Hey, I'm back. I'm doing sorta kinda okay on my new writing regiment. Fell of the wagon for about a week there, but that was my first week of school. Not an excuse, just a reason. But here's chapter two! This is where I fell off last time, but the third is done and posted RIGHT after this. And like to point out again that this story more than half if not three quarters of KayDay's idea. I'm just the one writing it. No smut in this one. Sorry. Next one, sorta.

Warning: This is told as if I were telling you this in person as if it was a story. Third person with attitude. So enjoy or fuck off. P.S: There is yaoi, and Lavi has both his green eyes.

Chapter 2: Sometimes, Taking Care of Loose Ends Means Tying Them Together

There are a thousand ways to break some one. You can hurt them with your hands or end them through their heart. Another way is by moving to far away, but you can also move too close. You even could kill through other people too. But while there are countless ways you can damage a person, there are almost as many ways to fix them. The mending can be done by your own two hands, though it will always affect their heart. Sometimes they need some distance. Sometimes they need you to be right there. The only exception is that you have to be the one to do it: There is no proper way to repair a person you hurt by going through some one else. It never comes out right. The people who are broken know that, and now, so do you.

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." -Mae West

Bookman sat back in the office chair with is finger tips together to form a temple. He looked back and forth between the two identical twins, Lavi and Deak, who were each doing everything in their power to not stare at one another. While those two sat across from each other on Bookman's right and left hand sides, Tyki sat next to his lover, and Daisya was next to him. All were uncomfortable seated in straight-back office chairs, trying desperately to figure out what to say to break the deathly awkward silence that had stuck with them since Bookman introduced Lavi and Deak.

It was all too much blatant discomfort for Lavi. He sighed, "Well then…" He brought up his gaze that was on the floor to his newly discovered twin brother. Their gazes held in silence for a split second before cutting over to Bookman, who was clearly in charge.

"Indeed…", Bookman responded to the empty statement.

Leaning forward and placing his chin onto his curled fist propped up on the table, Lavi pushed onward, "So what's the plan here?"

"Straight forward, aren't we? Well, we'd like to know just what happened Lavi. We know the general information of what separated the last of this family, but we'd like your details."

"And what exactly is it that you know?"

Now it was Deak's turn to speak, "Only what we've been told by the news, police, and CPS. And what the situation before that." Deak took his brother's silence as a cue to continue, but Bookman knew the first part of their history best.

"Your birth-mother was my daughter, Lauren Bookman. She married your birth-father, Thomas, twenty-three years ago. This was all quite fine with me, but she soon became pregnant, and that's when their more 'free' thinking ways interfered. They decided to forego an ultrasound: Lauren and Thomas declared that they would raise the child no matter if it was a boy or a girl, or if the child had any health problems. While this seemed kind-hearted, it was nonetheless flawed. They only planned for one child, but instead had both of you. Upon seeing that there was you were in fact twins, they had the sense to realize they could not possibly care for two children financially. Lauren came to me, her father and the only living family between the two of them, and asked if I could take in one of the children. I agreed, but only if the child I took in would be renamed under my family name so to continue the bloodline with the name-sake. After much thought, they agreed and sent me Deak to live in California, while Lauren and Thomas reared you in Oregon. That distance was most likely our gravest mistake in the matter…"

Deak picked up where Bookman left off solemnly, "Bookman kept me away for teaching during one winter when we were four. Due to some malfunctions, your home's heater exploded and caught the house on fire. Our parents were killed very quickly due to their close proximity to the heater, but you were out of the house, so you lived. The CPS took you in immediately. The fire took the entire house and all our paper work with it, so there was no way for some one to get in contact with Bookman because no one knew he existed. You were sent to a orphanage right away, but that building was shut down due to illegal issues. As was the next. And the one after that. You went through a chain of poor agencies until you were lost in the system. By the time Bookman caught wind of the fire and deaths, you were long gone with no way to find you. We hired detectives and the like to search for you over the years, but nothing worked. But then Daisya came up, and now we don't have to look any more. Here you are."

"Here I am…" mumbled Lavi, absorbing the story he heard.

