A/N: Slash.

He should have seen it coming. He should have read the signs, but as always with Andrew, he didn't "get it" until he was too late. Late one Friday night Matt got a call from Casey inviting him to a party. She said they didn't have much time so Matt decided to wear what he had on. "Andrew, you're not doing anything" Matt said, as he took his Jacket off and admired his slim physique in the mirror. "Thanks for reminding me" Andrew said. Matt passed him a shirt from his warbrobe and threw it next to him on the bed. "Put it on, you're coming" Matt said. Andrew thought about it before going to the bathroom to change.

It took him a while to come out. The shirt was quite tight, he hadn't worn it in a while, it felt like he was half naked. He walked out back to his room to come face to face with Blonde primadonna Casey. The bitchy smug girl next door, that could have any guy with the click of her fingers except for Andrew, but he knew she wouldn't want him if he was the last dude on earth. "Come on Matt, you look great" Casey said rubbing Matt's shoulder. She turned around, looking at Andrew like he was tramp's dog with muddy paws.

"Case" Matt said. "You got room for one more?" Matt said nodding his head towards his cousin. "No, no way" Casey said pulling Matt by his Jacket cuff. "Don't wait up" Casey said to Andrew as she walked past him with Matt ruffling his hair in apology. No late party, no tight shirt, no embarrasing moments trying to impress girls. Andrew took his shirt off, put on a T-shirt and a baggy jumper knowing that he had a lucky escape. He couldn't help but feel like shit. His own family had tossed him aside like a piece of garbage and it wasn't like he could ask his dad to rent out a movie.

Andrew decided to go out anyway. His dad was snoring on the couch, as drunk as a skunk as usual. He could do what he wanted for a couple of hours. He took his camera out and walked around the park. It was fun trying to find mysterious creatures in the dark, pretend that he was an archaeologist that had accidently found the next Godzilla, he threw the camera up into the sky, his mind caught it and he went down the underpass past the mosaics to the skate park. "Where had he put his skateboard?" He thought as he looked down at the slopes. He moved the camera along the skateboard slope checking that the lens captured every curve.

A little more than year ago skateboaring was one of his things but he was never any good. He didn't have the balance, hated the solo embarrasment he felt at falling off, although most of the time he was by himself. "You skate?" He heard someone call. Andrew dived towards his camera and clutched it to his chest. Andrew couldn't make out much, a cloaked figure taller than him was striding towards him with a skateboard clutched to his waist. "I'm...looking for mine" Andrew said. "I lost mine last week" "Weird, I've never seen you around" The guy said sitting on the platform. "But, I only skate when I've got the time, I used to be good...now I'm shitty" Andrew shook his head. "You can't be worse than me" Andrew said.

The guy passed his skateboard over to Andrew. Andrew grabbed the guy's skateboard, his heart beating a thousand times a second. This guy had this self assured confidence that Andrew noticed in the dark, and he didn't wanna screw up. Someone was prepared to be his audience. A complete stranger was waiting to be entertained...by him. He wasn't sure he could control the board in the dark, with only the stars to guide him. Andrew propped the board next to the slope and stood on the board looking down. "Ready?" He asked the stranger. "Sure" Andrew slid down the slope, skateboard under his feet.

"Wow" The guy said. "What are you talking about, you're really good" The man said as Andrew purposely slipped for effect. "Not anymore" Andrew said as he got off the slope and gave the guy his skateboard back. "Can I see...you?" Andrew asked. The man got up tipping his skateboard up to hands like a pro. He slid side to side with ease stopping at the other side of the slope and walking around. "I wanna be like that" Andrew said to him as the man sat down. "Like what?" The man asked. "You know...all that, you make it look easy" "So do you" The guy replied. "I could have been making money from it, but the real world wrecked that"

"How?" Andrew asked. "You know, work, training, all that" The man said. "You play sports?" Andrew asked. "Yeah...ummm...what about you?" The man asked standing up. Andrew could sense the meeting coming to an end, he had to sound as cool as possible. "Live...alone, you know...nine to five...you know how that is" Andrew said hoping that this guy believed him. "Cool, everyone's gotta grow up right? See ya" The man said. Andrew couldn't help but follow him secretly before asking him what his name was. "Nick" Nick said with a nod. "I'm Andrew" Andrew said getting his camera and setting it on Nick's shadow getting smaller and smaller.

He walked home Camera in hand, his palms clammy, his breath short, he hadn't sprinted, just walked home. Nick had literally taken his breath away. He put the key in the door and opened his door. He crept in and looked in the living room. No-one was on the couch, thank god. Dad must have dragged his ass up to bed. He opened his room door to see his Dad sitting on his bed. "Where did you go?" His Dad asked. It was one of those trick questions. Fuck, every question his Dad asked was a trick. "Out with Matt" Andrew said. "That's funny, because he called...for you" His Dad said. Andrew ran out of his room and slammed the door as his father got up.

"Don't you dare fucking run from me you ungrateful piece of shit. Look at me. Do I Iook like I'm playing games Andrew? Huh? Who were you fucking with? I don't need police who fucking know me, who fucking respect me dragging your ass back here."

"Dad I -"

"But no. You don't think of me, or your fucking mom, you're so fucking selfish, sneaking out behind my back drinking, doing drugs, goodness knows what. You're still getting your ass up for school tomorrow Andrew, you still go to school don't you? Can you fucking read huh? Can you fucking write your own fucking name? Andrew...Andrew..."

