Tumgik
#tommy shelby arranged marriage
writerunblocked · 9 months
Text
Bullet Proof Heart: II. Out of the Bag
Synopsis: Rumours spread like wildfire in Birmingham. Even more so when it's Tommy Shelby getting married to the most beautiful woman in Birmingham. Abe goes to talk to Tommy to see if he can talk with Tommy, man-to-man.
Trope: Arranged marriage trop. I know it's old, but I like it.
TW: Death and dying, drinking, swearing, prostitution
WC: 3575
Bullet Proof Heart: Read Part 1: The Agreement here. Read Part 3: Acceptance here
Tumblr media
It didn’t take long for the news about Anya and Thomas Shelby to get out in Birmingham. Anya had gone to the bakers on Thursday to get some things for her family and everyone had cleared a path for her to get to the register. In the queue, her niece Gal’s friend’s mum, a woman by the name of Danielle, didn’t even look Anya in the eye. Anya had been on good terms with all of her niece and nephew’s friends' parents, and now one of them wouldn’t look her in the eye. She got her things quickly and left. 
On her way home, the creepy men who harassed her left her alone, kids would avoid her, and one mother told her daughter not to stare and that it was rude. And how she was the fiancée of Thomas Shelby. People who normally would’ve ogled now acknowledged her presence. It had been almost two weeks since Anya found out the news about her and Tommy and her life had changed drastically and that night at Uncle Sam’s pub had spoiled it for everyone. If she hadn’t gone out for multiple drinks then she’d be able to be Anya Rosenthal a bit longer and not Anya Rosenthal Shelby.  
Someone was always trailing her as well. A different person every day, but she knew who they were and who sent them. She never had a moment alone, someone was always watching her. These men wore tweed caps that had blades sewn into them. These men ran the streets of Birmingham and were called the Peaky Blinders, the footmen of Tommy’s gang. She was now deemed ‘important enough for them to protect.’ She just wished they wouldn’t be there when she was picking up Gal and Noam from school every day. They scared the other kids and the parents. They were making her life harder for everyone. Especially her since she was a teacher as well. She hoped she’d be able to keep her job. 
The wedding planning was going as smoothly as it could go. Tommy’s Aunt, Polly Shelby, someone her father had known for a long time, and her mum were doing their best to collaborate. It didn’t help that her mother’s first language was Yiddish, not English, and sometimes had trouble speaking English, especially when she was upset. Anya thought that having to help plan this wedding was rubbing salt into the wound for her. 
Her sister-in-law had also been trying to plan the wedding as well. Anya had suggested that they just go down to the courthouse and skip the whole ceremony (and her great embarrassment and fear when Isaac and Dan conspired to pick her up and do the Horrah with her, as Anya was terrified of heights and when she would go on to kiss Tommy in front of everyone), she had been denied by everyone, including Tommy himself. She thought he wouldn’t care since he was getting married a bit older. Apparently, he did care. And that was his right, it was his wedding as well. Even though the last thing Anya ever wanted was to get married at this current moment in her life. But things changed and as much as that scared Naomi, she couldn’t control it. 
The engagement didn’t just affect her life, but also her nine-year-old niece, Gal, and her eleven-year-old nephew, Noam’s lives as well. Kids had stopped talking to them, teachers were scared of them, and their parents did their best to stop their kids from associating with them because they were so scared of Thomas Shelby and the Shelby family in general. She felt terrible at the fact her niece and nephew were suffering because of what was going on in her life. Why should they miss out on the fun because of her? 
The only place where Anya actually felt comfortable now was at Uncle Sam’s pub. That seemed to be the only Tommy Shelby free of influence place she had. Tommy was over practically every day now much to her mother’s horror, and she was over a Tommy’s place if he wasn’t at hers. Sam had also had a gag rule on any talk of the Shelby brothers, and was now thinking of ways to keep Thomas Shelby out of his pub. So far, no Shelby brothers had come back into the pub since Thomas Shelby. Sam was pleased with this. 
When Anya arrived back at her parents’ place from her errands, she silently hoped that Shelby wouldn’t be there. When she walked in the front door, there was no smell of cigarettes, she was free of Tommy Shelby. She walked in and saw her mother sitting at the kitchen table, with her brothers Abe, Dan, Jakob, Asher, and Isaac with her. “Anya!” She heard Dan say. “gut, ir zent heym.” (Good, you’re home). 
“vas tut zikh?” She asked. (What’s going on?) 
Her father came out of his office and took a seat at the table large enough to hold everyone and took a seat. His laboured breathing was still there though. “Anya” he wheezed, “zitst.” She took a seat. 
Her mother put an envelope on the table and passed it to her. She took the envelope and opened it, and she bills. She looked at her family, how they were able to afford what was in her was something she’d never understand. “Nemen dem bilet. gey keyn niu yark vau aunzer mume aun feter vartn aoyf dir. zey veln nisht kenen tsu bakumen ir dort,” her brother said. (Take the ticket. Go to New York where our Aunt and Uncle are waiting for you. They won't be able to get you there.) 
“Es iz keyn antloyfn fun zey. Zey zenen aumetum,” she whispered. (There’s no escaping them. They’re everywhere.) 
“Run,” Isaac pleaded. “Run, run get out of Birmingham.”
“There’s nowhere to go,” I whispered. “There’s nowhere to go.” Anya felt a deep pit of despair and felt ill. She was getting married to Thomas Shelby and there was nothing she could do with that. Tied to him like a dog. 
“He’ll kill you,” she said. “He’ll kill all of you and then Noam and Gal grow up in orphanages. He’ll only spare the children and they’ll be forced to grow up without us. I’ll never be able to step foot in England ever again. 
Anya's mind pictured Noam and Gal in an orphanage most likely run by a church. She was terrified of what they could go through, she’d heard stories from friends about the Catholic priests, and one of her friends wasn’t allowed to be an altar boy. She pushed those thoughts down.
She couldn’t run, she couldn’t flee, she had to stay in Birmingham. She had to stay in Birmingham and go on to marry Thomas Shelby. She’d be the Queen of Birmingham, but her life would never be the same. Be with Tommy and risk being killed by one of his many enemies. Flee the country and figure out a way to get Noam and Gal to go with her saving them from an orphanage and being an ocean away from her family and be with people she hadn’t seen in years living in New York. Could she even recognise her Aunt and Uncle, Anya didn’t know. But the Shelbys had eyes everywhere, nowhere was safe. Flee and risk getting caught by Shelby’s men in New York, get caught trying to board a ship to the New World, and face not just her family’s certain death, but her death as well. She didn’t have a choice in this matter. 
“I’m staying,” she said pushing the money toward her family. “I’m not leaving. I can’t leave.” 
“We’ll be okay,” assured her father. 
“You’ll be dead in the coming months and the money you have isn’t enough to keep Mum off the street,” she stated. “There’s nothing more we can do. I can’t put her out on the street.” Anya paused as tears threatened to spill out of her mother’s eyes, “I’ve made up my mind,” she choked, tears now threatening to spill out of her eyes, “I’m staying here. I’m not running.” 
“Anya,” her mother whispered. “You’re just as stubborn as I am. It’ll be the death of you.”
______________________________________________________________
Tommy Shelby sat at his desk in his home and looked over the picture of Anya he had. He’d found it when Abe and Dan had come into the Garrison and the photo fell out of one of the men’s pockets. He hadn’t seen the then eighteen-year-old in a while, not since she was thirteen when he and her brother had received the medal, and had realised that the men around town were right, she was the most beautiful girl in all of Birmingham. Her curly blonde hair was down, her blue eyes smiling as she wrapped her arms around her Isaac. He at that moment felt a strange affection for the woman and had offered her a job at the Garrison two years later as the new Barmaid after Grace’s betrayal. Though he did love Grace, there was always a special place for Anya.  
He remembered the day she’d come into the Garrison for the job. She was wearing a new dress that her sister-in-law had hand-sewn for her, it was black, but it fit her perfectly. Her curly blonde hair was down and her blue eyes were nervous as they darted around the pub. He’d been sitting at the bar drinking a bottle of Irish whiskey when he realised she was even prettier in real life and the short glances he’d see of her around town getting bread for Shabbat. “Hello, Mr Shelby,” she said. 
“Hello, Anya,” he responded. “What are you doing here?” 
“I’m here to apply for the job as the barmaid,” she said. “I sing, I can play the piano, I can make a good drink.”
“Why are you applying?” He asked her. Anya Rosenthal, Abraham Rosenthal’s sister, the most beautiful girl in Birmingham, couldn’t be applying for this job. 
“I’m applying because my father’s sick,” she sighed. “I don’t know how much longer he has left and what he has. We need the money so he can go to the doctor and my pay as a teacher doesn’t help.” 
Tommy was shocked to hear the news. David Rosenthal, the man who sold and grew Cannabis, and had done business with Tommy, was sick. He’d always liked David and thought he was a nice man. He was saddened by the fact he was sick. “I can give you the money,” he said. 
She looked shocked. “I don’t need charity!” She snapped at him. 
“I’m not saying that you are,” he responded to her. She reminded him so much of Abe at that moment. “I’m saying I can give you the money.”
“Without doing some sort of work?” She asked sarcastically. “That’s charity, Mr Shelby. We can survive on our own if I get this job.” The inflexion in her voice reminded him of Abe when they were both in the trenches. The seriousness and determination in it was something he never thought he’d hear again. He remembered what Asher had told him: “Rosenthals have a nasty habit of being stubborn”. “What do you need me to do? Bend over, up against the wall? On my back or on top? I know what you usually ask of your female employees, Mr Shelby. I can offer that.”
“There’s no need to make yourself a whore,” he said. 
“I know what men think of me,” she said sadly looking down at the floor. “I’m just a body to them. And as much as it disgusts me to do what they imagine, I want my father to live a bit longer so he can see Abe’s children grow up. Even if he never meets mine.”
Tommy smiled slightly. She was right about what men think of her, but he was lonely after Grace’s betrayal, and she was offering to help keep him company by being the barmaid. She was also the only one who was aware of what the other side of that job entailed, the other women who applied when they realised what the other side of the job entailed ran out of The Garrison. “You got your brother’s brains,” he said. “You’re the only one out of the interviewees who knew what the other side of this job is.”
“That we inherited from our mum,” she responded. “I’m willing to do all the job entails, where and how do you want me.” 
“My office is right this way, love,” he responded. She was bent over the desk and the two were fucking. He would finish inside of her and she’d leave. Anya knew she’d gotten the job. 