Everyone in the room stared at Lavi while they wondered what the unpredictable redhead would say. Unknown to Bookman and Deak but well known by Daisya and Tyki was that Lavi was surprisingly secretive. He was bubbly, outrageous, and open-minded, but when it came to his past and his information, he covered and revealed it carefully and with much thought. It was the only thing he truly considered his and his alone.

Lavi brought his eyes up from their resting place on the table top to meet Deak's. He cocked his head and raised and eyebrow in curiosity, "Did we ever meet after we were separated when we were born?"

Deak was surprised by the question, wondering why it mattered at all, "I-I don't think so…"

"No, you did not. There was never the time," Bookman assured.

"Well, that explains it," said Lavi as he leant back in his chair. "You aught to know, I've got a hell of a memory. I can remember tiny little things from way back, and that includes my childhood from before my- our- parents died. I was just making sure I wasn't some how forgetting ever seeing you two."

Bookman stared at Lavi with a well-hidden shock that Deak couldn't seem to mask, "You can recall your past even when you were so young?"

"Yep. And as for your side of the story, you got the basics right. The heater, the homes… You just missed one little thing: I was in the house when that fire started." This seemingly devastating news was met with an eerie silence from Deak and Bookman. Lavi's companions were also quiet but only because they had nothing to say. They had asked all they needed when Lavi told them individually quite some time ago, back when Lavi had trusted them enough to open up.

For a moment more, the room was quiet as Lavi peered at Bookman questioningly, "You know what you need to know about the accident and what happened to me, Bookman, and there aren't any major points that you are missing. But, what I want to know is if you want to know the details. The last moments of your daughter and her husband. I could tell ya, but do you really want to sit here and listen through it? She was your kid after all…"

Bookman pondered over Lavi's consideration. It was very much his decision. Leaning back and lacing his fingers, he prepared himself. "Yes, Lavi. I'll hear what happened during the heater malfunction."

Deak let out a shakey breath he wasn't aware he was holding as everyone faced Lavi, who laid his gaze again on the glossy table top in the conference room as he began to go over the vivid details of the last moments of his long-gone, peaceful life with his birth parents.

"What is past is prologue." -William Shakespeare

A brisk breeze sliced through Thomas's thick jacket as he ran up the gravel drive way to the door of the Oregon country-side cabin he and his family lived in. Well, most of them lived in anyways.

The father entered the home, basking in the warmth as he shook the snow off his shoulders. He set down the paper bags full of the groceries his beloved wife, Lauren, had needed for their dinner that night.

And there she stood in the kitchen just off the den, her hip-long hair lazily twirled up into a clip atop her head. She walked back and forth through the kitchen, putting away the cleaned dishes in a daze.

Lavi sat and played with small building blocks on the carpet in the cozy den but had stopped when his father entered, "Daddy!"

Lauren stilled her busy body enough to nod and smile welcomingly to her husband, gesturing to the counter for him to set the bags on. Thomas began to put away the groceries as Lauren continued to put away the dishes. Lavi watched with rapt attention as he watched the two move in sync: though neither stopped moving, they still side-stepped and spun around each other in a psychic ease as if the one knew where the other was at all times. Lavi didn't know why it was so magical to watch them work together, but it was. As the last of the food and the glasses were stocked in their cabinets, Lavi's parents turned to him.

Thomas cocked an eyebrow at his son, a trait that made Lavi giggle every time, "Shall we?"

Lavi nodded vigorously, "Mmm-hmm!"

Lavi never talked too much when he was four, but Thomas and Lauren knew there was nothing wrong with him. He spoke often enough, but he only spoke when he had something worth saying. No idea how he picked up the habit, but it was quite fine in the family's opinion.

The three gathered around Lavi's toys, and their afternoon game began. Pulling from the huge variety of blocks the child had, the trio individually built their own projects. Every afternoon they could, they'd gather to enjoy one of Lavi's many games. Today: monuments with Legos.

A good hour was spent with small chit-chat between the parents with occasional input form the redheaded youth. Lauren leaned back at peered at her somewhat done creation and pouted at the pathetic excuse for a Great Pyramid.

"Hmph!"

Lavi looked up and snickered at the poor attempt, "I think the pyramid was more flat, Mommy…"

"Oh, hush, Lavi! I'm not builder like you two."

