"…and I know it's not the best time for you either, Casey, and I wouldn't ask but I am so broke, I am so very broke that a beggar on the streets of Calcutta has more money than I do…and that last bit was a totally inappropriate thing to say." Dan finished ruefully.

"It certainly was," Casey agreed as he pulled out his check book. "But I'm willing to over look it, just this once.

Casey scribbled a few words, added a figure that Dan couldn't make out, then signed his name with a flourish and handed the check over.

"Will this cover it?"

Dan took the check and looked at the amount, then looked again to make sure he hadn't made a mistake.

"Oh, man!"

"What's the point of having a roof over your head if you've got nothing to eat?" Casey said mildly.

Dan was so taken aback he could hardly breathe. This was way more than he asked for; way more than he could have even expected. It wasn't like he'd known Casey that long, and he did have other friends who could potentially help him out. But they'd want to know why he couldn't ask his parents to help cover the rent on the dingy little studio he'd found to live in while he worked at the newspaper over the summer break, and he didn't want to go there with them. Not just yet. Casey, however, didn't ask questions. Like he instinctively knew that Dan would eventually tell him why, but only when he was ready and left it at that.

"I will pay you back, Casey," Dan said earnestly. "The minute I get paid, I swear."

"I know you will. Meanwhile, you're buying me a beer."

Dan pocketed the check and slung an arm across Casey's shoulders. "I think I could even manage two."