Dean grimaced and pulled Kane closer. No on should have had to put up with that level of blame. He didn't kill the kid, the system just failed. Like it failed a lot of the time. Luckily it hadn't failed for his sister, who'd succeeded in getting clean, and because of that he hadn't hated giving up his little niece that much. His little girl, he'd call her, and she'd laugh. He closed his eyes. "Shhh. Hey. You shouldn't have to go through it alone. Even if it's bad, I wanna be there. I'll hear it." He reluctantly, very reluctantly pulled away from the lawyer. Having felt there was something solid, defined, under those office clothes, Dean had grown more curious than he thought possible.

He pulled a pen from his pocket and pulled Kane's hand to him. "Hey, look here. Don't think much of it, okay? I'm giving you my cell so if you ever need someone to talk to... or, y'know, want someone to talk to... you can put this in your Rolodex or whatever it is you lawyer types use to keep things in order." He grinned, hoping it would take the edge off. Kane was too sad, it didn't fit his looks. Sadness just didn't sit well on his features.

Kane leaned back slowly and watched. Scribbles on his hand... Well it had been a while since anyone did that. It tickled. The young lawyer smiled a bit. "Cellphone. That's where your number's going to end up. " To prove it, Kane pulled a sleek touch phone from his pocket and popped the number in. He tilted the phone around so Dean could see for himself. "And here's mine." A few touches and the number was on the display.

"You could call me too, if you want to talk." It wasn't like Kane always had his phone turned off. When in court, of course, but in the office? Sometimes he would leave it on just to see if someone would call. But now, he'd be getting some calls and not all because of work either.

Dean smiled and used his pen to write the number presented, feeling as if another, somewhat larger victory had come to land in his lap. If he were honest with himself that wasn't the only thing he wanted in his lap, but he wouldn't say that aloud. Not with Kane having so easily and freely offered his personal cell number. Dean only did that because he didn't have a landline. It was easier that way, because he'd have unplugged the thing anyway. "Oh, I'd love to talk." He said with a smile. "Any time." He sat back on his heels, brushing his hair out of his face as it fell from behind his ear.

"You wanna part ways for now, Kane? I saw you were pretty engrossed in your work earlier, I might've distracted you..." He looked down, then back up. "And I could do some work of my own... I should contact an agent of mine, and the editor of the magazine..." He pursed his lips and looked out at the water. "'Course... If you're ever interested, or... curious... I could give you a private show someday. Y'know... Just if you're curious." He grinned, stood, and unwrapped his shirt, sliding it back on and offering a hand. "Need help this time?" Dean asked, recalling earlier when he'd offered and had been, unfortunately, turned down.

Kane shrugged. "I needed the distraction." And then the bomb dropped. The lawyer reddened. He didn't even dare shake his head in either direction. There was no way he wanted to offend his new friend. Besides, it just seemed like something Dean would do. He was that friendly, and probably wanted to get Kane widening his horizons, and discovering new things. It was meant to be educational, only that, Kane was sure.

Grey eyes rested on the offered hand for a while, before Kane reached out to accept it. "Maybe I'll take you up on that offer, sometime ..." Though he doubted it would be anytime soon. Kane needed to find the courage first. Or an excuse, or both. It just made him all flustered and fidgety, thinking about what a private show from Dean might entail. He had no idea! And that was the most disconcerting thing.

An uncharacteristic, unhindered grin spread Dean's face and he could feel it, helping Kane to stand and standing there like a damn fool, grinning like he just found out there really was a Santa and Christmas had come early. "Sometime would be great." He said, though he just couldn't shake the idiotic look from his face. "Maybe call first? Hey, you know, if you're curious enough to drop by a shoot, no one'd know. Usually the photographers use nondescript locations, warehouses they rent, not necessarily professional studios. It's the scene they're interested in, not the location the scene takes place in. Sooo... You know, if you happen to be around... South Avenue... about noon... You might be able to drop by... I might even say I let a friend come by so they let you in..."

