#tommy shelby x freddie thorne

[tommyxgrace-always]

Tommy & Ada parallels

Political inclination

Tommy was known to be communist/socialist before the war, dreaming about changing the world. After Grace, he eventually decides to pursue politics.

Ada also shared communist ideologies and is active to an extent with Freddie. When Tommy became MP, she naturally became his political advisor. In the finale, Tommy reiterates the fact that she was born for politics in her family.

Fine things in life

Tommy liked to possess lavish and fine things. His suits for example, In s1, we see how he gets his suits done from the same place as Kimber. In s4, we hear how he gets his suits done by a tailor in London. Similarly he admired Tatiana’s luxurious car in s3 just like the look of awe he gave May’s mansion. Arrow house was decorated with the finest things - paintings, interiors, furniture and his bedroom with Grace too.

Ada’s house in s2 said it all. The interior, the furniture everything was expensive and grand. This aspect of her personality is reiterated in s5, by showing the luxurious redecoration and also her art pieces, vases etc (when finn was too scared to ruin it with his blood)

Love & Marraige

Both married the love of their life inspite of opposition from family. Ada married Freddie even though Tommy and her brothers were against a communist. Tommy married Grace even when Polly was against her.

Both their children were born out of wedlock. When Ada got pregnant there was ambiguity about Freddie’s intentions for her. Just when Ada lost hope and decides to be practical and abort, they have a dramatic reunion at the train station. Their love for each other is validated and they look forward to have their child. Similarly Grace got pregnant with Tommy’s child, there is ambiguity about her intentions and it seems they will go their separate ways again. Just when Tommy seems to have accepted that she will sail away and decides to be practical and be with May, they have a dramatic reunion at the Derby. Their love and longing for each other is re-validated and they look forward to have a life together.

Both lose the love of their life. Tommy takes it way worse because of his already existing war trauma. Ada is normal and emotionally stable so she carries on without getting sucked into addictions, depression and hallucinations whereas we all know how Tommy suffered after Grace.

Both end up being widowers and single parents

Companionship

They never looked for love again. Companions yes but not another love.

We see Ada interested in the Russian spy in s3 and later we see her with Ben Younger. There may be other men whom she saw which we don’t see onscreen. Tommy, we all know went from women to women. Prostitutes, aristocrats, communist, secretary, dead wife’s ghost, ex girlfriend’s ghost, you name it!!!

Ben Younger was Ada’s constant and the longest one we see with her. They seem to share a stable relationship like two “mutually consenting normal people” who respect each other, can share. Lizzie is a constant go-to for Tommy but they share an unequal dynamic where she has been hopelessly in love with him from beginning while he saw her as no strings attached buddy and had other priorities and is done with love after Grace. Thats why that relationship is chaotic and toxic but also convenient and practical for both.

Interestingly they also have a child out of wedlock with their companions. The difference is Tommy had to marry Lizzie as a man who took responsibility of his child. Whereas Ada mentions she wasn’t planning to marry Ben, it’s seen as a bold move.

Ada and Ben’s relationship confirms what Grace fan always knew unlike a certain section of the fandom . Just because a partner is decent and good and you like them does not automatically mean you fell in love. Ada explains in a s5 scene after she hears of Ben’s demise “I didn’t love him. But I liked him. He was decent and good….I wasn’t going to marry him. God he didn’t deserve us”. This is exactly how Tommy and Lizzie were designed too. Due to Tommy’s trauma and unequal feelings for Lizzie, their relationship is more toxic in nature than Ada and Ben’s. But at the core it was companionship. Two people having a convenient partnership that serves both. Tommy also found Lizzie to be decent and good compared to him. She took care of his children and was loyal to him and his family. She didn’t deserve him. He didn’t love her either but liked her. He felt sorry for her as she had to bear the ultimate pain of losing a child.

There is so much more I wanted to cover about their bond. But this post will be too long. So will do a separate post.

[agentidiot]

listen. tommy/freddie? they switch. tommy probably bottoms cuz freddie probably thinks it’s embarrassing or something. alfie/tommy? they switch because they just don’t care. tommy/luca??? full bottom tommy. he just wants it. nothing else is literally matter to him. they fuck nasty.

[weeo]

Masterlist

PEAKY BLINDERS - TOMMY / ALFIE

• Rum is for fun and fucking 🔞 - read on A03 / Tumblr

• And whiskey is for business 🔞 - read on A03 / Tumblr

• And the gin? 🔞 - read on A03 / Tumblr

•  What's Bred in the Bone Comes Out in the Flesh (Where the Waters Do Agree - Chapter 4) - read on A03 / Tumblr

• Trust me, I’ve got you - read on A03 / Tumblr

• Sleeping Beauty - read on A03 / Tumblr

• Pick 🔞 - read on A03 / Tumblr

• Knot 🔞 - read on Tumblr 

PEAKY BLINDERS - TOMMY / LIZZIE

• It’s still you anyway - read on A03 / Tumblr

• With spring comes new hopes - read on A03 / Tumblr (Lizzie & Ada)

PEAKY BLINDERS - TOMMY / FREDDIE

• The last time I saw the sun - read on A03 / Tumblr

• It’s been a long time - read on A03 / Tumblr

PEAKY BLINDERS - OTHERS

Tommy & Charlie

• The sun always rises - read on A03 / Tumblr

Tommy & Ada

• The Interpretation of Dreams - read on A03 / Tumblr 

Tommy & Polly + Tommy / Grace

• At least, the leaves were golden - read on A03 / Tumblr

CHALLENGE

• Peaky Season 6 Response Challenge - Final Masterlist

[sweetcherrybmb]

SOLOVEY ~ arthur shelby ~ part four

A/N: Hellou everyone!! So this is a story I wrote back in like 2022 during Covid, but because of the writing style I used back then, I decided it needs an IMMEDIATE revision… it was originally posted in Wattpad, but with the rewrite, I feel it deserves a spot on my tumblr…. Hope you guys will enjoy it!!

pairing: Arthur Shelby x OC

description: In a world where war leaves no space for love, a sliver of it managed to crawl into the hearts of two most unexpected people. In the most unexpected time.

type: series

word count: 1235 words

< prev + next>

August 1917

The trench was chaos as we scrambled back into its suffocating walls, the sounds of artillery and gunfire fading slightly behind the barrier of dirt and wood. My chest heaved as I pressed my back against the cold, damp earth, gasping for air. Arthur and Tommy were the last to jump in, dragging Nikolai's limp body behind them.

The moment I saw him, my heart dropped. They laid him down gently to the side, away from where the men walked, but it hardly mattered—his body had been brutalized. Nikolai was riddled with bullet holes, his uniform soaked in blood, and his face... I could barely recognize him.

I couldn't move at first, staring blankly at the horrific sight. Then, as the realization hit, a choked sob escaped my throat, and I fell to my knees.

"Nikolai!" I screamed, my voice raw and broken. I crawled to him, gathering his broken body in my arms. Hot tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision as I clutched him tightly.

The world around me blurred into insignificance. My cries echoed through the trench, piercing and heart-wrenching, but the men remained silent. They stood back, some with tears in their eyes, others looking away in discomfort, unsure how to comfort me.

I don't know how long I stayed there, rocking Nikolai's lifeless body. At some point, the sobbing ebbed into a hollow, aching numbness. I began to sing softly, my voice shaky and trembling, but the words were clear. It was a song Nikolai had written—a piece of home, of hope.

"When I go, don't cry for me, In my Father's arms I'll be. The wounds this world left on my soul, Will all be healed, and I'll be whole..."

The words filled the trench, the melody haunting in its simplicity. The American soldiers behind me stood at attention, their grief palpable in the heavy silence.

"Sun and moon will be replaced, With the light of Jesus' face. And I will not be ashamed, For my Savior knows my name..."

When the song ended, I pressed my forehead to Nikolai's bloodied chest, whispering a final goodbye. Slowly, I stood, my knees trembling under the weight of my grief. The soldiers saluted in unison, their faces solemn, before dispersing to give me space.

Only the Shelby brothers remained. Tommy and John gave me respectful nods and walked away, leaving me alone with Arthur.

He hesitated for a moment, then stepped closer, his boots crunching softly in the dirt. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice low and careful, as though afraid to break me further.

I shook my head, unable to form words. Tears spilled silently down my cheeks as I stared at the ground. Arthur placed a tentative hand on my shoulder, his touch surprisingly gentle for a man so rugged.

"How close were the two of you?" he asked after a moment, his tone softer now.

"Too close..." I whispered through trembling lips. My voice cracked, and before I could stop myself, I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his shoulder.

Arthur didn't pull away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me, his rough hands pressing against my back as though trying to shield me from the pain. One hand moved to my hair, stroking it gently in a comforting gesture.

