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[queenofkings1212]

The Commander and I

A/N: Do y’all put yourself in the Five-0-verse at night before falling asleep or are you normal? 🙃 This is a purely selfish lil dream that’s been stuck in my head which originally started as a drabble but I thought would be cuter as dialogue. Hope you enjoy 🥰

———

“Lieutenant Commander, this is Lieutenant Wifey requesting permission to enter your office. Over.”

Steve looks up with a grin from his desk to see your nose pressed against his glass door, shaking his head at your silliness before beckoning you over to him. You’re by his side within seconds flat, crawling into his lap and curling up like a cat as his arms come to settle across your body.

“Hi handsome,” you purr, leaning up to peck his lips before snuggling into the warmth of his chest. “Missed you all day.”

“I missed you, pumpkin,” he echoes, cheek resting against the crown of your head. Your index finger absentmindedly traces over the bit of his tattoo peeking out from the hem of his shirt, and you can physically feel him relaxing from your touch. “What’d you do today?”

“Finished up my medical notes for the week, read a bit of my book,” you shrug. “Thought about you.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” you answer with a smile, rubbing the fabric of his soft tee between your fingers. “Sometimes I wake up before you in the morning and just look at you and think about how beautiful you are. But not in a stalker way, in a ‘I’m your wife and I’m obsessed with you’ kinda way, y’know?”

A laugh rumbles from deep in his chest, the sound floating over your body and instantly sending a rush of warmth through you. “Trust me, honey, the feeling is mutual,” he murmurs, nuzzling his nose into your hair.

You sit up in his lap, pressing your hands against his muscular shoulders and growing serious. “No, bubba, you don’t understand. I mean, yeah, your personality and sense of humor and all that- ten out of ten- but Steven.” He raises an eyebrow at your use of his full name. “You are literally the most gorgeous man I have ever laid eyes on. We’ve been married for almost five years now and I’m still crushing on you like a middle school girl. I need Steve-aholics Anonymous!”

“C’mon babe,” he chuckles, tucking your chin between his thumb and forefinger and gently pulling you forward for a kiss. “You only think that because you love me. I’m already going gray,” he mumbles, reflexively scratching at the salt and pepper patch on his chin.

“How very dare you,” you huff indignantly, annoyed that he just doesn’t get it. “This,” you replace his fingers with your own, running your nails along the gray dotting his scruff, “is so fucking sexy. Reminds me that I managed to snag an older, more experienced man who knows how to love me right.”

“Is that so?” he challenges, letting his hands come to rest on your waist as you turn to straddle his lap.

“And,” you press your mouth against his, drawing his bottom lip between your teeth and tugging gently before pulling back, “I love when you wear these tight shirts to work so your tattoos are just barely visible. God, Steve, when your arms flex or that little muscle in your neck works as you’re barking out orders I just-” You trail off, an involuntary shiver running up your spine at the thought.

A faint blush dots his cheeks and you scrunch up your nose at the adorable sight. To the rest of the world, he’s cocky, arrogant, headstrong, a serial rule-bender (some would say breaker) who knows how to always get his way. But with you, he’s vulnerable, open, even shy at times, and lately you can tell that he’s been feeling less than stellar about getting older. You’ll take any and every opportunity to hype up your man and make him see what you do. “Don’t even get me started on you in your dress whites, Commander,” you whisper against the shell of his ear, licking a stripe up the side of his neck and grinning as he shivers under your touch.

“What happens if I get you started?” he asks with the ghost of a smirk flitting across his handsome features.

“Then you have to listen to me talk about how sinfully good you look in uniform. All I’m saying is I’d let you board my ship any time, if y’know what I mean.”

“Y/N!”

You hold your hands up defensively, “What? It’s true! It’s the best of both worlds, cause damn do you clean up nice, but then underneath you’re all muscly and chiseled and you’ve got these tats that wrap around these gorgeously thick biceps in the most perfect way.” You try to illustrate by wrapping your hand around said muscle, marveling at the fact that your fingers are unable to touch.

“Y/N…” he chuckles softly, averting his gaze from you and shaking his head in embarrassment.

“And I love,” you trudge on, taking his hands from where they’re kneading your curves to kiss the tips of each of his fingers, “these beautiful, strong hands that can beat a man to within an inch of his life-”

“Does that turn you on?”

“Yes. Now don’t interrupt,” you bite down on his finger before continuing. “As I was saying, they can… do some damage, but they also daintily squeeze a little lemon slice into your water every time we’re out to eat.”

“Is it cliche to say my heart feels like it’s going to burst right now?” he asks, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear. “I still can’t believe I’m lucky enough to call you mine.”

“Better believe you’re stuck with me, McGarrett,” you grin, sinking to your knees between his desk and him. Sliding his shirt up his torso, you kiss each new bit of exposed skin as it’s revealed to you, his head falling back against his office chair with a sigh. “I love every inch of you and I’m gonna show you just how mu-”

You’re interrupted by a frantic banging on the office door, and you can see a shock of blonde over Steve’s desk. “Glass. Visible. Trauma. Thank you.”

You slap your hand over your mouth, laughter bubbling between your fingers accompanied by a muffled, “Sorry, Danny!”

Letting his shirt fall back down as he stands, Steve offers you a hand to help you up before pulling you against his chest and kissing you soundly. “C’mon, Mrs. McGarrett,” he smiles against your lips, “let me take you home and show you how much you’re loved.”

[queenofkings1212]

Jealous | Tommy Shelby x Reader

Request: yes by @mrkdvidal1989

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x reader

Summary: Tommy's not too fond of seeing one of his men trying to make a move on the woman he's taken an interest in. (Y/N)'s not too fond of people acting jealous.

Warnings: language, drinking, smoking, possessiveness, jealousy (obviously)

Word Count: 3056

A/N: I had fun writing this one. Hopefully I portrayed his jealously correctly. Enjoy! :)

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future stories similar to this one!

———

The drinks were flowing, the laughs were loud, and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Why? Well, the Shelby Company Ltd. had just reopened Small Heath's beloved Garrison tavern. It was a proper cause for celebration. And the gang was going to do just that.

(Y/N) was certainly happy to have her place back. A friend of the Shelby family for several years, she spent most of her time in the pub with the brothers as well as Ada. She'd been helping out at the establishment since it'd been passed over to the Shelbys in ownership. Her main job was making sure that Arthur kept the paperwork orderly and completed it correctly. She slid into this role after the original person who'd been helping him, a certain blonde barmaid who (Y/N) didn't even like to say the name of anymore, had been found out as a spy. The Shelbys felt much better knowing that they had a trusted member of the family in the spot now.

When the Garrison got blown up, (Y/N) felt like she no longer had a purpose. She moved over to the betting shop to lend her help there, but it wasn't the same. In the countless hours she'd spent around the Garrison, she'd made many friends with the regulars. She didn't realize how much she enjoyed being in their company until she wasn't.

That's why tonight was special for her. She finally felt like she had her home back. And she was about to make every moment of this grand re-opening party count.

"(Y/N)!" Daniel, one of the Garrison's regulars cheered when she came out from the room behind the bar.

"Daniel! How are you doing?!" she excitedly asked the older man, happy to be seeing a familiar face already.

"I'm dandy, love," he grinned at her, "much better now that this pub's back in business," he added and she nodded, sharing the same sentiment as him at the moment. She happily went about pouring his regular drink, knowing it without even having to ask him. Her normal position wasn't behind the bar, but she often found herself behind the counter when she'd go out and have chats with the patrons. Amongst all of these chats, she'd managed to learn a few customers' orders.

(Y/N) left the bar after handing Daniel his drink, deciding that she should go and play party host. Arthur had pretty much given her free reign; telling her that she could do whatever she pleased since she had been a big help in getting the establishment back to ready form in the time that it did. She made sure to go around to all of the patrons that were celebrating the occasion with the Shelby family.

"Is that (Y/N)?" she heard her name being called from one of the booths situated along the wall. She turned to look in the direction of the voice and immediately found a booth full of men who were part of the Peaky Blinders. Not surprisingly, the voice had belonged to none other than John Shelby.

"It is," (Y/N) answered with a grin as she made her way over to the table. John and his younger brother, Finn, sat on the inside of the booth. Robert and Andrew, two men who worked for the Shelby family, sat on John's side, and Dell, a man who was also a member of the razor gang, was sitting next to Finn. "What are you lot doing over here?" she asked as she came to a stop in front of the booth.

"Celebrating this joyous occasion," Andrew answered, raising his pint up as a cheers. There were a few hollers from the table as the other men held their respective drinks up, their exuberance making (Y/N)'s smile widen.

"You drinking anything?" John asked, leaning over onto the table slightly so that he could get a clearer view of her.

"No, not yet," (Y/N) shook her head, "Arthur told me that I should be making the rounds; greeting the patrons...which shouldn't you be doing that as well, Mr. Shelby?" she emphasized John's surname with a grin.

"The night's still young," John brushed her off, taking another drink from his glass.

"Why don't you sit with us for a bit, huh?" Dell was the next person to speak up, motioning to the empty spot next to him as he spoke.

"Oh I don't know..." (Y/N) trailed off, starting a chorus of 'come on's' and 'why nots?' She listened to them for a few moments before she dropped her straight-faced expression and smiled. "Why not?" she shrugged before she slid into the booth next to Dell.

"Thata girl," Dell grinned as he immediately slung his arm over (Y/N)'s shoulders.

"You know (Y/N)..." John trailed off, pointing towards the woman for added effect, "(Y/N)'s probably the person who's most excited for this place bein' open again," he said, grinning as he finished his statement.

"Oh, John..." (Y/N) trailed off with a sigh, rolling her eyes at the grinning fool.

"No, seriously...she was on our asses about getting the plans finalized and the workers to come," John continued on despite (Y/N) trying to cut him off, "made a right job out of it, she did." Realizing that it was hopeless, (Y/N) shook her head as she tried to stop her cheeks from heating up. So what if she was pushing them to work faster on completing the bar?...this was her happy place, and she didn't like being away from it.

"No need to be actin' all bashful, sweetheart," Dell's low voice came right beside her ear, making her look up to see his grin, "you havin' something you're passionate about is really cute...makes me wanna find something of the sort so that you can be 'on my ass' too," he finished with a wink. (Y/N) wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel. Dell wasn't the most attractive fellow that she knew, but he wasn't hard on the eyes either. She sent him an appreciative smile in response, hoping that he would recognize that she wasn't off-put by his statement.

