Luca paced inside his nest in the walls, panicking a little.

I can't believe you let Enzo see you! he scolded himself. How did you not hear him coming?

But Enzo never came into the bedroom during snack time, and Harper had been talking loud and fast, clearly flustered as he apologized over and over again about being late. Luca was so busy trying to reassure the kid that he hadn't even thought to listen for footsteps.

Luca would never forget the look of utter shock and disbelief on Enzo's face. It would have been funny if Luca hadn't been so scared. Luckily, Harper was there to smooth things over, and Luca somehow managed to escape the situation unscathed. 

What do I do now? Luca wondered nervously. He glanced towards the wall that led towards the bedroom. Enzo and Harper had just finished a long conversation about him, but Luca wasn't sure where he stood with Enzo at the end of it.

Will he think I'm a thief? he worried. Or a creep or a stalker or... or someone who wants to hurt Harper? Or... or maybe he'll think I'm some odd animal to be captured and studied? Luca shuddered at the thought.

Luca had always liked Enzo. He was quiet and serious but clearly a phenomenal older brother. He was involved without being suffocating, always ready to patiently listen to whatever news or questions Harper rattled on about. He'd get annoyed sometimes, sure, but Luca had yet to see him get truly mad at Harper.

Yes, Enzo seemed like a good person. But Luca had no way of knowing if he'd be just as gentle with him as he was with Harper.

Luca sighed and slumped against the wall, sliding down until he was seated. I did promise to answer his questions, Luca thought unhappily. I could just... leave... like any good borrower would... but then... then I'll be alone again.

And more than anything else, Luca didn't want that.

Luca buried his head in his arms, resting them against his knees that he had pulled up to his chest. Am I... actually going to risk death or captivity... just for some... company? Luca marveled at his own idiocy.

But before he knew it, he was already standing up and heading towards the nearest outlet, trying to regulate his breathing as he prepared to introduce himself and explain things to Enzo.

From what he could tell, Enzo and Harper had moved into the living room, so that's where Luca headed. Before pushing aside the outlet, he squared his shoulders and took a deep breath.

It's ok, he told himself firmly. Anyone who can raise a great kid like Harper will surely be kind to someone like me. Probably. 

...Maybe.

Pushing aside the outlet cover, Luca stuck his head out and looked around. Figuring Enzo and Harper were on the other side of the armchair, he hopped out of the wall and crept forward.

Luca thought he was being quiet. He thought he'd have a bit of time to gather himself before the humans noticed his presence.

But as he rounded the corner of the chair, Enzo's dark eyes latched onto his small movement immediately, and Luca couldn't help but shrink back. The older brother stared at him from across the living room, sitting on the floor with his back against the couch as Harper happily colored next to him at the coffee table.

Luca took a deep breath, trying to calm his jittery nerves. Wiping his suddenly clammy hands on his shirt, he forced himself forward until he was directly in front of the brothers. Enzo's unfathomable dark eyes watched him the whole time.

"Umm, hi, again," Luca said awkwardly, and Harper looked up at his greeting.

The little boy lit up. "Luca!" he exclaimed, all smiles. "You came back! Are you okay?"

Luca couldn't help but smile back. He really did like Harper. He was a good kid, and he reminded Luca of his own little brother.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he assured Harper. He turned to Enzo next, who still hadn't said anything.

"Umm, hi," he said, voice dropping timidly.

Enzo just nodded, though he didn't make any move to get closer or grab Luca. Luca considered that a good sign.

"I... umm... I'm Luca," Luca said, feeling like an idiot. "But... you... already knew that... so..."

He took a deep breath. "I'm sure this is weird and confusing, and you probably have a lot of questions and are wondering what I am and... umm..."

Enzo let him trail off before speaking. "You don't have to be so nervous," came his astonishing first words. "I'm not going to hurt you. Harper already told me not to touch you, so you can stop looking at me like I'm going to grab you."

