Entry tags:

30 seconds to mars, 30stm: cleopatra verse, 30stm: jared leto, 30stm: tim kelleher, 30stm: tim kelleher/oc

FIC: A River In Egypt--Cleopatra Verse. 30stm. Tim/OC. Adult 4/8
full header & part one || part two || part three






“Need to talk to you,” Jared mumbled as he opened the door and grabbed Tim by the arm, hauling him through the house to the kitchen.

The wince he caught of Shannon's and Tomo's head shake weren't all that encouraging really.

“Hi how ya doing, no I don't mind your caveman imitation and being dragged off,” Tim snorted once they were in the kitchen.

Jared glared. “I'm trying here.”

Tim scrunched his eyebrows together. “Okay, but...trying what, Jared?”

“To apologize.”

“Forget it. Okay? Apology accepted. It's okay.”

Jared shook his head.

Tim kind of wanted to whimper. “Why can't we forget it?”

“Because I-I-”

Tim sighed. “I appreciate the concern, you got to get a bit better about the delivery. But I appreciate the concern.”

Jared scowled.

Tim really kind of wanted to hug Jared. “If you got to know Ange, you'd know it's really kind of impossible for him to hurt anyone, especially not me.” That was true even if-he had no fucking idea of what to make of Ange's production today. He didn't really want to think about it.

“You don't have to quit on us,” Jared glared.

“WHAT?” Tim gaped.

“Tomo said you were all hyper about your new band-“

Tim stared. For about all of three seconds he thought about strangling Tomo. Part of him wondered if that was Tomo and Shannon's impromptu solution of the problem and...if it was it would be fucking nice to have been informed of that.

He didn't think either of them would do that to him. Tomo had been thrilled about the job playing at the club. That it meant they didn't have to worry about losing him because he had steady enough income and a set schedule which might not always be the most convenient they at least would know what they had to work around when it came to what they wanted or needed him for.

“Yeah, I can make my fucking rent. You've got a set schedule for me that isn't going to change. And I'll have plenty of time to put in notice if you guys still want me when you go out on the road again.”

Jared relaxed as Tim's explanation sunk in.

“You looked upset again,” the scowl was back.

Goddamn Jared was... Tim sighed. “One of the kittens is sick. Basically trying to come down with fuckin' pneumonia or something. And I spent most of the afternoon with a sort of ex of Ange's. Not a bad guy and it's not that big of a deal. Just not really the most fun ya know?”

Jared's hand was there on his shoulder rubbing his arm. “Tomo said the kittens were awesome.”

“Yeah, they are,” Tim smiled.

“Jaguars?”

“Yeah. Fuckin' jaguars, they're incredible. I can ask Becky tomorrow and if you wanted maybe Thursday you could go with...” Probably the stupidest idea ever. He was really getting in the habit of breaking his stupidest idea record these days but he knew Jared would love them. Absolutely love them, he was sure of it. And fuck it, he...he just plain wanted Jared to see them. He was so completely beyond fucked there weren't even words for it.

Jared's hostility sort of evaporated, and looked so eager and uncertain, Tim had to shove his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out and touching Jared. “You'd...you'd really want me to go along? That...Ange wouldn't get pissed or I wouldn't cause a problem for you somehow?”

“Yeah, yeah, I'd love for you to see them. They're just...awesome,” Tim said quietly. “They're so soft and it's just kinda nice and quiet and relaxing with them. I'd love for you to get the chance to see them.”

Jared chewed on his lip. “And Ange...”

“Ange isn't going to have a problem with you coming to spend a few hours volunteering to feed the kits with me if Becky okays it. She's the Cat Boss. He's not going to get pissed. He's not,” Tim insisted, pushing his hands a little deeper in his pockets. He wanted to reach and stroke Jared's cheek, squeeze his arm, fucking hug him or something. “Ange isn't afraid to throw a tantrum on me and he sure as hell would have when I got called to come over to work on the song last time I was here if he had a problem with me being around you. It's-he knows I think you're attractive, hell he thinks you are too honestly. He knows you're my friend, and I work for you, and there's never going to be anything that is gonna happen. He's a hell of a lot more likely to get pissed off over how much time I spend on music than which friends I keep.”

