a rough town

[ofanotherera]

London is trouble on every corner. Tommy has been shown this, time and again, but all the same, Sabini's men manage to find him on the wrong side of the Camden road, and from there it's all blood and bad fortune, for everyone involved in the little dustup.

Comments

[ofanotherera]

"You will, you will- you're not gonna come, yet- yet-"

Fingers scissoring, cruelly.

"-now. Yeah, Tommy, come on."

[bleak_midwinter]

It's exactly what he'd needed. He screams himself right back to hoarseness, twists off the bed, coming so hard some lands on his collarbones.

[ofanotherera]

Alfie pulls his hand gently away, and kisses one hipbone, then the other.

"Good boy."

[bleak_midwinter]

He moans, as if the praise is somehow contributing to overstimulation, his hands falling limply to his side. The ribbons of come on his chest contrast sharply with the dark bruises and cuts that were already there, but he's completely oblivious- eyes closed, breathing hard, hips rolling a few more times in aftershock.

[ofanotherera]

"You've worked so fard for me today."

He praises him quietly, reaching for- and finding he has to go get another- handkerchief, to tidy him up, one last time.

"Rest now."

[bleak_midwinter]

When Alfie is done cleaning him, when he feels ready to sink into the mattress, he reaches for him with one hand- hesitantly, but reaching all the same. He'll prefer not to think about that in the morning, but he needs it now.

[ofanotherera]

Alfie comes back with blankets, too, and toes his shoes off, then pulls away his suspenders, uncuffs his shirt, and gets himself just comfortable enough to fall asleep.

The chimney from the kitchen comes up through this room, so it's warmer than it could be, but still worth piling the blankets high, and lying tight together underneath them.