Choking On Sapphires

19 Show Me

Your yawn and very noisy stretch are interrupted by a newspaper hitting you as it's tossed onto the table in front of you.

"You see this?" Alfie asks with a strange urgency, sitting in the chair next to you, tapping one pointed finger, large bauble atop it at an article you were already familiar with in the Business and Agricultural section of the paper.

You settle your hands back in your lap, nodding at him slowly with sleepy eyes. "Mmm Hmm." you say with a bird-like melodic delivery, an indifferent pleasant expression on your face. The medicine you'd been given by the doctor had left you sleeping your life away like a cat Much like an actual kitten, lying about and looking fuzzy and soft just the same with your unkempt hair.

"How long have you known?" he exclaims, his hand motioning at you with an attitude.

"I had assumed as much after I persuaded my biggest competitor to sell me their business." you look over at him, shoulders slumped and face slightly dazed from sleep and medication.

"This isn't something you'd think to share?" his chin drops, inquiring with words and the look in his eyes.

You shrug, your mouth in a thoughtful pouted pose. "I suppose...since I did the work it didn't feel like a big deal. My day to day hasn't changed drastically since so it's easy to fall back and forget such things when you're under the influence of heavy medication," you say with a slight shake of your head in elaboration. "Didn't want to go braggin' anyway. I saw the article came out but I've been down so I haven't been up for celebrating in my usual manner." you explain, face back to warm and easy going as it swings back his way.

"Number one producer and seller in all of fuckin' London is something you can brag about dear. Especially to me. I mean I'm fuckin' impressed." he says enthusiastically, his hands moving at you in praise. As he speaks, a smile slowly grows across your face.

"You are?" your face shifts into a bashful smile he's not seen before. The reactionary and less thoughtful Gen was becoming something he's very aware that he'll miss once you healed up and you weren't a kitten version of your usual jungle cat form.

"Of course I am! Aren't you?" he almost shouts, a warm smile on his face, eyes wide and brows raised at you as his faces leaned closer to yours with an expression of genuine care for your thoughts on the subject.

You look down as a smile hits your lips. It spreads and you look back over, biting your lip before admitting with a drawn-out "Yeah."

"'Course you are. You should be." he holds your chin gently as he speaks purposely at you. He retreats his hand, "Shame you're hurt." he says, chewing the inside of his cheek for a moment in thought before his eyes return to you. Still sitting, slouched and soft in your big chair. "This calls for a celebration." he says with his grumpy thinking face. "Can't smoke cigars what with your ribs 'n all. Don't want ya accidentally coughin' and breakin' in half, do we?" he muses, his hand patting yours.

"If I'm still on top once I'm healed, perhaps?" you suggest with a slow chuckle, your eyes blinking slowly as the sweet smile of your pride lingered on your lips.

"I'll figure somefin' out." he nods, looking around the room.

"You don't have to-" you say, your nose scrunched at his fussing.

"I know I don't gotta but I wanna Gen, so I'm gonna, yeah?" he says definitively with a playful nod and expression.

"Sounds like you." you say with an almost dumb laugh that moves your chest when you raise your shoulders to accompany a teasing, cheesy smile.
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Alfie has been gone for over a week. Thankfully for both of you, he returns in time for Shabbat dinner and you get to spend the entire evening catching up. He sat bottles of wine down on the dinner table when he'd rolled in to join everyone. He'd managed to bring you a bouquet of lavender.