Kane blushed. "More like nervous. And ... not at all certain." It felt so much like a date. Maybe he was just falling into that, thinking that it was. He should have known his thoughts would stray that way after everything that had happened earlier that day. All Kane could think of, was the photo shoot he'd helped out with. It wasn't everyday he did things like that.

Dean raised a brow and tilted his head. "Uncertain? Why ever so? I hope it's not me---I'd rather keep things as light as possible." And it would calm Kane, which was what really mattered at this point. He looked around when someone approached with an open bottle and two glasses, an eighteen year old guy that had been hired just a month ago and was almost as energetic as Dean. "Thanks, babe." Dean smiled, and the kid nodded, returning it and running at a near sprint back to the kitchen like he usually did. Dean looked back to Kane and slid one of the glasses over. "Non-alcoholic sparkling wine." He said. "It's what I always get during the day, or when I drive down." Because he wasn't quite stupid enough to drive drunk, and wouldn't be risking himself or his positive light in the media by acting like an idiot.

Kane shifted a bit. It was Dean! But it wasn't. He just couldn't figure it out, that little hitch he felt whenever he let his eyes brush over the other man. Kane did know what it was, but he refused to acknowledge it. Even though he knew there wouldn't be anything wrong with saying it. But it would mean redefining his own thoughts about himself. That scared Kane more then anything else. The loss of knowing. The uncertainty. Ignorance of himself, wasn't that the worst fault of them all?

"This feels like a ..." He blinked. Closed his cloudy grey eyes. "It feels like a date." Even though he hadn't intended it to be. Even if all Kane had wanted to do was hang out. It hadn't turned out that way though.

Dean was focusing more of his energy on pouring the sparkling juice from its dark bottle. It fizzled lightly and when Kane finally found his voice, he looked up, paused, smiled, and set the bottle aside. "Oh yeah?" He asked, resting his hand on his glass and staring at the bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. "Is that such a bad thing?" He didn't think so, but for someone that was closeted, hidden away from everyone---even himself---it had to be confusing. And there was no mistaking that look Kane got when he glanced Dean's way.

To keep his hands busy, Kane poured himself a glass of the fizzy juice. Near full to the brim, it was a wonder the lawyer didn't make a mess of things when he lifted the glass to take a good long swig. Really, it was a good thing it wasn't wine. Kane would have ended up drunk otherwise, by the time they left. "Well ... I wouldn't say it's bad, but it's definitely confusing. And not what I expected. I just wanted to hang out, but this doesn't quite have that feel. " It was more then that. He just couldn't stop remembering what it had felt like. The photo shoot had brought something from the depths of Kane, something he hadn't even thought existed.

Dean gave Kane a studious stare over his glass and, as if lost in a trance, took a light sip. "Well." He said after a moment. "You're a strange one. You don't really realize you're putting a lot of thought into something that shouldn't be over-analyzed. Lawyers seem to do that a lot, it's all instinct I guess, they get in that mindset and they can't step away from that really easily. But I guess I don't put enough thought into things, so that kind of offsets each other. I'm forever shoving my foot down my throat." He laughed and glanced around as Genivei emerged from the kitchen, setting a sliced pizza on a serving tray in the middle of the table. The pie had been sliced and looked split in half. One side was what Dean had put down for Kane if he didn't like the other side, which was layered with white sauce, white truffles, spicy German sausage and a mix of white cheeses.

Genivei gave Kane an even stare. "You're new." He said simply. "Good you're here with this guy." He gave Dean's hair a ruffle like an adoring uncle. "Gotta say, sometimes he comes in at midnight and---"

"Gen, shush." Dean pulled an annoyed face that shut the man up with a snap. "Thanks, though." He reached into his pocket and handed a blue card over. "Put it all on, will ya?"

"Yep." Genivei took the card and saluted Kane with it, stepping back and away. Dean rolled his eyes. "Talkative bastard." He sighed, but had a smile on his face again. "I didn't think you'd like my usual, so I got a half with something you might like."

