#and also. she’s right shelby has So Much Shit happening right now | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cyberrgirlsblog · 2 years ago

Text

(TW bad words, idk what else)

Not beta read so sorry if this is shit, or if there are plot holes im trying

Part 2

Walking into the garrison pub i look around it's not crowded only a couple people are in here today i walk up to the counter and ask the bartender were tommy is

“He's in the booth’’ the bartender said, not looking up from the glass he was cleaning.

“Thank you,” I said.

I walked into the booth where Tommy was. I assumed there were more people with him but to my surprise it was just him. Which confused me since usually arthur or sometimes Polly was with him.

“Who was that, y/n” tommy asked, his cold blue yes looking at me unmoving

“What?” i said

“The romani boy in the caravan with you, he dropped you off, who was that?” he asked with a monotone voice.

A part of me didn't want to answer, a part of me wanted to win this mind game that Tommy plays but i didnt i know what was good for me at this moment.

“Just a boy I met along the road. I was gonna have to walk here but he drove me here instead of his name duke.`` I said with hesitance in my voice. Tommy nodded his head then spoke

“Hm, well do you have the opium?” Tommy said, looking at my bag.

“Yes sir” i said with a joking tone

Setting down the bag on the table opened it up and took out the bottles of pure opium.

“This is about 3 pounds of pure opium. It should be enough for right now. We're trying to expand our inventory of stuff but it's hard. Also there may be less opium due to the stock crash so the guy we get are shit from is upping the price.” i said looking at tommy

He took one of the bottle to look at it

“Well that's to be expected when something like this happens.” he said while looking at the bottle

“If you want to make sure its pure you Should've brought Arthur he could have tested it out you know. Make sure it's pure.” i said in reality though it may not have been the best idea arthur has been spiraling because of this drug making a tasteless comment about it much less joke about especially in front of tommy. But you never cared too much about it Tommy didn't even flinch when you said it either which surprised you but it was also expected he was thomas shelby after all. A man with a heart turned cold as some would say.

“Well arthur has been clean for a week know” he said

“Has he, well that's good for him.’’ I said, to be honest though, I doubt it will last long knowing arthur.

“Well Tommy, how has your family been? I've heard from Lizzie that ruby has been running around the house a lot. I've also heard from Polly that adas pregnant. Tho she hasn't said who the baby's father is'' i said while pouring myself a cup of wine.

“Yes theyve been good, Adas has been okay, though i have an idea of who the father might be but i think it'd be better to ask Ada herself.” he said looking at me and noticed a little smile when he mentioned his daughter. “And what of your family Y/n how have they been?”

I smiled a little but a smile nonetheless.`` They've been good ash is out doing God knows what and fez is meeting new people, building connections i guess you could say. I'm not surprised though he's probably the one that will take over the family business. Once well…” I trailed off. I didn't like to think about it but I knew her time would come soon. She's already been doing less and less. I'm not mad at my grandma. If I was her I would want to go out without fear of responsibility. I would like to go peacefully. I just hope she's able to be here for me and ashes 15 birthday.

“I see, well y/n here's the money, about 100 pounds.” Tommy said, placing the money down on the table. I took the money and put it in my bag just as I was about to get up and leave. Tommy spoke.

“My cousin is coming into town. He's Polly's son.” Tommy said, I looked at him with confusion. I didn't get why he was telling me this. Until i put 2 and 2 together

“Oh shit he's the dude that didn't take out the stock right. And now yalls business is a lil bit shook from that.” i said, i started laughing until i remembered who i was talking to “hm i'm sorry i didn't mean any offense but my question is why are you telling Me this why not fez.” I said looking up at him.

“I'm telling you this because he will be at the station. I want you to go with Polly and Ada to meet him. He's a part of the Shelby family, his names michael. You don't have to go but tell your brothers he's coming at least.” he said

“And one more thing don't over step with your jokes about my family.” he said looking at me with a voice you would use to scold a young child. I knew it wasn't a threat but it was a warning that I did know. All I could do was nod my head and walk out the bar.3

30 minutes later

Once I was able to see my house I started to do a light jog. Reaching the door I opened it only to hear yelling. I assumed it was fez scolding ash for some shit he did again. In the end though fez always took the blame for me or ash when we did something wrong. Walking to where I could hear the yelling more clearly I walked in the room to see fez on the phone.

“I told you to leave us the fuck alone man. Okay i dont know what your talking about but i dont have them, we dont have them dont call this number again you fucking hypocrite ass bitch.” i heard Fez yell before slamming the phone back into place. Definitely gonna have to check if he broke it later.

“Fez who the fuck was that.” I said , looking at him with concern but a stern voice.

“No one you have to worry about.” he said, walking away. I clenched my hands and dug my nails into my hands until I felt a sharp pain and blood roll down the back of my fingers. I try to understand why people do the things they do. I try to stay quiet and not question what people do. But when it's my own brother I can't understand. But I know if I ask him he'll just say some shit like.’it's for your own safety’ or ‘ I don't want to get involved’. But if that was true he would've never let me in the family business when I asked.

I shook my head, walked up to the phone and dialed in the garrison's number to make sure the phone didn't break. I heard a ringing sound from the phone and then a voice.

“Hello, who is this?” It was the voice of Finn shelby. Finn was always silly to me hes was fun to hangout with but his new friend billy i didn't really like i could tolerate him but not like him and it wasn't just me it was the same with ash, i swear even though we're not blood related i feel like we have some type of twin thing with our minds. Sounds dumb ass fuck but i cant hellp think of dumb shit sometimes.

“Hello???” finn said again

“Hi finn sorry i was just checking to make sure the phone wasn't broken” i said with a laugh.

“Oh hi y/n, why would your phone be broken? Also ash is here at the garrison do you want to come to me ash isaiah and billy are here.’’ Finn said, his voice sounding a bit slurred.

“Shit um i'll see if i can go if i can't though please make sure ash doesn't do some dumb shit again. I don't want another call from Tommy and I don't want to hear fez and ash yelling at each other. Also don't worry about the phone i think the wire tripped that's all i'll see though if i can go, bye.'' I said before hanging up the phone I heard Finn say something but whatever it was it wasn't important to me. I paced around the room. I haven't gone out for fun in a while. I haven't seen Finn or any of them for a little while so it would be fun. Once I stopped pacing I set the bag of cash on the table.

“Fez can you drive me to the garrison ash there.” I yelled, a minute later I heard footsteps and saw fez leaning on the doorway. He looked at the bag of money then me.

“Sure but if some du-’’ i cut him off

“Fez ash finn isaiah and..billy are gonna be there besides i'll be fine. Also I wanna make sure Ash doesn't do some dumb shit. It's weird. I know he's got critical thinking but he's always doing some dumb shit.” I said walking to the front door.

“Nah Ash uses it thinking he just makes dumb decisions sometimes.” Fez said, opening the door and walking with me to the car.

“Hm, doesn't seem like it but as long as he doesnt kill anybody or do some fucked up shit then well i dont know to be honest as long as hes safe and not putting others in danger im good. '' I laughed, as much as I scolded Ash for his shit he was still my brother at the end of the day. But sometimes I feel more like his mother than his sister even though we are the same age.

—---- timeskip at the garrison

Once Fez parked the car we got out and walked to the garrison. Opening the doors I immediately went to the front of the bar and ordered a drink for me and fez.

“2 whiskeys please.'' I said to the bartender, his back was facing me as he grabbed glasses and poured a bottle of whiskey into each glass. Turning around he handed it to me

“Here you go ma’am” he said handing them to me

“Thank you” I said but just before I could get out the money to pay the side window opened.

“Hello y/n don't worry about paying i'll cover it” i looked over and saw finn i grabbed the two glasses and handed one to fez and walked into the booth with fez following close behind me. I smiled once i saw everyone i walked to finn and gave him a hug

“It's been a little hasn't it, hows your wound huh. First ever gun shot wound your real peaky know aren't you finny” i said looking at him my voice light hearted. I heard laughing and looked to see Isaiah and billy.

“You could say that y/n but when are you gonna become one.” Billy said jokingly.

“Yea that's not gonna happen as long as i'm alive.” I heard Fez say. I looked over to see ash glaring at billy.

“Relax guys, it was just a joke.” Billy said, the room became thick with tension.

“Well know that everyones here, let's all drink.” Isaiah said, defusing the situation. I looked over at him and smiled.

We all sat down and started drinking after about 6 drinks of hard whiskey most of them were shit faced. I was still on my first cup not cause I couldn't drink. Trust me I could. I just wanted to make sure nothing happened. I was dazed out of whatever conversation they were having. As my mind wandered I thought about the boy I had met. He was funny but also seemed cunning. I hope I'll be able to go to the fair. I really do want to meet him again. Even though it wasn't a strong feeling, I still felt a warm feeling in my chest when I was talking to him. I wondered if I felt like that with others I had met. I hope I see him again. He seems nice and would be a good friend to have.

I was pulled out of my daze by Finn calling my name.

“Oy y/n whats on your mind” he said this time his voice extremely slurred to the point i had to lean forward to understand what he was saying. I sat back

“Nothing just tired, that's all.” I said quickly. I internally cringed at myself for how hasty my reply sounded.

“Hm well that's not what your face said, I swear you had a smile on your face so big I almost mistook you for the Cheshire cat.” Isaiah said laughing. I could feel my face heat up in embarrassment. I looked down at my drink and drank the whole thing. Soon enough I was as shit faced as everyone else. Talking about random shit and laughing at the dumbest jokes.

—------------------ 1 week later

“Look fez all im saying is we get a house in small heath but keep this property to but like that way we can be able to send shit easier. You know”

“Y/n are you high?” fez asked but it wasn't really a question.

“...no, this is a thought I've had for a while dude. Anyways it will be easier for me cause i can like stay there and well have a place to stay if it gets too late at night or some shit like that ya know.'' I said looking at fez with eyes that looked like I hadn't slept in three years.

Fez sighed

“Go back to bed y/n”

I looked him up and down

“Whatever man, also have you seen ash?”

“Ash is upstairs,” fez said, sounding irritated at this point.

‘Mhm, oh also there's a fair going on this weekend do you think i can go”

“No,” he said, looking down at a piece of paper.

“What why it's only a little away.'' I was annoyed.

He didn't say anything, clearly stressed with whatever he was reading

“Look y/n just no”

“Hm, yell you let ash go out and do whatever he wants why cant i go to a fucking fair.” i said my voice was rising in volume.

“Because there is less risk for ash, if he goes out” Fez said, looking up from his paper.

I looked at him with a perplexed expression

“The fuck are you talking about, one ash is the fucking risk and two what do you mean by that. Also i never said i was going by myself.`` I said I was yelling. I could feel my breathing become uneven with panic.

“Okay then whos going with you huh, who cause last time i checked you have barely talked to anyone out side of us and the peakys so who huh y/n fucking tell me.” he said his voice know rising, he sounded stressed but i doubt it was from this conversation.

I panicked. I couldn't say duke hell i didn't even know if i would see him there for god's sake.

“Ada, ada and her son Karl are coming with me okay. Look people may fuck with me but they wont fuck with Ada, she may have the last name thorne but everyone knows who her family is.'' I said walking closer to fez. Not breaking eye contact.

He paused for a minute seemingly thinking it over.

“Shit y/n fine but if your lying to be your fucking done okay.” he said running his hand down his face.

I smiled and gave him a quick hug.

“Thank you, thank you.” i said to him

___________________________ saturday

After arriving in a small heath I walked over to the barnyard. My hands are slightly shaking. It's not the first time I've lied to fez before but when I did it was usually whenever me and ash went out to terrorize one of the kids that would either make fun of one of us. A lot of people say me and Ash are different but the reality is we're really not. Sure ash may act out alot and I may be more quiet but it's just because I keep my actions to myself. I keep the words I want to say to myself. When we were younger we would do the same exact thing as each other but getting older we changed. I would like to say I have more self control but that would be a lie.

I could feel the skirt I was wearing tighten around my waist. I was nervous but I knew that whatever happened today would be fun.. I hope so.

“Curly do have have her.’’ i said walking up to him

“Hello y/n y-yes I do.” he said, his accent was hard to understand, same with arthurs but i never said anything. Because most of my life I've been used to a US accent.

“Here you go, does your brother know?” he said, handing me the horse. I rolled my eyes and smiled

“Yes of course he knows okay so you don't have to ask me okay. Anyways, here's the money.” i said to him handing him the money

“Thank you curly.” I said before getting on the horse and riding off.

After a little while of riding I could see the top of the striped tents behind the trees. I quickened the speed of the horse and started to smile, excitement building up inside me.

Stopping by the entrance of the fair, I tied the horse around a post where other horses were being held. Walking into the fair I started looking around. I could see a vending station selling roasted cinnamon almonds. Going up to it, I ask the worker there for a bag of them.

“Here you go miss, that will be 0.10.” they said handing me the almonds.

“Thank you” I said , handing them the change.

Walking around the fair I kept my eye out for Duke. I hoped I would see him soon but who knows. A couple kids ran past me accidentally hitting me in the legs almost making me fall over. I was able to catch myself by putting my hands between me and the ground, unlucky though my food had scattered on the ground.

“Shit” I grumbled under my breath getting up. I dusted off my skirt and picked up the bag to see if there were any left in it. Thankfully there were but not many

“Are you okay ma’am” I heard someone say I jumped before turning around and looking at the person.

“Duke!” I said a smile appeared on my face as I instantly pulled him into a hug. I felt him go a bit stiff and realizing what I had done I pulled away. My cheeks are burning with embarrassment.

“Shit i'm sorry I don't know why I did that, uhh.” I said, grabbing my arm and looking down at the ground embarrassed.

“Hello to you to y/n” Duke said i looked up at him and saw his face plastered with a shit eating grin before he laughed.

“Didn't know you missed me that much.” he said with a laugh, i hit him in the side arm softly.

“No, I just do that with people i meet and feel a good vibe with them ya know.” I said , looking at him, keeping straight. I could see his smile drop a little.

“Well um anyways how have you been it's been a little.” I said while I started to walk, asking him to come with me.

—------------------------------------

“So duke, what do you usually do here?” i ask curiously looking at him

“Well i'll watch the horses and just do maintenance really nothing to interesting.” he said looking ahead

“Do you like working with horses, also do you like working here or nah.” I said this time looking forward.

“I like horses but I don't like working here. I want more for my life. I want to visit every mountain and go everywhere. I don't want to be here. I'm tired of working here.” he said with bitterness in his voice but a hint of hope.

“Well that sounds fun but be careful where you go. I don't know if there's still that like war between the irish or something but just be careful there. Ya know. Actually just be careful.” I said looking at him, I tried to hide the concern in my voice by masking it with humor.

“Hm calm down im gonna kill myself.” he said with a little laugh while looking at me.

“That's what they all say Duke but then they get carless, think they're all that then piss off the wrong people anyways if you wanna see the mountains who knows what's up there.” I said looking back at him. This time laughing.

“Hm, you seem to know a lot.” he said this time his tone was undetermined.

“Nah just knew people that did dumb shit either got locked up or killed. Not saying seeing nature is dumb is not.” I said trying to defend myself from nothing.

“I know what you. Tell me do you always worry this much for people you just meet.’’ he said looking at me. He had a little smirk on his face.

“If ima be real no, but you're my friend? Were friends right duke.” i said looking at him with a hopeful expression on my face.

“...I mean if you want to be friends then yes.” he said he sounded caught off guard. But not in a bad way. I hope not in a bad way at least.

“Damn for real, okay well friend tell me more about yourself.” I said looking at him. A warm feeling spread throughout my whole body. Giddy with excitement and something else.

“You know duke you're the first friend i made that's not been through a business connection ya know.” I said excitedly.

“Business connection?’’ he said. Tilting his head slightly.

“Yea.. uh me and my family after we moved here we started making books and getting into stocks. Thankfully we pulled them out before the stock crash in the US.” I said looking at him covering up my word slip with a lie I was taught to say and rehearsed multiple times with ash and fez.

“Ooh okay okay. Well you're my first friend i've ever had.” he said with a serious voice. Looking back at me now we were walking out of the fair.

“You for real cause if I'm so kinda sad I'm not even gonna lie to you.” I said with a little smile on my face. Duke put his hand to his heart with a shocked expression.

“Do you think that lowly of me huh.” he said with an amused voice.

I turned to look at him and walked backwards.

“I was only joking, my prince.” I said with a sarcastic voice.

Duke smiled at me before running after me. I screeched before running away. I got about 20 feet away from him before I felt a pair of hands grab me by the waist and slightly pick me up before pulling me into the chest of someone. I was about to scream before a hand was put over your mouth.

“You're really bad at running in grass, you know.” I felt Duke say into my ear his breath tickling my neck. I froze for a second feeling a slight shock up my spine before wiggling out of his grapes and laughing to the point my knees buckled.

“Alright Duke you win but Jesus dude I couldn't even hear you. If you were an asian i'm pretty sure big crime dudes would for sure hire you.'' I said getting up from the ground and whipping the tears from my eyes.

Dukes pov

I chuckled a little. “Who's to say I'm not one.” I said with a bit of humor in my voice.

She looked at me for a second and her eyes seemed to sparkle in the moonlight.

“Wouldn't be surprised if you were a duke. If not no but…” she said trailing off before checking her pocket watch.

“Oh shit I gotta get it, I'm sorry duke I really am but you see i may or may not have lied to even be here so i gotta go cause the person i said i was coming with doesn't even know i told my brother about them coming with me.” she said with a bit of panic in her voice. I felt a ping of sadness in my chest

“Oh uhm yea no no you should go. I'll see you…” I said this time it was me trailing off.

“Hey uhm… thank you for meeting me here. I guess I met you here i dont really know but it was nice to see you again, Duke . Hopefully we'll see eachother again soon.” she looked at me, her eyes filled with hope. I felt my heart skip a bit. I shook it off as nothing special.

“Yea yea for sure i don't know when we'll have another fair here but when we do i'll probably be here. Also, are you sure you're good at going to your house by yourself?” I asked a hint of worry in my voice.

“Yea i should be okay. I'm armed just in case anything happens you know.” she said, with a reassuring smile. I wanted to question why but i didn't shit i mean i could see why seeing as where she lived and shit.

“You sure cause I can-” I said before she grabbed my hands and looked at me.

“Duke, you are too worried about me for only knowing me slightly and I'll be fine… also my brother would question why some guy is bringing me back home. Also I may have bought / rented a horse. Ima be honest though i don't really know.” she said, looking at me before disconnecting our hands. I missed the warmth of hers. His hands weren't rough but they weren't soft either.

“Right well I'll see you again someday Duke , be safe and I hope you get to achieve your dream.” she said before walking away to the entrance of the fair. I watched him walk away, air in the wind lightly blowing her hair.

I took one last glance at her before walking to the feeding area for us workers at the fair. Walking into the tent I saw esme right outside of the tent. Looking into the distance.

“Hello Duke.” she said bluntly, turning her eyes towards me. “Who was that person, thought you said you didn't have friends.” she said

“No one,” I said , looking at her. The truth was y/n wasn't no one to me but she didn't have to know that.

“Hmm we both know that is a lie Duke. What's her name?” she said looking at me

“Y/n” i said quickly, she seemed to freeze for a second like she was contemplating something.

“No last name?” she said

“Not that I know of,” I said looking at him before walking into the tent to get some food.

"Duke be safe okay." she said before leaving even thought i dont talk to many people esme is one of the people i can talk to she's gone through a-lot loosing her husband to a mafia and some gang related shit.

after getting my food i walked to my caravan. i thought about y/n i didnt know if i would see her anytime soon but i hoped i would

-------------

it would be a while before they saw eachother agian but the way they would meet agian would not be expected for either of them....

---------------------

sorry thats corny ash but i didnt know whta to put

—------------------------------------

Part 3 coming soon

not beta read.

#duke shelby #thomas shelby #duke shelby x reader #peaky blinders #peaky blinder headcanon #fezco headcanon #ash #ashtray #john shelby #finn shelby #tommy shelby #polly gray #tommy x lizzie

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its-all-or-nothing94 · 2 years ago

Text

The Singer - Part 6 // Tommy Shelby x OC

Summary: After her beat up, Tommy looks after Liv.

Warnings: Language, Fluff, Smut, Dirty talk

A/N: Jesus Christ, I didn't remember writing this story so detailed ;) So um, yeah...

Tags: @soft-valet-barrow

Slowly and with an aching head, Liv opens her eyes. She is in a room that she recognises immediately. Her throat hurts, and it is dry. She spots Tommy sitting on a chair rubbing his eyes when she tilts her head a little to the side. He radiates despair.

Liv tries to say something, but nothing comes out of her mouth. Tommy has finally noticed that she is awake and immediately kneels to her.

"Hey, hey... Shhhh... Take it easy, Liv. Your throat is swollen. Try not to talk too much if you can, eh?" he says softly, and at that moment, he reminds her of her old Tommy again. The Tommy she loved.

The one who was caring and gentle. At least to her. He quickly reaches for a glass of water and holds it to her. Liv hesitantly sits up and takes it. Then she grabs her neck, which now begins to burn. Tommy sits down next to her on the bed and looks at her.

"Tommy..." Liv breathes and reaches out for him. Her voice is more like a croak than her usual beautiful voice. Tommy inwardly hopes her vocal cords aren't damaged because he loves to hear her sing, and it's her life.

Tommy takes her hand in his and gently strokes it with his thumb.

"Thank you," she breathes then, and a smile creeps across his face.

"'Don't mention it. Not for this." Tears gather in Liv's eyes.

"I thought..." she croaks, "I thought I'd lost you. I thought you didn't care about me." Her voice is no more than a whisper now. Tommy looks into her eyes and then brushes a tear from her cheek.

"I could never not care about you, Olivia James," he whispers. For a moment, the two look into each other's eyes.

Then Tommy leans forward and kisses Liv tentatively. It's only a light, shy kiss because he's not even sure she wants it. Liv closes her eyes and lets it happen. When he pulls away from her again, Liv bites her lips.

Tommy's face is inches from hers, and she can feel his breath on her lips. She wraps her hand around his neck and pulls him to her. Again their lips meet, but this time more demanding. She has missed him so much, but only now does she realise how much she has missed him.

A knock on the door pulls them apart. Tommy slides back a little as the door opens. It is Will. When he sees his sister is awake again, he smiles at her.

"I'm glad you're all right. Well, barring the obvious," he says, grinning at her. Liv looks at him questioningly. "Well, you look like shit, sister." Liv's gaze flicks to Tommy, who just rolls his eyes.

"What do you mean?" croaks Liv, getting out of bed. She looks in the mirror and is startled for once.

Her left cheek is adorned with a huge bruise and a laceration. Her neck also looks terrible, and her lip seems to have split open. Liv runs her fingertips over the wounds and then winces.

A little later, Liv sits in the Shelby's kitchen, sipping her tea.

"It's good to have you back, Liv," Polly says, smiling at her. Liv tries to return a forced smile and then returns to staring at the table before her. When Tommy comes in, he sits down next to Liv.

"Well, I spoke to your friend Ayla. She's returned to London. Don't worry, she's fine. She's just still a bit shocked. I've explained everything, and she won't make a big deal about it." Liv raises an eyebrow.

"You mean you paid her," she says, then shakes her head. "Why did she go back to London without me?" Liv asks herself more than the others.

"Whatever... We both think you should lay low for a bit. And do it here until your injuries heal. In London, this would cause a scandal that you nor we want at the moment, Liv," Tommy explains to her, and Liv only listens with one ear.

She was clearly in it now and wouldn't be leaving Birmingham soon. She rubs a hand over her face and sighs.

"No point in me saying anything anyway, eh?"

Tommy moves a little closer to her and takes Liv's hand in his. "Will you give us a moment," Tommy then asks, addressing Polly and Will. The two nod and leave the kitchen.

"Liv... It's for the best." Liv finally looks Tommy in the eye.

"The best? For who, Tommy? For me? Or for you? I have a career to think about," Liv says, standing up.

"I know, and that's what I'm helping you with. But if Campbell can track you down even in London, I'd rather you be here. Here where I can protect you, eh?"