"He... he was like family," I choked out between sobs. "We met when I arrived on the ship. We bonded so quickly. He understood me in a way no one else did. And now he's gone. I let myself get attached... and now he's gone."

Arthur held me tighter, his embrace firm and grounding. "It's alright, love. Sometimes you can't help getting attached. You're human. It happens."

I buried my face in his shoulder, letting his steady presence anchor me. His hand slid to my biceps, his grip strong but not overbearing.

"You'll get through this," he said softly, tilting his head to catch my gaze. His thumb brushed away a stray tear from my cheek. "You'll be alright, pretty girl. You're stronger than this."

His words were meant to be comforting, but the way his voice dipped—almost tender—caught me off guard. I didn't register the shift in his tone, too consumed by my grief to process it fully. Yet his proximity, the way he held me, felt... different.

We stayed like that longer than we should have, the line between professionalism and something more blurring with every passing second. It wasn't until Tommy's voice broke through the moment that we pulled away.

"Hey, you two! We need you over here!" Tommy's call rang out sharply, snapping us both back to reality.

Arthur stepped back quickly, his hand falling to his side, though his thumb lingered on my arm for just a moment too long. He offered me a small, almost sheepish smile as I sniffled and tried to compose myself.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice still shaky.

"You're welcome," he replied, his smile growing softer before we turned and headed toward Tommy and Freddie.

Later that evening, I retreated to a quiet corner of the trench, desperate for solitude. The grief weighed on me heavily, suffocating in its intensity. I sat with my knees drawn to my chest, staring blankly at the dirt walls around me.

"Mind if I join you, love?" Arthur's voice startled me. I looked up to find him standing over me, his expression unreadable but his eyes softer than usual.

I nodded silently, and he lowered himself to sit beside me, draping an arm over my shoulders as though it were the most natural thing in the world. The warmth of his touch was both grounding and disarming.

"How are you holding up?" he asked after a long pause, his voice low and almost hesitant.

I took a shaky breath, staring at the ground. "I don't know. I keep expecting him to walk in, to make one of his jokes... It's going to take time."

Arthur reached into his pocket, pulling out a match as I lit a cigarette. He struck the match and held it steady for me, the flame casting flickering shadows across his face.

"You're right. It does take time," he said, leaning back and gazing up at the darkening sky. "But you've got to find your way to cope. Bottle it up, and it'll only get worse."

I exhaled a plume of smoke, nodding absently. "I'll figure it out eventually... I think."

We sat in silence for a while, the quiet settling between us like a fragile truce. His arm stayed around me, and though it felt too intimate, too close, I couldn't bring myself to pull away. For the first time since Nikolai's death, the weight on my chest felt just a little lighter.

October 1917

Arthur sat on a stool, wincing slightly as I cleaned a small gash on his cheek. His hands rested on my hips, his fingers gripping lightly each time the sting of antiseptic hit.

"Thank you, love," he murmured once I finished, his voice soft but earnest.

I smiled faintly, tossing the bloodied cloth aside. "You're welcome, Arthur."

Our eyes met for a moment longer than necessary, and I felt the now-familiar spark of something I couldn't quite name. He squeezed my hips gently before letting go, stepping back to put distance between us.

"See you tonight?" he asked, his tone lighter now.

I nodded, my heart heavier than I cared to admit. "I'll bring the cigarettes."

"Good girl," he said with a grin, ruffling my hair before walking off.

As I watched him go, I couldn't help but feel that the lines between us were shifting again—and I wasn't sure how much longer we could ignore it.

banner by @cafekitsune <3

TAGS

@yllomhej @walldemons @shelbyteller @reidsworld @pear-1206 @cheyxfu @lightdragonrayne @noooway555

if anyone else wants to be added, DM me or enter your username in the google form pinned on my blog!

[motherofdogs1010]

Siren II (Dark!Thomas Shelby x Reader)

Summary: A new singer has come to Small Heath and has unfortunately enraptured the soul of a big-time, Birmingham gangster...

Warnings: 18+ only, eventual NONCON/DUBCON smut, forced marriage, dark!Tommy, obsessed!Tommy, singer!reader, eventual pinv sex, eventual pregnancy, dark shit will be happening

A/N: Song used: Say Yes to Heaven- Lana Del Ray

Dividers by @firefly-graphics Banner by @vase-of-lilies

Series Masterlist

Her eyes widened a little at the sudden appearance of a man in a suit standing in the doorway. He was only a little taller than her, maybe by a inch or so with a dark-colored pageboy's cap on his head as a cigarette hung from his lips; she could see the sides of his head were shaved very tight against his scalp but his cap hid his eyes so she couldn't see them.

But she could feel his eyes still and it made her feel on-guard as she cleared her throat.

"Hello", she responded back, "can I help you?"

"Forgive me", the man said, pulling the cigarette from his lips. "I'm Thomas Shelby, owner."

"I thought Harry was the owner", she said, confused.

"I bought him out recently", Thomas stated, Y/N still eyed him cautiously.

The man screamed danger and she felt a little uneasy under his blue gaze as he smirked at her apprehension.

"I just wanted to let you know that you gave quite the performance. You have quite the voice."

"Thank you, Mr. Shelby", she responded before clearing her throat. "It's time for me to go."

She could still feel his gaze on her as she hurried out of the Garrison, even in the current safety of her home, it was like she could still feel his deviled gaze on her body.

🍾

A few days had passed since the meeting with Mr. Shelby and it seemed like wherever she turned, she'd find a man with a peaked hat following her. Always a different man trailing enough behind her that she was sure they were supposed to remain hidden, but her eyes always caught them.

She figured it was best to pretend they weren't there, a sinking feeling telling her that if she acknowledged them, things wouldn't turn out well for her. So she took many turns and circled the same route. It made no sense to throw them off so they wouldn't find her way back to her apartment.

Today, she was at another pub that she sang at, known as The Drunken Griffin. It was larger than the Garrison with a proper stage where they had a band play for its singers and she was hoping this would help as she stood at the microphone. She had to make sure she didn't get too close since the microphones were so sensitive as she heard the melody the band began to play.

If you dance, I'll dance And if you don't, I'll dance anyway Give peace a chance Let the fear you have fall away

Tommy sat in the hidden back of the pub, a cigarette dangling between his fingers as a cold whiskey sat in front of him. She was dressed in black again, her hair framing her as she sang to the watching crowd.

I've got my eye on you I've got my eye on you

His mind felt quiet as the troubling thoughts of Kimber, that new Inspector Campbell and the stresses of Ada running off with Freddie Thorne began to melt away.

Say yes to Heaven Say yes to me Say yes to Heaven Say yes to me

Tommy had been having her followed for the past week, but the little minx seemed to have caught on to that.

If you dance, I'll dance I'll put my red dress on, get it on And if you fight, I'll fight It doesn't matter now, it's all gone

It was only a matter of time now...

I've got my eye on you I've got my eye on you, mm I've got my eye on you I've got my eye on you

He definitely had his eye on her...

[dinums]

Secrets and Broken Hearts

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

Chapter 3

Thomas Shelby x (Writer) Reader

Ms. Bennett is a peculiar woman whose motives are always unclear, though, of course, she alone has grace this knowledge upon herself and none of anyone she knows. What happens when an inspector and his spy come to town? Shall she make due and quench her curiosity or finally learn to back down? Who knows, maybe at the end, she'll compromise. A conflicted woman will always be a surprise. You can trust that. It's Ms. Bennett afterall

Ms. Bennet's P.O.V.

...

"This is pointless as it is stupid." I mumbled to myself. Tossing and turning on my shared bed with William. If a national treasure really did get stolen, what treasure would it be?

Minerals? Gold? Jewellery? Some ornaments from the royal family? Placing my arm to cover my face, I groaned in frustration. Surely, these factors I laid out won't be considered. After all, all these can easily be replaced or would have no effect to be a threat to this very constitution. Treasure.

"What's a treasure besides Gold that once in the hands of others you would crumble..." I thought deeply, a world run by men surely limited me to a few other factors.

"My guess is, it's either illegal documents, ledger, guns, some proof blackmailing Churchill himself." Talking to myself aloud, I rolled on my stomach. My face buried in the pillows as I screamed internally.

"Thomas Shelby and Freddie Thorne, one of them might know a thing or two." As if hit with adrenaline, something clicked in my brain, I sat up and thought more clearly.

"Freddie either did or did not know what the national treasure is, nor who stole it. If he knew, he wouldn't have said those words to Thomas... but if he did, was it to catch Thomas with a bluff? What does bluffing get him? Anyway, he knew even if Thomas knew something, he wouldn't tell Freddie... meaning that rules out the second probability"

My thoughts turned to Thomas earlier, I decided that he would be the one I would use as lead.

"How in the world am I to get close to a mobster?" Without realising it, I started to bite my lip while my nails made their way to claw on my thigh. Once I tasted blood, I stopped and lied back down.

