Hand grabbed him, pulling him from the water. Angrily, Starr wrenched himself away and glared at Andy. Some of the emotion faded away at the human's tender gesture. And then the anger disappeared completely as the merman stared with fascination at Dean's shimmering clothing. It looked like water! That was something he thought perhaps he'd like. "I'm fine. I was fine swimming too." Remembering his displeasure, Starr turned pointedly away from Andy.

"Someone forgot to think that as a former denizen of the deeps, I would still be able to breathe under the waves far longer then any human could ever dream. I know the currents better here then either of you could imagine. And my legs may be weaker then my tail, but I can still put the two flippers together and move them as one. Swimming like that I can manage very well." He looked at Dean, but really all his words were meant for Andy. How dared he!

Then Starr remembered his dream, and made a face. "My nightmare was all the worse because it was a memory. Can you imagine feeling like thousands of tiny knives were being stuck into your legs? When I walk I still feel that a bit. And according to legend, I will for a few days."

Andy felt an uncharacteristic flash of anger and clenched his fists. It was all his, though, all his anger. "Fine." He spat. "I'll let you alone as long as you like. Swim to the buoys if you want." He spun around and stepped up onto the grass, releasing his fists and sighing. Dean stared between them, but decided to bound after Andy.

"Andy, baby, come on, don't act like that! He's a big boy---"

"And he doesn't know what this world is capable of." Andy didn't stop walking, but he glared at Dean. "He doesn't know how to use his human body. He assumes things of me that he doesn't know. He doesn't think I know pain, or abandonment, or fear or hatred but damn it Dean! I do!"

"But he doesn't know that. Why don't you tell him?" Dean put a hand on Andy's arm and turned him around. "You've been helping him so well so far..."

"And he's got tired of it. I figured he would but... still..." Andy shook his head, sighed, and looked away, back to his house. "He thinks I'm trying to... trap him or something."

"You have to try to convince him otherwise---"

"I've been doing that all day! I've been telling him I'd never do anything to hurt him or let anyone else hurt him, but... I freak out and try to stop something I was worried about and he acts like I've been pushing him down all this time." Andy shook his head, going toward one of the tree stumps that had once blocked a positive breeze off the ocean and flopped down on it. "Dean... I don't know a damn thing about him, okay? Maybe he's immortal, yeah, but do you think I was justified in thinking he'd hurt himself by staying under the water too long? Or kicking off and thinking he can swim as strongly as he used to?"

"Andy---"

"Answer me!"

Dean bit his lip. "Yes... I think you're justified..."

"Good." Andy hung his head. "Now do you want to head home? It's fine here..."

"Doesn't seem fine." Dean crossed his arms. "I'm staying here tonight. Didn't rush out here for you two to send me off in ten seconds flat." He spun on his heel, the robe fluttering behind him, and he went right to the house as if he owned the place. Which, Andy decided, he did in part. He stayed where he was, however, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes.

They had left. Starr flopped back into the water for a while. It was the only thing he could think of, to help him try and understand why Andy had been so angry. He floated, pale limbs swaying with the sea, until he heard the voices getting louder. Maybe if he wandered closer he would be able to hear what was being said, and understand these alien people. Truly, the merman had a hard time figuring out Andy. That hadn't changed in the day they'd known each other.

The talking had stopped. Slowly, Starr made his way towards the human who'd been helping him all day. The grass tickled the soles of his feet. The swaying greenery reminded the merman a bit of seaweed. The thought made it easier to settle down on the blanket of green, and ignore the odd pricking sensation across his bottom half. Looking up at Andy, he lifted a hand and placed it gently on one of the human's legs. "I ... know you were trying to help me. But I was angry, because you ripped me away from the sea, even if I knew I couldn't stay. It's impossible for me now. Still, I was happy for the first time today." Starr glanced at the ground. "Being on land makes me feel trapped, I only feel free in the water, where the only walls are those of underwater canyons, and the floor is the ocean sea bed itself. Everything is so different here. I'm trying to understand ... So please, don't be angry with me."

Starr eyed Andy hopefully.