"I can look after myself. You know that, Tommy." Tommy snorts in amusement and then grabs her cheek.

"Didn't look like it to me after this." He lowers his hand again. "Liv... I... I was a dick, eh? Not just with Kimber but after the war. I didn't keep my word and regret it daily." Tommy lowers his head.

"You could have come any time, Tommy."

"Oh yeah?" he asks, looking at her again. "I was in London, Liv. I was looking for you, but when I found you, they said Olivia James was already taken." Liv lowers her eyes now, ashamed.

She bites her lips and takes a deep breath before speaking. "I would have chosen you," Liv whispers, "Always."

Liv barely realises what is happening so quickly as Tommy crosses the room and places his lips on hers. He holds her face in his hands and caresses her lips with his. As they pull away from each other, Liv smiles.

"I love you, Liv. I never stopped," Tommy whispers against her lips.

"I love you too, Tommy." Tommy takes Liv by the hand and pulls her upstairs to his room.

Behind her, he closes the door and begins to unzip her dress. He lets it fall over her shoulders and kisses her stormily. Liv now undresses Tommy and then slides his shirt over his head.

Tommy lifts Liv and holds her lightly against the door. He is in control. He has her right where he wants her. His rigid member digs into her. He carries Liv over to the sofa and sets her down there. His hand brushes over her breasts as he kisses her.

"Are you sure you wanna do this, Liv?" he asks as he stops.

"Yes," Liv gasps, pulling him closer to her to feel his body. To feel his taut muscles. He stands over her, looking her up and down.

"You are still incredible," he breathes out. Liv laughs at his comment and pulls him down to kiss him again. "I've never stopped wanting you, Liv," he confesses. "I've been thinking about this moment, about you." His hand travels down Liv's body.

"I've always wanted you too, Tommy," she replies, gasping as he touches her.

Long fingers trail over the blonde girl, wandering over the top of her purple lace panties.

"Tell me what you want, Liv," he growls in her ear.

Shit, she's not prepared for this. Liv isn't squeamish in the bedroom, having been adventurous with Tommy before. But maybe he just wanted to make sure Liv was still the same.

He feels her pause because she no longer responds to him. As he pulls back, he looks at her with a grin on his face. He enjoys watching Liv squirm.

"How would I know what you want if you didn't tell me, eh?" he asks.

He pulls her towards him and takes off her bra. He licks his lips at sight before him.

Liv suddenly realises that she is practically naked after all this time. Her body has changed a little over the years. She got a few cuts and scars when she worked as a nurse in France.

As if he could read her mind, he strokes her hair behind her ear.

"Relax, you're still as beautiful as I ever. So fucking beautiful."

Tommy tilts his head and kisses Liv's breasts. Slowly he licks over her nipples, gently moving them back and forth with his tongue. She moans softly as he pulls on them and bites her lip.

"Oh, you like that, do you?" he asks in a low voice, full of desire. 'Fuck it, go with it,' Liv thinks.

"Yes, Tommy, I like that," she responds to his touch and arches her back. He takes her other nipple and sucks on it gently.

"How does that feel?" he asks her. Liv doesn't recall Tommy being that naughty in the bedroom before. Of course, they had great sex, but this is something new. Something she didn't know about him. But she doesn't complain.

"I want you even more. It makes me wet," Liv moans into his neck.

"Good, I want you to be wet.", he says, running his hands over her panties again.

"Feel me, Tommy," she pleads, looking into his eyes.

"Is this what you want?" his pupils are vast, the desire prominent.

"Yes," Liv gasps, desperate to be touched now.

Tommy sits up and pulls her onto his knee so that she is straddling him. One hand grabs her ass. The other travels down Liv's body. He pulls at the top of her panties, and slowly, tantalisingly slowly, his hand slides inside.

"So soft," he murmurs. She can't remember the last time she was this aroused. It was probably with him too. His palm presses against her body, and his middle finger runs along her slit. Slowly he stops at Liv's entrance.

"Mmm, nice and wet, is that all for me, eh?" he asks. Liv nods and looks him in the eye.

"For you, Tommy, just for you, please," she rocks her hips against him, desperate for pressure, for touch.

"You asked so nicely, my love," he tells her. Again his hand dips into Liv's panties. She wants him just to yank them down and fuck her.

"I think you might come like this," he watches her squirm against him.

His middle finger dips into Liv's entrance again, and her tight walls enclose him. This way, he can easily reach her most sensitive spot. Slowly he pumps his finger in and out as the sound of Liv's wetness fills the room. When he withdraws his finger, she moans at his release.

"I want to taste you. Finally, again," he says, putting his fingers in his mouth to lick at the juices. He reaches for Liv's face and kisses her as he slides his tongue inside her so she can taste herself.

"So sweet," he says, pulling her by her ass. Tommy pulls her forward as she braces herself against him.

Without warning, he places his palm on her clit and presses against it. He creates pressure. Fuck, Liv isn't having long anymore.

"Come for me," he asks her. "I want to see your beautiful face when you do." Tommy starts rubbing her clit. She is just begging for him to touch her.

"Yes, Tommy, make me come," she says, and he rubs her clit with his thumb.

"You look so fucking hot. You know that?"

The Peaky Blinder is hard, so hard. It pulses around him. He's desperate to bend Liv over his sofa and fuck her hard. Gasping, he thrusts his middle finger into her even harder as she comes. Gasping for air, Liv buries her head into his neck.

"Holy shit," Liv breathes out. She straightens up in front of Tommy and takes him in her arms.

He stands over Liv, sitting on the bed, and pulls off her knickers with one hand. "It's like we never stopped," he says quietly, breaking the silence as Liv watches him.

She watches his upper body, which she loves. He, too, has added a few scars since Liv last saw him like this. The war wasn't gentle on him.

"It's somehow better than I remember… How comes?" asks Liv as she kneels on the bed before Tommy. Her hand strokes his muscles until she reaches her destination.

"We haven't seen each other in years, Liv. That's what time apart can do to people." His breath catches in his throat as Liv pumps him with her hand.

Liv slides down his body and takes him into her mouth. She can feel the scratching in her still sore throat, but she doesn't care. She holds the lower part of his hard cock as she sucks. She takes him in and out of her mouth. Liv feels him groan at the sensation he is enjoying.

"I missed this so much," he moans. She runs her tongue over his tip when she lets go of him gently, just like he did with her nipple. "Holy shit," he says. Liv takes him in her hand again and looks up at him.

"You like that, Tommy?" she asks innocently. She can feel the drop of pleasure running out of Tommy.

"Yes, but now I have to fuck you. I can't wait any longer." Liv watches him expectantly. "Do you still like it from behind?" he asks, walking towards her as if he's about to pounce.

"Yes," Liv manages to say.

"Is that how you want it? Tell me if you don't want it," his arms are wrapped around her again,

"I do," she breathes into his ear.

"Hold on to the headboard," he says, urging her to climb the bed. He kisses Liv's neck, and his hands slide between her legs.

"Your ass looks great," he says, feeling her up. Liv is wet again. "Relax," he says, sensing she's nervous.

Tommy bends Liv forward and slides into her. She's shocked at how good he feels. Like he's still meant for her as he fits perfectly inside her, he reaches where Liv needs him. He fills her.

Liv moans and screams his name as he fucks her. He whispers dirty things in her ear until she comes for him again.

#Peaky Blinders #Tommy Shelby x OC #Tommy Shelby x Reader #Tommy x OC #Tommy Shelby #Thomas Shelby #Peaky Blinders fanfic #Peaky Blinders x OC #Thomas Shelby x OC #Thomas Shelby x Reader

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peakyswritings · 5 months ago

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Ohh Brummie, this was amazing!

First of all, I love the back and forth between (Y/n) and Tommy, and the way they continuously challenge each other. They’re way more similar than they think! The humour was so on point, I swear I was giggling through most of the chapter - except for when that piece of shit Cal was there. He’s horrible and I truly hope things will take a turn for the worst for him. Three seconds of his presence and I already want to blow his filthy hands up, so he’d better keep them to himself. I adored how you juxtaposed Tommy’s gentle touches and Cal’s hard ones.

Anyway, as for Tommy and (Y/n), I enjoyed their moments of truce so much. It’s a pity they had to get literally hurt before they decided it was time to put a stop (but something tells me not an end) to their bickering like children. Anyway, am I tripping or is Tommy smiling and laugh in more than usual since he met a certain someone??

Taking a step back, I should’ve expected Tommy doing something about the piano lmaoo

words stumped you as you turned your head to see your once glossy piano now in a piled heap of wood in the middle of the room. The hatchet used for its barbaric destruction embedded at the very point of its woody mountain.

Ohh I shouldn’t be laughing right now. Poor Mr Abbott, all his efforts to make that piano just for it to end up like this.

"Just so you're aware, Mr Shelby. I happen to play the violin too" […] "And poorly"

Have I already said that I love her?

I also love Frances and (Y/n)’s relationship. They seem so fond of one another, and Frances has such a motherly aura to her. I wonder how much she knows about what’s really happening with Cal.

The horse scene was so funny, I loved to see Tommy being humbled lmao. And again, together with the toe-stabbing, it made them reach truce, so I guess it was much needed!

Again, the juxtaposition between Tommy and Cal was perfection. They’re both bad for different reasons, but whilst Cal is inherently bad, Tommy still has his morals and his own sense of justice, and there are lines he won’t cross. And that’s the proof that status doesn’t mean anything. He, as a gangster, is way better than Cal, whose only noble thing is his title and nothing more. Tommy wanting to show the upper-class men their true colours felt so in character. We’ve seen him in the show struggling with the barriers separating the classes, which he can’t overcome no matter how much money he makes, and you have been so wonderful in representing that!

Also, this:

Murder, theft, prostitution, gambling. Tommy did not only live a life in the dark shadows your fiance and brother would visit for entertainment. He was the maker of it.

I literally don’t know how to explain how or why I loved this part so much, but I did, so just trust my word.

This chapter was so so beautiful!

MASTERLIST PREVIOUS PART

Uptown Girl (Part Two)

Summary: As the war of words, and destruction of inanimate objects continues between you and the blue eyed squatter in your home, Mr Thomas Shelby. You are pulled back into reality from the distraction of his presence and quickly reminded of your impending, dreaded nuptials when your fiance pays you a visit. But with the Birmingham gangsters observing eyes never missing a thing. What will he make of your husband to be's unruly hand when he sees the true nature of your relationship, and that of the man you're set to marry?

Warnings: Language, angst, manipulation, domestic violence, use of one racial slur

Word Count: 4332

Authors Note: £17,000 British sterling pound in 1924, is worth £850,000 in todays value.

" Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mr Abbott" you graciously greeted the piano tuner as you walked him to the main living area, crossing your arms in an attempt to put a stop to your fidgeting hands, and the relentless twiddling of your anxious fingers. How on earth were you going to explain this one? you smiled nervously to the portly man sporting an impressive moustache. It's perfectly curled, whiskery ends reaching the very tops of his wind-chapped cheeks.

After the previous days' eventful morning and a much warranted reminder that you were in fact, living with a gun-welding gangster. Tommy, your unwelcome housemate, single handedly took it upon himself to move your bullet-ridden grand piano into the living room and away from the vicinity of his quarters and ringing ears.

And with one morning of your musical skills having been missed, you were keen to reset the alarm for the following day. Or so, that's what you thought.

" What seems to be the problem then, Miss?" the man that had once sold you the precious musical instrument queried. His passion for his craft rarely seeing him leave his workshop where he preferred the sound of the ivory keys more than any human voice.

" Oh, just a small one" you replied, pushing the wooden door open. "A missing key" you found a way around to describe the charred bullet hole in the non existent note of B. B for bastard, you thought to yourself and the vandal that had destroyed it as your brow furrowed in confusion at the renowned craftsman who was now wide-eyed as you both stepped into the room.

"Oh, well this...this..." words stumped you as you turned your head to see your once glossy piano now in a piled heap of wood in the middle of the room. The hatchet used for it's barbaric destruction embedded at the very point of its woody mountain.

" Excuse me, for just, one moment" you forced a smile through the fury rapidly bubbling under your skin as you quickly turned on your heel, leaving the horrified pianist alone with the piano he had poured his love, sweat and tears into crafting as he pitifully pressed his finger down onto the only remaining chiming key of C. C for...

"Mr Shelby!" you shouted marching through the corridors in search of the only person capable of committing such a monstrosity as you came to a stop in front of the office door. Your learnt manners quickly escaping you when you stormed through without the polite formalities a lady such as yourself would possess, having had a governess for the majority of your childhood years.

"Mr Shelby!" You repeated, flying pass the opening door to see the squatters sleeves rolled up, a peak of chest hair visible through the open top button of his collared shirt your flustered stare had witnessed twice in already twenty-four hours. Hardly gentlemanly, you scoffed to yourself as your heated cheeks darted away from his causal choice of attire.

" On the mantel", Tommy said mid conversation, looking up from the papers between his fingers to the young worker with a brassy ornament in his hand.

"Mr..."

" No Beethoven this morning, eh?" He stopped you as he leant back into his leather chair with a satisfied smirk etched on his lips as you strutted forward, and the young employee made a swift exit. "Or maybe some, Mozart?" His lips tightened into a smile as he subtly cocked his head to the side, reaching for a much needed drag of a cigarette the stress of your presence gave him.

" What is all this?" you looked around the room, forgetting your barrage of accusations when your eyes widened at the many various objects he had added to your father's office to replace the ones you had hoarded.

" Oh, no, no, no. This won't do, this won't do one bit!" you said in horror, piling them into your arms whilst you made your way around the room as Tommy's scrunched brow followed you until you came to a stop in front of him. " This is my office you've just come in and commandeered. And my piano, you..."

" I think you mean my piano. In my living room. In my house, no?" Tommy corrected you as he lit a cigarette, his squinting eyes skimming over your figure hugging dress. You weren't exactly making it easy for him to look away. To ignore your bossy presence, he thought to himself as his blue-eyed stare lingered longer than intended before he snapped himself away from his wandering eyes and stood up, adjusting his tailored waistcoat.

" Look, we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot" he said, playing the peace maker in attempt to replace the ferocious frown boring into him.

"The wrong foot?" You scoffed, shaking your head as he perched himself casually on the edge of the oak desk in front of you, the playful glint in his eyes toying with you through the cloud of smoke seeping from the rolled cylinder of tobacco between his fingers. " We got off on the wrong foot, the moment your foot stepped into my house and you shot, then destroyed my piano"

" Right. So those early wake up calls weren't to piss me off then? Drive me out, eh?" he cocked a brow as his tongue ran across his bottom lip, the slappable smile now teasingly glaring back at you, further irritating you.

"I...I"

"Yes, Y/N?" His brows raised, waiting for the smart response he knew your brain was trying to scramble together as he continued to keep you on a first name basis.

" I..." You stopped yourself, before you blurted something you would later berate your flustered brain for saying.

"Just so you're aware, Mr Shelby. I happen to play the violin too" you said as you wittiness finally caught up with the anger demanding all the free space in your head. "And poorly" you finished, stealing the smugness sitting on his teasing smirk as you quirked a brow. His widening eyes coming to the quick realisation that if he was going to get even an ounce of sleep to fill his notorious lack in slumber, there would need to be an urgent manhunt for the destruction of every musical instrument you possessed.

" Have at it, love" Tommy's heavy footing stomped after you as you turned for the door, his casual response hiding the protruding bone of irritation in his clenching jaw. " Last bit of fun until you're sent off to marry, eh?" He delivered the damning reminder of your predicament hot on your heels as your head snapped back to see him stood directly behind you, watching your satisfied smile drain.

" Cal Astor, no?" Tommy pointed to you, his cigarette resting loosely between the callous pads of his fingers. He'd been looking into you, gathering information, your mind urgently tried to weigh out how much he had learnt of your dire situation as your sharp glare met his. " One of the top ten richest men in the country. What a catch" he slipped the attained details of your fiance's status to you with a smirk.

" Tell me, Y/N. Why would a young lady such as yourself, weeks from marrying into one of the wealthiest families in the country care so much for bricks and mortar? " He questioned, blowing a cloud of smoke into the room as his interrogating stare bore into you while you stood momentarily lost for words once again.

"Oh, Sissy?" your brothers irritating pet name called to you from the foyer as a palpable silence settled in the room, pressuring one of you to make the first move.

" You have a guest, love" Tommy's gravelly voice broke the tension as he raised his brows, his challenging glare undisrupted from your brothers bellowing voice.

In a dramatic display of discontent for not only the way he had intruded into your home, but also, the details of your private life he had infringed on. You purposely released the items in your arms to the floor, when the sharp end of an ugly ornament stabbed you in the toe in the process, eclipsing your unfaltering stance to not have the stranger in front of you win another battle in the war he had declared.

Stifling the whelping pain now throbbing through your foot, Tommy waited and watched with curiosity. Thoroughly impressed that the lady in front of him, born with heirs and graces, had gone so long without a mere whimper, or foul-mouthed word. Was you really that bloody stubborn?

Holding in your impending scream, you swiftly turned your back and made your way out the door. Hobbling to the nearest wall, a stroppy, frustrated, grunt of pain left your lips while you lifted your throbbing foot, clutching your toe in pain as Tommy breathed out a heavy sigh and fell into the leather upholstered chair behind the wall next to you. How long would you both keep this up until you came to a solution? And how many toes, ornaments and any other inanimate object would be sacrificed in the process?

" Ahh there she is. My dear, sister" Johnathan greeted you as you walked forward through the bruising pain you had unintentionally inflicted on yourself.

" How's the houseguest?"

" Trespasser, Johnathan" you corrected him as you winced from one foot to the other, trying to ease the pressure of your swelling toe.

" Blimey, that bad?" he chuckled resting his heavy arm over your shoulders, forcing you back on to two feet with a shudder of pain. " Don't fret baby sister, church bells will be ringing soon. Then you'll be rid of this gloomy dump!" he said, squeezing you into him with a rough pat to your arm.

"Aha! Speaking of the husband to be" Johnathan said letting go as you looked up at the smartly polished dress shoes walking your way. Your stomach dropping at the sound of his voice beckoning closer.

" Darling" a voice broke through your brother's chatter as your fiance snaked his hand around your waist, leaning into your cheek.

" Cal" you meekly voiced as you turned your head away from him, earning you a scornful glare and a sharp squeeze to your hip.

"Playing hard to get are we?" Cal scoffed a laugh through his pearly whites, the insult of you refusing his affection in front of company further angering him and his tightening grasp that had become prone to landing blows to your delicate skin.

" You won't see my sister give in that easily, Cal" Johnathan laughed through the cigar between his teeth, oblivious as per usual to the true nature of his friend and acquaintance he had latched on to. Or rather, money he had latched on to.

"Indeed" Cal looked down at you with a smirk, having already had his way with you.

A moment of fear, of weakness. You told yourself when you had given into his forceful demands as he hitched up your dress whilst his heavy frame climbed on top of you.

Coerced, guilted, or even a last plea of naive hope on your part to have him finally let you be if you gave him what he wanted, you'd tell yourself in moments of reflection and sorrow for the part of yourself you lost that night when you dulled his predatory insistence with whatever drink you could find. Was that why you gave him so much power? Because he was your first intimate, and now tainted experience?

" Frances, one moment!" Johnathan called, jogging after your housekeeper as he watched her hurry away from your brother's long list of demands she knew she'd be dumped with if she didn't make a quick escape.

" You disappoint me Y/N" your fiance abruptly turned you to face him, now alone together, and away from observing eyes. " Was quite the surprise when I sent a car for you the other night and it returned, empty. My fiance, missing" he said as you tried to leave when his strong grip came down on your arm, bruising through your skin. "You're not going to go missing again are you, darling?" his irritation was felt through the sarcasm laced in his words.

Too many times had you avoided his invitations, had you purposely found yourself out of town when his presence increased with the death of your father and the rules of courting he had imposed to keep any premarital scandals at bay. The only rule your father had ever implemented in your life that you were thankful for.

" No" you shook your head, your strong character once again unable to stand up to the man you had unwillingly passed so much control of your words and actions over to.

" Good girl" he chided, a satisfied smirk growing on his lips closing in on yours as you flinched at his pressing hold around your reddened wrists, forcing you to endure his embrace.

" Johnathan, the car" he smiled breaking away, releasing you from his grip as he called for your brother who childishly waited on his every word.

Stood alone in the foyer, rubbing the taste of him from your swollen lips, the bruising soreness from your bluing skin, you watched as your brother entertained the man you had become to loathe, when your tearful eyes turned to see Tommy stood between the frame of the office door, having witnessed the most vulnerable part of your existence you had shamefully hidden away.

For be it poor or rich. A woman's woes in the time you lived in were always unheard, always played down to an inaudible silence. And Tommy was no fool to think otherwise, as he too stood silently watching you walk away without a word.

Sat in the bay window of your room later that morning, you smiled as you watched the stable hand pat down your mare's dusty coat, giving her the pampering she deserved.

"Your tea, Miss" Frances announced as she walked through the door with a silver platter of England's finest, freshly brewed. " Good heavens! What ever happened to your foot?" She said upon seeing your expanding toe precariously resting on a stack of cushions and books.

" Mr Shelby" you said as your eyes narrowed in on the trespasser now approaching your thoroughbred down in the courtyard.

" Mr Shelby did this?" Frances' eyes widened upon hearing your accusations as she examined your lack of care for your swelling digit doubling in size.

" No, Mr Shelby's ghastly ornament did that" you said briefly looking at your propped-up foot before your attention returned to outside. " What on earth is he doing?" You curiously observed the squatter, his presence a welcome distraction to your impending nuptials and crippling worries. Not that you would admit it, of course.

" Oh my" Frances's hand flew to her chest as she watched the bridle being adjusted to your saddleless horse. " I should go warn him" Frances turned to leave when you hoped up with a giddy smile as you searched for the shoe you would force to fit around your ballooning foot.

" No, no" you gently rested your hand on your housekeeper's arm, stopping her from sabotaging your fun. " Let him find out himself" you grinned as you limped to the door, leaving Frances shaking her head disapprovingly at the woman she had cared for since she was a rosy-cheeked baby, toddling from one foot to the other.

Stood by the stable door, you curiously watched as Tommy whispered words of gentle reassurance to your horse, brushing his hand down her muzzle as your steps apprehensively approached closer, unsure if the topic of conversation would be your finances heavy hand he saw earlier that day, you wished not to discuss.

" How's your toe?" Tommy asked, his cigarette resting loosely between his lips as he turned to face you with an emerging smile dimpling the corners of his eyes.

" My toe? Good as new" you lied, badly, as you crossed your arms at the amusing chuckle leaving your unwanted guests' lips." You should saddle her" you warned him as you watched him lead her towards you, secretly hoping he would continue his refusal to listen to your bossy demands.

" Was born riding, love. Think I can handle her" he confidently proclaimed as he shot you a wink. " Come on, steady now" he patted her side as you followed behind them, eager to see him unceremoniously take a blow to his insufferable cockyness.

" What's her name?" He asked as he lifted himself up, adjusting the reigns in his hands to his liking.

" Nelly" you said as you leant back on the wooden fencing of the small paddock, taking the weight of your throbbing foot you had shoved into the soles of your tightly laced boots.

" Nelly, eh?" Tommy quietly mumbled clearing his throat, suddenly doubting his riding skills as he looked down at the jittery creature bouncing from hoof to hoof. " Steady, girl" he managed to control her erratic movements as he pulled back the reigns with a gentle pressure. " Don't show me up, Nell. I'll never hear the end of it" he quietly whispered to your horse with a pat to her neck as you watched on with amusement.

" See, we're doing alright. Aren't we Nelly?" Tommy called out to both you and your horse as he trotted along the muddied ground. " She just needs some firm guidance, is all" he said as he passed by your rolling eyes. " With a horse like..." Tommy continued his unsolicited advice when a freckled orange and black butterfly passed in front of him, causing Nelly to rear up in fear before throwing him off and bolting away.

" Shit" Tommy huffed at the sound of your approaching hysterics as he lay in the mud, his ego having been embarrassingly taken down a few notches off it's high pedestal.