The Shelby's were people I was acquainted with, much like half the people in Small Heath. Jon Shelby and I were classmates. He and his brothers would cause mischief here and there before. I then remembered the time they would encourage cigarettes and alcohol to the students in school. That made me laugh, I remember Jon giving me a handful, which caused Arthur to smack him in the head, saying , "Oi! Yer only supposed to give em one of each! Then, after the second time, you rip their money off! It's what Tommy said!" Turns out it was a money laundering little scheme which got me a bit close to the two Shelby brothers. After that, they treated me nicely, Thomas, on the other hand... well, he was just there. Nothing more, nothing less. At least I can speak a bit freely than others would.

"Maybe I can use this closeness with Jon and Arthur to get close to Thomas..."

Looking up at the ceiling, I blinked a few times. If only I knew no bounds, then maybe, maybe I wouldn't want to stick my nose up in other peoples business.

"Morris Dawn"

My penname, a reminder of my other life. I had to write about something soon. If I were to investigate and yet not publish this, what good does it make? I'm risking my life and earning nothing. Must I be damned to be a curious writer by heart? I cursed myself under my breath.

Looking over my side, I see that night has already come. William isn't home yet.

"Make up your mind. You're wasting time." I groaned, talking to myself once more. Standing up, I walked towards the vanity, formulating every plan for every possible outcome already.

By the time William came home, I lay in bed, asleep. Brain fried. Odds and probabilities everywhere.

"Oh, love..." William chuckled, undressing himself down to only his trousers before making his way to bed and underneath the covers.

When I woke up, I was alone in bed. A note to my right that read:

"I had to go to the shop early today, made breakfast for you. Just the way you like it"

-William

I smiled at the note before making my way to freshen up and get ready for the day. Later that morning, I went and ran errands. Going to my usual go-to bakery, i smiled at the familiar woman handling the register.

"Oh, Ms. Bennett! What a lovely surprise"

"Hello, Mrs. Fer. How are you?"

I asked, as then she answered me. We go about our conversation as I picked out some bread and pastries from the older woman.

"Oh? By the way, Ms. Bennett"

"Mhm? What is it? Anything wrong? Maybe I can help, " I said kindly, the bag of food around my arm.

"I heard there's an inspector in town. He came last night... Best be careful, Ms. Bennett. My husband told me to stay quiet about this, but I just worry for you. Thought I ought to let you know that you're like the daughter we never had after all..."

My heart swelled with love for the older woman, reaching out to squeeze her hand to comfort her, I decided to ask more for purposes, of course.

"But Mrs. Fer, what about the inspector? Surely he wouldn't harm innocent people here, right?" The older woman only shook her head and sighed.

"My dear, you're far too nice for this town. Why not move away to somewhere safer with your lover? Get married, have a peaceful life -"

"And leave you behind? I'd rather not Mrs. Fer, I've come to love the people in this town enough to stay." I interrupted her, which made her frown deepen. I only shook my head and gave a soft smile. It was the truth, after all.

"The inspector called for a meeting, all the policemen and some new lackeys. Told my husband and the others that he would be cleaning this town up. Dear, a man like that -" She stopped herself and cupped both of my cheeks before continuing, "a man like that will stop at nothing, so it's best to keep safe, aye?"

I nodded as she released her hands from my face. Bidding goodbye, I walked out of the bakery with my freshly baked goods and onto my next errand. Mrs. Fer, an old lady married to a policeman sure does have its perks, added points that she's quite fond of me as I with her.

Though I did feel guilty using these people, masking and hiding beyond a facade of a sweet young lady. I stopped in my tracks before shaking my head, trying to get physically rid of these thoughts.

"Remember, if what you're doing is for their good... a little harm here and there wouldn't hurt, besides... it isn't like they know any of it"

The day went by smoothly, and I finally had something to work with. From the bakery I found out of the inspector, from the butcher I heard some men talking about what they knew of the said inspector whilst the women talked about someone trying to find the identity of the mysterious Author, Morris Dawn which in turn made me gulped, I had to be careful. lastly, from William's shop, I found out how there had been people, mostly wives gone missing. Feeling lucky, I put the things I bought inside the flat, there had been new things to investigate, so many things to know, getting a few breads I bought before putting them inside a basket. I decided to go to the Garisson, to at least visit Harry, I forgot that I hadn't had the chance to pay for my drink last time, hence the bread.

Walking down the familiar path down Watery Lane, I think of the words to say when suddenly, someone harshly bumped into me. My focus on the bread as I tried to save them, but alas, only one was left safe.

"There goes my luck then... shouldn't have spoken too soon..."

"You're luck, eh?" A familiar gruff voice said, whipping my head from the bread on the ground towards the person. My eyes locked into those blue crystallike eyes of him.

"Yes, my luck. Mr. Shelby. This was for Harry, I ought to give him an apology for not being able to pay for my drink-" realising I was giving out too much of my thoughts to a man who wo t even care, I shut my mouth, blinking a few times, what am I doing.

After an awkward silence, I stepped out of his way, noticing the alchohol bottle he was holding, knowing better than to ask him to pay for the soiled bread. Going inside the pub without another word, I walked to the bar. To my surprise, a young, beautiful, blonde woman came into view, working at the bar, pouring drinks instead of Harry.

"Oh- hello, you are -?" I asked kindly, though it was overshadowed by my surprise and confusion.

"Grace, Grace Burgees. I'm the new Barmaid," She explained, an Irish accent to her. I nodded and smiled.

"Do you know where Harry is? I ought to give him some bread..."

Just in time, Harry came I to view, to my relief. I explained to him why i only had one loaf of bread rather than more. Nonetheless, he accepted it with gratitude. When I gave him money for the drink, though, that was the time he refused. I shook my head and accepted defeat, still talking to Harry as Grace was on the side.

"I'm really sorry to give you a half-hearted apology, Harry. If only I'd look in the way Mr. Shelby -" I was cut off by Harry reassuring me once more that it was fine. After a bit, Grace looked at me, I gave her my name, which she responded with a smile. We talked for a bit, she told me which town she lived in back in Ireland, how life was like there while I told her how I lived my life here in Birmingham, saying words enough to satisfy her curiosity but not enough to give anything away.

"I better get going then. Next time I visit, I'll bring you some bread too!" I said, smiling at her before leaving the bar. She smiled and waved me goodbye.

A woman from the same town as the inspector, someone who came to Small Heath the same time the inspector did. It didn't take much to put two and two together, though that just means they'd do the job for me, correct?

"Maybe I don't have to investigate anything after all..."

Putting this 'treasure' to the side, I went to go look for any leads, common things between these missing wives. If I moved too slowly, either this incompetent policemen would forget about this or have more people killed than needed.

Putting myself with the burden of such heroic secrecy, I walked down Watery Lane. Knocking on the door of one of the husbands of a missing wife.

"Ms. Bennett?" The man asked, surprise he knew who I was.

"Oh- you know who I am?" The man only gave what little smile he could before explaining himself.

"There aren't many people helping around for the good besides that, Pastor." He said, shaking his head.

After a bit of small talk he led me inside, I told him that I wanted to help babysit for their son whilst the coppers try and find his wife since it was well known how he wasn't doing well takinh care of the little critter, that was a mere alibi of course. Though it felt nice to help, my motives were clear to me as the night sky. I am no saint, a mere sham. A lie and a lie I will always become. If a false Saint will be able to keep everyone I could help safe, I'd gladly be one.

[usmsgutterson]

The Axiom of Equality- T.S x gn! reader

all right! I don't know if there's much of an audience for tommy shelby fics here but I'm going to write this anyway because I've been daydreaming about it virtually daily since the idea first came up and if I don't get this out of my head I might just cry a little bit

Fic type- this is post-war hurt/comfort!!

Warnings- the war and being drafted into it are mentioned a fair amount

Dear Tommy,

This letter won't be the best thing to return to after the war, but it's what I need to do and I need in turn for you understand that. I know that you probably won't but I am asking you to and I have to believe that such is enough.

I probably won't be in Birmingham upon your return. You've been gone for six months now, and I miss you everyday, Tommy, but I just can't stay here.

Every time I walk through Birmingham, it feels as though you are all I am capable of seeing. It is inescapable and I am in dire need of an escape plan.

I love you, Tommy, and I have stood by your side throughout the course of our entire lives, but I just cannot do this anymore. Find me when you're home--Ada will know an address, but so too will Polly, and I guarantee I will want your company at some point. Even now, I yearn for your presence.

All the love in the world and the deepest apologies to accompany that,

Y/N

-

Tommy had read and reread the letter since Ada had given it to him when he returned from the war. He'd not yet asked her for the address, even a year after his return because all he could do was mull it over.