Tommy couldn’t help but think of the next few times they fucked. The sex kept on getting better and better, but something changed after one round. 
Anya had stayed the night at his place and passed it off as staying at a friend’s place when Anya had a flashback. Apparently, she’d dated a guy who was incredibly abusive and choked her from behind after she walked away from an argument. He’d followed her around town until Abe got involved and threatened to seriously hurt him. And though he didn’t interact with her, Anya could see him following her around Birmingham, stalking her. 
“I saw him today,” she sighed. “At the pub.” 
“He was?” Tommy asked. 
“Only popped his head in, but I can recognise those hazel eyes. After our final argument, I thought those would’ve been the last thing I’d see,” she shivered at the memory. “They still haunt my nightmares just like the war haunts yours and my brothers.” 
“He was a tunnler,” he said. “Your brother saved my life. It’s how he got the medals.” 
“Same as you,” she said. “I remember going to your award ceremony. The two of you looked absolutely awkward.” 
Tommy scoffed at the memory. She was only eleven then, but she still remembered how much the war affected her brothers and father when they got home. She passed him a cigarette and a lighter and lit it for him before lighting one for herself. Something changed in Thomas Shelby when he saw her laying in his bed smoking a cigarette. Something inside of him forgot about everything and looked straight at her. He realised then and there that Tommy Shelby was completely in love with her and would do anything to get her to be with him. 
“What’s your ex’s name?” He asked her. 
“Nick,” she sighed. “Nick Boyle.” 
He was determined to kill Nick Boyle and to get the man out of her life for good. She deserved that and for her, he’d do anything. 
Tommy was pulled from the memory when his Aunt Polly came into the room. “Thomas,” she said her eyes filled with concern. 
“What is it, Pol?” He asked her. 
“Abe’s at the door,” she said. “I’d put that picture away.” 
Putting the photo of Anya away, he wondered what Abe wanted that he’d visit at this time of night. “Let him in.” 
A few moments later, Abraham Rosenthal came into his office. He was fuming and took a seat. “You, Thomas Shelby, will be the death of my family.” He announced. 
“What is it, Abe?” He asked. “I don’t think it’s to catch up on war memories.” 
“You saved my life and I saved yours, but now I’m regretting that I did,” he hissed at him. 
“And why’s that?” Thomas asked offering Abe some Irish whiskey. “Is it about your sister?” 
“MY LITTLE FUCKING SISTER MARRYING INTO YOUR FAMILY BECAUSE OF ME!” He shouted. 
Tommy looked at Abe in shock. He had thought it was her father that had short-changed him, not Abe. Knowing Abe, it must’ve been an accident. David had taken the fall Abe and had told Tommy that he'd do anything to make it up to him. Tommy had said marry his daughter and David reluctantly agreed. Knowing it was Abe, a man that Tommy liked and admired, was something new. “I had accidentally miscounted the money,” he said. “It was an accident. Break off the engagement with my sister. She doesn’t deserve to be dragged into your life. Let her go, it’s me you want. Take me, kill me instead.” 
“I’m not going to kill you, Abe,” he said. “But your sister’s still mine. I care for her.” 
“Thomas Shelby’s never cared for a woman besides Greta in his life,” he snarled. “She’s too young for you. She’s 22, and you’re in your 30s, Tommy. Leave her alone.” The fear in his blue eyes showed that he cared for his sister. He remembered in the trenches he wanted to make it back to her so that he could continue teaching her how to read and how to write. His parents couldn’t afford to send her to school so he was teaching her how. Tommy remembered how happy he was when his sister wrote a letter to him on the front, her handwriting was illegible, but it was still handwriting. 
“What makes you think I don’t care about her?” Tommy asked. 
“You sleep with anything that walks, Shelby,” he snarled. “I know what everyone thinks about my sister and everyone in my family is disgusted, but it’s different when the most dangerous and the most powerful man in all of Birmingham takes an interest in her.” 
“I’ve never done anything to hurt her, Abe,” he said. “I don’t have any intention to.” 
Abe rolled his green eyes, the same green eyes he’d inherited from his father. Abe was the spitting image of David but often acted more like his mother Chaya. He could see the protectiveness and the ruthlessness that he’d inherited from David though, and that was something that Tommy liked about him. “You’re you, Tommy,” he scoffed, his voice shaking but still filled with rage. Rage that his father for selling her like a piece of land and for taking the fall, rage at himself for getting Anya into this mess, and rage at the world for everything it seemed to do to him. “She can’t walk down the street without people looking at her, and not how they used to look at her like she was a conquest, but as something to be feared. My own children are now affected by this, her job at the school is now on the line. And it’s all because of you.” 
“She’s a wonderful woman,” Tommy said. “She’s kind, she’s considerate, and she’s incredibly smart. Especially with words and numbers. She loves kids and wants them later on in life. She loves Jazz. Her favourite food’s chocolate and her favourite ‘food group’ is ice cream, even though she doesn’t have it often because she can’t afford it. She likes to cook as well. She also refers to you guys as ‘morons 1-5.’ She also likes to sew and knit. She loves sports and she’s terrified of heights. You threatened to murder her ex-boyfriend and she was the one who witnessed your neighbour being murdered in Poland.” Tommy said. 
“What?” Abe asked. 
“Do you want me to repeat everything?” Tommy questioned. 
“How’d you know she likes all that,” Abe whispered in shock. “How do you know about what happened in Poland?” 
“I might’ve been young when the Pogroms happened, but I know the look of someone who’s witnessed death at a young age,” Tommy responded. “She’s spent several nights here.” 
“Don’t remind me,” Abe grumbled. “Everyone knows she’s sleeping with you. But she opened up to you. She doesn’t open up to anyone.” 
“I care for her,” Tommy sighed. 
“You love her,” Abe corrected. “You love my sister.” He muttered something in Yiddish about Anya and their mother. Abe sounded exacerbated as he gritted his teeth. 
“You hurt her, I’ll kill all of you and murder you!” He snarled at Tommy pointing at him. Tommy didn’t expect anything less from Abe Rosenthal. “She’s a human being, not something for you to oggle at. My dad might not live to see the next month, and as the oldest, I know that I need to step up. I love her, Tommy, she’s my little sister, and if something happens to her, I’ll take you to the gates of hell.” 
“What happened with the money,” Tommy asked. He knew it was unlike the Rosenthals to short-change him, they were very good with their payments to the Blinders, something had to have happened. 
“Normally Anya counts the money,” he sighed. “Anya was so tired, and we got the money in later than we normally do because some of our customers short-changed us, and I thought we had it all. I didn’t realise that I miscounted and when Anya dropped the money off, it was too late.” 
“All your debts to the Blinders are forgiven. There’s no need to pay for our protection,” Tommy said. 
“Is my sister off the hook?” He asked. 
“No,” he said. “She’s not, that’s the nature of the deal I made with your father.” 
“Shite,” he whispered. “There’s no getting her out of this, is there?” 
“And I have eyes and ears all over the world so there’s no running,” Tommy said. 
With one huff, Abe turned and left and Tommy was left alone. All he could think of was Anya, and that scared him just as much as it scared Abe. And he felt sorry that it came to this.
26 notes · View notes
chmpngekisses · 1 year
Text
I’M NOT HER - TOMMY SHELBY
author’s note: im thinking about making this into a little series! it was gonna be one long imagine but i decided to slow it down a bit and maybe make it a 3-4 part series, but only if people want it! also i didn’t proofread so sorry!
gif is not mine.
Tumblr media
Getting married to Thomas Shelby wasn't on your bingo list for the year. Hell, you never wanted to be in the same room as that man whenever you had to be present with your father making deals with the mad man. You were never fond of him, how he could just walk in the room and everyone will obey him for whatever he wanted them to do. 
You could remember the day your parents got into an huge argument. Your mother screaming at your father for the life changing action he made. You were upstairs in your room with your younger sister Alice as you guys were sitting on your own beds just listening to the brawl that was happening downstairs. 
“Do you not realize how stupid you are?!” Your mother screamed, “Sending her off to marry that mad man Shelby because you couldn’t keep your end of the deal!” She exclaimed. You and your sister looked at each other with widen eyes, your sister covered her mouth as she was trying to process the news she was hearing.
“Do you think it’s me?” Alice questioned, you shook your head. “I know I just turned eighteen but what if it’s me because I’m now an adult” she started to ramble as she started to feel scared. 
“It’s not going to be you” You spoke, “You’re the youngest, I doubt Shelby would stoop low and marry an eighteen year old” You were hoping it wasn’t your little sister so she wouldn’t have to deal with that man. You thought she was too pure to deal with a man like Thomas Shelby, how she would quickly drop off the cup of teas and quickly leave the room when deals were being made.
“But I don’t want it to be you either” Alice mumbled, you sighed as the both of you went silent to listen the argument. You were only twenty-two years old, not that it mattered but you being the oldest, you had a feeling you might be the bride to Tommy Shelby.
“You can’t just send her off to him” Your mother begged and pleaded, hearing her cries as she’s struggling to breathe. “She’s our first, please don't do this” hearing her whimper.
Then it hit you like you just gotten hit by a truck. Because your father couldn't keep his part of the deal, you became part of the deal. Although you hated that you have to marry the Shelby man, you mostly hated that this is the way you found out. 
Alice quickly got off of her bed to go on yours, sitting behind you as she wrapped her arms around your shoulders, beginning to sob that her big sister was now going away to live with a “mad man”. All you could do was just put your hands on her arms, swaying the both of you side to side as comfort. 
~
You are now officially married to Thomas Shelby, making you Y/N Shelby. You were glad that the whole wedding process was over. The special day itself would've been beautiful if the backstory never existed. Polly, Ada and Alice helping you with your hair and makeup. Putting on the most beautiful, most expensive wedding gown that fitted your body just right. For once you had some appreciation for Tommy since he did everything he could to make the wedding right for you, starting with the venue, the flowers, the setup, everything.
But of course, the wedding had flaws. You couldn't look your father in the eye, knowing he's the reason why you’re here in the first place. How your mother was sobbing because you were being handed to the Thomas Shelby, and how she walked out mid-ceremony as a protest. Causing you to tear a bit during the speech but you did your best to fight it. 
Tommy observed your body language the whole wedding, he could tell you wanted to break down right there when your mother left or when she was crying as your father was handing you off to me. Side eyeing to see your little sister Alice is doing everything to show that she's brave in this situation and that it doesn't affect her. 
