Stay Alive For Me (TordTom)

9

"Is it just me, or is the next town a lot further away than it should be?"

I was almost completely out of breath as Tord and I walked to the top of a hill in the street, looking down over the side, only to find more dust and smoke fill the air. Nothing but grey buildings and rubble could be seen in the distance, and my feet could hardly carry me anymore.

"We're walking to another town on foot, Tom. Of course it's a while away."

Tord tried holding my hand, but I swatted it away as if getting rid of what he had just said.

"Tord, I've been walking for five weeks. Don't you think it's time we reached a safe destination?"

I watched my lover sigh, looking ahead of us with unsure determination. He was obviously thinking about what I said, his eyes making slight movements as he observed the path ahead of us.

"I don't know. All we can do is keep going."

Tord started walking forwards, my answer to his comment vanishing as I accepted what he said and walked with him. My fingers laced around his, seeing a soft smile tug at his lips.

We continued on our path, hopes to reach the next town being very low. The further we walked, the less likely it seemed that we would find a safe place before the bombs made it to us. If we were to stay in this area, it would only take three days for the daily bomb to be dropped directly above our heads. Or at least, that's my paranoid guess.

I kept my head low as we kept going, wanting to avoid the dreadful view in front of me. Perhaps it was luck that I turned to face Tord's backpack, realizing something which made my heart almost stop beating.

"TORD, THE POT! THE POT'S MISSING!" (an actual pot. Not drugs -_-)

Tord stopped walking, giving me a confused expression before slipping off the heavy bag, checking the outside. The pot had been attached to a secure hook, so as to make more room for the contents inside.

"The hook broke off-"

My lover looked me in the eyes, a regretful expression painted over his face.

"We have to go back."

Those words dug holes in my heart, the small hope I still carried slipping away by the second. Without speaking, I nodded and turned to walk in the direction we came from. It pained me to admit, but without the pot our chances would be even worse. We needed it to cook our food and boil the water. Without it, we might as well give up and wait for the bomb to reach us.

Tord and I walked slowly, our eyes scanning the ground and every place we had stepped. After searching for God knows how long, we came to an area that made me perk up. While walking this way earlier, we strayed from the path to check out a partially demolished bar in hopes to find some alcohol. To my demise, we didn't find anything. But I did remember seeing the pot still hanging on Tord's backpack when we were there.

"Hey, I'll look in the bar. Why don't you keep checking the trail?"

Tord nodded, walking down the torn up road as I carefully stepped off of the path, making my way into the bar. The door hung by two hinges, staying tilted at an odd angle. I pushed it aside, immediately coughing. The amount of dust gathered in the pub was immense and burned my lungs.

I made my way around a few tables, most had been toppled over, some covered with parts of the walls and ceiling that had crumbled off. I noticed the table Tord and I sat at, the chairs still in the positions we left them in. I smiled at the memory of us coming here, having a 'first date' while eating a can of peaches. My smile only grew as I walked around the table, a shiny object catching my attention.

I picked up my pace, eyes glistening as the object came into full view. I picked up the pot, letting out the breath I wasn't aware I was holding. A large grin tugged at the corners of my mouth, my feet spinning me around as I dashed out of the bar.

"TORDY! I FOUND IT!"

Feet hitting the ground in a quick rhythm, I made my way to the last place I saw Tord, hardly expecting him to have gone far. Though when I looked around, holding the pot in my hands, there was no other person in sight.

"... Tord?"

I started walking in the direction he left off, scanning the area around and hoping he didn't get too far. I stood still after a while, spinning around slowly to get a better look at my surroundings.

"Tom-"

I heard a faint voice call to me, I followed the direction it came from until seeing my beloved on the other side of a short wall. His face was visible to me, a worn out expression overtaking it. I held the pot up, smiling once again and making my way over to my boyfriend. He tiredly smiled back, though something seemed off about him. When I walked around the short wall, I saw Tord sitting up against a slab of concrete, his right foot spread out in front of him. I could see blood dripping from it. The closer I came, the more I saw.

I ran to him, setting the pot down and cupping his cheeks with my hands, looking over at his injured foot.

"What happened?"

My expression softened to one of sympathy and care, the urgency of outrunning the bombs seeming to fall behind as I worried for my partner.

"The ground fell under my foot, so I tried pulling it out and hit it against the concrete.

... I think it's broken."

Tord looked away guiltily, my heart getting heavier as I feared the answer to my next question.

"C-can you walk?"

I could see tears pricking my lover's eyes, mouthing the word 'no' without a sound coming from him. I felt a drop of water fall from my eye and rush down my cheek, my arms lacing around his shoulders as he held my waist, burying his head into the crook of my neck. My eyes were wide and white, fear and panic rushing through my system as I started overthinking what this meant for us. Tord rubbed my sides slowly, my breath shaky as I nuzzled him.

We stayed silent, spare for the few hiccups I let out as I held him closer. He moved his head, his mouth close to my ear as he whispered.

"Tom. You have to keep going without me."

My eyes went white as I pulled back to face him, my head desperately shaking.

"Nononono, I won't leave you here! I-I'll take you with me! I'll carry you! We'll figure something out! I'm not going without the man I love!"

His face fell dark as he loosened his grip on me, his voice low and uncharacteristically grave.

"I... I need to tell you something."

My tears were sloppily wiped away by my hand.

"Wh-at is i-t?"

As Tord looked me in the eyes once more, I didn't recognize the man in front of me.

"I've been lying to you."

His hands left my waist, falling at his sides. I looked at my lover in confusion, fear residing in me as I awaited him to continue.

"I'm working for the bombers."