TeratoPhilia

Neophobia

"Tim, you need to talk to someone! And if I'm the only one who cares, so be it!" Matt somehow got the door open and jumped on Tom, who tried to pry the redhead off of him.

"GET OFF ME YOU-"

"Listen to me first! Please!"

Tom growled, but released Matt from his now clawed hands.

"What?"

"Why did you run off?"

Tom stopped. He was asking about what went horribly wrong with him and Tord. That was all. Just a couple of questions.

"I did something stupid because of Tord."

"What was that?"

Tom averted his gaze as he spoke, "I gave him headpats. Y'know, like he's a dog or something."

Matt raised an eyebrow at this, "Why's that so bad? I don't mind headpats myself, and I know you don't either!"

Tom slapped his hands onto the floor, "IT'S TORD!? He ruined our lives and now he's trying to make up and I have a really bad feeling he's just... gonna... leave again..."

"Do you want him to leave?"

"Does it really matter!? This is just a bad dream and nothing that happened is real so I'll just wake up and Tord will be gone!" Tom waved his sleeves around to emphasize his point.

Matt tilted his head, "But... do you want that, Tim?"

Tom shook his head. He didn't.

He really didn't. He was finally getting used to Tord again and now he'd probably restarted all the progress they'd made as friends, at the very least.

"Matt... I feel really dumb about doing that but... I just don't know what to say to Tord. 'Oh sorry, I was just super worried this was all just a big lie, can we go back to what we were doing?' Does that sound like a good explanation?"

"Sounds good enough for me, dragekatt."

Matt gave a nervous laugh, "He said he had to listen through the door if I was gonna talk to you. Sorry, Tim!"

Tom glared at the door's peephole, annoyed by the unannounced and unwanted guest.

"Come in, commie-fuck."

The door opened and Tord walked into the room, sitting down beside Matt.

"So, vitne, what are you all anxious about now?"

Tom looked away from Tord and took occasion glances at him to make sure he was paying attention as he spoke.

"I feel like you're acting all nice to us so that it hurts less."

"What hurts less?"

Tom shook his head. He wasn't saying that yet. Not until he was completely comfortable.

"Alright, understood. If it makes you feel better... I can't go back anywhere on account of, well... some things..."

Tom couldn't look at Tord for a moment. He didn't need to worry anymore. He should've been happy, right? He could confess and it would be all dealt with, right?

...

No.

No, he could be lying to make Tom feel better...

...

So let it make him feel better. What's the hurt in that?

"... You, uh... wanna go back to stargazing? I-if you're okay with i-"

Tord smirked, "For the free headpats, hell yeah."

Tom glared at the commie, but took him by the hand and led him back outside.

~~~~~~~~

The constellations had shifted a little, but that just made it easier to find new ones.

"Lyra is right over there, it's a constellation of a lyre, which is a type of old harp. That's Aquila, the eagle. And their brightest stars combined with Cygnus' brightest make the Summer Triangle."

"You know so much, stjernegutt, where'd you learn all this?" Tord smirked as Tom laid his hand on the Norski's head.

"I was obsessed with stars as a little kid. Space in general actually. I started playing with my dad's telescope after the incident with... y'know..." – he pointed to his eyes – "So maybe I thought my eyes had space?"

"Interesting." Tord laid his head on Tom's shoulder, looking half-asleep.

"You look really sleepy, commie. You sure you don't wanna go to bed? We can do this anoth-"

"No, no, please. Tell me all you know about the stars. I don't want to sleep until the sun comes up and everything's all gone."

Tom blushed. Good god, Tord was adorable sometimes.

A voice in his head is telling him to run, leave, get away from Tord; but he stays and tells him about the nebulas, the planets, the brightest stars to the dimmest. He wishes he could stay in this moment for the rest of his life, live in such peace as this forever.

It feels so natural, the idea of them being so close together, that Tom questions why he always tried to avoid it. He holds the split-second complete object of his affections and in the moment – this moment he wants to last forever – he kisses him.

He's surprised but he doesn't refuse it. It's short, and they pull back quick in shock, but for a second, time stops, and the glow of the stars in his lover's eyes shine brighter than the brightest star ever could.

He knows that in the morning, he'll regret this, hate himself for giving in to temptation; but for now, all that matters is him, Tord, and the stars shining before them.