Kloktober 2023 Day 29
So what happens after AOTD?
The best part about AOTD is the potential of what can happen next! And one of the parts I was looking forward the most was how the band would deal with what happened to Toki, so I took the chance to write a little about it today. And yes, it's Skwistok, lol.
Side note: This drabble takes place in the same timeline than all of these drabbles, yes (not that you need to read them for this one, though, just a fun fact!)
Drop.
Toki heard it the first time.
Drop, drop.
And the second time.
Drop…drop, drop.
And the third time too.
Drop.
He heard them all, he just didn’t know how to react. Skwisgaar had come by earlier and sat next to him, making no noise besides the fretting of his guitar, when suddenly tears started pouring down his face.
Toki could see him with the corner of his eye. He could see Skwisgaar wiping his face only for more tears to be shed. Silent sniffles and heavy swallows, Toki wasn’t sure if Skwisgaar wanted his crying to be acknowledged or not, so he pretended not to notice still.
He had an idea what might have been causing it, though.
After they defeated Salacia and successfully prevented the end of the world, things had been slowly going back to normal. Cities were being rebuilt, survivors were reuniting, governments were slowly reestablishing. Little by little, Earth was healing from its tragedy.
For Dethklok, however, things were a bit different as they were starting to recover memories they had no recollection of losing in the first place. And for Toki, well, it meant reliving his capture, his kidnapping. It was relieving what someone he thought of as a friend did to him. The countless hours he spent clinging to Abigail, not ready to die yet. The never-ending days he waited for Dethklok to come to him, only to fall asleep amidst dreams of their first meeting.
In all honesty, it hadn’t been as shocking as it should’ve. Maybe because of his childhood, or maybe because things hadn’t been entirely normal after he was back with his brothers. He kept having confusing, unsettling nightmares about being locked, about a dark scary figure, about feeling on the verge of death. So when he started recovering his memories, it was like the missing pieces in a puzzle finally fell in place.
As strange as it might sound, Toki found comfort in understanding what had happened, even if the truth was horrifying. All this time he had thought those nightmares were presages from the future, but turns out they were reminders of the past. That, he could deal with.
He was just…numb to it. Yeah, that was probably it. Not angry or sad, or even relieved. Just numb to it all.
Just that.
“Ams sorries…” Skwisgaar said.
Toki turned to him. “Whats?”
Skwisgaar’s face was soaking wet, yet he still managed to barely show emotion. “Ams sorries.”
“What ams you sorries for?” Toki was confused.
“I forgots everything.” Skwisgaar shook his head lightly. “I didn’ts…undersktand why you were so touchies and I was a dildos abouts it.”
“Oh.” Toki smiled and turned to look at the wall. “Don’t worries about it. I didn’ts really understands either. It ams okay.”
“And we should ‘aves…” He trailed off. “…dones somethingks…earliers…”
“It ams okay.” Toki repeated it, still staring at the wall. “You saveds me and ams glad you dids.”
“We were dildos about it.” Skwisgaar grumbled to himself. “Dildos. I was scareds-”
“Skwisgaar, it really ams-”
“I was scareds I’ds never sees you again.” Skwisgaar let out softly and Toki turned to stare at him, agape. However, Skwisgaar avoided his gaze when he continued. “I was so scareds I droggeds myselves all de times not to thinks abouts it.” His lip quivered. “De idea of losings you…” Skwisgaar closed his eyes, his voice breaking the next time he talked. “I couldn’ts takes it.”
Toki had known Skwisgaar for a long time. He was more aware than anyone else at how bad Skwisgaar was talking about his feelings. Often, he had gotten the short end of the stick because of it. Because of that, he knew it had cost him a lot to say all of that. “Does you want to know whats I thoughts abouts whens I was deres?”
Skwisgaar raised his eyes slowly, like he was scared to meet Toki’s. “Ja…” He whispered.
Toki smiled, already fond of the memory. “I thoughts of my auditions…playings with yous…whens you saids you wanteds me in da bands…” He looked down, almost ashamed. “I thoughts of everyones, of course, but I thoughts of you mosts, Skwisgaar…of us…it gaves me de strenghts to keep goings…” He shook his head. “Soes embarrassings, I know...”
Because Skwisgaar wasn’t saying anything, he glanced at him. Skwisgaar was looking at him, with something in his eyes that Toki hadn’t seen before.
“Skwisgaar?”
Wordlessly, Skwisgaar grabbed the sides of Toki’s face and meshed their lips together. It lasted for barely a second before Skwisgaar pulled back, seemingly disconcerted by his own reaction. “S-Sorries, Toke, I…”
Toki shook his head. He didn’t want Skwisgaar to apologize over that, but he also wasn’t ready to process it yet. Not right now. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Skwisgaar’s, who for once, didn’t try to put space between. Trying to collect himself, he inhaled deeply.
“I really ams–”
“Stops.” Toki said without opening his eyes. “Don’ts says anythings.”
He heard Skwisgaar swallow. “Okays.”
Toki smirked. “And holds me.”
Awkwardly, Skwisgaar placed his hands on Toki’s waist. “L-Likes dis?”
“Yeah.” They remained like that for a while. He could hear Skwisgaar’s labored breathing, it was a little funny. What was he so worked out about? “Skwisgaar?”
“J-Ja?”
“Don’t lets me go.”
“I won’ts!” Skwisgaar said a bit too enthusiastically. “I won’ts…” He repeated, more sober.
Toki smiled. He had a long road ahead and he knew it. And it wasn’t going to be easy. When had his life ever been easy? But he had a feeling, it all would be okay in the end.
“Goods.”
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