“Good morning,” I yawned the greeting towards Timothy, as I had started calling him. He didn’t respond, but then again, he never did.

He had shown up about two weeks ago, and I had gotten used to him rather quickly. He liked to follow me around the house, even though I never saw him move. I would simply turn around and he would be standing in the corner, darkness radiating off him.

He never said anything to me, but I often talked out loud to him. I was freaked out at first, naturally. I didn’t sleep for almost three days. But at this point, he hadn’t done anything to me, or to my apartment, and quite frankly, he was much better behaved than other housemates I’d had before.

“I’m making toast, would you like some?” I shuffled around my kitchen, expecting no response.

I popped two slices of bread into the toaster, making him a piece regardless. I hummed lightly to myself, and went to the bathroom, the only place he wouldn’t go.

In fact, this was the only way I knew he could understand me.

The first time he followed me into the bathroom, I yelled at him. “Absolutely not! You can wait outside!” I had pointed outside, and when I blinked, he was gone.

I think that was the point at which I stopped being terrified for my life. If the demon guy was polite enough to wait outside of the bathroom, did I really need to be terrified of him?

Me and Timothy were making more progress each day and in the oddest way, it was like having a friend.

“Here you are. Come sit.” I placed a plate of toast on the table and pulled out a chair for the demon. I sat down, and once I looked back, Timothy was sitting in the chair.

I looked at him sideways and watched as the dark fog that he was made of condensed into limbs.

“Well that’s new,” I said offhandedly to him.

“I can’t hold the toast in my natural form.”

I choked on my bread, coughing loudly. “The fuck?”

“You made me toast, and I intend to eat it.” His voice was raspy, and it sounded like his throat was lined with gravel.

I stared openmouthed as details appeared on his body, such as a nose and ears. His mouth was filled with sharp teeth, and his eyes glowed dark red. He flexed his fingers, and I did not appreciate how attractive he made his features.

Dark hair tumbled down his shoulders, and while everything was still made of the same black, empty, soul-stealing darkness, it was an attractive black, empty, soul-stealing darkness.

“You’ve been able to talk this entire time?!” I watched as his teeth ripped into the toast.

He shrugged. “Sure.”

“AND YET YOU LET ME MAKE A FOOL OF MYSELF WITHOUT EVER SAYING ANYTHING?!” My face flushed, and I took an angry bite of toast.

He patted my head. “Thanks for the toast, doll. You’re going to be late for work if you don’t get going.”

“Wh-” I looked at the clock. “SHIT!”

I slid out of my chair, running to my room to get ready. After rushing through my morning routine, I ran out the door, only casting a quick glance at Timothy, who was smirking at me from the couch.