Flourishing

"The Tree Man"

"Heyyy! I'm home everyone!" Tom announced, sounding pretty tired after his long shit at work. He was of course greeted with his three babies coming over to welcome him home. "Cupcake! welcome home!" Tord said, whilst giving tom a warm hug, as well as peppering a few kisses on his cheek. "You seem more tired than usual, do you need a massage or a shower or-" Tom placed a finger on Tord's lips to keep him for going on. "I'm fine, I just had a shift with Bruce is all?"

And as soon as those words came from toms mouth, Tord's smile twisted into a sour expression as expected. "Bruce..?" Tord semi-growled as tom sighed. "what's a Bruce?" Evelyn asked, looking up at her brother. "its the big guy that looks like a tree" Noah responded, chuckling a little. "Ohhh!! the tree man!" Evelyn bounced on her toes. "Evelyn no, don't call him that, its not nice!" Tom sighed shaking his head then looking back at Tord who was holding back his laughter, "and you mister don't you start laughing too"

Tord sighed and nodded, giving him yet another kiss on the cheek, "okay okay I won't, how about you just tell me how your day went over dinner?" He said, walking tom over to the dining room. "yeah, that sounds really good right now actually, i'm starving" Tom also sighed, sitting down, "I do need to talk to you about something later though!" Tord tilted his head, a bit confused as to why he couldn't just say it then and there? But he didn't press on, he just helped his babies into their sets and responded, "alright love!"

-

Dinner was amazing as it usually was, the kids now in bed with Tom and Tord on their way to do the same. Tom was already in bed, looking a little nervous whilst reading a book. Tord had just finished his shower, simply wearing some sweats and a towel around his neck, using it to dry his semi-wet hair. Sighing, he sat down on his side of the bed, putting his glasses on and looking at tom. "alright, what was it you needed to talk about love?" tord said, calm with a smile on his face. Tom put his book down sighing, looking back at him and responding with, "alright, now i don't want you to get mad, and nothing is official yet until I get your say so.." he trailed off, tord just growing more confused?

"hun, you know i could never be mad with you? whats-" Tord was cut off, "Bruce needs a place to stay, and I offered him our place because I felt really bad for him!" Tom blurted out, not to loud as he didn't want to wake the kids. Tord sat there for a moment, looking at tom with a blank expression. Seemed like he was processing what tom just said, along with trying to stay calm while he did so. "I...see..?" He struggled to say, his hands fidgety. It was big news after all but to be fair he was being rational, and not freaking out at the idea so that was a good sign? "I, know your views on him..." Tom continued, "But hes in a really tough spot right now and as his friend it just feels wrong to let him deal with it by himself?" "But-" Tord began before getting cut off again, "And he's already been saving up for a house instead of apartment so it probably wouldn't be super long either?"

Tord sighed and tom came up with all these reasons for bruce to stay. They had the extra room, he would still have to pay rent so it would help financially, and finally, "you two could actually work out your differences." Tom finished, putting his hand on Tord's. "I've said this once and I'll say it again, if bruce hadn't changed I wouldn't even be talking to him. Hes my friend and as my husband it would be nice for you to at least get along with him?"

Tors sighed, breaking eye contact, "yeah I get that its just..." tom waited for him to finish, but when he realized he wouldn't he continued himself, "is it because of the flirting?" He asked, moving tord's head to look at him again. He averted his eyes though, nodding slightly. Tom sighs, "let me ask you another question, who did I marry?" he leans in closer, Tord avoiding eye contact, embarrassed that tom decided he needed to remind him. "hun.." he was cut off immediately, "Ah ah ah! answer the question! Who. Did. I. Marry?" Tom waited patiently for a response. Tord breathed in, mumbling, "me..." "what was that? come on it cant be hard! hes smart, handsome, goofy, se-" "Okay okay! You married meee!" Tord finally announced, covering tom's mouth and having a smile on his face. "exactly!" 

Tom smiled back, taking his hand off and kissing it softly, "why don't you just sleep on it hm? we can talk about it more in the morning. okay?" he said, laying down in the bed a little more. "...yeah, that sounds okay." tord replied, taking off his towel and tossing it in the hamper. He then gave tom a peck on the cheek, turned off the  bedside lamp, place his glasses down, then finally layed into be as well. He had a lot of thinking to do, 'sleep on it.. yeah.. i'll try' he thought to himself, closing his eyes, and beginning to drift off.

-

Tord woke up to the smell of eggs and bacon, smiling as he knew that tom knew it was his favorite breakfast. He sighed, pulling the blankets off of himself and getting up and off the bed. After all his morning rituals were done, changing, brushing teeth, etc, he made his way downstairs. Noah and Evelyn were simply watching cartoons on the couch, while tom cooked. Tord's smile grew as he walked up behind his husband, hugging him and kissing the back of his neck before laying his head on toms shoulder. "good morning love" He said in a calm loving voice. Tom placed his own kiss on tord's cheek, smiling just as much. "good morning, i made your favorite!" he replied, plating the last breakfast plate. He was just about to call for the kids to get seated, but was cut off by tord's hand putting a finger on his lips.

"hey um.. I thought about it. about bruce moving in?" Tord started, he looked conflicted, but then he smiled, "and.. your right. he's your friend and I cant just keep hating him forever? I'll probably never forget about.. the bad things he did.." he breaths in and out and finished with, "but, if you say he has changed, then ill believe you. But if he tries anything while he's here-!" He gets cut off by tom grabbing his face and kissing him. After pulling away he began peppering kisses all over his face, causing tord to laugh. "Thank you my love. I know how hard it probably was for you to decide that, so thank you thank you thank you!" he smiles, scruffling up his hair. "ill let him know when I see him at work today, so how about we eat now?" 

A smile grew on tord's face with how happy tom was. He nods and calls out, "Babies!! breakfast is ready!" They both chuckled, hearing the scampering of their feet running to the dining table. Grabbing the plates, tom and tord head to the table as well, sitting down ready to eat. Tord thought about this, seeing his family eat, how much would things change now that bruce would move in? He shook his head, eating as well. 'I dont want to convince myself out of this.. tom looked so happy and you have to make up with him... you've got this, no going back now.'  He thought to himself.  After finishing a slice of bacon, he gave a smile and spoke. "hey kids, we have some news about the tree man!" 

[ WOW OKAY YEAH THIS IS HAPPENING. Welcome to this new story based of of skimson's bear family au! i've been wanting to write about bruce for a while now but didn't think it fit the short story oneshots, so instead I decided to write it's own separate story! i hope you all enjoyed the first chapter and stay tuned for more!]