He was walking down the street, and he walked by this place, and he thought it looked interesting.

He doesn't have any money. He's studying the menu, considering what he would buy if he could buy anything. There are crowds of happy talking people all around him and it's very alive. He likes it here.

He's sure he can't stay long, though, for he doesn't want to draw attention. His being an angel is a secret, after all, and he can't let anyone think he's odd or they might realize the truth.

Enrique is here for... much the same reason. He feels like it. He isn't hungry, or else he'd be looking somewhere else - or maybe visiting his pretty.

He blinks.

Looks at the young man in white.

Looks again.

He considers that he may be going crazy.

Gabriel does not, for the moment, notice that he has attracted attention.

Thoughtfully, he fiddles with a drinking straw, considering asking for something and then not being able to pay for it. Maybe they would give it to him and then he could drink it and not pay for it. It would taste good.

He shall investigate.

"Hey."

He has a vanilla latte. (It's too cold for a smoothie.)

"Mind if I sit here?"

The glance Enrique recieves is confused and slightly wary.

There is a noticeable pause while he thinks about the question. What would a human say?

"Yeah, sure."

His tone is, at least, human enough to pass. Friendly, maybe. The tones of someone who says that sort of thing all the time.

"Thanks."

He takes a seat. Even when he isn't trying, he's graceful. (Except when he's human.)

"I'm Enrique. You come here often?"

His senses are mixed up.

He's trying to get them to decide on one reaction.

"I'm Gabriel," he says matter-of-factly.

He has to think about the question.

"This is my first time here."

This is true. Gabriel has never been here before.

"Ah."

He sips his latte and sets it aside.

Mm, not today. He's still got a bit of alcohol in his system from last night - drinking with a client.

Maybe that's what's wrong.

He looks at the vanilla latte. He thinks it would taste good.

He wants to try it.

It is rather sad that it is not his, but rather belongs to Enrique.

Angels do not steal, you see.

Enrique glances at the latte, grins, and slides it across the table.

"Have at it - I'm not as thirsty as I thought."

Well... half-truth. He's practiced at those.

"Do you live around here?"

Gabriel smiles. He isn't hungry at all, but he knows it will taste good.

"Thank you."

He is grateful. Enrique is very nice.

He corrals the drink with one pale hand, fingers long and elegant.

He tries it. It is indeed tasty.

"I live on Churchill Drive."

It's a relatively obscure street near the outskirts of the city.

"Mm, nice neighborhood. Do you live with your parents, then?"

A single kid wouldn't live by himself in one of those houses...

Would he?

He's making the incubus dizzy.

"I don't have parents."

He doesn't think about the answer, or he would realize it was one he didn't want to give. Humans had parents, he should remember that.

But he doesn't remember that.

"No?"

He tilts his head.

"Did something happen to them?"

Enrique isn't human, though.

"No, I just never had any." Pause. "The man I lived with was hit by a truck last week. We weren't related."

Is that what Enrique means?

Gabriel is overly honest.

He has a tasty latte. He should remember to drink it. It would help if he wanted to drink it out of more than curiousity and the pleasure of the taste.

"Mhm."

There is a long pause.

And finally, he shakes his head and leans back.

"Are you human or aren't you?"

His senses are telling him both.

At the same time.

Gabriel gasps.

He guessed! He must have guessed, otherwise he wouldn't have asked the question.

"Please don't tell anyone," he pleads.

"... so you're not human."

Obviously.

"Relax."

Toothy smile.

"I'm not either."

"...oh," he says weakly.

That was not quite the reaction he was expecting.

He frowns slightly and asks, "Really?"

Enrique looks human.

(Gabriel is aware that he himself looks human, but that is protective camouflage! He does not naturally look human.)

"Really."

And you're driving me batty.

"What are you, though?"

He's confused.

Pause.

"You really won't tell anyone?"

He is a cautious creature.

"Swear to god."

Smile.

"I'm good at keeping secrets."

Alright then.

"An angel."

Simple as that.

"How ironic."

He won't explain that unless asked.

And yet...

The boy smells human.

But he smells not-human.

But human.

Not-human.

Gah.

That doesn't make any sense.

Gabriel doesn't worry about it. Instead, he has some more latte.

He likes latte.

"Are you sure you aren't human?"

It's confusing.

He has a headache.

"Of course I'm not human."

He smiles. (He's trying to look mysterious, and he ends up looking cheerful.)

"This is just a disguise."

His natural form is blinding.

"Mmph."

He rubs his temples.

"It's either a damn good one, or I'm going a bit nuts."

He smells human.

Only he doesn't.

"It's a very good one."

He truly believes what he's saying.

The fact that it's a complete fabrication is more of a side note. After all, Gabriel's a complete fabrication too.

"I see."

Mergle.

"Well, it was nice to meet you."

He stands.

"I have to head to work, though."

Liar.

"Alright."

Gabriel is accepting.

"It was nice to meet you."

And polite.

"... nice to meet you too."

He has a headache.

"I'll see you around."

Oh god he hopes not.