Or how he observed you during the dinner that was after the ceremony. How you were barley eating, just moving your food along the plate with your fork. How you were too quiet and only spoke when spoken to. Or how your sister moved seats to be next to you and you were finally comfortable speaking or joking around simply because Alice was there. Or how your father would speak and you would simply tune him out before you say anything rude at the event. 
But right now, Tommy is observing you while you are touring around the house. How you feel out of place in a huge house like this, how it’s basically your home now as well. 
Admiring every painting, every sculpture, every furniture in his house. Just so you can feel comfort and familiarity with it. Until you came across a painting of his first wife, Grace Shelby. You were silent as you were admiring her beauty through the art, how you could tell that she probably made Tommy so happy and how she must’ve been a wonderful mother to Charlie.
Tommy broke the silence, “Don’t worry” he spoke. You turned around to make eye contact with him, “You’ll have a painting of ye own” he said. All you could do was give him a soft smile, but you felt out of place that you didn’t deserve a painting. 
“Thank you Mr.Shelby but-’
“Call me Tommy” he said sternly, “We’re now married, remember?” he added, you nodded your head.
“Thank you Tommy but I don’t think I deserve a painting” You said, “Let’s not forget why we’re married in the first place” you paused, staring at Tommy’s emotionless face. 
“But I’m not her” you confessed as you stared at Grace’s portrait again, “I don’t think having my own painting would do it's own good” you softly smiled. 
“Very well” he spoke, “Let’s go upstairs and I’ll show you the bedroom eh?” you nodded your head as you followed behind him. Frances was walking down the stairs, having encounter with you guys. 
“Hello Mr and Mrs. Shelby” Frances smiled, “I just put Charlie to bed” she announced. “Thank you Frances” Tommy thanked as he nodded his head, continuing up the stairs. 
~
Weeks went by, you were finally getting comfortable in the Shelby’s house. Focusing more on being a mother to Charlie than being a wife to Tommy, since he was always out on dealing with business, you were glad you didn't have to overthink on everything you did when he was around. 
“Nine, ten. Ready or not, here I come!” you said loudly as you removed your hands from your eyes, trying to look for the two year old in the front yard to win the game of hide and seek. Charlie started to get closer to you overtime since you were basically the only parent figure for the little boy, so you had as much bonding time with him. 
You started glancing around, “where could little Charlie be?” you said loudly, hoping to get a sound from the little boy which worked. You started to hear a little giggle coming from the flower pots, you smiled knowing where he already was but you wanted to drag it a little bit. 
“Is he in the bushes” You asked as you were walking around, hearing the giggles get loud since Charlie couldn't control his laughter, you smiled at the sound. “No he isn’t in the bushes”
Then you started to get closer to the flower pots, “Is he by the flowers?” Asking innocently. Tommy started to pull up through the driveway but you wasn’t paying attention. The giggles from behind the flower pot was only getting louder. 
“There he is!” You said as Charlie squealed in excitement. Picking him up and placing him on your hip, “I found you” tickling his sides as he was throwing a laughing fit. 
You started realize Tommy was near as you looked up from Charlie to see Tommy walking towards you two. Bouncing Charlie in your arms as you were trying to get him excited to see his father. 
“Look Charlie, your dad is here” you smiled at Charlie as the little boy returned a smile back. Starting to meet Tommy half way by walking towards him as well.
Seeing Charlie be so happy with you made Tommy feel things but he wanted to discard the feelings. He believes he couldn’t fall in love with you at all since you were only a deal, but the way he sees you with Charlie or how you help Frances out with the house just because you wanted to. 
He saw that you were starting to ease up around him, how sometimes you would offer to bring him something to eat or drink when he’s in your office. How you would ask him how was business or if anything went wrong, how you were much more comfortable around his family and how you invite your sister Alice to the house more. 
“Hello you two” Tommy greeted, you gave him a small smile as you handed Charlie to his father. “I saw you two were playing hide and seek. You’re a great hider Charlie eh?” Charlie clapped in response. 
“Frances is starting dinner, do you want me to stay with Charlie until then and you can get some paperwork out of the way?” You asked, you never asked him that before. You usually just say hello to Tommy and go back to playing with Charlie. 
“I don’t plan on doing any paperwork til later” Tommy answered, “Let’s go inside, shall we” he said, you nodded your head as you started to walk first with Tommy following you behind with Charlie. 
Once you guys make it inside, you can’t help but glance at Grace’s portrait walking by. 
Because you know what matter you do, you will never be her. 
693 notes · View notes
divinekangaroo · 1 month
Text
just enough to let me drown - pettiot - Peaky Blinders (TV) [Archive of Our Own]
Ch 1 | Ch 2 | ? | ?
During S6-E5, starting with Tommy meeting Diana at the narrowboat, how he gets back to Arrow, that particular Dinner, through to Tommy returning home after dropping Jack Nelson off at the train.
Tommy was running out of women who didn’t look like other women. If Lizzie found out, he’d have only redheads left to fuck in his old age.
No. No old age. Only this.
.
Diana Mitford/Tommy Shelby, Past Oswald Mosley/Tommy Shelby, Tommy Shelby/Lizzie Stark, Past Oswald Mosley/Lizzie Stark, Jack Nelson, Charles Strong, Small Heath Sex Worker | Reference to Incest, Dehumanisation, Cigarette Burns, Disassociation, Racism, Class Issues, Intrusive Thoughts, Extremely Dubious Consent, Post Rationalisation, Flashbacks, Dyfunctional Relationship, Self Harm, Oral Trauma, Trauma, Plausible Deniability, Close POV/Unreliable Narration, Horrible Dinner Parties, Prostitution, Shame, Hurt/Comfort, Eating Inedible Objects, Vomiting, Pre-Seizure Markers, Where Fascism becomes a Personally Targetted Sexual Nightmare, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Falling Off the Wagon, Unreliable Memory, Hoarding, Orgasm Control, Innuendo, Ethnic Slurs, Trying (so fucking hard!) to Communicate (emotion is the enemy of oratory!), Spiralling, Purposeful Ambiguity, Failed Love Confession/s
.
6 notes · View notes
hllywdwhre · 2 months
Text
Revenge - Tommy Shelby
Tumblr media
Summary: Reader takes personal offense over Sabini’s attack on Tommy
Warnings: arranged marriage, graphic depictions of violence, reader leaves a message written in blood, smut, creampie, light degrading, oral smut (f receiving), overstim, p in v, let me know if I missed any
Notes: I made this text post about protective reader and decided to write it lmfao. I want Tommy with a feral woman. Thank you to @slut4thebroken for proof reading, encouragement, and suggestions💖
MDNI, 18+ only
You weren’t quite sure how it had happened.
Scratch that.
You knew exactly how it had happened.
Your father and Tommy had worked out a deal when Sabini had first started trying to intimidate your father. A bride in exchange for protection and both of them walked away with extra allies when the inevitable war against Sabini broke out. You’d protested the marriage at first, screaming that you were more than just a political pawn for your father to sell when he needed help, but it went through anyway.
You had to admit, it wasn’t the worst thing that could’ve happened. Sure, Tommy was distant and seemed obsessed with work, but you knew you could’ve ended up in a much worse situation. He treated you with respect, never let you open a door on your own if he was around, always had a protective hand rested in the small of your back, and… the sex was great.
Perhaps the thing you appreciated the most, was that he didn’t expect you to become the housewife you had feared you would be reduced to. You were your father’s only child, meaning when he died, you would become leader of his gang. You were a gangster the same way Tommy was and he seemed to realize that and respect it. You helped out with the daily runnings of the Peaky Blinders and helped with the daily runnings of your father’s gang at the same time. They both recognized your potential and weren’t afraid to use it.
It wasn’t until you were sitting in a family meeting about a year after your marriage that you realized you had grown to feel more than just okay with the marriage.
Tommy was a closed off individual and through the entire year you had been married, you felt like you were just starting to finally get to know the real him. You never pried because he never pried in your life. If you had general questions, neither of you were afraid to ask them, but anything more was left up for the person to tell. You had more questions than answers still, specifically about the matching scars on his cheeks, but you didn’t dare ask. He hadn’t asked about the scar that ran from your right shoulder blade down to your spine, so you didn’t ask about his scars.
It was a common occurrence for Esme, Ada, and Polly to sit with you at one of the desks in the betting shop, whispering things to you during family meetings to fill in any gaps and answer any questions you may have had.
“Alfie has informed me that the Sicilians are being provided aid by Sabini, in the form of cars and housing,” Tommy started, causing Arthur to let out a loud groan of frustration.
Before you could get dragged into hearing any more of it, you turned your head to Esme who was sitting next to you.
“Sabini’s a prick, I know that, but what has he done to us?” You asked quietly, your eyes still flickering back-and-forth between Tommy and the rest of his family as they spoke about what to do next.
Esme began explaining exactly what Sabini had done. How he and five other men came after Tommy in the dark of night, how he’d ripped out a tooth, sliced his cheeks, and beat him to an inch of his life.
The rage that settled inside of you was your first hint that you had grown to genuinely care for Tommy as more than just a friend and (amazing) fuck buddy. Your jaw remained clenched and set for the rest of the meeting, but as soon as the meeting was called to end, you wiped the look from your face and forced a calm expression to take over.
You stood up and walked over to Tommy, forcing a small smile to your lips,
“I’m not really feeling all that well. You go with your brothers for a drink, I’m just going to head back home, okay?” You said, meeting his eyes so he wouldn’t have a reason to not believe you.
Tommy’s eyebrows furrowed together as he tried to look for any sign you were lying. You had been fine that morning and fine two hours prior when you sat down for the meeting, but he had no reason to believe you were lying so he simply nodded, placed a hand on the small of your back to pull you closer to him, and kissed your forehead.
“I won’t be out long. Ask Frances for anything you need, okay, love?”
You nodded and the forced smile turned to a genuine one,
“I will, promise,” you told him before stepping away from him and waving goodbye to the rest of the family.
Yes. You had truly gotten lucky when it came to who you had been forced to marry.
The entire ride back to the Arrow House, you were silent and going over your plan in your head. You knew you’d have to earn Tommy’s trust back after this, but you didn’t particularly care. You were a force of nature on your best day. You were lethal when you were angry.
Once you arrived back, you immediately headed upstairs to yours and Tommy’s shared room. The marriage may have started off with the two of you in separate rooms, “I’m called the devil, but that doesn’t mean I’m some sort of monster. You can sleep in your own room until you’re comfortable sharing a bed,” but it didn’t take more than a couple weeks for you to eventually join him in bed.