"Yeah, Son," piped in the father. "The Egyptians built those, and they were geniuses way ahead of their time. Not many people today could hope to build such a landmark. Much less your mother…"

Lauren scoffed, "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, honey, you gotta admit…"

"Admit what?…" she asked dangerously.

Thomas missed her tone as he focused on his own work, "I'm just stating the obvious: You're no architect."

His wife went wide eyed as Lavi watched, trying to hide his gleeful smile at what would happen next. Lauren reached over and snapped off the top of the rainbow Eiffel Tower Thomas was doing much better on. The man gaped as she snapped the tip into tiny pieces.

"Well, that should tea-" Lauren stopped short as she felt a small block peg the back of her head. She whipped around to face her husband, and both of them stared each other down…

And then it began. A flurry of colors went whizzing through the air as the pelted each other with the blocks. A young Lavi clutched his stomach in a fit of giggles as he watched the Legos sail, reminding him some how of a rainbow. This was hilarious in Lavi's young mind and made him laugh even harder.

His parents also began to laugh their heads off too. Soon, the toys stopped sailing, and all were wiping tears of laughter away from their eyes.

Thomas puffed out his chest with a cocky grin, "Well, I think it's obvious who won that one!"

Lauren rolled her eyes, "Oh, go step on a Lego."

Lavi began to crack up again, catching the attention of his parents. His mother crossed her arms over her chest, "Oh yeah? Let's see what you're building."

Both of his parents looked down at Lavi's colorful building: It was their cabin. A simple, inexact version but their home nonetheless. He even got the chimney and the two stories.

"It's our house," said Lavi, hoping they could see it like he did. "Here's the den and the kitchen and the library. And there's Daddy and Mommy's room and my room. It's where our entire family lives."

As Lavi looked appraisingly down on his Lego home, he missed his mother's smile falter at "family". But it disappeared just as quickly as it came, "That's beautiful honey. How about we keep it built for a while on the shelf? You go on to the bathroom now and wash up for dinner."

Lavi rose and ran out of sight, leaving his parents alone together. Lauren sighed as Thomas put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "It's almost time, Lauren. We almost have enough saved up to care for the both of them. A few more month, and Deak and Lavi will be reunited. Just hold on…"

Lauren nodded and picked herself up. Thomas put away the scattered Legos and put Lavi's creation on the shelf of the den as his wife pulled out what was need for dinner. The heavy feeling in the air faded away as both looked forward to having their sons together at last.

"One day, you will do things for me that you hate. That is what it means to be a family." - Jonathan Safran Foer

Dinner was delightful, and soon it was time for bed. Lavi was tucked in with the lights out, but he was still wide awake. His youthful mind was running away with him in daydreams which would hopefully become his dreams in sleep. But just as his eye lids began to droop, as loud hiss and crack came from down stairs.

He sat up to see his mother and father leave their room across the hall in their pajamas.

Lauren saw Lavi was up. She walked over to him and hugged him reassuringly, "It's okay, baby. Nothing to fret over…" She trailed off as she watched Thomas run down stairs to see what the noise was all about. Just as his head left their sight, an explosion resonated through out the house. For a moment, both Lauren and Lavi's stomachs hit the floor in fear, fear for Louis.

But he entered the room right away, coughing and black from soot, "Th-the heater exploded, I think. The entire down stairs is on fire, and it's climbing fast." As he said this, they could feel the heat and see the glowing red as the flames spread to the top of the stairs.

Lavi's parents acted quickly. With the seemingly psychic connection they showed earlier today, they jumped to their tasks. Lauren scooped up Lavi and his quilt in one leap and began to wrap her son who was frozen in confusion. Louis swiped off the pillows from the bed and opened the shuttered window next to it. As the glass opened wide, freezing cold air whipped in, blowing down the hall and holding off the fire, if only for a moment. With adrenaline, strength and speed, Lavi's father picked up his son's plush twin bed over his head and pushed it out the window. It land a few feet away from the house and the fire, sending up snow flurries with it's landing.

Lavi was scooped up by his mother and handed to his father, "Roll when you hit the ground, Lavi." And Lavi was shoved out the window, wrapped snuggly in his checkered quilt. With Thomas's good aim, Lavi landed in the middle of the mattress and somehow remembered to roll, so he settled in the snow with minimal pain.