He was unprepared for the look that crossed Jared's face he really couldn't categorize at all and Jared's voice when he spoke was...raw. Outraged, furious and broken and just raw. “He what? He...gets pissed about you playing...”

Tim groaned. “He doesn't get it. Okay? He gets I love music, I love playing. Ange doesn't get the willing to live on ramen when there isn't money for anything else or having things up in the air from one month to the next with only so much work out there and it not the most stable thing. Ange more wishes it was a hobby rather than a job and I had something steadier and stable and he doesn't...it's just not in him to quite get playing all night because something's going good and you've almost got it. He's not-it used to drive him nuts. He's got that this is just what I do now, and I'm doing okay, better these days than I used to, easier to keep in enough work to keep everything paid. He...its who he is, he likes things orderly and safe and knowing where the next paycheck is coming from and he wants that for me and I want to play so we've gone round how many times over the years that goddamn it this is what I'm doing quit being a mother hen. Not he doesn't want me to play, he just wants me to have something that I'm not skimping and starving and worrying about what the hell I'm doing to keep the utilities on and pay the rent.”

“That's good.”

Tim wanted to beat his head on the wall at how satisfied Jared sounded by that.

“Tomo and Shannon are gonna kill me if I make you quit.”

“I'm not gonna quit. Just drop shit when you're told to and we're good okay?”

“I'll try,” Jared agreed.

“Then we're good,” Tim said. He was so fucking screwed. Jared would try he didn't doubt that. He'd let Jared way too far under his skin. He couldn't quite stop his hand from coming out of his pocket and his thumb brushing under Jared's eye, he knew it was almost fucking cruel but he couldn't help it. He really really didn't want to think that the dark rings under Jared's eyes were from worrying over this. “You look like shit.”

“Fuck you. You didn't call,” Jared snapped.

“I figured you would when you got settled down, I'm not going to make trouble.”

“You're a fucking idiot.”

“Not a newsflash,” Tim said drily.

*

Two hours and three beers later, awkward was forgotten as Tomo and Shannon were about half-buzzed to the point they were dangerous to be near they were so far into their video game. Jared kicked Shannon in the hip after getting elbowed in the shin for the eightieth time then crawled over Tim to sit further away from Shannon.

His phone's vibration in his pocket had him fishing it out with one hand while he held his beer up over his head with the other as Shannon reached around Tim's legs to whack Jared on the shin again deliberately this time. Jared leaned over Tim's lap to give his brother a shove in the shoulder, the two of them laughing and a playful bickering that Tim didn't have a clue what it was about. Between Jared's inability to leave an inch of space between them and his mind replaying Ange's fucking weird with Mal he'd kind of not really had all that much a clue of anything said or gone on.

The guys hadn't seemed to notice too much though. Shannon and Tomo having too much fun playing Halo really badly and Jared mocking them.

“Hey, just gimme a sec. Jesus, you two! If you're going to fight do it without me in the middle!” Tim laughed and managed to get up and out from between Jared on the couch and Shannon on the floor. “Be back in just a minute.”

“Damn, when are you two buying the rings?” Tomo teased.

Tim froze midstep at the innocent teasing. He shook his head and forced himself to move without looking back, not saying a word or letting himself dwell on the eyes he felt following him and sudden silence other than the game on the tv.

“How's your goat?”

“Waiting for him to wake up but everything looks good,” Ange said. “I'm sorry for how I acted this afternoon...”

“Wasn't the what that got me, it was the how...” Tim murmured.