" Am I in hell?" he opened one eye to see your smirking face looming over him with your hand out for him to take, when your smile turned to a scowl and you let him drop to the ground once again. " No, still alive" he grunted as he pulled his body and throbbing head back up, resting his arms on his bent knees as he watched your horse trot towards you. " Her name wouldn't happen to stand for nervous Nelly, would it?" Tommy looked up at you both as he watched you nuzzle your head against her neck, her thumping heart slowly settling with your tender touch.

" Nervous Nelly, notorious Nelly. Even nutty Nelly at one point. My girl has earned herself quite a collection of nicknames, haven't you, darling" you said as you cupped your hand under her muzzle, letting her lick the saltiness of your palms.

" Here" you said, putting your free hand out for him to take. " Are you hurt?" You asked as you both hobbled out of the paddock back to the stables. Both a sight of giggling fits for the staff of Arrow House looking from behind the twitching curtains of your shared home.

" No more than your toe is" he smiled down at you as you walked beside each other, free of any bellowing voices or snide remarks for the first time in almost a week, having both taken a dramatic blow to your obnoxious stubbornness.

" Mr Shelby" you turned to face him as you gave the reigns to your stable hand. " How much did my father owe you?" You took the opportunity to ask the question that had been nagging you in your brief truce before the battle of words recommenced.

" £17,000" Tommy exhaled as he looked at you from the corners of his eyes, a feeling of pity for you and the burden your father had selfishly lumbered you with stopping him from making any smart remark.

With a future of little prospects, other than that of a high-society marriage, every woman such as yourself was destined for. Tommy had come to the knowledge that your father had secured your life by marrying you off into wealth rather than leaving you with his fortune to pave your own way in life.

As your eyes widened and the learnt details of your fathers debt and how big of a whole he had dug in his wake. A guttural feeling of dread weighed down your stomach at the large sum of money your father owed, nearly exceeding that of Arrow Houses' value.

" I will pay you back, Mr Shelby" you said as you looked back to your home and it's surrounding land. Suddenly feeling you had nothing else to offer other than your word.

"Look, Y/N..."

" I will find a way, Mr Shelby" you made a pledge you knew would be near impossible to uphold if the deeds to your house had indeed, no standing.

With a small nod of his head, Tommy gazed down at you as a brief moment of peace captured him in the silent breeze of summer blowing a lock of hair drifting across your cheek, glittering with the welcome rays of the midday sun. A silence you both welcomed in the neutral grounds of no man's land until the sound of your brother hurtling down the drive, car horn blaring, deafened your ears.

" Sister! I won it! I bloody won it! " Your brother laughed maniacally, high on his win with a wad of cash in his hands, having spent the entire morning in the casinos with your fiance.

" God's sake" you felt the embarrassment of your brother's presence as your eyes darted to Tommy undoubtedly judging your renowned noble name, questioning how a family such of your selves came to inherit it as you watched him ignite a cigarette behind the orangery glow of the flame.

" Sweet pea" Cal's voice approached you as you shifted away, stumbling into Tommy as you did. " Sorry" you apologised, tucking a rebel hair behind your ear with your flustered fingers as he steadied your fall with a gentle hand to your back, a touch foreign to you with the heavy strikes you had become accustomed to from the opposite sex.

"Cal, Mr Thomas Shelby. Mr Shelby, Earl Cal Astor" you introduced the two men as you stood in the middle, looking between their glaring stares as you subtly shrugged of your fiances hand on your arm in the process.

"Pleasure" Cal greeted him with a belittling tone of superiority with his hand out as Tommy's hovered momentarily in the empty space between them before lifting it to take a smoke. Only a mere nod of his head in acknowledgment of his presence.

Murder, theft, prostitution, gambling. Tommy did not only live a life in the dark shadows your fiance and brother would visit for entertainment. He was the maker of it. The master puppet to the riches seedy side of life he and his men would adorn with gold-collumed bars, and live jazz music to have them fill his pockets. He had met a dozen men like your fiance. Each a replica of the other. Each of them in the privacy of their home with wives, lovers and maids accustomed to feeling the back of their hand when money didn't get them what they felt they were owed.

There were many things Tommy's wavering moral compass didn't stand for. And have no doubt, he had seen the bruises on your wrists, the tears unspent in your eyes you hid as you hurried away earlier that morning.

"Excuse me. I have a business call" your unexpected houseguest said as he threw his cigarette to the ground, inches from the perfectly kept shoes of your fiance.

" Shelby!" he called with a mocking chuckle, angered by the blow of disrespect he'd been shown. " Perhaps you would grace us with your presence at our engagement ball next week. Then you can find the time away from your pressing business matters for us to get to know the Small Heath gypsy boy living with my soon to be wife" he tauntingly finished with his nose up, lifting the heavy gold signet ring of his family's crest to your lower back you had already felt on numerous occasions, the sharp end of.

Coming to a stop at the steps of Arrow House, you watched the notorious gangster with his hands seated in his trouser pockets as his back stayed turned to you, whilst you silently prayed he would refuse the invitation and childish game of belittling any class below him you knew your fiance was set on making a spectacle out of in sheer spite. A game you were not willing to play.

" Next week it is, Mr Astor" Tommy's low rumbling voice replied, never ceasing the opportunity to further his endeavor as his strong statue disappeared into the darkened foyer and the door shut behind him.

A potential for business, or rather a show of power to the man that had insulted his heritage so freely with one single disdained word used to rile him up and have him show his business acquaintances the true colours of the leader to the notorious cut-throat gang he had kept from their lives until any encouraging reminder was needed. For they were no better than him. Criminals with the most unsavory of dealings. And you had better believe, Tommy had no qualms being the one to show these men their own true colours, and the reminder that they were no different to any small-time thief from Small Heath with only a title of nobility slapped on the end of their name seperating them. No qualms at all.

NEXT PART

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256 notes · View notes

amazingmaeve · 2 years ago

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GOLD RUSH

thomas shelby x fem!reader

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: being best friends with ada shelby was one of the best things that had happen to y/n. she knew of her brothers but never became close to them. thomas shelby was an enigma to her. everyone wanted him, everyone feared him, and everyone served him. however y/n hates that, what makes him so special. even though secretly there was a desire to get to know the man underneath the facade he put up.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: smut, angst, fluff, drinking, smoking, blood, death

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 8.4

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: this is for @runnning-outof-time halfway to 2k celebration so go and show some love. also gold rush by Taylor Swift. also set in season 1 but doesn’t follow some chronological times. also might make a part two tell me if you want that, and phew this took me some time.

𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐲 |

KNOWING Ada Shelby and being her best friend was an experience that’s for sure. It was usually a good experience but sometimes these escapades her and Ada would go on would get them into deep trouble. Ada with her brothers and Polly whilst Y/N would get in trouble with her mother.

But luckily for her she turned 18 she got her own place with the money she got for working at the Garrison. The only downsides to that job is that she would have to see the one and only Thomas Shelby almost everyday. She didn’t have to see him for the most part when they went to war. That was the only thing she gave Thomas credit for, he did serve their country and now came back even more broken than he already was.

It’s not that Y/N had anything against Ada's older brother, what she had trouble with is the way everyone treated him. People wanted him, women specifically, they worshipped the ground he walked on. He didn’t have to pay for most of the shit he does, but that was mostly because people were scared of him but Y/N wasn’t. She rarely spent any time with the Shelby’s unless it was when she was sleeping over with Ada, so she didn’t speak to Thomas, Arthur, or John that much, but she had a few conversations with their aunt Polly. But for the most part she stayed out of their business.

Deep down though Y/N wanted to know the man under the mask of Thomas Shelby, what made him so desirable to everyone. But that was a secret deep down Y/N wasn’t ready to admit to herself.

So Y/N did what she did best when it came to Thomas she just avoided him and ignored him, she didn’t want to give him more of an ego than he already had.

Meanwhile for some time now Y/N has been covering for Ada as she was sneaking around with Freddie Thorne, who Y/N knew was Thomas’s ex best friend, the man who saved his life in France. She had warned Ada about getting involved with Freddie telling her that it would cause way more trouble, but Y/N thinks that’s why Ada did it.

Everything went down when Ada disappeared and she found out that she was pregnant through Polly.

“She’s what,” Y/N gasped as her blood ran cold.

“She’s pregnant and somewhere with Freddie,” Polly explained snidely, not wanting to repeat herself.

“Where is she,” Y/N asked quietly.

Y/N didn’t get an answer from Polly which angered her more. But underneath all that anger she was sad, sad that her best friend didn’t come to her with the news that she was pregnant and soon to be married.

On the walk to her home a few tears escaped luckily with the rain it covered up the pain in her eyes. But it didn’t help the pain in her heart. All her life she was loyal to Ada, helped her through everything and now she didn’t even know where she was. Maybe y/n thought, maybe she was too caught up in her own life to see what her friend was going through. Curling up into bed she let her mind drift into a peaceful sleep.

An abrupt knock jolted Y/N up from her deep slumber as she sat up right. Rubbing her eyes she looked at the time and realized it was only 8:30. Groaning out of frustration she got out of bed. Who could be at her flat at this hour.

“What,” Y/N snapped as she flung the door open, an angry expression written all over her face. But it was replaced by surprise as she saw Thomas Shelby standing outside her door. “What are you doing here especially at 8:30 in the fucking morning Thomas,” She sighed with irritation in her tone.

“Where is she,” Thomas snapped at her.

“If you’re talking about Ada and I’m assuming Freddie as well, your guess is as good as mine since I have no bloody clue where she is,” Y/N huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest as anger spread all over her body.

Thomas let out a sigh out of anger and walked past her, Y/Ns eyes widened at the audacity he had.

“What gives you the right to barge into my home and look for your sister,” Y/N yelled as he looked in her bedroom and the bathroom, the only two rooms she had. “Wanna check under the couch as well,” she asked as he came into her vision.

“If she’s not here you must know where she is,” Thomas let out a huff as he rolled his eyes.

“Well it seems like you’d be wrong since I didn’t even know she was pregnant,” Y/N answered, letting her arms fall down to her sides.

“And Freddie,” He asked, putting a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.

“Of course I knew about it, and before you get on to me about that if I had told you Ada would have hated me for the rest of our lives,” Y/N explained rubbing her fingers at her temples as a headache started to roam in.

“As opposed to where you are now,” Thomas calmly says as he lets out a puff of smoke. Y/N bit her lip trying not to let out a sarcastic laugh. “It seems like my sister was lacking trust in you,” He says as Y/N clenched her hands trying to control her anger.

“Do you speak to all women this way or is it just me,” Y/N let out a sarcastic laugh.

“I haven’t gotten a complaint yet,” Thomas sparkly replied as he went to exit the flat.

“Well this is me filing one,” Y/N shouted as he slammed the door rattling the pictures on the wall.

God she hated this man.

Y/N took some time off work, luckily Harry let her or Arthur since it was his up now. They had just hired another barmaid, Grace so she was happy to take some time to wallow. Maybe Thomas was right, Ada was lacking trust in her for some reason. Whatever it was that made Ada not tell her it made her sad. She’d always had Ada in her life and now she didn’t even know where she was.

Now a week later Y/N was feeling a little better as she returned to work. There was still a tear in her heart but she tried to brush that off. But she hoped that she wouldn’t see Thomas at the pub, she didn’t want to see his arrogant face at the moment.

Luckily she didn’t see him for a while and soon enough it has been months since she saw him. Most of her thoughts are swarmed on how Ada hadn’t contacted him once and soon the sadness turned to anger. Y/N trusted her with her life but it didn’t see reciprocated.

Wiping down the table she tried to not let thoughts run through her mind. Midway through cleaning there was a knock on the private room. Sighing, she opened the partition to see Thomas standing there.

“What do you want,” Y/N asked, annoyed as she stared up at him.

“You’re barmaid, bring me some whiskey,” Thomas ordered and knowing she would have to take it up with Arthur she complied. Handing him the whiskey and with a plastered fake smile on his face. As she was about to close the partition he stopped her putting his hand on hers.

“Come sit with me,” Thomas says.

“I have customers to serve other than you Mr. Shelby,” Y/N replied sarcastically trying to ignore the way his skin feels on hers.

“Grace is here. Come,” Thomas says as he closes the partition.

Maybe if she just talked to him this would be over, and she could go back to her job. Walking around the bar she opened the side door and saw him sitting there with a cigarette between his lips, per usual.

“What,” Y/N snapped as she took a seat next to him.

“I wanted to apologize about what I said, Ada does trust you more than us probably,” Thomas apologized looking everywhere but her eyes.

Y/N gaped at him with shock in her eyes. Never once in her life has she seen Thomas Shelby apologize to anyone. It’s also been so long she hadn’t even remembered what he had said. She didn’t even know what to say, this is the first time she has even been alone with him so it was a bit awkward.

“You don’t have to,” Y/N whispered, staring at the table in front of her. Her heart was racing.

“I know I just thought I’d let you know that you are an important person in my sister's life and she’d alway trust you,” Thomas explained.

“How do you know, I mean I haven’t seen her or Freddie in months. Maybe she just didn’t want to tell me things anymore or just didn’t care too,” Y/N explained pouring her heart out. She didn’t know why she was doing this but everything just came out.

“Truth is I don’t know just a gut feeling,” Thomas replied as he poured a glass of whiskey for him and got another out for her.

“Hopefully your gut feeling is right because I’m going on with nothing,” Y/N muttered, grabbing her glass and gulping it down and ignoring the sting. “Have you seen her,” She asked as she set down the glass.

“No the only person who has is Polly,” Thomas answered as Y/N let out a sigh. “I have seen Freddie,” He says and she looked at him with a concerned look in her eyes. “And no I did not kill him, don't worry.”

“I didn’t think that I just thought maybe you’d beat him to a pulp,” Y/N muttered.

“That was a thought in my mind but out of good conscience I didn’t,” Thomas let out a dry laugh.

Y/N let a smile crack as she never thought she’d be smiling at something that Thomas Shelby had said. But maybe perhaps she was wrong about him or there was something deeper to him than he let on.

“I thought Thomas Shelby doesn’t apologize,” Y/N teased remembering what he said when she was younger.

“I usually don’t,” Thomas gave her a tight smile.

“Am I just special or did you just feel bad,” Y/N asked, turning to face him.

“Just hadn’t seen you in sometime and didn’t want you to not be around because I made you mad,” Thomas explained taking a hit off his cigarette. “But then I thought maybe it’s because you hate me,” He says.

“I don’t hate you, I just hate the way people treat you,” Y/N corrected him, leaning over him to grab the whiskey and pouring herself another glass.

“How’s that,” Thomas asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Like you’re the knew Jesus Christ or something along the lines,” Y/N cheekily answered downing the shot glass.

Thomas hummed and nodded, budding out his cigarette, taking another sip of the alcohol that sat before him. While Y/N downed the 3rd glass.

“Okay I think that’s enough,” Thomas says, taking the bottle of whiskey out of her hand making Y/N pout.

“That sucks, I wanna get drunk,” Y/N explained.

“I think you’re already there love,” Thomas says, looking her up and down.

“Whiskey was always my weakness,” Y/N let out a little laugh. “You wanna know a secret,” She asked.

“What is it,” Thomas asked curiously.

“I don’t hate you I actually had a wee bit of a crush on you,” Y/N giggled as she felt more and more intoxicated.

Thomas’s face dropped as Y/N looked over at the clock and stood up and almost tripped. Luckily Thomas caught her and set her straight.

“Woah where are you going,” Thomas asked, a little concerned with her drunken state.

“Home my shift is over,” Y/N slurred as she stared up at him and tried to straighten her posture but ended up tripping on her own feet again. “Damn it,” She cursed as she grabbed Thomas’s shoulder trying to steady herself.

“Okay you can’t walk home now let me take you to Polly’s then you can go home tomorrow,” Thomas explained.

“No,” Y/N shook her head. But before anything could happen she felt herself tripping again Thomas picked her up bridal style.

“Okay you need rest and I don’t feel like walking miles,” Thomas gruffly replied

Y/N nodded resting her head on his shoulder letting her eyes close and fall into a deep slumber.

Around a week later Y/N still hadn’t shown up to work out of shame. She didn’t want to see Thomas after she had gotten drunk and he had to take her to his aunt's house so she could get some sleep. She was thinking about quitting and that was no joke.

In the middle of cleaning around the house she heard a knock on the door and her heart rate sped up a little. Knowing who it was she went up to the door and looked through the peephole.

“Hey Thomas,” Y/N greeted him while opening the door, letting him inside her home.

“Haven’t seen you in a while,” Thomas says with his hands inside his coat.

“Yeah sick,” Y/N lied while letting a fake cough out. Thomas rolled his eyes knowing she was lying. To be honest he kind of missed her presence around the pub. He would never admit it to her but the thought kept rolling around.

“I just wanted to invite you to John's wedding,” Thomas broke the awkward silence as he handed her the invention. Her eyes widened; she didn’t know John was getting married. But she felt a spark when he handed her the tiny paper.

“As a date,” Y/N blurted out. Thomas let out a chuckle.

“If that’s what you want it to be,” Thomas gave her a smile as he went to exit the house. “I’ll pick you up in a couple hours if you want to go,” He said before he left.

She stared at the invitation as her heart began to race at the thought of a date with Thomas Shelby. The same guy she couldn’t even be in the same room with not even a year ago. Biting her lip she pondered if she should go or not. Would it be inappropriate as Ada’s best friend to go with her elder brother?

Sighing Y/N looked at the piece of paper one last time, eyes scanning over it, before she put it down on her kitchen table. Burying her face in her hands, her heart and her head were at war at the moment.

Looking up at the ticking clock it says 11 am but he would be by to pick her up at 4pm. Usually Y/N doesn’t like to go out of her little bubble so this time she wanted to take a chance and go with her heart. Walking into her room she goes to her closet and looks through all the pieces of clothing trying to find the perfect thing to wear. Grinning ear to ear as she finds the dress she was intending on looking for. It was her favorite, not too showy but not too bland.

When the clock struck 3:00 she decided that she should start to get ready, deciding to do her hair first, then her makeup and finally she put the outfit on. Standing in front of the mirror she tries to not be too giddy. This might not even be a date to him so she thinks the worst so she doesn’t get disappointed.

A knock on the door interrupts her inner dialogue and she takes a look at herself in the mirror one last time.

“Coming,” Y/N shouted before running to the door and swinging it open and smiling when she saw him standing.

“Didn’t think you’d actually want to go,” Thomas clears his throat after looking her up and down.

“Well I thought about it and then realized I never wore this dress and soI thought this was the perfect occasion,” Y/N teases, giving him a smirk. “Do I look pretty,” She asks as her heart starts to race.

“The dress only adds to your beauty,” Thomas compliments, making her smile as goosebumps go up her arm. “We should get going, we're going to be late,” He says after looking at his watch. Y/N nodded, giving him a tight smile as he opened the door to the car and she hops in.

On the ride to wherever they were going Y/N and Thomas make small talk commenting on how rough the roads are. It actually surprises Y/N when he asks about her interest and what she does in her free time.

She happily answers on how she loves to ride horses, it was one of the best things she can do. Y/N talks about how she rode into the fields when she was younger and just watched the sunset. Thomas says that he has a horse and maybe sometime in the future they will go on a ride together. Biting her lip she nodded, almost feeling her heart jump out of her chest.

“Stay in the car I have to sort something out first,” Thomas orders before getting out of the car.

“What’s going on I thought this was just a wedding,” Y/N asks furrowing her brows, confused.

“Listen, don't tell anybody I told you this first, but John doesn’t know he’s getting married. I made a deal with the Lee family to settle our disagreement so we can take out Billy Kimber,” Thomas explains, giving her a stern expression.

Y/N gapes at him, a flabbergasted look spread on her face. Billy Kimber is someone you don’t mess with, that's what Y/N knows, he’s a very dangerous man.

“Thomas Billy Kimber is one of the most dangerous men I’ve ever heard. Why are you going against him and you better not be selling them those guns I’ve been hearing about,” Y/N snaps at him.

“If you hadn’t realized sweetheart, I’m a dangerous man as well,” Thomas replies with a small smile before walking towards the gaggle of men. Sighing she slumps back in the car rolling her eyes.

As the wedding starts Y/N stands by Thomas’s side after he comes to get her. But she is shocked when Ada shows up and Ada gives her a sympathetic look probably for not contacting her for months.

But the wedding starts before she can say anything to Ada biting her lip she shakes her head trying to keep the emotions from exploding out. Everyone claps as John and Esme kiss and Y/N smiles at the now married couple and claps along.

Later on at night everyone is either drinking or dancing with happy expressions on their faces. Y/N finds herself a seat so she can’t ponder. Why didn’t Thomas mention that Ada may be there? Maybe he didn’t know but she can’t be so sure.

A tap on her shoulder snaps her out of her thoughts and she looks up and sees Thomas standing there with a blank expression on his face.

“Mind if I sit?” Thomas asks, blowing out a puff of smoke.

“If you want,” Y/N mutters, putting her hand on the table and picking at a chipped piece of the wood. “Did you know Ada would be here?” She quietly asks.

“I didn’t know I had someone give her an invitation and I was hoping she would be here, that's what I thought you would want as well,” Thomas explains, sliding a drink towards her.

“Well I thought you’d give me a warning,” Y/N snaps, snatching the glass and gulping it up. “She hasn’t even talked to me Tommy I think she’s mad at me,” She whispers as tears gather in the corner of her eyes.

“Think she’s just feeling guilty about leavin’ you out of things,” Thomas reassures her putting his hand on top of hers. Feeling his hand on top of hers makes goosebumps arise again.

“Hopefully you’re right Tommy ‘cause I can’t take it when people are mad at me,” Y/N explains with a little laugh. “You know you’re not as bad as you let on,” She softly says, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Well I think you’re the only one who thinks that,” Thomas sighs.

“Come on Tommy I’m sure there’s a few people that think you’re pretty amazing,” Y/N tries to reassure him this time.

“I made a deal to keep Freddie out of town that’s why you haven’t seen Ada around that much,” Thomas blurts out making her eyes widen.

“Made a deal with who,” Y/N asks with a worried look on her face.

“The chief inspector. You hate me again,” Thomas says, rolling his head and looking her in the eye. His tone is almost as icy as his blue eyes.

“To me it seems like you’re just trying to get everyone to hate you. Am I right or am I wrong?” Y/N sighs looking at him giving his hand another squeeze. “Even though I spent most of my life hating you, I do know that you care about your family and you wouldn’t do these things if you didn’t care,” She explains.

“You’re one special lady aren’t you,” Thomas smiles at her softly.

“And you’d be the only one who thinks that,” Y/N returning a soft smile.

Before he can ask her what she means by that, Polly calls him over and Thomas lets out an irritated sigh. He gives Y/N a sympathetic look and she stands up letting go of his hand.

“Don’t worry I have to get home soon anyways, I’m feeling a tad tired,” Y/N says trying to uplift his mood.

“Okay but I’m going to take you on those horse rides one of these days,” Thomas says, reminding her of the conversation they had earlier.

“I don’t doubt it,” Y/N laughs. “Don’t take too long you’re my ride,” She says, taking a cigarette out of her purse and putting it between her lips. Searching her bag she tries to find a light.

“Here,” Thomas lights his lighter and puts on her cigarette. “I’ll be back, don't be too bored without me,” He teases.

“It’ll be hard,” She laughs, blowing smoke out of her mouth.

A minute passed by and the cool air blew her hair into her face. Her heart is still beating fast from the conversation she had with Thomas. She hated to admit but she loves his company and the way he makes her feel like she’s on cloud 9. She can’t wait to feel like that over and over again.

People yelling tore her out of her gaze and she turned around seeing Ada push Thomas. Y/N side putting the ashes on the ground and stepping on it. She has signed up for this drama ever since she was 10.

“Holy shit water,” Polly curses as Ada groans, putting her hand on her stomach.

“Bloody hell Ada, you do pick your times don’t you,” Arthur yells making Y/N roll her eyes. As Polly pulls Ada into the car along with Esme Y/N walks up to Thomas.

“You might want take me home before your niece or nephew is born,” Y/N says.

“Don’t you want to be there,” Thomas asks, confused.