Luca just blinked. "You... you're not?" he asked in disbelief.

"Of course he's not, Luca!" Harper chimed in. "You're my best friend! Enzo's not allowed to hurt my friends."

"Oh."

Ok, Luca thought, feeling a bit more encouraged. At the very least, he's not going to do anything to me while Harper's around. That... that's good.

"I do have some questions, though," Enzo added, interrupting Luca mid mental celebration. "Harper's told me some things about you over the years, but I'd rather hear them from you."

"O...k," Luca said reluctantly.

I did agree to this, he reminded himself. I can answer questions while still being discrete about stuff.

He forced himself to take a seat on the floor, though it would be infinitely harder to run away from this position.

Not like I'd be fast enough to escape him sitting this close, anyway, Luca realized. He tried to suppress a shudder, but Enzo seemed to notice. Maybe it was his imagination, but the intimidating human's eyes seemed to soften a fraction of a degree.

"So, what exactly are you, anyway?" was Enzo's predictable first question.

Luca couldn't really answer that one without betraying all borrowers everywhere, so he tried to be as vague as possible. "I... I'm like a human," he said. "Just... a lot smaller. I can't really interact with other humans, though." He gestured down at his small size with a bleak laugh. "I'm sure you can imagine how dangerous that'd be for someone like me."

"Hmm." Enzo studied him quietly for a moment. "And you live in the walls? Harper said you've been here longer than we have, and that you live by yourself."

"Yes," Luca confirmed, relieved to have an easier question. "I've been here about... six... no, seven years now. You're the third tenants I've seen in this apartment."

Enzo looked confused. "Why are you by yourself? Do you not have any friends? No family? Parents?"

"They're... they're dead," Luca said shortly. It had happened so long ago, but it was still painful to talk about. "My family's gone. They've been gone since before I moved here."

Harper nudged Enzo at this point. "Don't talk about that," he scolded his big brother. "It makes him sad."

Luca couldn't help but be grateful to the little boy. Harper had asked him that question before, too, and Luca had explained that he used to have a mom and brother, like Harper, but that they had died in a flash flood while moving to a new house.

It was the worst day of Luca's life, and he had spent the rest of that day shivering in the torrential rain as he tried to find where the water had swept them away. Coming across their cold bodies... wasn't something he wanted to relive, even seven years later.

Enzo nodded at Harper's warning and thankfully moved on.

"How old are you?" he asked next.

Another easy question. "25."

"Hmm. 3 years older than me." Enzo was quiet again, just staring at him. Luca shifted uneasily, not really sure what to make of the look in his eyes.

His first encounter with Harper had been much easier in comparison, though it had been overwhelming in a different way. When they first met, all Harper did was bombard him with question after question.

"How tall are you? Why are you so small? Where do you live? What do you like to do? What do you like to eat? Do you have any pets? How do you get food? Do you want to be friends? Have you ever been outside? Can I take you outside? Can I hold you? Do you want to meet Enzo?"

Luca had done his best to answer all those questions, and luckily, he and Harper had settled into an easy friendship after that. The boy still asked the occasional question (his most recent one being what Luca did whenever he ran across a spider), but he mostly just liked to talk to Luca about their respective days.

But Enzo wasn't like Harper at all. He was quiet and deliberate, seemingly choosing each of his questions with great care. Luca didn't know what Enzo was trying to figure out with this interrogation.

Enzo pursed his lips before moving on. "Did the other tenants know about you?"

Luca immediately shook his head, remembering the other tenants who had lived here. They... hadn't been the best people. Luca shuddered to think what would have happened to him if he had fallen into their hands.

"Of course not," he exclaimed, trying not to shiver. "Humans aren't safe for bor- err... people like me."

Enzo tilted his head to the side, looking confused. "Then why did you show yourself to Harper?" he asked.