Before she was able to verbally respond to his comment, another voice entered the conversation from the right of her. "Having a party of your own over here, eh?"

"Course, Mr. Shelby...the party's everywhere here tonight, ain't it?" Dell was the first to respond to his boss, his eyes moving from (Y/N) to the man standing behind her, his grin still apparent.

"It is," Tommy agreed, "but you should be off watching the fucking door, yeah?" his voice held a different tone, one that (Y/N) wasn't used to hearing from him. It was only saved for a few occasions, and all of those said occasions involved her.

"I suppose so, Mr. Shelby," Dell responded back in a deflated tone, all of the confidence leaving him in an instant.

(Y/N) finally turned to look at Tommy then. She watched as his eyes caught hers for a moment before they fleeted away as he shoved his hands into his pockets, his lips pressed into a tight line. She sighed and shook her head at his body language, he was trying to make something clearly obvious here.

"John," he addressed his brother then, his eyebrows raising slightly as he looked in the younger man's direction, "you're an owner of this establishment...start acting like one and not some regular patron," he then gave his orders for everyone around the booth to clear out and go to where they're supposed to be. He stopped Finn as he was moving out of the booth and took the glass of alcohol from him, only shaking his head as a look of disapproval formed on his face.

"Happy with yourself, Tommy?" (Y/N) questioned when it was just the two of them standing at the edge of the booth now.

"Lovely reopening, isn't it?" he deflected her question with one of his own, nodding his head slightly to the side before he took a drink from the glass he'd just confiscated from Finn. (Y/N) only shook her head while glaring at him. Her unhappy expression also went unnoticed by the blue-eyed man. "You look beautiful," he told her then, sending her his signature half-smirk that any other time would make her swoon. Now it only served to make her even more annoyed by his antics.

"I'm going to go and talk with more of the patrons," she stated, not responding to his compliment on her appearance.

"Go on, love," he nodded. She took that as her go-ahead and left his side, doing just as she said she would.

While (Y/N) was close with the Shelby family, she was even closer to Tommy. What started off as a good friendship shifted into a natural state of 'something more' one night after she'd taken a nasty fall while trying to organize things at the tavern. Tommy was there to help with her minor scrapes and provide her pride some much needed comfort. Amidst the comfort came a prolonged look into each other's eyes, which then turned into a flurry of unbridled kissing and roaming hands. They'd yet to put a label on whatever it was they had going. It didn't feel needed at that time.

So (Y/N) went on with chatting to the patrons, but she couldn't shake the feeling of Tommy's eyes on her. She knew that he was watching her as she went about her business. A quick glance over to the bar confirmed it. He was leaning up against the glossy, wooden counter with a cigarette perched between his lips. There was someone talking to him, but he wasn't giving them his full attention. No...(Y/N) always had his full attention.

"How's it going for you tonight, (Y/N)?" the eldest Shelby of the bunch, Arthur, asked as he came up alongside the woman.

"It's going well, Arthur," she responded, her eyes finally leaving Tommy for good. "I've seen a lot of regulars back already," she told him, a smile forming on her face.

"That's good to hear...we're already sucking their money in again," Arthur grinned in response, happy to know that there'd most likely be a quick return to the pace of cash flow that the bar saw before the explosion.

"It seems that we are," (Y/N) nodded along with his statement.

"I'll let you continue on with what you're doing. You're working the crowd in a way I never can, love," Arthur said then, his statement making (Y/N) laugh and shake her head.

"I'm sure you're doing just fine, Arthur," she brushed his praise off, waving her hand for dramatic effect. It was his turn to laugh at her statement, and he shook his head slightly, his lop-sided grin returning before he left her side to go back to the bar's counter.

Another voice called out for (Y/N) before she was able to get too far from the spot she was occupying: "How's your night going, sweetheart?" It was Dell. He approached her from the direction of the main doors to the establishment, a drink in his hand.

"It's going well," (Y/N) responded, a smile on her face. Her smile was different this time around...she knew that someone was watching them as they conversed. "How's yours been?"

"Oh, not as good as yours," he responded, "boss' got me on door duty."

"That's pretty important though," (Y/N) rebutted, trying to find the silver lining in the situation, "you're protecting everyone from potential bad."

Dell grinned at her statement, "you've made me feel important all of a sudden."

"Happy I could help," she responded, keeping the conversation at surface level, even though it was clear that his words had a flirty undertone to them.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Dell tried then, his eyebrows raised as he waited for her response.

"My drinks are free," she politely declined his offer, "one of the perks of being on the inside," she added with a grin.

"Ahh," Dell took the response lightly, his grin still ever present, "and do my drinks come free from knowing you?"

(Y/N) laughed at his question, "if that was the case, we'd be practically handing bottles out."

"Worth a shot?" he asked her, his pride not yet deflated. (Y/N) glanced in Tommy's direction before she responded. She could feel his eyes on her from across the room for the entire duration of her conversation with Dell. The second her eyes met his, he looked away. His lips were pressed together in a thin line, and his jaw was obviously clenched.

"Worth a shot," (Y/N) answered, nodding her head slightly before she glanced at Tommy again. This time, he held her gaze, and he did not look pleased. He then nodded his head slightly in the direction of the back of the room before he pushed himself off of the counter and began walking to where he'd just motioned to. "I've got to continue playing host," (Y/N) addressed Dell again, making up an excuse to leave the conversation, "it was lovely to talk to you, Dell."

"The pleasure’s all mine,” Dell grinned before he took a step away from her, indicating that she was good to leave the conversation.

(Y/N) sucked in a breath and sent one last smile to the man she was just talking with before she glanced over at the archway that led to the back banquet typed room. Tommy wasn’t present in the main bar area anymore, so she guessed that he’d already made his way to where he’d nodded. Bracing herself for the topic that he surely was going to talk about, she made sure that she had her comebacks in order. She had to show him that he couldn’t just push her into doing what he wanted her to just because they were sleeping with each other. Again, there was no label on what they had going on.

All preparations flew out the window the second she stepped through the archway. “Tom...” was all she was able to say as she felt his hands take hold of her cheeks and his lips fall onto hers. He kissed her hard, his teeth clashing against hers as their mouths met. She fought against the desire that was quickly building inside of her and managed to pull away from him. She couldn’t stop the grin that formed on her face though. “What was that for?” she asked, her eyes finding his in the dim light of the room. They were in a spot where they could see out into the bar area, but the patrons were unable to see them as they were shrouded by the darkness of the room.

“Needed to kiss you,” Tommy mumbled against her lips, his hands holding her face dangerously close to his. He went in for another kiss then, and (Y/N) allowed him.

She made sure that it only lasted a few seconds before pulling away again. “Is this about Dell?” she asked another question, her eyebrows raised slightly. Tommy couldn’t even meet her eyes with his own, instead keeping them concentrated on her lips.

“Hmm,” he brushed her question off, leaning in yet again.

Their lips barely touched this time before (Y/N) managed to completely break away from his grasp. Tommy exhaled a grunt of discontent as (Y/N) shook her head with a grin playing on her lips. “It is about him...” she trailed off, crossing her arms over her chest, “you brought me back here to lay your claim on me...didn’t you?” she asked him then, her one eyebrow quirked.

“Maybe,” he answered her in a voice just above a mumble as a guilty smile formed on his face. His eyes still wouldn’t meet hers, and instead he chose to look at the wall slightly to the right of her.

(Y/N) stared at him for a few moments, taking in the finer notes of his fleeting gaze and guilty expression. “You’re jealous, Tommy,” she finally said, a grin forming on her face as she spoke. She felt proud of herself that she’d just called him out on it.

But, of course, he wasn’t going to make it easy on her. “No,” he shook his head, denying her statement almost instantly.

“You are,” she insisted, “I’ve noticed it in your body language, in how you’ve spoken to people while around me...in how you brought me back here, just now, to kiss me. You’re jealous.”

“There’s a difference between being jealous and letting the world know that you’re mine,” Tommy said in response to her accusation.

(Y/N)’s eyebrows raised at his admission. “Oh so I’m yours?” she outright asked him.

“If you want to be,” he left the decision up to her, but how he wanted her to respond was rather obvious.

(Y/N) didn’t respond right away, instead taking a few moments to look at him again. She knew that the tension was building with each second that passed. Knowing that he was waiting intently for her answer made her grin reappear. After a few more moments of silence, she leaned in closer to Tommy again. “Dell’s an innocent kid...” she trailed off, her tone sultry in nature, “he wouldn’t know what to do with me if he got me.” She kept her eyes locked onto his as she spoke, seeing a smirk form on his face out of her peripherals. She had him right where she wanted him. This was made evident by him dropping his hands to hold onto her hips. She searched his eyes for a few seconds, letting the tension build even more before she said her final sentence: “jealousy isn’t a good look on you, Tommy.”

Without letting him respond, she broke out of his grasp on her hips and began taking steps backwards to go into the main bar area. Her grin grew as she took in his dumbfounded expression, and she sent him a wink for extra measure before turning around and walking back to the party.

———

Tagged: @mgcllovdrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @golden-hoax @elenavampire21 @peaky-cillian @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @easilyobessedbutflighty @shelbydelrey @december16-1991 @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder @midnightmagpiemama @cillmequick

MASTERLIST

[queenofkings1212]

Buns in the Oven

Summary: Sy has hidden clingy tendencies and he is very much afraid to admit it until one night has one drink too many and all his secrets are exposed.

Pairing: Syverson x Reader (no description of body type or ethnicity)

Words: 773

Warning: Mostly pure fluff, mentions of drinking and being drunk, a bit of suggestive talk but nothing explicit.

A/N: dedicated to @sillyrabbit81 who an incident with a typo gave me a specific plot bunny (harhar!)! Not beta'd.

Buns in the Oven.

“Raaaaaaaaaavbit…. Bummy….”

A gravelly slurring voice woke you from slumber. Confused, you blinked your bleary eyes open and groaned as the weight of your sleep was still heavy on your senses. The room was dark; the moon hung high in the sky outside the bedroom window.