“Don’t think she wants me there anyways she has Polly and Esme there to help,” Y/N clears her throat. She really wants to be there with Ada but she doesn’t want to put any more stress on her.

“I’ll have Johnny Dogs take you home. I may need to do something before the baby comes,” Thomas explains.

“Freddie?” Y/N questions raise an eyebrow.

“Maybe who knows,” Thomas gives her a cheeky smile before pressing a kiss onto her forehead.

The ride home was nice, Johnny Dogs wasn’t that bad of a person to talk to. He also commented on how close she had gotten with Thomas and Y/N just shrugged trying to sound convincing when she said there wasn’t anything between them. He just laughed.

A knock on the door disrupted her from her sleep and she looked at the time. It was only 1 am and she had a feeling on who it was.

Padding across the wooden floor she opened the door seeing Thomas standing there wet from the rain. He looked a bit sad and angry.

“What’s wrong Tommy, get in before you catch a cold,” Y/N sternly says/asks and pulls him inside into the warm comfort of her flat.

“They took him,” Thomas whispered.

“Who took who Tommy,” Y/N asks confused as he stood there breathing deeply.

“The police they took Freddie,” Thomas whispered, keeping his eyes on the ground. He didn’t want to see the look in her eyes, the same look in Pollys and every one of his family members.

“How,” Y/N says shocked as she crosses her arms over her chest.

“I don’t know, but everyone thinks that it was me but it wasn’t. I did not call them,” Thomas rushes out like he’s trying to explain it to her.

“They think it was you didn’t they,” Y/N questions after a few moments of silence. He takes a deep breath before walking around the couch to take it. Letting out a shaky breath he nodded.

“I don’t even blame them I could see myself doin’ that,” Thomas says rubbing his face with his hands.

“Want some tea,” Y/N questions trying to change the subject. “It may help calm your nerves,” She says going to her kitchen to make some at least for sure.

“Yeah sure,” Thomas says confused, why isn’t she mad him like Polly or Ada.

While the tea is brewing she walks to the couch and sits next to him. Taking a deep breath she rubs her eyes because she’s still tired.

“Sorry for waking ya,” Thomas apologizes.

“The second apology from Tommy Shelby I must be really special huh,” Y/N teases with a small grin resting on her face, it seems contagious because he lets one out as well.

“You believe me?” Thomas questions quietly rubbing his hand across his chin.

“My gut is telling me you didn’t but it does seem something you would do to protect your family,” Y/N explains. “But I feel like you wouldn’t do that, especially when Ada was giving birth,” She mutters.

“Well that makes you the only one,” Thomas murmurs leaning back on the couch. “You mind if I smoke,” He asks, trying to be polite.

“By all means I smoke here everyday,” Y/N replies and stands up abruptly when she hears the teapot wailing. Whilst she’s up Thomas takes a cigarette and lights a match and puts it on his cigarette.

“Here you go it might be that good, I’m not really good with a kitchen,” Y/N quickly says sitting back down next to him.

“It’s fine I have to be gettin’ home soon anyways,” Thomas reassures her.

Putting his hand on the cup he doesn’t wince at how hot it is which makes Y/N surprised. Gulping down the tea before she even picked hers up makes her shocked. Standing up he puts his cap back, before he could leave Y/N wraps her arms around his neck giving him a hug.

Thomas doesn’t respond for a minute before wrapping his arms around her waist leaning into the hug. Pulling away she presses her lips against his cheek.

“I’ll see you soon Tommy,” Y/N whispers, resting her hands on his arms.

After he left Y/N finally let’s a big breath out. Sitting down she enjoys the silence while taking sips of her tea before walking to her bedroom and lies down. Pulling her covers over her form she ponders on who could’ve taken Freddie.

For a moment she thinks it maybe Thomas, which makes her roll her eyes at her own stupid thought. It does seem like everything is pointing at him but can’t shake the feeling off that it’s not him. A year ago she would’ve completely thought it was him, but ever since she’s been spending so much time with him Y/N can’t help but think it’s not him.

Maybe it’s because of the underlying feelings she has for him but Y/N shakes her head, “Let’s just deal with this shit tomorrow,” She mutters to herself, before closing her eyes finally going into a deep slumber.

Over the next week she’s only seen glimpses of Thomas which confuses her. She thought that she’d be seeing more of him but maybe he just didn’t like her like that. For that reason her heart sinks to her stomach as cleans out a glass.

This past week's Y/N finally came to terms that she has been feeling something for Thomas and it scared the crap out of her. Thomas probably only sees her as his little sister, that’s how he’ll always see her and her heart hurts only at the thought of that.

That’s probably why he’s been avoiding her, because he knows she feels something for him and he doesn’t want to let her down or just plain up reject her. Shaking her head she tries to concentrate on her work but Y/N can’t help having her thoughts wander to Thomas.

“Snap of it Y/N,” She quietly chastises herself.

She bids goodbye to Grace as the blonde walks out of the now empty pub beside Y/N. It was closed which made her let out a sigh of relief, finally she can have some quiet time with just her and her own thoughts.

All night it was just filled with the town drunks who kept asking for drink after drink. And every time the door opened Y/N looked up to see if it was him and every time it wasn’t it made her heart break every time.

Putting the glass away a harsh knock on the door snaps herself out of her self pity. It was probably just some other drunk who thought the pub was still open.

Walking towards the door she opens it hastily getting ready to shout at the person standing there. But her eyes softened when she realized it was Thomas.

Thomas hastily moves past her and walks around the pub, frantically setting up chairs like he’s getting ready for something. Y/N eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Leave that open,” Thomas orders her while pointing a finger in her direction.

He walks around pacing as Y/N returns behind the bar looking at him worried as he breathes heavily. He takes his hat off putting it in his coat pocket. As she goes to pour a glass out for him he shakes his head.

“No,” Thomas rasps out.

“What’s wrong, are you waiting for someone,” Y/N asks, putting the lid on the bottle of alcohol.

“Yeah,” Thomas answers, pulling out a gun and loading it, making Y/N’s heart skip out of fear for a minute.

“This late at night,” She swallowed, trying to calm her heart rate.

“Midnight is as good an hour as any,” Thomas answers, putting the gun on the bar as Y/N lets out a shaky breath.

“What the fuck is going on Thomas,” Y/N curses as his behavior is starting to concern her. She’s never even held a gun this is the closest she’s been to a gun.

“When the St. Andrew’s bell strikes midnight, two IRA men are going to come through that door,” Thomas explains pointing at the door instead of answering her question. Walking around the bar he comes towards her side as he continues to explain. “When they have what they want, they plan to kill me.” He says while bending over picking up another gun from underneath the counter. She didn’t even know that was there. “It’s your job to stop that happening,” He concurs.

“You could’ve given me some warning before you sprung this on me,” Y/N snapped as her heart was about to leap out of her chest. She felt like she was going to have a heart attack.

“I just found out myself,” Thomas explains himself as he loads the gun and loads it. “They want to meet here alone.”

“And barmaids don’t count,” She questions.

“No. Barmaids don’t count.” Thomas answers walking around her and pointing to the back room. “Now, you’re gonna be in that back room. I’m going to be sitting there.” He points to the chair closest to the back room. “When I make a toast, you’re gonna come out with that thing raised.” He turned around to face Y/N pointing to the gun. Y/N stood there fear stricken as he explained all of this to her. “You don’t shoot, you just point. I’ll do the rest.” He reassures her as Y/N grabs the gun with shaky hands.

“Are you gonna kill them or just hurt them?” Y/N questions taking a deep breath.

“No, the police want them alive.” He answers, shaking his head.

“Do they know about this,” She questions, raising an eyebrow, confusion written all over her face.

“Look, just hold it up.” Thomas avoids the question and wraps his hand around her wrist having Y/N point at the wall. His breath on her neck made a shiver go down her spine. “Just point. Right?” He explains and his head snaps in the direction towards the door as the clock goes off. “All right, go.” He pushed her in the direction. “Go on. Go!” He exclaimed.

“I’m going calm down,” Y/N whispers running towards the back room as Thomas gets the glasses and some alcohol.

Y/N takes a deep breath leaning her head against the wall as she hears Thomas walking around trying to get everything ready.

As she hears the door open she lets a silent shaky breath out trying her best to not collapse in that moment. Their footsteps sound louder than they actually are and Y/N holds the gun close to her chest. Biting her lip she tries to stay as still as possible so no one suspects a thing.

To Y/N it seems like they’re doing a trade off, Thomas asking for cash she ponders on what it could be. He mentions them needing a shovel and Y/N prays its not a body they’re going to dig up.

The guys laugh which makes her posture go straighter than it already was. “You thick fucking tinker,” One of the guys spats out. “Did you think we’d let you live,” He questions.

“Make your peace Mr. Shelby,” The other guy says. Y/N wraps her finger round the trigger getting ready for those words.

“I will make my peace my own way.” Thomas tells them. She peeks out the door biting her lip to not let any sounds escape. Thomas sniffs and raises his glass, “To barmaids who don’t count.” He says.

Biting her lip Y/N makes herself knock raising the gun in her hands and she can feel her own shaky breath, hoping she wouldn’t need to use it. Her hands shake as she holds the gun up pointed at the two men. She can tell they’re shocked to see her there and when she sees one put a gun on their lap she pulls the trigger without thinking.

Y/N can tell Thoma’s shocked as he instinctively raises one of his arms above his head. As the guy lays dead there Thomas the other guy gets into a heavy brawl and she just stands there frozen with her gun still pointed at the guy.

When she does try to help she gets backhanded and this is when she realized she should’ve taken some lessons from Ada when she offered. When she does find the strength to get up she sees Thomas head but the guy he’s under.

Her eyes go wide as he grabs a bucket and repeatedly beats the guy up the head. Her mouth drops as she watches the scene before her. She’s never seen Thomas act like this even when they had to beat people up he never did something like this.

She leans against the counter somewhat afraid and somewhat worried about Thomas. As he stands up and takes a deep breath he closes his eyes and walks over to stand in front of her. She lets out a tiny breath as his hand ghosts over her cheek, where she was hit.

Thomas wipes a stray tear that trailed down her cheek. She didn’t even realize she was this close to crying. But somehow his touch made her calm down. Letting out a shaky breath as he grabs the back of her head.

“Why’d you shoot?” Thomas asks and she comes to the conclusion that he didn’t see a gun.

“He had a gun he was going to kill you or me,” Y/N hoarsely replies as more tears start to flow out. “I killed someone.” She whispers as it dawns on her. She had taken a life without thought. If she could do that, what else is she capable of?

“Now you’ve seen the real me,” Thomas whispers, holding her cheeks in his hands.

“I’m sorry,” Y/N whimpers as her hands find the lapels of his jacket.

He slowly brings her into a soft embrace and Y/N rests her head into the crook of his neck as his hand softly caresses the back of her head trying to calm her breathing down. She does the same, bringing her hand to his neck lightly, Thomas’s breath is shaky as he breathes in her ear.

They stand there for sometime just enjoying each other’s company and trying to calm down but her head perks up when she hears the door open.

Thomas reluctantly lets go and faces the policemen who stand there in front of them.

“You were supposed to come on the sixth chime.” Thomas snaps pointing a finger at the three men. “You were supposed to come on the fucking sixth chime!” He shouts as the men stand there unfazed.

Thomas rolls his eyes as the policeman walks to the body that he had beaten up.

“They refused to surrender,” Thomas says more calmly as he leans against the bar. Y/N stays back and lets him do the talk as her hands are still shaking. “They fought well. They were brave men.”

“Well, he looks like he was killed by a wild fucking animal,” The policeman says walking up to Thomas with a mocking tone in his voice. “Still. This never happened and they were never here,” He said. “Who cares?” He questioned.

“Get the bodies out of here,” Thomas quietly demands as he can’t even look at what he has done. Still a bit shaken up, she walks to stand beside Thomas.

“All right, are they making the lady uncomfortable?” He asks as he takes a look at Y/N who stands close to Thomas. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it, then, eh.” He says with a tone that made Y/N clench her jaw.

She stands next to him as the police take the bodies. Y/N gives Thomas a light squeeze for reassurance.

Thomas had decided to walk Y/N home which she was secretly thankful for. She was still shaken up at what just happened. There was this comforting silence between them as they walked side by side to her flat. Luckily the fresh air had managed to calm her breathing down.

As they stop in front of the building he hands her a cigarette he’s been taking hits off. She takes it without hesitance and takes a hit and blows the smoke out of her mouth.

“Thanks,” Y/N muttered under breath and handed the cigarette back to him, Thomas gave her a curt nod.

“Get some sleep you need it,” Thomas orders pointing to her door before turning around to walk to his home before Y/N could utter a word.

Walking into her flat was a little bit unnerving after the escapade that just happened. She sets her coat on her couch and decides she’ll just sleep in these clothes as she takes off her shoes.

She pads to her bedroom and lays on the soft comforter and pillow and she lets out a relaxed sigh. Y/N closes her eyes and tries to block out everything that had just happened. It felt like this whole nightmare and she would just wake up and everything would be fine again.

Soon enough her thoughts lead to her falling asleep in a deep slumber.

A couple days went by and Thomas stopped by one to see if Y/N was working and she was. He gave her a soft smile as she looked at him. Y/N returned the gesture and went back to work before he could talk to her, he understood. It was probably traumatic for her as much as it was for him.

When it became dark she saw Harry and Grace talking to each other and she let out a sigh as she poured herself a shot of whiskey. Y/N felt numb as those days went by and she didn’t really know how to feel.

The door chimed as Thomas walked into the pub and he looked at Y/N and she felt herself instantly calm down but her heart started to race again. Not the bad kind but the good kind. He gave a nod towards the private room to her and she got the message and followed him there.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m sorry for what happened the other night,” Thomas apologized.

“That’s the third time you apologized to me. I'm starting to feel lucky,” Y/N grins. “What’s wrong,” She asked when she realized something was off with him.

“I’m going to have to lie low for a while,” Thomas blurts out, making Y/N’s eyes widen a little.

“Why? What’s happened,” She questioned as anxiety started to naw at her.

“I lost my bargaining power,” Thomas says. “The copper I told you about, it’s just me and him now,” He explains. “When I get back I promise you we are going to go on that horse ride,” He promises her, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. Her heart felt like it could burst.

“I overheard Harry and Grace saying the police are already in Digbeth,” Y/N rushed out as she had just overhead the man and the blonde.

“Yeah,” Thomas nodded.

“Why did you come here? You could’ve gone somewhere where they couldn’t find you Tommy,” Y/N asks.

Before he could answer Finn opened the door and looked at the two with a scared expression on his face. “The police are in the lane, Tommy!” Finn expresses as he looks out of breath.

Before anyone could do anything she grabbed his hand and said, “Come with me.”

Y/N pulled Thomas out the back door and they rushed down the street in the back alleys to her flat. This is the only place she could think of that would be safe. At least at the top of her head.

Opening the door she holds it open for Thomas and he steps in and puts his cap on the kitchen counter. Turning on the light she can finally let a breath of relief out.

“Hopefully they won’t find you here, I haven't told anyone where I live,” Y/N reassures him, wrapping one of her arms around her body.

“They shouldn’t,” Thomas agrees.

“You want some tea,” She asks, walking towards him.

“Sorry yours sucked last time,” Thomas jokes, giving her a small smile. Y/N laughs gives him a playful shove before walking into the kitchen. “But I will take some whisky if you have it,” He says.

“Whiskey it is,” Y/N gets two glasses out and pours some for her and some for him. She gulps it down before taking a breath. “Sorry it’s been a few stressful days,” She says quietly.

“You got any food,” Thomas asks after gulping his down.

“No, I'm a terrible cook. I usually go to my mothers for food,” Y/N laughs. “She may be a bit annoying but her food is to die for.”

“What about your father,” He questions.

“He actually died before I was born so my mother raised me alone,” Y/N explains, circling her finger around the rim of the glass.

Feeling a bit nervous she goes to her window to see if there’s anyone there and she sighs of relief when she sees no one.

“Don’t worry when the trouble dies down I’ll let you be,” Thomas reassures.

“You don’t have to,” Y/N blurts out without thinking. He raises an eyebrow. “I mean you don’t have to let me be is what I’m saying,” She quickly explains.

“I’m flattered,” Thomas gives her a small smirk.

“You’d do the same for me right,” Y/N questions giving him the same look he’d given her.

“Couldn’t say no to you,” Thomas replies.

“When do ya think it’ll die down, I hate coppers,” Y/N explains and asks.

“Late I would say,” Thomas answers as Y/N wrings her hands in front of her.

“So not til the morning, that’s great I have to stay up worrying they’ll come and get you,” Y/N smiles to let him know she’s joking with him.

“I‘ll stay up with you,” Thomas reassures walking up to her. He puts his hand out. “Would you like to dance?”

��I have no music,” She laughs.

“Doesn’t mean we can’t dance and from what I remember from Ada is that you’re a terrific dancer,” Thomas tells her with a little grin at the corner of his mouth. His palm is still up right and she takes it.

“I’m not that good Ada was exaggerating,” Y/N giggles.

He wraps his arm around her waist and she puts her hand on his shoulder as they dance around her flat. She feels kinda stupid since there’s no music but as he looks at her with his ice blue eyes she feels happy.

He releases her hand and puts it on the other side of her waist and before she can say anything his lips are on hers. At first she's a little shocked but she snaps out of it and puts her hands on both of his cheeks as she kisses him back.

Thomas’s hands are caressing her hips as he guides her through her flat and towards her bedroom. She lets out a moan as his tongue slips in and once they’re finally in her room, she has to take a breath. Thomas uses this to unbutton her dress from the back and she takes his jacket off and then helps him take off her dress.

His lips returned to hers after he took off his shirt. He lies her down and her hand goes to his back as he goes to unbutton her bra. She can already feel how turned on from kissing she is and she’s a little embarrassed about it.

After he got her bra off his lips went to her neck kissing and nipping at the exposed skin that was exposed. She lets out a moan as his lips find her sweet spot. His hand goes to the right boob and uses his thumb to circle her already hardened nipple.

“Tommy,” She moans and arches her back. He continues to lick and nip at the spot that makes her go weak. His hand leaves her boob to go and take off her stockings and panties. Now fully naked Y/N can feel herself start to get embarrassed but before she can do anything his lips return to hers as he goes to unbutton his pants.

His finger swipes across her folds making her whimper as he starts to rub her clit. He flips them over so that she is on top and he continues to kiss her and harshly rub at her clit.

Thomas guides his length to her folds and she lets out a loud moan as he pushes himself in. Luckily she was wet enough and it started to feel good. She started to gyrate her hips and Thomas let out groans as she clenched around him. Y/N wraps her arms around his shoulder as he finally hits that one spot that makes whimper.

“That feel good love,” Thomas whispers in her ear, making her nod and moan louder. His thumb returned to her clit.

He’s close and she knows he is too as she started to gyrate faster and faster. “I’m close Tommy,” She moans in his ear as he grabs her hips to slam into her.

Y/N moans loudly into his ears as she clenches around his cock and cums. Hard. Thomas continues to slam into her until he groans spilling inside of her.

Rolling off of him she pulls the blanket over them both as she’s breathing heavily. Thomas pulls her closer so that she is resting upon his chest. Her fingers ghosts over the tattoo that rests.

“Like your tattoo,” Y/N whispers.

“I like your everything love,” Thomas whispers as he presses a kiss to her forehead. “Get some rest love,” he whispers and she nodded and closed her eyes.

Thomas soon shortly follows and closes his eyes trying to get rest.

When Y/N wakes up she reaches over to the other side she notes that Thomas isn’t there. Y/N sits straight up and looks around to see if he’s in the room. She holds the blanket close to her chest. Looking on the pillow he was sleeping on there’s a note.

Picking it up says. ‘Don’t worry love I’ll be back and we’ll go on the horse ride’ she smiles and brings it closer to her chest. She can feel it. She loves him and it took her sometime to figure it out but she loves him.

Laying back down she stares at the ceiling and can’t help herself when she thinks of the future. No matter what she’ll have the people she’ll always love.

#thomas shelby imagine #thomas shelby smut #thomas shelby x reader #thomas shelby #thomas shelby x oc #thomas shelby x y/n #tommy shelby #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby smut #tommy shelby imagine #peaky blinders x y/n #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders headcanon #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders smut #peaky blinders #gold rush

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deepdonutkid · 3 years ago

Text

A new dawn

Pair: Tommy x female reader

Requested: yes, by anon

Summary: While is wife is in labor, Tommy prefers to stay away, because it’s women’s business, but when she called for him, he rushes by her side.

Author’s note:

This is not beta read and english is my second language..

It’s in the arrow house, meaning at least season 3 and John is alive, like in most of my stories!

Warnings: child birth, pain, drinking, swearing

Tagging: @retromafia @justalonelyslytherin @bonniesgoldengirl @theshelbyclan

With all his might, Tommy tried to ignore the distant screams of his wife, not because he didn’t care for her. He did, but she didn’t want him to be there, while she was still in labor. So, he did his best to stifle the urge to look for her.

Pregnancies have complications and these were not rare, not even with the latest medical achievements. Or so Polly has told him, when he learned about the gift his wife was carrying.

His neck was stiff the whole time, but he flinched every time, when he heard his wife yelling. Some might thing the Arrow House would be big enough to avoid the screams of his wife, but Tommy stayed close- just in case.

He poured a glass of whiskey to distract himself from thinking about the situation down the hall. And just when he was taking his first sip, he flinched again and the liquor was running down his hand.

“Fuck”, he grunted and put the glass down again, so he could fumble for his handkerchief. Hasty, he was rubbing his hand on the fabric of the tissue, while he heard his younger brother say. “You shouldn’t go there”

“I know you want to”, John added and gave him a piercing look: “But woman don’t want company during labor. Trust me, I already had the same situation five times.”

Tommy nodded, but it wasn’t quite honest, actually it was a sarcastic gesture, because he wasn’t really trusting his brother on this issue. “John, the pregnancy expert”, muttered Tommy. The corners of his mouth were twitching. Tommy was close to smiling, but didn’t, because he could still hear his wife moaning from pain.

His younger brother ignored the noises from the in-law and explained it even further: “Tommy, she doesn’t want you around and should I tell you why…. Because you will never look at her the same way, when you seem something coming out of her fun hole.”

Right at the tip of Tommy’s tongue was the urge to argue against the word ‘fun hole’, however he said something different instead. “I would be respectful enough to not look right at the center of action. Also… that something you’re talking about is my child.”

“Posh Tommy, talking like his head is up his butt, eh? Arthur?”, scoffed John and looked over to the oldest Shelby brother.

Arthur had way more problem acting like there wasn’t screams of pain just two doors away. He was even more sensitive than Tommy… and of course did Arthur worry, because his wife was pregnant as well. It was quite visible, that Arthur wasn’t mentally prepared to be a father now. The shock in his bones… and his forehead wrinkles.

“Yeah”, Arthur mumbled and glared around. Poor Arthur seemed a little bit lost now. “Is it true that woman shit themselves during the…”

“Labor?”, John was filling in the blanks. Just this once he was smarter than his brothers and he would enjoy it as much as he could. “Yes, they do, that’s why it’s woman’s business and we should stay here and drink.”

A collective sigh left their lips, right before they started drinking again.

After this weird talk about pregnancies and labor, silence fell over the room. Nobody knew what to say and since the screams got louder, it got even more disturbing to have a little chat like nothing was happening.

John licked his lips and was about to say something again, when Tommy shushed him.

Everybody was listening closely to understand what his wife was screaming.

His name.

She was indeed calling for him. After everything John had told him, Tommy had actually doubted, he would go there, until it was over.

But right now, he didn’t hesitate and put his glass down, so he could sprint down the hallway.

Tommy didn’t even knock and entered the room right away, but he hid his face behind his hand, so he couldn’t, what he didn’t want to see. Maybe John was right with ‘fun-hole-thing” and Tommy wasn’t risking it.

Since he wasn’t looking, he had to feel the door handle to shut it. Once this was done, he was making slow steps towards his wife.

“Stop being a fucking child, Tommy”, Polly shouted and hit him: “She is your wife and you shouldn’t make a fuss about it.”