“I-he was at my office day yesterday, right after I called you about the kits. Apologized and wanted to know if there was a hope in hell of me ever giving him another chance. And I-”

“Suck at dealing with awkward you aren't ready for,” Tim snorted, relaxing and pulling his cigarettes from his pocket, lighting one.

”Yeah,” Ange agreed.

“Please don't again, not like that...” Tim whispered.

”I won't, I-“

“New subject. Tomorrow night, huh?”

”Yeah, that's a good idea,” Ange sighed. ”How's your evening going?”

“Good. Just hanging out. No jealous fit to rescue me,” Tim smiled. Ange's concern clear enough in his voice. “I'm taking a cab tomorrow, you better remember to come get me from the kittens when you're done for the day.”

”Couldn't forget you if I tried,”

“Sap,” Tim laughed fondly. He stifled the sigh as the door opened and all three came out of the house.

”And there's my boy stirring,”

“You better go take care of your goat then,” Tim smiled.

”Love you, see you tomorrow.”

“Love you too, Ange,” Tim said quietly. “Night.”

“You really love him,” Jared said softly, his tone odd, almost amazed.

Shannon or Tomo, Tim would have wanted to just knock a few teeth loose for that but Jared...Jared was Jared, and...yeah. And nothing. Jared was Jared. Jared being Jared it took a bit of head tilting and thinking to get the differences between what came out of his mouth and exactly how he meant it sometimes. And Jared was so fucking far under his skin that being within a hundred miles of him was an exercise in emotional masochism half the time. The other half he was one of the best friends a guy could ask for, like Tomo and Shannon and the good so far outweighed his own problem with Jared just being too much, too close at times was more than dealable.

“He's Ange,” Tim shrugged. They might not get that answer but that was good enough.

“If you have or ever get married or just get a ring-don't be fucking stupid. Wear it. Tomo'd wear his if he ever gets off his ass and marries Vicky,” Shannon glared.

Tomo snorted. “Her mom and mine have pissed her off so bad harping about when we are ever going to finally get married, I think hell's gonna freeze over first.”

“Believe me. I will if I ever do. I might keep my private life quiet but I'll be goddamned if I'm denying who I'm with. I would have told you guys about Ange anyway soon enough once we'd figured out what the hell ourselves, hadn't figured out how and sure as fuck didn't mean to the way it came out before that wasn't an issue because there wasn't anyone,” Tim shook his head.

Jared's eyes narrowed.

Tim sighed. “Don't. Don't. Just don't.”

He was surprised when Jared actually didn't despite the fact his eyes widened a little and he took a sharp breath.

“Subject dropped,” Jared declared with a murderous glare at Shannon and Tomo which took them by surprise as much as it did Tim. Jared attaching himself to Tim's side, digging for the cigarettes and lighter in Tim's pocket and helping himself to one was pretty much...well, normal. It was probably a temporary reprieve but he'd take it.




~*~

“Hey,” Ange greeted softly, his broad form filling up the doorway to the room the kittens were in.

Tim looked up with a smile. “Hey, yourself. I'm almost done.”

Becky grinned. “Think you could convince this one to go after getting his vet assistant or something that would let me hire him.”

Tim managed not to squeeze the kit in his hands.

Ange sighed and shook his head. “I'd love to see him do something like that-“

Tim shook his head.

“I'm not the only one that thinks you could do something-”

“Stop. Right. There. Angelo,” Tim glared.

Ange sighed and rolled his eyes. “He's stubborn about his guitars.”

“If we're going to dig up that old argument I can just call a cab and head home, Ange.” Tim said tightly.

“Not starting,” Ange said quietly. “I won't start. I'd love to see you do something steadier, play on weekends once in a while or something. You know that. But I haven't started on that subject in years, you know that too.”

“You'd make a good accountant and could have a dog,” Tim shot back.

Ange snorted. “I'd hate it. I'd be miserable and go nuts.”

“Same difference.”

“Yeah...I stepped in it this time, didn't I?” Becky muttered looking from one to the other. Mal who was feeding the third kit was studiously looking at the kit, so deliberately not paying attention it was obvious he was hanging on every word.

