Disclaimer: I don't own Lawrence or Adam. They belong to Leigh and James…film gods that they are.

Authors Note: Oh my gosh…if anyone hasn't seen Leigh and James' new movie "Insidious" go now! Leigh is so adorable in his light up glasses that I'm actually considering getting my own pair. :) I even did a little squeal every time he came on screen. My poor friends were so embarrassed…but anyway here's a new chapter. Angst and romance and some descriptive babble. Review if you can!


It is a typical Friday morning in New York City, complete with the vast crowds of business casual citizens stampeding down sidewalks and across busy intersections and all with the same intention – to get from point A to point B and back again at the end of the day so that they can welcome yet another weekend. Horns blare at, what seems to be, nothing at all as the Statue of Liberty looks down upon all of them – a pleasant and contented expression upon her face. The famous bridge is jam packed with vehicles just trying to move forward another inch and remains strong and determined to hold the massive burden through it all.

Maybe it is the simple and yet rare moments, like the one it had seen the night before, that give it the strength to hold its arms up for another day. Maybe, like the two people who shared that moment, it holds onto it as something perfect in a place that is all together imperfect. Maybe.

All of this discontented chaos ensues outside of the double paned window of a small apartment just at the corner of a bad neighborhood and a 'not so bad' neighborhood. It is all its' occupant can afford but still reflects the beauty of the city at every photographic angle and has a view of the bridge out of its east-facing window that can be seen if he uses his most expensive zoom lens. It is enough.

As the occupant of this apartment continues to sleep soundly, his counterpart stirs and blocks the light of the morning with his palm. He releases a quiet groan as he looks around to figure out exactly where he is and how he got here. It is only when he shifts to his side to see Adam Faulker wrapped up in blankets and snoring lightly that he remembers every event that brought him to this bed. He considers it all for a quiet moment before deciding that he can smile about it. Taking another moment, he props himself up on one elbow and observes the sleeping man next to him.

Adam reminds Lawrence of Diana in the way that he sleeps. He has curled himself into a fetal position underneath the heavy covers and has buried his head underneath them as well, only leaving space for his nose and eyes to peek out. His hair is a mess, but that isn't a big change from the daytime, and his hand is clenched in a fist around the pillow that Lawrence had been using. Despite this posturing, though, his expression is of utter contentment. Lawrence studies this more closely, trying to burn this image into his mind, because he has never seen Adam look so peaceful. It is a relief, actually, as he had always worried that Adam was still haunted by their past. While Lawrence knows that Adam will never forget completely, maybe it is enough that he can have moments where he does.

Squinting against the increasing amount of sunlight in the room, Lawrence observes his surroundings again. The bedroom is small and barely accommodates the queen-sized bed. There is a door in the far corner that, he assumes, is a closet and the windows take up the majority of one wall. There is little furniture in this room and the only source of light, other than the morning sun, is the overhead fan. Deciding not the disturb Adam just yet, Lawrence shifts his body up until he is sitting on the edge of the bed. He realizes that he is only wearing his boxers and looks around again until he see's his pants on the floor in the hallway. He smiles at the memory this brings and puts his weight on his good leg until he can reach his cane. He stops in the doorway to pick up his pants and looks back at Adam, still sleeping soundly, before hobbling towards the bathroom.

The bathroom is small and, possibly, the most unkept room in the apartment. While posters and pictures adorn the walls of the bedroom, the walls in this room are bare and white and the only tinge of color is the black shower curtain. The mirror is clean enough but Lawrence is startled when he see's the toilet in its reflection. The lid of the toilet is slightly off and flashbacks of Adam saving his life cause him to forget where he is for a brief moment. He wipes his forehead with his hand and sighs with his weight against the sink. Reality overcoming him again, he shakes his head and, with a relieved smile, places the lid back into its intended position.

Fully dressed from the waist down, he hobbles out into the living area and observes the scene. It is, what can be described, as an organized mess. Photography equipment takes up much of the table intended for dining with black and white images spread out in an unsorted collage. He uses his cane to move to the table and looks down at the images. The first one he notices is a photograph of two men wearing tuxedos. Arms over each other's shoulders, they look truly happy. The next shot is of just their hands, with rings on each of their third fingers, holding onto each other gently with just their two first fingers. All of the images together form a picture of two men happily in love and taking advantage of their newfound right to be together. The beauty of the shots is enough to make an emotional knot in Lawrence's stomach.

It is not the two men's happiness necessarily; it is the fact that Adam took these shots. Not only has he developed a life after Jigsaw, he has succeeded in what he loves.

Focusing away from the two men before him, Lawrence looks up and around. The walls are covered with photographs, framed and unframed, of anything one could imagine. Over the couch hangs the picture he'd been told about the previous night. The musician from the club is sitting underneath a tree amidst the great circle of flowers dedicated to John Lennon. He strums his guitar and stares intently at the strings as he sings. It is easy to see how one photograph could have started this man's career. As he looks closer to the door, Lawrence see's several more pictures of other people in the same park. They are dressed in rags and range in age, gender, and race. The final picture he comes to is the only one in the room that includes the photographer himself. It is clearly Adam in the picture but there is something that reminds Lawrence of the Adam he knew in the bathroom. He is dressed in only a ragged and spot covered t-shirt and appears gaunt and frail. He is with the musician and they are standing in front of the lights in Times Square holding up, what seems to be, a $100 dollar bill. In Adam's other hand is a cardboard sign reading "Feed a starving artist. $5 a picture". They are both beaming with huge smiles.