Damn those blue eyes, full lips, and that jawline.
You grabbed a small bag and threw the first set of clothes you laid hands on into it, then, much more carefully, a dress. You grabbed everything else you needed and headed to Tommy’s office next.
I’ll be back soon. I’m sorry for lying, but I’ll be back.
You signed the note and left it in the center of his desk where you knew he would see it, held down by his ashtray.
As quickly as you had entered the house, you left it, getting right back into the car with the driver Tommy had employed for you. You told him the name of a hotel in London that you knew was just outside of anyone’s territory.
The drive seemed to pass by too quickly and soon you were saying goodbye to the driver and sending him home for the night. It was barely 7 in the evening when you got up to your room.
“If there is a God, please let me get through this. I’ll make it up to you… somehow,” you said quietly.
The beading on the dress swayed loudly around your body as you pulled the dress on. The pins in your hair seemed to be extra noticeable against your scalp. The straps on your shoes pressed into your skin more than usual. The blade held against your thigh and hidden by your dress seemed to refuse to warm up. Your left hand felt entirely too light with your ring missing.
You knew it was only your mind playing tricks on you. You’d worn this outfit before and it had always turned heads, which is exactly what you wanted.
You needed Sabini to notice you.
You greeted the cab driver politely as you stepped in and ignored the way his eyes seemed to follow you a bit too closely.
The doors of the club were held open for you and you made your way to the bar and took a seat, knowing you were just playing a waiting game now.
You could feel eyes on you. The wife of Thomas Shelby in Sabini’s club, hours away from Birmingham, far out of Peaky Blinders territory or her father’s territory. You stuck out like a sore thumb, even if you would have blended in during any other scenario.
It felt like an eternity passed before you finally saw the man that made your blood boil, but one glance at the clock above the bar told you it hadn’t even been an hour.
“You seem lost. I thought we had made it clear that your kind weren’t welcomed here,” Sabini said once he was in front of you.
A charming smile graced your lips and you looked up at him,
“My kind?” You questioned, playing innocent.
“Yes. Your kind. You’re the wife of Thomas Shelby and I don’t appreciate him ignoring the last warning I gave him and sending you-“
“I wasn’t sent here,” you stopped him, lifting your left hand and pushing a piece of hair that hadn’t fallen back behind your ear, “and I’m not really a Shelby or a Blinder, am I?”
His eyes were drawn to your hand and noticed the lack of a ring you wore and he quirked an eyebrow at you.
“Is that so? I was under the impression the two of you were lovebirds.”
You pulled your bottom lip between your lips and looked away, trying to come off as shy. When you looked back up to him, you hoped the look on his face meant he was intrigued and believing you.
“Perhaps we could talk about it somewhere else… somewhere private?” You asked him, batting your eyelashes as you did so.
Gods help you. The smirk he gave you made your stomach twist and you wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his face, but patience was something you’d adopted a lot of.
“Allow me to show you to my office then,” he said, offering you a hand which you forced yourself to take.
He guided you through the club and towards the back. Some amount of luck seemed to be on your side as his office was behind the stage and provided some cover for any noise you might make. Even more so as you noticed a window just large enough for you to be able to crawl out of.
Once the door was shut behind you, he sat down behind his desk and motioned for you to take a seat in one of the chairs on the opposite side.
“Trouble in paradise, I take it,” Sabini said as he poured you both a drink.
“It was never paradise to begin with,” you replied, thanking him for the drink and taking a sip.
You had grown used to Tommy’s Irish whiskey and the bourbon he gave you wasn’t nearly as smooth going down.
“Was it not? From what I’ve heard, you two have quite the fairytale. Gang leader’s daughter married off to another gang leader, uniting two empires.”
“That’s not the way I see it,” you lied.
“And how do you see it?”
“A desperate father sold off his daughter to a desperate gang leader in an attempt for the both of them to gain more power and disregarded the woman’s wishes,” you replied simply, shrugging your shoulders.
“And so you’ve come to London for what?” Sabini questioned, wanting to hear you say it.
“Because I think we can help each other, Mr. Sabini,” you said, downing the rest of the bourbon and standing up.
His eyes followed your movements, his eyes trailing up your body before resting on your legs again.
“And how do you think we could help each other?” He asked.
You moved to stand in front of him, placing one leg over the side of his and straddled him, placing your arms around his neck.
“They trust me, Mr. Sabini. They don’t suspect me of anything,” you started. The shiver of disgust that rolled up your spine due to his hands trailing up the back of your thighs was one he apparently took as excitement as he gripped slightly at the backs of them, “I can tell you everything and, in return, I get out of my marriage once they’re all gone.”
“They don’t even realize the ticking time bomb they’ve got in their fingertips, do they?” He asked and a chuckle left your lips as a genuine smirk took over.
“They don’t…” you said, trailing your hands down his chest and then up your thigh, trying to make the move appear seductive. Your fingers wrapped around the hilt of your knife, “and neither do you, apparently.”
His eyes widened and he realized the trap he had walked into at the same time as you pressed the blade of the knife to his neck.
“I’d say that if you ever threaten my husband or our family again, you’ll regret it, but you won’t be,” you told him, unable to resist pausing for a touch of dramatic effect before adding on, “Never fuck with a Shelby.”
In the next second, you were quickly slicing the knife across his neck and flinching back as his blood coated you.
You knew your next move was morbid, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. It had been morbid for him and five other men to attack your husband when he was alone. It was morbid for him to rip out his tooth. It had been morbid for him to slice his cheeks. It was just as morbid for you to quickly and quietly clear off his desk, dip your fingers into his blood, and leave a bloodied message across his desk.
Revenge is a scorned Shelby
As soon as the message was written, you grabbed one of the coats from the coat rack and slipped it on, then crawled out of the window. The coat was long enough to cover all of the bloodied mess that was now your dress.
Sabini is dead.
That seemed to be the only thing you could think of as you were driven back to the Arrow House. It wasn’t the first time you had killed a man and you knew it wouldn’t be last.
But you hadn’t told anyone about this time. You hadn’t told anyone your plan, where you were going, or why you were doing it. You had also just started a war.
You weren’t surprised to see almost every light in the house still on when you arrived, and you made sure to slip the cab driver a little extra for the long drive.
You hadn’t risked staying in London longer than you needed to. You had gone into your hotel room, grabbed your bag, and promptly left, only taking the time to slip your wedding ring back on when you were in the cab.
When you stepped into the house, Tommy was in the hallway. All he saw as you stepped in the door was you, in another man’s coat, your wedding ring still on your finger, but your hair and makeup done much differently than it had been you had left.
You stayed silent as you stared at him with nervousness written on your face.
He put out his cigarette and quirked an eyebrow at you, a silent prompt for you to explain yourself.
Your silent explanation was to undo the tie on the coat and let it fall to the floor, revealing your blood stained dress.
“I need a fucking drink for this one,” Tommy grumbled, motioning for you to follow him. He guided you to his office and poured both of you a drink, handed you your glass, then sat down in his office chair. “What the fuck did you do?”
“Do you want the short version or the long version?” You asked, a smirk on your face as he looked up at where you still stood across the room.
Despite himself, he couldn’t help but chuckle and shrug his shoulders,
“Humor me. Short version first,” he told you.
“About a year ago I got married, and tonight I started a war.”
Tommy leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk and running a hand over his face, “Long version.”
“About a year ago, I got married. Over the past year my husband has been nothing but a respectful gentleman, making it nearly impossible for me not to fall for him when you combine it with his fucking blue eyes that could bring the devil to his knees,” you started, feeling the hint of a blush creep into your cheeks, which you knew he noticed by the way his eyes flicked to your cheeks and then back to your eyes, “then today we had a meeting with his family where he mentioned Sabini. When I asked, his sister-in-law told me about what Sabini had done to him. About how my husband had been beaten to an inch of his life and brutalized, leaving him permanently scarred, and I knew I had to make the bastard pay.
“So, I lied to my husband and said I didn’t feel well. I went home, packed a bag, left him a note saying I’d be back, and went to London. I rented a hotel room where I changed into a fancy dress and did my hair and makeup, then I wrapped a knife to my thigh and slid my wedding ring into my bag and went to The Eden Club. News of a Shelby woman spread quickly and Sabini showed up to question me within an hour. I lied to Sabini, told him that I didn’t want to be a Shelby and that I had never wanted to be one. He took me back to his office and I sat on his lap and made him think I was about to cheat on my husband when I slit his throat and made sure he knew it was because of what he’d done to my husband. I left a message on his desk, went back to the hotel, grabbed my bag, and then headed back to our house.”
Silence filled the room for a long moment as Tommy stared at you. His eyes were unreadable as he watched you.
“What did the message say?” He suddenly asked.
“Revenge is a scorned Shelby.”
“Nothing about the Peaky Blinders?” He asked curiously, tilting his head slightly.
“No.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It wasn’t Peaky business,” you answered confidently, watching him just as closely as he watched you as he stood from his chair and came to stand in front of you.
“Was it not?” He questioned, taking the untouched glass of whiskey from your hand and setting it on the desk before turning back to stare you down.
“No. It was Shelby business, but not Peaky business.”
“Explain.”
“He didn’t just harm a Peaky Blinder. He harmed a Shelby, my Shelby.” Your gaze was unwavering as you held eye contact with him. You wanted him to know you meant your words. He was yours, and the protective touches on your back when you were in public and the way he intimidated and glared at any man who tried approaching you was all the proof you needed to know that you were his.
“So I’m your Shelby?” He asked as he took a step towards you and continued to do so until you pressed against the office door.
“Yes.”
“And that means you’re mine?” He questioned, his hands now pressed against the wall on either side of your head.
You could feel that you were walking into some sort of trap, but you didn’t have a way out of it right now. All you could do was be honest.
“Yes.”
“Then you should know something about what it means to be mine.”
“What’s that?” You asked, your breathing getting shorter as he lowered his face so it was level with yours.
In a second his hands were on your waist and he had you picked up against the wall with legs instinctively wrapping around his hips.
“My Shelby is to never come home wearing another man’s coat again,” he said, pressing his lips to yours in a rough kiss.
You don’t know what reaction you had expected from him, but being pinned to his office door and him kissing you hadn’t been one you had thought of. Your shock wore off after half a second and you returned the kiss as your arms wrapped around his neck to keep him close.
“You’re not mad?” You asked against his lips.