“Tim gets stubborn and single-minded,” Ange said with a smile, the teasing note in his tone made Tim relax.

“Yeah, I got to be putting up with you, Pot,” Tim shot back relaxing a little. “Don't worry about it, Becky.” He smiled at her reassuringly. “Used to be a deal, especially back when that one would have fits at me and went and applied to colleges and shit for me without me even knowing our senior year. He hasn't gotten on his high horse about me starving and wasting my life in a few years.”

Becky raised an eyebrow. “Just how long have you two been together?”

“A month or so,” Ange smiled.

“This time.”

“This time,” Ange agreed. “Tim's been my best friend since we were twelve. My sister Salma had a fit at me on the phone, because evidently we don't act any different dating than just friends.”

Tim laughed.

“You just watch it. You get to put up with Mama, Salma and Lara fussing at Thanksgiving just as much as I will.”

“Yeah, well, they fuss at me anyway so what's the difference?”

“Not much, probably,” Ange agreed.

Becky raised an eyebrow.

“My mom practically adopted him,” Ange laughed. “My sisters like him better than me.”

“That's cause you're a brat and I'm not.”

Ange choked. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“I suppose your family is the same?” Mal spoke up and looked almost startled he'd said anything.

“Mom always liked Ange more than my other friends when we were in school,” Tim shrugged. Then snorted amused. “Dad always actually thought football team and honor roll had to be a good influence on me.”

Ange tensed and gave Mal a warning glare. Tim fought the urge to roll his eyes at Ange's protectiveness even as he leaned into the heavy hand that settled on his shoulder.

“Your mom gone?” Becky asked cautiously.

“Nope, mom and dad live in Torrence,” Tim shrugged. It really wasn't worth mentioning that Tim hadn't been to the place they'd moved to there five years before even once. His mom called at roughly once a month and he met her for lunch a handful of times a year, if the opportunity arose. He honestly saw Ange's mom and spoke to her more often. He and Cody had helped Lara's husband Jeff move Ange's mom, Luisa, up to Oakland. Lara and Alejandra both up there in the Bay area and Luisa wanted to be closer to her grandchildren. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter the last few years had meant a long drive to Oakland if he wasn't working or on the road and any other long weekend there was a chance. Lara's four girls all called him Uncle Tim, he'd seen a picture of his brother's six month old. His mom hadn't seemed to know whether to be tickled by her first grandbaby or just plain ticked his little brother had a kid already at twenty and quit college when he'd had brunch with her that morning. “My brother and his girlfriend live about-hell, three quarters of a mile from my place. My sister's going to grad school in New York.”

“I didn't realize Jake lived so close,” Ange frowned.

Tim shrugged. Jake had been ten the last time Tim had talked to his little brother after the last blow up him and his dad had had. “Rachel sent me a birthday present.” That had been...it was over a week early and so randomly out of the blue when he'd gotten the package that morning that it still hadn't quite sunk in that it was actually real. He hadn't opened it yet. He was half scared to, because he hadn't seen or spoke to his sister in just as long as it had been since he had his brother.

“I've already gotten your presents from Mama and Salma already. There's a card at my place from Alejandra too.”

Tim almost purred at Ange's fingers digging into the knots in the back of his neck. The kit in his hands was done with her bottle. He scritched her ears and set her in Becky's lap next to her sister. “We should get going, if you're all done?” Tim glanced over his shoulder at Ange.

“Yeah, I am,” Ange nodded.

“See you tomorrow, Tim,” Becky smiled.

“Jared and I'll be here at noon,” Tim agreed.

“Jared?” Ange raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Tim smiled. “He'll love them, the quiet with 'em,” he added softly.

Ange shook his head, his expression so gentle it made Tim's heart ache just a little “You manage to know some of the strangest people.”

