Chapter Text
Lucas is buttoning up his smart, white shirt. Twice a week his dad drops him off on the other side of town where he’s an intern at Drew Studios. It’s nothing short of a miracle, given how protective the studio is of their trade secrets, and how many students across the region applied for the job. Not to mention the severe lack of faith Mr. and Mrs. Patrick seem to have in their son.
The door to the bedroom opens and Lucas rolls his eyes.
“No,” he speaks firmly. His back may be to the door but he doesn’t need to see to know who it is.
“You don’t know what I’m going to say yet.”
Lucas turns. Stood in front of the door, leaning back against it is his twin brother, Dirk.
“I know exactly what you’re going to say and I’m telling you, it’s not happening.”
“Four people, Lucas.” Dirk pushes away from the door having enough sense to keep back. “All missing, and their last known location was Drew Studios.”
“Probably locked up for sticking their nose where it wasn’t wanted.” Lucas snarks, snatching a black tie from his dresser. Another part of the uniform and honestly one he could do without. Still for this internship he’ll deal with it.
“You don’t have to stick anything anywhere, just,” Dirk gestures as he searches for the words, “keep an eye out.”
“Great! I’ll start by not sticking my nose up your ass just to make you happy!”
Dirk barely blinks at the insult, focused instead on his brother’s fingers. They’re fumbling and getting frustrated isn’t helping things. Lucas has never been all that great with ties. Dirk steps forward reaching for the tie.
“Here, let me-”
“Look!” Lucas slaps the hand away, scowling as he snaps at his brother, “You know how much I had to beg Mom and Dad to get them on board with this. If anything goes even slightly wrong they’ll never trust me again, so fuck your mystery and shove it!”
By the end Lucas is shouting. He’s sick of having this conversation every time he gets ready for work. He just wants to go, learn what they have to teach him and move on with his life. Hopefully into a job where he’ll never have to wear a fucking tie! He barely remembers which bit goes where and is two seconds from just tossing the stupid piece of fabric on the floor when Dirk takes it from his fingers.
Dirk wears ties a lot, in fact he’s wearing a navy one now. They’re a regular part of his wardrobe. He’s a firm believer in dressing for the job you want and it’s no secret that Dirk has big plans for his future. As he adjusts the tie, Lucas watches; frowning but silent. When they stand next to each other like this the slight differences are more noticeable. Dirk’s taller by about an inch, while Lucas’s hair is always in a mess.
Dirk’s popular; people actually like him. He’s got this friendly approachableness that draws you in and makes you want to be his friend. His teachers all love him and are falling over each other to write him letters of recommendation. His grades are immaculate, his permanent record sparkles, and everyone is sure he’s destined for great things.
Lucas on the other hand…
Though every bit as intelligent as his brother, he’s always been what their parents call a ‘difficult child’. Coursework is excellent, but he doesn’t test well. Constantly questions, calls out, and undermines his teachers; and his less than usual viewpoints have made him somewhat of an easy target for bullies over the years. If Dirk’s permanent record is a dentist’s office, Lucas’s is coal mine. Clogged, dirty, weighed down with several fights, countless detentions, and multiple suspensions. Top it off with mom and dad sending him to a different ‘correctional camp’ every summer and despite their similarities, the two of them really couldn’t be more different.
“I can’t risk proving everyone right about me.” Lucas mutters.
“I know.” Dirk pulls the tie to his brother’s throat, brushing it down before stepping back to check his work with a soft smile. “Forget I said anything.”
Lucas looks down to his perfectly tied tie before looking up again.
“How do I look?”
Dirk smirks. “Almost human.”
“You dick!” Lucas grabs a nearby pillow, laughing as he tosses it at his brother’s head.