A clatter and heavy footsteps followed from your hallway when you heard him calling again. “Bunmy… Ah! Fak!”

“What the f…?” Your hand reached for your phone to check the time and your eyes immediately widened at the 27 unanswered calls from your husband and the onslaught of what was clearly drunk messages.

‘Hey, how are things at home, bunny? Miss me yet? ;) We just ordered another round of drinks. The guys say hi.’

‘You sleeping?’

‘Shouldn’t have gone drinking. Frank is telling the same boring story again… should have been home with you.’

‘U mad?’

‘RAVBIT U WAKE?’

‘BB, I NEEDA TELL U SM

‘BABE, I WANNA MARRY YOU.’

‘AH, WAIT! LOL, WE ARE MARRIED!!’

‘LUV U’

“Oh my god,” you exclaimed, half-amused by the situation. It had been several hours since Sy went drinking with his buddies - but more importantly, it was the first night you spent ‘apart’ since isolation started. Being cooked up at home for such a long time, you were relieved to have some time for yourself.

Sy, apparently, didn’t feel the same.

Sitting up, you turned the night lamp on. The room filled with the soft hues of honey and amber, showering the hunkering grunt who finally appeared at the bedroom’s door.

He offered you a smile, his sweaty face illuminated as he saw you. Even drunk, even with his eyes glossy and his cheeks rosy, he was so beautiful that all you wanted to do was kiss his big stupid face.

“There she is!” He extended his lengthy arms blissfully, “come ta daddy, babygirl!”

The invitation was rather tempting, but you remained on the bed and clicked your tongue instead. “Couldn’t spend one evening without me, couldn’t you?”

Sy hung his head playfully and shrugged, embarrassed to admit what was clear as daylight.

“They were playing our song at the bar… and…” he stumbled forward and then fell to his knees right before you, his warm hands snapping at your bare knees and holding them slightly parted.

“Please, don’t ever leave me.” The big burly beast of a man you knew suddenly looked like a lost puppy, his eyes an ocean of love and frightful need.

“Oh, Sy, babe, where is this coming from?”

Somewhere below that massive beard, you could have sworn that the tough, hard-ass Captain Syverson was pouting. His fingers dug into your thighs, massaging your flesh somewhat possessively, and a shiver coursed through you as if it was the first time he touched you.

“Frank and his wife are having trouble, and he thinks…”

You pressed a finger to his lips and hushed him, tutting your tongue and shaking your head.

“We are not Frank and Lilly. We are who we are.”

Sy nodded slightly and pressed his lips to your finger in a slow, chaste kiss. “Wanna spend every minute with you, bummy.”

“You will.” You smiled and then gently peeled his hands from your thighs and guided him to sit on the bed while you stood up in his stead. “Now, I am going to get you some water and a sandwich to pad that belly, okay?”

Sy sunk into the bed, but not before his hand snapped at your wrist, and his eyes found yours, giving you the most serious, piercing gaze he could muster.

“I’m gonna put buns in that bunny oven.”

Another shiver coursed through you. The intensity of Sy’s glare, the thought of going bareback and having him finally knock you up, made your heart gyrate and your thighs clench. Sy must have sensed your body’s enthusiastic response and offered one of his seductive grins, bouncing his eyebrows suggestively.

“Wanna start now?”

It took all the willpower in the world to force his hand off of your wrist and shove him back down. “Not tonight, cowboy,” you warned and carefully stepped back as if there was a chance that he would jump you at any given time. “Get some rest. We will talk about this tomorrow, properly.”

Sy wrapped his arms behind his head and smirked below drowsy eyes while you walked toward the hallway. “A’ight, woman, but I will remember every bit of this conversation tomorrow, so there is no escape or changin’ your mind.”

You snorted in response. “Oh don’t you worry, Sy, I am going to tell this to our grandkids.”

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Captain Syverson is not mine, nor is Sand Castle

[queenofkings1212]

It’s been so long!!!!! This has brought me the smile I really needed today!!!

As always, love this!!

“Giddy–Up” – Tommy Shelby x Reader

[ MASTERLIST ]

SUMMARY: When you were out shopping, Tommy was the one to stay with your children for a day. When you come back home, you witness something unusual happening.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: It’s inspired by my conversation with @madame-wilsonn​ but also what Charlie says to Tommy in S05E02, which suggests that when Tommy plays with his kids, he pretends to be a horse XD 🐴 The gif doesn’t really suit the story but let’s be honest no gif would suit this silly story lol 😂

WARNING: English is my second language.

WORD COUNT: 1,320

Keep reading

[queenofkings1212]

I get it, because I am like that too, but Helen, you deserve happiness. I hope Tommy finally and fully understands the pain he has caused her, but don’t give in at the mere sight of affection. Please let her be happy

Sham || Part VI

Tommy Shelby x OC

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V

Whatever they had before France was over the moment he stepped on that train. Whatever they had after Grace left for New York was consolation. And their marriage was a sham.

Summary: Tommy and Helen decide to take a break from their fights for Charlie’s sake.

Warnings: smoking, mentions of divorce, implied smut (nothing graphic), nightmares, mentions of war

A/N: Mr and Mrs Shelby need a break from their fights, guys. In this chapter there’s one last flashback, where I used part of Grace and Tommy’s dialogue from s3 ep1, then everything will move forward. Also, I have a feeling a lot of you won’t like the end of this chapter

Gif credit

Sitting in his office, Tommy couldn’t stop thinking. It didn’t matter how much he drank, or smoked, or kept himself busy, his mind wouldn’t let him rest.

It wasn’t just the fear that Helen would actually leave him that haunted him, it was regret.

Tommy despised himself for the things he had told her a few weeks prior, the night when everything fell apart. That fight was the last straw. After ignoring her for weeks, he had the nerve to tell her that their marriage was the best she could ever have, he had accused her of trying to replace Grace. He regretted every vicious word that had left his mouth.

It wasn’t Grace that Tommy regretted. She had given him a child, and he couldn’t imagine a life without him. Charlie was the only good thing that had come out of that situation.

He regretted the way he had always taken Helen for granted. He regretted hurting her. He had the chance to change, after their marriage, to treat her like she deserved to be treated. But he didn’t. He was grieving and he didn’t know how to face his pain, so he pushed her away.

Helen was his home. His safe space. She had been there for him, even when it hurt her. Even when he hurt her. No one had ever shown him such loyalty.

What had he given her in return?

Arrow House, 1923

Arrow House was full of people, all gathered to celebrate Tommy and Grace’s wedding. There was food, there was music, there was alcohol. Everything had been planned with the utmost care.

It would’ve been perfect, if only Grace’s family had upheld their end of the deal. Instead, the house was full of red uniforms.

But the cavalry wasn’t the only problem. Even on his wedding day, Tommy had business to take care of. He carefully watched the Russian man talking with Ada. Probably a rat. He would deal with him later.

He drank the whiskey in his hand in one go. He wasn’t supposed to drink, but he needed something to distract him from all the things that occupied his mind in that moment.

That was Grace’s day. It was important for her, nothing could go wrong.

Tommy’s eyes met Helen’s from the other side of the room, and suddenly the walls seemed to narrow around him. She had put on a smile for the day, told him she was happy for him, hidden her pain.

He couldn’t breathe.

He strode up the stairs and through the hallway, loosening the knot of his tie. When the entered his bedroom, Grace was there, fixing her make up.

He closed the door behind him, clearing his throat.“You’re needed downstairs.” He told her, hoping she would leave him alone for a moment. He needed to be alone.

She completely ignored him as she kept on focusing on her makeup.

“Grace, you’re needed downstairs, people are hungry.” He repeated, clenching his jaw.

“I was putting Charles to sleep.” She said, closing her lipstick and turning to look at him. “I’ll come down, but not with you like this.”

“Alright, fine.” He snapped, opening the bedroom door again.

“Tommy.” She called him, apparently changing her mind. He turned around, waiting for her to speak.

“I know there’s business on your mind.” She started, getting closer to him. “And I know there always will be.”

“Yeah.” He simply said, turning his back on her again.

“But I can tell there’s more than that.” She slightly raised her voice so that he could hear her as he walked into the bathroom.

He took a deep breath, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. He was making a mistake. Everything was wrong.

“You’ve been like this for weeks.” Grace followed him into the bathroom, crossing her arms over her chest. “I need you to tell me that is business that’s making you like this, and not regret over me.”

“It’s business, Grace.” He sighed. “Bad business.”

Grace stared at him, not saying a word. Tommy raised his eyes on her, his gaze softening a bit. He had no regrets. He loved that woman. She was his wife, now, the mother of his child. She had the right to be worried, and angry.

But everything seemed to be piling up on his shoulders. The business, the circumstances of their marriage, the Russians. Especially the Russians.

“I’m scared, Grace.” He admitted. “I’m scared for you, I’m scared for the baby. And this is how I am when I’m scared. It’s unfamiliar to you, but not to me.”

In that moment, Tommy couldn’t help but think that Helen would’ve understood. She wouldn’t even need to ask him. She’d just know. She knew him, just like he knew her. And he wouldn’t need to hide things from her. She wouldn’t make him promise to give up on the bad side of the business, because she knew that he just couldn’t do it. She would’ve stayed by his side, helping him with everything. He could’ve trusted her with everything.

No. He told himself. No regrets.

Arrow House, 1925

Tommy stood against the kitchen door, watching as Helen mixed some ingredients into a bowl, the smell of cinnamon and apples filling the room. Charlie was sitting on a chair in front of her with his elbows on the table, asking question after question about what she was doing.

Apparently, his son loved Helen’s apple cake. Or so Frances had told him.

Helen patiently answered each one of his questions, pretending not to see as he stole some slices of apples from the plate, from time to time.

“Daddy.” Charlie called him, noticing his presence.

“Hi, son.” He cleared his throat, moving away from the doorway and approaching him to place a kiss on his forehead. “Are you having fun?”

“She cooks better than the cook.” Charlie whispered in his ear, but he was loud enough for Helen to her him. An amused smile made its way on their faces at the child’s failed attempt to be subtle.

“I know.” Tommy replied, glancing at her.

She looked at him for a few seconds, but she quickly turned her attention back to the batter. Tommy couldn’t help but notice she had a bit of flour on her nose.