“At you starting a war?” He questioned, leaning down and beginning to trail kisses hastily down your neck.
“Yes,” you replied, leaning your head back to give him more access.
“Livid,” he said with no hint of joking in his voice.
“This is quite the punishment,” you replied sarcastically. A moan fell from your lips as he nipped at your pulse point.
“Oh, I’m livid,” he said, looking up at you, “but also extremely turned on at the thought of my wife slicing a man’s throat over me and coming home still covered in his blood.”
You weren’t given a chance to respond before he was kissing you again. Your hands came down to his tie, pulling it loose before starting to work at the buttons of his waistcoat.
He didn’t bother setting you down, only turned the two of you around and walked you over to the couch in the office. He laid you down on it and then pulled the waistcoat off before leaning back down between your legs and kissing you again once. His lips started trailing down your neck again while your hands went to undo the buttons of his shirt.
“Someone’s impatient tonight,” he teased as nipped at your skin again.
“You’re the one who pinned me to the door after I revealed I killed a man for you,” you replied in the same teasing tone as him. You undid the last button of his shirt and pushed the fabric off his shoulders, his undershirt following a second later.
He reached his hand to the side of your dress and unzipped it, pulling the fabric down your body while his hands grabbed hold of your underwear, stockings, and garters in the same move and pulled them off, leaving you completely naked underneath him.
He stared and looked over your body a moment longer before running his hands up your thighs and giving a gentle tap to your thigh,
“Up,” he said, causing your eyebrows to furrow in confusion.
You did as told though and sat up, leaving him enough room to lay on his back and pull you up to straddle him,
“Was killing a man not enough work?” You teased, not actually minding if he was going to have you ride him. At least it meant you wouldn’t be subjected to him teasing you when all you really wanted was for him to fuck you.
“That’s cute,” he said sarcastically, gripping your thighs and attempting to pull you further up his torso, “that’s not where you’re sitting tonight.”
The man was no stranger at using his mouth to make you see stars, but you’d never ridden his face before. You looked at him, the question obvious on your face.
“Seriously?” You asked even though you knew by his face that he was.
“Seriously. You were enough of a leader to go after Sabini, you’re enough of a leader to sit on my face. Up,” he repeated again while his grip on your thighs tried pulling you forward.
You did as you were told this time, shuffling forward until you were straddling his face. You weren’t given a choice of when to sit as his hands came to your hips and pulled you down, forcing your full weight onto his waiting mouth.
If there was one thing you were grateful for, it was Thomas’ ability to use his tongue and lips in more than just outsmarting his enemies.
His tongue trailed through your lips, his hands keeping your hips in place, while his tongue slowly explored you at first.
It had only taken a couple weeks for you to crack and make the first move on Tommy, joining him in bed one night when you’d decided you could trust him, and you’d been insatiable and addicted to him ever since, though he never complained. He’d spent the first couple times figuring out every move that made you tick and every name that made your cheeks flush and used them to his advantage at every turn.
His tongue was a gift with the way he knew exactly how to use it. He dragged it up and down between your folds, drinking in every bit of your arousal before focusing on your clit, alternating between quick flicks and long drags.
Tommy’s hands on your hips began guiding them, silently instructing you to take control. You didn’t hesitate in going along with what he wanted you to do and began rocking your hips. One of your hands trailed to his hair while your other went to lay on top of one his that gripped your hip. You hadn’t realized the volume of your moans until you felt the vibration of his moan against your clit.
Your hips jerked at the added stimulation and he hummed against you purposefully, his eyes never leaving you as your hips sped up, chasing your own high. Within moments you could feel it approaching and your grip on his hair and hand tightened, moans of his name falling from your mouth like a prayer.
“Please, fuck,” you cried, whimpers falling from your lips, “Tommy, Tommy…”
Your high crashed over you a moment later and you felt Tommy’s movements begin to slow down as you rode out your high, your chest rising and falling rapidly as you caught your breath.
You went to move off of him, but his grip on your hips tightened at the same time that his tongue started speeding up again.
Your moans of pleasure turned to whimpers of over stimulation and you squirmed against him, but he didn’t let up. Your hips jerked as you tried moving away from him, but all it did was add to the stimulation.
You could practically feel him smirking underneath you as he continued on, watching as your eyes clenched shut and you relented yourself to letting him torture you so beautifully.
If it wasn’t for the way your body was on edge from not being given any type of break after your first orgasm, you might have felt slightly ashamed at the way he was able to bring you to your second orgasm so quickly.
And then your third.
Tears were freely falling from your face when he finally slowed his movements to a stop and helped you to lay down on your back.
He trailed soft and slow kisses along your thighs and stomach to help bring you back down to earth. When his lips reconnected with yours, you returned the kiss, letting your eyes fall shut at the surprisingly tender moment.
“Next time you want to start a war, at least let me know your plans,” he said, causing you to open your eyes and be met with a smirk dancing across his lips, “and don’t doubt my punishments.”
You could’ve smacked the smirk off his face if it wasn’t for the fact he had turned your entire body into mush.
“Think you can be a good girl and handle one more?” He asked.
Your cheeks flushed at the praise and his hands moved to his belt and pants, pulling them off after you nodded your confirmation.
Once the rest of his clothes had been removed, he gently lifted your legs and positioned himself between them. He was gentle as he pushed inside you, but the smirk on his face from the way your voice cracked when you moaned was obvious.
The stretch was familiar at this point, but it didn’t mean you didn’t need the moment he gave you to adjust. When you nodded your head, he started moving.
Tommy knew your body like he knew his own after your time together. His hips immediately changed position as he started thrusting, making sure to hit the spot inside you that added to the ways your legs shook underneath him.
He leaned down and placed his elbows on either side of your head, capturing your lips in a kiss right as a moan parted through them. One of his hands came back to cradle the back of your head and his fingers tangled into your hair to keep you close to him.
His other hand went to one of your legs and pulled it up so it rested in the crook of his elbow, causing him to hit even deeper inside you.
The action caused you to let out a high pitched moan and you wrapped your arms around him. Your next moan broke the passionate kiss the two of you had shared while your nails raked down his back.
“Who do you belong to?” He asked, beginning to speed up the movements of his hips.
“Y-you,” you moaned out, your back arching underneath him.
“Say my name. Who do you belong to?” He repeated.
“Thomas Shelby,” you answered and dropped your head back.
“Good girl. You’re my fucking wife,” he moaned out. He sat up, using one hand to keep your leg up in the same position while his other hand went to your already over sensitive clit, “all mine. No other man gets to touch you, look at you, or even fucking think of you. It’s my cock that you’re whimpering over right now, and it’s the only cock you’ll ever be whimpering over again.”
“I’m yours, Tommy,” you repeated, your voice breaking as moan after moan fell from your lips.
“Then cum for me. Be a good Shelby wife and make a fucking mess on my cock just like how you made a mess of this war tonight,” he commanded.
You didn’t need any more encouragement from him as your fourth orgasm hit you, causing your back to arch again and your nails to run down his arms.
His moves start to become more sloppy and his pace sped up as he began to chase his own high, the feeling of your cunt squeezing around his cock only driving him closer to the edge.
“Want to feel you Tommy, please,” you moaned underneath him, “please, cum inside me.”
“Fuck,” he swore out. His hips pushing against yours as his high hit him and his arms came down to either side of your head again while he shoved his face into your neck, completely claiming you as his own while his cum filled you.
His hips slowed as he rode out both of your highs and your arms came to wrap around him, placing a gentle kiss on the side of his head you could reach.
Once the two of your breathing had slowed down to a normal pace, he moved to push himself up and your legs around his waist tightened along with your arms.
“Don’t. Not yet,” you said in a quiet voice.
“I’m going to crush you, love.” He placed soft kisses along your shoulders between his words as he tried warning you.
“I’m a grown woman. I’ll tell you if it’s too much,” you replied and began running your nails softly along the shaved part of his head, knowing the motion worked on him every time.
“Stubborn,” he falsely chided, but relented and relaxed back into your hold.
“Little late to the party if you’ve just worked that out.” Your reply causing both of you to chuckle. “Remind me to start more wars if it means you fuck me like that every time.”
His hand came down and gently slapped your thigh in response while a burst of quiet giggles left your lips.
“Stubborn and a brat,” he teased, sitting up again and carefully sliding out of you.
“Too bad you’re stuck with me,” you responded with a smirk.
“I don’t think of it that way,” he said as he stood up and wrapped his arms under your waist and legs before pulling you up into his arms.
“How do you think of it?” You asked him as he carried you across the hall and into your shared room.
“I think I’m lucky enough to be married to a woman who killed for me over a years-old attack even though we’d never even said that we loved each other.” He set you down in the middle of the bed before crawling in next to you and pulling you into his chest.
A bright blush rose to your face as he pointed out that you had never even said you loved each other, even though you had admitted to him earlier that you had fallen for him. You didn’t know how to reply immediately and you turned in his arms to look up at him, his arms staying locked around your waist.
He didn’t seem to expect you to reply though, because he leaned in to you, pressing his lips against yours. The kiss was tender and sweet, as if he was trying to communicate what your actions had meant to him without having the words to say it.
“I fell for you, too,” he finally admitted, “I don’t know when it happened, but I know that I realized it tonight. The panic I felt to see your note and to see you come home covered in blood. The anger I felt over seeing you another man’s jacket. The way I felt when you revealed what you had done and why…” He trailed off, looking down at you and seeming to try and memorize every part of your face, “You’re mine.”
“I’m yours and you’re mine,” you replied, leaning up to kiss him.
“I’m yours and you’re mine.”
1K notes · View notes
kadwrites · 10 months
Text
A man with a reputation; masterlist
Tumblr media
- thomas shelby + arranged marriage!trope
1. a man with a reputation
; you cannot talk your way out of this, for the first time of your life , you're given no choice
2. an introduction
; you meet your husband to be for the first time
3. office scandal
; polly takes you with her to run an errand
4. the color green
; you've met tommy's secretary, who has a thing for him.
5. the shelby charm
; tommy demonstrates his charm on an unsuspecting girl.
6. entanglement
; your fate is now sealed
7. a perfect fit
; you and your family plan for the engagement party
8. desperate measures
;you finally take on the role of the tomm's bride-to-be.
9. different yet the same
;nothing stays the same, but how can you explain that to the people you love?
10. future mrs shelby
;the dreaded day arrives
11. my mother's daughter
; you and your mother get into a heated argument
12. surprise visit
; someone pays you a surprise visit
13. young love
;a person from your past makes an appearance.