Because of Polly’s command, he pulled his hand away and searched for his wife. She was right in the middle of the room and her legs were covered with a blanket.

Maybe she didn’t want to see what was happening between her legs either. However, Tommy was grateful to be around.

He gave her a smile and walked over to her, so he could wipe of the sweat from her forehead. “How are you doing?”, he asked softly.

“I can’t”, she whined: “I can’t, Tommy, please, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t push anymore. It hurts so bad.”

Tommy thought, seeing the blood and the blood-covered new born would be the worst thing about it, but it was difficult to see the love of his life in so much pain… and he couldn’t even help her. “You have to”, he told her, grabbing her hand: “I’m here by your side, okay? I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere, but you have to push.”

She was shaking her head and crying even more. “I don’t want this anymore”, she squealed, while panting heavily: “If somebody told me, it would hurt this much, I wouldn’t agreed to try for a baby.”

“Love, it’s going to be alright. I’m here and I will hold your hand the whole time. And when the baby is here with us and you can hold it, you will forget about all this, okay?”, he tried to convince her to keep pushing, because the hard part was still coming… and Tommy couldn’t handle her screams nor her pain.

No matter what he said, she was still to afraid and nervous to keep going. Right now, she was just a crying blob with a panic attack. It was like she didn’t even hear him. But she couldn’t stop now nor was there any other possibility to get the child, at least not here.

Now, Tommy wished, he would have taken her to the hospital hours ago. The doctors would probably know what do to and Tommy certainly did not. He was already worried sick about her and he didn’t know, how much blood she has already lost. And his biggest fear was her dying right here, with nobody else to blame but himself, when he accepted her decision to get the child here and he should leave the room.

She had changed her mind on one thing and Tommy wished, she would have thought about the hospital thing a little longer. He knew, she was scared of going there, but nobody in hospitals was ever happy.

“Just think about the baby, okay?”, he tried once again: “Think about the tiny feet and the smile, when it’s going to look at you. Think about holding until it falls asleep peacefully. Think about, when it starts walking and talking… and it’s right here and it’s waiting for us, it’s waiting for you to keep pushing, because it wants to be in this world.”

Slowly she nodded, which was at least a little bit of progress. “Okay, I will try”

Polly was telling her to push and luckily, she did, but she was destroying Tommy’s hand in the progress.

However, Tommy stayed by her side, like he had promised to and when his aunt announced the head was visible, he knew it was almost done.

“I’m so proud of you”, he whispered to her: “You’re doing great, love. Just one last time.”

His wife was screaming louder than ever and pressing his hand, like her life was depending on it and right when Tommy thought, she had to do it once again, he heard a little scream. It was their baby, telling them it was alive and thriving.

Polly was wrapping the blood-covered thing into a clean cloth and announced: “It’s a girl”.

Then she was walking over to the fresh-baked parents and was handing the child over.

His wife was looking up to him, finally smiling: “She is so beautiful” Tommy nodded in agreement and asked: “How to you want to call her?”

She was admiring her baby for a while. Just like Tommy thought, she had completely forgotten the pain from minutes before and was happy to be with her baby.

Very quietly she said: “How about Cecilia?”

He was leaning in and taking the little hand of his daughter. His voice was so soft, it didn’t even sound like him, when he gushed: “Hello, Cecilia. Welcome to the family.”

#tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x y/n #thomas shelby x reader #thomas shelby x y/n #peaky blinders x reader #thomas shelby fluff #tommy shelby angst

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standingappablog · 4 years ago

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My interpretation of Toni and Shelbys relationship.

I am re-watching the wilds and I wanna talk about a few things I missed in my first viewing.

Toni

Starting off in episode one, which I think a lot of us picked up on the gay vibe from both of them, was Tonis front with shelby at the beginning of the show. All talk, and takes no shit. But you can spot her flustered moment easily when Shelby puts her hands on her shoulders and when she begins to sing (while she pees yes lol) But you can just SEE IT on her face. This quickly subsides though as not long after Toni lets a tree branch fly back in her face.

The writers also try confuse you and make you think the reason why Toni dislikes Shelby so much (at least untill episode 6 before the homophobia) is becuase of her possibly stealing her best friend away. Which of course played a part in it too.

The scenes of her looking at Martha and shelby was a common 0occurrence. You notice though, in most scenes how Martha is sort of out focus and in the backround while shelby takes up most of the shot. Indicating that shelby is the person Tonis gaze is fixed on.

I think the reason why Toni so strongly disliked Shelby in the beginning is becuase she found herself attracted to her, which she obviously didnt like. With shelby having this happy go lucky optimistic front, and all the jesus talk really clashed with her pretty pesimistic personality. Not to mention how Toni thinks Shelby is extreamly privileged,which in a lot of aspects of her life she is. Considerably more after you find out Tonis backstory. So with that knowledge of her backround you could see why she would assume her life is better than hers. I mean she is a rich white girl from texas, so her assumption wasnt unreasonable. To Toni the idea of liking someone like Shelby is unexpected for her, so she does as much as possible to push her away. Explaining why she was pretty rude to her for the first half of the series.

Along with Shelbys little “westburo baptist” moment Toni got pretty angry (rightly so) and this probably solidified the irationality of thease feelings she had for Shelby. Giving her even more of a reason to dislike her.

Despite this Toni finds it in herself to try cheer her up when the two run into each other in the woods after Shelbys biggest insecurity is revealed by leahs theories. Tonis feelings for Shelby are on view a little bit here. Beforehand she barely could interact with her without expressing her dislike for Shelby.

Though the mood shifts again after Shelby brings up the subject of her views on being gay.

Right up until shelby kisses her, Toni outwardly berates Shelby on how medieval her veiws are, and what a priveleged life she leads. She tells her on this island they are free, and Shelby takes this opportunity to show who she really is.

The kiss the two share as we all saw was in no way one sided, Toni does kiss her back. Obvioiusly this shocks Toni, as well as shelby herself. WIth shelby running off as she tries to escape what she just did with a girl who she thought hated her.

You immideatly see Toni run after her. Her feelings for this girl who Toni thought hated who she was where reciprocated. In this moment her whole attitude towards Shelby changes as she begins to understand why she is the way she is.

Shelby

Shelbys sexuality was pretty obvious to many of the LGBT viewers, we have all been there, obviously not the religious cult part, but putting up a front, hiding who we are. So it was easy to tell that she was gay from the beggining. Its also pretty common in the media to portray a closeted LGBT person like this. The question was how the writers where going to go about revealing the fact that she is gay.

You notice Shelbys attempts to be friendly towards Toni pretty early on with inviting her out to the first exhibition. Of course we all know it ends with her getting a branch to the face. But when questioned about the cut on her temple, she doesnt reveal that Toni was the one who caused it.

Though as we all know as Shelby begins to become friends with Martha, Toni becomes increasingly more hostile towards her. Probably shattering the hopes of being friends. So we see less of Shelbys perspective of the relestionship between the two from her, and more from Toni. The two become pretty bitter with each other after the shelter building contest, the tension rising pretty quickly, although it seems that Toni is always the one who initiates the fights they have. Even after Toni destroys the hut and storms off, Shelby goes to find her and still tries to have a friendly conversation, possibly she went to comfort her, but of course we know from watching Toni interact with those around her she only initates in deep conversation with those she trusts, and the weird feelings she has for Shelby probably didnt help.

Fast forward to episode six and Shelby has her little moment when the others are joking around with the shellfish. Of course this one isnt as subtle as previous scenes but it shows Shelbys internalized homophobia.The gestures Toni demonstrated made her uncomfortable becuase she knew thats who she was, the idea of being gay freaked her out, so she did the only thing to stop it. To lash out and reveal how she truely felt about herself. She proably never intended on revealing this, becuase really she doesnt hate the fact that Toni is gay. She hated the fact that she is gay herself. This probably shattered any hope of frienship with Toni after this incedent. (She also mentioned to martha afterwards that she knew it would happen, this revealation pushed everyone away from her considerably for the rest of the season)

When everyone begins to get sick, we see Shelby desperatly trying to prove to everyone and Toni that, she doesnt hate her. Ofcourse we knew by now that the two felt something for each other. In a way this was Shelbys feelings acting out. Her romantic feelings yes, but mostly guilt.Ignoring the others offers to let them give her the pill, instead she desperatly overcomes Tonis pride. Making her take the pill forcably, so that she would stay alive.

Just before the two share their first kiss, shelby finally opens up about how miserable she finds her life. Toni as we know with a troubled backround claims that she cant “out sad” her. The only thing that Toni has that Shelby doesnt is freedom. Toni seeing the solution around them points out she is more free than ever and that moment you see the contemplation in her face, you can almost see whats going on in her mind just before she leans in and impulsively kisses Toni.

She then runs, obviously horrified with herself. The immeanse internalised homohpbia making her feel ashamed for following her heart.

I honestly loved watching this couple come together, their chemistry and writing was great and super intriuging to watch. I am glad a rewatched it again, there was a few things I missed out on in the first veiwing becuase i was too busy chanting “kiss! kiss! kiss!” everytime they appeared on screen together. This is completley my interpretation of their releationship and how the scenes are done, I honestly could be completley wrong and they are as they are shown to be on the surface. I just really enjoy delving deep into the motives and feelings of characters I enjoy watching. :)

*Edit* My apologies if this is written bad! At the time when I wrote this I was extremely tired. I hadn't slept the night before and I was just back from a full day of school.

#The wilds #Shoni #Shelbly x toni #Toni x shelby #Toni the wilds #Shelby the wilds #Shelby Goodkind #Toni Shalifoe #Mia healey #erana james #amazon the wilds #amazon #lgbtq #gay #bisexual #lesbian

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mischievouslittlecreature · 1 year ago

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The way I dropped everything to read this the second I saw you had posted it!

Okay first of all, let me just again how honored I am that you liked Lucy enough to include a mention of her in your fic! 🥹 I feel like such a proud mom right now, and please feel free to use her in any of your other fics if you'd like!

I was so nervous when it became clear that someone was following Heaven. The poor woman's got enemies around every corner. I loved that it was Aberama who helped her. He already seems to have developed a bit of a soft spot for her since she reminds him of his children.

And of course Lucy would be the type to just be handing out knives as gifts! 😂 And of course she would be nice and warm towards Heaven. Even though she's Tommy's ride or die, I think she would really sympathize towards Heaven's dark past and how unwelcoming the Shelbys were towards her at first.

And poor Arthur! While what he did (and said) in the last chapter was very much out of line, his misery over fighting with Heaven is heartbreaking. Good on Polly for taking care of and keeping an eye on him.

I'm really wondering if Arthur's going to find out about the kiss with Tommy. I would imagine that he has to, and I can't even imagine the shit that's going to hit the fan when that happens 😳

The word left your mouth with the power of a guillotine’s blade on an inmate’s neck and surprised everyone in the room. I just love this description so much!

I am glad that she's not instantly forgiving him and just sweeping it all under the rug. But she's also not just shutting down his attempts to apologize and pushing him away. And Polly turning the term "white devil" into a term of endearment is so sweet.

The second Heaven mentioned feeling nauseous when Polly offered her the whisky immediately made me wonder if she was pregnant. I'm so happy for them, even if the timing isn't great!

Heaven in Your Eyes || Arthur Shelby x Reader!OC

Summary: Danger lurks in every corner of Small Heath now, a place in which you're forced to stay. A place where Changretta and Section D are ready to get you. As you're trying to work things out with Arthur following your violent argument, Polly tells you something that will definitely complicate your role in the Vendetta.

Words: 6.8k

TW: Angst, mention of drug use, canonical violence, mention of murder, mention of self-harm, co-dependent relationship, grieving.

Notes:

✞ This is chapter 13 of the Arthur Shelby x You series Heaven in Your Eyes. Each chapter can be read as stand-alone but reading the whole series will make the experience far more intense and better.

✞ Quite a long chapter I admit, certainly the longer. The future chapters won't be as long I swear -- it's just that there was a lot of small "plot twists".

✞ Lucy is @emotionalcadaver's OC.

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The thick fog of the night danced in front of the car’s headlights, swirling at the wind’s discretion. The driver, keeping an eagle eye on your dainty silhouette, had started the engine as soon as he saw you storming out of your house, disheveled and crying. He only waited five seconds before driving at a very slow pace, scanning the misty streets of foul-smelling Small Heath to find you. For a short while, he was convinced you had managed to escape from his watch and, admittedly, the persistent fog only complicated the task further. “Fucking bitch”, he pestered, turning left on the next street as the car’s wheels squealed against the wet concrete of the road but you didn’t hear, far too deafened by the unremitting drumming of your own heart. You stopped your race near a field, and sat on a small wall, feeling your body wear out now that the adrenaline's effects were dispersing. Once settled, you buried your face in your cold palms and squeezed your eyes shut. Where should you go? What should you do? Were all of Arthur's promises empty? What will happen to your marriage now? Will Tommy keep ruining your life? All these questions played on repeat in your skull, like the unsettling loop of a broken record echoing in a murky abandoned house. And along the haunting tune resonated your and Arthur's voice, from a not-so-far memory.

"I'll marry you one day."

"You're already married, Arthur."

"I don't bloody care, it's you I want ay. Fook Linda, fook the family, fook the rest of the world. It's you. It has always been you."

A shiver ran down your spine as your mind went back to the night you had this conversation. You could almost feel the warm sensation of his naked skin against yours, as he cradled you to his chest, legs entangled, and his cologne all over your bedsheet. The first time you made love.

"Listen, I know you're scared and I know I’ve got a bad reputation. But if you give me the chance to be your man, I swear to God you'll be the only one for me. Look at ya. How could I want another woman? They can all die. I'll never, fucking never, cheat on you."

"But with Linda--"

"It ain't the same. We're talking about you. My sweet angel. My soul mate. My saving grace. The other part of me broken self."

"... Alright. Promise it then."

"Cross me heart and hope to die."

"No drugs either? Like, a bit of snow occasionally never killed anyone but apart from this, no relapse okay?"

"No drugs but..." He paused, gently taking your hand in his, and kissed all your fingers one by one "But in exchange I want ye to stop hurting yourself. I saw the inside of your thighs so please, no more cuts ay?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." You smiled, interlocking your little fingers together in a sweet pinky promise.

You pressed one trembling hand against your mouth at the bittersweet memory, tears tingling your eyes and blurring your vision. A muffled sob escaped from your plumped lips, then a second, and finally tears came in waterfalls. It's been a long time since you really cried, and here you were. Weeping like a lost kid.

Despite the darkness of the night and the patchy coat of the fog, the stalker caught sight of the long crimson streaks that ran down one of your frail arms. He moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue as his hand reached for the gun hidden in the glove box. Finally, he thought, he was a short moment away from a very sweet vengeance he had spent years carefully planning. A little excited sigh escaped from his mouth while his fingers caressed the cold barrel of the gun, already aroused at the idea of pointing the canon against your head the moment he would force you to get in his car. Even if he knew that the wisest thing to do after your capture was to drive you to them, he thought about going on a little stroll with you. Maybe he'll bring you to an isolated land to shove you on the muddy ground, and make you regret the day you decided to murder his brother in the small mountainous town of Haute-Falaise. Only after he had ruined you enough, stealing every ounce of your dignity, he would drive you to Section D's headquarters. With a bit of luck, he could keep hurting you a little bit more before they decide to pull the trigger and repaint the walls with the contents of your brain.

The roots of his hatred had started the day he realized that each time he closed his lids, his brother's eyes haunted him. Or at least, the two hollow and dark holes on his face since his eyes had been gouged out. There was also the blood, running from his mouth, ears, nose, and even streaming down his cheeks in crimson tears. Maybe he should have listened to the local police when they told him not to look at the corpse, but he had to do it. To his questions, even the forensic pathologist couldn’t answer. The only certainty the experts agreed on was that Christian’s lungs and heart had been smashed to a pulp from the inside and that he had stab wounds all over his body such as the four other corpses found. Five corpses and nothing else. The murderer was nowhere to be seen: no one had witnessed something, not even heard the slightest muffled scream. It was as if Death came, struck them with his scythe, and left without a trace.

Closer. A little bit closer...

You jumped at the sudden and unexpected sensation of a man’s hand squeezing your frail shoulder. As nimble as a cat and as quick as a lightning bolt, you jumped from the wall and unsheathed the dagger you kept hidden in your right lace garter, “Who the fuck are you?!” You hissed, voice burning with fury and frozen eyes darting at the stranger. You had been so quick to react that the man, vaguely confused by what just happened, found himself in quite a poor situation. Indeed, he didn’t expect a young woman to press the tip of a sharp blade against his carotid artery, ready to slit it. God knew he was a fearless fighter, but you had been too unpredictable, even for him. And yet, he didn’t move nor particularly react despite the unpleasant surprise.

“Heaven Shelby?” He asked.

You frowned and bared your teeth at this unfamiliar voice calling you by your name. If marrying Arthur Shelby had taught you what real love was, you had also learned how to become even more deadly than you already were. Seemed like the Shelby's wariness had turned you feral.

“Make one more step and I’ll bleed you like a fucking pig.” You warned. The cold wind of the night blew in your hair, making your long white locks dance behind you like the ghostly veiled of a dead bride. He frowned, unsettled by its uncommon color. What disturbed him the most though was maybe the pale and haunting color of your eyes, whose shade reminded him of two cursed aquamarine stones.

“Mrs. Shelby. I mean no harm, ‘specially not when facing such a young and delicate lady,” He started, the corner of his lips stretching in a fathomless smile despite the awe you inspired him. His small and cunning fox-like eyes squinted as he grinned. Somehow, he didn't seem to mind the blade that was still threatening him as if such a situation was casual -- and it was. If anything, he was impressed by your fierceness and the hatred that shone in your iris, which created a striking contrast with your little frame and doll face, “Well not as delicate as I’ve been told.” His smile widened at his own comment, “It’s dangerous out’here m’lady, I’ve spotted you by chance and thought I’d bring you home safe.”

“Dangerous.” You snorted, unable to hold your sarcasm. “Get the fuck away from me.” Each word from your mouth was dripping with caustic vitriol, leaving no doubt about your hostility and lethal potential. Judging by your quick and deadly reaction, you were certainly more than capable of taking care of yourself -- in truth, he could tell you wouldn't hesitate to end his life. But instead of backing up, the man carefully brought his fingertips on the shining surface of the dagger and pried it away from his throat in a slow movement without breaking eye contact with you.

“A car is following you.” He informed you.

“What?” This phrase hit you like a train, impairing the fierceness and self-confidence you’ve been showing. Surveying your surroundings quickly, you did notice the shadow of a car not so far away in the distance with its headlights shut and two glistening eyes staring at you from the driver's seat. The moment the shadow understood that you had spotted him, the car headed away from you in a loud engine roar and disappeared in the misty night. Fuck, the lad was right: someone had followed you. You sniffed, still in shock, and quickly wiped your tears with the brush of one knuckle before tricking your anxiety into focusing on your unexpected savior again. Your armed hand might be hanging loosely from your slim body, but your fingers were still firmly wrapped around the dagger’s handle. It was an expensive and deadly blade, gifted by one mysterious red-head woman whose hair reminded you of a wildfire. You had trouble remembering the name — Lucy? Something like this. What you knew though was that this troubled soul was called ‘Tommy’s little spy” by the Shelby's family, but since you couldn’t care less about your in-law’s personal life you didn’t investigate further. The girl had been nice with you, that was all that mattered.

Even armed and feral, you felt vulnerable. At your big confused eyes and at the sight of mascara running down your cheeks, the man couldn’t help but feel sorry for you. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that you could pass off for his daughter or maybe because you were just a few years older than his own son? He slightly tilted his body to one side to let the weak beam of street light disclose his face and overall appearance: long and messy gray hair, thin lips, small glistening eyes, and a mysterious and slightly disturbing grin.

“Mrs. Shelby, you should come with me.” He advised, then he extended his arm, about to lay his strong hand on your shoulder a second time when you stepped back to avoid his touch with a dissuasive hiss. He stopped, “Lemme bring you back to your husband. It’s Arthur Shelby, ‘m I right?” This time, he simply offered you his palm and waited for you to make the first step. You replied to his invitation by looking dagger at him: if your eyes could kill, this one would already be sleeping with the fishes.

“No.” You protested, as stubborn as a Shelby by birth. Your heart squeezed in your chest at the mention of Arthur, the thought of him coming back home all coked up and intoxicated was still fueling your rage like gasoline thrown at a destructive fire. The last thing you wanted at the moment was to see your husband. If someone had asked you, you’d have answer that what you sincerely wanted was John and his comforting arms. John and his beaming smile. John and his way of teasing you, his jokes, his softness, his cockiness... Yes, that was John you wanted, and you wanted him now. But the cruel truth was that John wasn’t there anymore. He was lying dead and cold in a morgue, leaving you with nothing but the insufferable pain of his loss and your head screaming. “I don’t want to see him.” You asserted and fled the man’s gaze, who soon understood the situation — with age came experience, and from experience he could recognize the aching expression of a young woman wounded by the hazards of love. These Shelby men… He thought with a certain disdain. Oh, he had not been irreproachable all his life either, but a woman’s heart was a gift he missed every day of his life since his wife’s death. The mysterious lad softly reached for your wrist and, not minding your feral nature anymore, he brought it closer to his face to examine the open gash on your porcelain skin.

“Did he hurt you?”

“I did this to myself.” You broke the physical contact right away and pressed your palm firmly on the still-bleeding wound. Adrenaline had pumped so hard through your veins that the pain had been numbed: only now your nerves were slowly wakening up, sending unpleasant tingles where the cut was. While he observed you carefully, the man wondered why such a young and fragile thing like you would do this to herself.

“Seems like you had a harsh night, kitten.” He stated with a slight fatherly tone which surprised you before he noticed the goosebumps on your skin. The situation had been so exceptional that he completely obliterated that you were barefoot outside, in the freezing temperature of Birmingham’s night, wearing nothing but a short dress. Without further ado, the man took his long black coat off and put it over your shoulders. While you still shot him a suspicious look, the warmth in which he wrapped you felt good. Your muscles relaxed and your hand closed on the two sides you brought together near your throat to protect it from the wind. “While I get why y’don’t wanna go home, ‘specially if you fought with your man, you have to understand that being alone at night in Small Heath is not safe. Let alone currently, with Changretta’s men trying to murder you all. Maybe you’d like me to bring you to Thomas instead?”

A shiver ran down your spine at the simple mention of your brother-in-law’s name. The sensation of his lips against yours was still burning your flesh and even hours after your last encounter you couldn’t get rid of his cologne’s scent that was still lingering on your hair and skin, “I’d rather get fucked by a horse than deal with this bastard.” The man blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected you to have such a foul mouth -- that was why let out a soft chuckle, to which you replied with a very faint smile.

“Alright kitten… I get it. No Shelby men. And what about coming with me to my vardo? My son has lit a campfire and he is cooking some rabbits. Would you like that?” He suggested, one brow raised and his fox-like grin widening almost to his ears.

“You still haven't told me who you are.”

The man took off his brown hat at your clever comment, “Ah yes. Where are my manners ay?” His dark blue eyes glistened with a cunning gleam as he slowly nodded “The name’s Aberama Gold. Nice to meet you.”

“You bloody idiot… Sit here and don’t do anything stupid anymore.” Polly instructed her oldest nephew as soon as he had entered the room, pointing to an empty chair with her half-consumed cigarette. All alone with Ada and his aunt, who were still waiting for the other guests to come, Arthur took place and kept his head down. Polly simply took a long drag from her black cigarette and exhaled, smoke coming out of her mouth like the Devil as she quietly observed Arthur’s eyebags and bloody knuckles. Soon after your departure, she had heard the cacophony of screams and thuds coming from his house in Watery Lane. When she witnessed all the blood, destroyed furniture, and shards of glass in the living room, she had been was convinced that Arthur had murdered you out of jealousy or something. Fortunately enough, the situation wasn't that dramatic -- at least for her. After throwing herself at her nephew and forcing him to calm the fuck down, she did her best to keep the oldest Shelby brother from hurting himself more than he already did. When things got quieter, she had even scolded him as she did when he was a kid — except that all the other sermons he had been through in his childhood were nothing compared to the anger she had unleashed when he had confessed about taking drugs again.

