Forbidden Afflictions // Alfie Solomons Peaky Blinders

(10) Wonder

Who would I be if I failed to deliver on such a monumental day? XD. Happy birthday to the man of my many hours; and if you're still here, he's occupying quite a few of yours too lmao. Much love and admiration for Tom Hardy. Still waiting for Bikeriders... and Havoc... and Venom 3... and Taboo season 2... and War Party... and The Things They Carried... but that's alright. I'm not hurt *wipes away tears* I still love him.

I hope you enjoy this moment of bliss... Enjoy it while you can ;) I love y'all!

- V

Freya slept beside Alfie that night. It was one of the first nights in a long while that neither of them woke from a nightmare in the early hours of the night. Alfie was the first to awake for the first time since moving to Bushey.

It had been so long since he could roll over and cherish the sight of his love lying asleep beside him. Freya had always been awake in the early mornings, hardly ever sleeping or sleeping for entire days. He never caught her sleeping so peacefully—not for a long while.

Rather than wake her or even get himself ready for the way, he didn't dare move. He laid on his belly, half his head buried in his pillow with the other half pressed against his forehead. He tried to capture the moment with his eyes, drawing her aging features to memory before she stirred and caught him staring.

He still didn't move from his position. He didn't care if he was caught. He almost willed it.

Freya groaned and furrowed his brows as she rolled onto her back. "What?" she yawned, rubbing her eyes and hiding her face with her hands.

"Mmhm."

Alfie's voice was deep and groggy in the morning and the crying he had done the day before made it even more so. Her side profile was pure perfection against the golden hot rays casting their light against her silhouette.

He couldn't see very well up close but the bed seemed to be the perfect distance to see the soft, tiny hairs glistening on her nose. The sun illuminated her sickly color and despite the dullness her hair took on, the gentle wave of her hair caressed her cheek at just the right angle to bring some sort of roundness to her cheekbones. The spray of freckles around her nose and the stragglers above her brow and upper lip warmed her tone and Alfie's belly.

"What?" she repeated, flipping her head to the side to find Alfie already staring back. The sight brought a timid smile to her face. "What?" she asked softly, shaking her head in question and admiring the color of his skin in the sunlight.

"Mmhm."

Freya made a tsk sound with her teeth and rolled her eyes, turning onto her side and smiling at the man across from her. "What's 'mmhm' s'pposed to mean?"

"Mmhm," Alfie teased, smiling to himself and sleepily pulling himself to the edge of the bed.

"Alfie," she called out, wishing to know what he had meant when his eyes bore such adorations.

"I missed waking up before you," he admitted, rubbing at his hair and yawning. "You look peaceful," he replied softly, turning over his shoulder and smiling.

Freya's face turned toward the matress but her eyes stayed with his. "My head's anything but peaceful, you mawkish sop," she giggled, taking her pillow and tossing it into Alfie's back.

"Oh, I'm well aware of that, you sop" Alfie rebuked, taking the pillow and throwing it back at her lap as she sat herself upright.

Their teasing yielded before they got dressed and began bringing their things downstairs. Alfie's men had been called to take a few cars back to Camden in the early morning. Only the furniture and a few maids remained when they left Bushey for good.