He finally managed to shake his stupid smile into a light twitch of the lips. "Anyway, Kane, I'll be seeing you soon... I hope." He winked, stepping around the man and making a point of brushing very slowly past his chest, turning his head to breathe in the lawyer's scent. He smiled at it, buttoning his shirt so he could head home without being visually molested. But he barely knew where he was headed---back to the little cafe, obviously, to get his car. But his inner visions were filled with thoughts of Kane.

The smile blooming across his new friend's face had Kane looking away. Just a few words, and he'd made the other man so undeniably happy. It was so darn odd. Odder still was the unusual thumping of his heart. Harder then he was used to, for a reason he didn't even want to think about. "I won't make any promises." Then Dean brushed up close, making it entirely obvious that maybe he saw Kane as more then just a friend. Now the invitation took on a whole new meaning.

Once Dean had left, Kane followed suit. He slipped his jacket on again, buttoned up his shirt tight, as he walked. The office wasn't far. By the time Kane passed the café, he looked like a lawyer again, the kind that cared more about his cases then his looks.

He was in his car for a few minutes before he finally managed to get going. Then he was headed toward home, a two-floor penthouse at the top of a glass-faced tower on the strip of beach that faced out to the ocean. Dark and light mingled in the main room, dark cherry floors with a deep emerald green rug that was soft on the skin. The white furniture was large but not overpowering to the room and the sectional faced the wall of windows. They could be darkened to near black, and there was a television on a stand, a sixty inch thing he didn't often watch but for news and a few crime dramas he felt were guilty pleasures. Then the room slid into the dining room with the same dark-light combination. A black table with white chairs, the same color rug under the table. Then a step up into the chrome-and-black kitchen, where he experimented quite a bit with food and wrote down what he did as he went along. Then down the hall the stairs led up to the two bedrooms, an office and a large bathroom that matched the one downstairs, across from the open dining room.

He made it home without incident and brought out his phone as he felt his way to the elevator. He'd done it plenty of times, staring at the smooth display as he wandered the lobby, barely avoiding missing someone while he wasn't paying attention. He was sending a text to Andy, hoping to get an idea of how he and Starr were doing. He wanted to talk about Kane in some way, rather than think about him. He was a sweet guy. He really, really cared about those kids he worked with, and somehow that was way more attractive than anything else he'd thought up. When the elevator dinged, Dean put his phone in his pocket after entering Kane's number from his hand, and unlocked his door, stepping inside and closing and locking the door behind him. He had quite a bit to do anyway---those thoughts about Kane would have to wait until later.

Starr stared at the pile of cloth on the rectangle with distaste. "I need to sleep in that, under it? No." He shook his head vehemently. Not touching hot things when they were in use made sense. He'd nearly burned his sensitive skin when he'd reached out earlier. Then Andy had saved his hand with a quick snatch and an even faster explanation. Forks were useful too, for picking up stringy bits of stuff. But this .. oh it didn't mane any sense! There was no practical reason for such an odd sleeping arrangement.

He was used to kelp over rocks, to soft, sifting sand cradling him. This bed just didn't compare. "Can't I sleep somewhere else, out on the beach?" Naked like he was meant to be, at that. But no, apparently that probably wouldn't be allowed. There were so many rules, and only half of them made sense.

Andy drew his hands down his face, chewing on his bottom lip thoughtfully. It had been a looong afternoon after Dean had left, and he felt the way his friend had described after his niece had learned to walk and tried to grab everything in sight. He said he'd been a nervous wreck, pulling his hair out wondering if she'd stick a fork in a light socket or grab a hot pot or pan or cut herself with a knife he didn't remember was lying in her reach. Andy didn't have to worry about Starr cutting himself with a knife---he obviously handled blades before, just not in the same form as the simple steak knife.

And now he was onto a bed. Or, in front of a bed, and on his last nerve, his last frayed thread of sanity. He sighed and shook his head. "Nooo..." He moaned, looking at Starr. "Humans are friggin' weird, I know, but you can't lie out on the beach. At night the tide comes up and takes over the whole stretch of sand so it's not that safe anyway. And people could wander by, drunks that don't know where they are, they might find you and screw with you. But you don't have to lie under the blankets, just get on top of them. Hell, you don't even have to wear clothes, God knows I don't!" He threw his hands in the air in underlying exasperation, then cooled himself with a breath. "Okay, okay... Just try it out, it's still early..." He rolled his eyes, stepping back. "You want some privacy, or no? I can help with whatever..." He tilted his head, watching Starr carefully.