Lavi looked up at the window of his bedroom where his parents leaned out to check if he was safe. Seeing he was, the made a move to back up and leap out together to safety themselves, but they took too long.

As Lavi watched wide-eyed, the room he had been in and his parents were still in lit a blazing red. With shock on their faces they were pulled from the window by sheer force as the fire exploded something in Lavi's room, Thomas and Lauren were engulfed in dark red flames and black smoke. They made no sound as they died.

Lavi crawled away from the burning cottage, still bound in the quilt. Shivering in dead shock, the boy's back was soon pressed up against a tree, watching the fire try to take him. It enveloped the entire house now, leaving no part of it untouched as it destroyed all Lavi ever knew. The flames even took the bed Thomas had thrown Lavi on, but that was about as far as it got. It hissed as it tried to plow through the snow and failed.

The redheaded child had no idea how long he sat there, his eyes burning from the odd bursts of heat and cold. He came to as a yellow body blocked his view from the raging red. Looking up, Lavi saw the rugged face of a firefighter, "Kid, are you okay?"

Lavi nodded.

"Do you know what happened?"

"H-heater…", he mumbled, recalling his father's words.

"Is anyone else in there?"

Then, Lavi look past the fireman and to his comrades who shot powerful streams of water onto the dying flames. But it was all in vain.

"Mommy…Dad…"

The rest of the night and many days after that, the world closed in on Lavi. He went where ever an adult dragged him, agreeing to whatever they said. When he finally came to from his zombie-like state, he was at his the first of many orphanages he's go through. Clutching the quilt that somehow managed to stay in his possession, Lavi put a brave face on and trudged through the snow blocked gates of this first home and into his new, unbearable-at-times life.

"Death is a tragedy… but only for the living. We who have died go on to other things." - Charlie de Lint

Bookman's fierce grip on his armrest relaxed as Lavi finished talking. It was far worse than he could have imagined. But as he and Deak looked at Lavi, the haunted look in their new-found family member's eyes faded away into a brighter sheen of awareness.

"Alrighty then!" he exclaimed as he pushed himself up and out of his seat. "This has been one hell of a morning, but it's time I head out. Great to meet you two! I'll be in touch for sure." And then he turned on heel and was out the door and down the hall before anyone could say a thing.

Deak and Bookman gaped at the door for a moment before looking at Tyki and Daisya as they too stood up from their seats.

Tyki nodded politely at the two, "Very nice to meet you." As the two walked briskly to catch up to the runaway redhead, Daisya called over his shoulder, "Seeya!"

Bookman stared at the still open door, in shock at the blatant disrespect, but he had a second shock as Deak also jumped up and jogged out the door after them, "Deak?!"

The redhead actor ran down the halls to the parking lot, where he found Lavi, Tyki, and Daisya piling into the piece of shit car. "Lavi!"

His twin turned around to face a panting Deak, "Yeah?"

For a moment, Deak was speechless. He had run out there with nothing to say… "C-can I have you number?…"

Lavi gave him a weird but smiling look before nodding. Deak searched his pockets for something to write with and on, and all he found was a pen. He looked desperately around for a piece of paper, "Do you have anything I can-"

Deak was cut short as the pen he was holding was pulled from his hand and he himself was pulled forward unrepentantly. With a click of the trigger, Lavi wrote his cell-phone and home-phone on Deak's arm.

For those few short seconds, Deak was in a trance. Where Lavi held his wrist steady, his blood prickled at the contact. And Lavi was so close. Close enough for Deak to wrap his arms around him…

As Deak blushed ever so slightly at the unforeseen thought, Lavi pulled away and put the clicked-closed pen in his still open hand. Deak looked up at Lavi's warm, beaming smile.

"Call me soon, 'kay?" And Lavi spun around and got in the car that sped down and out of the LA corporate building parking lot.

Deak stood there staring after the car the his long-lost twin rode away in long after it had left. Only a small movement of black told him that his grandfather was there with him, pulling him out of his drifting thoughts.

Bookman was scowling deeply as he scanned the lot for their car, "Very rude of them to run off like they did. They should have been taught better."