“Uh huh, I know you, don't I?” Tim shot back with a teasing grin.


*

“What?” Ange murmured when they got into the apartment, pulling Tim into his arms once the door was shut and locked behind them.

“You fucking weird yesterday, brunch with mom this morning and the bombs she had. A fucking birthday present from Rach showing up...picked it up from the post office on my way to meet mom, haven't opened it yet.”

“I'm sorry,” Ange sighed and tightened his arms carefully around Tim. “I-”

“What the hell was that, Ange? That-that fucking got me because you don't do that...” Tim asked leaning into Ange, resting his cheek on the broad shoulder and nuzzling a little into Ange's neck. “I'm not pissed, just...really got me...”

Ange shuddered and took a sharp breath.

Tim saw red as Ange recounted Mal's visit to his office and bid to convince Ange to give him one more chance. Pushy bastard had called Ange a liar when he'd said he was seeing someone now and then had gotten nasty about it being “the guy who sent shit from wherever” that Ange claimed he was seeing. When he'd gotten done calling Ange a liar about that, he'd had enough balls to accuse Ange of being the one fucking with people's heads and screwing around, that Mal had been just a distraction waiting for Tim to come home.

“Asshole tries any shit again, you tell me,” Tim whispered.

“Gonna scratch his eyes out, gatito?” Ange tried to tease and failed spectacularly, his voice tight and uncertain.

“He'll fucking wish that's all I did by the time I'm done with him if he hurts you,” Tim promised with a kiss on Ange's cheek.

Ange turned his head, lips ghosted over Tim's mouth. “He was part right even if he got it all wrong. Always loved you but even Robert was smart enough to never try to use that in his stupidity.”

Tim wasn't sure if he was willing to credit Robert with smart about anything. “Love you,” he whispered roughly. Loving Ange was...hell, Ange and music were the two things Cody had teased that Tim couldn't live without. Cody had understood, had gotten the two of them, never been threatened by Tim bouncing around or brooding darkly after a call from Ange. Cody-fuck, Code had been right. He'd go insane without being able to play, and losing Ange somehow was beyond unthinkable.

Ange kissed him softly. Tim melted further against Ange, hands sliding up Ange's back as the kiss deepened, slow, gentle, igniting a heat that had no urgency even as it nearly consumed him. “What the hell are we doing, Ange?” Tim whispered shakily. Even he had to admit that they kind of left 'not serious' behind-hell probably the minute Ange kissed him the night they'd started this.

Ange squeezed him just a little tighter for a second. “Damned if I know,” Ange whispered.

Tim chuckled as Ange's stomach rumbled. “Skipped lunch?” he teased.

“Ass,” Ange muttered, cheeks reddening above his beard.

“Bad Kitty!” Opie squawked suddenly flapping up to land on Ange's other shoulder.

“Gonna pluck you yet, stupid talking chicken.”

“Bad Kitty!”

Ange laughed.

“Freaking chicken. How about Bad Ange? I'm betting the only food in the place is for you and the rest of the zoo.”

“I-”

“Uh huh,” Tim snorted. “You're worse than I am.”

“You've seen me try to cook.”

“Yeah, I have, you're worse than I am,” Tim teased.

“You are a brat, gatito.”

“Mmmhmm, whatcha gonna do about it?”

“Get extra olives on the pizza.”

“Oh that's evil,” Tim mock-glared as Ange fought not to laugh. He yelped as he was climbed, sharp little claws catching in his clothes as they skittered up him. “I hate you two. Why do you think you need to sit on my head, dumbasses?” he muttered even as he reached and pulled George off his shoulder and held him. Fred was trying to nose his way down Tim's hoodie, both sniffing curiously, noses twitching as they inspected Tim. “Smell the kits, huh?” he snorted. “OW!” Fred dove down the front of Tim's hoodie, turning around and scratching a bit through Tim's t-shirt to poke his head back out the neck of the hoodie. George decided Fred had the right idea and nosed his way down Tim's hoodie as well, then turning to poke his head out.