"Weird is right." Starr stared as the other man waved his hands around. Really weird. And now he was already starting to pick up on the language, the twists of phrase an sayings. "Show me," said Starr. He fiddled with the unbuttoned shirt he wore. It was huge on him. There was more then enough room to move with it on. But now it slid to the floor, landing in a puddle of white. Then the pants followed, and Starr was as free as the moment he'd landed on the sands. It felt so good to be like that! No more restrictions. The former merman sighed happily.

Privacy wasn't anything the merman was used to. It was just another odd human idea. "Could you stay with me too?" He wasn't used to sleeping alone. To be alone was to be vulnerable. Now the only one he could look to for safety was Andy. A yawn, musical still, slipped past Starr's soft lips. He was so tired.

He furrowed his brow, but didn't say anything. It seemed 'show me' was a phase Starr would be using a lot of until he got the hang of things. But show him a bed? And stay with him? Andy hadn't expected that. He didn't want to leave the guy alone for too long, for obvious transition reasons, but he was sweet, too. And what else did he have to do? It was still far, far too early to go to bed, but Starr had surprised him so far by actually staying awake. "Uh... Yeah, sure..." He went around the bed and, instead of pulling the blankets back, he sat on them and leaned back, flipping onto his side and curling up. The bed was clean, he washed the blankets and fitted sheets every other week when not used by one of his friends.

"Just lie down and sleep, really. It might feel kind of soft, but I actually prefer a firmer mattress..." He sat up and pressed his hand on the blanket beside him. "If you don't want the pillow just toss it down." He paused. "But if you wake up and I'm not here later, I'll be around, promise. Probably downstairs but if not there's a door to the left of here when you leave this room. I'll probably be there." Especially if it was nighttime. He was a bit of a night owl but he had to be up early at the same time.

The merman crawled onto the surface beside Andy. The give of the mattress had Starr huffing in annoyance. "It really is too soft." He grumbled and wriggled a bout on all fours to get a feel for this new type of thing. Then he sidled over to Andy and placed his head firmly on the other man's shoulder. After a quick shove at the pillows, so they fell off with a thump, Starr wrapped himself around the human. Now it felt safe. It almost felt like being back home, except for all the horrible differences.

"Why would you leave?" Starr tried not to yawn, but did anyway. Sleepily, he nuzzled Andy a bit and closed his eyes. The merman still felt full of energy. Fatigue warred with the sense of danger the new environment radiated. Such warring emotions weren't conducive to peaceful rest.

Andy didn't quite know what he expected, but not the merman-turned-human to wrap around him. He was stuck for a moment, then curled over him, turning slightly to be able to hear and speak to him easily. Unconsciously, one of his hands stroked Starr's arm. He didn't seem to care that it was too soft now, but at this point Andy was sure he'd sleep on a bed of nails if it just didn't roll him off. He glanced down when Starr spoke.

"I'll still be in the house, Starr. You don't have anything to worry about, I'll be here. But it's too early for me to sleep, so I'll be downstairs doing things. Outside maybe, but you won't be alone. You can see and get to me from the balcony over there..." He noted the open doors and stairs down to the yard. "You're safe here." He promised the merman. "I'll make sure. Now sleep." He reached a hand up, petting his hair lightly, smoothing it back and running his fingers through it. Beautiful, slightly wavy, such a unique, different color.

Starr shifted closer with a yawn. "Stay, just a little longer. Please ..." The human world frightened him more then anything could under the sea. Even the sea witch who had caused the tangle that had him turned into a two legger, was less frightening. At least he understood how it worked under the waves. Above them, he felt too much like a tiny minnow caught in a storm too big to be understood. Pulled this way and that by invisible eddies and flows ... There was no telling how things would end up unless someone was there to show the way.