That moment took him back to all the times she had made that same cake for him. She had always loved cooking. She had started learning at the age of fifteen, making a mess in her mum’s kitchen. She would bring him every single thing she cooked, making him swear to say the truth about whether it was good or not. He didn’t mind that, though. She cooked really well.

Charlie was clearly happy about the fact that he was finally spending some time with both of them, too young to notice the tension between them. However, as if committed to an unspoken agreement, they tried their best to hide it. It wasn’t bad, though. They needed a break from their fights.

Tommy spontaneously kept the baking pan still as Helen poured the batter into it, his hand moving as if he had no control over it. He had done it so many times that she didn’t even need to ask him.

When she started placing the apple slices on it, Charlie’s eyes sparkled. “Can I do it?”

“Of course.” She smiled, showing him how to do it.

When he finished placing all the slices, Helen put the cake in the oven, looking at the clock. “It’ll be ready in forty minutes.��

“Can we eat it with tea?” Charlie asked. “All together?”

Tommy’s eyes rested on Helen, waiting for her to answer. Despite everything, in his heart he was hoping she’d say yes. He wasn’t only hoping it for Charlie, but also for him. But he wouldn’t push her. It must’ve already been hard enough for her to be in the same room as him, pretending everything was fine.

“Yes.” She eventually said, gently caressing the child’s hair before raising her eyes on Tommy. “We can.”

Rifles firing, screams, the roar of bursting bombs, dying soldiers, blood. A lot of blood. Doctors and nurses running everywhere.

Why would they attack a field hospital?

There was no time for questions. They needed to hide. It wasn’t too late to get to safety. Was it?

Helen quickly sat on her bed, frantically looking around her. It was a nightmare, just a nightmare.

It’s fine. You’re fine. You’re safe. You’re home.

She looked at the empty space next to her. After marrying Tommy, she never had to face her nightmares alone. Until that night.

She was too scared to go back to sleep. With her pulse still racing, she got up from the bed. She grabbed her robe, wearing it while she walked out of the bedroom, heading towards the room Tommy had been sleeping in for over two weeks.

Helen stopped in front of the door, debating whether to enter or go back to her bedroom. She glanced at the end of the hallway, where their shared bedroom was. In that moment, the thought of being alone with her memories terrified her. She slowly opened the door, squinting her eyes in the darkness of the room.

Tommy was sleeping. Helen reached the bed, sitting on it. She hesitated for a moment before gently placing a hand on his shoulder, shaking him a bit.

“Helen?” His raspy voice called her, but he didn’t turn around.

Helen felt incredibly stupid. After all the things she had said to him, she didn’t have the right to wake him up in the middle of the night. She’d understand if he kicked her out of his room.

“I… I can’t sleep.”

She didn’t need to give further explanation, Tommy knew what she meant by that. She had woken him up like that thousands of times. He sat up from under the sheets and turned on the lamp on his nightstand. He rested with his back against the headboard, his eyes holding some sort of gentleness. He patted on the bed, motioning her to sit beside him. Helen slipped under the covers, relieved by the fact that apparently he didn’t resent her. When she placed her head on his shoulder, he promptly wrapped his arm around her.

“You still have nightmares, don’t you?” Tommy asked her after a while, caressing her arm with his fingertips. Helen nodded, relaxing under his touch.

“I have them too.” He admitted.

As they laid there in silence, Helen breathed in the smell of soap, aftershave and cigarettes. It was his smell, and it was comforting. She had missed it, just like she had missed sharing the bed with him. She couldn’t lie to herself.

If a part of her told her to let him go, the other one was still deeply connected to him. That part always won, and she hated herself for that. Tommy was in her mind, in her heart, in her bones and her veins. And she couldn’t get him out.

Helen knew that she needed to get away from him. That was the reason why she had been looking for a solicitor. But if she had made up her mind, and knew that she’d be better off without him, why did her heart clench so much at the thought of leaving him for good?

She cleared her voice, abruptly moving away from him. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come here.”

Tommy’s eyes followed her as she moved toward the edge of the bed. He grabbed her wrist with a swift movement to stop her.

“You can always come to me.” He said, looking into her eyes. “Whatever happens between us, I’ll always be here for you.”

Helen could feel her walls crumbling under the weight of his gaze. She hated how just a little bit of affection from him would make her melt. As much as she tried, it was impossible to run from her feelings. They always came back.

So she wasn’t surprised when she let him tenderly stroke her cheeks, resting his forehead against hers. She wasn’t surprised when she allowed his lips to met hers, or when she brought him closer to her. When she let his hands run through her body, or when she let him take off her robe.

She had missed the way his touch seemed to burn on her skin, and the feeling of his warm body against her. She had missed the way he could make her feel beautiful.

And loved.

-

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[queenofkings1212]

I’ll try my best to put my thoughts in order, because right now, it’s all scrambled and I want nothing else but to ramble on about how much I adore this!

This story is absolutely stunning. I love their love. I love the foundation it was built upon. I love that Tommy tried the very next day instead of putting it off and, therefore, making the situation worse. I love that even if they drifted apart, they knew each other well enough to talk it through. And oh how I love when a man is honest about his feelings. When he admitted that he was waiting for her to come to bed and give him a kiss, I about lost it. I want a kind of love like this. Even if she had doubts that he loved her, they got through it. They argued and such, but still made it through. No marriage is perfect, but dammit, marrying my best friend would damn near be.

I love his character in this. I love how you’ve written the story. You’re story said it was a little over 3k words, but it was so good it just had me reading so fast that it felt like it was 300 words. I love this story and I love that they married their best friend. I truly love this. So much.

“Best Friends” – Tommy Shelby x Reader

[ MASTERLIST ]

SUMMARY: Your marriage with Tommy seems to be pointless at this point but he makes sure you two remember why you always stick together no matter what.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: It’s written for @magicalxdaydream​ 300 Followers Celebration and I chose a “We used to be best friends. What happened to us?” prompt + Tommy (no surprise lol). 🥰

WARNING: English is my second language.

WORD COUNT: 3,110

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[queenofkings1212]

“Helen had the ability of making him feel at home, wherever he was.”

He ruined her. His choices ruined her. He’s right tho. She’s actively forgiven him, but the blame is still mostly on him. She’s given him everything but a child. She’s given her life and the best he could do to her was cheat on her and then marry the woman he had cheated on her with.

I hope he’s scared. Scared to know that the woman that stood by his side is now a different beast because of him. I hope there is no going back. He’s done that to her. No one else. Just him.

Sham || Part V

Tommy Shelby x OC

Part I Part II Part III Part IV

Summary: Whatever they had before France was over the moment he stepped on that train. Whatever they had after Grace left for New York was consolation. And their marriage was a sham.

Warnings: mentions of cheating, mentions of death, smoking

A/N: hi! This starts with a flashback (the last one) and then it goes on with the story. I hope it will help you understand Tommy’s side as well, especially since he’s been demonised a lot in the previous chapters (as he should)

The gif is not mine, credits to the owner

Small Heath, 1921

Helen looked at the clock. It was past midnight. Tommy had told her not to wait for him, because he would’ve come home late. Business, he said.

He didn’t know that in those last few days she had been listening, from the room outside his office. At first she felt guilty, spying on Tommy like that. But he had been acting strange, too strange. Especially after receiving a certain letter.

She knew everything about his phone calls with Grace.

Helen knew that that night he was in London, at Ada’s house. And she knew that Ada was not home. She was with Polly.

The only reason why she hadn’t confronted him about the matter was that she wanted to make sure he would tell her himself. But he didn’t.

She refused to think that he had something going on with Grace. He had a relationship with her now, not with Grace. He told her he loved her. She didn’t need to worry. Maybe there was a good reason why he hadn’t told her that he was going to meet his past lover. Maybe he just wanted to talk to her, ask her why she did what she did before moving on.

Helen felt ridiculous, pathetic, even. She was desperately trying to convince herself that he wouldn’t do something like that to her.

But she could read it on his face as soon as he walked through the door. He didn’t even look at her as he removed his coat.

“Where were you?” She asked him, getting up from the couch.

“Business.”

Of course, he wouldn’t tell her. That was already an answer.

“In London?” She inquired. “More precisely, Primerose Hill?”

Tommy closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. She knew. He didn’t know how, but she fucking knew. He deserved it, though.

“You cheated, didn’t you?”

There was some sort of resignation in her broken voice. It made his heart clench. He kept his head low, too ashamed to look at her. Silence filled the room for what seemed like an endless period of time.

“Answer me.” She shouted as her eyes filled with tears.

Tommy raised his head, looking right into her eyes. There was no point in lying. She already knew. She just wanted to hear it from him.

“I did.”

Arrow House, 1925

When Tommy stepped into the living room, Helen was sitting on the couch, reading a book. He was sure she was aware of his presence, even though she didn’t raise her eyes from the page.

Despite of the tension between them, there was something comfortable in that room. Then he realised, it was because of her. He had always enjoyed watching her read, or just sitting with her in silence. Helen had the ability of making him feel at home, wherever he was.

Tommy walked towards the window, looking at the garden. “I bought it for you.” He said out of the blue.

“What?”

“The house. I bought it for you.”

It was the first time he said it out loud. He never told anyone. Before Grace came back, he bought Arrow House. And a ring. He wanted to propose to Helen.

She turned her head to look at him, but he had his back on her. She stayed silent of a moment, debating whether to believe him or not. “Why did you marry her, then?”

“Because when she came back, so did my feelings for her.” He admitted. “Then I-”

“You cheated on me.” She interrupted him, finishing his sentence, resentment showing through her voice.

“Yes.” He sighed. “And she got pregnant. And I loved her.”

“More than you loved me.” A sad smile made its way on her face as she said those last words. “Less than I love you.”

Tommy turned to look at her. She had said love, not loved. Helen still loved him.

“Sometimes I wish I could hate you.” She admitted, closing her book. “It would make everything easier.”

He thought about her words for a while. During those last few weeks, to him it felt like she was just waiting for him to agree to the divorce. But now he had realised - it wasn’t easy for her to leave him. She probably wasn’t even a hundred percent sure about her decision. At least, that’s what he hoped. He knew he didn’t deserve her, he had never tried to deny that, but he didn’t want to lose her. He really loved her. He had always loved her. He had just realised it too late.