"Andrew" Matt said waving his hand infront of Andrew's face. "You been stirring that hot choc for ten minutes...drink it, we've got class" Andrew nodded as he took a sip. His arms hurt from his Dad dragging him around last night. He wanted to forget about it, but it was a sour ending to great night. His Dad always ruined everything, and Andrew couldn't stop him, powers or no powers. "You still mad at me for last night?" Matt asked staring at his cousin in confusion. "No...no...I don't think Casey would put out the red carpet for me" "Good news" Matt said. "Steve called, he's back tomorrow"

"Great" Andrew said trying to look calm, but his brain was buzzing. Matt always had his car ready to take Andrew to school, he made it clear that he was there for him always, but Andrew couldn't help but wonder how Matt would treat him if they weren't family. If DNA tests were done and Matt found out he wasn't related to him, Andrew guessed that Matt would drop him like a bad habit. With Steve, it was different.

Before the powers Steve wasn't a bully or anything, he along with everyone else in school had no idea that Andrew existed. Then the powers exploded in their faces and Steve unlike anyone else, had made Andrew be a part of something. The talent show lasted the same time as a low budget movie, but for once Andrew felt that he'd been accepted by the whole school.

When that got flushed down the toilet along with Andrew's dreams of getting laid, Steve was still there for him, despite all the puke jokes and the whispers behind Andrew's back. Andrew knew he could trust Steve with anything. After an awkward night of avoiding his Dad while smiling for his mom, the next morning came and Andrew got showered and dressed as quickly as possible. He was one step through the gates when he heard the voice. "Dreamy Detmer...canteen...let's go" Ten minutes later Andrew was opposite one of the most popular kids in school who was chucking a muffin at him. "Eat Andrew Eat!" Steve said as Andrew caught the muffin.

"Where's Matt?" Steve asked. "With Casey" Andrew said undoing the muffin wrapper. "So, to celebrate my return, you wanna do something?" Steve asked. Andrew nodded but didn't think he couldn't handle another "Casey party" "I've got these tickets" Steve said taking out a couple of slips of paper from his pocket. Martial arts...Diaz VS Penn...wanna go?" Andrew bit his lip. Yes he wanted to go, but after his Dad's outburst, he'd have to be really careful. He nodded as he took one ticket. "Got us VIP's so I'll pick you up early, Matt's busy so I'll drop you back" Andrew nodded. Matt agreed to cover for him to his Dad, and agreed to keep his cellphone on in case his Dad called.

There was a meet and greet for fans, that Andrew and Steve could go to with their passes. "You excited?" Steve asked. "Umm...yeah" Andrew said getting in the queue. Steve was telling Andrew about the fighters and wanted to stay the whole way through to watch the preliminary fights. Andrew agreed. They got to the front of the queue at last and Steve gently pushed Andrew to the front. He gave Andrew a flyer and Andrew put it on the table for one of the fighters to sign. Andrew looked at the wall as the guy hesistated with the flyer. "Umm...Andrew?" The guy said. "It's Nick...you know...skate-park" Andrew looked up. He recognised the voice, but didn't see much of Nick's face in the dark at the time, he should have paid attention.

"Hey...I...you...ummm..." Andrew said, but h is throat was dry. "Here you go" Nick said as he signed the flyer and leaned over to meet the next person. Andrew shuffled to the side to make room for Steve. "Andrew you wanna take a picture?" Steve asked as Nick stood up. Steve gave Andrew his phone and took a picture of his friend with the mystery skateboard guy, unmasked and making a living from punching guys in the face. "You know Nick Diaz?" Steve asked in surprise when they were trying to find their seats. "Not really...Matt went to a party and I went to the skatepark" "Since when did you skate?" Steve asked. "I don't...Nick was there...he was...really cool" Andrew said, knowing how weird it sounded.

"Are you going back there? You've gotta go back, I mean after the fight they'll be here two days tops, then the UFC move on" Steve said. "I've gotta come with you Detmer, Nick's like Strickforce royalty...have you showed him...the uhh..." Steve made fluttering finger motions with his hands as they sat down. "No...no...Nick thinks I'm normal" Andrew said. "Living by myself" "No way" Steve said stifling a laugh. "You seen Nick fight before?" Steve asked and Andrew shook his head. "So why not tell him the truth, that you're In high school and live with your Daddy" Andrew elbowed him in the ribs. "I dunno...he just seemed...so...cool...you know"

"Cool he is. Nick's has never been defeated in Strikeforce and he's a Black belt in brazilian Jiu-jitsu"

"I have no idea what that means" Andrew said.

"Nick's like this triple, no, decuple kinda ninja. on the richter scale of amazing, he's a fifty out of ten, which doesn't exist but you know what I mean"

"Yeah, he's now the most popular guy I know" Andrew said looking at a fighter being tripped to the ground.

"Apart from me" Steve said.

"Yeah, in school, you...ummm...rock?" Steve looked up at the row above them and saw two girls looking at them , whispering and laughing.

"That reminds me, I really need to sign you up for the debate team Andrew" Steve joked. "You've really convinced me that I rock"

"Well Steve, you could convince Nick to hang with us, I mean...he'll listen to you" Andrew said.

"Convince Nick Diaz: former Strikforce champ to socialise with teenagers in our school whose proudest acheivements include puking while making out? While I've been gone have you gone crazy and got addicted to superhero smack?" Steve asked as they both watched the next fight introductions.