But Andy's soft touches eased his mind so. The merman-turned-human wriggled ever nearer the human. He lifted a hand to press his sharp nailed fingers across skin. A small touch, a long caress: it was only fair to echo the comforting movements. It never crossed Starr's mind that perhaps acting as he did was a breaking of some unwritten rule. After all, this would have been normal where he came from. But with humans, with humans who had mates, things were different.

After a bit of time Andy had started paying less attention to what he was doing. He twined his finger through Starr's hair and sighed, until he caught sight of the color and realized who it was. Starr. Starr, of course. His mind had wandered so much he thought he was lying with Cory. What a stupid notion... He didn't have Cory's body, or his hair, or his scent. Why had he gotten so close? He twisted one leg over the other and pulled them up a little. "I'll stay for a bit." He murmured. "Until you're sleeping. Then I have things to do... But not before."

He went quiet, feeling his skin contract slightly and shiver when Starr's nails went over him, and closed his eyes. He imagined himself drifting off somewhere else. Not here, but there, anywhere, maybe simply lounging under an umbrella in his cheap little sailboat that didn't do much more than let him surround himself by the smell of salt water and ocean waves and let him drift off for a few hours just to wind down. He definitely wasn't against a naked merman and stroking his hair sweetly, with the same thing happening to him. He definitely thought about Cory and where he was and what he was doing, until in his pocket something shifted.

His phone. Slowly, he went down to retrieve it, reading the text above Starr's head. It was from Dean, asking how he and Starr were getting on. He replied simply---that he was a nervous wreck after Dean left and was now lying with him in the guest bedroom hoping he'd sleep off his confusion and wake with a clear, ready-to-learn mind. Then he set it down on the bed.

Another yawn escaped Starr. Mumbling softly, he nuzzled into Andy. Petting the other man lightly, the merman slowly began to drift off. He felt entirely safe with Andy so near. There was his protector. It was an odd feeling, being the one protected for once. The white scars crisscrossing Starr's skin, the pale half moons of left behind by bite marks, were proof that he'd fought under the waves. It was both harsh and beautiful. He missed it, and dreamed of it.

The seascape of his whole life flashed under his eyelids. Bright fish and octopus swam around him as light filtered down. Rippling water above, seaweed and coral bellow. Jellyfish drifted along, their stingers dancing with the currents. There was nothing like seeing a school of jellyfish swaying together. They were like the flowers of the ocean. And now that he had seen flowers, it was so much easier to understand the comparison.

Andy didn't fall asleep, but he knew when Starr did. His breathing grew deep and even, his hand stilled, and his muscles slacked. He had to be dreaming, his eyelids showed activity, a quick left-right motion that showed his deep dreams. Andy slowly, very slowly slid away and grasped his phone. Dean had replied just a moment ago but he hadn't checked it, and now he did, as he stepped out of the room and kept the door open wide for Starr.

That's great! XD Now you know how I felt when Sasha started walking!

Andy laughed, shaking his head and going downstairs. He had cleaned the kitchen after Dean left, stopping to answer questions, help Starr learn, and slap his hand away from things that were hot but didn't show it.

Yea never gonna laugh at that again!

He shook his head, pocketing his phone and pulling something from the fridge. A bag of salad, some vegetables. He washed them, studying the water as it went down the drain then shaking his head. He could barely think about how beautiful it must be under that water. He'd seen pictures, but that was what humanity had found. Not what Starr knew. Not that rough but beautiful, breathtaking place he and his kind had never even laid eyes on.

Starr had tail again. The long pearlescent limb pushed him through the water with ease. Sharks moved out of the way when the merman shot by. In his wake, sea dwellers scattered. But something else lurked in the waters. The light disappeared. A darkness swelled beneath the waves. Tendrils of it swept up, tangled around Starr. The slimy appendages squeezed hard, and pain like a thousand needled sharp teeth sliced through his tail. It hurt!

