Unsaid Words

Napoleonic Complex

Seb walked up to a flat door bearing the correct address. He checked his phone again, not wanting to knock on a stranger's door on accident. It was the right door number, just as Seb had believed. He knocked on the door.

Small, quick footsteps pattered towards the door from inside the flat. The door swung open, showing Jim Moriarty to Seb for the first time.

Jim was shorter than Seb had expected. He wasn't super short, just under average. Seb supposed he should've known Jim would be short (Napoleonic complex and all that), but he hadn't seriously considered Jim's height. He had always subconsciously imagined Jim as about Seb's height (six feet), maybe taller.

Jim had dark brown, almost black, hair that looked neat but had an aire of messiness to it that made it almost captivating. He had brown eyes that were almost the same color as his pupils and thin, angled eyebrows.

"You're right on time, Moran," Jim said, pulling his suit sleeve slightly back to look at his watch. "Come in."

He gestured Seb inside. Something else that surprised Seb was the trace of an Irish accent in his voice, along with its high range.

Seb walked inside, pulling his small suitcase behind him as Jim shut the door behind him.

"So your girlfriend was totally okay with this?" Jim clarified.

"Yeah," Seb answered. "Since she trusts me and she knows I'm not gay."

"Well, gay isn't bi, is it?"

"How the hell...?" Seb asked, speechless.

"I know your record, Moran," Jim said, a triumphant smile creeping across his face. "You've been with guys before. But poor Rebecca doesn't know that, does she?"

"I swear to God... if you tell her..." Seb said, realizing he wasn't in a place to make threats and trailing off in the middle of his sentence.

"I won't," Jim shrugged. "As long as you put up with me."

"What would that entail?" Seb asked, nervous of the answer.

"Just not quitting," Jim shrugged.

Seb couldn't help but feel that there was a catch, just like Becca had said.

"Relax, Sebastian, I'm not going to assault you," Jim assured him. "I'm not gay."

"Yeah, but gay isn't bi," Seb spat, his temper rising.

"Stop trying to outsmart me, it doesn't work," Jim scoffed. "Do you want coffee?"

"No," Seb lied. To be honest, a cup of coffee would probably neutralize him, but he didn't want to admit that to Jim.

"Here, I'll show you your room," Jim said, motioning to him.

He walked to a door directly to Seb's left. Seb followed him in.

Inside was a queen-sized bed with gray sheets and a navy blue comforter. The open door to a closet was on the left wall. A dresser was against the right wall.

"Hope it'll work alright for you," Jim said. "I'll let you get situated for about an hour and then I'll come back."

Jim shut the door behind him.

Seb sighed and set his suitcase on the bed and opened it. There wasn't very much clothing inside, just enough for a week before he'd have to wash everything. He pulled everything out and threw it onto the bed.

He already felt like shit living with Jim. Not only could he fire him, he could get Becca to leave him, which was even worse than the prior.