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 7/8
full header & part one || part two || part three || part four || part five || part six ||





Tim frowned seeing Shannon sitting on the hood of his car in front of the club band's practice space.

“This can't be good,” Tim said drolly in greeting. Shannon looked up from his magazine. “How long it been since Tomo dropped you off? You look pretty comfy there.”

Shannon snorted. “I took a cab.”

“Tomo's Jared-Sitting?”

“Yeah.”

Tim shook his head “What the hell happened?”

Shannon raised an eyebrow.

Tim bit his lip and unlocked the car, his bass quickly deposited in the back seat and Shannon was buckling his seatbelt as Tim got in the driver's seat. “You know I still have about three hours before I was supposed to be at your place. I was going to drop my bass off and maybe grab lunch.”

“Sounds good.”

Tim stifled the groan. “At Ange's.”

“That's fine.”

Tim rolled his eyes. Great. Just great.

Shannon looked at him, tilted his head and stared for a minute, then went back to his magazine.

Oh this was going to be really fun.

*

“Oh no you two little asses don't. This is going in with the snakes,” Tim grumbled as Fred and George poked their heads out from behind a throw pillow on the couch. “You know every once in a while you could pretend to stay in your cages.”

Fred was off the couch and climbing Tim's leg in the blink of an eye.

“Bad Kitty!” Opie squawked flying in from the hallway to land on the back of the couch.

“One of these days I am going to pluck you. Swear to fucking God, you talking chicken.”

“Fuckin' 'Od,” Opie squawked.

Tim stared in horror. “Ange is gonna kill me. Luisa's gonna kill us both. Not what I had in mind for you learning new words, stupid chicken-OW!” he broke off in a yelp as George joined Fred climbing up him only managing to scratch his back going from jeans to hoodie and up to Tim's shoulder. “You two are trying to be cute. What the hell did you do?”

“Would they let me pet them?” Shannon stared at the idiot ferrets, one now perched on either shoulder.

“Why are you looking so dazed?”

“The way you're talking to them...can I pet 'em?”

“Hold your hand out and see. I'm not real sure how big on people they are. Ange doesn't usually have a lot of company. They liked Salma well enough when she was down last time for a visit but I don't know.” How he was talking to them? What was weird about how?

Shannon cautiously held his finger out. George sniffed at it. Fred stretched trying to sniff too and ended up swinging by his front paws from the neck of Tim's hoodie when he slipped.

“Oh for-“ Tim rolled his eyes and caught Fred. “Swear the three of you don't have a brain cell between you.”

Shannon choked.

“What?” Tim stared.

“You spend a lot of time with these guys?”

“Yeah...” Tim frowned. “And?”

“Fuckin God! Bad Kitty!”

Tim groaned and shook his head. Luisa was just going to have a fit the next time she came down for a visit and Opie showed off his new vocabulary. “Luisa's going to kill me.”

“Luisa?” Shannon asked hesitantly stroking George's head with his fingertip. Fred climbed and tried to knock George off Tim's shoulder.

“Ange's mom, and she's going to go through the roof at that.”

Shannon tilted his head.

“What?” Tim demanded.

“Put that away.”

Tim's eyes narrowed a bit.

“Not bad. Just worried.”

“Uh huh,” Tim said dubiously. Shannon followed him down the hall. Tim groaned at the sight of Iago pacing back and forth in front of the snake's room. “Don't tell me Eunice got loose again.”

Iago squawked.

Tim shuddered. “You like snakes?”

“Snakes?”

“You want to put Eunice back in her tank?”

“Eunice?”

“Six-foot albino python.”

Shannon stared at him like he was nuts.

“Don't look at me like that. It's Ange's goddamn snake. She came through as a rescue and they couldn't place her. The zoo got called up to take her but they didn't want her for the zoo, Ange ended up with her. Keep Fred and George back, the bitch'll try to have them for lunch.”

Shannon stared but took the ferrets wide eyed. Fred and George were a little wide eyed as well but seemed to think being perched on Shannon was a good place to be with Eunice loose. “Eunice?”

