Andy kept as close as he thought was acceptable, wincing slightly as Starr's fingers squeezed his palm hard. "Aaaoo, hey, easy!" He grimaced, rearranging his hand in Starr's and pulling him forward gently. "I got you, 'kay? Won't be letting you go." He pulled the man to the smooth sidewalk and tested the temperature. It was warm, not hot, and he pulled Starr onto it. "Here, we'll keep to the walkway until we're at the porch, okay?" He kept glancing behind him so the two steps that led up onto the stone porch didn't trip him up. "When we get there, we'll see how you handle stairs, hm?"

They didn't seem to be moving along quickly. Andy wasn't in a big hurry, but wanted to get Starr inside and sat down so neither of them were in such heavy, confusing fog.

That wasn't entirely what the merman was worrying about. Clarifying that point never crossed Starr's mind. It would have been quite absurd to do so. No, instead he let himself be pulled along and concentrated upon his feet, while never once looking at them. Such a thing was harder then it looked! It did beg the question, how was it that crabs moved around so easily with their many legs? They never seemed to have any trouble at all, even if they did have so many extra appendages.

"Stairs?" stated the young seeming man with a tilt of his head. Starr didn't like the sound of those, whatever the things were.

At least he seemed to be moving a bit more confidently on his legs. It was as if he'd been halfway paralyzed for his whole life and was finally learning everything he'd only ever seen. After a particularly stumbling step, Andy put a hand against Starr's chest to get him to stop. "Yeah, stairs... Steps, these." He nodded, indicating the two stairs up to the covered porch that wrapped around half of the house. He took the first step and held his other hand out again. "C'mon, you take one leg and lift it up, and pull up and onto the step. Then do the same thing. It'll be a bit more effort because you'll be supporting all your weight on just one leg for a second." He moved up the other stair, and was bent forward to keep his hands in Starr's. "You got this, 'kay?" He nodded encouragingly.

Starr tackled the first step with a show of confidence that was no more then a facade. One foot went up, and the other hung in the air for longer then was necessary. Deliberately, Starr stamped it onto the step beside the other foot with a look of pure concentration. He was breathing hard by the time he stood on the top step beside Andy.

"And now?" He looked to his guide with his wide amethyst eyes.

Andy was more than glad to see Starr's concentration, determination. It was a look that slightly twisted up his nose and clouded his face and something Andy found ridiculously adorable, but he blinked hard and shook it away, stepping back to give Starr a bit of room. "Well, now you give me my hands back so I can unlock the door." He grimaced at his hands, his fingers somewhat numb on one because Starr had been grasping it so hard and so constantly. He wiggled his fingers until one hand was free, and reached into his pocket to retrieve his house keys. Andy pulled Starr one more step forward and stretched a bit, inserting the key and turning, and pushing open the door. "There we go. C'mon, just a bit more and you can sit." He smiled a little, bringing his other hand around in case Starr needed it.

Sit? Well that sounded good. Starr moved forward with a sigh, hunching his shoulders over. He needed to rest, to sleep and to think. Not quite in that order though. Just as he was crossing the threshold, the merman felt something catch his foot. Atumbling he went, head over heels, ending his roll upon his back. Licking his lips, he stared up at the manmade sky. The stuff that blocked the sky from sight. Oh there were walls, but no way out save that opening. Taking a deep breath, he prayed to the sea gods in his musical language to make sure he wouldn't be stuck in the horrid place.

It was nothing like what he knew. And this place hemmed the merman in. Where was the freedom in such a domain? There was none. Everything square, in precise shapes and nothing really organic in sight. Starr shuddered and curled up into a tight little ball. He closed his eyes and felt tears falling for the first time in his life. Cursed, exiled, oh what a horrible fate! All because he had crossed the wrong person and been framed for a crime.

Andy winced a bit at the scene, shaking his head when Starr fell onto his back and finally came to a stop in a pile. He knew he was in over his head but he'd taken this on, and he'd trudge through it to the very end. Although he was somewhat annoyed that he didn't call the police or an ambulance when he initially found the guy, so his complicated life stayed the way it was rather than folding in on itself a few more times. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out and looking back at Starr. He looked pitiful in that moment, and suddenly Andy felt like an ass. "Hey, c'mon, it's not that bad." He bent at the waist, grasping Starr and lifting him up effortlessly. "I dunno how bad it's got to be to wake up in a crazy, weird world, but I'm not about to let it get to you."