Andy took his hands away from his eyes and glanced at Starr. Then he shook his head, sighing and sagging. "I'm not... angry. Well, I am, but for the wrong damn reasons." Chuckling, Andy put his hand on Starr's. "I was just afraid that whatever you used to be able to do, you can't do it anymore. Things like swimming strong. Or breathing under water, or holding your breath for too long. If you inhaled salt water, it'd be... devastating. Or if you were swept up in the tide and pushed out, you'd just... disappear." He looked down, at the grass between his feet.

"I know you feel trapped but there's so much above the water that's free. Maybe it's hard to understand... It is, I know. Humans are weird, modest, easily insulted things and they just don't work well together. They destroy a lot of things, and don't even care. They'd destroy you too and I'm terrified that something like that would happen. I'm afraid somehow, someone will find out about you and they'll take you away and I'll never know about you." Andy turned his gaze up to Starr's. "You were under the water too long... for me to think you were safe. But I don't want to be overbearing. You just need to learn, and I'll help you learn, but you can't be afraid. I won't let anyone hurt you."

He looked away, up at the house. "You can't feel closed in. When you're in there. I'll keep all the doors and windows unlocked if it helps you feel safer being in there. But people up on land... they're unpredictable. They'll hurt you just because they want to, they don't need a damn reason. That's why I'm afraid... for you. You have to understand. And I've felt your pain. I've felt... dejected, abandoned, horrible pain. I'm probably one of the few on two legs that can understand any of what you're going through." A light went off in one of the windows, and Andy assumed it was Dean shutting off a lamp in one of the spare bedrooms.

Starr shifted to his knees and wrapped his arms tight around Andy. "I know you'll take care of me." It frustrated him that he relied on the human so much. Voicing that now though would just bring this peaceful time crashing down. Even Starr could tell that much. Instead, the merman pressed his lips up against Andy's. Was there no other way to show how much he trusted him? Being so close made him vulnerable, completely at the other's mercy.

"Maybe someday you'll trust me enough to tell me why you can understand what I've gone through so well, Andy. Like ... I trust you." How many times would he have to say it to be believed? Hadn't he told the human just how much he relied on him earlier? It was so hard to make sense of their thoughts, human ones. His own were clear as the crystalline seas.

Andy was quiet for a time. Mainly because Starr was right. He knew why the merman was now stumbling on two feet and legs, but he didn't know why Andy could relate to him so much. He felt like a tool. Pulling his hand through Starr's hair, he sighed. "I guess... Well, one major thing is hard to talk about. And it's probably going to be hard for you to understand. I assume merfolk are really open with who they love, male or female. But here, they're not." He closed his eyes. "Well... Not fully. Some people hate that others prefer a certain race. The think the 'norm' is that a male is supposed to love a female, and vice versa. And that kind of dictates who your social groups are." He paused, realizing his hand had closed around Starr's hair, and he released it.

"Sorry... Anyway... My preference is male. And so is Dean's. That might be evident. But some people don't like it. They think we're... sick, or unnatural, or weird. Or going through a phase. My family... thought it. They didn't know I was 'different'. I'd always hidden who I loved because I was young, and never really loved anyone. Then I realized... and it was at a family gathering, an event... I decided to tell them. Decided to 'come out' as the phrase is. And they all... turned on me. Said I was a... I don't even know anymore, I tuned it all out. I remember them saying I was going against God and nature and I needed to be sent to a psychiatrist. And when I kept refusing they told me to get out. I wasn't part of their perfect little family anymore. I packed a bag and left. Got on a bus... I rode as far as I could, and ended up here, in an entirely new world."

Andy sighed shakily, looking down at Starr. "So that's... my abandonment story. It's not as bad as yours, but it was pretty... hard to deal with." He hadn't told that to many people. Dean had been the first he told when he arrived here, and that look of horror had taken the sting away a little.

That put the nail in the coffin. Starr let out an odd hissing, spitting, sound and shook his head. "Silly, so silly! I can't believe humans have such an aversion to love, wanting to limit it. Even if it were only lust, it's still idiotic." The merman wriggled onto his feet and plopped down on the human's lap to prove it. He lifted slender hands and kneaded Andy's shoulders.

A whispered song slipped from Starr's lips. Sweeter notes then any human voice could utter drifted through the air. He had been given so much by Andy... Been given the kinds of things mates offered each other. He had to remind himself that humans were different, that their ways were silly and unknown to him for them most part. Still, he offered thanks in the way he would have under the sea, pressing his lips up against the other man's throat. Starr hoped Andy understood what he was offering.

