~~Chapter 7: Distance~~ Tom awoke with a start as he heard knocking on his door. "Tom?" Tord's voice. Of course. Tom mumbled to himself and pulled the blanket over him and Ringo. He heard Tord sigh, but he stayed where he was. Tom knew it'd be hard to go back to sleep, knowing that commie was at his door. Growling, he looked over at the clock. 3:05 Am. "Damnit..." Tom knew sleeping all day was going to throw off his sleep schedule.

"Tom... Please..." He heard the doorknob jingle as it opened. Tom silently cursed at himself for not locking it. He kept his back towards Tord and tried his best to seem asleep. He felt the bed compress as Tord sat down on the end. Tom quickly closed his eyes. It is three in the morning after all, who's to say Tom wouldn't be asleep? He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as his dreams resurfaced in his mind. That's right; remember the warning. Warning? I thought it was just a dream! It's never just a dream, Tom.

Tord began to sing softly. Tom did his best not to blush. Despite being a war-loving commie, he wasn't too bad at singing. Actually, he was pretty good. The words were in Norwegian, but the tune of it was still quite soothing. Here and there, Tom understood a few words.

Byssan lull, koka kittelen full Där kommer tre vandringsmän på vägen Den ene, ack så halt Den andre, o så blind Den tredje säger alls ingenting (boil the full kettle Three wanderers are coming down the road The first one is limping The second one is blind The third one doesn't say anything)

Byssan lull, koka kittelen full På himmelen vandra tre stjärnor Den ena är så vit Den andra är så röd Den tredje är månen den gula (boil the full kettle In the sky three stars are wandering. :|: The first one is so white The second one is so red The third one is the yellow moon)

Byssan lull, koka kittelen full Där blåser tre vindar på haven, :|: På Stora ocean På lilla Skagerack Och långt upp I Bottniska viken (boil the full kettle Three winds are blowing at sea. :|: One the great ocean On the little Skagerrak And far up on the gulf of Bothnia)

Byssan lull, koka kittelen full Där segla tre skutor på vågen. :|: Den första är en bark Den andra är en brigg Den tredje har så trasiga segel (boil the full kettle Three sailing ships are sailing here. :|: The first one is a barque The second one is a brig The third one has ragged sails)

Byssan lull, koka kittelen full Sjökistan har trenne figurer. :|: Den första är vår tro Den andra är vårt hopp Den tredje är kärleken, den röda (boil the full kettle The treasure chest has three figures. :|: The first one is our faith The second one is hope The third one is the red love)

The words made practically no sense, but the tone is all that mattered. Tom understood enough Norwegian to know something about travelers and ships, but his mind was too frantic to remember anything else. He felt Tord place his hand on Tom's shoulder, and the dream flashed back to him Tord's hands wrapped around his neck, sucking the air from his lungs. No escape. No escape. Tom jumped at the contact, rolling over and putting his back against the wall, staring at Tord with a fearful expression. Tord jumped at the sudden movement, believing Tom was really asleep.

"T-Tom." His hand pulled back as he looked at Tom. "Wh-what are you doing?" Tom stuttered, feeling his heart pound against his chest like a trapped bird. "I just wanted to check on you. You haven't seemed yourself lately." Tord reached his arm out and put it on Tom's shoulder. Tom shoved his hand away. "Stop!" His breathing was becoming quick and light. Tord gave him a confused look, and sadness rose behind his eyes.

"Are you... scared of me?" Tord asked, not looking away from Tom. "Sc-scared of you? Hah, w-why would I be scared of you?" He pulled his arms in, wanting to be as far away from Tord as he could. He saw Tord bite his lip, looking away. "I... I just want you to know, Tom..." Tord's words were soft, and Tom could hardly hear him. Tom didn't plan what happened next. Tord grabbed the front of his hoodie, pulling Tom close. He had no time to react before Tord's lips pressed against his own. Tom felt his face flush, and as quickly as it had started, it ended.

"I love you, Tom." Tord said, not making eye contact. Tom was at a loss for words. Did he just...? It's a trick. No. You're wrong this time. He pushed the voice away, steadying himself. Tord's face was flushed, and he got off of Tom's bed, heading for the door. Ringo, who had crawled on the other side of the bed, jumped down to follow him. As Tord put his hand on the door to open it enough to leave, Tom regained his voice.

"I love you too, Tord." He said. Tord hesitated at the door, turning back to face Tom. He smiled warmly, and Tom smiled back. They held the gaze for a few seconds before Tord finally walked away, leaving Tom in a happy silence as he laid back down and managed to fall asleep once more. (hhhh there)

(TerraBTW as I told you I would, I used your art as the cover for this chapter on Wattpad)

OwO Norsk friend I'm learning.

AngryToilet- Byssan lull is a Norwegian/Swedish lullaby, therefore it is both

hhHHh Tank U ^^

EXTRA HAPPY NOISES