Bird Eyes || Tomtord

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As Tom was walking home, he immediately thought, Fuck. He had no clue how to care for a baby lizard, nor for a dozen. He didn't know what they ate, when they ate, how big they grow. He didn't know the first thing about animals, having none, except Ringo, but Edd took care of her.

He wasn't feeling regret, though. He might have not thought everything out well enough but he was glad he had gotten these little critters. He would care for them, cater to their needs, once he found out how. He had the internet, things would work out. He had to do it, for Tord. Because Tord might be one of these lizards. It's a one in a billion chance, but it's a chance none-the-less.

Of course he knew that he had no means of getting Tord back to normal after he knew that he found him, but that would be okay for now. He had to worry about one thing at a time.

Tord, if for sure found, could help him recreate the humanization gun somehow. They could speak in Morse code. They could find a way. Then he remembered trying to carve out his name on the floorboards of Tord's house when he was a cat, how he couldn't remember what any of the letters in his name looked like.

Another dead end.

He swore again when he thought about what Edd and Matt would say. They wouldn't want to take care of another pet, not to mention another dozen pets. Would they make him leave? What...

Too late to ask more questions, Tom had reached the door to their apartment. He huffed and swung the door open. Edd and Matt were sitting on the couch by the television, watching some dumb show. They looked over and Matt was immediately ecstatic over the box the Tom held carefully.

"What's that? Is it for me?" the ginger asked with a glimmer in his eyes.

The electric eyed man coughed. He shook his head, "It's, uh, I don't think you'd want it. But I do." He felt like a dog with his tail between his legs, slightly ashamed. He knew that Matt would love them, but he wasn't so sure about Edd. Tom wasn't the one making money, he was. But he could start.

"It's important to me," he continued. He sat down in between the couple and opened the box. The little creatures weren't moving, except for the light stir that meant breath. His roommates' eyes lit up. Apparently Edd didn't mind, not at first at least.

"Why did you..." Edd pondered. "There's just so many, I mean- How did you even-" He stumbled with his words. "W-What...?"

As Edd was fumbling, Matt was shining. "They're so cute!" he exclaimed, thrusting his hand into the box. Tom's breath hitched, in fear that he could hurt one of the little sand lizards. He picked one up in a gentle hand. It swung its tail around in annoyance of being disturbed.

"Tom?" Edd asked. "Do you even know how to take care of these?"

Perhaps he thought too soon about Edd. The questions rushed into his head again, dizzying him. He whine, "I have the internet."

"Do you know how expensive these are going to be?"

"I-I thought I could get a job or..."

"Stop. Why did you even get them? And why so many?"

Tom growled lowly and unnoticeably. He was being backed into a corner, intimidated, feeling mocked in his stupid choice to buy the baby reptiles. He hated the feeling of half guilt and half anger. He hated the gnarled feeling in his gut and the choking sensation in his throat. He hated it. He hated Edd. He hated Matt. He hated everyone. He hated the world. He hated Tord.

Why did Tord have to leave him all alone? He was no one without him. He was nowhere without him. He was miserable. He was lonely and deserted and desolate and empty and isolated and lonesome and abandoned and secluded and so damn lonely.

"I told you that it was important to me," Tom scoffed. "Just trust me... Please."

Edd huffed, "Okay, fine. But you better start earning money to raise these things because I'm not doing it for you."

Tom's face lit up like a firework. He swore that he would be kicked out. He calmed himself slightly so that he wouldn't squeal. "Of course, Edd. I'll take care of them."

"It's also not my fault if Ringo eats any of them, got it?"

Tom nodded. Reluctantly, he asked, "Matt, you okay watching over them while I go get supplies?" The ginger responded with a bright nod.

Leaving his babies, the robotic eyed boy left the apartment and drove down the street to the shop he knew sold pet things, or cat food at least. Opening the door made a soft jingling sound invade his ears. He skimmed the place and hummed, finding a few things that he knew he'd need. A glass cage, some woodsy flooring, a water dish, and a heat lamp were added to his cart. After asking Siri for a sand lizard's diet, a container of grasshoppers were also added.

This'll work out, he told himself. I'm sure it will.