Andy managed a little smile, then was surprised, backing up a bit and grasping Starr so he wouldn't fall. He could only imagine what Cory would do if he saw half of what Starr did without realizing what human boundaries were. At this point he couldn't just shy away from what Starr did, but made a mental note to inform him of social standards of humans. But instead of dwelling, he closed his eyes and shivered at the sound Starr could make. Music. Certainly something only his kind could do, left over from his transformation.

Forcing his eyes open, Andy sighed. "I figure... that's kind of a thanks or sorry or something. Like what your kind does any day. Hell, even a greeting." Andy managed a real smile then, nodded, and glanced back at the house. "I think, tomorrow, I'll have to tell you about human boundaries and standards. They're kind of prudish." He wrinkled his nose, snickering at the thought of Starr somehow greeting a friend of theirs with a kiss without even realizing that it was pressing bounds.

Starr leaned back a bit and shook his head. "It's more then that. More of something I would do for a potential mate." He tilted his head. "You don't understand at all, do you? Giving me all you have makes you at least that in my eyes." Mates offered each other shelter, hunted for each other, and protected each other. Andy had done all of that for Starr, and more. It was so obvious to him. Then again, it was his culture he spoke of, not humanity's.

"I would like to hear about what humans think is right." He didn't know what prudish meant. The word puzzled him. Did it mean some people were like prunes? All wrinkled, shriveled up, kind of things.. On the inside? Starr tilted his head and frowned.

Andy blinked, almost feeling it necessary to pull back and put a little distance between himself and Starr. But that would be awful. Starr would probably feel abandoned again, or at least pushed away emotionally as well as physically. He'd have to inform him, was all. That was all. "Uh, oh, I see... I see... Uh, that's strange... to me, I mean. I guess it's kind of true with humans too. But usually that's after a long time of getting to know each other. Humans are kind of odd... They like to waste time, years sometimes, even though they might love each other. I guess it's a lack of trust. They need to trust each other before doing anything. Because when they get together, they stay that way forever. Or... That's how it is now. Mostly."

Andy sighed and shook his head. "Come on, we gotta get in. It gets kind of cool off the water and you might be susceptible to human illnesses now." He pulled Starr to his feet, clasping a hand around the merman's and helping him where he might not see shadows hiding certain items Andy hadn't picked up during the day.

Starr kept shaking his head, making that odd hiss sound of his. Humans were so stupid. They wasted what little of their precious time they had. As Andy guided him, Starr kept thinking of life under the sea. So many differences... So many things he missed. "Well .. I hope you haven't taken offense. It was supposed to be a compliment. More then that." It had been an offer, one that had been turned down faster then Starr had ever expected.

But Andy was human. They did things quite differently, above the waves. They played games. They waited. They judged and were cruel to each other at every turn they could take. A shiver slipped across his skin. As a human, he didn't seem to be able to deal with temperatures as well now.

Andy paused, grasping Starr's hand and putting an arm around his shoulder. "No, you didn't offend me at all." He said softly. "I promise. It's actually... hard to explain." He started on again, helping Starr if he needed it up the two steps to the underhang whose door led into the kitchen. "I guess I'm just thinking about Cory. You haven't met him yet but he's a bit... well, he thinks like most humans. He wouldn't like to see anyone being too familiar with me. I'd have to explain it to him, but it'd be hard..."

He sighed, opening the door and leaving it open. "Anyway... It's a bit cool, you might want to wear some clothes in case you catch a virus. I don't know if your body would be able to but if it does... Well, it might not be able to fight it." Andy couldn't imagine Starr being crippled or even killed by a common cold like humans used to do so many years ago. That would be beyond awful. He shook when he thought of it.

He shivered. A cool breeze whipped up goosebumps on the former merman's skin. "I think your Cory is far from the right mate for you. And what is it about humans? From what you've been saying you're restricted to having only one mate. That seems silly to me as well." Then again, under the sea the life was one of hardships and beauty. The more people one had to help and rely on, the more people you loved, the greater the chance that everyone would survive. Humans had it so easy.

Once inside the house, Starr blinked and wandered to settle down on one of the chairs. He frowned. Clothes ... Now where had he put them? There were some in the room he'd been given. Though they could be lying on the beach somewhere by now as well. "I think I lost the clothes."