"Hmm…" Deak muttered, not agreeing or disagreeing. He wasn't sure what to make of those three. Lavi especially befuddled him more than any mystery or person ever could, the way he acted, the way he carried himself. "So, what'd think of him?" he asked Bookman, studying his reaction out of the corner of his eye.

"A brat," Bookman stated bitterly. "With his attitude, I can't stand him for a moment. And a trickster, at that."

Deak gave a light chuckle, "So you like him…"

"A brat," reassured the old man. "Just like his brother. Now come on." And Bookman turned as sharply as Lavi did when he had left the conference room and walked to a sleek black car, Deak tailing behind. The two settled in the car, and with Deak at the wheel, the two headed out to the smog-covered heart of LA.

Deak could feel an antsy feeling in his wrist and forearm where Lavi held him and penned his numbers on his skin.

"The first time someone shows you who they really are, believe them." - Mary Angelou

Later at lunch, Tyki and Lavi sat in a local diner they both liked, eating a strange mid-day meal: Toast and jam. Every Saturday morning, they did what they could to eat this particular dish for breakfast. Not long after they started dating, Road opted to make them a special, three-week anniversary breakfast. It was supposed to be gourmet and delicious, but it ended a charred and/or runny mess on a plate, so they went for the simpler dish of toast instead. Ever since that adorable fiasco, the two had made sure that toast and jam was on the menu on Saturday. As silly and simple as it seemed, Tyki and Lavi both loved the memories that tied in with the taste of strawberry jam on toasted white bread.

The couple had finished their meal, and Lavi was in the restroom while Tyki waited at the table. The Portuguese stared at nothing as he waited for Lavi to return, but his attentions were caught by a buzzing on the table top. Lavi's phone, which he had left, was lit up and ringing with a phone call. Tyki picked it up and read the called ID: unknown.

The handsome man pressed the answer button, "Hello, this is Lavi's cell. Tyki speaking."

"Tyki?"

"Lav-," Tyki stopped himself as he realized who it really was. "Deak?"

"Yeah. Where's Lavi?"

"In the restroom. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Uh, I was kinda hoping I could, uh, talk to Lavi…"

Tyki didn't miss the hesitant tone, was immediately suspicious, "What for? If I may ask, that is…"

"Just want to ask some questions. That's all."

"About what?"

"Is this Twenty Questions or something? It's personal, alright?…"

"Okay, okay…" Tyki seemed to back off. "…What are you hoping to get out of this, red?"

"What?" Deak was confused.

"What are you hoping to find by getting to know Lavi?" Tyki accused.

"I-I don't understand…"

"Well, explain."

"Tyki?" The Portuguese turned to see Lavi was walking up. "Who is that, who's calling?"

"Oh, Lavi," Tyki said, revealing to Deak on the other end of the call that their topic of conversation had just arrived. "This is just Deak. He called, and I didn't want you to miss it."

"Oh, thanks!" Lavi held his hand out and open for the cell-phone. Masking his reluctance well, Tyki passed him the phone.

"Hey, man! Wassup?… Yeah… No, not really… Sure, that perfect. Seeya then?… Sweet! Tell Bookman I said 'hiya'- huh?… Oh, yeah, sure. Here you go." Lavi handed the cell back to his boyfriend. "He wants to talk to ya real quick," Lavi said with an innocent, honest smile.

"Yes-" Tyki answered, but was cut short.

"I'm looking for the brother I lost, Tyki…" Deak said abruptly.

"Oh, I see… Well, then I'll see you some other time. Good bye," Tyki waited for a farewell in return, but only got a long beep of a hung up call.

After handing over the phone and paying for their meal, Lavi and Tyki walked home. He acknowledged that the next day, Lavi and Deak would be meeting up for a lunch, but the elder was slightly distracted. He didn't trust Deak's answer because it didn't sound like the redhead trusted it himself either.

"I'm not upset you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Deak was antsy as he waited for his brother in the small deli they agreed to meet in. Lavi wasn't late or anything, the other redhead was just nervous about what he was going to ask, unsure of how he was going to bring it up…

With all his inner turmoil, Deak missed the chime as the deli door opened. He was in for a shock when two hands covered his eyes, "Guess who!"

The actor broke into a smile at his brother's antics, "Lavi."