Tim rolled his eyes as Ange fought not to burst out laughing. “Your zoo is as damn bad as you are, Angelo.” he snorted as Ange's stomach rumbled again. “Call for whatever for supper, before your stomach tries eating itself.”

*

Tim leaned sideways against Ange, legs stretched out along the couch, Copper snuggled on his chest purring loudly, Ange's hand rubbing lazily over Tim's stomach and side making him want to purr right along with Copper.

The empty pizza box still laying on the coffee table next to Ange's feet. Iago was marching back and forth on the edge of the coffee table intent on keeping Fred and George away from it. Opie was glaring from the entertainment center still pouting at being shooed out of the pizza. Ange's animals were a bunch of spoiled little weirdos.

Ange's hand drifted up from Tim to scritch behind Copper's ears making the old cat purr that much more loudly.

“Still sound like a chainsaw, Cop,” Tim smiled, continuing to pet the old tom. Ange's mom had finally been worn down into letting Ange keep one of a litter he'd rescued and roped Tim into helping him take care of. Copper had been the runt of that litter of kittens. Tim had taken Copper when Ange had gone to college, Copper had gone back to Ange when he'd gotten a place off campus and Tim had been touring with My Darling Murder. As far as Copper was concerned he was convinced he owned both Ange and Tim completely.

“Gonna say anything about lunch with your mom, or open what Rachel sent?” Ange finally asked.

“My building looks nice, she drives by it to go see Jake and his girlfriend and the baby.”

“The what?”

“Jake's got a six month old named Madison.”

“Jakey's got a kid?” Ange repeated incredulously.

“Yeah, dropped out of college and is doing freaking stunt work for one of the studios. His girlfriend's dad and brother got him the job, they're both stunt guys I guess. Dad's not talking to him now either. His girlfriend is part Chinese and part Mexican. Jake ran right into the wall of the double standards with that. Fine and dandy til it's one of his kids. Mom goes and sees the baby every couple weeks. She showed me a couple pictures.”

“Jake's-nineteen?”

“Twenty,” Tim murmured. “Be twenty one in January. He's the same age as Alicia.”

“She never said anything-“

“Haven't gotten a chance to see her for almost a year,” It went without saying it was more a matter of his mother dictating he was to show up at whatever restaurant she chose at exactly this time on this day. Saying he couldn't then if he honestly couldn't that day or time because he had to work or had an interview or something got a tirade and dismissal of any alternate time suggestions and it being guaranteed to be months before she suggested another lunch or something, but she did call about once a month. She certainly could have said that Jake was going to be or was a daddy at any fucking time in the last, oh, year or thereabouts Tim thought bitterly.

“She thinks Madison is cute. She kinda wants to kill Jake, but is head over heels for the baby. That's something at least.”

“You gonna open the package from Rach?”

“I-not tonight. In the morning, I promise.”

“Okay,” Ange murmured and kissed the top of Tim's head his hand moving back to pet Tim's stomach.

“Keep that up and Copper's gonna be pissed at getting locked out of the bedroom for a while.”

Ange snorted.

Copper's purring halted for a second, irritated when Tim stopped petting him long enough to drag Ange's hand over his crotch. Ange's breath caught, startled. Tim twisted enough to earn an annoyed growl from Copper as he moved to look at Ange's face. “Christ, Ange, haven't you figured out what you do to me yet? Always have.”

The puppy-crush with side of hero worship had hit first and hit hard way back when Ange had rescued him. Then just really liking the quiet but amazingly cool kid who actually was willing to be his friend. He'd fallen for Ange a thousand ways a thousand times and had his heart broke by Ange countless times as well. Ange...was Ange.

Copper complained as he was set aside on the couch and Tim moved to stra Ange's lap. He shook his head. “Sometimes you're a real idiot, Ange.”