Andy wrinkled his nose. He normally would have jumped to Cory's defense, but he hadn't seen the guy in days. And Starr was blunt and he had to get used to that. Not many humans would come forward so immediately with their thoughts. Well, Dean was one, among others, but they he knew. Starr had only arrived, so he was getting used to that tendency to be blunt with a stranger. A pretty stranger.

He shrugged. "It's fine, I'll find the stuff. Just stay there, be right back." Turning, Andy took the stairs two at a time and glanced down the hall. The door to the last guest room was closed, so Dean was there. Stepping into the middle guest room, Andy glanced around and shifted his feet, coming into contact with the pants Starr had worn. Scooping them up, he searched for the shirt and couldn't find them, so he pulled another button-down from the closet and left the room.

"Got the pants, but I dunno where the first shirt is." He set them in Starr's lap and paused. "Still need help...?" He asked. Soon enough Starr would have to learn how to dress himself on his own. It wouldn't be hard, Andy was sure. He was a smart merman, after all.

Starr wriggled a bit in his chair while he waited. Andy hadn't said anything at all to defend his mate. That alone spoke volumes about how things stood between them. Under the sea he would have relished the chance to steal Andy away. It would be so easy. Simply taking care of the man, showing him some appreciation and perhaps a tiny challenge to the absent mate, and then the human could probably be his. And that friend of Andy's wasn't bad. Certainly, Dean reminded Starr far more of the people from the sea then anyone he'd met yet.

"Help me?" Andy looked like he relished helping. Perhaps if he worked on things slowly, it would be even easier to turn Andy to him then he thought.

Andy smiled a bit, nodding and kneeling. "Sure. But you'll have to do it on your own soon, y'know?" He laughed, threading Starr's legs through the pants and helping him stand, then pulling the pants up. He pulled the unbuttoned shirt over Starr's shoulders and paused. "Wanna try closing it up now, or no?" He indicated the buttons. "If you want to explore the town later you'll have to wear clothes that are... ugh, up to standard." He wrinkled his nose at the thought. His opinion of standard was loose jeans or shorts that had enough pockets, at the most. He didn't work in an office, so that was nice. His job, outside, let him shed clothes and not look like a creep because of the constant state of midspring to summer weather here.

"I know that." But by then he hoped to have Andy won over to his side. Smiling, he lifted his hands to wrap then around the other man's. Fingers brushed gently against skin as the merman tilted his head. "But I don't want to leave the seaside yet. These waters were where I lived all my years. To leave them behind and wander inland is a very frightening thought." No up to standards for him. No, all he wanted was to cleave by the sea, and by Andy. His ... the ones he'd lost would probably have liked the human.

Andy paused, letting Starr's hands play over his for a moment. "That makes sense." He said quietly, letting his hands move to close up two of the buttons. "I understand, I won't take you away from here unless you ask. But you know I'll bring you back no matter what, if you ever do want to get away and go inland a bit. And as for these clothes, these shirts that'll go over your head to put on, they won't trap you. It might feel like it for a second, but they're made to rip if they get caught on something." He pulled back to stifle a yawn. "Wow, it's late. You tired still, Starr? I've got some work to do in town tomorrow, so you'll be... on your own here." He grimaced. He didn't want to leave the merman alone. What if he got hurt? "Think you'll stay outside while I'm gone? There's a lot in this house that can hurt you if you don't know how to use it..." And if something hurt Starr, he'd never forgive himself.

Starr looked down at the cloth. "Couldn't I wear a strip of cloth instead? Something that wraps around, that I could take off whenever I want, without needing these .. buttons?"They were more trouble then they were worth. The other shirt he had tried to put on first made him feel too trapped. But a wrap made with fabric would solve the problem nicely. Surely that would still be appropriate. Not even fussy humans could complain about that.

"Tired? Yes ..." He echoed the yawn and leaned forward to nuzzle into the other man's neck. He knew it for certain now. Andy liked being seen as the protector, the one who took care of everything and provided safety. "Won't you come up and keep me warm?" The merman slid an arm around the other man's, and tugged lightly.

Andy paused. "I dunno... I don't know if they sell wraps like that. But I'll look around to see if I can get any... I mean, I don't know if you'd want to stick out... It'd be hard to avoid people staring at you if you were wearing something odd. They might want to know where you come from and that'd be hard to explain away too. Since you don't know enough about dry land and the history..." He sighed, and closed his eyes.