He scooped the man up and passed through the living room to the staircase across the room, going up to the second floor and down the hall to the guest room. It was open and airy, a skylight above the blue-white bedspread and a set of sliding glass doors that led out to a balcony with its own staircase. A closet door sat across from the bed, and a dresser was against the wall to the left. He set Starr down on the gentle carpet and nodded a bit. "Like the place? I usually have a friend or two staying over for no real reason, so these guest rooms come in handy." He stepped a bit away, regarding Starr carefully. "You okay?"

"You've no idea why I'm acting this way," said Starr in a falsely angry voice. Despite the feigned anger, he huddled closer to the human with a soft sigh. He wasn't usually so eager to let matters fall into someone else's hands. In fact, most in his old life would have been shocked to see him acting so. But what did it matter anyway? Nothing was left of then, save the memories and voice, and immortality.

Once upon his feet again, in a room that he supposed would be his for a while, Starr wandered immediately to the bed. The skylight reassured him more then anything else, and the doors leading outside. This place wasn't a box. It was no aquarium. There were ways out, and outside could be seen. That made all the difference. The former merman relaxed. "Alright?" He shook his head to the negative. "No, far from it. I've been exiled from my home, and thrown upon a place that I simply know nothing about." He glanced at Andy. "Would you be alright after that?" The merman asked the question matter-of-factly.

Andy glanced sideways and crossed his arms lightly. "Maybe not to your extent." He said after a moment. "But I know how it is to be rejected and abandoned by my family, all ganging up on me because they don't want to seem like they're maybe thinking differently. Then kicked out, basically run out of town because I couldn't escape the condescending. So I came here, and it was like emerging into a new world I've never seen before. I didn't know anyone, didn't know where I was going, didn't have anyone to hold my hand and give me a place to stay for a bit while I got on my feet."

He sighed, dropping his arms and walking across the room, pushing open the doors. They slid into hidden pockets and let more than half the wall open up to the outside. "I'm not trying to take the shine off your situation, but all I'm saying is, it could be worse. You could be crawling around out on the beach still, or could've been picked up by the cops, or have some weirdo freak grab you up and have awful things happen. But instead you got me, and that can't be too bad, can it?" There was a hint of a plea in his tone that he stifled when he snapped his mouth shut.

He couldn't help it. He snorted a bit, then hung his head and sighed. "You are better then other alternatives ..." Starr didn't know what 'cops' were. On the other hand, there were horrible things he could imagine. His world had been beautiful, and openly dangerous as well. It was a place where wild and civilized mixed together intricately. As a product of that environment, Starr had to be suspicious and had to wonder about the kindnesses Andy offered so readily.

"I have to wonder why it is you decided to help me. I've nothing to pay you back with, except myself." Perhaps Starr was exactly what the human had in mind. Andy had certainly seemed interested enough sometimes during their short acquaintance. Amethyst eyes trailed over the other man. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, if protection and security were assured ... But those were the rules of the merfolk, and Starr didn't know how things worked in the human world.

Andy snorted and shook his head, leaning against the jamb and looking outside. From here he could see the ocean, the small stretch of private beach, and the small dock with a little rowboat tied to it. A large stretch of rope sat on the wood, which let the boat out a ways without needing to direct it. "I don't expect anything." He said with a slight huff. "I mean, look, you're damn gorgeous, sure, but I've got... someone. And he wouldn't be happy if he even thought I might be thinking about you... in a way that doesn't stop at a simple friendship." He grimaced, and turned, shaking his hair out of his face.

"Look, Starr, just... don't worry about repaying me, okay? I got plenty of room, you can stay here while... I help you figure everything out... Hell, a little company would be a nice change. And if you learn to wear a little clothing, that'd be helpful too." He'd be restrained in his own ability to disrobe whenever he wanted, but if Starr would wear something, it would pull his mind out of the gutter. Absently, Andy looked at the clock on the wall. "Hey, it's almost lunchtime... You hungry at all? I shop at open markets in town and buy from farmers personally, none of that chemical-laden or hormone-injected stuff people seem so keen on nowadays." He wrinkled his nose a bit, then looked toward Starr with a brow raised. "Might want to try some pants on for size first... Even if they aren't comfortable."