14. something old, something new
;how long can you keep that secret?
15. unspoken
; some confrontations cannot be avoided.
16. romeo
;tommy shelby is an unpredictable man.
17. deja vu
;how well do we really know the people we love?
5K notes · View notes
shewrites444 · 10 months
Text
arranged [thomas shelby x reader smut]
Tumblr media
[ i’ve never written about one of cillian murphy’s characters but oppenheimer has me feeling a bit inspired lately. i haven’t watched peaky blinders in ages, so apologizes if it’s not completely accurate to the storyline. ]
[update: arranged part 2 ]
word count - 2.1k
[ summary - the reader and tommy agree to an arranged marriage that suits both of their needs. despite their disliking of each other, the two seem quite fond of each other in the bedroom, especially on their wedding night. ]
[ warnings - enemies to lovers trope that includes unprotected sex, oral, roughness, etc ]
-
thomas shelby was the last man i ever imagined myself being wedded to, but when my father unexpectedly passed and i no longer had the protection of his people, i had to find another way to make sure i wouldn’t be a victim to any gangs of birmingham - including the peaky blinders.
of course, tommy would never have married me if there wasn’t something i could offer him in return - that happened to be a ton of inherited money from my father, and several breweries i now technically owned, and numerous meeting spots that only i knew about, that the coppers would never find him or his family at, during anytime of the day.
despite the convenience of our arrangement, there was nothing favorable for either of us past the business side of things. our families had been at each other’s throats for years and now that my father was gone, a lot of that tension was, but nevertheless, you can’t expect a peaky blinder to not hold a grudge, even on their wedding night.
“see, that wasn’t so bad.” i mutter to my newly wed husband, walking into the dimly lit bedroom as i took off my white heels, setting them aside the now shut door. i watch as tommy began to unbutton his white dress shirt, and i sigh to myself, but loud enough to quirk his brow.
i tuck my hair behind my ears, walking to the bed and pulling the sheets down to prepare for what would hopefully be a fairly long sleep, given that i’d prefer not think much about who i was now standing across from.
“you don’t have to stay in here tonight if you don’t want to or even at all, tommy. you already have children and i’m aware you don’t want more, and frankly, i don’t want any, so just lie and tell polly the marriage was consummated tomorrow morning. go on.” i gesture my hand up and towards the door, watching his blank expression as i spoke in a more demanding, harsh manner.
he walked towards the bed, untucking his side, his shirt now unbuttoned and his toned, pale body at my exposure, which only made my cheeks redden as the muscles flexed with his movements. i may have despised the man for his profession, but it’s not like he wasn’t physically attractive.
“i may not be so found of you, mrs. shelby, but i do keep my marriage duties, at least to sleep beside you.” he says plainly, sitting down on the white sheets before looking up to me with a teasing expression. it almost felt wrong to see him show any emotion besides, well, none. “now, do i have to make you turn around while i fuck you, or can you bare the sight of me while doing so?”
i roll my eyes with a smirk, laying down and hovering my face above his before biting my bottom lip, glancing at his own with a bit of temptation, but nothing i couldn’t ignore for the sake of my ego. “i’m shocked you even asked to touch me, mr. shelby. peaky blinders have always seemed so forward with what they want.”
he tilted his head, his well-groomed hair bouncing lightly at the movement, now reaching over to hold the back of my neck, running his fingertips through the ends of my hair. “would you prefer i not ask? you didn’t strike me as the type of woman who’d prefer to be fucked like an animal.”
“you didn’t strike me as the type of man to wait until we were wed to even discuss sex, so we’re both a bit surprised. have you been distracted with other women through our engagement, dear husband?”
he scoffed at my comment, sitting up and leaning himself down to peck at my neck lightly, his heated breath against my tingling skin, a pit forming in my stomach at the touch he never dared grant me until now.
“you never gave me any suggestion to fuck before tonight, [y/n]. i assumed you wouldn’t allow me to lay a finger on you. this all seemed like a business opportunity, a plan for protection and financies, nothing more.” he muttered through his kisses, trailing his lips down to my covered chest before looking up to me again. “so, how about i ask you like a gentlemen, mrs. shelby. is this for business, or not?”
i shrug softly, glancing down to meet his seductive, icy blue eyes. “i think i’ll be able to tell if it is or not when you fuck me, mr. shelby."
he reached over to pull me on top of him, grabbing the white gown that dressed me and helping me to slip it off my core and past my arms, tossing it to the floor, which exposed me in nothing but my underwear, my breasts falling out of the fabric and resting before him. he took one hand to hold my back, the other cupping one breast and his thumb flicking at the hardening nipple. i feel him push me down, his lips attaching to the bud as i let out a soft moan, shocked by how sensual thomas shelby could be if directed to do so.
i could feel the bulge in his pants growing, beginning to grind myself against the black pants while he fondled my breasts with his mouth and free hand, the other that was once on my back now guiding itself down to my ass. he pulled himself away from my breast, panting softly to himself as the tension began to increase between our moving bodies.
“take off your panties and lay down on your back, won't you.” he said to me in a more demanding tone. i stood up and did so, spreading my legs before him as he undressed himself at the side of the bed, soon leaning down in front of me.
i chew my bottom lip at the sight of the man before me, but gasp as his tongue links to my clit, swirling and flicking around the sensitive bud of skin, while i only grow wetter through his touch and the saliva that collected against my entrance. i reach down to hold his head of black hair, my other hand resting against my chest while he continued to give me nothing but pleasure.
“this… this doesn’t seem… like b-business to me…” i stutter my words, my back arching at every sensitive touch he brought to my body. my words made him pull away, a smirk on his wet lips as he stuck one finger inside of me, pumping and curling it slowly enough to draw a loud moan from my lips before pulling it out right after.
he leaned down and gestured for me to open my mouth, sticking his finger inside for me to taste my own juices before pulling it out and licking it himself.
“neither does this, how wet you are for me. are you sure you want to take back the consummation of our arrangement, hm? it seems you like my tongue, mrs. shelby. do you think i’ll like yours?” he grinned, standing up and pointing his full erection towards me, holding it in one hand as i sat up on the bed.
i blush, getting off of the bed and onto my knees before him. i take his length into one hand, pumping it slowly as i look up to him, our eyes locked when i lean forward and take his tip into mouth, a heavy sigh coming from his lips as i begin to suck him off. he was thick and much longer than any man i’d ever been with, and frankly, if we were to sleep together tonight, i was a bit nervous of how my body would take him and the aftermath of it all tomorrow morning.
“fuck, fill your throat with me, [y/n]..” he moaned, both hands holding the back of my head as he thrusted himself towards my face. i took his cock down my throat, my eyes closing almost immediately as a tear runs down my cheek from the unexpected penetration, moving my head back and forth as his balls slap against my wet chin.
he tilted his head, mouth hung open as he watched me take him down my throat. i could hear his breath cutting short each time he thrusted, his cock twitching inside my mouth as he edged himself through each stroke. when he could tell through my reddening expression and glossy eyes that i was a bit overstimulated, he slowly pulled himself out of my mouth, leaning down to help me back on my feet and onto the bed.
he kneeled down before me, grabbing my face with both hands and pressing a passionate kiss against my lips, his tongue pushing itself into my mouth, which distracted me from the way he was moving my body off the bed again. he wraps his arms around me and guides me across the room and to the dresser, where he then breaks the kiss and turns me around, bending my body against the wood to where i made eye contact with the mirror that connected the furniture.
"i think this is worth the watch, don't you?" he teases, a devilish smirk across his face as he takes my neck in one hand, the other trailing before my pussy, his index and middle fingers attaching to my clit as he pushes himself inside of me without warning.
i gasp, watching my mouth open as he begins to fuck me, hard, against the dresser. the stimulation above my insides didn't make this any easier to take, given the fact i could already feeling my climax building in a matter of seconds.
i rest both palms against the wood, watching tommy's lips trail to my shoulder as he kissed against my sweating skin, leaving fresh hickeys from time to time, marking me like i was more than just an arrangement to him. if anything, this showed me that thomas shelby may not favor me, but he sure wanted the world to know i was his wife, and no one else's.
"i could fuck you all day, [y/n]. nothing fucking... compares to... how good you feel, fuck.." he muttered between kisses, looking up to meet my eyes in the mirror, his hand moving from my neck to hold my left breast tightly, halting it from bouncing throughout his thrusts. "do you feel me as much as i feel you?"
i nod, mouth still hung open, unable to even speak a word as tommy pulled my body closer, his fingers digging into my clit and forcing me to arch my back down, my ass pressing against him and causing even harsher friction between our bodies while he quickened his pace at the touch, the sound of our skin slapping together overpowering the bedroom.
i suddenly feel his arm wrap around my waist, and then the other, holding me so close and his body leaned so far down my back was touching his core. he thrusted deeper, further than what i even thought was possible for him to go, and so much so to the point i was in immense pain, but god, it felt so fucking good. his cock overpowered my entire body, and i felt my orgasm rushing to the surface, fluids leaking out from inside of me past himself and dripping between my legs, his own orgasm filling my insides within a matter of seconds after.
i feel him slide out of me, catching his own breath and helping turn me around to face him. he takes my hand and places the other on my back, guiding me to the bed once more and laying me down, pulling the sheet on top of me to cover my stomach down, my breasts exposed to the cold air. i feel his lips against my chest, lightly kissing from my nipples, to my shoulders, to my neck, and to my lips, once more. he smiles softly, and genuinely, to me, before snapping out of his sappy mood to grab a cigarette from the nightstand, lighting it.
"do you think we'll be doing this again?" he asks quietly, handing me the cigarette. "doesn't seem like it would be a negative thing to add to our arrangement, eh?"
i smirk, blowing the smoke out from my lips and towards the ceiling. "i wouldn't be opposed, but if you fuck me that hard every time, i'm not sure i would be able to get out of bed the next morning."
he chuckled to himself, standing up and walking to the other side of the bed, sliding himself into the sheets and putting out the cigar. he took me into his arms, lighting running his hand across my hair. "we can see about that. goodnight, mrs. shelby."
i rest my head against his chest, closing my eyes and smiling to myself, partially hoping tommy wouldn't see my vunerability.
"goodnight, mr. shelby."
4K notes · View notes
cillianhead · 8 months
Note
Your Thomas Shelby's younger inexperienced wife and you are both experimenting in the bedroom and he lets you choke him 🥵
Oh absolutely...!
