Five days into this whole "stay in place" order and Angel was pretty sure he was about ready to lose his mind.

He was not someone who enjoyed being home to begin with, usually he was out travelling for work, and had only come back into town two days before it seemed things had really gone to hell around him. So now he was stuck here, in this small two bedroom apartment, and it had done nothing but rain, rain, storm, and rain the entire time.

He'd gone out once before the order was settled into place to stock up on supplies so he wouldn't need to go out, but he couldn't help the craving to want to just go do something, anything. He'd gone out on his balcony a few times when there was a break from the pouring pellets of water for fresh air and to take in a new view, snapping a few snapshots of random things he could find but it wasn't much to help the feeling of being trapped, or of being bored.

After a morning work out, shower, and working on some random mixed media pieces he'd been toying with since being stuck home... he found the sun was finally starting to peek out and the rain seemed to calm again. Throwing on a tee shirt and slipping on some shoes, he grabbed a couple of cameras and kicked his large bag over toward the sliding door in case he needed something later. Stepping out onto the large balcony, which had been the selling point of him deciding on this place when looking for a new temporary place to call home, he breathed out heavily and began searching for something to catch his eye.

The streets were unnaturally empty, quiet... he usually preferred absolute silence or would play music in his headphones while he worked, but he found this unsettling. Peeking over the edge, he found some other people who seemed to have similar ideas as him, coming outside to get fresh air, to do small tasks. His eyes wandered to the buildings close by, taking in all the details he'd come quite familiar with lately, some of the people...

His head tilted slightly to the side and his eyes narrowed as he watched a lady juggling a wide variety of items in her hands as she made her way out onto her own balcony area in one of the nearby buildings. He watched as she sat her laptop up, seemingly talking to it in the process, then started putting up a large white board behind her, writing a few things down before she gathered up a book. Using a number of props, which included hats, hand puppets, and stuffed animals it seemed she put on quite the show to whoever was paying attention.

Every now and then her voice would carry over to him a little but he couldn't quite make any of it out. He just stood there and watched... until she seemed to look over and spot him. He could see her well enough but didn't think she could hear him unless he was shouting, and with the wind blowing the way it was he doubt even that would help too much so he did his best to gesture asking permission to take some photos. She seemed to just stare at him so he hurried back inside, writing out his website name on the biggest poster board he could find.

The young blonde seemed to stare over for a long while, then she typed into her computer before looking over to him again. She grabbed her phone up and pointed it his way and for a moment he worried he was about to be Facebook famous in some post, but then she looked back at the laptop a few moments later and he could kind of make out her shrugging then she gave him a thumbs up.

OoOoO

Soon a week had passed.

That woman from across the way had been outside - when possible if the weather seemed to allow - at roughly the same time every day and once he figured that, so had he. He'd take photos, or once he attempted to paint her in a large unicorn costume she'd put on one day. She would read stories, seem to just talk at times, she'd dress up and act silly, she did a painting of her own one day as well and he wondered if she was perhaps a preschool teacher, or something similar.

Whatever she was doing, she did seem to be enjoying herself.

And it had easily become his favorite part of the day as well.

That said, it wasn't hard to beat out just staring at the walls of his apartment, listening to the kids above him dance to YouTube videos as though they were a band of wild animals, or their mom screaming like a lunatic. the lady down on the ground floor who tried to sing when hanging up some clothes to dry, or any of the other slight options he had to take notice in.

OoOoO

The weeks still seemed to drag endlessly on. A month passed and he felt like it could have easily been several rather than just he one. The order to stay home had been extended, now a couple of times, and he really had no idea when it might come to an end. He tried not to think too much about that though, nearly wanting to panic if he let his mind wander down those roads too often. He couldn't wait to be back on the road, to be around people, to have things to keep his mind and hands more occupied.

He still had only gone out for supplies and otherwise was just losing his mind. He tried to keep busy but that only went so far when you were stuck at home like this. Hell, sometimes even with a want to work on some of his projects or to start a new one, it was like he lack the motivation some days.

He didn't normally spend a lot of time here anyway, and it hadn't been that long since he even moved in, so if he wasn't working on something he would read, browse aimlessly online, try and find something to hold his attention on the television when he was really desperate. He cleaned, even though there wasn't much need for it, unboxed everything he'd had tucked away to deal with later...