The merman started yelling in his sleep. He trashed about wildly, somehow tangling himself all up in the sheets. He rolled, he twisted and turned. His yells were even louder after he thumped to the floor. Sleep kept him trapped. What once had been a comfort, now was a nightmare. The sea was like that. It could be as beautiful as nothing else in the world, and it was one of the savagest places on the planet. Everything was built to defend itself, or to kill. There was no peace in the sea. Only a constant struggle for survival.

He didn't really want to eat, but had to do something to stop the gnawing in his stomach. So he sliced a salad and dressed it lightly, and dialed Dean. He picked up after the first ring, surprising Andy with a shrill confession: "Andy I met a guy!"

He blinked, swirling his fork around with the last bit of spinach at the bottom of his bowl. "Uh... Great? What? I'm confused..."

"Ahaha, Andy." Dean's voice faltered for a moment and Andy could visualize him flopping down in his bed or the couch. "I met him today while with my agent, he was in the cafe I was in. Oh Andy he's got the most gorgeous gray eyes like storm clouds and he's a lawyer that represents kids... Kids! Who does that!? No one ever thinks of the kids but he does, Andy, and lemme tell you, he really feels for 'em too. I think he's pained though. He doesn't have anyone to talk to and I don't think he's really ready to believe he might be at least bi, but I'm gonna stick right there." He panted, sounding winded, and Andy chuckled.

"That's great, Dean. Is he nice?"

"So nice, Andy. Really down to earth, serious, grounded..."

"Sounds just like you." Andy joked, and got up to put his bowl in the sink and rinse it. "So you got---" He froze, listening as a thump met his ear and the sound of a struggle. "Dean I gotta go something's wrong with Starr!" He didn't wait for Dean to reply, but ended the call and dropped the phone to the counter, bounding up the stairs two at a time and finding what he'd worried he'd see. Starr laid out, flailing about. Risking being hit, he ducked down and pulled him forward, clamping his arms to his sides. "Starr! Starr? Wake up, wake up, it's a bad dream." He kept the merman's arms still, sitting and pulling him close, throwing a leg over him to still his kicking. "Starr, Starr... Wake up. Wake up. It's a dream." He spoke firmly, but didn't scream. It would scare Starr more, he was sure of that.

The merman moaned, screamed so loud and shrill it was a wonder he didn't wake himself up. He struggle to move, and in his dream felt more trapped then ever. But then he heard Andy's voice. It was so easy to recognize. There wasn't that magical echo that a merperson's voice held for their own kind, but it was comfort, safety. Slowly, the merman relaxed. He stopped struggling, and blinked his amethyst eyes open. "My tail ... " Water rained from his eyes. It was gone and shooting pains just reminded him of the lack.

"It hurts, it hurts ..." He was trapped in more ways then one. Starr wriggled, freed his arms. "Everything is so closed in. There are so many things that just ..." There were so many tears falling, the water from the eyes. Would he dry out and die? Was that what happened to humans when they got sad? Starr tried to stop crying, but that made it worse.

It was hard to deal with the awful noise escaping Starr, the shrill, awful screams that cut through his ears and bounced in his skull. But he gritted his teeth and held on until Starr finally fell limp and tears started dampening his arm, then he released Starr, but kept him close. "We'll go outside, Starr. We can sit on the beach for a while, how about that?" He hugged the man, hoping the phantom pain he felt would go away soon. "Come on... You can talk to me there, okay?" He ran a thumb over Starr's cheeks, ridding them of the fallen tears and getting up. "Come on, I'll get you out of here." he offered his hands, bending down and lifting Starr and holding on until he could find his balance on his feet.

Starr nodded, murmured softly. "Please." There were too many walls. There was too much closing him in. At least outside there was the comfort of the familiar, instead of the cold, alien, world that was the inside of a human home. The moment he was lifted from the ground, Starr wrapped his arms tight around Andy. He refused to let go, even when he stood steady on his feet. No, instead he moved in such a way that he always had an arm around the other man as they ambled out of the house and onto the private beach. Once there, Starr searched out water. The salty scent of the sea, the night sky, the feel of cool liquid against his feet flippers, it helped Starr calm down more then anything. "When I lost my tail, it felt like it was being eaten up by sharks. And then there's that house, the walls ... It makes me feel like I'm in a cage. Like there's no way out."

