Simon moving in temporarily after your flat's been broken into, you tell yourself it's only until the locks are replaced, the alarm's installed, until you stop jumping at shadows. But days turn into weeks, and he never really leaves. His things start to migrate— a toothbrush beside yours, leather gloves that're cracked at the knuckles left on the radiator to dry, a half empty pack of smokes on the windowsill.
You don't really remember saying yes to any of it. (Barely remember much at all, honestly. Can't seem to find the will to think past the break in.)
He's quiet. Keeps to himself. He doesn't cook without asking, fixes the loose hinge on the back door, changes the bulb in the hallway before you even notice it's out. He doesn't hover, but he's always nearby, watching, listening, making sure the silence doesn't turn threatening.
He takes the room upstairs, the one you never use except for storage. You hear him moving around at night: the floorboards creaking under his weight, the soft sound of a drawer opening, then closing. Sometimes pacing, like he's working something out in his head, like sleep doesn't come easy.
One night, you wake to the sound of your name. Low. Rough. Almost a growl. The flat's too still otherwise. You know he's awake. You should ignore it. But you don't.
Up the stairs, the door's cracked open, a thin line of light slicing through the darkness and inside—
Simon's sitting on the edge of the bed, hair damp from the shower, shirt off and the line of his throat slick with sweat. In one hand, your knickers. The pair that went missing from the laundry last week. His other hand works slow between his legs, thick fingers wrapped around his cock, your name coming out of him like he's carving it into the room.
He doesn't stop when you freeze in the doorway, just looks at you, eyes heavy and unblinking.
"Come on, then. You've already come this far."