With a chuckle, Lavi removed his hands and stepped out from behind his twin. Deak was caught off guard for a moment at the sight of Lavi is a deep purple v-neck tee. He also carried a long board, showing how he got here from his house, "You know how to ride a long board?"

Lavi glanced at the worn wood of his main method of transportation, "Huh? Oh, yeah, I got one a few years back from Daisya. Love the thing! Um," he said, rising from the table. "I'm gonna go ahead a put in my order. Starving…"Deak stopped him, "No need, Lavi. I already ordered for the both of us."

The redhead sat back down, slightly confused, "Really? Don't take this the wrong way, but that's rather audacious of you…"

Deak laughed lightly, understanding what Lavi meant completely, "No, no, I just wanted to see something…" He trailed off as he looked over Lavi's shoulder at the waitress walking up with his order.

"Hello, boys! Here you go. Two sandwiches, two drink, and two chips. Enjoy!" And the girl was gone.

Lavi looked down at the wrapped sandwich and then up at Deak quizzically. With a coy smile, Deak nodded at the meal, inviting him to partake. Hesitantly, Lavi unfolded the paper, and his jaw dropped. It was a grilled chicken on white with whole leaf lettuce, diced tomatoes, and chipotle ranch.

"I…I can't believe it…", Lavi gasped. "This is my favorite. How did you know…?"

"It's my favorite too. I just wanted to see how 'twin' we were…"

As Lavi laughed, he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back. Deak heart jumped to his throat. Lavi looked over at the drink, wondering…, "Cherry Coca-Cola?"

The red-haired actor found his voice again, "There's nothing better."

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Our favorite meal is getting cold in front of us, so let's dig in!"

And they did, enjoying the sandwiches and each other's company, but then Lavi remembered something and spoke up, "Oh, Deak. I can't stay here long, I'm sorry. I have an job interview at four, so I can only stay another thirty minutes or so…"Deak cocked an eyebrow, "A job interview?"

"Yeah. I'm a tutor for students, but with school over, a lot of my clientele don't need me, just the college people. Tyki and I need the money, and I can usually get a job somewhere, but this time, no luck… And we gotta hurry. Bills are coming up."

"Huh…" Deak absorbed this. "So, you gotta leave soon? Well, I better just ask you then…"

"Tell me what?"

Deak Looked Lavi dead in the eye, "Well, yesterday, when you were telling us what happened,… you didn't mention what our parents looked like."

Lavi froze for a second, "I-I didn't? Oh… I just assumed you knew what they looked like…"

"I don't. Bookman might, but I never saw my parents. I've seen old pictures, but nothing after their wedding pictures. If Bookman has any, he doesn't just leave them lying around. So, I was wondering if you could tell me what they looked like. The pictures I've seen are a year or two before we were born, so they probably looked different…"

Lavi nodded, "Yeah, Deak, sure thing! You deserve to know what they looked like. Well, Lauren, our mom, she was beautiful. She had long, bright red hair down to her waist. It was gorgeous down and very soft, but she always said it was a hassle, so she constantly kept it up in a wild clip. The only reason Mom didn't cut it off was because she knew how much Dad loved it. She had dark green eyes, darker than ours, but they were warm. She was of normal stature, and she always wore graphic tees and jeans. I saw her in a dress once when Dad and her were going on a date, but that was it. She was kind of cooky, always so random and silly, but maybe that was just a mom thing.

"Thomas was like her in a lot of ways. One big thing is that they looked sort of alike. He had red hair too, but much darker, and his eyes were light green instead. While Mom was really pale, he was tan. Did a ton of out door work in the warmer months. Now, he was tall. Six two or more. And like Mom wore graphic tees, he wore button up shirts. The casual kind. And always the same pair of boots, brown and tough. Dad was clean shaven too. He smiled a lot like Mom did, but Dad was definitely a lot more normal. Very steady in all the right ways.

"But there was one thing about them that has always blown my mind: They were so smart. In all sorts of ways! Mom knew tons of stories, real and fiction, and was always reading something new everyday. And she could remember anything she read or heard. That's where I think I got my memory from, her. Dad was smart with building. He could fix anything. Just about built that entire cabin by himself. His pride and joy of the house was the library he built for Mom, and I could see why. She was always in that room, reading or writing or just sitting looking around. They were amazing people, Deak. I wish you could have known them… I wish they were still here today…"

Lavi went quiet then and very sullen. Deak reached across the table and took his hand, "I'm sorry, Lavi."