Tommy’s eyes followed her as she stood up from the couch to place her book back on the shelf. “Do you want to know what the difference between me and you is?” She casually asked.

“What?”

“You changed, but I didn’t stop loving you. I didn’t run away from the man you became after the war, because I knew that my Tommy was still there. But when you saw how much I had changed… you just didn’t want me anymore. I don’t blame you for that, but don’t come to me and tell me that you love me, because you most certainly don’t.”

Helen had the right to be angry. He had pretended that nothing had happened between them, until he found someone who hadn’t been touched by all that pain, who didn’t feel all that anger. And he had made all the wrong choices.

“Listen, I know I married her. I know I started a family with her. But it doesn’t mean I didn’t love you. I just… I couldn’t see a future with you, at the time. I wanted to see my son grow up, Helen.”

Tommy knew how unreasonable that sounded, he couldn’t even explain it to himself. He would’ve never thought it could be possible to love two people at the same time. But he did.

“You’re so fucking confusing.” She snapped. “Stop saying you love me. You don’t. You love the way I make you feel. You married me because you didn’t want to be alone. You only keep me around because you need me. That’s what you always did. And that’s why I want a divorce, Tommy.”

Even though Helen had a point, some part of Tommy was angry with her. She could’ve brought all of that up before they got married. Marrying him was her choice as well, he had never forced her to do anything. He had never forced her to stay by his side. He might have asked her, but she had always been free to leave.

Tommy was grateful, because after all that he had put her through, she had always stayed, even when he was with Grace. But the reason why she did that was that having him as a friend was better than not having him at all. She had told him that. That meant that she needed him just as much as he needed her.

He wasn’t the only one to blame in that situation. He had done a lot of wrong things, but she was well aware of who she was marrying. She had actively chosen to forgive him. Now she was wrecking their home after one fight.

They were a family now. Dysfunctional, sure, but still a family. They were supposed to work that out. He wouldn’t have tried to change her mind if they weren’t married, he would have let her go. But they were. She could have left him before vowing to spend her whole life with him, to share everything. Before entering Charlie’s life, who almost considered her as a mother. Before giving to the two of them hope for a better life.

Tommy reached for his pack of cigarettes, taking one out and putting it between his lips. He took the time to light it and take a long drag. “You’ll never find a solicitor willing to go against a Shelby. And even if you did, no judge would grant the divorce. There is no actual reason to divorce, after all.”

He wasn’t cruel to her, he didn’t beat her, he wasn’t a drunk. He hadn’t cheated on her during their marriage and, even if he did, it wouldn’t be a good enough reason anyway.

But there was something he hadn’t considered. There was one thing that could grant her the divorce. Something that, according to society, was even worse than beating and drinking.

“Maybe I should cheat on you, then. That would be good reason.”

Tommy snapped his head towards her. There was something deeply unfamiliar in his wife. Her eyes were too cold and the smirk on her face told him that she was deadly serious. He raised his eyebrows, pointing a finger towards her. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

“What about your reputation, eh?”

Helen scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I couldn’t give a damn about my reputation. But what about yours? I would bring disgrace on you, on the entire family. What about your image, then?”

He put out his cigarette, striding through the room and getting closer to her. “Stop it.”

But she couldn’t stop now. “The only way to save yourself would be a divorce.”

He grabbed the back of her head to make her look at him, shaking her a little like he could bring sense back into her. “Who the fuck are you, eh? Who the fuck are you?”

There were tears in his eyes. He couldn’t recognise the woman she used to be, the girl he fell in love with all those years prior. The worst thing was - he had made her like that. She had reached her limit.

And he was scared there was no going back anymore.

-

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[queenofkings1212]

cold tea

tommy x reader

SUMMARY you wake to an empty bed, and find yourself surprised when discovering tommy preparing tea for you

WARNINGS none, this is pure domestic fluff

WORD COUNT 710

A/N this is short, i apologise but i haven’t posted for ages and i wanted to post something

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[queenofkings1212]

I love their family dynamics! I love the soft side of him and I love their cute nicknames for their kids.

“Kiss It Better” – Tommy Shelby x Reader

[ MASTERLIST ]

SUMMARY: Whenever Tommy’s children get hurt, his wife always knows how to ease their pain with a simple kiss. Eventually, he’s the one that’s hurt.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: It’s written for @peakyswift​​​​ 900 Followers Celebration and I chose a “can you kiss it better?” prompt + Tommy as always. 🤡

WARNING: English is my second language.

WORD COUNT: 2,350

Keep reading

[queenofkings1212]

Rot in hell Grace Burgess!

Hello Lily, congratulations! Could you write something where both Grace and Tommy are vampires and they're in love with Reader? You can do whatever you want with this idea! The prompt I chose is: “It’s been centuries since I felt like this, I’m not letting you go that easily.” 💌

I loved the idea since I wanted to write something with Reader leaving Grace for Tommy for a while now... And of course I love Vampires lol 🦇 If you read my previous story with vampire Tommy, this is a completely different lore! 💗

“Little Mouse” – Vampire!Grace Burgess x Vampire!Reader x Vampire!Tommy Shelby

You can find the GIFs [here] and [here].

[ MASTERLIST ] [ SUPERNATURAL CELEBRATION ]

SUMMARY: Grace Burgess wants a very special necklace that Tommy Shelby owns. She uses you – her lover and companion – to spy on the man and find out the way to get the artefact. In the meantime you fall in love with him and he makes you realise the truth about your real nature.

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of sex but nothing explicit, every cliché creepy thing about the vampires: blood, violence, description of drinking blood from the victim without his constent etc.

WARNING: English is my second language.

WORD COUNT: 4,850

LITTLE MOUSE

The night was about to end and you were already in your nightgown, waiting for a brand new day to start. Grace’s long and slim fingers were caressing the skin of your neck delicately while she was reading a book and you were playing with the hem of your cover, staring outside the window. You were sure that you wouldn’t fall asleep on that day because it had always been difficult for you to sleep at new places.

You were used to the city of Belfast where you had been born a hundred years ago and where you had been turned into a vampire by your employer. She had chosen you for her companion out of all the people around her and nothing in this bitter world felt better than that.

Grace Burgess hadn’t been much older than you, perhaps fifty years or so but she was your Mistress.

You two had gone to Birmingham because Grace had a mission. She wanted to get a powerful artefact – a sapphire necklace. Apparently an old vampire living in Birmingham owned it and his name was Thomas Shelby.

Grace found it outrageous that a man like him owned such an ancient thing. He was way older than her and way more powerful but he was coming from a lower class folk and that was something she couldn’t forgive. The truth was that she wanted that necklace for herself. She wanted to wear it… as mad as it sounded. Wearing ancient artefacts had never been a wise idea since they were usually dangerous.

Who were you, though, to stop your Mistress’ plans?

“The sun,” you hissed at the first rays of sunshine getting inside the bedroom through the window. Sun was making you feel nauseous.

“Draw the curtains, my love,” she sighed and put the book down. You nodded and jumped out of bed to draw the thick, velvet curtains and shut off the daylight completely.

Once you were back in bed and under the cover, you clinged to Grace immediately, putting your head on her chest.

“What’s troubling you, little mouse?” she put her hand on your waist.

“I’m scared of tomorrow… Do I have to go there…?” you swallowed thickly.

“Ah, my little mouse, I know that it’s scary to be there alone without me and that your silly little head feels like it’s too much for you but I believe in you… And once our job in Birmingham is done and I have the sapphire, we will go back home, I promise,” Grace whispered as her fingers wandered underneath your nightgown. You could feel goosebumps forming on your arms from the light touch of her fingertips on your spread thighs. “Want me to help you with going to sleep, my love?” she cooed with a smirk.

You nodded and bit your lower lip, spreading your legs even further and letting her explore the area. When her cold fingers brushed your knickers, you gasped and shut your eyes while rolling your hips for friction.

Grace was usually a taker, not a giver. But this time she wanted something from you so she was giving you an early reward for that and it felt like heaven.

In the evening you got dressed in humble clothes and took a taxi to Arrow House – a big mansion in the outskirts of Birmingham where Thomas Shelby lived. His head-maid was surprised to see you there at this hour.

“You’re here looking for a job?” her eyes widened. “At this hour? Our last candidate left five hours ago!”

“P-please…” you batted your eyelashes, trying to use your charm on her. Grace had been always telling you that you weren’t good at all those vampire tricks so you didn’t count on much but to your surprise she nodded her head.

“Alright, come in,” she opened the door further. “We’ll talk in the living room.”

“I’d rather talk to Mr. Shelby himself. Personally,” you smiled sweetly and she furrowed her brow. After a short while of staring at her intensively, she eventually gave in.

“Mr. Shelby’s in the office. Follow me,” she ordered and you went after her upstairs. “My name’s Mary, by the way,” she introduced herself and knocked upon the door.

“Yes?” a male voice answered.

“Our last candidate, Mr. Shelby,” Mary pushed the door open. “She wants to speak to you personally.”

“Is that a joke?” Mr. Shelby stood up and approached you two. You suddenly felt so little at the sight of him.

He wasn’t tall but he was radiating a very powerful and dangerous energy even in a human-like sense. You could only imagine what kind of vampire he had been.

He blinked a few times at the sight of you and you wondered if he had known already… After all, vampires like you were much more human than others.

“Alright, leave us alone,” he waved his hand dismissively and Mary left the office.

You closed the door after her and swallowed thickly, feeling his piercing gaze on you.

“Why are you coming here so late, love?” Mr. Shelby sat by his desk once again and intertwined his fingers.

“Mr. Shelby, I… I am the maid you’re looking for,” you tried to convince him as you stood in front of the desk and fixed your skirt.

“Why is that so?” he chuckled.

“Because you and I are of the same kin,” you explained and his face got serious. He leaned in and cocked an eyebrow at you.

“Yeah, I know,” he nodded. “I can smell it all over you.”

“A maid of the same kin would be nice, don’t you think, Mr. Shelby? I can work at night and I can keep your bloody secrets from other maids,” you cracked a smile.

“True that,” he nodded and took a deep breath in. “Why would a creature like you want to work as a maid, though?” he squinted his blue eyes at you and you looked down, ashamed.

“I am a weakling vampire, Mr. Shelby. I cling to the strong ones in order to survive… Please…” you pleaded.