Now that made him think of things he did understand. Starr stood and walked forward to place his hand firmly on Andy's arm. "Well, it seems to me that the fact you're tempted shows that his grasp on you is faltering." The merman laughed. "It sounds like the people from my home would, easily, be able to tear you away." The strong ruled. They attracted their mates with both beauty and strength. Starr felt his throat constrict with the want to talk about what exactly had been ripped from him. Instead he set his eyes firmly upon the more muscular man.

Then his stomach grumbled. "Ah, could we have fish? And sea weed? I'll even wear... pants, if I can choose." Though he certainly wouldn't be trading for the food. It was so senseless! Why did this human treat him with such kindness, while not having any reason to do so?

Andy furrowed his brow and turned to look out the door. "I can look, I just can't touch. It's just a human thing to do, look and think. But I have grasp enough on him not to be tempted." He nodded stoically, as if convincing himself of that fact. Cory was sweet, in a way. Brash, short-spoken, he didn't talk much at all, but those were simple things Andy could live with. He turned back to Starr and smiled when he spoke.

"I think I have fish." He said simply. "And pants that'll fit you." He did keep clothes that were both too large and too small for him, in case some random person needed some and had none. "I dunno about seaweed... I mean, if I go diving I could grab some I think, but the only seaweed they sell is dried." He went to the closet, pulling a hanger out and the pants off. They were thin, but airy, and would no doubt hit the ground when Starr put them on. "These will fit. Just sit on the bed and make sure this tag is behind you, and slide your legs through. Easy stuff." He held out the pants. "Now you think you can handle the steps on your own, or do you need some help again?"

It was all so silly to him. Why cling so, when it was clear he was tempted to leave? If that was the case, merfolk left unless they had children to tend. From what Starr could tell, such wasn't the case with Andy and his mate. How odd, how strange, humans were. "I don't understand." And he didn't think he ever would. Starr rather preferred the way merfolk did things.

When the pants were produced, the former merman eyed them warily. "I have no idea what goes where." He backed up and plopped down on the bed. "Help me," said Starr rather imperiously. That was a hint of his more regular self asserting itself. Though he doubted he ever would be the same again. Perhaps he should just let his old ways die, be the weak and needy thing he'd always kind of wanted to be. But no, then he wouldn't exactly be himself, or would he? Just one more thing to confuse him.

Andy snorted a laugh and shook his head, but knelt. "Bossy." He muttered, but did as requested, pushing Starr's gently curved, soft feet through each leg of the somewhat baggy sweatpants and pulled him to a standing position, hefting them to his waist and tying the drawstrings snug so they wouldn't fall. "There we go, how's it feel?" It probably felt odd if Starr made a habit of never wearing clothes wherever he came from, but he'd definitely need to start accepting the feel if he wanted to go anywhere in the town. Or even away from the house. He tested the snug band around Starr's waist with two fingers. "Not too tight?" He asked, stepping back to avoid saying---or doing---anything stupid. "Might want to try a shirt too... doesn't have to be now." Andy honestly didn't want to cover the man's body prematurely, but he wouldn't admit that aloud. Even admitting it to himself sounded borderline possessive, and he didn't even know the guy's last name---if he even had one.

The material was soft, and loose. It hung from him like seaweed, snug at the waist where Andy tested the fit. Starr tilted his head to the side and licked his lips, before laughing a bit. So testy. Andy didn't even want to risk slipping his foot-fins under the water for fear of being dragged down.

"A shirt?" He reached out to tug at the fabric that hung over Andy's chest. "Is this a shirt?" The merman slipped his hands under the hem to tug it up. He was curious. Did all human men have stomachs like his? His was the same as when he'd had fins. There were light muscled lines across his abdomen, upon the human they were far more defined. Andy did pretty physical things then.

