Tord's P.O.V

Tom hummed and skipped out of the room, leaving me alone with Edd on the phone, "How'd you handle Tom last night?"

I let out a cough before answering with a raspy voice, "Set him in bed and gave him some piano music to listen to."

"So no trouble?"

I shook my head even though Edd couldn't see that, "It was all good until this morning." I don't give a damn if Tom gets pissed at me for Telling Edd, But he deserves to know.

"Oh yeah you threw up. You feeling better now?" Edd asked about Tom's lie.

Giving a huff of annoyance, I ran a hand through my messy hair, "I didn't vomit, Edd. Tom was lying to you."

Edd made a sound of shock, "What? Why would Tom do that?"

A rough cough escaped my lips, "A guy had came in somewhere in the night. He scared the living life out of Tom. Was about to rape him."

All that could be heard was Edd's hitched breathing for a good minute until he spoke, "I knew something wasn't right.... Tom sounded way too scared when he was talking to me earlier.... I knew I should've gone right away... Tom could've been hurt..."

"Hey, Edd." I rubbed my tired face, "Don't get so worked up over it. I was here to stop it and that's all that matters... Tom is never going to be hurt while I'm around..." The line was quite for a while, "Edd?"

"You like him don't you?" Edd asked suddenly, throwing me off completely. "Don't worry. Tom and I don't have a thing going on. I'm straight and that night was a foolish mistake. It was simply a one night stand. He's all yours for the taking. I'm out of the way. But..." Edd's voice went cold, "You hurt my best friend and we're going to have issues, Larkson... one step out of line and you're done for."

Shivers went down my spine, "O-Oh humm.... Tom doesn't like me that way so you're fine..." I laughed nervously, "I don't like him in a romantic way. And even at that I don't ever want to hurt Tom. He's my friend and all I want is for him to think as me as a friend. Nothing more nothing less."

"Uh-huh.... you see I'll try to believe what you said is true."

"It is true!" I yelled but then instantly went into a coughing fit.

Tom walked back in with a mug in hand, "Edd, don't make Tord cough please....." Tom took a seat next to me and pressed the mug into my hands, "Drink up now."

I took the mug from Tom, "So when are you gonna be here?" I asked Edd and took a sip of the tea, hissing at the burning sensation in my throat.

Tom sighed and took the mug from my hands and cleaned up some of the tea I had spit up, "Ya know it wouldn't burn that bad if you'd just stopped talking.... but I agree. Edd when are you getting here? Tord apparently needs to be treated as a child when sick." He gave me a small smirk and I glared at him,

"I'll be there in about 5 minutes. Tord I want you to be done with that tea by the time I get there." Edd's voice rang out before he cut the line.

I took the mug back in my hands and sipped it slowly, ignoring the burn in my throat. Tom took comfort in laying across my lap, head hanging off the edge of the bed. We stayed like that in complete silence. But the silence was getting rather boring, "I told Edd about the man."

Tom shot up and looked at me with wide eyes,  "You did what?!"

Taking a causal sip of the tea I gave Tom a bored look, "He needed to know, Tom. If you'd have been hurt or raped Edd would spend no time blaming it on me."

Tom jumped out of the bed and stood by the bed side with his hands on his hips, "No! No he didn't need to know! I don't want nor do I need Edd breathing down my bloody neck! I like my space you know! Edd following me around like some kind of bodyguard is the last thing I want!"

I rolled my eyes and muttered under my breath, "Bullshit. He isn't that protective."

Tom tossed up his arms in exaggeration, "Oh yes he is! He wasn't that all protective until you came back the wretched day!" He screeched, "If it weren't for you and your stupid robot Edd would be more at ease and not on edge all the time! If it weren't for you Matt would stop acting so stupid because he's scared to show people he's a rather intelligent person! If it weren't for you I could probably not have nightmares about killing you!"

Tea long forgotten I shuffled out from under the blankets and out of the bed, "Tom... do you... do you regret shooting me down...?"

Tom eyes widened but then quickly narrowed, "I didn't say that. Get back into bed."

"No."

"Get into the damn bed, Tord." Tom snarled.

I shook my head stubbornly, "I said no." Grabbing the blanket off the bed and walked downstairs with a raging Tom behind me.

"If your not going to lay in bed then go to the living room so you can at least sit by the fire."

Not waiting for my response, Tom stormed passed me and into the kitchen. Sighing I sat in an old shabby recliner next to the fire and pulled the blanket up to my shoulders. After a few minutes of silence there was a knock at the front door. I was about to get up but Tom rushes out of the kitchen and glared at me, "Sit." He ordered and went to open the door.

Scoffing I sunk back down Into the recliner and watched Edd come in with a crockpot of soup and an armful of blankets and medicine, "Blimey, it's raining hard out there...."

I didn't notice Edd was soaking wet until Matt ran in after him with his hair matted down to his face, "I'm so cooooold!!" He whined.

Raising an eyebrow at the two I cleared my throat, "Then sit by the fire you idiots."