“What happened to the previous Master?”

“He found himself a better companion and left me behind. She is a powerful being and me… not so much. She is his lover meanwhile I was nothing but a servant,” you lied quickly.

“Was he the one who had changed you?”

“Yes,” you nodded shyly.

“It’s not good to leave your own creations behind,” Mr. Shelby shook his head and you looked up to see his face. For some reason he visibly pitied you. “I am quite lonely here, that’s a fact. I don’t have a companion but that might change. You’re hired, Miss…?”

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N),” you introduced yourself with a smile and he nodded.

“How old are you?”

“A hundred.”

“Ah, such a youngling,” Mr. Shelby smirked. “Mary will show you your bedroom. You will work as the nighttime maid but you are free to leave the mansion whenever you need to feed.”

“Yes, thank you,” you nodded and sighed with relief before leaving his office to find the head-maid and inform her about Mr. Shelby’s decision.

Working for Mr. Shelby had been surprisingly nice. Unlike Grace he was giving you space and he didn’t require your presence all the time. Sometimes he would invite you to the library or his office, though, where he liked to talk to you about art and history, which with time had turned into more personal conversations. He was mostly asking you questions about your human life, which was something that had never interested Grace much. For her your life had begun the moment she had turned you into a Vampire.

“I will leave tomorrow to feed,” you informed him on that night when you two were playing chess in silence.

“Yes, of course,” he nodded and moved one of his pawns.

“I can bring you some, Mr. Shelby,” you proposed and he looked up.

“No, thank you. You hunt animals, am I right?”

“I only drank human blood when my Master would allow me to,” you explained, which was not exactly a lie since that was what was happening with you and Grace.

“Now I am your Master,” Mr. Shelby reminded you sternly. “I allow that.”

“I’m not sure if I can hunt people,” you admitted.

“Hunt for whatever animal you want then. Except for horses. That I forbid,” he looked at you firmly.

“O-of course, Mr. Shelby,” you nodded and moved your pawn. “Why are they so special to you?”

“Part of my human life.”

“I understand.”

“I can smell what you eat,” he winced a little. “Rabbits mostly. We can go hunting together one day, love. I’ll show you how to hunt humans.”

“Sounds good,” you admitted with a smile. “Tomorrow I’ll stick to the rabbits, though.”

“Fine,” he nodded and looked down at the chess board. “Checkmate.”

“Oh, I lost again…” you scratched the back of your neck awkwardly.

“No. You won. I’m saying checkmate because no matter what I do now, you won,” he pointed out and your eyes widened. You would never expect a victory.

He stood up and you examined his face but he didn’t look angry about that. Grace would be pissed if you had won with her.

“Come with me, love,” he left the room and you followed him, confused.

“Where are you taking me, Mr. Shelby?” you asked quietly after noticing him going to the basement.

“I want to give you something,” he answered mysteriously and opened the treasury with a key hidden in the pocket of his vest.

It was dark inside but your vampire eyes didn’t have any problem with that. It was full of gold and powerful objects that were radiating off a pulsating energy. You felt a little dizzy from it all and Mr. Shelby put his hands on your shoulders to keep you steady.

“Where did you… Where did you get all those things from?” you gasped.

“I like to collect them,” he whispered. “And I want to give you something special,” he added before approaching one of the shelves.

Your heart skipped a beat at the sight of a necklace with a blue sapphire, the one that Grace had wanted so badly. He walked past the shelf with it carelessly and opened one of the small chests in the corner of the room. You couldn’t keep your eyes off of the necklace, though.

“You like it?” he chuckled and you swallowed thickly before looking away, feeling stupid for getting caught. “It’s pretty, isn’t it? I wouldn’t mind giving it to you but it’s very powerful. It belonged to one of the first Vampire Queens in history,” he explained. “It should rot in the basement for our own good,” he approached you and handed you a little wooden box. “I’d like you to have this.”

“What's that?” your eyes widened as your fingers worked on the opening.

Inside the box there was a beautiful golden ring with a huge ruby.

“It belonged to Countess Elizabeth Báthory,” he smiled at you and you looked up, a bit confused. “You don’t know about her, do you?”

You felt stupid but Grace had never taught you about the history of your kin. You shook your head, embarrassed.

“It’s alright, love,” he smiled softly and put the ring on your finger. “Look, it fits.”

“I will read about her in your library, Mr. Shelby,” you promised. “But I cannot accept such a gift, I am sorry…”

“Why not? I don’t need it, it’s not like I’m going to wear it,” he chuckled.

“But you’re a collector and it’s a part of your collection,” you tried to hand it back but he put his hands behind his back.

“Can I be honest with you, (Y/N)? I’ve never had a companion before,” he chuckled nervously and you furrowed your brows. “I always choose loneliness, I like it this way. Therefore, you’re special to me and even if you leave one day and find yourself another Master, I want you to have a memory after me.”

You blinked a few times at that confession as your jaw dropped a bit. You would never expect Mr. Shelby having a soft spot… especially for you.

“But to be honest, my dearest,” he cleared his throat, “I don’t think you need a Master.”

“What do you mean by that?” you furrowed your brow but he only shrugged his arms and left the treasury. You followed him outside and watched him locking the door behind you. “Thank you, Mr. Shelby. I find the ring beautiful,” you added shyly.

“As I said, it fits you,” he nodded.

On the very next night, after the hunt, you met with Grace in the middle of the forest. You smiled at the sight of her and approached her to give her a hug but she didn’t look half as happy as you.

“I’ve missed you!” you put your arms around her and she sighed before patting your back.

“Yes, yes, little mouse, I’ve missed you, too. How is your mission going?”

“I know where the sapphire is,” you told her with a smile, proud of yourself.

“You do?” she questioned.

“It’s in the basement. He keeps a key in the pocket of his vest. There’s strong magic inside, I doubt it would be possible to break in.”

“Will it be difficult for you to steal the key from him?” Grace asked.

“To be honest, yes. I’m not even sure where he sleeps,” you admitted and she rolled her eyes.

“Of course, I knew that counting on you in that matter would be too much,” she hissed and you looked down.

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s alright. Not your fault you’re a weakling.”

“Grace…” you started awkwardly.

“Yes?” she cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

“I saw that necklace and he told me about it… He says it’s better to keep it hidden. He says it’s dangerous.”

“Oh! For a man like him, of course… He knows nothing of such things, he’s nothing but a brute, he’s not a man of culture. He doesn’t know how to use it so he finds such excuses. That necklace has been my dream ever since I found out about it. And you want to help me to achieve my dream, am I right, (Y/N)?” she suddenly caressed your cheek and you melted under her touch.

There was a bond between you two since she had been the one to turn you into a vampire. Even when you were hurt by her or angry at her, it felt impossible not to give in whenever she was around. The only good thing about it was the fact that it had been working both ways – Grace had contemplated leaving you for better companions many times before but she couldn’t. She loved you too much. You were hers.

You were sitting in the library and reading a book about the history of vampires, feeling comfortable by the fireplace and occasionally playing with the new ring on your finger.

“Reading about Elizabeth Báthory, love?” Mr. Shelby interrupted you with a soft smile and you looked up at him.

“Already finished reading about her. Such a fascinating person. Now I’m reading about Petar Blagojević.”

“A little spoiler here, love. He wasn’t a real one. Just a poor peasant accused of being a vampire by a bunch of stupid humans,” Mr. Shelby chuckled and you put the book down. “Speaking of stupid humans, are you ready?”

“Yes,” you nodded and stood up. On that night you were supposed to hunt for human blood with Mr. Shelby.

Surprisingly, he took you to the centre of the city where you were surrounded by a lot of people.

“So many around, all busy with their little lives. No one will notice a scream for help. They ignore screams for help on a daily basis, they don’t hear them anymore just like they walk past the tramps dying on the street,” he explained. “Drag your chosen one to the dark alley over there. I will wait there for you,” he pointed at one of the streets without any street lamps.

“M-me alone?” you were surprised by the amount of trust he had in you.

“Of course. It’s an easy task, (Y/N). You’re a charmer, aren’t you? All my maids are your puppets,” he smirked.

“I’m just a weakling.”

His face angered suddenly and you flinched but when he raised his hand, he did that to grab your chin gently and look deeper into your eyes.

“You are not and I don’t want you to keep repeating that. You’re a very powerful creature and I want you to realise that eventually. I have known that since I laid my eyes on you for the first time. There’s so much power in you but it’s in a deep slumber. If I ever see your previous Master, I will tear his heart out of his chest and burn it,” he hissed and you swallowed thickly before nodding your head. Mr. Shelby took a step back and smiled nonchalantly. “Whoever he was, he was lying to you. Now go, hunt,” he whispered and you turned around to find a victim, trying not to think too much of what had just happened. Overthinking would make you lose your focus.

You chose a man that had been harassing his date ten minutes earlier in front of the cinema. He was in need to learn some manners but he liked to pretend that he was a gentleman. You asked him to help you with looking for a lost purse and he agreed with a weird sparkle in his eye.

And indeed, once you were in the dark alley, he was trying to get handsy with you. But you weren’t scared, you knew that you were actually the predator there. And you could also see Mr. Shelby from the corner of your eye. With a nod of his head he encouraged you to continue without him.

“Come on, doll, we both know you took me here for a reason, not to find some fucking purse…” the man purred into your ear and you turned around to dig your fangs in the warm flesh of his neck.

Human blood… It was so sweet and so good that it made you feel dizzy quickly. You weren’t used to it. Grace had been treating it as a reward.

Meanwhile, Mr. Shelby let you drink as much as you wanted to and he only stopped you when your victim was about to lose enough blood to die.

“You can continue, (Y/N),” he assured you when you looked at him with the widened eyes of a rabid animal. “But that’s the moment where you’re starting to kill him. You can leave him here and we’ll find someone else if you’re still hungry.”

“What would you do?” you asked him, feeling thick and warm blood dripping down your chin.

“What does it matter? You are your own Mistress, love,” he chuckled and put your hair behind your ear like he didn’t want it to get dirty.

His words felt like an electricity bolt going through your veins. You looked down at your victim and took a deep breath in.

“He’s a scum,” you whispered, “but I’m not an animal. I can control my urges,” you decided.

