#and overall... Tommy softening toward Arthur over time

[peakyblinderswhore]

Please can I request something with Finn along the lines of him having his own little family and you walk in on him trying to teach them to tie their shoe lace or something 🥺 💓

A/N: hey anon! i hope that you’re well, as I have something for you! i just kept on writing bits that I didn’t think I would? however, I think it helps with the overall image of where the family stands in everything. p.s. i thought i’d accidentally deleted the whole thing right at the end and had a mini heart-attack, phew ;)

W/C: 1.8k

Standing over the stove, you stir the pot one last time before walking down the hallway to tell the kids it’s time for their dinner. As you pass the mirror, you stop for a second to check your hair still looks okay; the past few years have put a strain on you and trying to keep yourself looking presentable has been a challenge in itself. At the moment you didn’t have a need however it felt nice to feel nice.

You tuck a strand of loose mousy hair behind your ear hoping that it hasn’t ruined the low bun your hair was knotted up in. You also mess around with the collar on your dress — it was a new style that had been going around and Arthur’s wife had convinced you that you looked gorgeous in it.

Often, you spent your time at Polly’s house, all of the wives of the Shelby boys and Ada when she was around and drank tea and ate small sandwiches that Polly had mastered the art of. Linda complimented your parenting style and Lizzie complemented your outfits — you always thought she was taking the piss but you accepted them nonetheless. Polly often complimented everyone but Gina. Gina had been out of the family for years until Polly decided to let her back in on account of her grandchild and possibly more to come; everyone knew she’d been distraught not talking to her son on good terms for as long as she had but Michael made his choice and so Polly made hers.

Sometimes Gina sneered at some of the things said in the sitting room whilst you all sat around drinking your tea politely but you hadn’t been around the family from early enough to hold a grudge against her like the other women — of course, you knew what had happened as it was prime gossip talk one afternoon when you had asked — so she was always nice to you because she didn’t have a reason not to be. You just couldn’t figure out if she was waiting for a reason to dismiss you too and to then convince Polly’s only son to head back on to America… so you kept it civil with her for the sake of Polly, just in case.

Thinking about all of this made you sigh, sometimes you felt like it brought out your wrinkles.

“Finn, darling,” you call, “are you with the children?”

From the hallway, you hear a call from the sitting room, “Yes, over here, love.”

Your home wasn’t massive, like Tommy’s; that would’ve been too much. Sometimes you see it as a palace. A palace suited for its king. Your house resided in the suburbs — closer than Tommy’s — but was big enough to sleep five people and still have some room to throw a ball about. It was moderate considering there was you, Finn and two kids.

Making your way towards the sitting room, you smile at the photos in frames, placed strategically on the surfaces around the house. Your favourite one was one of Finn and you outside the church that the two of you were married in.

You were leaning your head on his chest, one hand on his abdomen and smiling slightly. Finn had his arm wrapped around your waist, hat on his head and gloves on as it had been the springtime so it wasn’t the warmest. You had worn a cream dress that stopped mid-calf and the front of it all flowed smoothly. It didn’t have sleeves, however, the material fell as if they were sleeves as it was pinched at the top. The not-sleeves were ruffled and it made you feel pretty when you had worn it. Finn’s suit had made you happy to see him in, the white rose pinned to his lapel and his smile going from ear to ear. You remember feeling giddy at the sight of him, wanting to run and jump on him whilst simultaneously wanting to run away and cease to exist to the church full of people — you were nervous, it was safe to say.

The picture next to it had been one of everyone laughing, throwing petals and having a jab at the two of you. Absolutely everyone was laughing, even Tommy had broken out his smile, Arthur was making a hilarious face and certainly kept up the atmosphere.

Shaking your head, you smile and continue walking into the sitting room.

Upon seeing Finn, you notice that he’s crouched down with your eldest son (well, he’s only four) and showing him how to tie his shoelace.

Taking in a breath, you wait, patiently, smiling at the sight of them. You knew he was showing them how to tie his shoelace because Finn had gotten out his best pair of shoes to let them practice with bigger loops to help him get the hang of it.

Your son notices you, “Mummy! Look what Daddy’s showing me to do,” and he holds up Finn’s show with a half tied shoelace.