Barely taking notice of my presence, they turned to face me. Edd crosses his arms and scowled at me, "Why aren't you in bed?" He asked.

Tom strolled into the living, now wet from the rain, "Because he is a stubborn piece of shit."

"Damn right I am. Just because I'm sick doesn't mean shit. I don't have to be coddled. I don't need you all breathing down my neck. Now sit down. All three of you. If you're going to fret over me, then I have the right to fret over you lot. Sit in front of the fire and get dry before you get sick."

None of the three moved at first. Tom cleared his throat awkwardly, "I'm gonna go change and get dry..." Tom ran upstairs without another word.

By that time Edd slipped away to the kitchen. Sighing I looked at Matt, who shed off his rain coat to reveal dry clothing. Sitting on the floor in front of the fire, Matt looked up at me, "Tom hates to get sick. So don't take it to heart that he ran off. As for Edd... I don't know what to tell you. He is probably just more worried about getting you better as soon as possible. Edd never really cared about his own health. Physically or mentally. He worries more for others and work to care for himself..."

I nodded, choosing to believe what Matt was saying is true. I know Edd worries for others but I think... I think he was just trying his best to get away from me. Either way if Edd has something to tell me, he'd confront me about it sooner or later so I just pushed it to the back of my head, "Yeah I suppose you are right, Matt." I gave him a small smile and reached down to pick up my leather jacket that was now dry from sitting in front of a fire all night and pulled out a fresh cigar.

Before I had the chance to light the Cigar, Tom's shrill voice screamed out, "Larkson, put down that fucking cigar or I swear on Jehovah!!!"

Sighing, I placed the cigar back in my jacket pocket and leaned back in the recliner. Matt looked between Tom and I before speaking, "You are still smoking?" He asked with sadness laced in his voice, "That's a hazard for You're health, Tord. I would've thought you'd drop the habit by now. I'm surprised you haven't died yet. Not to mention yet to develop a sever case of lung disease."

Tom dropped down on the couch with a sigh, "Don't waste your breath on him, Matt. He isn't going to listen to you."

Matt gave Tom an irritated look and looked at me with the same exasperated look, "It's true..." I yawned, "Smoking is my stress reliever."

Picking up a stray book, Tom chirped out, "Have you ever tried vaping?"

With a snort that burned the back of my throat, I pulled the blanket closer to me and looked at the burning fire in the fireplace, "I was once given a vape to break my habits, but I never used it. I refused to use it. I don't want to quit smoking. Vaping is for people who want to smoke without any consequences. I don't care if I die from it. I quite enjoy the taste of nicotine and tar. I don't want to inhale shitty flavors. And despite my heavy smoking habits I have very healthy lungs. I have ways to keep my lungs so healthy. So stop trying to convince me to stop. I don't want to. I don't need to. It's not going to happen so give up."

Matt and Tom exchange looks of worry, but Tom just let out a small sigh and opened his book to read. Matt looked at me with the saddest face I've ever seen and got up to join Edd in the kitchen. Edd's and Matt's hushed voices in the kitchen, the heavy rain outside the the windows the house, the occasional flip of pages in Tom's book and the crackling of the fire are the only thing that kept the house from being completely quiet. But even with all the little noises it was still too quiet for my liking. I shifted in the recliner and started to get up.

"Sit down." Tom said without looking up from his book. Sinking back down in the recliner I stared at Tom. He shifted uncomfortably under my stare until finally he dog eared his page and shamed the book shut, "Why are you staring at me?"

"I'm bored." I said simply.

Tom narrowed his eyes at me, "Oh fucking well. Get over it."

"Why are you so mean to me?" I asked and leaned forward. Tom glared at me for a minute before opening his book again, "Are you still mad at me for telling Edd?" Tom ignored me and kept reading, "You have to realize that this is not a matter to keep a secret. What if you were seriously hurt? At least I was here to prevent anything from happening. Imagine if I wasn't here hmm? What would you be? Beaten and raped? In a hospital? In the fucking morgue?"

Tom sighed and looked up from his book, "Look. I'm not mad you saved me. Quite the opposite. I am however mad your told Edd. Now I'm never going to be able to come here alone anymore. I love this place and it's slowly getting taken from me. Do you know how that feels? To have something you love slowly stripped from you? I like to come here alone! I like the quietness of this big house! I like to come here and think! To get away from society!" Tears dared to drop from Tom's eyes, "You stripped that away from me, Tord... whenever you're around nothing in my life is good... whenever you're around my life is a living hell. I can never truly be happy around you..." When I couldn't think of a way to answer Tom, he just shook his head and went back to reading with shaking shoulders and a sniffles. It took me a minute to realize he was crying.

Guilt crawled up my throat as I watched Tom cry silently. Quietly getting up, I moved to sit next to Tom. He stiffened as I wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer to me and tossed the blanket over us, "Look Tom. I'm not the best at condoling people so I don't know what to say to make you feel better but, just know that I'm trying very hard to be a good friend to you. I know I was always the last person you ever wanted to see. I know that you'd never willingly come to me for anything, but I'm trying to push our past behind us. I'm truly trying to be a better person. I want to become someone you trust. I want to be your friend, Tom. I was just trying to do what I thought was right."