God I can't wait to write this. Thank you for your request! I hope you like it :-)
Show Me How Much You Need Me || Thomas Shelby x Reader
Part One!
Warnings: SMUT, unprotected P in V, choking, light spanking i guess??, face slapping, age gap, degrading language, swearing / vulgar language, kinda mild breeding kink, daddy kink, squirting, mild overstimulation sort of, oral sex (f receiving), arranged marriage, very very very very vague implications of dubcon sort of but like not really but just be warned! adult content. (sorry if I missed any warnings)
18+ Minors DNI
Tumblr media
To your parents, being unmarried at the age of twenty was absolutely unacceptable. So on your birthday, they had men lining up around the block, both old and young alike, hoping to be your husband. Now there were some good candidates, not that you had a choice in who you were going to marry. Your parents were control freaks, deciding they were going to decide for you. But as soon as Thomas Shelby walked into the room, cigarette hanging loosely out of his lips, a trail of smoke following him and a huge wad of cash in hand and then tossing it down in front of my parents, acting like he owned the place... You knew no one else stood a chance.
Now you'd been married for a month, Tommy was an insatiable man. He got what he wanted when he wanted. You remember the look in his eyes on your wedding night when you told him you were a virgin, he nearly came in his trousers at the thought of your tight pussy. You've had sex pretty much twice a day or more ever since, he couldn't keep his hands off of you. Tommy showed you how to fuck, how to suck his cock, showed you how to please a man. Of course, the only man you would ever be allowed to please would be Tommy himself. You were hesitant to marry him, you were also slightly afraid of him but as you got to know each other, got to spend more time together as husband and wife, you appreciated his company, and you could even see yourself beginning to love him. But lately the sex between you had started to die down, Tommy being busy dealing with the peaky blinders and all their drama, you'd only have sex every other day or so. Which for you guys, wasn't a lot. But you knew he was tired, it wasn't cause he wasn't attracted to you anymore.
It was pouring rain outside as you both quietly sat in bed, Tommy read his novel quietly, glasses sitting on the edge of his nose while you brushed through your hair, topless and only in some thin white panties for him. There was a visible wet patch from your arousal, you were always wet when you were near Tommy, he just had that affect over you. He thought it was cute how easily excitable you are. You were incredibly needy, now that you'd had a taste of what it was like to have sex, you were constantly asking for it, constantly trying to get his attention. Poor little inexperienced thing you were.
"Tommy," You whined, placing your hairbrush on the bedside table and then leaning over, pressing your face into his neck. "Pay attention to me..."
Tommy let out an amused huff, turning another page of his book, not bothering to even spare one glance at you. "What do y'need, love?" He asked gruffly, reaching his spare arm and wrapping it around you, pulling you into him. He knew exactly what you needed, he just wanted to hear you say it. The way you got embarrassed and shy was incredibly sexy to him.
"Need you..." You whispered, placing kisses along the column of his throat.
"Gotta be more specific than that," He closed his book, finally setting it aside along with his glasses. "What do you need from me?"
"I need... you..." You were flustered, burying your face in his bare chest but he grabbed you by the nape of the neck like you were a kitten and pulled your head up, forcing you to look at him. "I need you to fuck me... Tommy..."
"Is that so?" He chuckled, running a thumb over your bottom lip which you innocently popped into your mouth, swirling your tongue around the digit. You weren't doing intentionally to turn him on, you just liked the way it felt to suck on something, especially if that something was Tommy's thumb. But the sight was suggestive, Tommy wished it was his cock in your mouth instead. "Fuckin' hell, alright, sit in me lap, I'll give you what ye need."
You continued sucking on his thumb, keeping eye contact with him as he pulled down his sleep shorts and pulled down your underwear. "Go on then, take what ya came here for." Tommy pulled his wet thumb away, shoving it between your folds and rubbing your clit, making you weak in the knees. He had so much power over you. So you grabbed onto his shoulders before holding the head of his dick before lining up with the leaky tip and sinking down on him. You watched his eyes roll into the back of his head as you squeezed around him. "Easy, girl." He warned, his cock twitching inside you, he could cum from just how tight you were. God he fucking loved that his cock was the only one you'd ever taken, loved the way you stretched around him.
"Fuck... so deep..." You sat on him for just a moment, adjusting to the feeling. Even though you'd taken him plenty of times, your cunt just hadn't gotten use to the sheer size and girth of him. It made you feel like you were being torn open in the most beautiful way possible. "T-Tommy..."
"Ride me, slut, go on... show me how much you need me." He slapped your ass harshly before grabbing a handful of it and encouraging your hips to start grinding against him. "Such a pretty girl."
You moved your hips back and forth, a bit shy at first as you did so but as more and more pleasure began to build in your stomach, your dignity went out the window as you began desperately bouncing on his cock. Tommy had never seen you so hungry for it before, he just leaned back against the bed, his hands gripping your waist as you took what you wanted.
Your tits bounced right in front of his face and Tommy thought to himself this was the greatest view in the world. His pretty little wife fucking herself and her perfect tits moving in sync with her movements. He let out gravelly groans as you sunk back down on him, sweaty, you froze for a moment to catch your breath. This was still all so new to you, still such an innocent little thing. You still need Tommy's help to get off sometimes, not quite strong enough yet to ride him all on your own.
"Tommy..." You whispered with a small whine. "Need your help..." Your flushed cheeks and blown out pupils were a sign of how lost in the moment you were. He just smiled as he pushed you down onto your back and threw your legs over his shoulders. His cock pressing even deeper into your pussy, somehow. You could feel him in your stomach.
"This what you want, little girl?" He hummed as he started to fuck in and out of you, impaling you on his dick. "Want me to fuck you like the slut you are?"
You moaned, nodding dumbly as your mind went blank. "Yes! Tommy! Fuck me!" You were incredibly loud and you were lucky no one else was in the house because otherwise they'd hear how loud you were being, when usually you were quite reserved around other people. "Pl-Please put a baby in me Tommy... let me make you a daddy..."
"Fuck..." Tommy could cum at your words, "Yeah?" He panted continuing to piston in and out of you, one of his hands grabbed roughly at your tits, playing with your hard nipple. "Gonna breed you like the bitch that you are." You moaned at his words, arching your back further into him as he gave you another harsh spank to your asscheeks.
"Tommy... gonna cum... please... don't stop!" You sounded like a pornstar, Tommy leaned down and kissed you.
"My pretty little wife," His voice was vibrating through you, the gravel of it making you even wetter. The sound of his cock slipping in and out of your sopping little cunt echoed throughout the room as he leaned down even further and connected his lips to yours once again. He felt your fingers curl around his neck, both hands wrapped around his throat, Tommy was never one to get flustered but the idea of you choking him made his hips stutter as you squeezed around him a bit. "Fuck..." He moaned lowly as you held onto his neck. You looked so sweet in that moment. "Such a stupid little girl, when you're full of cock, don't even know what ye doin, eh?" He fucked into you more, feeling you squeeze around him. Your hands held onto his throat as if you were holding him on a leash.
You were a writhing mess, shaking underneath him, only choking him further. You looked at how pretty he looked with your hands wrapped around his throat and how flushed his face was, hair sticking to his sweaty forehead as his hips bruised your pelvis. "Daddy...!" You moaned out, experimentally, waiting to see his reaction. You had always fantasized about calling him it but you were always too nervous to do so. But right now you were drunk on the pleasure, too fucked out to care.
"Fuck... say that again... gonna fuckin' fill you up, love." Tommy was just as desperate as you now, chasing his own high as you started to convulse around him, your orgasm unraveling, he lightly slapped you across the face, hard enough to break you out of your daze but not enough to actually do any damage. "Fuckin' do what I say!" You clenched tighter around him, cumming even harder at the sound of him yelling at you. Him being angry at you shouldn't be so hot but it was.
"Sorry... s-sorry... daddy!" You sobbed out as you gushed around his cock that began leaking cum. "Please... cum in me, please daddy..."
"That's right, baby..." He was rutting into you now, hips moving into you hard yet slow. "I'm yer daddy." He let out a deep mewl as he came inside you, making you moan even louder, your voice hoarse and your throat sore as you let go of his throat, collapsing your arms back. Tommy fucked his cum deep into you despite the sensitivity of his cock. Slowly pulling out of you, he pushed your legs against your chest to look down at the slick between your legs. A little bit of cum dripped out of your stretched out hole, earning you two fingers pushing it back into you, you just whimpered, a bit overstimulated.
"Think I gotta get a taste of your pussy now, love," He hummed getting down on his tummy, face aligned perfectly as he moved his fingers in a 'come hither' movement. You gasped, he was hitting your g-spot each time.
"Fuck, tommy!"
"Eh, that's not me name right now." He looked at you warningly before unhinging his jaw and attaching his hot mouth to your sensitive clit again.
"Oh daddy! 'S too much, too much... please..." You couldn't tell if you wanted him to stop or to keep going, it was all too much for your brain to comprehend. You were seeing hot flashes of white, your body going completely limp as another orgasm washed over you, rendering you helpless to the pleasure that was consuming you from the inside out. "D-Daddy..." You dumbly moaned.
"Tastes so fuckin good, keep cummin' on my face." His nose brushed your clit as he licked up your juices and you came again and again and again. Extremely overstimulated. "Just gimme one more, baby then I'll leave you alone." You were unresponsive, nodding your head weakly, wanting to be good for him. "Such a good girl for daddy, aren't ya?" He made out with your gushing sex, adding a third finger.
And suddenly you felt it burst out of you, drenching his hair, face, and the sheets underneath you. Squirting all over his face and just as you thought it was over, it just kept on coming. Your mouth agape in a silent scream of pleasure, he drank it all up, continuing to slurp at your pussy until it finally ended. He pulled away, leaning back on his ankles, Tommy had a very pleased look on his face, your squirt dripping down his chin and his chest sticky with your cum and the sheets soaking wet. "That was the best bloody thing to ever happen to me." He huffed, licking his wet fingers. You laid there, tears streaming down your face and twitching gently, still coming down. He laid down beside you. "You did so good f'me, so good, you're alright, I'm here."
He held you as you continued to shake, waiting for you to calm down a bit. "I've never done that before..." You whimpered, pussy throbbing, full of cum, and sopping wet.
He gave you a loud genuine laugh, still sticky with your juices as he kissed you. "I'm gonna make you squirt over and over and over again every time we fuck now, just so you know."
You giggled at his words, he was gonna be the death of you.