“Good,” Mr. Shelby nodded as you let your victim’s body fall down on the ground. “When I was your age, I was quite brutal. Got myself a reputation…” he admitted. “But I’m no longer like that.”

“I wouldn’t mind you being like that either,” you said suddenly and then you shut your mouth, feeling a little embarrassed.

You were about to look down but he didn’t let you. You felt his body pushing you to the wall behind you as his lips found yours and clashed with them in a hasty kiss. You were surprised but you gladly gave in.

You liked Mr. Shelby. He was good to you and he was making you feel like your own person. Smart and experienced and yet, he had never made you feel stupid around him. You squeezed his arm and opened your mouth, inviting his tongue in and staining his face with fresh blood.

He had never had any companion and despite it being his own choice, he was very lonely. The way he was kissing you had been the best proof – like he was hungry for you.

“Come,” he eventually broke the kiss and caught his breath, “our hunt has only begun.”

You licked your lips and nodded before grabbing his hand to follow him into the darkness.

On the very next night you were supposed to meet with Grace again in the same spot as usual. You had lied to Mr. Shelby that you wanted to take a walk and he had agreed. He was trusting you completely these days and had never truly been treating you like a maid.

“There you are!” Grace greeted you with an irritated voice. “You’re late.”

“Forgive me, love,” you smiled at her, suddenly feeling very guilty about the kiss you had had with Mr. Shelby.

“You smell different…” Grace furrowed her brow and sniffed. “You were drinking human blood?” she asked like she couldn’t believe that.

“Mr. Shelby insisted.”

“A brute,” she sighed. “Almost making me feel guilty for leaving you with him… Soon it’ll be over, though.”

“How?” you asked her as your heart squeezed in your chest. For some reason, you didn’t want it to end. You wouldn’t mind living with Mr. Shelby forever.

“Well, after you had mentioned a whole treasury to me the other night, I contacted powerful people in Belfast, my friends. Now we have buyers for whatever that Shelby has there. All we have to do now is to kill him. From what I’ve heard he’s powerful but he’s a loner. It’s us two against him and I was sent a powerful weapon by Mr. Campbell,” she took something out of her purse. It looked like a gun but it was covered with a handkerchief. “Made of silver and full of silver bullets baptised in the Vatican.”

“You want to kill him…?” your eyes widened.

“Well, what else did you expect?”

“We were supposed to steal.”

“And you think he’d let us steal from him like that? He’d hunt us down and we’d have to kill him eventually anyway,” Grace shrugged her arms and hid the gun back in her purse. “Anyway, I know you’re too weak to do it so I will be the one to pull the trigger. Tomorrow, you will let me inside the mansion and you will convince him to go with you to the treasury. I’ll hide in the basement and when he opens the lock, I will kill him. Understood, my little mouse?” she suddenly softened after seeing your terrified facial expression.

“He’s… He’s good to me, Grace. He showed me nothing but kindness…”

“Why are you disobeying me, (Y/N)?” she asked, surprised. “I am your Mistress. We do as I say.”

You realised there was no point of trying to fight her. If you told her that you two had been actually equal, she’d just laugh at you and call you her silly goose.

“I’m sorry,” you looked down and she approached you to hold you in her arms. A soothing tactic that was supposed to make you trust her again. Sometimes you wondered if she had been aware of those little tricks of hers or was it just the way she had been.

“I love you, sweet (Y/N),” she cooed to you. “Soon we’ll be back home, far away from it. I’m sorry I made you do it but you know, if I went to him and wanted to work as a maid… he’d immediately feel I’m too powerful to be in such a position, he’d get suspicious,” she explained.

“I know,” you swallowed thickly and faked a smile. “I love you, too.”

When you came back to the mansion, your decision had already been made. It wasn’t an easy one but you found yourself knocking upon the wooden door leading to Mr. Shelby’s office.

“Come in, love,” he ordered. He had known it was you because there was only one person awake at home at this hour and he could smell you through the door, of course.

“Mr. Shelby,” you entered the office and burst in tears immediately. He furrowed his brow and stood up to approach you worryingly. “Oh, Mr. Shelby…”

“What happened?” he put his hands on your shoulders. “Please, sit. Talk to me,” he helped you to take a seat on a sofa before sitting down next to you.

“She wants to kill you…!” you exclaimed dramatically and hid your face in your hands.

“Who?”

“Grace Burgess…” you explained and looked up at him.

“And who the hell is that?”

“My…” you hesitated for a moment. “My Mistress,” you lowered your voice and his eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I lied to you, Mr. Shelby. She’s my Mistress and she sent me here to spy on you because she wants that sapphire necklace. I didn’t know she wanted to kill you, though. I thought she just wanted to steal from you… Anyway, back then I didn’t know you would be so good to me… Oh, Mr. Shelby, she contacted some people in Belfast and now all of them want the things from your treasury. They sent her a weapon to get rid of you and she wants to kill you tomorrow…” you were explaining chaotically while his face remained unchanged.

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked eventually, still worryingly calm.

“Because I don’t want you to die, you were good to me… You… liberated me, Mr. Shelby. In many ways…” you admitted. “Will you kill me now…?”

“Why would I kill you, love?” he chuckled nervously and at that moment you could see that he was in fact… hurt.

“As I told you before, in my human life I was a maid. I was working for her, she chose me for her companion for some reason and she changed me without my permission. She loves me but her love suffocates me…” you confessed. “She treats me like her toy. She was the one telling me I was a weakling so I wouldn’t leave her…” you started to play with the hem of your skirt nervously. “And you… You made me see that.”

“Do you know why I agreed for you to stay here although I’ve never had any companions before?”

“No,” you shook your head.

“Because I felt straight away what a powerful being you are. I thought to myself that if I’m supposed to ever have a companion, it would be someone like you. I immediately felt you were held back but I am a patient man, everyone being six hundred years old is patient. I decided to work on you and with time… With time I fell in love with you,” he admitted and you gasped while looking into his eyes. He leaned in to close the space between you as he laid a soft kiss upon your lips. “Since I have you, I can’t understand how I could live alone for so many years,” he confessed. “It’s been centuries since I felt like this, I’m not letting you go that easily. I am going to kill her when she comes here tomorrow and then I’m going to visit Belfast and get rid of all of her friends. After that I either come back here to you or I come back here to an empty mansion, I am not your Master, the decision is yours. But at least I’ll know you’re out there free and aware of your abilities, that you’re happy.”

“Mr. Shelby…” you sobbed again and he furrowed his brow. “Please, don’t kill her…”

“So you’d rather her to kill me, love?” he asked sadly.

“No, of course not!” you protested. “But she was the one to change me… It’s a bond… We have a bond… In some way I love her…”

“Do you know what happened to a vampire that had changed me?” he asked and caressed your wet cheek. You shook your head. “I killed him,” he smirked. “There’s a bond indeed,” he nodded. “And there’s nothing more liberating than breaking it.”

“Do you really think you can handle them all by yourself? Those in Belfast, too?” you bit your lower lip and grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him closer and clinging to him.

“Easily,” he chuckled. “In that book you were reading… You still haven’t gotten to a chapter about me, eh?”

You batted your eyelashes. It was true, you hadn’t. And you hadn’t known before that he was much more powerful and much more dangerous than you originally had thought. The reason behind your naivety was… love, of course.

“Why would I read about it in a book when you can tell me everything yourself?” you asked and he smiled at you. “When you come back from Belfast, I’ll be here,” you promised and intertwined the fingers of your right hand with his. He squeezed it lightly and brought it to his lips to place a loving kiss on your knuckles.

“So, what’s her plan to kill me?” he asked. “Let’s outsmart her.”

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[queenofkings1212]

Chotronette on Etsy

[queenofkings1212]

[queenofkings1212]

Thousand Possibilities Stephen Strange x fem!reader

Summary: Stephen visits the Stark Enterprises and stumbles upon you, but why did it seem like he already knew you?

[ tw: mentions of sex ]

“Mr. Stark, your food,” you said, sighing. 

Tony didn’t appear to hear you, and went on talking to Steve.

“I’m just saying we might need to hold off plan A!”

“That’s our only plan,” Steve reasoned. 

You tried not to scream. Being an intern at Stark Enterprises was a privilege. That man liked you enough to keep you around for an year, and by now, everyone knew you’re kind of like his unofficial daughter. 

But even then, Tony made your work a lot harder than it needed to be. Sure, helping out the avengers is exciting, but what do you do if your employer doesn’t even listen to you most of the times?

“Your food,” you said, more forcibly.

“Oh, Dr. Strange is here by the way,” Steve informed, his brows furrowed. “Says he needs to talk to you.”

“Oh goodie, that man always comes with the best news,” Tony said, sarcasm thick on his voice. “Just send him in.”

“He’s on his way up right now—”

“ANTHONY EDWARD STARK!” you yelled, “If you don’t go eat your food, I swear to god I’m taking my pen and plunging it through your heart, which won’t do it anything, but I hope it hurts!”

Steve and Tony both looked at you with slightly open mouths, as if just seeing you.

“Bad time?” A man you recognized as Dr. Strange walked in, watching the scene with amusement. 

Keep reading

[queenofkings1212]

Wow. I love this so much!

strangers again | bucky barnes

summary: THIS IS A REPOST FROM MY OLD ACCOUNT!! inspired by the song, “strange” by celeste. 

pairing: bucky barnes x female reader

warnings: angst angst angst, emotional, mentions of break-up/moving on/etc, curse words

Keep reading

[queenofkings1212]

This is the part you write that her sisters a bitch and manipulated Bucky and have him end up with us because my heart😭😭😭😭

right where you left me | bucky barnes

pairings: bucky x female reader

summary: after a rough day at work, you want nothing more than to just go home but unfortunately you had other plans, fortunately those plans involved a very handsome stranger.

warnings: 18+ ONLY; angst? cuss words, sassy reader, kinda sweet, mentions of adult thoughts

eighteen plus only — by choosing to ‘keep reading’, you are agreeing that you are eighteen years old and over. do not interact with this story if you are a minor.

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[queenofkings1212]

[queenofkings1212]

PLEASE HURT ME MORE!!! This is just so good!!!!!

Please let Helen end up happy and with someone else. I see glimpses of him and his love for her, but it doesn’t negate the fact that he’s hurt her. He blames her for being different after the war but expects people to understand that he’s different because of the same war? Fuck off with that shit Thomas.