The lawyer lowered his eyes to the table. He could have said something to deny it, but Dean had managed to hit the truth of the matter o the first try. At Gen's arrival with the food, Kane lifted his head. Puzzled, he glanced at the other man after the server had left. "What do you come ad do here at midnight?"

That was better to think about the his own personal dilemma. To ask Dean out on a true date, for later on that week, or try to turn back the clock and put the lines firmly at friendship? Kane's mind kept wavering, and the he remembered their talk on the beach the day before. Giving this a chance, well that couldn't be so bad. And Dean was such a considerate guy. He'd even thought of ordering a pizza with two kinds of toppings, just to make sure that Kane would have something he liked to eat. He grabbed a slice of his side, and took a quick bite. "Thanks for this. It's ... really nice of you." Kane sighed. "So ... if we did start hummm seeing each other, what kind of stuff would you expect?"

Dean wrinkled his nose and shook his head at the question. "Don't worry about it." He muttered, giving a half-hearted glare toward Genivei. He shrugged at Dean and stepped over again to hand the card back. Dean pocketed it again and started picking pieces of thinly shaved white truffle off his side, then paused mid-bite when Kane spoke. "Uh." For once he was momentarily surprised to speechlessness.

"What'd I expect?" He laughed. "Well how about I put it like this: What do you expect in a relationship? Regardless of gender pairing, what do you look for? What does anyone look for?" He picked up one of his pieces of the pizza and bit into it crust-first.

Dean had a way of going straight to the point, and he was good at deflecting things. "I want ... comfort, support .. someone I can be equals with. That can accept me, and whom I can accept just as much." And that was just the tip of the iceberg. There was so much more, things he wanted but couldn't name. Nebulous needs, ones that only manifested when a relationship was afoot, eluded his mind.

Dean set his food where it had been before. "There's a lot more than just that, I can tell." He said simply. "And I can accept you. What I need is... someone serious. So they can keep me in line." He smiled, but his eyes were serious. "Someone that won't stray, that's serious in their idea that... well, we'll be together for good. I'm tired of one night stands, a couple weeks or months together then something happens and it's over. The fact that you didn't even know what I did really hooked me. You weren't seeing fame or money, but me, who I am as a person and not as a face or body to ogle. Someone that won't be unfaithful or cruel, that lets me be who I am and loves me for all that, good and bad. Someone that doesn't want me to change and who doesn't feel pressured to change or be something they aren't for me. Someone who will be there for me when I need them, because I'll be there for them."

His eyes had glazed over halfway through what he was saying, and he was staring at a spot just over Kane's shoulder. "I wouldn't say no to marriage someday... A life with someone that's sturdy and grounded and who's a good, sweet person that won't run off or stray or get bored... And who likes to travel and get away and see new and exciting things with me, but with me, not alone or with someone else..." He cradled his head in his hand, as if lost in a daydream he'd had hundreds of times already.

The list was a long one. A lot of the things Dean said, they resonated with the lawyer. He shifted in his seat, smiled a bit. It made him nervous too, hearing all that. There were so many expectations ... He wasn't sure if he could deal with it all. But what surprised him the most was the want to try. "Well ... why not take it one day at a time? I mean this, I need to get used to the idea of maybe wanting to even get involved with a man. So... yeah.." His heart beat fast. To calm himself down, Kane started munching a bit on his half of the pizza.

Dean beamed, barely able to contain the smile from stretching ear to ear. "Yes!" He bounced in his seat. "Oh, sweetie, I'll make sure you don't regret a second of your decision. Especially since discovering yourself can take a long time and accepting yourself for who you are after discovering that side can take a bit of conditioning. It's like a whole new world, but it's really just the same." He laughed, tearing at his side of the pizza and sliding a bit of the crust through some of the melted cheese on the pan. "One day at a time works for me. I have faith in this kind of thing like I never had before..." But he hoped Kane could handle it. All of it. Would he still hide himself from those he worked with, his family, even?

