Summary: Alfie never could have guessed how things would play out after you virtually forced your way into his office.Word count: 1205
Warnings: Swearing, lots and lots of it. Alludes to physical abuse. And the reader is a newly widowed woman.
A/N: Okay, so this fic started off with playful intentions, but quickly grew pretty macabre. I take no responsibility for it. It just happened. It's not my fault.
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It was true. The people in Alfie's neighbourhood were hardly known for their fine King's English. It's fair to say the Camden Town tongue was a little rough around the edges and not shy of curse word or two. And Alfie's ears were certainly no stranger to the odd colourful word slipping from the mouths of the women in his life. But never, as a boy, teenager or fully grown man had he heard such brutal language coming from such a sweet-sounding voice. If everyone around him swore like sailors, then the faceless voice causing a ruckus from somewhere outside his office, surely wrote the sailor's dictionary.
Partly frustrated but mostly amused, Alfie dropped his pen to the desk and leaned back in his chair, listening to the string of words caught between the all the expletives. "Fucking let go of me you filthy c**ts, I'm gonna get in that fucking room one way or another... That bastard in there, had my bloody husband killed... and I wanna see his goddamn face."
Alfie's amusement dissolved, replaced by an audible sigh of dread as he mumbled under his breath, "Fuck... a bloody widow." Yelling out to Caleb, he demanded, "Let the woman in would ya, she ain't gonna let it go." Standing up he moved to the side of his desk, mumbling to himself again, "Might as well get this over with."
Coming through the door between two of his men, you ripped your arms from their grip, giving them the filthiest look as you did so. Your face was one of the sweetest things he had ever seen, but the look was so deadly Alfie had to hold back a chuckle. 'You were a feisty one, weren't you?'
Taking a deep calming breath, you smoothed over your dress. It was well worn and long out of fashion, but you were immaculate. You obviously didn't have a penny to scratch together, but you took pride in yourself, making the most of what you had. And Alfie found himself warming to you already.
Running your fingers through your hair, you tamed all the locks that had escaped during your scuffle with his men, and finally looked at him. Your expression had lost almost all of its venom, nearly matching the sweetness of your beautiful features and he instantly felt a pang of guilt. One, for being the reason you were now a widow, and two, for finding a newly widowed woman so bloody attractive.
Lifting your chin in a show of defiance; or was it pride? you held his intense gaze, and if you felt a single ounce of fear, you did not show it. Either way, he thought to himself, 'Hmph, beautiful and brave.'
Clearing your throat, you spoke, your words suddenly devoid of any of the foul language he heard spilling from your mouth just moments ago, "Alfie Solomons?"
With a nod, Alfie crossed his arms before him, "Yeah, that'd be me."
Taking a step closer, you also nodded your head, your eyes never leaving his, "My name is Y/N Y/L/N, and your men murdered my husband, Peter, three days ago." Alfie opened his mouth to respond, but you held a single finger in the air, a silent, but very clear gesture to shut him up. The moment he closed his mouth you lowered your hand, and continued, "Did they shoot him on your order?"
Alfie wasn't quite sure how to respond. Sure, from time to time he lost a bit of sleep over the number of men that were tossed into shallow graves by his order. But the reality of standing there, looking into your expressive E/C eyes and taking responsibility for killing the man you loved, twisted like a burning hot poker in his stomach. He doubted he would sleep for months.
A moment of silence passed, and your expression shifted with a touch of impatience while you waited for your answer. Moving his arms from across his chest, he shuffled on his feet, his hands coming to rest at his hips, it was almost defensive, "Yeah, I did... He was becoming too much of a liability." Alfie almost cringed at his words. Although true, they seemed too harsh as he heard them slip from his lips. His bluntness had never bothered him before but using it on you felt like a crime. Raising his hands in the air, he quickly spoke again, wanting to rephrase a little more tactfully, "I'm sorry, forgive my bluntness... but your husband-"
Taking him by surprise, you cut him off, "Stop. I don't need to know the reason." Alfie stood there, mouth open, completely unprepared for the words you spoke next, "You don't know how many times I stood beside that drunk, good for nothin' monster as he lay passed out on the bed, just wishing I was brave enough to push a pillow against his face." Honestly, Alfie was at a loss for words, but you were not. Taking a step closer, you were almost close enough to touch. Searching your eyes, he tried to understand the gratitude they held, but he quickly understood when you spoke again, "I'm thankful he's gone... but I'm thankful I didn't have to do it myself... because I don't think I could have lived with the guilt."
And that was when Alfie saw them, the faded shadows across your arms... around the base of your neck... and along your cheekbone. The ghosts of bruises partially disguised by whatever powder you had covered them with. Suddenly, any worries he had about sleepless nights, dissolved. The only guilt he felt was for not killing the bastard sooner.
Words finally found their way to his lips, trying to lighten the rather heavy interaction, "Well, ain't this a fuckin' turn of events? I thought I was a goner when I heard you out the front of my office... Remind me to never get on your bad side, yeah?"
For the first time, you looked a little coy, "Ah... yeah sorry about the language. My mouth has a habit of running away with me when I'm worked up... and your men just wouldn't listen."
Alfie chuckled, "With a mouth like that, you fit right in around here." Speaking the words flicked a switch on inside his head. This feisty little firecracker of a woman really would fit right in, and God knows he was drowning in paperwork. It was high time he could do with some help. If he was being completely honest with himself, the thought of having you close by pleased him in ways he couldn't explain. And under his protection he could make sure he never had to see those horrible faded shadows across your skin again. He would make sure of it.
Moving back to his seat behind the desk, he gestured to the chair in front, "Why don't cha take a seat Mrs Y/L/N, I'd like to make a little proposition... and if ya accept, those men out the front will have no choice but to listen to ya." Resting his elbows on the desk, he leaned forward and asked, your answering smile, lighting up the edges of his heart. "How well do ya know your way around a typewriter?"
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