The night was quiet, the kind of London night where the city feels paused, holding its breath. You had stepped into your garden for a breath of fresh air, the moonlight brushing the flowers with silver light.

That’s when you heard it—a soft rustle, the faintest shadow moving near the hedge.

“Who’s there?” you called, startled.

A figure stepped into the moonlight. Tall. Dark. Dangerous. And impossibly handsome.

“Simon…” you whispered, recognizing him instantly. “What… what are you doing here?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he took a step closer, his boots barely making a sound on the grass. “I couldn’t sleep,” he said finally, voice low and controlled, but there was a tremor you hadn’t noticed before.

“And you thought… sneaking into my garden was the solution?” you asked, half exasperated, half thrilled.

He didn’t smile. He didn’t tease. Instead, he closed the distance between you, stopping just short enough that you could feel the heat radiating from him. His dark eyes were intense, almost vulnerable—something you rarely saw.

“I came because I needed to see you,” he admitted. “Because I can’t… stop thinking about you.”

Your heart skipped. “Simon…”

“I tried,” he said, shaking his head slightly. “I tried to tell myself that this… whatever this is… it’s dangerous. That I should walk away, that I should leave you alone.”

You stepped closer without realizing it, compelled by the raw honesty in his voice. “And?”

His hand lifted slowly, brushing a stray strand of hair from your face. “And I can’t. I don’t want to. I can’t keep pretending I don’t care. I’ve been lying to everyone… including myself. But not to you. Not tonight.”

The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken emotion. You could feel your pulse in your throat, your breath shallow.

“I… care about you,” he confessed finally, voice low and raw. “More than I should. More than I can explain. I’ve tried to hide it, but I can’t anymore. I’m… in love with you.”

You felt the world narrow down to just the two of you, moonlight and shadows and that intense, undeniable connection.

“I… I feel the same,” you admitted softly, heart racing. “I was just… too scared to say it first.”

A small, almost relieved smile curved his lips. He took your hand in his, fingers entwining with yours. “Then it’s settled,” he whispered. “No more hiding. No more pretending.”