"I... I didn't mean to show myself to Harper," Luca corrected. Enzo was too good at asking questions. "I needed a staple that was on the bookshelf, and... and he saw me."

Luca rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I should have left the apartment after that," he admitted. "It... it's not good for someone like me to be seen by humans." He shrugged. "But Harper's a nice kid, so... I stayed."

Harper beamed at him, and Luca smiled back nervously, still all too aware of Enzo between them.

Enzo just nodded in agreement, like he also thought Harper was a nice kid. The older human shifted a little, moving from sitting cross-legged to stretching his legs out in front of him. Luca tried not to shy away.

"So, why didn't you ever try to meet me?" Enzo said next.

It was a question Luca hadn't been expecting. He paused and looked at Enzo, trying to decide if the human looked offended or mad. But the older brother just had on that calm poker face, like always.

"I... I wanted to," Luca finally admitted. "But I didn't know how you'd react. I thought... I thought you'd want to keep me. Or that maybe you'd be... be mad at me."

Enzo raised his eyebrows. "Mad at you?" he repeated. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"For... for talking to Harper? For taking your stuff?" Luca rubbed his arm uncomfortably.

Enzo scoffed. "You're, like, five inches tall. What could you even run off with? A pencil? Maybe my watch, if you were feeling really daring?" The human shrugged. "No. That's fine. And I've already talked to Harper. He said that all you guys do is eat snacks and talk about your day."

His eyes suddenly narrowed into dangerous slits. "That is all you do, right?" he questioned, voice intense.

"Of course that's all we do," Luca was quick to assure Enzo, trying not to shake at the abrupt shift in his tone. Damn, this human was intimidating. And as he sat there under Enzo's heavy gaze, Luca started wondering if he should have come out of the walls at all.

***

Enzo was still trying to wrap his head around the whole thing.

Ok, so Luca's real, he reminded himself, staring at the small and obviously very uncomfortable figure in front of him. And he's clearly scared of humans. But he's out here talking to me. And he's been talking to Harper for even longer.

Enzo paused between questions, considering the situation. Why would a guy my age want to hang out with some random kid? he wondered. Not only that, but a kid who could easily kill him, even on accident. He's... risking a lot by being out here. And for what?

But the answer became pretty obvious the more Enzo studied Luca and asked him questions.

Seven years? Enzo thought, staring at the little man with wide eyes. He's been alone for seven years?

Enzo didn't really like being around people, but even he couldn't imagine going seven years without talking to a single soul.

And just looking at Luca, who had the oddest mixture of fear and tentative hope spread across his face... Enzo realized the poor guy just wanted a friend. And since Harper was obviously the less threatening of the two of them, of course Luca would gravitate towards him.

He's... kind of adorable, Enzo mused absentmindedly. He's so human-like. Just... all shrunk down and tiny. You could just stick him in your pocket and carry him around all day.

Enzo blinked, frowning at his thoughts. It was rare for him to find anything other than Harper adorable.

"Well, it's nice to actually meet you," Enzo finally said. He had more questions, but Luca was starting to look overwhelmed. "I know you said that you usually move if you're seen, but you don't have to if you want to stay. We don't mind, and we won't bother you."

He turned to look at his little brother, who looked like he wanted to bounce out of his seat. "Right, Harps?"

"Right!" Harper agreed happily.

Luca perked up a little at that. "Really? You're... fine if I stay?"

Enzo raised his eyebrows. "That is what I said, isn't it?"

Luca looked a bit flustered. "Then... do you... mind if I come out and see you... sometimes?"

Harper burst in. "Of course you can!" he exclaimed, and Enzo nodded in agreement.

"Come see us whenever you want," he assured Luca. "And if you need food or supplies, just let me know. I can get you whatever you need."

Luca's little face flooded with both relief and gratitude, and Enzo felt his heart soften a bit at the sight.

Wh... what was that? he wondered.

________________________________________________________________

A/N: It was your undying love for Luca kicking in, that's what it was.