He kissed Ange gently, slowly deepening it. He groaned and pulled back at the paw batting at his chin. He shook his head at the disgruntled cat on his hind legs, other forepaw on Ange's arm.

“Think you need to play duena and protect Tim's virtue? He doesn't have much virtue left, Copper.”

Tim snorted. “Ass, and you're one too, Cop.”

“Rrrrrrrow,” Copper glared.

Tim rolled his eyes and carefully picked Copper up, stood and sat back in Ange's lap with Copper in his. “Complete ass. Ange has you spoiled fuckin' rotten.”

“I have him spoiled rotten? You spoil him to impossible and disappear for four months on the road. Leave me to deal with him being a brat.”

Tim stiffened a little, then forced himself to relax and nipped Ange's earlobe. Smiling a little as Ange's hand slid over his as much as petting Copper who was very much not done with getting petted by his two people.

“You should open what Rachel sent,” Ange murmured.

Tim swallowed. “Fuck, I don't know what she looks like anymore...the one picture of Madison, Jake was holding her. Gave up asking mom if she had pictures of Rach and Jake ages ago. She never had any and she wasn't going to stir up trouble with Dad...because I wasn't supposed to talk to them I guess...just...what the fuck?”

Ange rubbed his hand over Tim's back. Copper butted his head into Tim's stomach. “See Copper agrees with me.”

“Copper wants brushed,” Tim rolled his eyes.

“Uh huh, and I'm the one that spoils him.”

“Cody's the one to blame for that. The summer we kept him...you went on the trip with Robert's family and then did that intern stint or whatever it was for a month at where was it? Omaha? What the hell was it?”

“Yeah Henry Doorly. My one professor was friends with one of higher ups on the staff there. Pissed Robert off to no end. I was up there and didn't really get paid or any credit toward my degree or anything but a chance to follow around a couple staff members for a few weeks.”

“Mmm,” Tim nodded remembering once it was said.

“Go get the package out of your backpack,” Ange whispered. “She went to the trouble of tracking you down...”

Tim nodded. He couldn't see his mother admitting she still talked to him especially not with risk of his dad finding out. It had fucking blindsided the hell out of him. His dad had always been the one all for open mindedness and tolerance...just, obviously it didn't apply to his sons or his first grandchild. He let himself be shifted off Ange's lap still holding Copper. Ange dropped his backpack on the couch next to Tim. Copper spotted his brush in Ange's hand and abandoned Tim's lap for Ange's and the brush. “See how you are,” Tim laughed and slid his hand up Copper's side.

Tim dug out the small package, unwrapping the brown paper carefully to keep Rachel's address. Inside was a card and an awkward little letter, barely more than a note that she and Jake never had any clue why he'd “taken off” like he had. He was eighteen, had graduated and had found a job. His dad had at least had the decency to give him the summer after he graduated from high school to get something together to not end up on the street, well he'd been given two months past graduation to figure it out. If he hadn't his dad likely wouldn't have had a second thought about putting him out on the street. He'd ended up renting Lara's couch for about eight months for a place to sleep. Lara had just divorced her first husband about that time and barely making it on her own with her older three girls-Alicia, Jessica and Marina-then eleven, eight and five . Any extra dime to keep her and the girls afloat more than welcome then. He'd worked nights so had had the day to sleep pretty much undisturbed at the apartment and had been there when the girls got home from school.

After everything with Jake and Lindsey, Rachel wondered if something like that happened with Tim. Their mom refused to say anything and their dad went ballistic at mention of Tim, had gone as far as taking all pictures of Tim in the house and packing them away...their mom hadn't let him destroy the pictures. She'd kind of like to get her big brother back, so did Jake, if he still wanted them. One of her roommates sister was a 30 Seconds to Mars fan and had been babbling and the name caught Rachel's attention. She'd about had a heart attack when she'd seen a picture and it was him.