“I didn't name her,” Tim snorted.

“How do you tell a snake is a her?”

“Dunno, and don't really want to,” Tim shook his head. Eunice was easily grabbed and didn't put up too much a fuss about being stuck back in her tank. Tim shuddered. He hated the damned snakes but at least his bass was safe from Fred and George in the snakes room. Little shits would find away to open the case somehow, or scratch a hole straight through the case.

Tim smiled seeing the sprawled orange on the bed through the open doorway of Ange's bedroom as he walked out of the snakes room. “Cop.”

Copper raised his head and cracked on eye unimpressed at having his nap interrupted.

Tim ignored Shannon, he just knew this...was something to avoid as much as possible. He headed into the bedroom to Copper. Shannon stood kind of stupidly in the doorway with Fred trying to get on top of his head.

“Hey, boy,” Tim murmured and scooped Copper up off the bed. Copper gave him a grumpy look and headbutted him in the chin. Tim nuzzled at Copper's head. “What? Can't love up my boy?”

Copper gave him a meow that had to translate to I know better, you're full of shit.

“That cat...”

“What?”

“He's huge...and bony...and his fur...” Copper was nothing much more than bones and kitty-bedhead long fur these days.

“He's thirteen, almost fourteen. He's an old boy. One of the litters Ange rescued when we were kids. Luisa let us keep Copper.”

“Did you live with them...”

“Nope. I slept and changed clothes at mom and dad's, and served grounding sentences there but-mostly was home as little as possible,” Tim shook his head. Shannon trailed along, Fred and George still in his arms, as he checked the water in Iago, Opie and Fred and George's cages as well as Copper's dish in the kitchen.

He shrugged and had to admit he stalled enough when Shannon turned down anything to drink and headed back to the living room and settled with Copper on the couch.

“Christ, he's almost as bad as Tomo,” Shannon choked when Copper started his croaky chainsaw purr.

Tim smiled and reached for the brush on the end table which had Copper rubbing his head under Tim's chin. “Well, settled down and you'll get brushed.”

Shannon gaped. “He's got a picture of you and-“

Tim snorted. Shannon was staring at the picture of him and Cody from the set of family pictures they'd had taken as Luisa's Christmas present. It was on the wall next to Alejandra, her asshole and their kids and Lara, Jeff and the girls, a picture of the entire clan and the picture of Luisa, Lara, Salma, Alejandra, Ange and himself.

“Yeah. Ange and Code got along good. Cody thought the world of Ange. Ange liked Cody...I, fuck, Shan. I mean what? Ange has been a huge part of fucking everything since I was twelve.”

Shannon sat down with Fred and George who decided he was okay, and were trying to nose into the pockets of Shannon's jean jacket to see if there was anything to steal.

“Watch it. Those two are kleptos. They'll try to lift your phone and anything else you got.”

Shannon nearly flew off the couch as the stereo came on full blast.

“OPIE!” Tim bellowed and set Copper on the couch to go unplug the stereo, he hadn't checked to see if it was plugged in. Ange was usually insane about keeping it unplugged. Opie would peck at the on/off button until he turned it on every time. Fred and George liked playing with the remote when they could get the drawer it was kept in open. Ange had resorted to toddler-proof latches to keep the two out of shit, even at that it only worked half the time.

“Okay just...what the fuck, Shannon?” Tim sighed settling back down with Copper. The chainsaw-loud rumble of the old cat's purr as Tim began brushing him was soothing.

“He-“

“He who?”

“Ange isn't upset about Jared staying?”

“No. Fuck no. Jared wasn't in any damn shape to drive, don't think he was in all that hot of shape to have taken off and gone home alone even if he hadn't been keeping up with me drinking.” Tim shook his head. “Ange-Ange doesn't have it in him to be jealous and pissed like that. Christ Shannon, Ange is the one that set Jared to babysitting me basically. Why the hell would he be upset that Jared had a bit too much to drink and was too tired to drive when he was the one that set Jared on keeping me company while I had a nervous breakdown since I wouldn't let him skip his class? It's music that gets Ange upset not people.”

