Cat Eyes || Tomtord

Jet

Tom awoke to his back being stroked and a gentle voice saying, "Wake up, cat. We're going to London."

Tom stretched and got up. He followed Tord to the kitchen, where Tom ignored his bowl of cat food and snatched one of the pieces of bacon from Tord's plate. "No! You stupid fucking cat, that's your food," Tord said, pointing to the bowl. Tom jumped up on the counter, then onto the fridge to avoid Tord's robot arms that tried to grab him.

"Ugh," Tord groaned, going back to his seat, "You're so spoiled."

The door opened suddenly, "The plane's ready, sir."

"Ever heard of knocking?" Tord replied.

"Sorry," Pau said, slamming the door shut and knocking on it.

Tord facepalmed, "Come in."

"The plane's ready, sir."

"Get out."

The door shut again. Tom silently laughed at this funny exchange between friends. Work friends, he remembers Tord calling them that.

What does he mean by a work friend? Tom asks himself. Does he not like them? Is he being forced into being friends with them, just because they work together? Was he friends with them because of work and now wishes they weren't? Tom pushed his thoughts away.

Tord finished his plate and got on a black hoodie with sleeves that covered his robotic arms. "C'mon, cat," he said, standing by the fridge. Tom leaped onto Tord's shoulder gracefully and they made their way out, Tord grabbing a suitcase along the way.

They walked down the silent hall. It was still quite early in the morning, Tom guessed that no one was up. They got into a red car that Tom recognized. It was the same car that Tord drove away in when he left for the first time. The only real difference was a broken headlight.

Tom jumped off the shoulder he perched on and onto the passenger's seat. He listened to a blur of words he couldn't understand sung to a rhythm that didn't sound familiar as Tord drove along the road. Tom looked at the world passing by him. A white house, a blue house, a brown house they passed.

It wasn't long until they got to an airport. Not really an airport, more like a place to park your planes and jets. Tord extended his arm and let Tom pad across it and up, back onto his usual perch.

Tord spoke with people in another language until they were on a jet. They sat beside each other in silence, the only sounding being the engine roaring to life and the wind whipping the plane.

The noise was loud for Tom's sensitive cat ears but he pushed away his uncomfortableness. He sat on Tord's lap, since Tord snatched the window seat, and had two paws against the glass, looking out. He saw the world get smaller and smaller beneath him and eventually turn into white fluffy clouds. He flicked his tail and hopped off the window. Tord ruffled his fur and lit a cigarette.

Tom didn't appreciate that. His sense of smell had gone through the roof when he turned into a cat and now that he was literally on the lap of someone smoking; it was absolutely intoxicating. Tom meowed loudly and angrily and smacked the cigarette. Of course, since he was a cat, he wasn't strong and didn't end up hitting the cigarette out of Tord's hand.

The Norwegian seemed to get the message. "I was thinking of quitting smoking anyways," he said, dropping the cigarette and stepping it out.

Tom wagged his tail in excitement, he would soon be able to see Edd and Matt. His best friends since kindergarten. How long had it been? Tom hadn't been keeping track. It could have been a month or a year. Tom didn't really have a great grasp on time.

But were they okay? Are they okay? How were they getting along? Were they still living near each other? Was Edd still... living?

Tom remembers the last time something really bad happened. Edd's parents got a divorce during Edd's edgy teen years and he mostly stopped eating, sleeping, going outside and living in general. Was it happening again? Was it worse?

Tom's thoughts went south quickly. Was Edd's depression back? Was Matt infected by it too? Were they both suffering together? Did they still have each other? Were they seeing a therapist? Did they follow in Tom's footsteps?

Time passed quickly as Tom stressed over his friends. He didn't even realize when he fell asleep; his dreams were filled with Edd and Matt.

Tord, while Tom was still asleep, picked him up and carried him off the jet. It had landed in England. Tom was quiet and still in his arms. Again, he felt safe, even in his sleep.

Why should he feel safe? Tord's the one who blew up his house, fought with him, called him names. That was all blocked by the overwhelming emotion that Tom felt. One that he wasn't used to and hasn't realized he really felt.

Love. Maybe not the type of love that you feel in a romantic relationship yet. That would be weird, a cat and a human. No, it's more of a best friend type love. They're friends, and friends love each other.