Everyone in this story is 18+. What happened, what didn't, and what might? That's for you to decide. Reader discretion advised.
He moved in three days ago. A little too polite. A little too eager to please. The kind of boy who calls you ma'am by accident--and then doesn't know where to look after. I noticed the way his eyes lingered. I didn't say anything. Not yet. I just watched.
Me--on the couch, coffee in hand.
Him--setting his bedsheet in the room across the hall.
I knew I'd make him mine the minute he said "sorry" when I caught him staring.
It started the first night.
He rang the doorbell at 6:43 PM, sharp. Backpack slung low. Nervous smile. I opened the door in a long cotton robe--thin enough to be polite, tight enough to punish him for staring.
"Ma'am... I mean, hello, hi--I'm Aryan. The tenant."
His voice was deeper than I expected. I liked that. But he wouldn't meet my eyes. Not until I asked, "Are you going to stand out there all night?"
He stepped inside, and the Delhi monsoon wind followed him in. Wet hair. Leather bag. Boy trying to act like a man.
That night, I made him tea. Masala, just the way I like it. I didn't ask what he wanted. He drank it quietly.
And when I turned to walk into my room, I felt his eyes pause.
Not just look.
Pause.
That was when I knew.
He'd be calling me ma'am for real soon enough.
That night, the power cut for ten minutes. Delhi monsoon doing what it does best. I lit a candle in the hallway and stood by his door, listening to the soft rustle of sheets.
He was awake.
I tapped once. "Aryan?"
A pause. Then: "Yes, ma'am?"
His voice was quieter than before.
I pushed the door open slightly. He was sitting up, phone screen glowing against his face. His hair was damp from his shower, his grey t-shirt clinging slightly to his chest.
"I brought you a blanket," I said. "It gets colder than you'd expect sometimes."
"Oh. Thank you." He hesitated, unsure whether to stand, take it, or stay where he was.
I stepped inside and crossed the room. Bent just enough to drape the blanket over him. The candlelight caught my skin. His eyes didn't know where to land--until they did.
Lower.
He tried not to stare, but the effort made it worse. His breathing slowed. His thighs tensed under the thin bedsheet. I could see him fighting it, the way good boys do.
I took my time smoothing the blanket across his lap. I felt the heat from his body before I even touched him.
"There," I said. "Now you're all tucked in."
He nodded, silent. Not meeting my eyes anymore.