I like the neighbors.

It has been an extremely taxing month. My yearly test is coming up and I have been trying to cram as much shit into my head beforehand as possible, but it's so hard to concentrate. These damn pills sure as hell aren't helping. Also I am living in an apartment again...anyways...

This is how I met the neighbors...

While I was studying when I heard a knock on my door. I answered it, opening the door only a few scant inches. I wouldn't want anyone to just barge in. I peeked my head out.

"Yes?" I said quietly.

There was a strange man standing in the hallway with a little girl who had the hiccups.

"Yeah, hi, sorry," He was slurring his words together in haste. "I'm your neighbor, and I'm..." He looked at me strangely. "Uh I'm babysitting my friend's little girl, and she's hurt her arm, and I kinda locked myself out of my apartment, and all I need is to use the phone or something."

I opened the door a bit wider. I got a better idea of the man outside. He was about three inches shorter then me, dark brown hair, with deep-set brown eyes, and ridiculously thick framed black glasses.

"You require the use of a telephone?" I couldn't speak due to my hoarse voice. So I whispered.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I just need someone to come unlock my apartment, I can call them and be out of here in thirty seconds, I swear." He put on a lost puppy face.

I looked at the little girl, whose lip began to tremble.

She whimpered and burrowed her face into the mans leg, one hand still clutching her arm.

"Come," I offered, cracking the door open just enough to be considered an invitation.

"Elle, you wanna sit down while I call the locksmith?" He said to the child.

"Uh-uh." She shook her head, whipped her hair into her eyes, then burrowed back into the man's shirt.

"I'm Foster, by the way. I would've introduced myself before but for awhile I didn't think there was anyone even living in here." He extended one hand in greeting, using the other to support the child. I eyed the offered hand uncomfortably.

"I am Gabriel," I replied.

"The telephone is in the kitchen." I turned and walked in that direction.

He followed me. Giving me yet another round of thanks that I found rather embarrassing.

He called the locksmith. "About seven minutes, Elle, then we can get back in."

"My arm hurts." She whined.

She was quite adorable. Although I dared not saying anything on the matter.

"I know, but once we're back in my apartment we can check it out and see if we need to take
you-" he stopped. I am assuming the child didn't like the hospital. "-home to Mommy and Daddy, so they can fix you up."

"She is not your daughter?" I stood stiffly next to the front door.

"Nope, I'm just the uncle. Her parents are out for the night." He tried to smile charmingly...failure was eminent. "I'm babysitting tonight. What's your excuse for being cooped up in here?"

I ignored his question, I gathered my energy before taking a step closer to him. "Would you prefer to stay here until the locksmith arrives?"

"Oh...yeah, that'd be great. She tripped down the stairs and I'd like to check her arm." He said. "This is Eloise. You wanna show him that pretty face, kiddo?"

"No." She smeared the contents of her nose all over the man's shirt.

"All right, all right." He grinned over at me, I was still standing there just as awkward and stiff as ever.

"Anywhere you don't want us to sit down? She's kind of gross right now, I don't wanna ruin anything."

"You may sit where you like. She will not disturb anything."

"Thanks."

It was then that he had discovered the lack of furniture in the room. I have a desk taking up the length of one wall, covered in several different kinds of computers, electronic devices, and various painting tools. I also have several mats on the floor, layered over one another in a messy pile. And I have a short, low bench near the doorway, meant for guests to remove their shoes before they entered the premises. The only chair I have in the room is behind the desk.

She made a sound of protest when he tried to rotate her around in his lap, trying to burrow into his chest again. "Honey, I can't undo your coat if you're gonna crawl all over me like this," he told her. "Can you turn around a bit?"

She shook her head, giving off an entirely fake whimper.

"Well, now you're just being over-dramatic. How am I supposed to check your arm, huh?"

"Do you require assistance?" I had inched my way over to where Foster and Eloise were sitting, maintaining correct posture all the while.

Foster let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "I can't get her coat off like this."

I went silent again, trying to decide on a course of action. "Would she permit me to touch her?"

He looked down at the pile of fake tears and misery in his arms. "How about it, Elle? Would you mind if Mister Gabriel helps me out?"

She shifted so as to keep an eye on me. "It's okay," she murmured.

"Thank you," Foster directed at me, I crouched cautiously in front of them. "You've been our angel tonight."

"How come your eyes are like that?" Eloise piped up when the silence was a little uncomfortable.

"Eloise, sweetie, remember the talk we had about only asking polite questions when you meet strangers?"

"It has been a taxing week." I replied, ignoring Foster's comments.

"You look kinda evil," Eloise continued, also choosing to ignore Foster. "Are you evil?"

I grinned. "I do not believe so."

"Well you look kinda evil," She replied dubiously, she was so distracted by the conversation that she didn't even notice that I had removed her arm from the sleeve.

"I do not think that it is broken," I pressed along the bone of her injured arm. "There is little swelling. It may not even bruise."

"You're like a fairy!" she informed me. "A great big one. With evil eyes."

