Being out of the walls with Luca wasn't... as bad as Enzo thought it would be.

He and Harper stuck to their usual borrowing schedule at first, but Harper wouldn't stop begging to see Luca, so Enzo eventually gave in and started letting Harper greet the human before Luca went to bed on the days they borrowed at night.

But then, of course, Harper wanted more. They spent Harper's birthday with Luca, and while it scared Enzo, he couldn't help but feel his heart soften at the way his little brother glowed when Luca brought out the tiniest cupcake Enzo had ever seen, just for Harper.

Enzo accepted the human's offer begrudgingly, and after that, they were out of the walls way more often than Enzo would have liked.

Not wanting to completely bulldoze over Harper's wishes, Enzo told Harper that he got to choose how often he wanted Luca to pick him up or touch him. Harper had immediately taken advantage of that freedom, marching up to the human the very next day and asking him for a lift to the couch.

It terrified Enzo at first to see Luca's long fingers curl around his brother and scoop him up. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to grab Harper and run, to hide away in the walls and never come back out.

But every time Harper was lifted up, he was put back down, just the same as always, happy and chattering up a storm. Enzo's heart rate slowed eventually, and he got used to seeing Luca reach for his brother.

But then, of course, Harper wanted even more. He wanted to be held. He wanted to play. Enzo put his foot down at first.

"He helps you up to the couch and counter," Enzo argued with Harper night after night, back in the safety of the walls. "Isn't that enough?"

"Luca is nice!" Harper always insisted. "He's so warm! I love him! Please, Enz?"

His pleading eventually wore Enzo down, and that led them to their current circumstances, with Harper using the human's hands as his own personal obstacle course.

Enzo was left to watch, as always. He hated the chase and catch games at first. He thought they were demeaning. However, because he was watching so intently, he couldn't help but notice Luca's consistent gentleness.

The human saw danger before Harper did, his hands always there to catch his brother before the little boy did anything reckless. In fact, Luca could predict Harper's movements even better than Enzo could.

Even when Luca was doing things like snatching Harper up or flipping him upside down, his movements were always careful and controlled, and he never got so carried away in the game that he forgot to prioritize Harper's safety. Enzo noticed that though Luca smiled at Harper's wild giggles, the human's eyes were always focused, watching Harper carefully to make sure he was alright while they played.

Enzo didn't want to admit it, but after a while, he liked watching Luca play with his brother and seeing how tenderly the human treated him.

He especially liked the way that Luca would sit Harper down at the table, settling him between his arms as he let Harper draw and color. Or the way he'd play video games while Harper watched from his shirt pocket and cheered him on.

One time, Luca had even gotten something called bubbles, and Harper had been absolutely mesmerized as the huge soap bubbles fell silently around him.

The human had also taken to teaching Harper how to read better, and Harper spent a lot of time settled on the books that Luca got from somewhere called a library, sounding out words while Luca's finger patiently guided him along.

It was... nice to see Harper being able to play and be a little kid. Their whole lives up to that point had been about survival. Enzo had completely forgotten what it looked like to have fun, and Luca's lighthearted presence gave them exactly what Enzo hadn't been able to provide for his brother on his own.

Sometimes, Enzo wished he could join in on their activities. Luca convinced him a few times to try out what he called a board game with them, and that had been alright. But overall, Enzo felt too stiff and uptight to let go and allow himself to relax and have fun.

Luca never pushed him; the human just smiled and beckoned for Enzo to join, but Enzo would always shake his head and keep a watchful eye over Harper. Despite his constant refusals, though, Luca never gave up on inviting him, and Enzo felt his resolve to stay aloof slowly chip away.

It was a dangerous feeling. Enzo wanted to keep distance between him and the human so that he could maintain some objectivity. Harper trusted and loved Luca so wholeheartedly that Enzo doubted his brother would be able to spot any warning signs if Luca's attitude towards them ever shifted.

It was up to Enzo to keep them safe, but as time wore on, he began to wonder... safe from what, exactly?

_________________________________________________________________

A/N: 

How to get Enzo to fall for you, a crash course: 

Step 1: Talk about your undying love for rules.

Step 2: Be nice to his brother. 

That's literally it. Luca's cracked the code. Being able to play the guitar is also probably on there, but Luca's already got that covered, too. 

Thanks for reading! Vote and comment if you like. See you in the next part.