Tom rubbed at his eyes to keep more tears from falling, "I-I know you're trying. I'm just so pissed that the one place I can truly be alone has been stripped from me..."

"I know... I know it's a hard fact to deal with, but it's for the better..." I sighed. Thunder crackled outside and Tom leaned against me and I tightened my arm around him, "Read your book. Try to get so immersed in your book you don't even hear the storm. If you're too occupied doing one thing, eventually you'd forget about the other thing."

Tom gave a stiff nod and looked down at his book in his lap. I rubbed his shoulder in a friendly, calmly manner as Tom slowly relaxed. Thunder stuck outside but Tom barely gave a flinch as he read. Feeling a pair of eyes on us, I looked over my shoulder to see Edd leaning on the wall with Matt peaking around the wall. When Edd saw that I noticed him he gave a tight smile. Not moving from my spot next to Tom, I didn't return the smile. "How much did you see?" I asked.

"All of it." Edd drawled out in a bored tone, "You really shouldn't get Tom worked up like that. I'm surprised you calmed him so quickly."

From the corner of my good eye I saw Tom grip the edge of his book. Ah so he is listening to us. "Well... I don't want Tom to do anything he'd regret. And I certainly don't want him going off and getting himself hurt. I've come to realize Tom is oftenly targeted for sexual harassment and other sexual pleasures." Glancing at Tom, his jaw was tight. Like he was trying not to say anything. "Anyways, I was promised soup when you came and I'm quite famished. I'm sure Tom is too. Tom, are you hungry?" I asked him.

Tom looked up from his book and looked between me and Edd, "Oh umm... yeah I guess I'm a bit hungry..." he marked his page in his book and shut it quietly, "But Can I ask you guys not to talk about me as if I'm not in the room? It's quite disrespectful of you two to do that. I expected as much from Tord. But you, Edd? I expected better from you." Tom got up and marched into the kitchen where Matt was still eavesdropping.

I also stood and walked up to Edd, "You have to admit that it was our fault. Now I wasn't kidding. I'm fucking hungry and I hope my stomach can hold down food."

Edd didn't respond. Just looked at his feet like he was upset that Tom had gotten mad at him. I narrowed my eyes at him and shook my head. Before I went into the grimy kitchen, that somehow yet to fall apart, Edd caught my hand and looked at me, "You better treat him right, Tord. Tom has so many issues that you can't even begin to fathom how dark his mind is."

I pulled my hand from Edd's grip, "You know the way you talk about Tom, the more I think that you truly like Tom and just wont let yourself believe it. Just so you know, I have no intentions to hurt Tom in any way. I'm trying so hard to be his friend right now. And it seems like I'm doing a better job in that category than you." I left a speechless Edd and entered the kitchen with a smiling Tom and a giggling Matt. The site made my lips curl up in a small smile, "Ah am I witnessing some gossiping? Some one on one girl talk? Mind if I join your conversation?"

Matt looked over at Tom, "I don't know Tord... can you handle our so called girl talk?"  Tom let out a small snicker. Aw damn now I have to know.

"I'm sure I can handle it. So come on spill the mother-fucking tea." 

Tom and Matt gave each other a knowing look, "How about I give you some soup first. You did say you were hungry." Tom got up and got a bowl of soup for me.

I sat down and waited for Tom to give me He bowl. The entire time Matt and Tom smirking at each other. Finally Tom places the bowl in front of me, "Okay you ready to know what we were discussing?" Matt chirped.

I nodded and took a spoonful of soup into my mouth, "What was the biggest dick we have ever taken and how long ago." Tom purred and I choked on the soup, throwing myself into a coughing fit.

The two laughed and Matt helpfully cleaned up the spilled soup as Tom tossed me a napkin, "A-And..." I cleared my throat, "Your answers were...?"

The two froze, clearly not expecting me to ask, "Umm..." Matt looked away with a heavy blush and Tom quickly became enthralled with his hoodie strings.

Setting my spoon down, I leaned forward. "You know the more you refuse to tell me the more I want to know. Just because it shocked me doesn't mean shit. I can talk about anything with anyone and loose no pride in myself. So tell me..."

I kept a he'd stare on them, Matt being the first to break, "My boss, Travis! We had a bit to much to drink last year during a work party and it went a little too far!"

A devilish smirk formed on my face, "Okay and how big?"

Matt's Face was a deep shade of red, "20 centimeters...."

I let out a low whistle, "Not bad.... but I'm still bigger so I'm not impressed." Matt's cheeks went even darker and Tom sucked in a sharp breath at the information. "Now Tom tell me yours..." Tom muttered something under his voice, "Repeat that?"

Tom refused to look me in the eye, "Edd. The other day. About 24 centimeters."

Rage that I have never felt before flared up inside me. Never in all my life have I felt this searing hatred I now felt for Edd.