Chained In Servility

25

TWs: Not-alive animal, some crude humor, we love daddy issues here (sarcasm), and drinking.

The group soon arrived at the complex, with the trio taking the elevator and Tord taking the stairs.

"Why do you take the stairs? The elevator is faster." Tom pointed out.

Tord froze, thinking of an excuse, "It's good exercise, Jehovah. You should try it sometime."

Tom looked offended and bleak at the comment, only facing the others to say, "I have to go meet a friend at the bar. Talk to you later."

"Don't overdo it," Edd spoke softly, watching Tom re-enter the elevator.

"And I have to get ready for a date. See you guys later!" Matt rushed quickly into his flat.

Edd turned to Tord, "Let's go to my flat."

Tord only nodded, following the taller into his apartment. He was already feeling his anxiety creeping into his body, making him shiver.

Right as they entered, Ringo came sprinting to greet her owner, meowing excitedly. Edd smiled fondly as he picked her up, cradling her in his arms.

"I haven't seen you all morning- where have you been, girl?" Edd said as he went to check if she had food.

Tord was about to sit on the couch when he noticed something interesting there.

'Aha, that's where Ringo's been...' Tord thought as he stared at the couch cushions, "Hey, Edd?"

"Yeah?" The taller peeked his head out from the kitchen.

"Ringo left food for you on the sofa." The Norsk smirked.

"What?" Edd frowned as he returned from the kitchen, Ringo sitting on the kitchen table having a good view of the living room.

Tord moved away as Edd saw what was plopped on the couch.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." Edd muttered, then turned to look at his precious cat, "Ringo, we've been over this- stop returning with dead animals. I don't want them."

The shorter looked at the dead rat on the sofa. Freshly killed with a bite to the neck, it looked like Ringo had the upper hand on this one. This surprised Tord, seeing as rats tend to avoid cats, and generally, cats are bad at catching rats, but it wasn't impossible.

"Sorry about that; you know how Ringo likes to 'gift' me things that aren't... alive," Edd spoke as he glared over at Ringo, who looked quite proud of herself as she licked her paw.

Tord chuckled, "I've received stranger gifts."

"What's stranger than a dead rat?" Edd quirked an eyebrow.

"Pau gave me the worst alphabet book ever when I was three and offensive crayons when I was seven."

"Offensive... crayons?"

"Yeah, like white was 'privilege,' green was 'baby shit green,' brown was 'travel ban brown'-"

"Okay, I think that's enough." Edd smiled awkwardly as Ringo made her way to hop up on the sofa, "Uh, since the sofa is... in use, does my room sound good?"

"Your room?" Tord's eyes widened as his heartbeat ran faster, and his face felt like it was set ablaze, 'Ah, calm down idiot, you're trying to fix your relationship with Edd, not ruin it further...'

"Yeah, my room. Is there a problem-?"

"No," Tord cut him off, "No, of course not; your room sounds good."