Shannon frowned.

Tim shook his head. “Ange-fuck, Ange needs someone home every night. Needs safe and secure and steady and-he doesn't get it. Never has gotten music, okay?”

“He loves you enough to live with it,” Shannon frowned.

“Maybe he can deal now, not kids anymore,” Tim shrugged. God, he fucking hoped so. Couldn't stand to think... “So what? That was all? Worried about Ange? Goddamn you saw him yesterday morning. He was-”

“Shaking his head at all the crazy people.” Shannon admitted with a rueful smile.

“Me included in that.”

“I'm supposed to get out of you who needs to be invited to a birthday party.”

“What?” Tim groaned.

“Just who. He wants to grill and just have something reasonable in the afternoon in the yard...nothing extravagant he just...”

“Jase and Bren, Ray and Julie, Nacho and Brandi, Jake and Bo probably it. Ange and I are the only two down here yet. But hell Luisa, Lara and Jeff and the girls, Alicia and Troy, Salma, Alejandra and the kids too just to invite them. Be five or six kids if he doesn't make it clear adults only for it just being grilling in the yard. Jase and Bren's crew and Maddie... If Lara and Jeff actually made it down, Marina's almost fifteen, Katie's going seven. Jessica's not likely to be with them she started college in San Jose this fall. Hell would freeze over first but for the sake of argument-Leah's eleven, Caleb's nine and Seth's seven and a half. Alejandra's three are pretty much guaranteed not to be there.” It was the last fucking thing he wanted but he supposed the fall out dramatics of refusing would be worse.

Copper raised his head and gave Shannon a dirty look then butted his head against Tim's arm with a growly-meow.

Tim snorted and carefully lifted Copper up, holding him against his chest. Copper butted his head against Tim's jaw, raspy little sandpaper tongue licked his chin. Copper growled again. “I'm fine, you grumpy old ass.” Copper's answer to that was another growl and head butt.

He could feel Shannon's stare as he let his eyes drift close and nuzzle the top of Copper's head. Copper growling, meowing and in short chewing him out. Copper had always carried on conversations with him. Ange used to just stare when Copper was still a kitten and Tim would come over upset about some bullshit or other. Cop would growl and yowl and whine while Tim held him.

“That's your fucking cat,” Shannon accused. “Your fucking cat lives with him?”

“Ange is the one guaranteed to be home to feed him and he's both of ours.” Tim snorted, not opening his eyes, nuzzling at Copper. “Only thing Ange was kinda upset about was Jared and I didn't come over here last night so Copper could help watch me. Jared woulda freaked over here though.”

Copper nipped his chin.

“Watch it,” Tim mumbled. “And only upset that Jared's so fucked for whatever reason that he would have freaked. Ange likes Jared.”

“He does?”

“Ange went to his class because Jared was around to keep an eye on me when I got drunk last night, Shan. Only other person ever Ange would have agreed to that with as fucked as I was last night would have been Cody, no matter how much I argued or ripped his ass. Hell not even Lara or Salma would have been good enough. Ange likes Jared. And no, Ange doesn't get jealous of people when it comes to me because there's no fucking reason too. Anyone ever tried to pull the them or me shit over Ange-Ange has won hands down since I was fucking twelve and always will. Just as I have for him. No matter if we were together or just friends. He's my Ange. No fucking reason on earth to be jealous of people. It's the music he doesn't get. Ange likes Jared. If this whole production is worrying over that. It's pointless. No reason on earth to.”

“Jared-“

“I don't want to know. I don't want to hear it. Got too fucking much of my own shit. Too much of Ange's. It's not I don't care, care too fucking much I don't want to know. Something fucked him up way back when. Obvious. Ange sees it as much as I do would even if I'd never said a fucking word about Jared's Cleo streak just...you take care of him okay? Just let that shit go. Not my business, not yours to tell-and I can't fucking deal with anymore. You just take care of him.”

“This party-“

Tim sighed and pressed his face against the top of Copper's head. “Let him. Just let him.”

“You sound like you'd rather be shot,” Shannon snorted.

