A/N: I'm back from Con! It was great! I got to see Tom and Elliot. We talked for a bit, I was heckin' nervous and my gf told him, "Oh yeah, my boyfriend has been gay for you for years now." Got a hoody and a signed poster. We fucking hugged. I tried not to cry.
Life is good.
—
Tension all but sucked away and feeling very much lighter in spirit, the duo settled into an easy line of chatter. It was borderline flirtatious, bouncing off each other with awkward one-liners that would make the other cough back laughter. Finding it easier than their earlier interactions, Tom revelled in the attention, grinning widely when they took turns to recite their favourite vines.
Searching for their other friends took a backseat as the rest of the world seemed to disappear into nothingness, feeling every inch of content as they got lost under the several layers of snark and irony. Walking side by side, arms brushing as they swayed.
They ignored it as best as they could.
Finally, when the couldn't put it off for much longer, they resolved to slowly start scoping out their missing roommates. Taking the escalator at a leisurely pace; Tom tried not to think about how much he actually liked spending time alone with Tord.
It was a new layer of weird on the already pretty tall cake of bullshit feelings.
Sexual entanglement is something that he can get used to- he knew the rules and he could play them in his favour. But commitment? Sharing feelings, and wanting to spend extended periods of time together? That was awkward, uncharted territory; something that he really hadn't considered before.
Being the quiet, independent person that he was; he never particularly felt comfortable enough to keep relationships going. People, in general, were just particularly draining to be around. Instead, he preferred a few close friends that were relatively low maintenance and long periods of thoughtful, drunk solitude.
So, when feeling the need to break that habit; to suddenly long for lazy Sunday mornings full of half-dressed cuddling, and domestic loving face kisses, it left him feeling off-centre; uncertain. Especially when considering it was for someone who he had begrudgingly known for a very long time- someone who he didn't exactly have good memories of.
It made him want to reevaluate as to just how gay he really is.
But maybe that's what he needed?
For a relationship, especially during the beginning, everything is almost always guaranteed to be a stiff, embarrassing mix of obnoxious lies. Building yourself up in your partner's eyes, promising a version of yourself that you wished were true, but will never quite be; a disappointment waiting to be discovered by the both of you.
But with Tord, that would be different.
They had known each other for years, from playground fights to teenage angst. Beaten and bruised, they have torn each other apart and watched as they slowly sowed themselves back together. Through the bad and the good, the start of their relationship has been left long in the past, it's something that cannot be changed.
Most people usually, insistently, viciously recount the times in which they had dated a former friend, how it had ruined them, and that to never do it, under any circumstances.
But really, can you destroy a friendship that didn't exist in the first place?
Squinting, Tom could vaguely make out the familiar shapes of his friends. Outside of the nearby ice cream pallor, between the young families and gaggles of teenage girls, they were situated on small metal chairs, opposite each other. Banging their fists softly against the rickety tabletop, they struggled to stifle their laughter; faces red and grins wide in obvious happiness.
Despite himself, Tom felt the telltale curl of his lips, smiling almost fondly at the scene.
They were adorable.
Moving in closer, bits and pieces of their stuttered, gasping conversation flooded into his senses, causing his fond smile to turn into a teasing grin.
They were so gay.
"So, Matt is a size queen confirmed?" He quipped, laughing easily as he settled into his own chair, his chest bumping into the table as he leaned forward.
Edd, who at this point was already as red as his beloved cola cans, huffed roughly between near hysterical laughter. He hid his face with both of this arms, eyes squinting as they filled with moisture, ice lolly forgotten.
Matt was face down on the tabletop, shoulders shaking, a few snorts escaping his grinning lips every so often.
Tord watched on in confused interest, "What the fuck?"
Gulping dryly, Edd managed to utter out a quick, "We were trying to see how far we could deep throat an ice cream."
Tord sighed deeply in amusement, "How far?"
Matt picked his head up, and grinned wide, "Edd swallowed the entire thing."
"Dang." Tom gasped, wrapping his arms around his stomach, "I didn't know you had it in you, boi."
"I bet I can swallow more than you." Tord suddenly piped up, leaning towards him with a teasing smirk.
Tom quipped an eyebrow, "What do you have to bet with, Norski?"
He watched as Tord pretended to ponder for a while, before he offered, "What about... If I win, you have to do what I want for a day."
"And I get the same prize if I win?" Tom asked, thinking it over.
Tord nodded, smirk widening.
"Then bring it, bitch."
Edd and Matt watched the scene unfold before them, their breathing calming the longer the conversation continued. They quirked a smile and looked at each other for a minute, brains whirling as Tord went to fetch the ice lollies.
Tord didn't know.
"Blueberry or strawberry?" Tord offered confidently.
Tom motioned towards the strawberry and watched in keen interest as Tord unwrapped his treat.
Tord placed it against his lips and licked the tip teasingly as he made eye contact. Breathing hitching in his chest, Tom felt his throat run dry as Tord slowly inches his way down the shaft, lips moistening from the rapidly melting ice.
He didn't even want to know how hard he was blushing.
Finally, after what felt like several hours, Tord reached his limit, sinking his teeth down into the sides before pulling away. He held it out triumphantly.
The tooth marks were more than halfway.
Matt whooped, hands curling around his mouth as he hollered.
Tom only just had the decency to look away.
"Beat that."
Sighing heavily, Tom started to slowly unravel his own, hands shaking as he struggled to undo the tricky packaging. Vaguely, he could hear the sounds of Tord taunting him, and Edd's reassuming screams as he egged him on. The voices seemed so far away in comparison to the several heated stares that cut through his walls of indifference.
Pressure formed behind his face, the blood still rushing to display his embarrassment as he felt every one of his insecurities lay exposed in front of him.
He wasn't worried about losing.
It was the whispered promises and the suddenly inexplicable opportunities of the future that really caused his heart to flutter nervously.
When he finally got it uncovered, he could have sworn he felt his pulse jump in his throat.
Time to bite the bullet.
Holding the stick as calmly as he could muster, Tom slowly looked up and met Tord's intense silver stare. Bringing it to his mouth, his felt his eyelids lower and started to sink down.
Strawberry burst on his tongue, tingling pleasantly on his taste buds, the weight of the treat pressing comfortably against the back corners of his throat. He hummed, not used to the sensation, but liking it enough for now.
He kept going, reaching further and further he felt wood clack tellingly against his teeth. Holding it there for a while, he saw Tord's breath hitch, his Adam's apple bouncing as he gulped silently.
Satisfied, he pulled off, a popping noise escaping him from the motion. He smacked his lips, feeling how wet and shiny they were, before smirking. Eyes still hooded, he waved the lolly around teasingly.
"I don't have a gag reflex." He started roughly.
He heard the cheering around him as Edd and Matt chattered excitedly, but it was muted, unfocused. Instead, he caught Tord silently mouthing the words, 'Oh, fuck', his pupils dilated.
"I'll take my winnings in an 'IOU'."
All Tord could do was nod, dumbly.