Quarantined

TWO: Daily Struggles

He awoke the next morning alone. Tord opened his eyes and yawned before sitting up. He realized his lover was no longer in bed with him and felt his heartbeat skip in confusion. He wondered where Tom had gone- was he just in the kitchen, or had he gone out? Both were things Tord asked himself as he arched his back to stretch. Tom was probably only taking a shower. Yeah, that made sense; the both of them had gotten rather messy after the night before.

Tord slipped out from under the covers and picked up his phone from the nightstand.

100%    Three new messages

12:05 a.m. Edd- Hey, Tord. I know Tom gets home tonight, but I’ve got bad news. Text back asap.

1:16 a.m. Edd- You’re probably sleeping, so I’ll just go ahead and tell you so you can see in the morning.

1:17 a.m. Edd- Matt is sick. He was tested, and it came back positive last night. I think I might be in a bit of trouble- I don’t know if I’ll be able to cover treatment for him.

Tord hit himself on the forehead, “Shoot! I can’t believe I didn’t check my phone last night!” He sighed and got out of bed. He quickly sent a text to Edd as he began pacing back and forth across the bedroom.

9:53 a.m. Tord- Oh no! That’s terrible! I hope to the gods he makes it through okay! :(

9:53 a.m. Tord- Hey, if you ever need help paying for treatment, you can always take out a loan or something. Or hey, I could help you pay for it! I get enough funds from the shop, and Tom’s job pays well.

The Norse let out a sigh as he stopped walking. I should probably find Tom and tell him. Tord left the dimly lit room and walked the hallway. As he passed the bathroom, he heard the shower running. Well, I guess my assumption was correct. He tapped on the door before cracking it open.

“Tom? Are you here?” Tord asked tiredly, fully opening the door and stepping through. There was a bit of shuffling from the other side of the shower curtain, and Tom’s head popped out from behind it.

“Yep! I’m just cleaning up, amour.” The Brit explained with a loving smile. He went back behind the shower curtain. “I’m almost finished, so if you need the bathroom, I’ll only be a moment.”

“No, love, I don’t need it. I just thought I would find you and say good morning.” Tord replied, his words taking a cheerier tone.

The phone buzzed in his pocket, reminding the man of why he tracked down his spouse in the first place. He took out his phone and checked the notification.

10:01 a.m. Edd- Tord, you don’t have to do that. It’s our problem, not yours. :(

“Oh, right.” Tord let out another sigh, rubbing his temples. “Matt has the virus. Edd texted last night.”

There was a sharp curse that came from the other side of the shower, and the sound of soap hitting the floor rang out. “Shit, seriously? Is he doing okay?” TOm asked, the running water shut off abruptly.

Tord huffed, “I’m not sure. I’d say not; I mean he has a virus that screws with your lungs, so I’d say he’s in a bit of pain.” He leaned against the doorframe as the dolphin print curtains were drawn back. The caramel-blond man watched his husband dry off and get dressed (not in a creepy way, don’t worry).

Once dressed, Tom huffed in exhaustion. “We should probably go over there tomorrow and check on him.” He pointed out, stepping over to Tord and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I can see if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Tord smiled and returned the peck shyly before leaving the bathroom. “Tomorrow, though. I want to get today with you.” He cooed, his accent lightly affecting his words. The two shared a nod of agreement before heading down to the kitchen. Tord went to the refrigerator and took out a jug of milk while Tom sat at the counter. He got a few glasses and sat down next to Tom, a bright smile still gracing his lips.