Chapter Text
This wasn't your day. It was one of those hellish days you would like to forget, and every hour only made it worse. First, you finished a very important project at work and, instead of gratitude, you were fired due to a budget cut. Secondly, you were at your third coffee shop, grocery shop or bar around your place, asking if they wanted to hire someone immediately, and they didn't, so you've ended up in a coffee shop 1.5 hours away from home at late shift and weekends. It's better than nothing, right? You need to pay rent, and no one will ask whether you actually have the money to do it.
Lastly, there was that stupid message from your landlord. How dare she? Of course, it was her flat, but some simple courtesy would have been nice. Not putting a stranger in a single woman's apartment. Wasn't she a fan of crime podcasts?
I am sorry for doing this without you meeting your roommate, but he paid in advance for three months and said he will be absent most of the time, so I let him stay. Think of it as your own place, but with a roommate from time to time. :)
She rented the flat to someone immediately without even thinking about it, just because they showed her money. And that smile face at the end of the sentence, is she even serious? You wondered how pathetic it would look if you started crying now. People on the bus were preoccupied with their own things. Probably, they wouldn't even notice your tears. You weren't a bad person. Of course, you had your flaws, but they weren't so terrible that life should be teaching you a lesson like this. You stepped off the bus, looking for the direction you should start walking to meet your roommate, right? You could swear the weather was adjusting to your mood; it was windy and dark here, the air heavy just seconds before a storm. You could swear that with each step you were more tired, more depressed and resigned.
"Pathetic", you said, searching for keys to your flat "I swear if I lost them today, I am gonna kill someone"
You opened the building doors and walked through the modern yet cozy entrance, heading straight to the elevator. It was quite late, so the security guard had taken place of Katie from reception. The flat was on the third floor, but you weren't in the mood to fight the stairs.
You pushed the button, imagining that it actually wouldn't surprise you if you got stuck here. Luckily no. You looked at yourself in an elevator's mirror. You looked at yourself in the elevator mirror. Your black pants and blue shirt made you look like a typical blue-collar worker. The doors opened, and you wanted to step out, but you almost crushed into a young man with a mohawk standing outside the elevator. "Sorry", you spoke quietly, going out of the elevator. Normally, you would start an awkward chat, but not today.
You heard the elevator doors closing behind you as you walked closer to your flat. You marched through the corridor, keys in hand. Should you hold one like a weapon? The smell of tobacco and citrus hit your nose. It was actually a nice surprise, better than the beer and sweat of your neighbour three flats down, but the hallway had never smelled like that before. Well, at least your new roommate was showering.
You unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was dark, and the scent from the corridor was even stronger here. You turned on the light and gasped, seeing a tall, dark figure looming at your right. You wanted to shout, but he put his hands up.
"Christ! What are you thinking?" You touched your chest and started breathing unevenly. "You scared me"
He looked at you awkwardly, holding some black clothing in his hands. His piercing eyes were very dark blue, strangely cold. A long scar crossed his face, starting from his cheek and running straight under his eye.
"I ... just forgot that you would be coming back," he said after a moment. His voice was low, measured. "The landlord didn't exactly show me your picture."
His hair were mess, dark and unbrushed. Some strands fell on his forehead.
"Do you really think this is a nice thing to say to your roommate?"
"No. You asked me what I was thinking, not whether I was being nice".
You blinked, surprised.
"Ugh, you're right, I guess, can...Can I enter the corridor?"
He stepped aside slowly.
"Yes," he said. Then, after a small pause. "It's our flat."
"So, what's your name?" you asked, removing your shoes and jacket. He was quiet for a long time, long enough that you wondered if he would answer at all. But finally, you heard the answer.
"It's Simon."
"Hi, Simon." You greeted him sweetly and told him your name. He repeated it; maybe it was his tactic to actually remember that. It sounded really harsh in his mouth when he repeated it twice again, as if he learned how to talk to people.
"I heard you paid in advance?" As you approached the kitchen, you tried to maintain eye contact with him. Part of you was screaming for help. Standing in front of you was a dark, gloomy man more than twice your size who probably could kill you in a second.
"Yes. I need a room for a few days before I travel"
"Where are you travelling, if I can know?"
He looked at you for a second longer than necessary.
"You can't"
"Oh?"
"Its confidential."
He said it so flatly that for a second I wasn’t sure if he was joking. But he didn’t smile. Simon didn’t look like someone who joked often. So he was either a politician or in the military. So actually, he would kill you in a second.
“What about you?" He asked suddenly. "How many hours do you spend in the flat?”
“That’s an oddly specific question, you know?”
"I know," he said. His eyes didn't leave you. "But I operate only on specific details at work."
"Ok, so I am... I was working 9-5, but they fired me today. So I will be working on late shifts in some cafe far from our flat, and on weekends, so don't expect me much. I will probably die of exhaustion soon, the bus ride takes ages"
You started to prepare dinner, something quick and easy, after this awful day.
"Do you want pasta with cheese?" you asked out of courtesy, being aware that your cooking skills weren't great.
He shook his head slightly.
"No, not really. You don't need to feel obliged to help me in anyway"
“No, no. Just asking since I’m already making it.”
"It's fine." He paused, watching you for a moment. "You can take my car when I'm away. It will be sitting in the parking lot anyway.”
“Don't you need it for work?”
“No. I just need to get to the base, and that's it.”
Something about the way he said base made your stomach tighten.
"Maybe when the weather is awful," you said carefully. "Thanks."
“No problem." He picked up his bag. "I'm just… going to unpack." He hesitated briefly. "Have a good… evening."
"You too!" you called after him, but he had already closed the door to his room.