He kept thinking about you and about the fact that you'd left, how much he'd missed you and the reluctancy with which he approached the acknowledgement of that.

There was to be no denying it, though. He couldn't deny he'd missed you simply because he had. At the mention of your name, the remembrance of any singular part of you, Thomas Shelbys heart shattered, and he was left scrambling to put it back together and remain composed for the sake of keeping his family from shattering as he had.

Eventually, sometime in autumn of 1920, he found himself searching for Ada. He'd heard from Arthur that she was at the Garrison with Freddie Thorne and when he found her, she met his gaze and she grinned like she knew why he'd come looking, let alone at eight on a random weeknight.

"Let me guess," she said. "You want an address? Particularly to a neat little flat just a thirty minute walk away from the Eiffel Tower?"

Tommy gave a rather impatient nod in spite of himself--so much time had passed since he'd left for the war and you'd left Birmingham to escape him. All he'd been able to think about since he returned had been you, and he doubted you'd found yourself in a similar predicament, but he still hoped.

"I am indeed," Tommy said. Ada laughed.

"You two were together how long, exactly? Five years, six?"

"Eight," Tommy said. "From October 31st, 1906 to the day I left for the war."

"And you love them wholeheartedly?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Tommy said, running a hand through his hair. "Give me the address, Ada. Please--I've started to worry I'll go mad if you don't."

Ada grinned. "Yeah. Freddies got it on a slip of paper in his wallet."

Freddie took the slip of paper out of his wallet and passed it to Tommy, giving him a grin.

"They might be gone," Ada cautioned. "Maybe they remembered 'oh, yes! I fell in love with a criminal and left him in 1914. Don't want that life, so I'll leave him behind, move somewhere nice like...Canada, perhaps.'"

"I know," Tommy said. Ada could've been right, and you could've been gone, and Tommy could never have hoped to see you again, but the twenty-four year old who had helplessly loved you and couldn't wait to see you upon his return from the war had taken hold of his heart, and it was reaching out to yours, and there was nothing to be done other than to go. "But you've gotta understand, Ada. You, of all people."

"I do," she said. "Now, I'm sure you can buy a train ticket and make it to Paris in time to see them. Go."

And, in spite of himself and with the address from Freddie tucked into his palm, Tommy Shelby ran out of the Garrison like the eighteen year old boy who had spotted you approaching from the window and had felt his heart set itself alight with the joy he oh-so-rarely experienced.

Thomas Shelby was thirty, though. He was not the eighteen year old he had once been and you were not the eighteen year old who you had once been. Things had changed, and no matter for the giddy feeling in his heart that made Tommy feel like the boy he had once been, he was not that boy anymore. If you wanted to be left to your own, Tommy would respect that of you. If you had moved on, Tommy would respect that. He was not the person he had been before the war, and you weren't, either.

But still, Tommy went home. He packed as efficiently as possible, kissed Pollys cheek in goodbye and told Arthur to keep himself in check as he headed for the train station, his feet, his heart, and his mind dragging him on an impulsive trip to France.

-

The trip from Birmingham to Paris was a lot less difficult than Tommy had expected. Seven and a half hours on the train where Tommy read and made sure that his French sounded even slightly passable, and Tommy was at the train station in the heart of Paris for half past three in the morning.

The next hour was spent trying to locate a decent hotel to stay in for the week or so he'd planned to stay, and when he found one it was nearing five in the morning. He collapsed onto what turned out to be a bed that was almost decent but still a little off, and woke up at noon.

He showered to avoid smelling like cigarettes even though the smell of tobacco had never really bothered you and he knew he'd end up smoking one anyway, and then he was off to the address he'd been given at just after two.

What he found was not a flat. It was nothing of the sort--it was a quaint home by lakeside and one that was definitely a bit longer than a 30 minute walk away from the ever so infamous Eiffel Tower.

It was exactly the kind of home you'd described wanting to live in before Tommy left, exactly the kind of thing that you would've felt the most at home in from the outside. The acknowledgement of such made Tommys heart swell.

He was a very, very different person in 1920 than he had been before leaving for the war in 1914. He couldn't help but wonder just how much of a difference it would've made to you, the person who had once vowed to love him for the rest of your life, for the rest of his.

It gave him pause, made him hesitate as he walked up the front steps to your home and stopped him before he could knock on your front door.

What if you had remained unchanged and Tommy had done a full 180? What if you hated the person he'd become? There were too many variables, and, had he thought over it for more than approximately eleven seconds, Tommy would've done it all so differently.

He never lead with his impulse.

He never made rash decisions, not when it came to you.

But he supposed he could allow himself one rash decision a decade, and deciding to go to France on nothing more than a written address and a whim was definitely rash and impulsive enough to last him through to the 30s.

He approached your door. Knocked once, twice, a third and final time for the sake of politeness.

"Esmeralda? Is that you?" Your voice called. "I wasn't expecting you with the tea leaves until Sunday! Come in!"

Tommy didn't respond, only rested a hand on the doorknob, a rare surge of fear grabbing hold of his chest. It had been two years since he'd gone back to Birmingham. Six years since you'd last seen each other, with not a moment of contact through letter writing to bridge that gap. How much would you want to see him, really, if you wanted to see him at all?

"I'm going back to Birmingham this week! Esmeralda, darling, if thats you, please bring the tea in! Polly wrote that she wanted some and I figure I'll see her before I find Tommy. She'll be furious with me if I don't have them after I've promised to bring them along."

Tommy opened the door just a bit. It was unlocked--had you been expecting visitors?

"Esmeralda?" You asked for a third time. "Esmeralda Monroe, I don't care that you're in your eighties now, if you're playing a trick on me--" Tommy stepped into the house, tried to find even the slightest hint you were there outside of your voice.

The house was nice. It opened from a foyer into a lounge, one with a seemingly comfortable couch and a working fireplace. Through a small doorway, he caught your frame in what must've been the kitchen.

"My name isn't Esmeralda Monroe, but I would pity her if she were here," Tommy said. "What's this mess about you comin' down to Birmingham?"

"Come into the kitchen," you said. "I am unwilling to abandon my bread to see your face. Perfecting this recipe has taken Esmeralda and I weeks. She's eighty-six, so that time is precious time indeed."

Tommy gave a low laugh as he took off his coat and his hat, hanging them both on the coat rack to the right of the door. He walked through the lounge and into the kitchen, grinning the moment he saw your face.

"Hello," Tommy said. "Been a bit, hasn't it?"

You glanced up from the dough that had held your focus. "Quite a long time. I'm sorry I didn't go to Birmingham sooner--I wanted to the moment Ada wrote and said you were still alive, but I didn't. I couldn't get the time away from work, though I nearly did quit on the spot when I was refused."

"You would've come back sooner?" Tommy asked. "I came down here to tell you I'm sorry that you had to leave at all."

"It wasn't your fault," you said. "I was yearning terribly and I made a cataclysmic mistake. I would do it over if I could. I would've gone round to the Shelby home and asked Pol to talk a bit of sense into me."

Tommy laughed. "I'm apt to think she would've told you to go," he said. "Always did say I didn't deserve you or your love for french pastry."

You laughed, flouring the clean countertop in front of you and laying your dough on it so that it could be kneaded. "She might've, but I dunno that I would've listened. If I'd stayed, we could've resumed things. There wouldn't be a six year gap between our departure and our reunion."

"We wouldn't've become different people," Tommy said.

"The war would've changed you, Tommy. Seems like it did as is," you said. "But I don't fault you for that. Fighting in the war changes people--I've gotten to know a couple of people who were nurses. They don't seem right either."

"And you don't--the fact that I may have changed leaves you undeterred?"

"There's an axiom that Esmeralda introduced me to," you said. "The axiom of equality. It's a mathematical principle but I like it better as a statement."

"What is it?" Tommy asked. He'd not been much of a math person, and while he had no doubt that someone like Polly would've known what it was, he hadn't a clue. "I've been too busy legitimizing stuff back home to read up on mathematical principles and ideas."

"The axiom of equality states that x=x," you said. Tommy, in a bit of a mood to help, located a cabinet with a bread pan as you talked. "It states that x must always equal x. Esmeralda told me that the principle of the principle, when applied to people, is that the person you were in the past will always be the person you are in the present."

"Are you insulting me?" Tommy asked, grabbing the crisco shortening from the spot you kept it in the pantry. "I'm feeling rather insulted."

"That is, in fact, not my goal," you said. "If I were insulting you, I would doing so with an air of flirt in the hopes of winning a kiss. You still probably taste like tobacco, but I've never minded that."

Tommy greased the bread pan, shaking his head. If you wanted a kiss, all you had to do was ask.

"The point of bringing up the axiom was just to tell you that it doesn't apply to everyone," you said. "We're human, Tommy. We're not a variable in mathematics, and as such, I'm pretty sure I would be able to learn how to love you if you came back someone completely and utterly changed."