Lawrence's thoughts race to determine if the picture indicates what he thinks it does, when there is a noise behind him.

"Did you get a chance to go through my medicine cabinet yet? Cause if not I can totally go back to bed for a few minutes."

Lawrence turns to see a sleepy eyed Adam leaning against the corridor of the hallway. He is fully dressed and his hair remains matted in the same position as when he was sleeping.

"Adam…" He pauses guiltily until he releases that Adam appears more amused than anything. "Good morning." Adam yawns and heads towards the kitchen area, where he proceeds to turn on the coffee pot.

"Morning is never good, trust me." He reaches up and has to stand on his toes to open the very top cabinet, from which he pulls a half full pack of cigarettes. He barely gets them into his fingertips before they fall onto the floor. "Fuck, see what I mean?"

Lawrence moves to help him, a natural reaction, but Adam is fast and quickly has them back in the pack. He stands still for only a moment and they lock eyes. Whatever was there last night has not diminished with the morning and Lawrence is grateful for this.

"You mind?" Lawrence just shakes his head in response. With anyone else he would, but he can't picture Adam without them for some reason. Adam nods in response and puts one in his mouth before heading towards the far window. "I read the warnings, thing is I hate mornings after. They make me fucking nervous as hell. I only smoke when I'm nervous anymore. Who can afford to be a full time smoker in this economy, right?"

He quickly throws on a sweatshirt, which dangles from a nearby chair, and climbs out the now open window. Lawrence follows behind slowly until he is leaning against the windowsill and watching. It takes a couple of tries in the cold wind, but Adam lights the cigarette and takes a few puffs before boosting himself up on the railing. This automatically makes Lawrence nervous and he slides himself out enough so that he can reach Adam's leg if need be.

"So, you find anything incriminating yet detective?" Adam is joking with him and Lawrence smiles in return, but there is something.

"Did you always live here? I mean, in this apartment?" He is fishing and he knows it. It's just that there is something that bothers him about that photograph. Adam takes small and quick puffs from his cigarette and looks out into the street below.

"No, took a lot of weddings to get to afford this place. Probably not even half as much as your pent house huh?"

His tone stings and Lawrence looks away as well. It takes all of his energy to pursue the subject further. He leans his head against the frozen window and attempts to meet Adam's eyes again.

"I've downsized." He pauses only for a moment. "That picture, of you and Eric. There a story behind that?" It comes out forcefully and he regrets it as soon as he says it. Adam looks back at him with squinted eyes that are no longer amused.

"I don't know, Sherlock. Really didn't take you for the jealous type." He takes the last quick puff of his cigarette and throws it off the ledge before he jumps down from the railing roughly. Lawrence moves in to make room and Adam swings himself back through the window with ease. He moves back towards the kitchen where he pulls two mismatching coffee cups from the cabinet. "Black ok?

"Sure." He watches as Adam pours two cups full and curses when he spills some on his arm. Lawrence can't help but smile at the natural clumsiness. He turns and begins staring at the photo-adorned walls again. "You know I don't mind about your past, Adam. I'm just curious. I want to know how you've been since…." Lawrence trails off and they both know what he means. He stops at a familiar photograph hung just adjacent to the front door. Reaching up, he moves his finger along the grain in the picture right at the spot where his guilty expression is barely covered up by his dark sunglasses.

He can't help but wince at the memory of that night and so many before it.

The silence lasts too long and soon Adam is standing behind him, two cups in his hands. He is staring at the same photo as Lawrence with a mortified expression.

"You kept it." His voice is barely a whisper but he knows that Adam hears. They are so close that he can feel Adam's breathe on his back. Mixed feelings course through him as he considers just how much he hates this photograph of himself, his old self rather. No wonder Jigsaw took him, he deserved it. He is just about to turn towards Adam when he is, suddenly, gone and the sound of glass on wood rings throughout the apartment as two coffee cups drops abruptly.

"I, uh, yea. I don't know why. Listen, uh, I have to get to work soon. Got a wedding at noon so if you need the coffee to go…." Lawrence feels a sudden chill as he turns to face Adam, who is now holding his head and running his fingers through his hair. His eyes are defensive but there is an awkwardness in his stance that gives Lawrence hope. His responding smile only seems to make Adam more defensive.

"Do you really have a wedding, Adam, or are you just trying to get me to leave?" He is not sure where this boldness comes from but it seems to work as Adam's stance falls and he lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Fuck man, give me a break here huh…" There is something about the way he looks at that moment that makes Lawrence want to indulge his request. Nodding, he moves over to the couch where he picks up his coat and begins dressing for the cold outside. He watches Adam the entire time, noting the hardness that returns to his expression as he prepares to leave.

Just like that he knows, Adam doesn't really want him to go. He will go though, because not everything has to be solved in this moment. He has the rest of their lives to break down Adam's wall.

After dressing, he moves towards Adam and leans down to kiss him. Adam tries to turn away, still a stubborn child two years later, but Lawrence doesn't let him. He ends up kissing him on the forehead because Adam refuses to cooperate any other way.

"I will see you later." He forces Adam's grey eyes focus on his own. They are angry, but he doesn't let that stop him. "That's a promise." And as he opens the door to leave he turns back for one last look. Adam is shifting from foot to foot nervously. Lawrence feels the need to add something.

"I work the afternoon shift today, two to ten, but the operator can always page me…you know just in case you need me."

Adam doesn't meet his eyes but nods in response. "Good to know."

Lawrence walks home with a new purpose in his step and stops only to make sure that his pager volume is turned on high.

Just in case.