The ONE person whose stayed by your side all these years is the person you’ve hurt the most? She was by your side throughout your family problems, but was left behind when a classy Irish came by. She was used as a comfort, which you lied to her about it being love, and was discarded once again when the classy Irish came back. I’ll admit, Helen is a fool for staying by you after all your lies and betrayal, but I’m glad she’s finally getting some sense back. I hope she leaves you Thomas. I hope you watch as she finds a man that truly (TRULY) loves her and puts her first. I hope you watch as she marries someone and becomes happy. Happier than she’s ever been with you. You’ve been through a log, but so has she. You HAD the chance to be happy. To be truly happy. With a woman that’s loved you all her life and your son, but you threw it away because you couldn’t let go of your classy Irish. You could’ve had it all, but instead you’ve ruined the one good thing in your life and for that, I hope you watch in pain, the same pain you’ve given her, as she finds someone truly worthy of her love and will love her back just the same.

Sham | Part IV

Tommy Shelby x OC

Part I Part II Part III

Summary: Whatever they had before France was over the moment he stepped on that train. Whatever they had after Grace left for New York was consolation. And their marriage was a sham.

Warnings: smoking, drinking, mentions of PTSD

A/N: with this chapter we’re going back in time to explore Tommy and Helen’s dynamic in a deeper way (and to know something more about our Helen). There will be other chapters like this, they’re necessary for future developments! I hope you like it🤍

Gif credit

The Betting Shop, 1919

Helen couldn’t focus on her paperwork as she sat across Tommy’s desk. His office - which was previously Arthur’s office - was small and dusty, too dusty. But it wasn’t her itchy nose that was distracting her. She glanced at Tommy from time to time, as if he would confess something under the weight of her stare.

He wouldn’t talk. He didn’t owe her any kind of explanation, after all. And those days, no one knew anything about his plans or the things he was doing.

Except for one person. And that person was not Helen.

“So the barmaid is your secretary, now.” She eventually spoke, not raising her eyes from the sheets of paper in front of her.

Tommy stopped writing for a moment, taken aback by the undisguised bitterness in her voice. “Secretary and bookkeeper, yes.”

“Since when?”

“Since I’ve gotten a legal betting license. Billy Kimber has an adviser, Roberts. He keeps the accounts and runs the legal side of the business.” He explained. “I need a Roberts.”

Helen stayed silent, fidgeting with her pen. He wanted Grace to be his Roberts. She didn’t even know who that man was. She barely even knew what kind of business he was doing with Kimber. But apparently, the barmaid was a part of it.

It seemed like he had completely forgotten about all his promises. They were supposed to do that together. Instead, he was leaving her out of it like she was nothing more than one of his employees.

Tommy cleared his voice as he started signing the documents again. “She’s good with numbers, keeps the books in order.”

“Yes, that’s definitely the reason why you hired her.”

Tommy placed the pen on the desk with a thud, leaning back in his chair. He raised his eyebrows, staring at Helen. “Do you have a problem with it?”

“Yes, I do.” She met his gaze. “You’ve known her for five minutes, and you’re already trusting her with the business.”

“She can be trusted.”

Helen shook her head as a sneering grin made its way on her face. “Sure.”

“She saved my life the other night, at the Garrison.”

Silence fell between them again for several long seconds.

“What?”

Tommy took a cigarette out of his pocket, placing it between his lips. “Two IRA men wanted to talk to me, alone.”

“About the guns?”

“Yes.” He paused, lighting the cigarette. “I gave her a gun, told her to help me. The police was supposed to come in at some point, but it didn’t. Those men tried to kill me, so she fired. She killed one of them. She did it to save me.”

Helen blinked, trying to process all that information. He wanted Grace to help him. He trusted her with his life. And she hadn’t known anything about that until that very moment. But she wasn’t angry. She was disappointed. And hurt. And she felt selfish and cruel, because the man she loved had almost died, and her major concern was the woman who saved his life.

“You called her, and you didn’t call me?” She asked in a whisper.

“I didn’t call her, she was already at the Garrison. She works there, you know?” He sarcastically retorted, inhaling again.

“That’s not the point, Thomas.” Helen raised her voice, getting up from the chair. “You were in danger, and you didn’t call me. You trusted a stranger with your life, but not me. I’m your friend.”

Tommy sighed, putting away his cigarette and getting up as well. “Listen,” he started, walking around the desk. “I know I told you that I wanted your help. I still do.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. “But not for this.”

“Why?”

He took a step back, running a hand through his hair.“Because she has something I need.”

“And what would that be?”

Tommy opened his mouth to say something, but closed it right after. He didn’t want to say it, but she was too stubborn. He knew she wouldn’t leave that office without an answer.

“Class.” He reluctantly replied.

It felt like a knife in her heart. She let out a bitter chuckle, collecting her things. She should’ve never asked. It would’ve saved her the embarrassment. “Of course.”

“Wait, Helen, I didn’t mean it like that.” He reached out a hand, but she was already walking towards the door.

It was past midnight when Helen stepped into the Garrison, clumsily closing the door behind her. She needed a drink, maybe two.

“We’re closed.” Harry’s voice resounded in the empty pub, but it didn’t take long before he recognised Helen’s face. His expression changed and she didn’t even had to ask him to pour her a drink, because he automatically filled a glass. Helen muttered a ‘thank you’, sitting on a stool.

“Rough day?” He asked her as he went back to cleaning the glasses.

“You have no idea.”

She made the drink swirl in the glass before taking a sip. She felt ridiculous, drowning her sorrows in an empty pub when she should just be in bed. She had tried to go to sleep, earlier that night, but when she turned off the lights the clench in her stomach got too tight, breathing became harder and harder and the crippling fear of something that was long gone clutched her throat with an icy grip, and a crimson pool stood out in the darkness as deafening shrieks pierced her ears.

She couldn’t sleep.

Helen was so deep in thought that she didn’t even notice that Tommy was standing beside her until he spoke, a drink already in his hand. “Harry, can you leave us alone? I’ll close here.”

In a matter of seconds, the barman was gone. Helen pitied him. His own pub taken away from him, to become a gangster’s property. He was a good man, he didn’t deserve that.

“Can we talk?” Tommy asked her, sitting next to her.

Helen glanced at him, tightening her grip on the glass. The urge to ask him why he was wasting his time with a commoner instead of being with his classy barmaid was too strong, but she bit her tongue before the words could leave her mouth. She had no right to be jealous.

“I chose Grace as my secretary because she’s perfect for the job. I’ll need her at big events, like Epsom.” He explained. “But there’s another reason why I didn’t involve you with Billy Kimber, the guns, the IRA…”

When he stopped talking, Helen frowned, turning her head towards him. “Go on, I’m listening.”

Tommy swallowed thickly, choosing his next words carefully.

“It was too dangerous.”

Helen chuckled, but there was no humour in her laugh. She had almost thought that he was about to give her a real explanation. Instead, he was just trying to fix the mess he had made in the most trivial way possible. “Seriously? That’s your excuse?”

Tommy clenched his jaw. He knew she wouldn’t believe him, he wouldn’t have believed himself either. But he was telling the truth. The idea of her being in Kimber’s house, alone with him, or in the same room as the IRA men, or questioned by Campbell caused him physical pain.

“I mean it, Helen. It was a risky job, and you’re not disposable.”

“I’m not disposable, but the pretty barmaid you’re in love with is?” She scoffed, still not believing a single word that came out of his mouth.

Tommy shook his head, drinking what was left of his whiskey in one go. “You really don’t understand, do you?”

“Understand what?”

“I never stopped caring about you.” He snapped. “My feelings for Grace won’t change that.”

“You have a strange way of showing it.” She murmured, raising her eyebrows.

Tommy sighed, rubbing his eyes. Why was everything so goddamn difficult?

“I loved you. A part of me still does, but…” he stopped, not knowing how to say that without hurting her. But he didn’t need to say anything, because she already knew what was going through his mind.

“But you’re not in love with me.” She whispered.

“I was, before I left. When I came back, I expected to find my Helen, with her sweet smile and funny laugh. But you were so different-”

“How could I not be, Thomas?” She abruptly interrupted him. “I saw people die, too. I saw soldiers suffer for days, without being able to do anything about that. The field hospital was attacked, twice. And you never answered my letters. I thought you were dead. You can’t go through something like this and stay the same. You should know it.”

Tommy lowered his head, keeping his eyes on the empty glass in front of him. She was right, he knew it all too well. But he couldn’t look at her without seeing all that he had lost.

“I don’t blame you for your feelings.” She admitted. “The boy that left for France loved me, but that boy never came back. You’re a different person now. What you needed then is not what you need now. I get it.”

And how could he need her when he had Grace? She was everything Helen wasn’t. She was beautiful, sophisticated, soft. Helen knew she couldn’t compete with her. She was awkward and average, there was nothing special nor beautiful in her appearance. She might be gentle, but not soft. She was broken and full of scars.

And the war had made her the shell of the woman she used to be before August 1914. A part of her had died along the soldiers she had failed to save.

“You need someone like her by your side.”

A couple of weeks later, Tommy and Helen found themselves sitting in the same spot, but the situation was completely different. Tommy had taken down Billy Kimber. Campbell was not a problem anymore. The Shelby Company Limited had marked the beginning of a new era.

“You were right about Grace.” He broke the silence, his eyes fixated on his hands.

“I know. Polly told me.”

Helen glanced at the woman, sitting at a table with Arthur and John, who were peacefully sleeping on a bench, leaning against each other. Her lips curved in a small smile. They deserved a bit of rest.

“You must be pleased.”

“By your pain?” She asked, turning to look at him. “No. I mean, I could be. You deserve it, anyway. But I’m not.”

It was true. He had been blind, stupid, even. But he was in love. Loving someone was not a choice. If it were, Helen would’ve started to hate Tommy long ago.

She gently brought a hand to his cheek, rubbing her thumb against his skin. “You’ll be alright, Tommy.”

Tommy’s eyes stared into hers for an indefinite amount of time and, for a moment, he truly believed that.

“I can’t promise you it’ll stop hurting.” She added, drawing back her hand to grab her glass. “But you’ll get used to it.”

-

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