"Speaking Martian."

Julia rests her head on the bedroom door and frowns at him, her clear eyes troubled. "What?"

"What I do. What our family does. We talk to each other a certain way and we talk to other people a certain way and either I do it wrong - I must do it wrong, right? - or something, because instead of saying I'm sorry or saying I love you or saying forgive me, I managed to fuck it up worse, and now it's over, so maybe I'm speaking Martian."

"I think you're speaking Scotch. Of the whiskey variety."

He huffs a laugh and it hurts. "Yeah, well, that too." He picks up his glass and takes another drink. "What are you doing here?"

"You left the hospital. Everyone was concerned."

"Should be concerned about Justin."

She nods and walks into the room, sitting on the edge of his bed. "We are. They are. But he's in the clear now, so they looked around and you were gone. That's actually against the rules of your family, you know."

"I really liked him."

Julia nods again and reaches over, her hand light on his leg, rubbing the dark fabric of his slacks. "I know you did."

"I kept trying to be nice and it kept coming out wrong." He shakes his head. "And you don't have to say it. Scotty already did. I wasn't nice. I was condescending and unthinking and generally just an all around bastard."

"He's different. Than the other guys you've dated."

Kevin finishes the scotch and wants more. "Yeah. I know." He purses his lips to keep the sob trapped in the cage of his chest, closes his eyes so the only hint of tears is in the darkness of his lashes. "He was nice and sweet and open and…human." He swipes a hand across his eyes. "Which is more than I can say for myself."

"Kevin."

"It's so easy for you. You and Tommy just clicked, but then he's never had a problem with people. He's real and honest and warm. He likes people. He trusts people." He lays his head back, opens his eyes to look at his ceiling. "And Sarah. Everyone loves Sarah."

"Kevin."

"Kitty never wants for a date or a marriage proposal. She's got men cheating on girls half her age in an effort to spend time with her." He blinks against another threat of tears. "Hell, even Justin charms his boss on the first day of work."

"Kevin, come on."

"You should go back to the hospital, Jules."

"No. Kevin, look…maybe he wasn't the right guy for you. Maybe…maybe it was too much, too soon. Maybe it wasn't meant to be."

"I loved him, Julia." He laughs softly and it hurts. "I didn't want to, I tried not to. But he got under my skin and under my defenses and I really, really…" He shakes his head. "And the only thing that went wrong was me."

"Kevin, that's not true."

"Yeah? What'd he do? What did he do in all of this other than like me despite the fact that I was an overbearing, condescending, prudish…Martian." He shakes his head. "And make me cupcakes."

She shifts on the bed and lies down beside him, her head on his chest over his heart. He wraps an arm around her, stroking her hair. She curls her hand around his loose tie and sighs softly. "You're a good man, Kevin. And you'll find someone."

"I'm a long way from home for that."

"All men are from Mars, Kevin." She buried her head against him. "You'll find someone."

"Might all be from Mars, Jules, but that doesn't make them all Martians." He pulls away from her, turning on his side. He can feel her beside him, can almost picture the concern that furrows her forehead, the annoyance that sets her lips in a thin line, can practically see the resignation that finally settles as she slides out of the bed. This is the part of humans he understands. The part where they just give up on him. "Tell them I'm fine."

"You're not fine."

"I will be." He assures her as he turns his head and meets her worried gaze, the smile curving his lips not reflected in his eyes. "By the time they see me again."