"I have," Tommy said. "I am not the person I was in 1914."

"I'm not the person I was then, either," you said. "I've changed, even if it doesn't look it. I know I still look twenty four."

"Twenty six, at best."

"Thomas Shelby!" You shouted, placing the bread into the bread pan and grabbing a kitchen towel. Tommy dodged it as you thwacked it at him, laughing at the whole ordeal of the thing.

"I look a minimum of thirty-one, so you're better off than I," Tommy said. "And even as such, you're still the looker I fell in love with."

"Oh, if Ada were here, she'd have taken your head!" You laughed, and Tommy laughed, and oh, Tommy had never thought he'd have gotten so lucky as to heard the sound of your laugh again. "I would've watched--you are a real prick, Tommy!"

"A prick with whom you were once deeply in love," Tommy said. "One who you once kissed under a willow tree, and drank with, and sang with, and--"

You laughed, pressed your forehead against his shoulder. "I've missed you, Tommy."

"I've missed you more," Tommy said.

"How long are you to stay?" You asked.

"A week," Tommy said. "We can travel back to Birmingham together, if that sounds like an idea you fancy?"

You lifted your forehead from his shoulder. "That sounds wonderful," you said. "I'd really, really like that."

"Would you ever consider moving back?" Tommy asked. "I'm not asking you to if you don't want to, but if you'd consider..."

"If I were proposed to by a certain Birmingham native, I might consider it," you said. "Of course, this Birmingham native would have to fit six years of flirtations and kisses and casual signs of affection into just a week if such was his goal."

Tommy laughed. "I think he could manage that," he said. "Especially considering that he has a ring already--he bought it six months before he was drafted."

Your mouth opened in shock. "You were going to propose?"

"The plan was to do so the week I was drafted--sunset, perfect look out spot, everything was going to be amazing--but then I was drafted and proposing seemed to null itself out a little."

"You were going to propose and I left you in the dust? I am the worlds worst partner."

Tommy shook his head. "There are worse people," he said. "People who cheat on their spouses, namely. You only left because you missed me and it was so intense you couldn't handle the pain."

"When you put it that way, it sounds rather romantic," you said. "Less like one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made."

Tommy laughed, and he took your hand, and all he could think was that he was glad for the impulsiveness in his heart that'd dragged him onto a train for seven and a half hours, a shoddy hotel room for seven hours, and an additional hour spent trying to get rid of the scent of tobacco, chewing mint gum to rid it from his breath.

Tommy leaned in, and your arms found his shoulders as his found your waist. You closed the gap, and Tommy was kissing you for the first time in six years. He was kissing you for the first time in two thousand days.

He kissed you like a man starved and when you pulled away, wanted to kiss you again but managed to refrain.

"Missed that," you said.

Tommy gave a breathy laugh. "Ditto," he said.

Though the two of you were not the people you'd been before the war, you found it incredibly easy to love one another still.

"Well," Tommy said. "I would think I've got two weeks to cram six years worth of affection in to get you to come home, which means you'll probably grow sick of being kissed like that within the next bit."

You shook your head. "I would never," you said.

Tommy just laughed, pulled you in for another kiss and found his heart floating away from him, overtaken by love and joy and content, the rarely experienced emotions that always came into full effect whenever you were so much as in the same room as he was.

"I'll take your word for it, then," he said against your lips, laughing as you pulled him even closer, the both of you starved for one anothers touches.

And he would do as he said, let himself get lost in how you felt because the feeling of your touch was borderline intoxicating.

[mischievouslittlecreature]

Jumping on the bandwagon with this one! Shout out to @justrainandcoffee for finding this! Also tagging my other Hunger Games AU peeps @evita-shelby, @call-sign-shark, @peakyswritings, and @lunarubra!

Simulation can be found here!

The Bloodbath

As the tributes stand on their podiums, the horn sounds.

Freddie Thorne runs away from the Cornucopia.

Aveline Young runs away from the Cornucopia.

Arthur Shelby runs away from the Cornucopia.

Heaven Lavey grabs a backpack and retreats.

Jack Nelson finds a backpack full of camping equipment.

Tommy Shelby runs away from the Cornucopia.

Luca Changretta runs away from the Cornucopia.

Gina Nelson grabs a backpack, not realizing it is empty.

May Carleton, Michael Gray, and Polly Gray get into a fight. Polly Gray triumphantly kills them both.

Johnny Dogs runs away from the Cornucopia.

Charlie Strong snatches a bottle of alcohol and a rag.

Lucy Winters runs away from the Cornucopia.

Alfie Solomons scares Johanna Mason away from the cornucopia.

Finn Shelby runs away from the Cornucopia.

Grace Burgess takes a handful of throwing knives.

John Shelby and Rose Coldwell fight for a bag. Rose Coldwell gives up and retreats.

Isiah Jesus and Ada Shelby fight for a bag. Ada Shelby gives up and retreats.

Eva Smith snatches a bottle of alcohol and a rag.

Nina Ferrante clutches a first aid kit and runs away.

Day 1

Gina Nelson camouflauges herself in the bushes.

Alfie Solomons stalks Johanna Mason.

Rose Coldwell goes hunting.

Nina Ferrante runs away from Jack Nelson.

Grace Burgess tries to spear fish with a trident.

Eva Smith receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Luca Changretta runs away from Freddie Thorne.

Ada Shelby receives clean water from an unknown sponsor.

Arthur Shelby diverts Lucy Winters's attention and runs away.

Finn Shelby scares Johnny Dogs off.

Charlie Strong questions his sanity.

John Shelby, Tommy Shelby, and Polly Gray hunt for other tributes.

Aveline Young pushes Isiah Jesus off a cliff during a knife fight.

Heaven Lavey hunts for other tributes.

Fallen Tributes

3 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

May Carleton District 4 Michael Gray District 3 Isiah Jesus District 11

Night 1

Heaven Lavey, Jack Nelson, and Aveline Young sleep in shifts.

Charlie Strong screams for help.

Finn Shelby receives fresh food from an unknown sponsor.

Johnny Dogs questions his sanity.

Alfie Solomons loses sight of where he is.

Polly Gray tends to Freddie Thorne's wounds.

Luca Changretta receives an explosive from an unknown sponsor.

Johanna Mason receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Eva Smith and Ada Shelby tell stories about themselves to each other.

Tommy Shelby and Lucy Winters huddle for warmth.

Grace Burgess thinks about home.

John Shelby cooks his food before putting his fire out.

Nina Ferrante, Rose Coldwell, Gina Nelson, and Arthur Shelby tell each other ghost stories to lighten the mood.

*slams hands on desk* Lucy x Tommy is canon you guys my babies are cuddling sajfhsdjkgfhsd 😭😭😭

Day 2

Charlie Strong questions his sanity.

Ada Shelby, Freddie Thorne, Aveline Young, Johnny Dogs, and Polly Gray hunt for other tributes.

Rose Coldwell collects fruit from a tree.

Tommy Shelby and Gina Nelson work together for the day.

Alfie Solomons camouflauges himself in the bushes.

Grace Burgess tries to spear fish with a trident.

Arthur Shelby runs away from Jack Nelson.

Johanna Mason scares Lucy Winters off.

Nina Ferrante, Finn Shelby, Eva Smith, and Heaven Lavey hunt for other tributes.

Luca Changretta hunts for other tributes.

John Shelby makes a wooden spear.

Night 2

Johnny Dogs fends Polly Gray, Grace Burgess, and Luca Changretta away from his fire.

Nina Ferrante stabs Freddie Thorne in the back with a trident.

Finn Shelby overpowers Heaven Lavey, killing her.

Alfie Solomons and Aveline Young sleep in shifts.

Lucy Winters decapitates Rose Coldwell with a sword.

Tommy Shelby screams for help.

Jack Nelson goes to sleep.

Johanna Mason receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Arthur Shelby tends to Charlie Strong's wounds.

Ada Shelby, John Shelby, and Eva Smith sleep in shifts.

Gina Nelson attempts to start a fire, but is unsuccessful.

@call-sign-shark Finn overpowering Heaven has got to be the most hilariously ooc things I've ever heard. As if he would ever actually stand a chance against her. And @justrainandcoffee oh my god please tell Rosie that Lucy is SO SORRY she doesn't know what came over her 🫣

Day 3

Gina Nelson scares Grace Burgess off.

Nina Ferrante tends to Finn Shelby's wounds.

Arthur Shelby receives an explosive from an unknown sponsor.

Charlie Strong bashes Luca Changretta's head in with a mace.

Ada Shelby hunts for other tributes.

Johnny Dogs goes hunting.

Tommy Shelby diverts John Shelby's attention and runs away.

Aveline Young defeats Polly Gray in a fight, but spares her life.

