Pack [Eddsworld]

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"It's been long overdue that I explain everything to you," Tord admitted, tentatively placing his hand on Edd's shoulder. "You've proven yourself fully trustworthy, and I appreciate the favour."

"If I get in serious trouble with the law, I'm not covering for you then." Edd's dark eyes flicked from Tord's mechanical touch then back up to his scarred face.

"Oh, pfft," he suppressed a chuckle, letting his arm fall back to his side. "They weren't real officers: they were gang members."

"The gang you mentioned to me?" Matt piped up, still trapping Edd in a tight side-hug.

"Yeah, that's the one. What I said about making sure they weren't any danger was a little true." Tord paused, taking a moment to take notice of Ylva's haunted expression. "I really don't want any harm to come to any of you. I made a huge mistake before, and paid the price for my stupidity."

Edd raised his hand. "I sense that a huge explanation is coming." He headed for the kitchen, "I'll make some hot chocolate and we can all settle down for the story."

Matt threw this arms up, punching the air above his head, a massive smile on his features. "Yay! Story!"

They were all settled down in a pillow fort Matt had quickly created in the living room. It was cozy and small, with all four of them squished up close to one another, clutching their mugs of hot chocolate. Edd had secretly replaced his with cola, but no one seemed to notice. Ylva was too busy vacantly staring down at the swirling foam and rising steam to pay any attention to such a small detail. Tord took a sip, revelling in how ordinary and sweet the situation was; it was almost as if he wasn't wanted by the biggest gang in England.

He glanced sideways at where Matt was sandwiched between him and the other British male. "So, it all started back i-"

"What the hell has that commie bast-" Tom stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the four snuggled up together. "Oh."

"Tom? I know we aren't on good terms right now..." Tord looked down momentarily, but then made determined eye contact with the brunet's eye-holes. "But please, old friend... I'm about to explain everything. No more secrets."

"Why?! Why the sudden truth? Why not sooner? Why blow up our house and ruin our lives?!" Tom growled back, clenching his fists and squaring his shoulders, not budging from the doorway.

Tord grabbed a spare pillow and scooted up a bit, just about making room for the Brit. "I regret everything I did to harm all of you. I'm trying to make it right."

"Please, Tom?" Edd blinked cutely up at his blue-hoodied friend, hoping to persuade him.

"Yeah, please?" Matt did the same, his knees drawn up to his chest and the mug of hot chocolate balanced precariously on top.

Tom rolled his eye-holes, shoving his hands in his hoodie pockets with a grunt. He squeezed in between the ginger and the communist, grumbling under his breath and squirming a bit until he was comfortable. A mug of hot chocolate was held in front of his face, surprisingly being offered by the Norwegian. Tom took it with narrowed eye-sockets, suspicious of poisoning but unable to resist the delicious aroma.

"Okay, like I was saying... It all started back in Norway..."

~

In the back of an army helicopter, the still body of Red Leader lay on a blood-stained stretcher. He was already hooked up to temporary medical equipment to try and keep him stable on their long flight back to base. The right side of his face was a mangled mess of blood and seared flesh and the nerves in his arm had been severed, rendering it permanently useless.