“Is she coming to the meeting?” She finally inquired, one of her elbows resting on the wooden table and her cigarette consuming itself between her fingers.

“Don’t know Pol.” Arthur’s usual loud and gruff voice was reduced to a shy, hoarse, and saddened whisper. No matter his attempt at distracting his mind, his thoughts always came back to you. Only you. He didn’t know where you were nor if you’d come back to him and that was slowly driving him crazy. Or more than he already was. Arthur felt his fragile sanity slipping through his fingers and knew it wouldn't be long before he went berserk if it turned out you really left. Also, he was growing frustrated and agitated about sitting here in the betting shop, waiting for a useless meeting to start instead of looking for you. All he wanted was to burn this city to the ground and make it bleed until he found you and brought you back home where you belonged. That is to say by his side. Nevertheless, Polly had advised him against this decision, convinced it would only fuel your rage against him even more. She wasn’t wrong though, you needed space.

The fierce Aunt stubbed her cigarette out in the nearest ashtray and leaned toward her nephew to grab his wrist with one of her cold and sly hands. It snapped him out of his crumbling mind. “You’re insanely lucky to have a woman like her in your life, Arthur. Don’t be an ungrateful cunt by letting your addictions ruin the most precious thing you have. The bland and momentarily relief snow grants you will never hold a candle to Heaven. Understand?” She warned with the same tone she used when a young Arthur came back home all bloody after fighting at school. “Hey. Look at me.” The gangster sniffed and raised his steel blue eyes to his Aunt, his lips trembling and dimples appearing on his cheeks as he clenched his jaws. How right she was. Even when snorting a ridiculously huge amount of snow he didn’t feel better. In fact, his high had been insipid when compared with how you made him feel, blissed out and in pure ecstasy, when his lips crashed against yours. An unpleasant surge of electricity crossed his body at this thought as he remembered how his whole being yearned for you. “She’ll come back. I know she will, and you’ll make up for your idiocy. But let me warn you, boy. Witches usually don’t believe in second chances. If she gives you one, don’t ever fuck it all up anymore, or she’ll tear your bloody heart from your chest and smash it in front of your beseeching eyes. And you’ll consider yourself lucky if she only did it figuratively. ” At these murderous words, which felt like another stab, Arthur bit the inside of his cheek until he could taste blood on his tongue.

“I’ll do that.” He concluded, closing his hands in fists in a vain attempt to keep his temper quiet despite his spiraling thoughts. Thoughts that revolve around either you and how he would end his damn life if you ever left him. With a loud bang, a strong rope, or hell, his own razor blade, he didn’t care. Polly simply nodded and sat straight again as the other members of the clan entered the room one by one and took place, waiting for Tommy. At each footstep, Arthur raised his head with impatience, wishing it was you and internally screaming when he realized it wasn’t. HeavenHeavenHeavenHeaven… It never stopped, the thought of you compulsive and maddening. He cleared his throat and grunted nervously, his gaze glaring at an invisible dot on the wall that was facing him.

Tommy erupted in the room, a placid expression etched on his face as always, giving the impression he was in complete control of the situation. Was he? No one was truly sure about that. He stood fearlessly in front of the small crowd, far from being impressed by public speeches, and let his turquoise eyes wander on every face. Sometimes you wondered if Thomas Shelby would better drop the criminal life and start a political career. After all, he had all the required qualities: manipulative, sweet-talking, dishonest, and heartless. Tommy took one look at his brother’s face and quickly got a broad understanding of what had happened -- It wasn't particularly difficult though considering how Arthur belonged to the expressive kind. His eyes usually talked before he even opened his mouth. Yet he couldn’t help but wonder if it was his fault. If it was because of the... kiss, or his moment of confusion as he liked to call it. Yet, his sharp instincts knew that Arthur hadn’t been informed of this little event otherwise he would have certainly gone straight for his throat no matter the family blood running in their veins. Loyalty had its limits, and the limits bore your name. When he noticed your absence, Tommy discreetly clenched his sharp jaws for even if he loathed you, you had your place among the family for the meeting and the rest of them would probably not vote if you weren’t there. Nevermind, he thought. He had barely parted his lips when he heard the clicking sound of heels approaching and with the sound came your perfume. Just like Arthur, he immediately recognized the spring-like fragrances of your scent, especially now that he had buried his nose in your silvery mane.

Arthur’s heart made a leap in his tight ribcage as he saw you bathed in the warm light of the betting shop, dressed like the day you left the house except for your hair that was styled in two French braids cascading down the small of your back. He wanted to get up and embrace you, choke you in a hug, or fall on his knees to beg for forgiveness without minding the other people in the room but Polly’s strong hand squeezed his thigh to prevent him from doing so. Thus, all he did was just staring at you with pitiful and beseeching eyes. But you didn’t look at him. In truth, you didn’t look at anyone. Ignoring the burning sensation of Tommy’s turquoise iris following you, you passed by him and headed right to the free chair between Polly and Arthur. As soon as you sat next to him, he obliterated the world in favor of your heavenly presence as he usually did when you were around. The lanky gangster tried his chance and his fingers shyly searched for yours under the table. He was dying to feel your touch again, the coldness of your frosty skin being the only remedy to his troubled soul and broken mind. However, you denied him your affection by slightly shifting your hand away from him no matter how hard it was for you too. Your rejection stung him more painfully than a white-hot blade. Arthur bit the inside of his cheek harder but instead of making a scene or bursting with both rage and frustration, he tried his best to be a good boy and simply lowered his head as an unruly child who had just been scolded. His lonely hand rested on his thigh he nervously rubbed, desperately trying to chase away his sadness.

“John is dead.” Tommy exhaled loudly and made a short pause as if he was still processing the awful truth. John. Is. Dead. Your frail fingers fidgeted the fabric of your dress at Tommy’s statement, doing so only to avoid digging them into your own flesh and scratching it until you bleed. For a micro while, Tommy's self-confidence flickered, afflicted by his baby brother’s savage murder, before he regained composure and his eyes darkened again, “Esme’s back on the road with the Lees. She’s taken the kids. Michael is badly wounded, they say it’s 60/40 in his favor.”

“There’s no number, there’s no percentages” Polly cut him off, “So the hand, the hand beneath him stops his falling. Spoke to someone… My son will live.” It was more or less all you’ve heard of the conversation, for your mind soon drifted. As Tommy kept talking, your frozen eyes as glacial as Dante’s latest ring of Hell locked on your husband. Observing him with great attention, you tried to look for anything that would prove he was high. But despite a huge deal of effort, you didn’t see any grain of white powder near his nostrils. Arthur’s eyes weren’t dilated, his hands didn’t shake and his breathing was as soft as quiet. If anything, he looked awfully tired and miserable. To be honest, you could not help but think about how bad you missed him and how handsome he was in his suit even if your mood was still sour and resentful.

Arthur grunted, distracting himself from the pain by following the conversation and playing his henchman role. He took a golden bullet out of the pocket of his trousers and, holding it between his thumb and his index finger, looking at its shiny surface on which he had carved Luca’s name: “Yeah, Well… The bullet’s been written… It says Luca.” He paused, a glimpse of John’s face reflecting on the gold for half a second. “When the time comes and it will come… Me as the oldest brother —“ He swallowed again, John had disappeared, “Will put this bullet into his fucking head.” He concluded his speech by putting the said bullet on the table, the metallic sound echoed in the room and chilled you to the bones. Your eyes were still focusing on Arthur, but this time it was because you felt worried for him. Despite his rough and tough demeanor, the slight tremor in his voice and his need to take short pauses had betrayed his profound sorrow. You closed your fists on your dress because of how much you hated to see him in pain. All you wanted was to hold his arm and support him in these difficult times but you were certainly as pretty as stubborn.

“There’s been some bad blood between us.” While he had ignored you for most of his speech, Tommy’s intense gaze fell on you. Feeling the ice of his eyes burning you, you cocked an eyebrow. Was it a pathetic attempt to apologize? Or was he blaming you for it?

Bad blood… Polly scoffed. You snort. That was the least he could say.

It felt like an eternity before little King Shelby spoke again, not paying attention to his Aunt’s and your attitude. He looked at the ceiling, looking for his words then he went on, “Until this business is settled we stay together. We stay here…” To assert his claim, Tommy explained how the family would be safe as long as they stayed together, surrounded by an army of faces they already knew. His plan was simple: all the family remained together until they manage to kill Luca Changretta. Until then, no one was allowed to stray away from Small Heath. Arthur's first reaction following this suggestion was to turn his head towards you, looking with concern for far too well he knew you didn't wish to stay. A small sigh escaped from your plumped lips as you dived into his sad eyes, but you remained silent. Worst, you remained awfully placid and hated yourself for looking so much like Tommy for a short while. The rest bored you to hell and blurred into a mush of unintelligible bribes of conversation, except for the mention of Aberama Gold and Johnny Dogs’ complaints about the man. Savages he had said. The same word he had used the first time you met him. She's a freakin' savage, Arthur. An evil creature straight from the woods! Rolling your eyes, you bit your tongue to keep your mouth shut, and not scream at Dogs to tell him that Aberama Gold might be a savage but at least he took care of you these last few days better than any members of the Shelby clan did. At least not before interminable months of insults and death/suspicious stares. As the conversation went on, Polly put a glass of whisky in front of you but you pushed it away almost immediately -- you've been feeling nauseous since you left Watery Lane so drinking strong alcohol was the last thing you had in mind. Thus, you simply passed the glass to Arthur, who certainly needed it more than you.

“… Which means we have to agree to end this war between us.” Thomas Shelby might be addressing the whole family, but you knew his words were mainly aimed at you, which only made you move your foot impatiently under the table. Ending this war, of course, you thought. And what about the last two years of misery you’ve made me undergo each time we met? What about the moment you strangled me? And what about all the awful things you said after thrusting your tongue in my fucking mouth? These would have been all the things you would have screamed at him if your legendary coldness had broken. Which, fortunately for everyone in the room, hadn’t.

Truthful to himself, Tommy asked for the family to vote.

“Peace.” Arthur finally decided, taking the glass and gulping down the amber liquid it contained in hope it would numb him. It didn’t. As surprising as it was to hear the oldest sibling choosing a non-violent approach to a conflict, you knew it was the best decision to make. So as everyone shared their opinion, you thought deeply about yours until your turn came. At first, you didn’t realize it was already your time to speak — only the sudden silence and the weight of a dozen eyes on you could snatch you from your mind. And among the pair of eyes, the one that burnt the fiercest was Tommy’s.

“Now we’re asking for my opinion?” You said, sarcastic venom coating your words.

“Angel, please…” Arthur whispered, but you waved off his comment with a disdainful gesture of the hand. He currently wasn’t in the position to advise you. Not after hurting you like he did.

“Truce.” You stated, coldly. The word left your mouth with the power of a guillotine’s blade on an inmate’s neck and surprised everyone in the room. In truth, they were all convinced you would disagree with the idea. Polly and Ada offered you a warm smile, while Tommy lowkey nodded in approval at your wise decision.

“Five for peace, two for truce. Let’s get on with the war.” He concluded, turning around and walking out of the betting shop without one last glance at any of his family’s members: his scheming mind already focused on the next part of his plan.

As always, Tommy couldn't live without pulling the strings.

As the room cleared out and people left, you remained alone with Arthur in an uncomfortable silence. Because you had nothing to tell him, you got up from your chair and proceeded to walk to the exit without uttering a single word but the tall gangster caught you by the wrist, forcing you to stop. His long fingers closed around you a bit too bluntly than he intended though. You winced and as a result, he immediately let go of you, showing his palm open to indicate that he didn't mean to hurt you.

“Heaven, please." His gravelly voice called. "Enough with the cold treatment… I can’t. It’s hurting me.” He said rather slowly, for putting words on his emotions was not something he was used to. Most of the time he just yelled and resorted to violence. , “I beg ye, go back home, angel.”

"You had promised me, Arthur." You articulated.

"And you had also promised me not to hurt yourself anymore." His gruff voice raised a little bit, threatening to turn into frustrated yellings because he didn’t know how to properly communicate his emotions, especially not when they were so obsessive and overwhelming. But Arthur didn’t want to scream at you so what he did was take a deep inhale to force himself not to be his usual loud and rude self. “You also promised to me, love.” He repeated in a calmer tone even if his quivering upper lip and twitching mustache showed how much he was struggling.

“So now we both understand how it feels when the other part of your soul breaks a promise. What a great step forward we’ve made.” That was mean. So mean you could barely believe that such an awful taunt came from your tantalizing mouth — but even though you instantly regretted it, you didn’t falter. No matter your mad love for Arthur and the untamable desire to throw yourself in his arms, you weren’t going to bend: things needed to be clear right now or they’ll never never be.

“I’m sorry, love. I’m fucking sorry alright?!" He growled, opening his arms as to silently ask you what he had to do for you to believe him. "I swear there isn’t a second during which I’m not regretting everything I did and said to you.” He finally admitted, long arms falling along his slim body, “I wasn’t meself even if I know this ain’t no excuse. I won't do it again. But…Please Heaven I can’t go on without you. And I don’t want to.” The only answer to his pleadings was a heavy silence combined with your frost-like gaze.

Arthur’s eyes lingered over your arm until they fell on the deep cut you had inflicted upon yourself. This is what it feels like when you take drugs. The powerlessness he had felt when he watched the blood running down your skin and soaking the fabric of your clothes was etched in his mind: he, who had promised to protect you against everything, realized he couldn’t save you from yourself if you chose to destroy you… And that powerlessness was the same you experienced when he egoistically relapsed. That was a harsh lesson, but a lesson he had learned. “Please forgive me.” He begged and sucked in a sharp breath as if he was physically in pain, yet he still took your arm in his hand with indescribable softness and, with his free one, caressed your still swollen and red gash.

Your dainty body stood still, trying not to give in to the delightful sensation of his warm skin against yours but your heart sunk in your chest “You have to understand that you cannot act like a jerk, hurt me, treat me like shit and then come back with your puppy eyes, and beg for forgiveness. It doesn’t work like that." You said.

“So you're not coming back...” His voice broke, warm hand closing on your wound.

Your touch. I need it. It's a damn physical need.

“Don’t be stupid Arthur…” You sighed, the traits of your angelic face softening, “That’s not what I said."

"So please, love. Forgive me. I'll do whatever ye want. I'll get on my knees right now if that's what you want." His body shifted, closing the distance between the two of you until his arms wrapped around your waist. Butterflies swarmed in your stomach at the sight of his enchanting blue eyes, whose color was so different from his brothers. Slightly darker, far less colder. With your heart beating fast and your mind buzzing, you couldn't keep your fingers from gently grazing one of his cheeks. He half closed his eyelids at the sensation, the tremors of his body already calming down now that you were touching him.

"I don't want you to get on your knees. And I don't want to make a dog out of you like Linda did. All I ask for is my husband, who I know is a wonderfully strong man who doesn't need any chemicals to face the world. Not anymore." Your holy voice sounded like the purest melody in his ears like God's mercy whispered to him. Lulled by your words and strokes, Arthur would have purred if he wasn't already fighting against tears of relief.

"I've been such a fucking bastard... What the fuck is wrong with me eh? I still can't believe every mean thing I've screamed. The words I told ya, they're eating me sick brain." He gritted his teeth, "I don't fucking deserve you." Noticing that his breathing was getting faster, you wrapped his neck with your arms and lifted yourself on your tiptoes to lay a kiss on his chin.

"Stop it, Art. Don't beat yourself." You whispered in his ear, one hand lost in his perfectly slicked hair. "You want me to forgive you? Well; show me that all these promises you made weren’t empty. That our wedding can overcome everything, even the worst. Prove it to me." As you spoke, you softly rocked him from left to right, trying to calm his anxiety. A sigh escaped from your lips: you just couldn't abandon him as everyone else did. And part of you cursed him for making you feel so weak, especially when he was looking at you with his confused puppy eyes.

“I’ll show you then, angel. I’ll show you because without you birds don’t sing anymore.” He nodded, softly rubbing his cheek against yours. You could feel his heart drumming against your bosom, crying for yours to open up to him again. “I'll show you I'm still a good husband." His lips trailed down your cheek to capture yours, but the moment he tried to kiss them you slightly turned your head to the other side to deny him access to your mouth. He clenched his jaws.

“Go find Thomas and organize the funerals with him." You simply instructed, taking a step back to free yourself from his arms. The lanky gangster nodded and left, head down and arms swinging as he walked away.

All you wished now was that he truly meant what he said.

All alone in the betting shop, you leaned against a wall and closed your eyes, needing a bit of peace to reorganize your thoughts and soothe your overwhelming emotions. Moreover, you had to come to terms with the idea of living near Tommy, here in Small Heath. It has been only weeks since you left your small house in the forest but you already missed it. Suddenly, you jumped at the feeling of two cold hands grasping you by the shoulders. When you reopened your eyelids, you were met by Polly’s motherly smile and dark gaze. Eyes so black it outmatched the bark of the most ancient trees you had ever seen. And just like these trees, they had something mystical, as if they were keeping the Earth's secrets and infinite wisdom. For sure, Elizabeth Gray was a woman of nature, born in the wilderness and raised among the soft whispers of the leaves. You even wonder if her body contained blood or if it was amber sap that was coursing through her veins.

“I’m happy you came back, white Devil.” She said with a soft smile. Since the day she heard Tommy spat the insult at your face, she decided to reverse the curse and use it as an affectionate nickname for you -- an idea you found absolutely delightful.

“I’m a Shelby now, everyone says so… So I suppose my place is here.” The melancholy of your grin betrayed your thoughts and Polly understood that only now you were starting to understand what bearing this family name truly meant. “I'm not gonna lie, Polly, I didn’t want to come. That’s Mr. Gold who convinced me I needed to. After hours of bargaining, he got me by telling me it would get under Tommy's skin.”

“You call him Tommy now?” She teased, trying to make you smile but little she knew her remark had the opposite effect. You pursed your juicy lips and looked away.

“Something happened with him right.” The fierce Aunt frowned, observing your face as if she would be able to find an answer to her question hidden in your holy traits. Now sincerely concerned, her grip tightened on your shoulders, like benevolent roots anchoring you to reality. While she knew the difficult and rocky relationship you had with little King Shelby, she had never seen you display such a dreadful expression when his name was mentioned.

“Something always happens with him anyway. But that’s not important.” You closed the topic, not wanting to talk about him any longer. The fucker had done enough to infect your brain, so you didn’t want to give him more space. "Do you think Johnny Dogs says the truth about the Gold? I mean, I'm not Romani but the Gold are nice to me and--"

"Heaven. Oh Lord." She cut you off, her smile swept away from her face so quickly you blinked several times.

"What's the matter, Pol?" You asked, eyebrows frowned.

Freeing your shoulders, her left hand grabbed one of your breasts to squeeze it softly while the right one felt your abdomen at different places, looking for something you didn't know. The more she touched you, the more her facial expression seemed concerned. Completely taken aback by her sudden behavior, your lips parted in surprise as you watched her.

"Does Arthur know it?!" She inquired, her dark eyes switching between you and your tummy.

“Does Arthur know what?"

“That you’re pregnant.”

✞ Any comment, review, reblog, or constructive criticism is welcome. Your reactions really motivate me and keep me alive, so please don't be shy. English is not my first language.

✞ taglist: @adaydreamaway08 @theshelbyclan @jomarch-wannabe @esposadomd @zablife @woofgocows @anathemasworld @anastasia000 @kate654 @kxnnxy @babayaga67 @meowtastick @shelbyssins @sarai-ibn-la-ahad @bluevenus19 @raincoffeeandfandoms @kishie8 @zablife @alexandra-001 @dearshelby @alexizodd @helen06dreamer @kmc1989 @emotionalcadaver

#heaven shelby #peaky blinders #arthur shelby #arthur shelby x oc #not my ocs #not my fanfiction #heaven in your eyes

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discopig · 3 years ago

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That other girl (Thomas Shelby x Reader) [Part 2/3]

Okay so I’ve made a few improvements, first one being I won’t be writing at 2 AM after 4 hours of sleep because I read back part one and honestly wanted to shoot myself, I also added paragraph/scene dividers because the first part was very messy and I kept fucking up the tenses! My imagination has been going wild for this fic so I need to calm myself. I don’t intend for this to be a long story, I hope to finish it by the next part. Hope you guys enjoy :))

Part 1 | Part 3

Warnings: implied family abuse, swearing (doesn’t even need to be a warning)

Word Count: 1,452

You stared at the woman at the door, what seemed like millions of thoughts rushing through your mind at once. She was beautiful. Not to say you weren’t beautiful yourself, but insecurity seemed to be the main component of the blood flowing through your veins at the sight of her. She looked like the models you would see at the fashion shows your mother would take you to as a kid, and she made the plain barmaid’s uniform look like the most expensive piece Chanel could offer.

The woman’s eyes darted between you and harry as she spotted the two of you together.

“Thanks for the help” Harry said, taking the glasses from the basket the woman carried them in. As though he forgot something, he quickly turned around after placing them on the counter behind the bar.

“Grace” he acknowledged the woman, “this is Y/N, your co-barmaid” he said, turning to you.

You were secretly hoping she was just here on delivery for the shop Harry had bought the glasses from, and wished so deeply she wasn’t the barmaid he had mentioned earlier, but alas, she had to be.

“Oh, it’s very nice to meet you” she smiled extending her hand towards you

“Likewise” you gave her a small smile, taking her hand and shaking it

“Harry’s told me a lot about you, about how you help him around the bar and whatnot, how good you are at dealing with the rowdy customers” You picked up on her Irish accent

"Well, that’s nice to hear. Are you not from Birmingham?” you questioned

“Oh no, I’m not. I only got here about a week ago. I used to work at a bar in Galway, so I got quite lucky to be able to get a job at a bar here” she replied.

Quite lucky I sprained my fuckin’ ankle you mean. You mentally scoffed at her

“That is quite lucky” you laughed

By now Harry had left to sort out the glasses in storage, so you figured you might as well pry for something out of her

“So Harry tells me you’ve been serving the Shelby boys while I’ve been gone, you know they’re trouble?” You asked, staring into her eyes, trying to gauge any sort of reaction you could receive. She seemed unfazed.

“Well, they’ve been quite nice to me, given me lots of tips”

“Is that so? Who’s been giving you tips?” They never gave you tips, even on the busiest of nights when you were running back and forth serving their requests for beer which seemed to come through ever 10 fucking seconds

“Uh, the tall one” John. Damn him.

“Ah, I see, hopefully it was good money” you ‘beamed’ at her, trying to be friendly

“Good enough” she laughed back

“So what brings you to Birmingham?”

“My father passed away and I just needed a change of scenery” she replied, her eyes showed sadness, so you figured her father passing couldn’t be a lie, but a change of scenery in Birmingham? Yeah right. Maybe on some farm surrounded by chickens and mosquitoes, or in some tropical American city, but not in Birmingham. Most people want out, not in, unless they have good reason to favour the latter.

“I’m sorry to hear that”

“It’s okay, he was quite old anyways, I had expected it at some point” she replied with a half smile, eyes still sad.

You both sat in silence for a moment until you spoke “I’ll be back next week to help out” you looked towards the door, more customers starting to pile in, Harry back from the storage room, rushing to get their orders, and back at Grace “things are starting to get busy, I won’t hold you any longer. It was nice meeting you” you smiled at her, getting up from your seat and heading out of the Garrison, trudging to the betting shop.

The Shelby family were in the midst of a family meeting, discussing business you honestly didn’t care much about, thoughts racing with how you were going to have Thomas’ head on a stake.

“That copper, is going to try and bring this family down with every fuckin’ cell in his body” Thomas exclaimed

“What copper?” you asked. Thomas looked at you like you had just asked him if the sun was a rock

“Campbell. We’ve been talking about him this whole meeting Y/N” you could tell he was annoyed, but you didn’t care

“When did he get here? When did this start?” you asked

“Why does that-” Thomas started

“Answer the fucking question Thomas Shelby” you interrupted

“About a week ago, he worked as a copper in Ireland, and has come with his troops to Birmingham to try and ruin all of my fucking plans. Keep up please!” He replied, clearly frustrated.

