Chapter Text
Emma knew that spring had arrived by the way the air smelt - fresh and heavy with the scent of plants in bloom. She also knew by the way Aleksander dressed. When she brushed against his side, she no longer felt heavy wool and fur but rather soft cotton shirts and thin jackets.
Her own wardrobe changed with the seasons as well. She brought out her softest sundresses and wide brimmed hats to keep her face out of the sun. Though she mourned her fluffy coats, gentle linen and lace parasols awaited her, and for those she was excited.
She had the day off of work, but Aleksander did not. While sipping on her morning tea - chamomile, as usual - she had devised a devious plan to go into town and buy him a watch for the new season. Emma knew he would fuss when he realized she’d gone alone, but she suspected the watch would pacify his worry.
Aside from wanting to spoil a dear friend, she had another reason for exploring alone. It was magical to walk the streets without a man at her side, and though he meant well, Aleksander’s presence occasionally reminded her that she was not entirely free. He was beyond thoughtful, and he never treated her like a child, but she still savored her small escapades when he was away.
Certainly as a child she had never been allowed such freedom as Aleksander granted her. She hoped never to return to such a time where her hair was choppy and her world was little more than a small bedroom.
It was twenty paces from their apartment to the bus stop, and the bus came every five minutes. She could tell it had arrived by the horrific screeching and the acrid smell of gasoline - small horrors she underwent for the sake of a venture into town. The bus driver’s eyes burned into her back, wondering perhaps why a blind girl was traveling alone, but she ignored him aside from a small, polite smile in the direction she suspected he sat.
Three stops later marked the shopping district, and she knew that exactly twenty six steps from the bus stop would bring her to the watch shop. She’d been only once before, but methodically tracking her world in footsteps was a deeply ingrained habit.
“Miss Emma, what a delight!”
“Lovely to be back.”
The owner of the shop was named Mister Leonid, but she called him by his nickname Lyosha. His voice came from above her, and it was stretched thin around the edges like an old creaking door. She had brushed his hand once and found it to be sharp and calloused from years of watch-making and tinkering.
The shop itself had a high pitched, sharp sound to it from all the ticking of various watches and clocks, as well as from the squeak of customers’ shoes. Lyosha’s creaky voice and cracked hands fit right in. Perhaps the store was a reflection of its owner.
“What may I help you with today?”
“Hmm, a friend of mine needs help telling time.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, he’s always early to work and late to come home.”
Truthfully, Aleksander was never late - but he did leave extraordinarily early for the station most days and return after dark, the workaholic.
Lyosha laughed and stepped out from behind the desk - she heard his finely polished shoes clack against the floor and turned towards the sound.
“Does he enjoy silver or gold?”
Emma felt her face warm up - she hadn’t mentioned who she was shopping for, yet Lyosha had read her like an open book.
“Silver.”
The old man Lyosha was gentle and patient with her, taking all the silver watches out of the cabinets and letting her run her fingers over them.
“Hmm, this one is too rough.”
“How about this one?”
“No, he doesn’t like large gemstones.”
After several minutes of their back and forth, Emma had settled on a watch - when her fingers brushed against it, she could picture Aleksander in her mind, in the way that she pictured people. He was a beautiful combination of smells, sounds, and textures that made her heart flutter.
The watch was simple, with a rectangle face and a smooth band. Lyosha told her that the inside had a few small diamonds laid in a rectangle around the hands of the clock. Aleksander liked small stones. She smiled and nodded in approval, tapping her foot a few times with glee.
“I’m sure he will make all of our meetings after this.”
.
“You were safe, yes?” Emma was completely enveloped by the smell of Chesterfield cigarettes and Aleksander’s signature cologne, which had notes of orange, chocolate, and vanilla.
“Of course! Lyosha was with me.” Emma put a hand on Aleksander’s arm to calm him, and he rested his rough hand atop hers. Emma could feel callouses and old burn scars from his cigarettes on his fingers. She hoped the way her chest tightened wasn’t too obvious.
“Why go into town?”
“It was a beautiful day today. I didn’t want to let it slip away.”
A smile spread across her face. “Besides, I had mischief to cause.”
“Mischief?” Aleksander’s voice, warm and velvety, was inquisitive. Emma was reminded of melted chocolate whenever he spoke. “Whatever did you do, miss Emma?”
He always called her miss Emma when she was teasing him, and it only added to the warmth in her chest that was spreading to her stomach and making her feel as if she was floating.
“Check the bag on the counter.”
He sighed, long and deep, before standing up and walking towards the kitchen counter. The rustling of the bag made Emma lean forward with anticipation, and the comfortable silence that followed made her smile.
“You spoil me.”
“You need a new watch. Your current one tells you to work when you’re not supposed to.”
He laughed softly, and the sound filled Emma's heart with a childlike feeling of glee. He walked back over to the sofa where she sat. “Would you like to feel the watch on me?”
His voice, low, soft, and measured, was oddly sensual, and Emma felt herself turn her head away from him, suddenly embarrassed. “If you’d be so kind.”
She reached out her hand once he was seated, and he guided it to his wrist. She couldn’t help but notice how his hand completely engulfed her own. What a disaster he made of her.
She felt the watch against his skin - not too tight, that was a relief. The cold, smooth band of the watch was a lovely contrast against his warm skin, one that her fingers could not resist dancing over again and again.
“It suits you.”
“Does it?”
“Perfectly.”