OoOoO

Angel had just finished uploading some new photos onto the website and was making sure everything looked alright before preparing to put his laptop away for the evening when a private message box popped up. He nearly ignored it figuring it was another annoying scam or perhaps it was some female looking to flirt with him who was bored and looking him up or something along those lines, but he clicked on it anyway.

"You managed to make my flowers look a lot more professional."

Angel's hands hovered over the keyboard, a smile gracing his formally broody features, his head turning toward the backdoor. He hadn't seen "her" today but he had taken and posted some photos of the artwork she'd left on her balcony. They large canvases had been propped up along the wall, just out of the way of the rain that had come through this afternoon.

"I didn't do much of anything," he replied in the small box. "I thought they were interesting."

"Oh, well thank you," came through next. "I'm very much trying to think of new ideas on the fly with what I can use from around my house to keep the kids entertained when we do our daily check ins." He was debating asking her more about the kids statement, but she beat him to it. "The kids from my class, I am a student teacher for a Kindergarten class right now. Or, well, was? Am? I'm not sure how that really goes at the moment. Anyway, I just thought I would finally work up the courage to say something. Sorry if I bothered you, it is late."

"You didn't bother me," he quickly typed in and sent through. He really hadn't known if she had even gone back to the site, if she was checking in on it, so it made him a little more excited to know she had.

OoOoO

The next day, thankfully full of sunshine, complete bipolar from the day before, he'd watched her make a big show out of another story, do a yoga routine, and what looked like some sort of craft with popsicle sticks and cupcake liners before she was waving goodbye to the camera again. Now days she usually also sent him a wave after she was done but today she just seemed to stare for a moment before she held up her laptop.

Angel lowered the camera lens before setting it down on one of the glass tables he had out here and went inside to grab his own laptop and bring it out.

"Hi."

He glanced her way for a moment. "Hi. Looks like you were having fun," he typed.

"Oh, always. I got to read our most popular book today."

Angel debated for a moment before inviting her to a video chat. He half expected her to decline but then it showed they were being connected. Tilting the screen a little to a better position, he smiled when her face pulled up.

"Hi," she greeted again.

Angel got confirmation right then and there that none of the photos he'd taken of her did her any justice. "Hi," squinting to the white board still behind her he tried to make out what it said. "Mrs. Summers?"

She looked behind her then moved a little. He didn't miss the Miss instead of Mrs now. "Yeah, Buffy actually. Buffy Summers. And yeah, it's a ridiculous name I know."

"Angel for a guy, especially when younger, wasn't the best naming choice either. No judgement."

She chuckled some at that. "Sorry I looked like a mess. I have glue and glitter and god knows what else on me right now," she told him, messing with her hair. Angel shook his head, not sure what in the hell she was going on about. "I like those butterfly sculptures you added this morning. It actually gave me an idea for an upcoming day we have about insects, though mine will not be anywhere near that level," she laughed again.

"Thank you. Something else I was working on actually fell and broke... so... new idea."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I wasn't sure what I was doing anyway. I just try and keep busy and keep my mind off of everything going on."

"Understandable," she replied then was silent for a moment. "Do-do you live there by yourself?"

Angel nodded. "Yep. Just me."

"I'm alone over here too. Going a little stir crazy at times. I'm pretty sure my neighbor over here to the left of me does not enjoy me trying to host conversations through the kitchen walls in the morning."

"I have come to the conclusion that all of my neighbors are loud and crazy and I don't think I would want to try and talk to them."

Buffy laughed again. "Awww. That is not good. I miss people though, I'm not being too picky. I talked to a bunch of five and six year olds for my most human interactions right now."

"Do you not have friends and family checking in?"

"I do, and we have a weekly meeting with different teachers and such but this is my daily routine. And everything is still kind of lacking."

"I fully agree. It is a world of difference from regular phones calls or being able to just sit around with people and talk and all those normal happenings we don't currently get to have."

Buffy nodded and began asking him about what else he was working on today and he asked her more about her class, the students, life in general. The two fell easily into conversation and slowly got to know one another a little better.

OoOoO

A month and a half came to pass, now with daily chats with "her", with Buffy Summers. Hell he'd even guest starred in one of her daily shows just the past weekend to show kids a science trick and how to draw random doodles. He still took, edited and posted photos of either her or now of random items she'd leave out on the back porch for him every day as well and i remained his favorite activity beyond simply talking to her.

He was beginning to think maybe this whole thing wasn't the worst event that had ever happened in his lifetime after all.

The End.