“I would, but it would settle Jared the fuck down so let him. If it's just you guys and the Arreguins and family. I'll deal.”

“Arreguins?”

“Ray, worked for, with Cody and Jase. Julie's his wife. Nacho's their son and Brandi's his wife. Bo's their daughter. And Bo's with Jake. Jase and Bren are family. Cody's family, Bren ripped my ass haven't been over enough to see the kids last time I talked to her. So yeah. Just let him, do him good to do something. Just call Bren with the time and date, she'll round up the Arreguins and call Luisa. Luisa will make sure the girls all know even if it's not likely that any of them make their way down.”

“Next Saturday?”

Jesus fucking Christ. Jake two days in a row. If the dinner at his place went bad or... “Yeah, fine.” Tim sighed. He eyed the clock. Should be safe enough. Bren would be all over his ass at the sound of his voice. That something was wrong... “Hey Bren it's Tim, yeah yeah, you can rip my ass next weekend if you can make it. Friend of mine decided I needed a maybe surprise birthday party or some damn thing. His brother'll be calling ya this evening. Shannon. If you'd call Luisa and tell Ray and Julie, Nacho and yeah, Bo...Don't give Bo shit. Think she was protecting me and Jake both with no doubt being a cagey little shit. Bo's Jake is my brother Jake...she's met my dad. No way in hell she didn't figure that one out immediately. I look just like the fucking bastard. Just-Shannon's on the level when he calls, huh? Take care.” Thank god just voicemail.

“You sure-“

“Yeah, it'll be fine, Shan.” He doubted it would be fine, but he'd survive it. Especially with Ange to lean against.


*

One look at Jared when he got to the house with Shannon he nearly saw red. “What the fuck did you two assholes go off the deepend over?” he snarled not giving the two assholes in question-Shannon and Tomo-a second glance as he made his way over to Jared who looked ready to shatter or maybe, being Jared, more likely, explode into verbal shards of sharp glass and razorblades sent flying in every direction at anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path.

“What?” Tim whispered.

“Ange-“

Tim shook his head, cautiously reached and rested his his hand on Jared's shoulder, sliding down to his elbow and back up. Blue eyes flared and Jared's breath caught. As much as Jared touched, hovered and almost clung, Tim didn't touch back often. Part he didn't trust himself not to somehow make things worse and mostly Jared couldn't stand it, not with the current that refused to die between them.

“Ange is the one that asked you to stay, wanted you there til he could get there, wanted you to stay so neither of us worried about you getting home safe. Jay, man, he was worried about you after you guys left, that Shan and Tome would rake your ass over the coals over staying with me.”

“He was?” Jared gaped.

“Yeah.”

Jared-Tim had no idea. He couldn't begin to figure out the twisted up broken in Jared, he had all he could do to keep moving with the shitstorm spinning in his own head. Fucking hurt seeing Jared so-whatever this was.

“You-fuck. Told you, Ange doesn't have a problem with you. He likes you. Trusted you to keep an eye on me, and Ange is a goddamned grizzly with a sore paw when I'm upset, lets nothing and no one near if he can help it. You, he asked to stay.”

Jared slowly relaxed. And thank god the subject was dropped entirely by all three of them.

The afternoon's plan seemed to be going through about fifty 'almost songs' Jared had written down-and copied, printed off and had in identical four stacks, a copy for each of them to look at. Not songs, complete songs but lyrics and a few scattered bits for, a rhythm or riff along with the lyrics, a dozen pretty close to roughly finished songs.

Tim didn't doubt the “I've got more but those are just partial lyrics or melodies.” meaning that nothing more was tied together. Jared had taken off on a couple writing retreats both lasting at least two weeks, and he'd come home gaunt with dark rings under his eyes after both, as if he'd spent most of the time sleepless and forgetting to eat, and with filled notebooks of god knew what which had been sorted into the stacks of not-exactly-songs-yet on the table. Being Jared, he probably hadn't slept or eaten much. He was damn good at getting lost in his head that way.

