Thump, thump, thump.

He groaned and turned over.

Thump, thump, thump. "Heeeelloooooo? Are you up? Christopher?"

Awake now but not happy about it, he looked at the clock. Quarter past two in the morning. Something had better be on fire.

He wrenched open the flat door and it was one of the young women who lived on the other side of the corridor, the red-haired one. Anna, was it? She was wearing a very small, shiny dress and had a pair of heels in one hand. And she was drunk.

"It's Kristoff," he said. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"I'm sorry, I know it's late," she said. "But it's an emergency and I don't really know anyone else yet, and I do know you, well, apparently I had your name wrong..." She paused and turned to lean, sideways, in the doorframe.

"So what's the problem? Did you get locked out?"

"No! No, actually." She beamed at him. "I need you to take my dress off."

Kristoff looked at her, still smiling at him and twirling her shoes in her hand. "I'm sorry, I'm very tired and I think I misheard you. You need me to what?"

"Take off my dress! It has a zip -" she turned her back, and pointed, and nearly fell over. He put out his hand automatically and caught her under the elbow.

"Woops!" She said cheerfully, then, in a stage whisper, "I've been drinking."

"I can tell. You should go to bed."

"But I can't, Christopher," she said, very seriously. "My sister zipped my dress, and she isn't here, she stayed at her friend's but I wanted to go home, and now I can't reach the zip and I can't take my dress off and I can't go to bed in my dress. Can I."

"You want me to unzip your dress."

"Mm-hmm."

"In the middle of the corridor, at 2am."

Her brow wrinkled. "I left the bar at midnight! Ish. It's not that late."

"I don't know where you've been for two hours, but it's gone two now."

"Oh, oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realise it was so late! Oh god, I'm sorry, I'll go..."

"I'm awake now." He rubbed his hand over his face. "Come on, then. Turn round."

She turned round very carefully, holding onto the doorframe. He peered at her dress - sure enough it had a zip down the back - and put one hand on Anna's shoulder to steady her, as she was swaying slightly.

"Your hands are warm," she said vaguely.

"How far down do you want me to take it?" He said, ignoring her.

"Oh, all the way, so I don't have to come back."

"But then your dress will - you know. Fall off."

"Oh! I didn't think about that."

He sighed. "Hang on."

He went back into his flat and found a hoodie lying on the back of the sofa. Perfect.

Back at the door, he carefully pulled down the zip, then helped Anna pull the hoodie over her head. It fell past her knees and she kicked the dress off and across the floor to her front door.

"Thank you! I can go to bed now. You know what, I owe you one now. I owe you such a favour. I should buy you a drink, let me buy you a drink."

"I think you've had enough."

"Not now, silly!" She smacked him on the arm. "Another time. Okay? Or a coffee or something. Say yes."

"...fine. Do you have your key?"

"Uh-huh." She rummaged in her tiny bag and held it up triumphantly. "Thank you! Good night!"

"Drink some water," he said as she fumbled with the lock before finally opening her door.

"I will, Kristoff!" She smiled at him and, despite his tiredness, despite his irritation and the knowledge that he had to be at work in less than six hours, he found he was smiling back.

"You called me Kristoff."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I don't know where I got that from! Good night, Christopher!" And then she was gone.