The Camden Tales

75 - Worlds Collide

-=₪ July 1908 ₪=-

Alfie's / Camden / 5.47pm

The sun climbed slowly over the horizon, its pale light barely making it through the grime-smeared window. Alfie lay awake, arms wrapped tight around Malka, not ready to let the day win.

She'd slept through the night, peaceful, and Alfie hadn't taken his eyes of her. He couldn't. He'd watched every rise and fall of her chest, his fingers had wandered through her hair, traced the lines of her skin with the softest of touches, afraid she'd vanish if he touched too heavily. And a kiss here and there when he couldn't resist.

But the morning was creeping in, breaking the stillness of the night he'd wanted to last forever. The night he'd dreamt of since he was fifteen, and he wasn't ready to let it go. The chirping birds outside grated on his nerves. Then, a neighbour slammed their door down the hall - careless and loud. Alfie clenched his jaw and scowled.

Malka stirred, the noise waking her. Alfie felt something inside him drop, like he'd lost something he couldn't claw back. She nuzzled into his chest, and with a desperation he tried to coax her back to sleep with gentle strokes of her back. But it was no use.

"Alfie?" she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

"Yeah, I'm 'ere."

She didn't open her eyes, her body still warm and heavy against his. "Is it morning?"

"It is, yeah." He kissed her crown, his lips lingering like he could stop time if he held on long enough.

For a moment, silence. Alfie held onto it, fragile as glass, afraid it might shatter if either of them moved. He hoped, stupidly, that she'd drift off again. Give him a little more time. Just a bit more. He got a minute, maybe two, before her voice mumbled from his chest.

"What time is it?"

Alfie didn't want to check. Checking the watch meant letting go. Rolling over. Admitting defeat to the morning. After a moment, he sighed, rolled onto his back, and reached for the pocket watch on the night stand. "Almost six."

"Six!?" she said alarmed, raising her head from the pillow, "You will be late for market!"

"It's alright." He dropped the watch and pulled her back into his arms. "They can wait. Won't kill 'em to run without me for a bit."

Malka blinked, her alarm ebbing away as quickly as it had come. She melted into him again, his warmth seeping in, slow but inevitable. Like sunlight thawing frozen earth, gentle and patient. His fingers found their way into her hair again and traced lines down her back. He was soft, steady and quiet, his heat reaching her bones. Malka's eyelids grew heavy, and she let them close. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this... safe. Relaxed. But of course she knew there'd never been a last time. This was the first.

A thought, small a distant broke through a pinhole - she could get used to this. No, she mustn't, she can't, business would put pay to that.

"Did you stay awake all night?" she asked, her voice a soft hum.

"Mhm," Alfie murmured, resting his eyes in contentment.

"You must be tired? You must sleep tonight."

"Mmm, will you be here?"

Malka shifted, lifting her head to press a kiss to his chest, then his neck.

"Yes." she smiled.

Her lips softly left a trail of kisses up to his mouth, where they found him smiling. He cracked an eye open, catching her last kiss with gentle reciprocation.