Andy let out a snickering giggle---a sound he didn't think he could actually make---and squirmed a little. "Aha, uh, yeah, that's a shirt..." He scrubbed his hand down his stomach, sending off the lingering sensation---and the tickling feeling---as he stepped back to the closet and pulled a plain white t-shirt out. He didn't ask Starr to figure this out, feeling he would probably be dealing with something akin to an impatient toddler trying to work his way into an oversized sweater. He pulled Starr's arms out a bit, threading his arms through and pulling the shirt over his head, tugging it down and bringing his hair up and out of the back of the shirt, lingering a bit longer than he should have as he felt the smooth strands, like silk in his fingers. "There you go. Not too baggy, not too tight. Easy to get out of, just grab the bottom and pull over your head. Simple, eh?" He smiled a bit, hoping Starr was gradually accepting it. He didn't even want to bring up the concept of underwear yet.

Starr blinked. Well at least he was learning. But that odd sound, how intriguing. He'd had no idea humans could make sounds anything like that. He thought about that as he let himself be pulled a bit this way and that. For a moment, when fabric covered his eyes and boxed him in, Starr struggled and squirmed. "No!" A trap! It had been a trap all along.

Then he was free again. His vision as clear as on any day. Still, Starr breathed in hard, gasping a bit. It would have been so easy to suffocate. Just a simple twist and a tumble, and that would have been it. The merman sniffled and grabbed the edges of his shirt. After a bit of stumbling and twisting about, he got it off and glared at the offending garment and Andy with equal dislike.

Andy backed away, raising a brow in confused caution. He wasn't about to get near the guy for a moment, but it didn't stop him from raising his hands. "Calm down, guy. It's just a damn shirt. Cloth. Isn't gonna kill you unless you act like that." He plucked at his own, the buttondown he'd decided to slip back on. "Seeing as I'm wearing something just like it, you don't think I'd try to kill you, do you?" He sighed and shook his head, stepping around Starr. "Fine, no shirt for now. But you'll have to learn to wear one eventually!" God, it sounded like he was scolding a misbehaving child that didn't want to stay dressed in the car on the way to school.

He rolled his eyes at the thought. "Look, just stay up here, okay? If you're gonna try to go down the stairs then at least call me so I can catch you if you fall." He turned and left the room, shoving out of his shirt and tossing it through the open door of his own room, something similar to the guest room but with a wide, bowed window where a chair sat beside a low bookshelf. Then he went downstairs, wandering to his kitchen and standing against the counter for a moment. It was lunchtime, after all. Whatever Starr ate, he didn't know, but he'd probably be okay with anything fish, as he'd said. And seaweed? he'd have to harvest the stuff himself because he doubted Starr ate it dried. And what else? Fruits? Maybe. He had plenty, and all of it came from those airy, open markets that didn't like chemicals, hormones, or additives. Even so, he very carefully washed everything he could just to make sure.

"It was a trap!" He kept glaring at Andy. "I couldn't see. Anything could come up behind me and capture me, or do much worse then that. Just a moment of vulnerability and I could be dead." Didn't the human understand that? No, of course not. This world was entirely different. Starr had to keep reminding himself of that as he wandered to the bed and settle down upon the strangely soft surface.

He decided to lay down on the floor instead. The solid support lent him comfort as he stared into the sky. There was something between the sky and him. It was a hard surface that gleamed sometimes. There were flecks of dirt on it too, and stray leaves blown there by the wind. Sunlight shone down, the light of a day at it's peak.

He was considering what Starr's opinion on smoked salmon was when a knock sounded at the door. Then it swung open and Dean waltzed in as though he lived there. Of course, he did have his own key, something Andy trusted him with. "Ah!" He set the paper package down on the counter and hurried out of the kitchen. "Dean! What's going on?"

"Not much. I dropped by to see if you were working and there was your truck." Dean thumbed over his shoulder, smiling a little. "Got a day off?"

Andy sighed, rolling his eyes to the couch nearby and flopping down on it. "Hell... Yeah, I took a day off to spend with Cory and the weasel has to work over and meet with some parents." He pulled his hand over his face, drifting into his hair. "So I had the whole day off for nothing apparently."

"Aw, sweetie, that's awful." Dean wrinkled his nose, shaking his head. "You ought to talk to him, or something else. Hell, I dunno what you even see in him." He was truthful, at least, Andy thought somewhat bitterly.

"Dean, I know he's... a little rough around the edges... But there's something there..." He caught Dean's gaze and huffed. "Bah, you know..."