Ireland?

You knocked on the door to Thomas’ office and waited before you heard a low “Come in”

You walked into his office, Thomas looking down at some papers, and sat down on one of the chairs at his desk

“How are you liking the new barmaid?” You asked, staring him down.

At the mention of the barmaid he looked up at you, a mix of panic and annoyance flashing in his eyes

“She does her job Y/N. What else can I think of her? He replied with a sigh at the end

“Oh I’m sure she does her job well enough for you to be having secret meetings with her” you replied, venom laced in your voice. You were starting to get angry, and him behaving as though he was annoyed by your presence wasn’t making it any easier

“Y/N what are you-”

“Don’t fucking what me Thomas Shelby! Harry told me all about the lovely interest you’ve taken to her, enough so to meet with her every fucking day! Did you fuck her?! If you did you better tell me because so help me God if I find out from-”

“I did not fucking sleep with her Y/N will you PLEASE calm down?” Thomas yelled, his voice booming through the office

“If you didn’t sleep with her then what did you do?”

“We just talked” he answered, as though everything was normal

“Just talked?! Have you forgotten that you have a girlfriend Thomas, a girlfriend who had a sprained fucking ankle and couldn’t walk, who you could’ve come to any time to just talk?! You think I’m supposed to believe that’s all you did? Why would you just talk to her and not me?!” You were screaming again, your anger reaching a tipping point

“Because she isn’t like you Y/N!”

You looked at him, visibly confused

“She didn’t grow up with daddy’s loaded bank account in some posh city, she’s genuine, like a breath of fresh fucking air in this place! She gets me, and I get her, and she happened to be there when I needed someone to talk to! Is that so bad?!” You stared at him dumbfounded, not only had he implied that he could not come to you -his girlfriend- when he needed someone to talk to, he also brought up your family and history, knowing damn well the riches your family had, meant nothing to you, constantly overshadowed by the yelling, bruises and loneliness.

The true weight of his words seemed to register with him as regret flashed in his eyes under your dumbfounded, yet angry gaze

“Fuck you Thomas Shelby. Fuck you. She’s working with that fucking copper”

He moved to say something but you quickly interrupted him

“I know you did your stupid background checks, I asked Arthur about it. She’s not from fucking Galway, she never worked in any bars, meaning she lied about everything, and she, your lovely Irish angel shows up at the same time that copper does, and you still willingly walk into her presence every damn day while your girlfriend is alone, to talk?! To fucking talk?!”

Thomas was visibly getting angrier as you accused her of working with Campbell, moving to defend her

“Don’t you think you’re going too far?! I get you’re jealous but you can’t just make shit up!”

You scoffed

“Polly was right about men only being able to think with their cocks. Even you, the oh so smart Thomas Shelby, are a blind fucking idiot. Fuck you, I never want to see you again, you hear me? You can go talk to that fucking barmaid as much as you want” You spat, leaving his office with a loud slam of his door, catching John’s worried eyes as you stormed out of the shop. Your ankle was radiating with pain, but you ignored it as you stormed home.

Fucking Shelbys.

#cillian murphy x reader #Cillian murphy fanfic #tommy shelby x reader #thomas shelby x reader #thomas shelby fanfic #thomas shelby imagine #peaky blinder imagine #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinder x reader

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snelbz · 3 years ago

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Life As We Know It {Chapter 19}

Summary: After the sudden deaths of Nesta’s sister and Cassian’s best friend, they gain guardianship of their nephew, Nyx.

Based on Life As We Know It (2010) and a prompt sent in by anonymous for our Nessian fanfic contest. This is a modern au.

Instead of doing a tag list for this story, we have decided to have a set posting schedule. Chapters will be posted weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Occasional surprise chapters could be posted at miscellaneous times. Chapters will be posted on both my and Tara’s blogs! >> @tacmc.

Life As We Know It Masterlist

Shelby’s Masterlist

Tara’s Masterlist

A/N: Well, we promised a chapter today, so we decided to follow through on that. Even if we did post a surprise chapter last night. Oh, well. Enjoy! 🙃✨

Cassian sighed as he opened his eyes.

Another year older, another year wiser.

Well.

Another year older, anyway.

He blinked as he looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 7:58. Two minutes before his alarm would have gone off.

He hated when that happened, when his mind woke him up just before his alarm went off. There was no time to go back to sleep, it was perfect sleeping time wasted.

It was bullshit.

With a yawn, Cassian swung his legs over the side of his bed and got up. He stumbled to his dresser and pulled on a pair of sweatpants, just in time for his alarm to go off.

“Fuck you,” he muttered, quickly turning it off before flinging open his bedroom door.

It smelled delicious.

He meandered down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Nesta was icing a giant cake.

Her eyes darted to his.

He blinked.

“Get out!” she ordered.

“What the hell are you-.”

“Out!” she ordered, yet again.

Nyx babbled something at the top of his lungs that closely resembled, YEAH!

He did as he was told, blearily blinking as he stumbled back into the living room. He dragged a hand down his face. “Can I at least have some coffee?”

“In a minute!” She called and he heard quick footsteps, followed by the back door opening and closing. It opened again and she said, breathlessly, “Okay. You can come in now.”

Tentatively, Cassian rounded the corner and he found Nesta placing a platter of cinnamon rolls on the counter in place of the—

“Where did the cake go?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

Nesta was lifting a cinnamon roll onto each of the plates in front of her, cutting the one for Nyx into tiny bites for him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He blinked again, half-wondering if he’d imagined the decorated monstrosity he’d seen on the counter, but he sniffed, smelling the air again.

It mostly smelled like the sweet and spicy scent of cinnamon, but—

No, that was definitely cake he smelled.

“Right…” he said, pulling forks out of the silverware drawer and setting one next to each plate. “You’re up early.”

“Had a lot to do before renovations start this morning. I’m meeting Helion and the contractor at the restaurant at nine.” She sipped her own coffee, not looking at him. Mixing truth and lies, it seemed, since he knew she was meeting the contractor this morning. As for a lot to do, he knew everything at the restaurant was already taken care of. She cleared her throat. “I wasn’t expecting you to be up so early either.”

Cutting into the gooey cinnamon roll, he said, “I gotta be at the bar in an hour. I’m talking with Kallias this morning before my shift starts.”

She set her coffee down and finally looked at him. “You have to work today?”

“Yeah,” he replied, popping the bite of pastry into his mouth. He resisted the urge to moan. “It’s Tuesday. I always work on Tuesdays.”

She hesitated, deciding whether she should speak or not. “But it’s your birthday.”

He couldn’t stop his smirk. He knew there had been a cake.

“And who told you that?” He asked, leaning over to wipe Nyx’s face off. The poor kid had icing all over his face, all the way up into his hair.

“That’s not important,” she said.

“Elain, then,” Cassian went on with a grin.

Nesta pretended like she hadn’t heard him and took a giant bite of her cinnamon roll.

“I’ll take Nyx with me to the bar,” Cassian said. “Viviane texted. She has the stomach flu.”

Nesta cringed. “That sucks. I...wait - you’re taking a baby to a bar?”

Cassian shrugged. “He’ll be fine. I only have to stay until two or so.”

“A baby,” she repeated, blinking. “To a bar.”

“You prefer to take him into a construction zone?” Cassian asked. “One that you’re in charge of? That sounds stressful.”

Nesta’s eyes narrowed. “I can ask Elain to watch-.”

“I’m taking him with me and he’ll be fine,” Cassian said, shaking his head. “I promise.”

Nesta narrowed her eyes. And he held up both hands. “I promise,” he repeated.

“Fine. But call me if you need to and I’ll come get him,” she sighed, shaking her head. “I’ll be in my office most of the day, so it’s not like he’ll be running around in a construction zone.”

“And I’ll take the carrier and physically wear him all day, so it’s not like he’ll be running around the actual bar.”

Nesta groaned. “Fine. Fine. But take the pack-n-play, his monitor and toys. He can entertain himself well enough.”

“Okay,” Cassian nodded, finishing off his cinnamon roll. He pulled Nyx out of his high chair, who was now playing with and wearing most of his food, rather than eating it, and said, “I’ll give him a bath while you get ready.”

“Okay.” He was nearly in the living room when he heard, “Cass?” He turned and looked back at her, still not completely used to the familiar nickname from her. She was blushing slightly. “Happy birthday.”

Smiling, he said, “Thanks,” and turned to head up the stairs.

Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“Any birthday plans?”

“You’re looking at it.”

Kallias chuckled as he observed Cassian, a wiggly baby strapped to his chest, counting the liquor bottles that lined the wall.

“How old are you anyway?” he continued, wiping down the bartop. “Thirty? Thirty-one?”

“You wound me,” Cassian muttered, scribbling a number down on his clipboard, not bothering to tell Kallias just how close to thirty he was getting to.

“I would say we should do shots to celebrate your big day,” Kallias began, taking Nyx’s outstretched hand. “But, I think your little housewife would disapprove.”

Cassian snorted. “If Nesta Archeron ever heard you call her such a thing, you’d lose a very important body part.”

“Not interested in that, thank you very much,” he muttered. “She ever gonna stop in, so I can see this terrifying woman you’ve told me about?”

“About that…” Cassian pulled Nyx out of the carrier and carried him into the back office, setting him down in the play pen. Grabbing the baby monitor, he made his way back into the front room.

Kallias looked up from where he was cutting limes at the bar. “About what?”

He leaned a hip on the bar and crossed his arms over his chest. “Nesta is going to be expanding the restaurant, adding a bar. That’s actually where she is right now, why I’ve got the kiddo with me. Didn’t really want him in a construction site.”

“Hot nanny couldn’t keep him?” Kallias asked, grinning.

Cassian rolled his eyes. “No, she’s sick. But, uh-.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m gonna be leaving and going over there, managing for her.”

Kallias eyes widened. “Oh. Shit.”

“Yeah. And I’d like you to come over there with me. Be my assistant manager at the new place.”

Kallias stopped cutting, mid-lime. “You do realize we are two out of five people that work here, right?”

Cassian nodded, slowly. “Yeah, I do. And I also know we can hire more people here.”

Kallias looked back down at his half-cut lime. “Assistant manager, huh?”

“It’s in a great part of town, we’d get amazing tips on top of already being paid more,” Cassian said. “It’s an amazing opportunity.”

“So I’d be stupid to say no, then?” Kallias asked, continuing to cut his limes.

“Incredibly stupid,” Cassian agreed.

Nyx’s happy babbling came through on the baby monitor.

“I’ll think about it,” Kallias said, at last.

“Think about it, then tell me yes, because I’m not going there without you,” Cassian said.

Kallias snorted. “You’re a shitty liar. You’re going, whether I go or not.”

“And why wouldn’t you come with me?” Cassian asked, facing his friend. He and Kallias had worked together for years, since Kallias came in at twenty-one, during his senior year of college. “You want to be stuck in this dive bar forever? I know you. You’re a creature of habit. If I leave you here, you’ll be here for the next twenty years.”

Kallias didn’t bother telling him it wasn’t true. He just shook his head. “I guess we better start interviewing people, then.”

The day did not go as planned. Cassian had to stay and help out until nearly five-thirty, and by the time Cassian walked in the front door, Nyx was knocked out cold in his car seat. He gently set it down and unbuckled him, carrying him into the kitchen. It smelled divine, like roasting herbs and cooked veggies, even if he couldn’t see anything radiating the delicious smells.

Nesta was also nowhere in sight, so he took Nyx up to his nursery and laid him down, setting the baby monitor back up where it usually sat. He slipped the screen in his back pocket and made his way back downstairs, hurrying out to his truck to get Nyx’s diaper bag and the folded up playpen.

As he was setting it back up in the living room, he heard the sliding glass door open and close and made sure he was making enough noise to alert Nesta of his presence.

“You’re home,” she said, leaning on the doorway. “Nyx asleep?”

“Out like a light,” he said, tossing the few toys he’d brought with him back into the pen. “He had fun though.”

“Good. Dinner is almost done,” she smiled. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Starving,” he sighed and took another deep breath in. “It smells amazing.”

Turning, Nesta walked back into the kitchen. “Steak, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and green beans, and homemade rolls.”

He watched as she took the carrots and green beans out of the oven and placed them next to a plate of steak she must have just brought in from the grill.

Cassian’s mouth was damn near watering.

He looked at the spread as she spooned the mashed potatoes onto his plate. “I think I’m in love with you.”

Nesta tensed, then something like nervous laughter sputtered out of her mouth. “Well, I had to cook red meat for you on your birthday.”

“Does that mean you’ll be having yourself a steak, Archeron?” he asked, taking the full plate from her outstretched hands.

She gave him an amused look. “Hell no. You get both. I have a chicken kabob on the grill.”

Cassian licked his lips as he took his plate to the table. “Consider me a lucky man. Thank you.”

“Of course,” she said, clearing her throat. She piled her plate high with potatoes and veggies before going onto the deck and coming back with a grilled chicken kabob on her plate. She sat across from him. Cassian’s mouth was already full.

“How is it?” Nesta asked, cutting up a carrot before popping it into her mouth.

“Delicious,” Cassian said, mouth full. “So good.”

“If you don’t slow down, you won’t be able to enjoy the flavor,” Nesta said, knowing full well that he wouldn’t listen. Cassian practically inhaled everything on his plate within minutes.

He moaned, stretching back in his chair before running a hand through his hair. “I must say, Nes, you really outdid yourself.”

“Well, it was the least I could do after you worked and were on baby duty all day,” she said, popping a few green beans in her mouth.

They talked about their days as she finished eating. He told her about Kallias’ agreement to move to the restaurant, she told him about the beginning of construction.

They’d kept half the restaurant open, putting up a temporary wall to keep as much noise and dust out as they could, but the sooner the build was done the better. They both agreed on that.

“So, despite your switch with the cinnamon rolls this morning,” Cassian said from where he sat as she rinsed off their plates, “I’m fairly sure I saw a cake when I came downstairs.”

“Really now,” she said, and he saw the small smile on her face.

“Mhmm,” he nodded. “And, you know, I like cake.”

“And why, exactly, would I make you a cake?” She crooned, that little smile remaining.

“Because I’m the world's best roommate and uncle, obviously,” he said.

Nesta laughed as she stood. “Yeah, whatever.”

After exiting through the back door, she returned a moment later with a big, homemade cake.

It was exquisite.

Perfectly decorated and topped with vanilla and buttercream frosting, it read Happy birthday, Cassian!

As Nesta placed it on the countertop, Cassian asked, “Nesta, when the hell did you find time to make this?”

She shrugged. “Stayed up later and got up early. Didn’t have to be too early since you decided to sleep in today, but…” Her words trailed off. “I figured it was the least I could do.”

His mouth tightened, emotion he wasn’t expecting hitting him and he cleared his throat. “You gonna sing to me?” He asked, cracking a joke to break the tension that was slowly growing.

Nesta threw her head back and laughed. “Absolutely not.”

Cassian bit back his retort and the monitor in his back pocket went off, crying coming from upstairs.

“I’ll get him,” she said, standing up. “I’m sure he’s hungry. Will you cut up green beans and carrots for him?”

He nodded, the cake forgotten as he did what he was told, and Nesta returned with a bleary-eyed Nyx a few minutes later.

“Hi buddy,” Cassian said, chuckling at Nyx’s hazy expression. He was already sitting at the table with a plate of cut up food.

The second Nyx saw the display, he was whining and reaching for it.

“Slow down, you need to be buckled into your seat first,” Nesta said, shaking her head.

“I can’t blame him,” Cassian said, as Nyx was strapped into his high chair. “I’m starving when I wake up, too.”

Nesta rolled her eyes. “Men.”

The second Nyx’s diapered butt hit the seat, he was stuffing his mouth.

“I guess we should wait for him to eat the cake,” Cassian said, looking longingly at the cake.

Nesta chuckled. “No patience?”

“When it comes to homemade baked goods?” Cassian scoffed. “No.”

She snorted, which had Cassian raising an eyebrow. She looked at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” he replied, shaking his head. “That was just…cute.”

Nesta didn’t reply, but he swore she could see her cheeks heating as she turned to put the leftovers from dinner away.

Once Nyx’s plate was cleared, Nesta cut three slices of cake. One was barely a sliver, one was mostly icing and one was damn near a quarter of the cake. She took the one with extra frosting for herself, placing the small one in front of Nyx and the larger one in front of Cassian.

Again, Nyx wasted no time scarfing it down. Cassian didn’t either, helping himself to another, much smaller piece afterwards, but not touching it yet.

“You sure you don’t want to sing to me?” He asked, taking a bite of the cake. “It would complete my day.”

Nyx, an impending sugar crash, was already dozing again. Apparently, his day with Uncle Cassian had well and truly worn him out.

She rolled her eyes and wiped the excess cake off of Nyx’s face. Pulling him out of his high chair, she said, “No, I think I’m good.”

“I’m just saying,” Cassian pushed. “If you wanted to really wish me a happy birthday, a song would do.”

Nesta snorted, taking Nyx in her arms and swaying, back and forth. “You’ve never heard me sing.”

“If your singing is as good as your cooking, it must be amazing,” Cassian promised.

Nesta rolled her eyes. “Have I told you that you’re full of shit?”

Cassian pretended to debate it. “Maybe once or twice.”

Nesta chuckled, and said no more about it. “Finish your cake, Nazari. This little monster is ready for bed. I’ll put him down. It’s your birthday.”

It wasn’t that putting Nyx to bed was exhausting. Although sometimes it could be a chore, Cassian nodded and took another bite of his cake as Nesta and Nyx disappeared.

In their absence, Cassian cleared his plate.

The cake was delicious.

He knew Nesta was an amazing cook, but didn’t know that her baking skills were just as good. It was the best cake he had ever eaten. He was even considering getting himself a third piece, but decided against it as she rounded the corner back into the kitchen.

She sighed, falling into her chair. “That may have been record time to get him down. He was practically asleep before I’d even pulled the curtains shut.”

“He had a big day,” Cassian said, eyeing the piece of cake on her plate that she hadn’t even touched. “Taught him how to make a mojito. He’s a pro. Maybe we should hire him on at the bar.”

Shaking her head, Nesta cut into her cake and took a bite. She chuckled. “I’m sure that doesn’t violate any labor laws.”

“Nah, we’re his guardians,” Cassian said, waving a hand. “We can certainly get some free labor out of him.”

She rolled her eyes. “I honestly can’t tell if you’re kidding or not.” She took another bite of cake, and Cassian’s eyes dipped to her mouth. He was quiet for long enough that she asked, “What?”

He hesitated but said, “You’ve got a little—”

He didn’t finish his sentence, instead he leaned forward across the small space between them and swiped the frosting that was on the corner of her lips away with his thumb.

Nesta didn’t move.

She didn’t push him away, didn’t tell him to stop touching her, either.

Cassian’s thumb lingered against her lips, and when she looked up, he was already watching her, quietly.

She opened her mouth to say something.

What? She wasn’t sure.

But, when her lips moved, Cassian’s did, too.

He kissed her, softly, slowly, and Nesta melted right into it.

#snacmc lawki #snacmc collabs #snelbz tacmc collab #life as we know it #lawki #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf

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orionwhispers · 4 years ago

Text

Bravado // Tommy Shelby Imagine

(A/N - its been a long ass time and i wanted to ease myself back into writing but this ended up being long and also super super angsty. sorry that this illness imagine came during covid idk whats going on with my imagination lol. love you guys SO much thank you for always being there. reblogs, comments and likes mean everything to me.)

trigger warnings - LOTS of angst. fluff. implied smut. my hc that tommy has a fear of illness, bad descriptions of hospitals.

He knew something wasn’t right the minute his car pulled into the driveway and you weren’t waiting for him under the great concrete arch, with that smile on your face that made his knees buckle and heart race like he was a love struck teenager.

You were always there as soon as he came home. Barefoot in a broderie dress in the summer with tousled hair and baby pink toenails. Wrapped in a hand knit blanket with fire flushed cheeks and woollen socks in the winter - even running across the gravel and into his arms in the middle of a storm, the ice cold rain whipping across both of your faces as you kissed under the light of the moon.

No matter how shit his day or week or month was, no matter what stained his hands or darkened his heart, no matter what lay heavy and hard deep in his gut, seeing you made everything vanish in the night air like wisps of smoke. You made everything worth it.

He refused to give into fear, he wasn’t that kind of man, so he swallowed all of the nagging thoughts and apprehensions as he came up to the dark foggy windows and the iron cast door. It felt strange turning his key in the lock without the weight of you in his arms or the sticky peach kisses you left down his jaw and neck, the smell of the vanilla in your hair and lavender on your skin.

The second thing that sent a jolt of white hot electricity down his spine was Mary, watching him anxiously and wringing her hands in the hallway. Usually, she was calm and collected, taking his jacket and leather travel bag with her signature placid smile and gentle fingers. Usually she would return to the kitchen and finish up whatever she was making - a hearty roast lamb with rosemary and garlic and glazed potatoes or a pheasant pie with honeyed carrots, always followed by a three layer chocolate ganache cake that was so thick and rich you practically had to saw through the sponge. She would always have dinner piping hot and dripping with gravy by the time the two of you returned downstairs, no matter how many hours it took for you to get... reacquainted.

Now she looked sheepish and pale, her skin almost translucent under the syrupy yellow lights. There was something about the way she stood, as still as a wraith, that made his blood run cold.

“Mary. Where is she?”

“Mr Shelby, I - ” Her voice was strained and hesitant, like a slowly fraying rope.

“Where is my wife?”

She moved forward, creases forming around her eyes. “We tried ringing you in Liverpool but the hotel said that you had already left, so we...”

“You rang me? Why? What’s happened?” He couldn’t hold back the desperation in his voice, and it lingered and festered around them both like a poisonous gas.

“Mrs Shelby came down with something a few days ago, we thought that it was just a common cold but unfortunately she seems to be getting worse.”

He tore upstairs before he could even think, his shoes leaving perfect muddy footprints on the cream carpet. He almost slipped at the top, and he lurched forward, his hands reaching out and holding onto the portrait hanging above the stairs for stability.

It was the oil of the two of you. A soft, personal picture that revealed more than he ever possibly could. The love in your gazes, the hint of a soft, drunk smile on the dangerous gangsters face as you leaned into him, melting into him like butter, him holding onto you as though he couldn’t bear to let you go. It was his favourite photo, one that always washed a sense of calmness over him, a reminder of the woman that he loved and the way he felt around you. But now he felt as if was riding out a terrible storm.

He lived his life with no fear, he was capable and practical and used to the sound of bullets and the copper sweet smell of blood. There was really only one thing, one terrible thing that he couldn’t control, and that was what drove him crazy.

Sickness.

It gnawed at his insides like a rabid dog, clawed under his skin and settled behind his ribs. Losing someone he loved was like ripping out a piece of his heart straight from his chest, and he knew better than anyone what it was like to lose somebody to a violent, quick death - the pull of a trigger or the smack of a fist. At least in those moments he could lock them away in his mind, he could leap in front of a bullet or crack the neck of any man who dared to get too close to you, but there was almost nothing he could do to stop sickness, and the devastation it caused.

When you first met him it had been a surprise, almost amusing, that this powerful God of a man had these small little quirks. His house was always sparkling clean and smelling of Lysol, his fruit bowls were filled with citrus fruits and round, plump blueberries. He always made sure you were wrapped up warm in the winter, always placing his coat around your shoulders and bringing an extra pair of gloves in case you forgot yours. It was adorable, the way he took care of you,

It wasn’t till a little bit later when you learnt of those he had lost. His mother and his childhood sweetheart taken away from him much too soon. It broke your heart when he told you late one night of the sallow tint of their skin and the way he could almost see them vanishing from earth, the way that illness had moulded and changed those he loved the most.

You understood.

Your best friends older sister had died of tuberculosis when you were young. The elderly woman across the street from your first flat had passed away from a bout of horrendous smallpox. Your brother lost his first child to pneumonia. Times were changing but the fear of disease was ever present. Medicine was improving and so was knowledge, but still there remained a huge, dark cloud of what could happen, one that always hung around your husbands head.