Shannon hummed, half off-key, every bit of music he looked at, a couple he went back to, fingers tapping on the coffee table along with the humming. Shan and sheet music got goddamned annoying really fast honestly. Shannon had learned playing by ear, played years before learning to read music and still had to hear it and feel the beat at least rather than just look at the paper and play it out in his head. Or maybe it was just because he was Shannon and his version of creativity just that much more physical, needing to touch, feel, hear, see what he was doing rather than the abstract of just notes and letters on paper.

Shan's way of reading sheet music that much harder to have patience for with Jared sitting next to him. Not a breath of air and body heat seeping through denim hip to knee, Jared almost leaning into him and his hand on Tim's knee, and leg, more than not. Petting, somewhere between clinging and attempting to-Tim had no idea what. Cleo as all hell that was for sure. Tim didn't have the heart or the energy to call him on it.

“How many of this batch?” Tomo wanted to know.

Tim didn't ask how many other batches there had been, or really, how the hell he'd ended up helping weed down Jared's “clutter”. Normal course of things, that was these three's job once Jared had weeded down to what he'd show to Shan and Tomo. Tim got handed the one or two they'd settled on and asked if he could play it as is or if something needed reworked.

“Four or five, probably only use one, but...” Jared answered with a shrug. Not a one would be thrown away, but they'd be boxed and tucked away and forgotten probably.

Tomo nodded and went back to shifting through the stack he had to look at, totally oblivious, or simply innured to Shannon's humming and tapping.

“No,” Jared said and hummed something that vaguely resembled the kind of flat “slurred” together hum Shannon had just finished. Sharper, crisper and a lot more dramatic.

Tomo lifted his head. “Damn. Stick that on the maybe pile.”

Shannon reached for Tomo's stack and dug through pulling up the sheet. Tim glanced at it and sorted through his own stack for the same. Jared was looking at a bird out the living room window, not paying a bit of attention to the task at hand, which was honestly fucking weird with Jared's usual obsessiveness about every step of anything to do with the band.

Tim set the song on the 'maybe' pile in front of him after looking at it then dug the copy from Jared's stack for Jared's 'maybe' pile. Jared started drawing random patterns with his fingertip on Tim's thigh and knee. Shifting forward to rest his elbows on his knees only moved Jared's hand back, further up his thigh rather than Jared getting the hint to move his goddamned hand. Jared honest to god oblivious he was even doing it as he stared out the window a few thousand miles away more than not.

Wars, battles, demons, dictators and oppression seemed to be the recurring themes in all of it. In enough different directions to be fodder for half dozen or more concept albums.

“No,” Tim whispered swallowing down bile as he stared at one of the most complete songs-lyrics and nearly full arrangement written out.

“You can play that,” Jared scowled with only a glance at what was on top of Tim's stack, voice tight and dangerous.

“No. Nail the music, yeah, play it, no fucking way. Not now,” Tim shook his head. The song would probably be fucking close to seven minutes, an epic struggle of torture and nightmares and demons, not really too far off plenty of others but it struck just right even if only in his imagination and god no, he couldn't play this one.

“I'm not all that sure about that one either, Jay,” Shannon spoke up, voice tight and not right.

Tim didn't doubt Shannon meant exactly the same song. Truthfully he didn't think Shannon would let that one make the cut now that he actually stopped and thought a half second.

“Which one?” Tomo sighed and leaned over to look at what Tim had on top.

Jared nearly froze him to death, eyes locked on him, Ice King in full force. Tim shook his head slightly.

“Fuck. This is good. You better have a damn good reason, Kelleher. I love this.”

“I won't. I won't touch that one. No. Not now.”

”Why?” Tomo whined.

“Cody.” Tim managed. “I-it reads too damn close to some of Cody's nightmares.”

Tomo frowned, looked over at Shannon who was a little ashen, Tim didn't doubt he looked as damn nauseous as he felt and Jared had hit verge of full blown psychotic rampage with his glare at Tim.