Lucy Winters receives an explosive from an unknown sponsor.

Eva Smith sees smoke rising in the distance, but decides not to investigate.

Jack Nelson and Johanna Mason work together to drown Alfie Solomons.

Fallen Tributes

5 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Freddie Thorne District 5 Heaven Lavey District 7 Rose Coldwell District 8 Luca Changretta District 1 Alfie Solomons District 9

Night 3

Charlie Strong thinks about home.

Eva Smith, Tommy Shelby, and Jack Nelson sleep in shifts.

John Shelby sees a fire, but stays hidden.

Polly Gray questions her sanity.

Nina Ferrante climbs a tree to rest.

Lucy Winters passes out from exhaustion.

Aveline Young screams for help.

Grace Burgess, Finn Shelby, Gina Nelson, and Johanna Mason sleep in shifts.

Ada Shelby receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Arthur Shelby sets up camp for the night.

Johnny Dogs questions his sanity.

Day 4

Johnny Dogs, Ada Shelby, Lucy Winters, John Shelby, and Arthur Shelby hunt for other tributes.

Aveline Young constructs a shack.

Grace Burgess travels to higher ground.

Eva Smith is pricked by thorns while picking berries.

Polly Gray travels to higher ground.

Tommy Shelby and Johanna Mason fight Gina Nelson and Jack Nelson. Gina Nelson and Jack Nelson survive.

Nina Ferrante kills Charlie Strong for his supplies.

Finn Shelby explores the arena.

Fallen Tributes

3 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Tommy Shelby District 12 Johanna Mason District 7 Charlie Strong District 4

Night 4

Aveline Young bleeds out due to untreated injuries.

Arthur Shelby receives fresh food from an unknown sponsor.

Lucy Winters, Finn Shelby, Grace Burgess, Polly Gray, and John Shelby sleep in shifts.

Gina Nelson and Johnny Dogs talk about the tributes still alive.

Nina Ferrante tries to treat her infection.

Ada Shelby dies from thirst.

Eva Smith and Jack Nelson tell stories about themselves to each other.

@evita-shelby Do I sense something potentially happening between Eva and Jack? 👀

Day 5

John Shelby stalks Lucy Winters.

Gina Nelson constructs a shack.

Polly Gray severely slices Nina Ferrante with a sword.

Grace Burgess fishes.

Finn Shelby attacks Jack Nelson, but he manages to escape.

Eva Smith questions her sanity.

Johnny Dogs dies from thirst.

Arthur Shelby makes a slingshot.

Fallen Tributes

4 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Aveline Young District 11 Ada Shelby District 6 Nina Ferrante District 9 Johnny Dogs District 10

Night 5

Finn Shelby and Gina Nelson talk about the tributes still alive.

Arthur Shelby, Polly Gray, and Grace Burgess get into a fight. Grace Burgess triumphantly kills them both.

Lucy Winters forces John Shelby to kill Eva Smith or Jack Nelson. He decides to kill Eva Smith.

The Feast

The cornucopia is replenished with food, supplies, weapons, and memoirs from the tributes' families.

Gina Nelson decides not to go to The Feast.

John Shelby decides not to go to The Feast.

Finn Shelby decides not to go to The Feast.

Jack Nelson and Grace Burgess get into a fight over raw meat, but Jack Nelson gives up and runs away.

Lucy Winters decides not to go to The Feast.

Day 6

Gina Nelson discovers a river.

John Shelby goes hunting.

Grace Burgess attacks Jack Nelson, but he manages to escape.

Finn Shelby sprains his ankle while running away from Lucy Winters.

Arena Event

Monkey mutts fill the arena.

Lucy Winters dies from internal bleeding caused by a monkey mutt.

Grace Burgess dies from internal bleeding caused by a monkey mutt.

Gina Nelson uses Finn Shelby as a shield from the monkey mutts.

John Shelby survives.

Jack Nelson survives.

Noooo my girl 😭 At least she made it pretty far!

Fallen Tributes

6 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Arthur Shelby District 6 Polly Gray District 3 Eva Smith District 10 Lucy Winters District 12 Grace Burgess District 1 Finn Shelby District 8

Night 6

John Shelby receives clean water from an unknown sponsor.

Gina Nelson destroys Jack Nelson's supplies while he is asleep.

Day 7

John Shelby shoots an arrow into Jack Nelson's head.

Gina Nelson cannot handle the circumstances and commits suicide.

Fallen Tributes

2 cannon shots can be heard in the distance.

Jack Nelson District 2 Gina Nelson District 2

The Winner

The winner is John Shelby from District 5!

[violetfolgi]

Tommy & Freddie.

before he was a mean sad drunk, Tommy Shelby was a happy drunk.

thanks a lot to @knivesplushearts ' writing for the inspiration and headcanon!! 🖤

[editorandchief]

Can you do a shelby brother reader story, reader is older than John but younger than Tommy. The plot happens when the garrison exploded the reader was in the private room at the back of the garrison when it exploded. The other shlby brothers struggle to hurry and get him untrapped from under the ruble with reader's injuries. Good amount of angst and some fluff if possible

Warning: Grief, depression, drinking, PTSD, suicide, angst

Request: Yes!

Y/N Shelby threw back another glass of whisky as he sat in the snug of the bar all alone. The rest of the family were still at the funeral of Freddie Thorne, Y/N's best friend. 

Y/N and Freddie had always been close growing up and that didn't change during or after the war, nor was it an issue when Freddie had asked him to be a witness to his marriage to his sister Ada, it just meant that now they were brother by law. 

He couldn't bring himself to watch as his brother was put in the ground, so I resided to getting blackout drunk at The Garrison.

Picking up the bottle and pouring another drink Y/N let out a sigh hoping that this amount would be the one to drown out the sadness that attempted to consume him. 

Lifting the glass it barley touched his lips before everything went black. 

*-*-*

"Hey, you waiting for a kiss or do you want to get up sleeping beauty?" Freddie asked looking down at his friend. Sitting up Y/N takes a look around to see the dirt walls of the tunnels. 

"Freddie." Y/N said looking at his friend standing in front of him. "What are you doing here? How are you here?" 

"I thing that's my question, yeah?" Freddie asked with a smirk. "I didn't think I would be seeing you for a long time, not that it's not good to see you." He joked. 

"It's good to see you too." Y/N replied leaning forward to wrap the man in a hug. 

"You look like shit." They both say at the same time before breaking into laughter.

"You smell like a pub." Freddie said scrunching his nose and lightly punching Y/N's shoulder. "Come on brother I know we said we'd do everything together but don't tell me you followed me to the grave." 

"I can't say it didn't cross my mind." Y/N admitted as the look of disappointment crossed Freddie's face. "But I have no idea how I got here, where ever here is. Is this hell?" 

Freddie burst into laughter at the assumption, they both predicted that the sins of their lives would lead them straight to hell.

"No, surprisingly I was up north until you decided to get yourself in this predicament." Freddie informed laughing once again at the look of shock Y/N displayed. "Yeah, who would have thought? Me in heaven?"

"Wow they let any old riff raff in that joint." Y/N joked receiving another punch. "So where are we then?" 

"It's somewhere in between." Freddie informed getting serious.

"Between what?" 

"Everything, but more specifically, life and death." He answered looking into Y/N eyes. "A place not many people get the chance to be, so that you can make a choice not many get to make. So you need to choose carfu-"

"I'm not going back Fred-."

"Yes you are!" 

"There is nothing there for me Freddie."

"Nothing there for you?" Freddie asked angrily grabbing the collar of his shirt. "You have a family. brothers, your sister, your nephew....my son. Do you know how many people would kill for this chance? What I would give to be in your shoes? To kiss my wife, raise my son. No no you're going back. You're going to live your life and I'm not gonna see you for a long long time." Freddie shouted tears in his eyes. 

"And the next time I do see you," He continued. "Your gonna tell me about them...about Karl and Ada, about whatever women or man you con into loving you, about your children and their children after that. I don't want to hear anything else from you until them." Freddie says letting Y/N go.

'Hey!' 

'Y/N, where are you?'

'Y/N get up. Wake up.'

"What the hell is that?" Y/N ask looking around for the source of the voice. 

"I'm that means it's time for you to make a decision." Freddie informed. "But I think we both know what the answer is. I know we used to say that death is easy, but being away from the people I love is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. So when it your time and we see each other again brother....we'll have all the time in the world." 

*-*-*

"Y/N!" Tommy yelled shaking his brother. "Wake up."

Tommy didn't react much when he found out that the pub had been blown up, after all he had been the one to do it, but he felt his heart drop after Finn informed that he had seen you going towards the pub before after the funeral. 

The Shelby family rushed to the destroyed remains of The Garrison, immediately digging around the rubble for the missing member. 

It had been John who had found Y/N buried under so wood and alerted the other as he began removing the charred building remains until they were able to haul his body out.