It was hard to maneuver when Starr refused to let go of him but Andy understood. He was careful, though, and kept an arm around Starr to lead him. At this point he didn't worry about the lack of clothing on Starr. He never worried about it himself, so why worry about Starr? Once they were off the grass and onto the sand, he seemed to be a bit more relaxed. And Andy sighed inwardly. "Starr... I'd never put you in a cage. I'd never hurt you. I'd never do anything that'd make you uncomfortable. I might once or twice, but when you tell me, I won't do it again. All the doors and windows are always open for you to come and go as you like, you'll never be locked up inside. I wouldn't do that to you." He shivered at the water as it rose higher. Soon it would be up and over most of the sand.

"Are you okay?" Andy asked, placing a hand on Starr's shoulder. "I know that nightmare was... awful. It sounded awful. If it happens again I'll be there, you know?" He felt so protective, and Andy had no idea why. But he didn't care. Starr needed someone to help him figure things out and he would. And so would Dean. As to any other friends, he didn't know about them. He didn't want to go against Starr's hope and talk to everyone about him, of course, and Dean seemed to be keeping things quiet so far.

The merman looked up with his tear filled amethyst eyes. He hated being so vulnerable, so confused, so helplessly dependent on someone else. And yet he leaned into Andy despite all of that, leaned into him and took in the warmth of the human's skin. "Thank you. Honestly, I have no idea what would have befallen me if you hadn't found me. This ... I'm glad you're there to help me through anything that happens." Starr let a soft musical sigh slip from his lips before brushing them lightly against Andy's. There was nothing romantic to him about it. To the merman, it was a sign of friendship, just another touch. If it had been more then that, the action would have been fierce and possessive.

"I'll be alright, because I believe I can turn to you when I need a friend." Leaning back, the white to grey haired merman looked up to meet the human's eyes. He smiled, squeezed Andy's arm reassuringly, then stumbled into the water. The moment it was high enough, Starr slipped under the waves with one deep breath. Eyes wide open, he stared at the debris of the shore, floating branches, feathers, and then to the kelp being pushing in by the sea. It was home to him, more then any building or place on land ever could be. Bittersweet as it was to be beneath the waves again, he loved it.

Andy managed to swallow a shudder and almost pulled far back when Starr nearly closed the distance between them. But the voice in the back of his mind reminded him, almost too late, that this was indeed a merman and he had no idea what their customs were. A near kiss could be simply friendly motions. And indeed it was. Andy's human brain just took it to mean too much. He shook his head, watching Starr move to the water and then duck down. And almost immediately his breath caught in his throat.

What was he doing? Did he think he could breathe under water? He didn't come breaking the surface immediately, so Andy breathed out a little. He could still see Starr's hair on the water, so he hadn't gone kicking out. Still, Andy worried, and he stepped forward, pulling him up. "Sorry, Starr... I just don't want you thinking your human legs are as strong as your tail was... I was worried you'd get swept out." He brushed Starr's hair back as a voice cut the air like a knife, high and painful.

"ANDY! STARR! Where the hell are you!?"

Andy grimaced. Dean. He waved, calling back. "Dean! Over here, on the beach!" He saw the form, looking as if he were unfurling as he ran across the yard, and as he slid onto the sand Andy got a good look at him. Wearing silk pajama bottoms and a silk robe, both black with a pale blue shine. He looked as if he'd run through a tornado.

"Andy, what the hell are you doing to me!? You just end a call freaking out about Starr and you don't think I'll rush over as soon as I can!? Oh God you nearly gave me a heart attack, you shouldn't do that!" He hit Andy on the chest, but not hard. If he wanted, Dean could cause real damage.

"Sorry, sorry Dean! I just... I was worried, I wasn't thinking. It was nothing, just a bad dream, that's all." Andy looked to Starr, then back to Dean. "Sorry... I didn't know you'd run over as fast as you could..."

Dean sighed, and shook his head. "Look, as long as you two are okay... You're okay, right?" He looked directly at Starr.