I shot Foster a questioning look, I was unsure of how to respond to that.

"I think it's a compliment," Foster reassured me.

"Ah, thank you, Eloise," I replied solemnly, I was even more confused when she had started to giggle.

"She's four." Foster said before I could say anything more.

There was a knock coming from the hallway, and Foster scrambled to collect Eloise's boots. "That'd be the locksmith," he said, coming to a standing position and picking the child up again.

"Thanks again for all your help, and for putting up with this little munchkin." He grinned when she scowled at him.

"It was no bother," I returned quietly, seeing them out. "Good night."

I closed the door and returned to my work. A few minutes later another knock on the door.

"Hey," Foster grinned as I gazed at him from the small crack I had allowed.

"We're ordering in pizza. Tell me what kind you like and you can come over for dinner, my treat."

I was confused. "There is no need to repay me for my assistance."

"I know but I'd still like to. Besides you're cooped up in there all alone."

"I..." I opened the door another few inches, looking over at Foster's apartment. "I would prefer to remain here this evening, but thank you for your-"

"At least tell me what kind you like," He interrupted me, he was not going to take no for an answer. "We'll bring some pizza over and then we'll leave you alone. I promise."

I didn't believe him, but he was wearing me down.

"I do not prefer any kind over the other," I said quietly, I regretting speaking already.

"Pepperoni okay with you?"

"That would be... acceptable," I allowed.

"Perfect! I'll bring it over once it's delivered, okay?" He didn't give me a chance to respond, he just turned around and marched back to his own apartment.

I set back to work. Studying.

Twenty minutes later...a knock on the door announced that the pizza must have arrived. For the third time that evening, I looked cautiously through a crack in the door.

"Come on and eat with us, Mister Gabriel!" Eloise piped up. "We've got brownies!"

I was at a loss for words.

"We've got beer, too." Foster added.

"Pleeeeeease?" She begged grabbing on to my hand.

I looked from one of them to the other, I was struggling for a response.

"I do not drink alcohol," I managed to say.

He shrugged. "What do you drink?"

"Tea." I was a bit surprised at how quickly my response came.

"Do you drink water?"

"And also there's brownies," Eloise repeated.

"I...yes. That is," I corrected myself when Eloise's eyes went wide with excitement. "I do consume water. But I prefer to remain here, although I do appreciate your offer."

"My place is clean." Foster said in a final attempt. "Well, mostly, but there's still places to sit comfortably. You can bring a mat over if you'd rather sit on that."

I was struggling again for a response. "I cannot leave," I said, my voice almost a whisper. "I have...There are..."

Foster tried to help. "Are you busy?"

I was relieved.

"Yes. I am in the middle of studying for an extremely complicated test. I-I cannot leave."

"Oh, okay. We'll just dish out your slices and bring it over in a bit, okay? Sorry for troubling you." He motioned to Eloise. "Come on, sweetie, let's get Mister Gabriel's dinner so he can get back to work." Her disappointment was apparent.

"I..."

He turned around. "Yeah?"

Speaking takes enormous amounts of energy out of me. I gathered my strength. "I would not be averse to your company should you wish to dine here."

Foster gave me a sympathetic smile. "Seriously, Gabriel, it's not a big deal. We're interrupting your studies. You don't have to invite us over just to be nice."

"On the contrary, I think that I would find your company... interesting."

"You're sure?" he asked, giving me one last opportunity to back out.

"I am sure."

They stayed at my place the rest of the evening. Eloise continued her questioning me about me being a quiet, evil, and abnormally large fairy. Whenever Foster tried to interrupt her endless questioning, I waved him off. I was almost relieved to be able to talk to her about such childish things.

It was getting late.

She had leaned up just enough to give Foster a quick peck on the cheek. Then she surprised the hell out of me by clamoring out of his lap and crawling into mine. "You too," she insisted, and before Foster could stop her, she'd given me a peck on the cheek as well. I blushed. She was so adorable.

"Now you guys."

That was less adorable.

Seeing my look of sheer panic, Foster jumped in quickly. "Aw, come on, Elle, I just met the guy."

"Me too!" she shouted back. "And I kissed him!"

"But it's different for grown ups. You can't kiss someone you've just met."

"Oh alright." She said defeatedly.

"We should probably pack up and toss you into bed."

"Awww..."

"Nope, no whining. You got pizza, and brownies, and you got to stay up late, and you met a new friend. That's plenty of adventure for one day, little missy."

"Hmph," she grumped at him again, then offered me a smile. "G'night Mister Gabriel."

"Good night, Eloise," I replied, I was still a bit thrown from the earlier conversation.

"It was nice meeting you, Gabriel," Foster said, gathering their things. "Make sure to come out of your cave every now and then, huh? I like to make friends with my neighbors. Even the secretive ones."

I could only nod, once again at a loss for words.

"You," he said to Eloise, pointing out the door. "March."

"Yes sir, Captain sir." She saluted him and led him out.

I laid down on the bed and fell asleep almost instantly. All my energy had been lost in the conversations.


Gabriel.