What a burst of energy! Kane leaned back and laughed, with a tinge of nervousness. "Did I just make your day? And what do you mean you have faith now ...? What makes it different?" The lawyer put aside his food, and reached out hesitantly. Fingers trembling he brushed them against the other man's hand. But then he pulled back and put his palm against the table, near Dean's. It was so odd. The touch, it hadn't made him the react the way he'd expected. That surprised Kane, and made him want to reach out again. But he didn't.

Dean didn't hesitate to cup his hand over Kane's and squeezed lightly. "I see it's different because when I saw you, I saw someone serious and dedicated to others. Someone that cares about those that can't stand up for themselves in an adult world. And you take things to heart, you feel for other people, and the people you can't help you carry with you forever. I can tell you're different like that. And those eyes are so alive. Like... rain about to fall. That's my favorite type of weather. I love that moment before the rain starts to fall, and it looks like that's what's going on in your eyes. You look different. And you are different. I love that about you. Why do you think I was trying so hard to get you to at least... kind of like me?" And did he like Dean now? If he was willing to question his sexuality and actually give something of a relationship a chance, then he had to. Obviously not as much as Dean liked him, which wasn't strange. When the model fell, he tended to fall hard.

Red swept across the young lawyer's cheeks. "You get kind of poetic, know that?" What a surprise, he hadn't expected that. Dean certainly was full of surprises. He was a sweet man, with hidden depths and a very unique personality. His job had it's downfalls, most certainly. There were probably paparazzi outside, snapping shots of the two of them together. The thought of them always following them made Kane shudder. But perhaps he could figure something out. "And I do kind of like you... Kind of." He was still uncertain. Could he live with it, with the consequences? Something like this could change how others regarded him. And there would be no hiding it.

Dean had already said the l word. Already. About one aspect of him certainly, but it felt like there was more behind it hen that ...

Dean smiled and ran his thumb over the back of Kane's hand. He loved that blush that was always at the ready---it made Kane so adorable. He put his other hand on Kane's, cupping it gently and running feather-light fingers over the gentle blue rises where his veins were underneath the skin. "Kind of..." He looked thoughtful. "There are plenty of gay lawyers you know. Respected. You won't be the only one in the world, trust me. Proving you're the same as you've always been might take a little time but professionals should regard you with the same level of respect they always have."

He was watching Kane carefully. The last thing he wanted was to sabotage the man's work. The last thing he wanted was to put him in any kind of danger. And there was danger. He stilled. "Kane. There's a kind of... danger you should know I have following me. Well, it's not uncommon. Creeps that think they know me, with personal attachments that don't exist. Sometimes they kind of... find me. I don't want to scare you off though... I can take care of myself, trust me..." He bit his lip, staring at Kane carefully.

"I'm not gay! I ..." Kane shivered and lowered his eyes."I like women too. And I don't think I could kind of like just any man." It was more like Dean was the exception to the rule, then the rule. He was still making sense of things. He'd only just found out about his odd, out of character inclinations, that very day. And lo and behold, there was a budding relationship in the works already. Kane couldn't decide if he was lucky or not.

"Stalkers, you mean." That made sense. Kane had to shake his head. If there were attachments, there was a danger to himself. They could sneak up on him and take out their frustrations on him, if they found out about him. That was a danger. "I guess I should sign up for martial arts lessons then." He smiled a bit, looked down a their hands.

Dean smiled and rolled his eyes. "Bisexual, then, whatever." He shrugged. Kane was so resistant to this particular side of himself, it seemed. Like most Dean met, he didn't really want to acknowledge that he might like a man as more than a friend, or see them and feel odd desires or inclinations or ideas. Dean had never questioned himself but he'd done his fair share of experimentation with the opposite sex during his two years of college, where he'd studied human psychology and had found it worthlessly boring.

He petted Kane's hand as if reassuring him. "I can teach you." He said simply. "I know my fair share of... well, a few things, it's all kind of a mix of styles and some krav maga. I mostly taught myself. I can teach you some gun and knife tricks too." He raised a brow. His favorite mode of armed protection was a gun, because it was even with another gun. A knife could be thrown but only by a skilled hand. Dean had made a habit of training with others that were stronger than him, and his simplistic, energy-saving style of movement made him a formidable force without a weapon.