"Come on wake up." Tommy said tapping his face.

"Oh thank god." Polly sighed out as she watched her nephew's eyes begin to open. 

"Freddie?" Y/N asked looking up at his brother in confusion. 

"No, you're home now." Tommy corrected pulling his little brother into a hug. "You're home now."

[buttercupsandboys]

Maroon 5, Memories

[tommyxgrace-always]

Tommy -Ada bond

He actually went to her for everything. They came a long way since s2, when she had said this…

Personal, Business or Politics. He relied on her on all aspects. I especially love how he spoke to Ada about Grace. As if he knew, she is the only one who could remotely understand why and what he feels. She lost the love of her life too, she and Grace got along well. She was the most natural choice.

Here’s a recap of how he gradually relied on her over the years.

🌿In s2, Ada is the one Tommy trusts to post his letter to NY incase if he dies on derby day.

🌿In s3, Ada stays with Tommy and Charlie at Arrow house after Grace’s death. Later Tommy asks her to handle his Boston company for him. She also helps set up the meeting with Russian communists that Tommy requests.

🌿 In s4, Ada is keeping the family together for him. She is his source and support when he is outcast from the family. He asks Ada to set up a meeting with Jessie Eden, she even calls out loud what Tommy refuses to admit “he is becoming hopeful”

🌿 In s5, she is his political advisor. He rants about his nightmares and fears to her. Not even Polly. He also talks to her about Grace, seeing her hallucinations. What he feels when he sees it etc. he is at his most vulnerable at that point.

🌿 In s6, he trusts her to handle the Mosleys, Gina and Uncle Jack in his absence while Ruby is sick. He even asks her to help with overseeing his businesses, she visits his office and the shop on his behalf. Interesting when Lizzie rants to Ada about wanting a normal man, we do not see Ada react or agree to her. Ada knows her brother and who he is, his pain and suffering. She doesn’t judge him as a bad husband in that moment or any moment. Because she knows, she must be feeling pity for Lizzie but she doesn’t blame Tommy for her woes.

Following this post:

[agentidiot]

it’s good that freddie died before s2 cuz he wouldn’t stand alfie and alfie would be at his throat in no time

[weeo]

It’s been a long time

I apparently can’t be on time so here is my response fic for episode 4. @peakyemergencyresponsefic​

Pairing : Tommy Shelby x Freddie Thorne (kind of)

Summary : During his meetings at the Garrison, Tommy sees an old friend again.

Gif Credits :  This gif doesn’t belong to me. Credits to the creator @floweryshell

Warnings/Tags :  Hallucinations, Season 5 Spoilers

Notes :   Here is a little ficlet for the Peaky Emergency Response Challenge for Episode 4. I didn't have lots of time last week so I focused my efforts on something tiny. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Thank you to @tinypinetrees, my saviour as always.

AO3 link

“Send the next in, Micky.” Tommy called, scribbling in his tiny notebook.

He wrote the last words quickly, sliding the thin pencil into the rubber band on the side, closing it delicately.

Taking his glasses off, he threw them on the table and stood, greeting the newcomer as the door creaked open.

Extending a flat palm to shake hands, Tommy caught the stranger’s eyes and froze.

Freddie’s familiar face slammed into him, landing heavily in his stomach and stealing his breath.

“It’s been a long time, Mr. Shelby.” Freddie noted, his grip firm as he shook Tommy’s hand, lingering just a little too long.

Tommy was about to hug him, to crush his head in the chest he had found so much comfort in so many times, when he noticed a strange feeling floating unnervingly around them. Something felt wrong. His other hand was already over Freddie’s shoulder, so he patted it, turning his overly familiar gesture into a more polite welcoming one.

It was Freddie, but his features were smooth. Dark circles didn’t eat half of his face and the creases on his forehead were faint. Washed of the traces war left behind.

He looked young.

The young man Tommy would have hugged without fear of being hit in the face. That one who hadn’t hated him with every fiber of his being.

He could sense it wasn’t real, but it differed from Grace’s appearances. He could feel the skin brushing his hand. Not just the warmth clawing in his body and luring him in another hazy place.

Focusing on the face in front of him, he could see his features slowly morphing into less edgy forms, less twisted by frustration and struggle. Into something less and less…. Freddie.

There were still his defiant stare, his pointy nose and dainty lips, decorated with a mischievous grin that reminded him so much of his best friend. Not that Tommy really knew about Freddie’s lips either way. It’s not like he looked at them for endless hours to know that. He was sure it was the same lips though.

The ones he wanted to kiss, and sometimes dared to let his eyes wander on for an instant.

In a cruel twist of irony, it turned out that the young lad was a communist, asking for an interruption of the wages cuts, by the gamblers who lost money in the Stock Market Crash.

Tommy couldn’t even remember what they talked about during the meeting. His brain was on autopilot, letting his ready-made answers do the talking for him.

He only saw one face the whole discussion. Stealing his focus without a word.

You won’t ask me to listen to the voices, Freddie. I know that... I know you’ll never want to see me again after everything that happened. But I always preferred when you insulted me, rather than when you were silent. You never ignored me before, at least...

“I hope you’ll speak about it at Parliament, Mr. Shelby.” The man tried again to gain Tommy’s attention, speaking a bit louder.

Tommy shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts of Freddie’s straight face.

“Well, I’ll see what I can do, Mister?” He paused embarrassingly.

“Mr. Ford, Mr. Shelby. My mom told me that I changed too much recently for you to recognise my face. She's probably wrong though, I saw it in your gaze when we shook hands.”

“Yes, we’ve known each other for a very long time.” He answered, confused about who they were really talking about.

Tommy forced a polite smile and stood up to salute him.

"Thank you, Mr. Shelby" he said, shaking Tommy's hand and heading towards the door.

Grace, and now you. What would Ada say if I tell her you were here too, eh?

Tommy avoided his eyes again as he accompanied the young guy to the door.

“Who’s next, Micky?” He called, taking a cigarette out of its case.

The waiter put his head through the little window of the booth, polishing a glass with a cloth.

“Mrs. Connors. She keeps babbling about songbirds.”

“Let her in. I’ll deal with it.” He rolled a cigarette over his lips and lit it before the door creaked again.

[sweetcherrybmb]

SOLOVEY ~ arthur shelby ~ part five

A/N: Hellou everyone!! So this is a story I wrote back in like 2022 during Covid, but because of the writing style I used back then, I decided it needs an IMMEDIATE revision… it was originally posted in Wattpad, but with the rewrite, I feel it deserves a spot on my tumblr…. Hope you guys will enjoy it!!

pairing: Arthur Shelby x OC

description: In a world where war leaves no space for love, a sliver of it managed to crawl into the hearts of two most unexpected people. In the most unexpected time.

type: series

word count: 1177 words

< prev + next>

December 1917.

The trench was unusually quiet, save for the occasional shuffle of boots or the distant echo of artillery in the cold night. Monica and Arthur sat together on his bedroll, a cigarette in each of their hands, the soft glow of the embers casting fleeting light on their faces. Smoke hung heavy in the air between them, mingling with the frost of their breaths. The silence wasn't uncomfortable; it was the kind of quiet that felt rare, almost sacred, in a place where noise often signaled death.

Arthur broke the stillness, his voice low and gravelly. "Are you thinkin' about somethin', love?"

Monica took a slow drag of her cigarette before answering, her voice steady but distant. "No, not really. You?"

Arthur smirked, turning his head to look at her. "About you, actually."

That made her laugh—a soft, unexpected sound that seemed to cut through the heavy atmosphere. "Oh, really? And what about me has you thinking so hard?"

Arthur's smirk widened as he leaned back against the dirt wall. "Just wonderin' how you ended up here, that's all. A perfect angel like you, in the middle of this hellhole, laughin' in a trench with a soldier's arm around you?" He chuckled, shaking his head as if the very idea amused him.

Monica rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "Perfect angel? Hardly."

"You laugh, but I mean it," Arthur said, his tone dipping into something softer. "You're not like anyone I've ever met, that's all."

Monica stared ahead, her smile fading just slightly. She shrugged, trying to keep her voice light. "Let's just say life has a funny way of putting people where they're needed."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at her cryptic response but said nothing. The air between them shifted slightly, his curiosity piqued, but her aloofness made it clear she wasn't about to share more.

As their laughter quieted, the surrounding murmurs of soldiers grumbling about the noise made both of them chuckle. The brief moment of levity was welcome, but it didn't erase the tension that lingered beneath the surface.

The bitter cold bit through their uniforms as the night dragged on. Monica sat next to Arthur near the small fire that flickered weakly in the trench. A flask rested in her hand, and a cigarette dangled loosely from her lips. Around them, the men huddled together, trying to stave off the chill.