"Mmm..." Dean nodded slowly. "Yeah, I know. Think it's worth it?"

Andy blinked. "I... I'm seeing where it goes... Hell, I'll give it another month and if he's still... a bit of a douchebag... I'll call it over."

"Y'know I'm just trying to look after you Andy, right?"

He gave his friend a warm smile. "Yeah... I know, I'm glad. Even if I don't need someone to look after me anymore. But look, I have something to tell you..." He glanced at the staircase, hoping Starr didn't try to come down on his own if he was still unsteady.

The merman got tired of waiting. He was used to hunting when his stomach grumbled, and lay like an empty pit waiting to be filed. It was time now to go foraging, or at least .... It was time to seek the person he was forced to trust, and to rely on. Mumbling under his breath in his native language, Starr pushed himself to his feet and used whatever was nearest to him as support while he walked.

It helped to have his hands on the walls, but then he reached the dreaded stairs. They weren't steep, or narrow. In fact, each step was the perfect size, and with a wide rail to lean on. But ... as the pale haired man reached out, he missed his goal entirely. Thump! Tumbling and rolling, his limbs flailing, Starr yelled as he made the journey to the first floor and landed in a heap.

"Wow, that's kind of..."

"Crazy?"

"Haha, well, crazy, yeah... But weird. I mean, isn't that like your number one fantasy?"

Andy shifted a little and looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah, so?"

"Soooo... It was a perfect setup!"

"Hell, Dean, no it wasn't." Andy rolled his eyes. "That's why it's a fantasy. Because reality takes a ton more work."

"More work than just sitting around with your hand down your---"

Andy gasped when a thumping met his ears, and almost froze before he worked out of his immediate shock, running across the room to grimace over Starr. "Damn, guy, I told you to call me if you needed help..." He shook his head, pausing to feel Starr's head, legs, and arms, pressing his chest gently, and finally grabbing his arms and lifting him. "C'mon, you... God, you really don't know what to do with your legs, do you?" He studied the young man, pulling his hair back. "You okay? Anything hurt? Head? Arms? Legs? Back?" He barely registered when Dean approached.

"Sooo... this the guy?" He asked, keeping his distance as if Starr were a wild animal.

"Yeah... Starr, this is a friend of mine, Dean. Dean, Star." Andy looked from one to the other.

The merman grunted when he was touched. His whole body ached! But it was no worse then getting pummeled by a few sharks. He shook his head and stared up at Andy with a frown. "I thought I would be able to handle it." He licked his lips and took a mental stock of how he was doing. "Bruises, scrapes, but no more then that. I'm quite fine."

But there was someone new to look at. Dean? He was wearing all of his clothes. Andy had gotten rid of his horrible shirt, and now it was truly easy to see that he did physical work. The man could be anything, but a scribe. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dean." The name was so odd. There was nothing beautiful, or descriptive, about it. Much like Andy's, it made no sense.

Dean smiled brightly, and looked to battle with himself whether or not to offer a hand to shake. Andy had said Starr wasn't specifically honed, apparently, to their society, so he just dropped his hands to his sides. "Pleasure to meet you, Starr." He said, stepping back as Andy helped him forward, a hand on his shoulder, one in front of Starr in case he needed to grasp it. "Sooo... You... woke up on the beach?"

"Dean, I thought I said not to bring that up."

"Well hell, Andy, you don't expect me to just be quiet about it, do you?"

"You sure as hell can't keep a secret, I don't know what I expected."

"But you didn't say it was a secret..."

"It's not! Just don't go blabbing to anyone, okay? God, the last thing I need---the last thing Starr needs---is anyone involved until he's okay."

"Well... I just wanna know about where he comes from..." Dean was quiet, scuffing his feet at the kitchen door as Andy settled Starr on a chair.

"Me too." He looked at Starr. "Look, I don't really care about where you come from right now. What specifically matters is you're okay and not flailing around in the dark trying to figure things out." He stepped around to where he set the paper package. "I dunno what you eat, and I don't have any fish right now beyond this. Smoked salmon, fine to eat as it is." He set the package down on the table and unwrapped it. "What all do you eat, regularly...?" He was curious now. Maybe he could go to the market for the right things later.