Chapter Text
having simon as a roommate but you barely talk to each other. only when its apsolutely necessary.
"we don't have milk"
you only get a grunt in response, his favourite form of communicating. the next day, there would probably be a new carton of milk in the fridge. And if there's not, you buy it instead because he was perhaps too busy, and no one would mention milk again until the next time it runs out. that was just one example of how your friendship worked. would you call it friendship? you dont know, actually, you don't know anything about him.
2 months before
unexpected turn of events caused you to move across the country, with little to no money. desperate to have at least a place to stay you were open to anything, well, not anything. none of the ads you saw fit in your budget, and even the ones wanting just a roommate all had terrible locations, which wouldn't make it possible for you to get a job anywhere nearby.
having your second meal of the day in the same dodgy restaurant wasn't something you planned but it was better than being in the streets. you refused to get a hotel, convincing yourself that there simply had to be someone that would accept you tonight. if you were to stay in a hotel, that would be half of your rent gone.
two women refused to accept half the payment, especially after hearing how hopeless you were. maybe they thought you were a criminal on the run. oh and of course, they weren't willing to let you move in that same night.
holding your head in your hands, staring down at the menu you know by heart by now, tears were threatening to fall. until someone's hand tapped on your table twice to get your attention.
quickly wiping your eyes, you looked up to see, not a waiter as you expected, but a very bulky blonde man with a surgical mask staring, his hand still on the table.
"um, i just told the waitress im not done deciding."
"i don't work here." a deep voice sounded from behind the mask, you didn't know whether to swoon or run for the hills. "saw you alone, assuming you weren't local, wanted to warn you that you shouldn't stay here after 7."
"how? i thought they closed at 9?"
a mysterious man sighed. "they do. but after 7 the men that come here in groups are trouble, the locals know not to risk it. i don't think it's safe especially since you're alone."
your heart dropped. if this was really true, it's ruining your plan that was already falling apart on itself. "um, thanks. for warning me, i mean... is there any other pubs that work until late, in this region?"
his eyes, brown but cold, squinted at that. "why do you need to stay out late? it's not safe wherever you go."
"i have nowhere else to go. i mean," you quickly realized this wasn't something you should discuss with a stranger, "nothing. thank you for warning me. i will head to my friend's house right now."
"friend's? they didn't want to come with you to eat?"
"yes. they already ate."
"you said you didn't order yet, you still have time to eat until 7"'
checking the time, you noticed it was 5:55, enough time to search some more ads and eat. "i will. thank you... sorry, didn't catch your name?"
"simon." you don't comment how he doesn't ask for yours. maybe he saw how your survival instincts were close to zero and wanted to cut you some slack.
"nice to meet you, simon."
"you too. have a good night." he turned and went to the far corner of the restaurant, gracing you with the view of his broad back, wearing a black hoodie.
you ordered the cheapest thing on the menu and ate. in the meantime you called three more people offering to share the flat with a roommate, when they heard you wanted to move in that same night and didn't like the idea of you paying less tomorrow, they refused, as expected. you tried to convince them you will pay it all as soon as you get a job, but that wasn't enough. defeated, you gave up and called the waitress to get the bill.
"your bill has already been paid, miss."
"huh? i didn't pay it."
"a man in the corner offered to pay for you. since i saw you two talking, i assumed you knew each other."
that was more than kind of him. "thank you. i'm just surprised, that's all.
as you were getting up, the waitress' next words stopped you in place. "he also asked me to ask you if he could talk to you. i can tell you he comes here almost every evening and he seems like a really great guy. i mean, i understand if you're skeptical, but he's really kind even though he looks scary." she hurriedly said and sounded very convincing. you were running out of options, this could be your out.
feeling nervous, you walked slowly to the far end of the restaurant that was almost empty now. simon was standing up next to the table, his posture straight and in the dim lightning he looked very threatening.
his voice was raspy as he got straight to the point as soon as you were a couple of steps away.
"you have nowhere to go?"
stopping in your tracks, you looked at him surprised and a little creeped out. "where did you get that from? my friend lives around here."
"why are they then letting their 'friend' stay up until late in a search for a place to sleep tonight?"
now, you were really disturbed. "I don't know where you got that from, but i better get going." just as you said that, he gestured with his eyes towards the waitress that was now pretending to wipe down the already clean table. you connected the dots quickly.
"did she eavesdrop me and report to you? i don't think that's legal!" stepping away from him, simon looked at you with a very bored expression, well, at least what you could tell from his eyes alone.
"she's trying to help you out. i could use a roommate, i'm barely home anyways. two bedroom. one bathroom. close to the supermarket. building with cameras and security. yes or no?"
you stayed quiet for a bit, weighting out the options. he waited patiently and you couldn't help but appreciate it. "rent?" despite accidentally whispering it, he somehow heard.
"you look like you're struggling, willing to offer a lower price for the first month. after that, could talk about something close to 200 pounds. how does that sound?"
trying not to be offended by his judge of your financial status, even if he was right, you nodded.
"was that a yes?"
"yes. sorry. um, thank you for the offer."
"let's go then. don't have much time. where's your stuff?"
"here." tilting your body, you showed him the black, obviously overstuffed, backpack. he tilted his head.
"no questions. please.”
nodding, simon started walking towards the exit, waving the staff behind the bar lazily. you didn't dare look back there, they probably all played part in this, walking around your table hearing you beg for a chance that never came. until now, it seems.
the walk was quick, it wasn't as awkward as you imagined it would be. mostly because simon decided to walk ten steps ahead of you, making you rethink if you even understood the agreement. he said tonight, right? he said 'let's go"?
"the pin is 1414." he gestured to the little glowing pin pad right next to the main entrance as he punched in the numbers and pushed the door open. if took you a moment to register it and you practically run up the stairs that led to the door, the same door he let go of and was closing in on you. thankfully you made it, and by that time he was already going up the stairs.
"can you slow down? i'm literally running after you." you panted behind him, trying not to lose track.
"the lift barely works, sometimes. you should get used to it." how was his breathing so steady right now?
simon stopped by the door number 7, on the second floor. fishing out the keys out of the pocket, he threw you the spare one, that you narrowly caught, and unlocked the door.
the flat was simple, almost too simple. there was little to no decorations, and even if they were, they looked like misplaced gifts that he got and didn't know where to put because it didn't match the plain aesthetic. kitchen was decent, open concept to the living room with one couch and a sofa, the one filled with stacked books. going back to the hallway, big enough for a coat hanger and one shoe rack, he gestured to the door on the left.
you took that as your cue and opened the door, revealing a twin sized bed, one nightstand and a dresser. way more than what you thought you were getting just an hour ago with no plan where to go.
"looks great. i assume the room on the right is your bedroom?"
"yes, and the one next to it is the bathroom. i wake up early, feel free to use the fridge and... anything, really. just don't enter my room. and don't touch any documents you see laying around."
"noted. thank you, simon. i really mean it." clasping your hands nervously in front of you, wanting to jump out of happiness, you smiled at him. he simply stared with the same expression as before, until he nodded and turned away.
"good night?"
he raised his right hand, his back still turned, and muttered, "night."
as soon as you heard his door close, you closed yours. looking around the room almost brought tears to your eyes. this is the new beginning you dreamed of. suppressing the urge to scream and jump around in fear of simon changing his mind about this whole thing, you settled with a silent scream into the pillow.
the heavy backpack still weighing down your back, tired eyes closing on their own and with dirty clothes still clinging to your skin, you sighed, finally having a moment of peace.