Monica had wrapped a threadbare blanket around her shoulders, the corner of which Arthur had tugged over himself. His hand rested lightly on her hip, not in any overtly affectionate way but in a manner that felt steadying, grounding—like he was trying to keep her anchored.

The silence between them stretched long, heavy with the unspoken weight of the past few months. Monica finally broke it, her voice quiet and tinged with melancholy.

"When Joseph was an old man, An old man was he, He married Virgin Mary, The Queen of Galilee..."

Her voice, though soft, carried through the trench, cutting through the cold air like a warm thread. John, sitting not far off, joined her on the second verse, his voice hesitant but earnest.

"As Mary said to Joseph, were walking one day, To an orchard of cherry trees, They happen to stray..."

Freddie's voice added to the harmony, low and solemn.

"Then Mary said to Joseph, so meek and so mild, 'Pick me some cherries, Joseph, For I am with child.'"

Tommy, leaning against the trench wall with a cigarette between his fingers, lifted his head and joined in, his voice steady and deep.

"Then Joseph flew angry, so angry flew he, 'Let the father of your baby gather cherries for thee.'"

Arthur's voice finally joined the chorus, rich and resonant, making Monica glance up at him. His eyes met hers, and for a moment, the world seemed to narrow down to just the two of them, the song and the cold forgotten.

"Then spoke up Lord Jesus from in His mother's womb, 'Bow low down, cherry trees, bow down to the ground.'

And the cherry trees bowed down, bowed low to the ground, And Mary gathered cherries while Joseph stood round."

As the final verse rang out, their voices softened together.

"Then Joseph he kneeled down, and a question gave he, 'Come tell me, pretty baby, when your birthday shall be.'

'On the fifth day of January my birthday shall be, And the stars in the heaven shall all bow down to me.'"

When the song ended, there was a long pause, the weight of the moment settling heavily over them. Monica glanced at her watch, the thin hands pointing to midnight.

"Merry Christmas, everyone," she said quietly, her voice carrying just enough to be heard by those nearby. A few murmured replies came in return, some heartfelt, others gruff.

Arthur's hand shifted slightly on her hip, his fingers brushing against hers. "Merry Christmas, love," he said softly.

She tilted her head up to him, offering a small, tired smile. "Merry Christmas, Arthur."

Later that night, Monica and Arthur sat together again, tucked into a quiet corner of the trench. The others had dispersed, some to sleep, others to keep watch. Arthur passed her his flask, and she took a sip, the burn of the alcohol momentarily warming her from the inside.

"You alright?" he asked, his voice low, almost hesitant.

Monica shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "As alright as I can be, I suppose."

Arthur studied her for a moment, his brow furrowed. "You don't let much slip, do you?"

She gave him a sidelong glance, a flicker of amusement crossing her face. "Maybe I just don't have much to say."

Arthur chuckled, though there was no humor in it. "You're a mystery, Monica Winchester."

"And you're surprisingly thoughtful for someone who claims not to think much," she shot back, her tone light but evasive.

He leaned closer, his arm brushing against hers. "I mean it. You've got this way about you—like you're carryin' somethin' heavy but you're too stubborn to let anyone help."

Monica stiffened slightly at his words but quickly masked it with a laugh. "I think you're reading too much into it, Arthur."

"Maybe," he said, though his tone suggested he didn't believe her. "But if you ever feel like talkin', I'm here."

Her gaze softened for a moment before she looked away, staring into the darkness of the trench. "Thanks," she murmured.

The silence that followed was thick with unspoken words, but neither of them pushed further. They sat there, side by side, the warmth of their shared blanket and the soft glow of their cigarettes the only comfort in the cold, unforgiving night.

From a distance, Tommy and John watched the two of them.

"They've gotten close," John remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Freddie, seated nearby, nodded. "At least they've got someone to lean on."

Tommy exhaled smoke from his cigarette, his expression unreadable. "Let's hope they remember where we are. No one's safe here, and gettin' too attached... it's a dangerous game."

The others nodded in agreement, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air. In the trenches, nothing was certain—not tomorrow, not the next moment. Yet, even amidst the chaos, the small moments of connection and understanding between them were a fragile thread of hope, keeping them human in a place designed to strip them of everything.

banner by @cafekitsune <3

TAGS

@yllomhej @walldemons @shelbyteller @reidsworld @pear-1206 @cheyxfu @lightdragonrayne @noooway555

if anyone else wants to be added, DM me or enter your username in the google form pinned on my blog!

[motherofdogs1010]

Letters to Juliet and Romeo III (Thomas Shelby x Reader)

Summary: Heartbroken and in the midst of the Great War as a nurse, Y/N L/N writes to a person she never expected to write to before... her brother's friend, Thomas Shelby... But the war's over now and it is time to face the letters...

Warnings: fluff, no other warnings

A/N: Would you guys like to see the wedding? Or would you rather I skip to S1? Comment if you want to be added to taglist 😊

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

Part I Part II

One Month Later

"You mean to tell me that my brother, Tommy", Ada teased, holding just a small fraction of letters, "wrote you these because these are quite romantic."

"Ada!" Y/N said, a little embarrassed at the fact Ada had found the letters.

Ada let out a teasing laugh, Polly and her mother seemed to listening in as they sat at the kitchen table with tea.

"She's just wondering how Thomas managed to sweep you off your feet", Polly teased, "I know he is quite the charmer but for him to introduce you as his fiancee without even his brothers knowing..."

Y/N felt flush just at the teasing but a little smile was on her face as fiddled with the engagement ring on her finger; it was simple, nothing extravagant but she loved it because it was from Tommy. He had made promises that once they got the betting shop legal, he would give her a ring that she deserved despite Y/N insisting she didn't need a different ring.

"And now we're planning a wedding just a month after you both get home", her mother continued the teasing with a grin. "Your brother was going in circles when you announced all this."

"If he had answered my letters, he wouldn't have been surprised", Y/N retorted back as Y/N snatched the letters back. "Besides. these are private, Ada."

"They seem private with Tommy writing how in love with you he is", Ada said, Y/N playfully swatted the girl.

"No one teases you about you fancying Freddie Thorne, Ada."

Ada turned red as Polly and her mother chuckled as Y/N let out a teasing laugh before going to her room.

Once up in her room, Y/N glanced at the letters with a small smile, feeling the creases of the letters, the dents of Tommy's handwriting and she sat down on her bed; her bed felt like a rock compared to her having spent three and a half years sleeping on a cot.

Sometimes I thank whatever is out there for letting you chose to write to me. You could have written to anyone, John... Arthur... but you decided to write me and I feel like when we get back, I'll need to buy your brother a gift for not responding to you.

Y/N read one of the many letters Tommy had sent her and she could see how Ada was surprised by the way her brother wrote to her, but Y/N wasn't. It felt as if through each letter, she had slowly come to find out another new thing about Tommy.

She slowly smiled as she re-read the letters even if they were written during a dark time.

Y/N handled the books at the betting shop, she was quick with the numbers and found it quite easy to do plus it gave her and Tommy more time to spend together.

"Here ya go, love", Tommy said, giving her a betting slip. "Managed to snag this one."

She looked at Tommy as he grinned; he only seemed to ever really grin for her nowadays, but she understood. She knew the war took a piece big of him and on the nights when she stayed with him, she knew his mind wandered back to the tunnels.

"This month's been a good for you lot", she said with a small smile.

It was just them in the shop, an rare sight to see during the day but the usual bodies that occupied the shop where out on Peaky Blinder business. Y/N was asked once about how she felt about that, being engaged and soon to be married to a Blinder devil, but she also brushed off the comments with fake naivety.

"Been a good one for us", Tommy corrected before pressing a kiss to her temple. "You balance the books better than John and Arthur."

"Arthur's busy helping himself to the Garrison", she said as she stood up. "And John's falling over his feet with those kids of his."

John's wife, Martha had died from infection during the war and the five children he shared with her had been left to Polly and Ada while John was off fighting.

Now that he was back, the poor father was struggling under the amount of children he had.

"John'll be fine", Tommy said, bringing her to him. "Now, how's my bride doing in her wedding planning?"

She felt giddy when Tommy called her that despite technically having been engaged to be man for a few years ever since his proposal in one of her treasured letters.

"Poll and my mum seem to be enjoying themselves", she joked, "all me and you have to do is show up."

She rested her hands on his chest as he said, "I miss your letters. John and Arthur used to bother the shite out of me to know who was writing me."

"Ada found your letters, said she couldn't believe you wrote them", Y/N said, Tommy smirked. "Said you weren't the romantic type."

"What would she know?" Tommy said. "She's just a kid."

Tommy pushed a loose hair behind her ear as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers; Y/N felt happy in the moment as Tommy embraced her.

TAGLIST

@calmingmelody96 @69your-best-night-mare69 @girlwith-thepearlearring