"Okay... For tonight." Andy gave in, stepping forward with Starr. "But you should sleep on your own... Or learn to, I mean." He started up the stairs first, holding his hands out in case Starr needed a bit of help up. He seemed so much more friendly now. Maybe that moment of weakness he'd shown earlier had Starr more ready to trust him, or forgive his stupid actions when they came about.

Starr had to laugh, just a little. He lifted a hand to run his fingers through his hair. "My hair already marks me as odd." Walking up the stairs was a much easier task, with some bit of added motivation involved. The merman kept smiling up at Andy every step of the way, and placed his hands purposefully on Andy's. He was looking forward to sharing a bed with the other man. There was no doubt in his mind that Cory was loosing his grip upon the well muscled man. It was just a matter of time before Starr managed to sway him completely.

"Not only tonight." As they stepped onto the even hallway floor, the merman tugged the other man towards the guest room that was his own. "Stay with me. Your mate has no appreciation for you at all. He hasn't even sent any messages to you, has he?"

He smiled. "Hair can be dyed. Lots of people have crazy hair colors nowadays." He just didn't like to see those weird, unusual colors. Self expression was fine, but not when one's hair looked as if a rainbow possessed them. Still, an odd hair color was easy to pawn off to dye. Nearly stumbling on the last step he didn't count not being there, Andy pulled Starr up and paused.

"Starr, you don't know him. He's busy, I knew that when I got with him. And no he hasn't called me but it's only been a little more than a day. He said he'd get to me tomorrow, and I trust him." He felt stupid for saying it, but he had to have faith in the guy. He'd been let down so many times in his life that he didn't want to think anything badly about Cory. Not until he was met with full proof that he wasn't worth Andy's time. "I'll... I'll still sleep with you, but you have to... just trust that he's okay."

The merman snorted as they walked into the room. "I don't trust him. There's no need for me to meet him to know that, after seeing how he treats you. No mate of my people would ever be so ... inconsiderate, unless they had decided to see another, that they liked someone better." And by then everyone knew what was going on, and the partnership was dissolved. There were no ifs and buts about it. Though the angered mate might decide to battle it out with the one who'd left them.

Starr glanced down at his clothes, and then at the bed. He shed the shirt, fumbling with the buttons. Then he tumbled onto the bed, and looked to see if Andy followed.
"My people rarely sleep alone. To sleep alone is not to belong, to be vulnerable and at the mercy of everyone and everything else." Hopefully the human could understand now, why Starr was always so insistent.

Andy stiffened slightly and crossed his arms. But he didn't speak. He didn't need to ask for Starr to be clear, at least, that was more than obvious. He said what he thought no matter what. He just didn't think Cory would do that. He was too... meticulous. Too ordered. It was a wonder why he even took a liking to Andy, the spontaneous oddity that spent as much time as he could outside. He already doubted enough---he didn't need someone else to bring up his insecurities. "Don't worry about it." His voice was low, almost a whisper.

Sighing, Andy nodded and glanced up. "I see..." He quirked one brow. "That makes more sense... But it's safe here, really. If I'm next door all you have to do is yell and I'll hear." But he gave in, going around to the other side and settling himself down. "I'll stay as long as I can, but if I wake you in the morning it's because I have to leave the house." He hoped Starr understood. And hoped he would stay outside as much as possible. Andy would have to drop some food off for him. Fish, definitely, but maybe some other things. Fruits and vegetables Starr may never have had before. It would be interesting, no doubt.

Starr shifted immediately. Not to curl into Andy, but to curl around him. He was more used to dong the protecting, then being the protected. From the tips of his ears to the very bottom of his flippers, that had always been his role. This reversal grated on his nerves. Starr knew he was like a newborn upon land. Unable to fend for himself, he relied entirely on Andy for survival, for everything. The least he could do was wrap his arms around the other man, pull him up close against his chest, to offer protection and safety in the way of his people. Squeezing lightly, he started to sing.

It was a lullaby. Soft notes, lilting voice, he did his best to soothe into sleep. Andy needed his rest, and this was the only other thing the merman could offer up. There wasn't much Starr could give, realized the former merman. That was the nature of their odd, short, relationship, he supposed. Andy always giving, and Starr attempting to do the same at every turn.