“It's...just awesome, Jared, don't you dare get rid of it. Save it. Maybe-someday or not but save it.” Tomo said a moment later, letting the song go without a fight. Or even asking what the hell he was obviously missing. He'd known Shannon and Jared too long, knew when not to ask, especially about shit they pulled their freaky brain share on and were upset about. Really one of the best things about Tomo, he didn't need details. He caught enough and was willing to let it go unless there was reason to believe letting it go would be worse.

“Maybe,” Shannon said tightly.

“Not me...I don't think so. Not-something would have to give big time and I don't see it. No. That's-that's too,” Tim swallowed. “Too much like Cody's nightmares. Never quite got rid of 'em and they were years old when I met him no...I- I need a fucking smoke.”

He nearly knocked Jared off the couch getting up and getting the hell out of there.

Tomo sighed. “Yeah, that one's a definite no.”


*

Tim lit his third cigarette, the second had barely hit the cement of the patio when the door opened. He let his eyes drift shut and didn't look. He knew it wasn't Jared or Tomo. Jared was too fucking wound up not to be louder and not to just be felt staring, or rather glaring. Tomo wouldn't get into this one.

“Haiti,” Shannon said quietly.

“Shannon-“

“It-wasn't Jared. He saw-everything, but it wasn't him...” Shannon whispered. “Panicked and froze just out of the line of sight of... and thank god didn't get noticed.”

“That doesn't make it any better that it was-wasn't Jared,” Tim managed. Pieces, enough of them at least, falling into place as to make actual details irrelevant.

“He's the only one that ever knew...” Shannon took a gulp of the beer he'd brought out with him.

Tim couldn't help but be almost relieved, at least physical injury wise it hadn't been that bad...that a pair of fucking kids had managed to hide one of them had been raped.

Constance might have let them run a bit wild in some ways, hippie theories of not stifling creativity possibly let go into the realm of what-the-fuckery but hiding something from her when it came to something wrong with one of her boys? Not a chance in hell, not that extreme and not that completely. Yeah, the physical injuries had at least been minimal, mostly hidden and the rest easily brushed off and explained away enough that whatever Constance might have thought had them acting wrong didn't go in that direction.

Mental? Well the two of them could distract and hide in their crazy shit well. Probably mastered it then. Shannon couldn't have been more than fourteen or fifteen. Relieved wasn't right, but it hadn't been worse at least on that front. Not that injuries had shit to do with mental scars and nightmares. Hell no. Just-that it wasn't worse.

“You knew-that song.”

“Yeah. Maybe if there wasn't so much other shit flying wouldn't have but it hit...just right today.”

“Cody?” Shannon whispered.

Tim tilted his head at Shannon. “Yeah. Pretty fucking bad. More'n a week in the hospital, beat to hell and...bad. About the time he turned twenty, goin' on ten years before we got together. Bren's actually the one that told me that much. After we'd been together about four, five months or so, he hit a patch of nightmares that were bad around the anniversary of. Never got more details than that, didn't matter, details didn't. I knew, mostly, something, enough to add up, the first night we were together but not...details.”

“Fuck you guys up? You-that picture-the one Jared showed me...”

Tim shrugged, wincing slightly and hoping Shannon got what he meant. “Fucked Cody up long before there was an us, just part of us...” Tim swallowed. “There's always shit that-me not worth a fuck if I've gone past a wreck. Ange-shit that son of a bitch Robert did to fuck with Ange's head still hurting. Didn't-didn't fuck us up...Loved him so fucking much, still do, always will. Nothing could have changed that. I-Shan?”

Shannon shook his head and slammed back the rest of the beer in long loud swallows. Jared came out of the house looking murderous and attached himself to Shannon's back like a limpet. Shannon reached up and tugged Jared's hair a little, “S'okay.”

“Is it safe to come out or should I go have a smoke out front?” Tomo asked warily from the doorway.

“I'll go around front with ya.” Tim said.

“Do I want to know?” Tomo asked quietly.

“Probably not.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” At least as far as what Tomo was asking.

“Them?”

“Good as they're getting. Same as they've always been. Nothin' new I don't think.”

Tomo sighed and nodded. “Good as it gets then.”

“Yeah.”

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