Kane slipped his hand away, glanced to the side. He felt so uncomfortable, so out of his element. "Well later. Alright? Now ... can't we just keep talking?" He wanted to pull back. It felt like thousands of eyes were staring at them all of a sudden. Kane knew it wasn't so, but he felt like it. The lawyer wriggled uncomfortably, shifted in his seat. All of his clothes felt too tight. It was too warm. Shaking his head, he pulled away from Dean and grabbed some pizza. It was a quick and ready reason to break the suddenly too intimate contact.

Dean lifted his hand to pick a bit of white truffle off his side of the pizza. "I thought that's what we were doing." He said lightly, carefully setting the round on his tongue and slipping it into his mouth. The movement was entirely innocent in his mind, as he wasn't even thinking about it. "What do you want to talk about, then?" He asked, looking up from where he was focusing on his glass and regarding Kane through his long lashes.

Dean had probably failed to realize how he looked. That had to be it. Kane shook his head and tried to hide the blush he knew was taking over his face. "I want to talk about our hobbies. I want to find out more about you ... I guess." His words did nothing to lessen the blush. In fact, they only made it worse. Now this really was a date. Far from hanging out. Dean flirted unconsciously, probably, and Kane let it happen without a word.

Dean laughed lightly. "Yeah, that sounds nice." He ran his finger through the sauce on the pan and licked it away. "Hm, what do I do..." He tapped the table a bit in thought. "I swim. Fun... Mostly in the ocean, it's unpredictable. Hmmm... What else... Oh, I like photography! I mean, I'm not professional but I know lighting and position and all that. I like to hike, and climb trees... Kind of a little kid at heart, y'know? I looove to travel... I haven't been able to recently but I'd love to get back into it. Oh, and just kind of screwing around with my friends. I'd love for you to meet them..." He paused and looked up. "Wait, I dunno... They're kind of like me, you might combust." He sat back and giggled, covering his mouth to keep quiet.

Kane glanced up, and looked away again. What was Dean thinking? Licking his fingers like that ... The lawyer made a half-choking sound at the sight, under his breath. "Well I can't swim ..." He shook his head to try and get his mind back on track. "I do like hiking though. It's a shame there aren't more trees around the city. It would make things so much nicer."

The mention of Dean's friends had Kane looking startled, and put out. Of course he wanted to meet them, but ... If they were as crazy as Dean, he wasn't sure if he could handle them all at once. "Maybe one or two of your friends at once? But not all of them. No way." Then Kane really would end up going out of his mind.

Dean grinned to cover the sly smile that wanted to break free. "Oh, I have a perfect place to hike. It's outside the city but it's sooo big, you'd love it. Lots of shady trails and little ponds with sturdy bottoms... Mmm, I bet I could help you learn how to swim." He smiled at the thought of holding onto Kane in waist-deep water, pulling him a little deeper and having him test his own buoyancy. Maybe panicking and grabbing onto Dean again. He blinked and studied Kane more carefully.

"Oh no, just one at a time. I'd rather you meet my best friend first, Andy. He's a landscaper, loves being outside. I bet you'll like him, he's not exactly like me." He laughed. "Andy's way more grounded. Maybe a little like you." Really, if Andy had been free, and had the patience to deal with him constantly, Dean would have snatched him up. But he was glad he met Kane. Much more grounded, serious, a true offset for Dean to hold onto. If he could get through that wall.

The prospect appealed to Kane. He missed being able to traipse around in the forest, and the prospect of being taught how to swim by Dean helped make the idea an even funner on to contemplate. Swimming had always been something Kane had wanted to try and learn. "I've never trusted anyone to teach me how to swim before. But now ... I kind of do." That person was crazy, out-of-this-world, Dean of all people. It was kind of funny to think about.

"As for that, well hey, sounds great. I don't really have any friends to introduce you to. Just family." Of whom his mother was sure to pitch a fit. Whether or not it was a good one depended on how she was handled. His father on the other hand, well the guy was probably going to be more worried about how he would handle everyone else's questions.