You walk over and sit on the armchair next to your son and eye Finn, smiling warmly at him. He looked so at home, teaching his kids the little things in life. His eyes were gleaming, pleased to be spending some time with one of his kids, his hair was tousled slightly but you just thought that it made him look even more handsome than ever and he was clean-shaven, showing that he was still putting in the effort, day-in, day-out.

“Robbie, that’s amazing! Do you want your dinner in five minutes then, since you’re learning so well?”

Robbie nods eagerly, “I love your dinners Mummy but I need to learn this otherwise Daddy says I’ll never be able to walk again.”

Turning your head to face Finn, you lift an eyebrow, “You told him that he’d never be able to walk again?”

Sheepishly, Finn replies, “I just meant that he’d be lost in the world cause he wouldn’t know how to do it himself.”

You laugh and stand, moving to Finn’s side you rest a palm on his shoulder, “Where’s John-boy?”

He lifts his head to look at you, “He was feeling tired a little earlier so I let him nap on our bed where we were playing. You know he says that he wants to get a dog?”

Pausing you look Finn in the eyes, narrowing them at him, “And I wonder who gave him that grand idea, eh?”

Finn lifts his hands up in defence, “Hey, I never said we were getting one for sure, I just suggested spending some of his time with a dog.”

You shake your head, amused, “Always the good guy, never the bad, eh? Leave me to crush his dreams and leave him to run to you screaming ‘woe is me’,” you lean down and kiss him on the lips, “you’re lucky I love you so much.”

Finn’s hand creeps around our neck and kisses you again, “Maybe a dog would help when you give birth to my daughter that you’ve got hidden in there,” his hand rests on your abdomen where you bump is barely showing.

You swat his hand away, “The boys don’t even know yet!”

“This could be a good way to tell them before their attention is back on the new family dog that we’ll have to help occupy them while we’re busy looking after her.”

Rolling your eyes, you reply, “I haven’t said yes yet and we don’t even know if it’s a girl.”

Finns grins, you know what he’s about to say, “Polly says that it’s a girl and you know that we can’t not take her word as the gospel ‘round here.”

You wander off and mutter to yourself, “I wish she wasn’t right all the time,” and walk up the winding staircase to fetch your youngest son, John, from your bed.

Everyone knew. The second he was born it was absolutely obvious that your son was going to be a John. You just couldn’t anticipate how well everyone had taken it.

Polly loved it and treated him as if he were her own, Arthur tossed him in the air whenever he came over (and John loved it), Tommy took him to see the goldfish in the Horse’s water troughs and held him in his arms whenever John wanted a hug from his uncle. Oddly enough, Gina adored him too, which shocked all of the women but you weren’t about to dispute it so it stayed. When Ada came to visit, the boys loved Karl and he loved them as he was free to play like he used to when he was younger. He was a lot more grown up now but he liked pretending that he could babysit them.

“John, darling,” you say, gently shaking him awake, “it’s time for your dinner, my love.”

Drowsily he lifted his head and held out his arms to be picked up, you obliged as he was still young and took him down to the dinner table. He sat, rather comically, among a pile of books and a cushion to soften it all so that he could sit with you all.

“Mummy, where’s Daddy?”

“Just coming, darling,” on cue, Finn walks through with Robbie wearing a pair of his own shoes.

“Look, Mummy! I tied them all by myself,” Robbie exclaims.

You examine his shoelace tying skills, “perfect, darling, now sit down before I tickle you to death and you can’t tie any more shoes.”

He giggles and obliges.

You walk into the kitchen to get the dinner on the table.

“You’re going to be even better with her, our daughter, you know,” Finn says from behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist as you were fetching the plates for your dinner.

Jumping, you say, “I didn’t even hear you follow me in,” and lean into his embrace.

He chuckles lightly, “I love you… and they love you and she will love you.”

You turn to face him and bring one hand up to his face, “And I love you too.”

You kiss him on the lips and just as he was about to deepen the kiss you pull away smiling, “No, no, Mister Shelby, they’re still waiting out there like tiny hungry tigers for their dinner.”

“Just one more?”

“Oh alright then,” you roll your eyes with a grin on your face and kiss him once more.