My Own Medicine ¦ TomTord

Chapter Five: Ashes And Vodka

All four of them calmly sat around the table and chatted, this was indeed rare.

"I'm so surprised that you didn't fight," Edd mentioned, seeing as the two sat next to one another.

"We did, he kicked my butt," Tord complained while Tom started laughing.

"Hell yeah I did," He laughed in victory. "But also because Tord forced me to plant tomatoes, now I'll have to go shower."

"Good, you stink." Edd laughed, sipping on a can of his favourite cola.

"So we have tomatoes now?" Matt asked, seeming confused as always.

"Apparently," answered Edd.

Tord interrupted. "Not yet, but we will after a few months, they were planted right this hour."

Tom finishes his burger before getting up. "I'm off to shower." He excused himself.

No one thought anything of it, except when Tom took suspiciously too much time in the shower and came back drunk and with wet hair.

Matt celebrated, he loved styling everyone's hair so he dragged the drunk man back to the bathroom to blow dry and style his usual spiky hair.

"He's... He's drunk..!" Tord gestured to Tom when he came back while looking at Edd.

Edd shrugged. "It's just one of those days," he responded, looking at Tom, who was taking another swig from his flask.

Tom walked over to the sofa to continue watching TV, the other three went to do their own little thing for a while. Tord was drawing or writing something, he was still practising using his new arm since he's right-handed. Edd was alongside Tord, also drawing. They liked to make comics with each other. And Matt? Matt was out on another date. As the hours passed, Tom switched over to a whole bottle of vodka which was half empty by now.

Tord started to get phantom pain in his arm so he decided to stop drawing for a while, he excused himself and went downstairs to see what Tom was up to. And there he was, being in the same position as they left him in. He quietly sat right beside him, noticing his cheeks and ears were heated up from the alcohol intake. "What even is this nonsense?" Tom mumbled, gesturing at the TV. Ah, classic British television.

Tord was always fascinated by it, were these even real people? He quietly laughed at Tom. "What do you mean? You love this show!" Tord teased, taking off his arm and resting it on the sofa. The pain seemed to subside for a bit.

Tom continued to ramble about the stuff on TV and then suddenly, out of nowhere, he rests his head on Tord's shoulder.

Shit, it was his right shoulder "Thomas- that hurts," Tord pushed the drunken man away. Tom looked back at him, looking slightly pissed before laying his head on Tord's lap. The brunette quietly gasped. Wow, was Tom being affectionate? It couldn't be, he was drunk out of his mind, that's what it was.

Tord glanced at Matt who had just come back home from his date. "Psst- Matt..! Can you get me some cigs?" Tord requested. "There's a pack in my room, thanks, buddy."

He nodded with a smile, the date probably went well. Within minutes, Tord had a cigarette in his mouth. Edd was always annoyed with him smoking inside, but he wasn't here right now, was he?

Tom noticed the smell "Let me try," He said, taking the cigarette out of Tord's mouth. He inhaled the smoke and coughed. "How can you even smoke that? It stinks. I can't imagine what cigars are like."

"Listen, Tom, neither of us are perfect. You have your alcohol addiction which I also don't get, and I'd like to smoke in peace man." He said before taking the cigarette from Tom's hands directly with his mouth while Tom took the whole bottle of vodka and took another sip from it, about the same amount as a shot. His face scrunched up with the taste. But the effect was worth it.

Soon enough, Edd walked into the living, noticing the very familiar smell. He gasped, "Tord! How could you, how many times did I tell you not to smoke inside!" He gave Tord a stern lecture about it, making him put out his cigarette, now ashes were both on his and Tom's hoodie.

Edd opened the window to let in the fresh evening air and to let the room ventilate.

The two of them hung out and watched TV for a few hours, in that time Tom already finished half of the bottle and was on the verge of passing out or throwing up. Tord noticed that. "We better get you to bed." He said while getting up, Tom hung onto Tord's left arm for support and dear life while he lead him to his room.

Tom collapsed onto the bed, dragging Tord with him.

"Hey! What's the big idea, genius?" He tried to release himself from Thomas' grip but realised it was no use, he forgot his prosthetic arm on the sofa. As he mentally facepalmed, he decided to wait until Tom was fully asleep so he could sneak out of his arms and go do whatever he wanted. Though he found himself on top of Tom, his head laying on the blue, familiar hoodie and listening to his heartbeat.

Tord began to itch for nicotine again but he didn't want to wake up Tom so he closed his eyes and prayed for his urge to fade away, but instead his consciousness did. He fell asleep on top of Tom's chest.

But he was greeted with a rude awakening, Tom had elbowed him right in the chin. He closed his eyes shut tight as a response while letting out a whine. "Fuck! What was that for?"

"Get off of me, commie!" He shouted, pushing Tord away, for him to end up on the ground. His eye patch had fallen off while sleeping, revealing his absent eye.

"Ew! You were the one who dragged me down to nap with you!" Tord said, hitting him back before leaving.

"Todd? What happened to your eye?" Matt questioned, walking past him in the corridor.

"What do you mea-" he said while feeling his face. "Oh shit, nothing wrong, mind your own business." He rudely responded, going back to Tom's room.

"Left this?" Tom asked, holding up the piece of cloth on a string.

He came to grab it out of Tom's hands. "Yes!" He exclaimed putting it back on before leaving again.

"Hey! Where's my thank you?"

Tord turned around. "Thanks... I guess." He shrugged before leaving.

He put on his arm again when walking into the living room, being grateful to find it where he left it.