——————————————-

All Tommy could think was the worst as he ran through the landing. His heart was in his ears and his bones felt loose, like the sweet liquorice the two of you would share at the pictures. He came to a stop by the bedroom door, tentatively pressing his palm onto the wood and ever so slightly pushing it open, listening to the gentle creak it made.

The room was warm. The lace curtains were pulled shut, and your favourite lavender candles were flickering on your vanity, casting syrupy shadows against the wall. He exhaled loudly as he saw you, bundled up under a mountain of satin sheets and hand crocheted blankets, your hair splayed across the pillows.

He moved to your bedside, pretending not to notice the large, untouched jug of water and the tissue box next to you, hoping and silently praying that you weren’t sick - just asleep and waiting for him, ready to wrap your arms around his neck.

You were silent, your lips parting every so often as you breathed, your chest rising and falling. He reached out gently, as though he was picking up shards of glass, and brushed his fingers against your cheek. Your forehead was beading with sweat, your cheeks flushed, and yet your skin was ice cold to the touch. He recoiled quickly, his heart dropping like a weight into his gut, and he inhaled a shaky, deep breath.

He saw something curled up beside your hands, a fluffy white cloud with sparkling emerald green eyes trained on him. Despite everything, he smiled. He thought of your birthday - of strawberry cheesecake and champagne, and surprising you with a ribbon wrapped little kitten as you woke up. He thought of that day often. How you smiled and leapt onto him with tears in your eyes, his whole world blissfully quiet as he spent the day in bed with you and your new best friend.

He would have preferred a big dog, one with sharp teeth and a menacing gaze to ward of visitors whilst he was away. But you were drawn to the tiny, malnourished runt of the litter who was scared of his own shadow. A kitten no bigger than the size of his clenched fist. A little white hairball who only ate and drank from fine pink saucers. A cat that had a very frustrating habit of crawling in the bedroom right as Tommy’s hand was up your skirt and his lips on the sweet spot of your neck, the tiny thing mewling and crying until you picked him up and nuzzled him into your chest.

He was a horse lover through and through, and never saw himself having time for any other pets. But in the summer when you saw the litter from one of John’s barn cats and fell in love with the sweet baby who mewled and cried and crawled right into your lap - he knew that he would give you anything and everything you wanted.

Including a cat who refused to accept that Tommy was the man of the house.

“Hello, boy.” He said, leaning over to scratch Comet under the chin, using a voice he only reserved for the two of you. “Have you been looking after my girl whilst I’ve been gone?”The cat meowed loudly in reply, pressing his head into Tommy’s palm but not moving from his spot beside you.

Tommy suddenly felt you shift under him and his heart lurched into his throat. He turned to face you, cupping the side of your clammy face as your eyelids fluttered open, blinking under the candlelight. A rush of red hot heat built up in his belly as you registered him, that angelic smile growing on your face, your tired eyes glimmering with recognition of the man you loved.

“Tommy?”

“Hi, Princess.”

You smiled sadly. “You’ve been gone for weeks - I missed you.”

He felt his brows crease as he rubbed along your jawline softly, trying to stop you from falling back asleep. He felt panic in his throat as sour as vomit, and he tried to bite back the nagging feeling that something was very wrong.

“No, sweetheart, I’m early. It’s only Thursday. I left on Monday.”

“Oh.” You said softly, your voice as gentle as the breeze rustling through the trees outside. “Well let me welcome you back properly - let me make you a lemon drizzle or a...” You lifted your head from the pillow and shuffled under your blanket, but he pressed his hands against your shoulder and held you down.

“No. You’re staying right here.”

“But - ”

“No.”

“Hmm. Don’t leave me, Tommy.”

“Never.” He said, his tone firm and cast like stone. He stroked your hair softly as your breathing slowed, but it didn’t nothing to quell the hard thump of his heart in his chest.

——————————-

Tommy left the room as quietly as he could after you had fallen asleep in his arms. He hadn’t wanted to move, not when you were pressed against his chest, looking ethereal but vacant, sweat beading under your brow and your face lacking colour. He wanted to stay with you, curled up by his side, his fingers laced through yours, the sound of your heart thumping in his ears.

But he was a man of action, and seeing you there - your lips cracked and dry, shudders passing through your body and goosebumps raised over your skin - he couldn’t fight the fiery urge to do everything in his power to make you feel alright again.

He found Mary waiting outside the door, chewing on the skin of her lips and swaying on the balls of her feet in anticipation. He grabbed her by the arm, harder than he meant to and something he would apologise for later, and pulled her downstairs, determined to let you rest whilst he got some answers. As soon as they reached the drawing room he spun her around, clenching his jaw and pointing a finger at the anxious maid.

“Where the fuck is the doctor? Why isn’t he here?”

“Mr Shelby.” She said, stepping forward calmly. “We phoned Doctor Moore and he came on Tuesday to see her.”

“Tuesday?” He seethed. “My wife has been ill since Tuesday and no one called me?”

Mary raised her hands in defeat, making it clear that the decision wasn’t hers to make. “He said it was nothing of concern . He gave her some antibiotics and told her to rest. She asked us herself not to call you, she knows how you.. worry.”

He ignored her sugar coated attempt to quell his anger, but if anything it made his vision darken. “When it’s my wife, It is always my concern.”

“Mr Shelby, we were just doing what we were told. As soon as we noticed she wasn’t getting better we phoned the surgery again, but Doctor Thomas was out for the day and said he didn’t think it was necessary to come round again, so we -”

“I don’t give a fuck. My wife is the number one priority. Ring every doctor in England if you have to, get somebody out here now to see my wife.”

He stormed away, anger pulsating through his veins, but he stopped suddenly, and threw out over his shoulder:

“And call Doctor Moore’s ’office. Tell him to expect a visit from the blinders soon.”

———————————————————

Once, when you were first dating, you found Tommy at the door to your flat at midnight, with scraped knuckles and blood dripping from his nose. You let him in, cleaned him up and sat with him in the bath until his skin was clear and his breathing was even. He knew that night, as you were pressed against his chest and his lips were pressed to your scalp that he was truly, madly and completely in love with you.

He remembered waking up the next morning, love drunk and blissful, and finding the bed beside him empty. He found you in the kitchen, wincing slightly and pressing a hot water bottle to your belly as you buttered a few pieces of toast. He rushed to your side with eyes as wide as saucers, concern lacing the features that were usually ice cold and hard as stone. You were completely baffled as he held you at arms length, his bright cerulean eyes trailing up and down your body for any signs of injury he might have missed. You were bewildered at the sight of the powerful man practically on his knees as he made sure you were alright, and you bit back a giggle as his warm palms spread over your abdomen.

“What is it? Whats wrong?”

“Tommy. Sweetheart.” You said softly, bringing his gaze level to yours. “It’s just - you know - that time of the month.”

He brushed off your embarrassment and ran his fingers through your hair, pressing a uncharacteristically gentle kiss to your forehead, sending a swarm of butterflies around the pain in your stomach.

“Do you need anything?” He asked, half ready to run down to the corner shop and buy any amount of painkillers or chocolate bars or your favourite lavender tea that you might need; not caring who saw the seemingly terrifying gang leader in the street with an armful of strawberry laces and salt water fudges.

You smiled like the summer sun and he melted, pulling you close as you whispered in the shell of his ear that you only needed him, and that was all you ever needed.

That was the first time you fully saw the extent of Tommy’s fear, but it definitely wasn’t the last. He knew he wanted you forever and always, and it took only six months of neck kisses and pillow talk, red hot jealousy and possessive hands across your skin and dancing in the rain and falling asleep under the pale yellow moon for him to put a ring on your finger. You were both consumed by your love, as though it was the only thing that mattered, it was insatiable and powerful - the wonderful mix of the devil and his sweet little angel.

And with that, came the good and the bad.

Like when you got food poisoning after Arthur cooked you a Sunday lunch to cheer you up whilst Tommy was gone. He came home to you retching over the toilet bowl with Mary holding back your hair, and swore that he would kill his brother with his own hands. Or when you slipped on ice and broke your arm while out with friends in London, and Tommy went ballistic and tried to ban you from ever leaving the house. It was just in his nature, how he always made sure you walked on the side furthest from the road, kept an arm slung around you whenever you were together, kept his eyes alert and vigilant no matter where you were - always looking out for his girl.

But he had never been like this.

———————————————————-

You were falling in and out of sleep. Waking up drowsy and heavy headed, squinting under bright lights, an ache in your skull and a burning in your throat. Every so often you felt a pinch in your upper arm, a squeeze on your palm, a kiss on your forehead - but you always drifted back into unconsciousness.

You weren’t sure how much time had passed when you woke up. The room was dark and you could hear the wind howling and whipping rain across the windows. You felt all too hot and all too cold at the same time, and the bed was damp with sweat. You struggled and tried to sit up, your head swaying and feeling as heavy as one of Tommy’s marble statues; as if you had been carved up and moulded. You could hear voices out in the hall, and unsteadily got to your feet, moving towards the noises.

“Pneumonia?” You heard through the thick wooden door, instantly recognising your husbands voice. “That’s impossible.”

“Sir...”

“Fucking. Impossible.” You knew his teeth were clenched.

The other man cleared his throat.“I know that it’s hard to hear, Mr Shelby, but your wife is very sick.”

“Just...” You felt your heart flutter and clench in your chest as the sound of his broken words, could practically feel his desperation and you wanted nothing more than to hold him. “Just tell me how to make her better.”

The second man spoke again, his voice softening and lowering, something you knew Tommy would hate. “Mr Shelby, the first round of antibiotics didn’t work and that means that it’s time for something stronger. Usually I would suggest the Birmingham hospital but I don’t think it’s equipped for...” He paused, trying to think over his words carefully. He wanted to convey the severity of the situation but also didn’t want to risk getting a bullet in his head from your very protective husband. “...This kind of reaction. I recommend we send her down to London for extra testing.”

“London? That’ll take two fucking hours. How the fuck can you recommend letting my wife travel that far? Are you out of your fucking mind?”

“I’m my opinion this is the wisest choice to make, but unfortunately that could mean your wife might get worse before she gets better.”

“Worse than she already is? That’s not an option.”

The man you assumed was the doctor was insistent, trying his best to portray the severity of the situation but failing as your hardheaded husband had already come to a decision.

“I’ll look after her here. She’s safest with me.”

Once Tommy had spoken that was the final result, and the doctor slinked away into the darkness and shook his head. You remained peering from behind the door, your tongue between your teeth and your heart hammering.

Tommy took one look at you and frowned, scooping you in his arms like a baby despite your protests. He ignored you, acting playfully and cheerful but you could feel his heated skin and the see flare of his nostrils. You wanted to help him but didn’t know how, and let him tuck you under the covers once again. He kissed your crown and stroked your hair and you wanted to speak but no words would leave your mouth.

“You stay there this time. You know I have no problem with tying you to the bed.”

You rolled your eyes as he left, and his clenched fists and tightened shoulders told you all you needed to know.

————————————————-

Comet watched from his spot beside you as Tommy wrestled with the fire. He had noticed you shivering despite your high temperature, and bundled you up in blankets whilst sparking matches beside the fireplace. There were raindrops across his shoulders, evidence that he had been outside and to the log store right at the end of the property - a job that had always been for the Groundskeeper. Your precious cat nudged the tips of your fingers as you sighed and watched your husband throw kindling onto the coal, a deep unease settling over your gut.

“Tommy, my love, I’m fine.” It wasn’t exactly true but you felt he needed to hear it. But you could practically see your words wash over him and evaporate like ocean spray.

He was shaking a metal tin in his palm as he worked, and you groaned and let your head hit the pillow as he pulled out two round chalky tablets. You winced as he placed them beside your glass, your mouth already tasting like the sour talc medicine you had come to loathe. He raised his eyebrows and shot you a look that told you he wasn’t far off plugging your nose with his fingers to force you to swallow, and you childishly stuck up two fingers as you took them.

Your stomach rumbled with nausea and you bit back the bile in your throat as you settled into the pillows. You watched your husband as he pulled off his crisp white shirt, revealing his taut tan stomach and the deep ink tattoos that you loved to trace with your fingertips and your lips. There was something about him standing there, with those damn cerulean eyes and hidden muscles, that boyish hair and slender fingers that you wanted desperately around your throat, that made a million tiny fireworks spark inside of you.

But instead you pushed him away from you despite your body wanting nothing but him wrapped all around you. “Don’t get too close. I might have something contagious. I can’t have you getting sick.”

He ignored you, smiling inwardly at the way you always put others before yourself. It was one of the million reasons he had fallen for you. You were sweating out a high fever and shivering in pain, and yet you always thought of him first. He pressed his lips to your temple and pulled you closer, knowing that skin to skin was a way to bring down a fever - even if it meant he had to restrain himself from tugging off your pretty little white nightgown and whatever frilly things you had on underneath.

“I’m not going anywhere. Fuck it if I catch anything.”

“That’s easy for you to say. I’m the one who will have to dote on you hand and foot, you big baby.” You teased, pressing yourself into him playfully, finally giving in.

He held you like a child, trying to hard to soften despite the way you felt underneath him. Everything on him was running a mile a minute, and he couldn’t help but want to try everything and everything to make you feel better. His hand was pressed against your temple to always try and measure your fever, his other palm across your chest to try and count your heart rate.

He could hear Mary treading across the landing carpet but he ignored his anxious maid, instead letting himself be completely consumed by the only thing that mattered - you.

This was something he had to do by himself. He was the only one who could care for you he reminded himself. And he let the words tumble over and over in his skull until they were all he could hear.

—————————————————————-

You had been asleep for a long time.

Every hour, after pacing the length of the hall and sanitising his hands and wiping the beads of sweat above your brow and above your breasts he woke you up and held a cool glass to your lips. You mumbled and moaned and pushed him away but he kept his fingers across your wrist - harsher than he ever had before - and kept you as close to him as possible.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had cooked. Perhaps it was last valentines when the two of you had camped out under the stars, drinking icy white wine and sharing stolen, day drunk kisses. That night he had roasted a chicken over the fire and it had burnt to a crisp as the two of you rolled around the grass, his head buried in your neck as you giggled at the poultry going up in flames.

He was trying now though, easy, plain substantial meals that wouldn’t upset your stomach. Boiled egg and dippy soldiers. Crackers with smooth cheese. Bubbly water and ginger biscuits. Each time he went upstairs you pushed him away, your whole body shuddering and almost retching, and he felt like smashing the plates against the wall at his defeat.

It had been almost thirty six hours since he had come home and it had been almost as long since you had eaten something, and his heart thundered and shattered in his chest when he found you gasping and wheezing over the toilet bowl when you had taken a bite of toast to calm him. He rarely left you alone, only for a few minutes to put the still full dishes in the sink, to ring Lizzie and tell her that he wouldn’t be coming for reasons that he refused to disclose, to smoke a cigarette under the grey stone archway, his shaking hands and bitten fingernails barely visible through the sleepy rolling fog.

He had grabbed handfuls of papers and the brass ink pen you had got him for your anniversary and broke his own rule - bringing work into your bedroom. It had always been a sacred space. For candlelight and soft laughter, aching hands and heart shaped bruises, a sanctuary for him to breathe and to love and to be loved fully in return. But he was afraid if he didn’t have a distraction, he might just completely lose it, and he had to be there for you.

So he sat squinting in his glasses, the room almost completely dark save for a few candles because of the migraines that had started to spread throughout your skull, and let himself be drawn into the mess of squiggly lines and numbers that suddenly didn’t add up, with you still centre stage in his peripheral.

After about forty minutes of rereading the same sentence a dozen times to try and make some sense of it, he heard your voice, like a small crack spreading across a sheet of ice, coming from the bed.

��Tom?” You sounded so weak, he practically flipped your cream vanity as he got to his feet and darted towards you. “I don’t feel well.”

He lifted you as you reached your arms up at him like a child. He almost gasped at the sweat pouring from your body but didn’t want to scare you, and instead held your shaking, shivering body against his own. How could you be so hot, yet so cold at the same time? Your skin was prickled with goosebumps yet you were burning with a fever, and for the first time in a long time, he had no fucking idea what to do.

He left you propped up against the headboard and he entered the bathroom. He ran over to the claw foot tub you loved, twisting the faucet and trying to find the perfect medium between boiling hot and freezing cold. He didn’t want to overwhelm you, just try and soothe your raging fever, and he ignored the shelves of expensive bath oils and scented soaps that you coveted, instead opting for a handful of something meant to ease tension - praying to whoever was listening that it would help you somehow.

There was a brutal, awful moment as he lifted you from the bed, limp as a rag doll, where he imagined what would happen if your heart were to stop. He couldn’t comprehend what it would be like to miss the weight of you in his arms, the smell of your skin, the feeling of your lips against him, the shovels stopping and fading into nothing. It hit him square in the chest, as merciless as a bullet, and he had to lean against the doorframe to stop the two of you from plummeting to the ground.

He undressed himself first. Tugging his white shirt off, sliding off his slacks and his underwear, keeping you as close to his chest as he could. Then he pulled your nightgown up and over your head. He gathered your hair and secured it up with a claw clip so that it was away from your face, the heat radiating off your neck as fierce as the fire now burnt down to ash in the bedroom.

He lowered the two of you into the bath, sinking down beneath the eucalyptus smelling lukewarm water, letting it wash over you both. Your teeth were chattering and you were barely awake. He gathered handfuls of water, letting it drip over your shoulders and pulse points, grabbing a washcloth and running it over your raised skin, hating how you barely registered his touch. As he scrubbed over your collarbones and up to your face he saw your lips had turned to an awful, silvery blue, as vibrant as a fresh bruise. He hissed and tugged on the plug, now determined to get you wrapped up in a fresh towel and tucked back into bed.

You were soft and placid and he helped you out, lacking the usual fire that he adored. Your eyes were glassy and missing their vibrance, like the vanishing spark of a lighter - and he felt miles and miles of invisible distance between the two of you. You were unsteady on your feet and he used his body to prop you up as he warmed your arms with a fluffy white towel. You suddenly stopped, lifting your hand to your mouth as you started to cough - a horrible, dry, gasping cough.

He noticed it almost immediately. His eyes darting to the splatter of red against the white, a smudge of crimson that was as loud and commanding as a siren, a warning signal that something was definitely not right. A bead of scarlet that would linger long behind his closed eyelids.

He managed to get you back into bed, remaining calm as he stroked your hair and kissed your temple. He tucked you under the duvet and waited for your breathing to even before he ran downstairs, his heart thumping in his ears as he practically ripped the phone off of the wall.

“Pol? Fuck. I think - I think I need help.”

—————————————————————-

The room smelt like bleach and metal. Unfamiliar and clinical. There was something hard on your chest and covering your mouth, it tasted like wet pennies and was as heavy as a hand over your throat, but for the first time in days you could finally breathe. You tried to sit up, but there was a needle in your chest, a gown you didn’t recognise cut straight down the middle to accommodate it. You struggled and lifted the thin bedsheet above your shivering torso, trying to look around the cold room.

“Careful!”

It was Polly, dressed immaculately despite her surroundings. She reached out and placed a manicured hand across yours, and you smiled at the woman who had always been a calming influence when you had joined the circus of a family. There was concern in her eyes, rimmed with black eyeliner and lifted lashes but still swimming deep around her pupils. That made you frown, and you moved as much as you could to face her.

“What happened?”

She ran her tongue over her teeth, choosing her words. “You gave us quite a fright, love.”

“I did?” Your memories of the past few days were much like a fever dream, blurry and distorted snapshots were all you could really remember.

“Your pneumonia got worse. A lot worse.” She paused, looking over to the door and you followed her gaze. “They found fluid in your lungs.”

“So...” You started, gesturing to the needle in your abdomen and the breathing apparatus around your head.

She nodded. “Yes. You were in surgery. It was touch and go for a little bit.”

“Really?” You were bewildered. You couldn’t remember anything, let alone having major surgery. You looked her straight in the eye, asking her the questions that had been on the tip of your tongue since you had woken up. “Where is he? Where’s Tommy?”

“He’s outside.” She clicked her tongue, reaching deep into her purse and pulling out some hand cream, gently rubbing your dry hands like she was your mother. You leant into her touch despite all of your questions.

“What? Why?”

“I think he blames himself. God knows what goes on in that mans head. All I really know is he was bloody terrified.” She paused, looking over in the distance. “I’ve never seen him so scared, not even on his wedding day.” She smiled sadly, trying to lighten the mood, but it soon faded. “He didn’t leave your side the whole time you were asleep.”

Your heart thumped in your chest, a soft aching that you knew all too well. “I want to see him.”

“I know you do. But right now...” She stopped right as a handful of nurses entered, clad in long blue dresses with white aprons, hair tied back and smelling of strong soap and disinfectant. You lost Polly in the bustle as one spoke softly to you before tugging on the needle right beside your ribs, your eyes just catching hers as she left, a promise to see you soon on her lips.

It wasn’t her you saw next, but Tommy.

The nurses had cleaned you up with wet flannels and bowls of warm soapy water. Your hair had been braided and your face washed, and walked you arm in arm over to the bathroom so you could relieve yourself. A skittish doctor followed after, his eyes darting across you and his touch gentle as he changed your dressings and took your blood - obviously under strict instructions from your husband, and despite everything, you smiled.

You were sat listening to the clock tick. A romance novel you had been given was dangling dangerously close to the end of the bed, but you were too tired to focus on it. You heard the door squeal softly, and the sound of familiar footsteps across the tiling, each small thud sending shockwaves across your spine.

“Tommy.”

He looked tired. Exhausted rather, as though he had been awake all the hours that you had been asleep. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin was sallow and bruised. His clean shaven face was dark with stubble and his hair was ruffled and unwashed. You longed to reach out to him and cradle him against you, but he stood in the doorway, lingering like a ghost.

“Tommy?” You repeated, your voice almost a whisper, breaking his already shattered heart once again.

“How are you feeling, my love?”

You smiled softly, like spun sugar and sweet honey. No hospital bed or itchy gown could dull your infectious light. “Better now.”

He approached you almost cautiously. He settled down on the hard chair beside your bed and stroked a line down from your temple to your lips, his touch setting you alight like an electrical storm. There was a sadness in his eyes that reminded you of how he got when things were bad, and you willed him to come back to you. His touch was tentative and he inhaled shakily as you cupped his hand with yours, pressing a tender kiss to the inside of his palm.

“Don’t scare me like that. Ever.” He was stern, as though hoping his words would make it true. “I mean it.” He kept his gaze on your pretty face, trying his best not to stare at the harsh bruising on your delicate flesh or the sickly tone of your skin.

“Tommy I’m going to get sick, even you can’t stop that.” You teased gently.

“I can bloody well try.” His hands cradled your face, pulling you into him and kissing you fiercely, still mindful of the wires and tubes taped to your body. There was something about the tenderness and deep longing in the kiss that when mixed with your total exhaustion and love for your husband prompted tears to start falling from your eyes. You sniffled as he pulled away, concern dripping from his beautiful features, his powerful mind wanting to do everything and anything to stop your hurting.

“Hey, hey.” He said, running his calloused fingertips under your eyes and wiping your tears away. You leant into his touch and he kissed your temple, squeezing you even tighter into him. “You know I hate it when you cry.” He toyed with your hair and winked playfully. “Besides, all you need to focus on is getting better. You’re going to have to take care of me when we get home, this week has given me a fucking stroke.”

You rolled your eyes, kissing the inside of his wrist. “You’re a idiot, Thomas Shelby.” You blinked at the clock looming above you both, wanting to stay in your blissful bubble but also knowing that Aunt Pol would probably be in the vicinity harassing a poor nurse over your results. “You should go and find Polly, let her know that everything’s alright.”

He shook his head and nuzzled his nose across yours, an act so innocent that your heart dipped and swooped in your chest. “Later.” He said, breathless and consumed by you. Everything had been too much. Almost losing you had been harrowing, it had punctured him completely and he just needed to feel his girl safe and warm around him. He needed to know that you weren’t found anywhere.

“I just want to stay here for a while. Just me and you.”

You grinned. “Always.”

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