In the package was a framed 5x7, a photo their mom had taken on Tim's graduation, fourteen year old Rachel tucked under his left arm and ten year old Jakey under his right. He had the same one only snapshot sized at home. An envelope of pictures of Rachel and Jake at various ages, Jake and his girlfriend Lindsey and their baby Madison. A few kitschy New York City postcards and a couple burned discs labeled “assorted music.”

The letter ended with a phone number, email and her address again. She'd love for him to call, or write or something, and really wanted to see him again. She was going to be at their folks for Thanksgiving.

“Well,” Ange murmured.

“We're going to Oakland,” Tim whispered. “Your mom's already expecting us.”

“You calling her?”

“Text-shit it's after midnight in New York.”

“So do it.”

Hey Rachie, Sorta like Jake. I'm gay. Dad went apeshit. Call me if you want. Any time after noon PST. I'll call u back if the bill is a prob. Tim Obnoxiously blunt, but better than getting his hopes up and have shit explode later.

His phone rang before he even put it down startling him. The number on the display Rachel's.

His hand was shaking as he answered. Copper for once didn't protest getting pushed aside as Ange pulled Tim back in his lap and held tight. Rachel sounded like as much of a nervous wreck as he was.

Ange probably had a better idea of what the short conversation was than he did. He said she could pass along his address and number to Jake, and not exactly agreed to try to visit New York sometime if his schedule permitted because, no he wasn't going to be in LA at Thanksgiving or Christmas. He was going to be in Oakland. Did she remember Ange Delgado? He got accused of being a moron for even asking that. He smiled at that. Rach always had been a bit of a sharp-tongued snot. Ange's mom had moved up to Oakland, his sisters Lara and Alejandra and their families both lived in the Bay Area and Salma was up in Portland. He burst out laughing when Rach said she'd kinda wondered if maybe something was with him and Lara way back because he moved out of their folks and in with her.

Ange raised an eyebrow.

“Rachel thought when I lived with Lara that I was with Lara,” Tim shook his head. Hell, Lara was twelve years older than him, what then thirty year old woman in her right mind wanted a messed up eighteen year old kid like he'd been then? Never mind the fact it was Lara and he was gay.

Ange gaped a second. “Logical enough jump if it wasn't you and Lara.” Ange managed.

”Who's that?” Rachel asked cautiously.

“Ange. I'm at his place at the moment. Copper is still alive-remember the orange cat Ange had? He's being an attention whore here since he's got us both at once.”

”Oh”

“Yeah, Rach, Ange and I are together again. We were off and on all through school, got back together the first couple summers Ange came home from college. I'd be going to Oakland regardless. When Cody was alive we both went to Ange's mom's, helped Lara's husband move Luisa up to Oakland.”

“Dad-”

“Knew I was gay, told them when I was sixteen. If he had known I was with Ange he probably wouldn't have waited 'til I was eighteen when he kicked me out.”

”I-goddamn-”

“His problem. Mom's almost worse with her passive aggressive crap. She calls once a month and-actually had lunch with her today, been almost a year since I'd gotten a chance, she gets pissed if I can't drop everything to come running. Last time she wanted to have lunch I was in freaking Germany. Woke me up at six in the morning after we'd had a show the night before, and then got pissed I couldn't make it for lunch the next day...” Really there was no almost about their mother being worse, but it was a chance to maybe hear about Rachel and Jake.

”She pulls that crap on Jake, and only wants to see him and Maddie, or pick up Maddie and not see Jake or Lin at all.”

“I gotta go, Ange and I both have to be up at ass o'clock. He's got work and I've got practice for the club band I'm playing with to keep the rent paid for now...been a long day I...talk to you soon?”

”Yeah, I need to get to sleep too. Gotta be up by nine. I've got a class at 10:30 tomorrow. It's already past one...”

“Night, Rach.”

“You okay?” Ange asked quietly when Tim set aside the phone.

Tim nodded and leaned into Ange. He snorted as Copper crept back into his lap and started petting Copper again.

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