Shaking off the wave of longing, Lavi smiled a bittersweet grin at his brother, "Thanks. Really, Deak, thank you. I'm glad to have told you about them." He was honestly okay and grateful to Deak.

Deak nodded and let go of his hand, looking at the watch on his wrist, "Damn, it's time for you to go already…"Lavi looked at the watch too, "Oh, it is. Sorry to cut this short…"

"No, no! It's cool!"

Lavi scooped up his long board, and the two left the deli, leaving a tip on the table. Lavi set his wheels to the sidewalk, "Well, I seeya later, man."

"Yeah, you too!"

And Lavi was off. As Lavi had to focus on what was ahead of him, he didn't see Deak stare after him intently. He watched him with admiration and with respect for what he had gone through and for telling Bookman and him about it. But he also watched him with a different feeling in mind, unknown to him. From what he felt, he knew that it was not any form of dislike, but it still left him feeling uprooted and foreign. He shuddered, pushing away the mysterious emotion and walked the other direction to his car.

"Whenever we confront an unbridled desire we are surely in the presence of a tragedy-in-the-making." - Quentin Crisp

Lavi returned home at seven. He hadn't gotten the job he was interviewing for, but this time it was because of his own decision: The boss was a complete ass hole. No question about it. The way he stared at both the men and women lining up for the job made him and many other applicants just walk out the door with disgust. Lavi was better off unemployed than with that sicko.

But even with this reasoning, Lavi was still worried with the lack of income. He settled in the chair in his and Tyki's bedroom. Tyki was home and came into the room from the kitchen, a package in hand, "How did it go?"

"Suckish. The guy was a total perv."

Tyki went dark, "Did he try anything, Lavi?"

Lavi knew only too well about Tyki's more possessive tendencies and didn't want Tyki doing anything rash or torturous to that boss, "No, Tyki, no… He just came off wrong, with how he was looking at everyone. It's alright."

Tyki scowled at the thought of some one else looking at his Lovely but calmed down and settled on the bed. He spotted that Lavi was very interested in the brown package he brought in, "This was on the door step when I came home. It's marked for you."

The Portuguese handed over the package, which the redhead snatched up immediately. Underneath the plain paper were two things: a note and bubble-wrapped something. Lavi got childishly excited over the bubble wrap, but went for the note instead, out of politeness.

Dear Lavi,

I talked to Bookman after I got home, and he gave me this. After a call to Daisya, he gave me you address. I got a copy of it, so don't worry about me not having one.

Sincerely, Deak

Lavi was very interested in what Deak had to send him that was so important as to give him right away. Peeling back the protective cover, Lavi found a black, simple frame holding what was could have very well been the most amazing thing he had ever seen in his life. His hand went to his mouth in shock, covering a gasp of surprise. Tyki saw his eyes begin to water.

His Lover stood up and looked down on the picture, wondering what on Earth would make Lavi act so sentimentally.

With in the frame stood two people Tyki knew well from Lavi's description. The photo was in brilliant color, so their red hair and green eyes stood out well. It was a radiant Thomas standing next to his wife, Lauren, who was glowing as she stood, very pregnant.

Tyki smiled softly and took a seat on the arm of Lavi's chair, wrapping an arm around the shoulders of his shocked and overjoyed lover. But through it all, something was still nagging at him, but he ignored it. He didn't want to acknowledge it. He didn't want to admit he was envious of Deak for giving Lavi something Tyki couldn't.

"Jealousy - that jumble of secret worship and ostensible aversion." - Emily M. Coiran

Good thing Deak knew something about fixing people and relationships. He knew he and Lavi had been separated by forces out of their control, and though they may have been reintroduced through other forces out of their control (Daisya), he knew they weren't reunited. So he had the sense to work at it, to give it what he had. But by doing this, he set a rift between himself and Tyki. One that couldn't be repaired without letting go of Lavi, it seemed. So, even though I said there were many ways to fix some one, sometimes, it's not worth it. Sometimes to fix that person just costs too much.