." Tord smiled abit as he put a card down, "Why do you ask, anyway?"
"I'm bored, and I want to know." Matt sighed as he had to draw a card.
"Since the summer before our last year of high school. It took me months to find out I liked him." Tord rolled his eyes at his idiocy back then.
"What was happening at that moment?"
"I dunno- Edd was being his lovable, playful self when I started to feel weird." Tord grumbled, "I've felt romantic attraction before, but being sexually attracted to someone is a whole new level."
"You've never felt sexually attracted to anyone?" Matt tilted his head.
"No, was I supposed to?" Tord quirked a brow. Judging by the look on Matt's face, Tord frowned, "Huh- well, that's news to me."
"Who were you romantically attracted to then?"
"Well, I did feel attracted to Edd before it became more prominent... but I think there was a girl at the time who I thought was interesting. That was only a romantic feeling- and it never became more than that."
Matt only nodded, groaning when he had to draw another card.
"You suck at this game." Tord chuckled, putting down a card, "So, how's your crush?"
"Oh, he always says he could be better."
"I meant, how's your relationship with him?"
"Great- we've been talking a lot lately." Matt grinned as he swayed in his chair.
"That's good." Tord paused, "And when will you tell me his name?"
"What?"
"You say we've met in passing, yet I don't recall you introducing me to anyone else- aside from Edd and Tom."
Matt looked at Tord in contemplation. He could tell him the truth- or he could let Tord figure it out himself.
"And I need to make sure he's not some creep." Tord squinted his eyes.
The ginger waved his hand, "He isn't a creep, Tord, trust me."
"Can you at least tell me about him?"
Matt sighed as he began to talk about his 'small' crush, "Well, he's shorter than you, has dark skin, and his eyes are mesmerizing. He's quite laid-back and unique. He gets annoyed easily, but it's mainly my fault in the first place... he plays an instrument and listens to- distinctive music, and he has some piercings."
It didn't take Tord long to connect the dots. It took him a moment to get a sentence out.
"I've never felt more betrayed in my life," Tord uttered.
"Now you know how it feels," Matt said without thinking, making them both freeze.
The Norsk looked at Matt with varying emotions.
"Uhm- I honestly didn't mean-"
"Pfft- hahHAHAH!" Tord cut him off by laughing, "HaHAh, wow!"
The ginger looked at him with wide eyes, watching as he laughed about it.
"Wow, Matt! That sounds like something your high school self would say-" Tord finished laughing, wiping a tear from his eye.
Matt laughed a bit, "Yeah, I guess it is."
"If I hadn't known any better, I'd say you were trying to kill yourself." Todd huffed as he set another drink down for Tom that night.
"No- really?" Tom gasped in feigning surprise.
"At least call your friend so I don't have to take you home again."
The bassist groaned as he got out his phone, "Fine."
Eyesight blurring and unsteady movements, he tapped one of his contacts and pulled it up to his ear.
Tord was confused when his phone rang that night. Usually, everyone knew to leave him alone when he was deep into his building.
He was even more confused when he saw it was Tom calling him.
'Am I dreaming right now?' Tord asked himself, 'Actually, it would be more of a nightmare.'
He sighed, deciding to answer the call and let it play out.
"He-" Before he could get out a greeting, Tom started babbling nonsense.
"Heeeyyyyy, Eeeedddd- so funny storyyyy, I went to the bar, y'know the one, I always go to the same one, and me being me, I'm super drunk- so I need you to pick me up." He slurred.
Tord couldn't respond before Tom hung up on him. He grumbled as he stared at his phone screen.
Guess he was picking up Tom, but he didn't have a car to do it. Hopefully, Tom was capable of walking himself. After all, he was capable of controlling his anger to keep him from being a monster.
Tord was the only one out of the group to know about it, having done a DNA scan on everyone and from previous files about some sort of 'rage demon' in the archives at the army base.
'Why me?' The light brunette cried in his head as he walked out the door, making sure it was locked.
When he got to the bar, he saw about twenty other people drinking alone or in a group. Tord saw Tom hanging out on a barstool, talking to a bartender with hair similar to Jason Dean from "Heathers" and silver eyes.
He walked over, tapping Tom on the shoulder and making him look over. Then he made a face of annoyance.
"What are you doing here?" Tom scowled, still slurring his words together.
"Uh, you're the one who called me, not Edd." Tord frowned as he crossed his arms.
"Wha-" He pulled out his phone, scrolling to his recent calls, "Shit."
"I don't have a car, so I hope you enjoy walking," Tord stated.
The bassist growled under his breath, but instead of arguing, he uttered, "Fine..."
Tord nodded curtly, then walked towards the exit.
"I'll see you next week, Todd." Tom sighed.
"Hopefully not too soon," Todd spoke.
Tom tripped over his feet on the walk back, making him bump into Tord a few times.
"Control your movement, Jehovah!" Tord snapped after it happened the fifth time.
"As if I can help it, commie!" Tom spat back, "You try being drunk for once and see what happens!"
Tord rolled his eyes at that.
After a while, Tom stopped to stare at something.
"What is it now?" The Norsk huffed, stopping to look at Tom.
"Those flowers look familiar." The shorter said, pointing to a planter with colorful lobelias, "I think Matt has some."
"Yeah, he has a bouquet in a vase. Why are you stopping for this?"
"I dunno," Tom shrugged, "They reminded me of him."
Continuing to walk with Tom wobbling a little, Tord glanced his way.
"How do you feel about Matt?" Tord asked.
Tom chuckled, "As if I'd tell you."
There was a pause as Tom smiled a bit.
"Matt's an idiot." He stated, making Tord want to punch him, "Although- he can be smart in his own enjoyable way. He cares about the people around him and wants everyone to be happy no matter what. He's also looking for perfection, wanting to be perfect in everything he does- he doesn't need to be, though. I think he's perfect the way he is."
Tord raised his eyebrows at that last statement, "What was that?"
"What was what?" Tom looked at him with an eyebrow raised.
"Uh- nothing." Tord shook his head.
"Whatever."
They finally got to the apartment complex, Tord taking the stairs like always.
"You must really like exercising," Tom mumbled as he reached his door.
"Yep, I am a former military soldier, after all." Tord smiled awkwardly.
The bassist hummed, looking back at the communist when he was about to go inside, "And Tord?"
Tom using his name caught him off guard, and Tord looked at him meticulously.
He seemed to roll his void eyes, uttering, "Thanks, I guess..."
Tord looked around, avoiding Tom's deep gaze, "Uhm- you're welcome?"
An uncomfortable silence as they both avoided looking at each other.
"That was lame," Tom grunted as he walked into his flat, closing the door not-so-silently.
The ex-leader rolled his eyes, walking into his own apartment. He went to his room and tried turning on his overhead desk lamp.
It didn't turn on, much to Tord's annoyance.
'Again? This power thing is driving me insane...' Tord huffed as he got his phone out to text the landlady.
When Tord pulled up his messages, he gasped as he felt someone grab him from behind and cover his mouth with a cloth, prompting him to drop his phone. Tord tried to break apart from the stranger, but they were stronger than him, holding the Norsk tightly in their grasp.
He strained to keep his eyes open, but the chloroformed fabric pressed against his nose, forcing him into a deep sleep.