Chapter Text
It's a quiet evening. A gray hand curls over your hip. That would be Tyler's hand. He's your boyfriend and (more recently) roommate. After months of dating, you moved in together. Tyler is everything you could ask for and more. There was an instant chemistry that fateful day at the park. At the time, you were consumed with guilt for kicking your roommate out. It had been a tough few weeks. The last straw had been your landlord threatening that you cough up rent, kick her out or move elsewhere.
There wasn't much choice.
"Anybody home?" Tyler whispers and softly runs his hand over your head.
"Hmmm. Maybe," you smile and press a kiss to his cheek. Tyler opens his mouth to respond, a fond look on his face when the doorbell rings. It's late. Who could possibly be ringing your doorbell at this hour?
"Expecting anybody?" you ask.
Tyler frowns. "No." With a sigh, you lift yourself from your boyfriend's side. And to think you had just gotten settled enough for a nap. Ugh.
"This better be good," you mutter to yourself before looking out the peephole. There's nothing. Frowning, you flick on your outside light. Still nothing.
"Who is it?" Tyler calls out from the couch. His posture is straight as he attentively watches you.
"I don't see anything. Let me-" you crack the door open, unlocking one of the locks. A quick scan of your doorstep shows nothing until you look down. Someone has delivered a bouquet of flowers. "Huh. Odd." You unlock the door all the way and bring the mysterious gift inside.
"Flowers?" Tyler asks, "is there a card?" You rummage around in the flowers.
"Ah!" you say, lifting a pink square up to your face. It's dark, but you can make out the letters in the light of the TV. What you read makes you freeze. Fear coils up your spine, locking your joints in place. "What the fuck?" you croak. In a hurry, you flick the kitchen light on and scramble to verify what you read.
"Darling?" Tyler asks. You didn't hear him come up beside you. "What's wrong?"
"I- This is a prank, right? Who would...who would send something like this?" You shut your eyes and bury your head in Tyler's chest. He wraps an arm around you.
"That's...a weird card," he concludes. You can hear and feel him set the card back down on the table. Tyler wraps both of his arms around you, pressing you closer. "It'll be okay. I got you." He leans down to kiss your head. "Nothing's gonna happen to you."
"Promise?" you ask. There's a fragility to your voice that would make you wince if anyone but Tyler were to hear it.
"I swear, darling."
Outside, a figure shrouded in darkness recoils from your window. Tyler stares at the window with piercing eyes. You can't see any of it, but you do feel your boyfriend stoop to lean his chin on your head. "I've got you," he whispers.