The World Was Ours.

"Do you realize what this means?" I exclaimed, barely able to contain my enthusiasm.

Harry looked at me with wide, enquiring eyes, and frowned.

"Our jobs just got a whole lot easier," I continued, staring at the little treasure resting on the palm of my hand.

He kept his eyes on me, an incredulous look on his face, "Love, it's just a watch..."

"You don't believe me."

Now it was my turn to frown. I extended my arm and offered him the pocket watch, "Go ahead. Try it."

He didn't move.

"Take the watch!" I repeated, a bit more intensely this time.

He must have seen the glimmer in my eyes because he hesitantly cupped the thing and started examining it.

"Listen, I'm gonna punch you now-"

"What the hell, Anton?"

"I'm gonna punch you now and, as soon you see me moving, you pull the crown," I explained. "You'll be fine."

"Anton, I don't-"

I didn't let him finish. Harry was a lot of things, but a man of actions he was not. He would rather talk and analyze and examine every little thing before actually acting, and, dear god, sometimes it was unbearable.

I thrust my fist towards his nose, sure enough that I’d miss. I didn’t hold back. Sweet baby Jesus, I didn’t hold back... I didn’t even realize I hit him until he rocketed backwards, leaving a trail of blood spatter behind.

“Oh my god, babe!”

He fell with force on the wooden desk and tumbled down, tipping it over alongside him. I rushed to his side, and placed my arm on his back. Blood was dripping down his nose and the Hawaiian shirt I’d bought on our honeymoon was painted red. Despite the absurdity of the situation, I didn’t feel like laughing. I was mostly shocked. I had never laid a hand on him before -what was I even thinking?

Idiot.

“Here, let me get you something.”

I got up and went to the bathroom, returning with a freshly washed towel at hand. I, then, proceeded to the kitchen for some ice.

“You punched me…” I heard his muffled voice and peaked through the door.

“I told you I’d punch you, babe.”

“Don’t you ‘babe’ me. You punched me!”

“I’m sorry… I thought you’d stop me.”

“How? How was I supposed to stop you?”

“With the watch, silly. I told you to pull the crown.”

“Well, I didn’t,” he pouted.

“Yes, I can see…”

“Are you going to hand me the ice-pack or what?”

I pecked his forehead. “You’re lucky it didn’t break.”

“You're lucky it didn’t break,” he retorted, “’cause there would have been hell to pay.”

“I promise to make it up to you in the bedroom,” I slyly grinned and he cracked a smile.

Phew… Situation diffused.

“Hey, where’s the pocket watch?” I suddenly remembered the reason my partner was on the floor bleeding.

“The watch that magically stops time, you mean?” he mocked me.

I scanned the room and saw it under the armchair, its screen slightly cracked.

“Oh damn, I hope it still works.”

“If you punch me again-” he squinted, his emerald eyes spitting fire.

God, I loved those eyes, little specks of olive amid a grass field. I loved how his nose wrinkled when he was upset. I loved the creases on his forehead when he was in deep thought. I loved how his mouth would slightly curve after a job well done. I resisted the urge to undress him there and then. We would have plenty of time for that later.

“No, let’s try something else this time, okay? Are you good? Can you stand up?”

He nodded and I heaved him to his feet. I brought a glass of water from the kitchen and gave him the same instructions as before. I let the glass go and it smashed on the floor, breaking into dozens of pieces.

“Great, and now the glass broke,” he cocked an eyebrow.

“...you were supposed to pull the crown.”

“Listen, I just got punched on the nose and I’m in terrible pain. I can barely see straight.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“Yours?”

“Okay, yeah, I punched you, but why won’t you do as I say?”

“Because it’s stupid!” he boomed. “What’s gotten into you? Blabbing about some time stopping watch-”

“Just give it a chance. I’m not crazy. I didn’t make this up.”

“Oh, are you going to break another glass now?”

“Just pull the bloody cro--”

“--wn!”

“Whoa!”

His mouth was a perfectly shaped ‘O’ only surpassed in roundness by his eyes. He looked at me speechless.

“You pulled the crown while I was talk--”

“--ing, didn’t you?” I sneered.

“Oh my god!”

“See? I told you I didn’t ma--”

“--ke this up.”

“Whoa! It actually stops time!”

“Do you under--”

“--stand now?”

“Every time I pull the crown, it stops time…” he repeated in a daze.

“Wait, how many ti--”

“--mes have you do--”

“--ne this?”

He suddenly burst out laughing, his contagious giggle impossible for me to resist. I followed suit and we found ourselves on the floor cracking up, hugging, kissing like mad men.

After we both settled down and wiped our tears off, we looked at each other, glint in our eyes. No more racing time, no more failures, no more running from the cops. Just a simple pulling of the crown and we would be able to get into any building, any bank and take everything we wanted without anyone even realizing there was a heist in place.

The world was ours. Riches awaited...