-
I know there wasn't a whole lot of 'experimenting' or choking so i'm sorry! But I hope you enjoyed anyway!!
2K notes · View notes
your-nanas-house · 3 months
Note
more dark!tommy smut!!!! 🥹❤️🙏
Yup! Wasn't so sure if you wanted the same trope as the previous fics I wrote so I tried something else. 🥰
His fookin' wife
Tumblr media
◇ Pairing: Dark!Tommy Shelby X wife!reader
◇ Warnings: heavy DUBCON, angst, Tommy being mean and a man of that period, MISOGYNY, arranged marriage, curses and violence, age gap (both off age).
◇ Summary: Tommy reminds his wife of her place.
◇ Note: Sorry for the mistakes and the English. Honestly... I hate the way I'm writing so I will apologise for my writing as well. Hope you enjoy 🙇🏼‍♀️.
Tumblr media
All his thoughts came to an end as soon as she almost reached the front door.
His big calloused hands moved on their own grabbing quickly but firmly her waist from behind, so to pull her body back and grip her thighs tighly.
A deep inhale followed his actions, making the younger woman shiver as his warm breath brushed teasingly the shell of her ear.
Different emotions kept swirling inside of Tommy, his breath became heavier as his low and seductive voice interrupted the silence in the entrance to their house. Their... since it was hers as well, as soon as he put a ring around her finger three years ago, because of an arranged marriage.
The man could feel his wife's body tensing at his touch, but it just sent a shiver down his spine. His primal instincts kicking in fast, getting into him like a bullet.
"W-What are you doing?" Y/n's weak and panicked voice asked in a whisper, making a small smirk appear on his handsome face. His tongue dared out to wet his lips before he could place them on her neck, feeling her quick pulse against them.
"What do you think I'm doing?" He purred out, inhaling her scent before continuing to speak... his voice way lower and predatory than before. "I'm not going to let you leave the house until I'm finished with you, love—"
" —Or would you rather just leave and go and talk to those Italian lads again?" He mocked, anger and jealousy clear in his tone while his grip tightened at the mere movement of hers... causing the young woman to get even more scared of what was happening.
The prospect of being intimate with her arranged husband sounded... weird to her; he never acted like that with her, just once when he was drunk. Besides that night, their honeymoon of years before had been pretty much cold and calculated, he simply prepared her before stealing her virginity with a harsh thrust and little conversation.
No love or emotions besides lust present in that moment of their life.
The panic and fear made her try to escape his grip, just wanting to leave the house already to mind her own business and not discover this more carnal side of her man. A bad idea since Tommy reacted quickly, now holding her closer against his chest, his hips pressing harder against the soft curves of her covered ass while his cock reacted positively at the situation.
"Oh no, you're not getting away that easily... There's no escaping me, darling. I'm going to keep you right here with me so there's no point in trying to free yourself." His low and threatening voice informed her before continuing after a soft growl caused by the wiggling of her body.
"I'm not going to let you leave unless I say so, and I'm going to keep you here all for myself, as your husband.... as your man."
It has been too long since he had been with his Y/n like that, and the fact that she was fighting him caused him to crave her even more. Her teasing and panicked movements were driving him crazy with lust, the way her curves kept pressing back against his front... brushing his now rock-hard cock just made the blue eyed man want to slam her against the nearest surface and take her like he was craving since a while.
Y/n was sweating cold, her heart beating crazily as her mind raced with lots of different thoughts... her body jolted again at his touch and he pressed her harshly against the cold front door of their house.
A breathy groan left the dark haired man's body as he pinned her against the wood, his hips now grinding against her ass... as his left hand held tightly her wrists together so that his free one could raise up the fabric of the dress she was wearing.
"Fucking hell, luv" Tommy cursed at the view of her exposed lower half, his hand colliding with her right ass cheek, making her whimper at the stingy sensation and whine when he knealed harshly her reddening skin.
"Missed your damn body" he added with a breathless growl, position his bulge between her legs as he pulled roughly her underwear up and leave place to his boner to rub on her butt, nudging her sacrum with each movement.
Y/n's body kept hitting softly the door as Tommy made her move with his tempo, his breath getting heavier and faster just like his thrusts.
His free hand, which had reached for her chest without success, moved now down her spine till his fingers could start to undo his belt and pants... sending a shock of fear in the young woman's body.
At the sound of the belt hitting the floor, her eyes widen and her feet moved on its own, stepping on Tommy's and catching him off guard for a couple of seconds. Allowing her to try to run away, heading quickly upstairs as he just watched her with a predatory smirk on his face... his hand picking up the belt from the ground before he rushed behind her.
"It's useless, I told you already... such a-fiesty-little-wife" Tommy spat with gritted teeth as his hand grabbed a firm hold on her ankle before pulling and making her fall down the stairs so that his body could be pin hers easily.
His broad chest now pressing against her small back as his hand pulled her hair so that her face was tilted towards him
"Don't you wanna be a good wife for your husband, luv?" The older man purred against her jaw, leaving wet kisses as his other hand traveled between her breasts to undo her dress and let easier access to her chest.
"I think we need to revise your duties as a wife and... as a woman.... my woman" Tommy spat out, before pressing her head against the moquette of the stairs, unbothered by the discomfort he was causing her by holding the soft skin of her cheek against that material.
His hold on her hair got tighter as his other hand traveled down, between her legs... moving skillfully aside her panties before thrusting one finger in while he circled roughly her clit.
His eyes closed and he groaned softly at the small thrusts of her hips cause by the jolts of pleasure he was giving her. All rubbing against his aching cock so well.
As Thomas opened his mouth again his tone was more dominating and demanding even if it was breathless
"Just like that... fuck" he cursed softly, opening his pants quickly to pull out his lenght and start grinding roughly against her lower back... his fingers still working their magic.
Y/n's whimpers and muffled cries didn't stopped his monologue after he started it. Telling her what she should have known already... how it was her duty as a wife to stay home, to keep the house in order for her husband. To listen to her husband and to be faithful to him. To support him in his business and to satisfy his needs whenever he wanted... since he was her husband.
Each point of the list was followed by a thrust of his hips and a soft groans of pleasure.
"You need to keep the home clean, to cook meals, and being faithful to your husband... you fookin'— need to look presentable and appealing at all times, making sure to be feminine and seductive for your husband whenever he wants it. Fookin' need to make sure the children are always kept up and taken care of, and you need to take— care of your husband's emotional needs as well" he continued, his groans interrupting his monologue a couple of time as he slowly approached his peak.
His cremaster muscle contracted and his jaw clenched as a soft hiss escaped his lips... his grip tightened around her hip and on her hair, making her scalp burn. Till a couple of thrusts later when he came with a low groan of her name... his cum landing on her precious dress and bare ass.
Y/n's body kept trembling due to the pleasure and the little act he was playing, teasing her cunt since he started to speak to make her desperate and needy for him.
"Understood, love?" Tommy's sweet tone, boomed in her empty head as tears kept wetting her cheeks. A soft yelp escaping her mouth when his hand slapped her pussy, hitting her clit harshly to make her squirt on him and the fabric of the moquette.
The young woman was breathing heavily, a soft sob interrupted the silence followed by a playful slap on her cheek as she kept nodding at what he asked her.
"That's a good woman, eh" Thomas hummed in a mocking tone, before getting carefully up... his icy stare remaining on her as he pumped his softening cock a couple of times
"Now up, on your feet" his business voice kicked in, more authoritarian and dominant than before. His heart was beating fast and his lust was growing even more as the time passed.
Y/n did as he said, forcing herself up on trembling legs; the shock of intense pleasure still making her head feel light and relaxed but exhausted.
As the soft, low voice of her husband smoothed her... his tender praises working as soft caresses after a harsh slap.
"That's a good little wife" he hummed out again, leading her to their bedroom as his lips kept brushing against the side of her bare neck.
"Get undressed for your husband, love" Tommy demanded, stroking her hip as he took care of his own clothes. His eyes never leaving her body as she did what he asked her, looking at him still scared but eager to feel such a surprising sensation again.
The older man's big hands pushed her softly down on the bed by the shoulders, before letting them travel softly up to her face... cupping her cheeks to make her look directly in his eyes "That's way better, isn't it, love?" He asked in a whisper, leaning down to kiss her and let her desire win over her negative thoughts.
A deep sigh left her mouth as a ticklish sensation formed on her skin while Tommy's hand traveled and explored it just like his lips. Resting tenderly against her sternum to place a hard kiss on it... a kiss that started the path of more kisses around her chest and ended with his lips wrapped around her erect nipple.
His calloused hands spread carefully his wife's bare legs, allowing him to move between them with ease while his warm tongue swirled and his lips sucked sensually, moving away with a soft pop.
"Been dying to feel your pretty warm mouth around my cock, honey" he murmured softly, brushing his nose against her jugular up to her face
"Or to feel your hands... breasts.... ass... squeezing me till I'm satisfied—" he continued, stopping just to let a throaty groan leave his body as his tip got squeezed by Y/n's cunt.
Her eyes closed quickly at the feeling of his thick lenght forcing itself inside of her tight pussy... causing a burning sensation that was eased down by the quick movements of Tommy's fingers on her clit
"Fuckk... darlin', if you keep squeezing me like this it won't last long" he murmured through a hiss, snapping his hips forward so that his cock was now fully swallowed by her pussy which held him like a vice.
Her juices started to wet his thighs shamefully as he pressed himself as close as possible to feel the bulge caused by his cock in her lower belly.
"You fookin' loving it, eh?" Tommy asked teasingly, sloppy kissing her lips as she tried to say 'yes' after a choked moan.
And it was true, she was loving it... her body was loving it.
When her husband started to move inside of her, she felt tears gathering in her eyes at the contrast of his firm and quick but still sensual thrusts and his tender, loving kisses.
It was different from the quick fuck on the stairs or the cold sex they had during the honeymoon, he wanted to show her and make her take the right choice... either be fucked like a useless whore or like his wife.
The message was clear and his demeanour was really fucking with her mind just like his body was doing to hers.
She was his wife... his wife.
He kept repeating it as he slowly reached his peak again, his firm but loving grip forced her to look him in the eyes as her back arched and a silent moan left her body. Her toes curled against the cold sheet of their bed, making her realize how warm her body actually was at that moment.
"Fookin' hell, cream around my cock, love" Tommy ordered, lost in pleasure... snapping his hips forward a couple of times before going for a deeper one and stop right there.
His sharp jaw dropping as a moan left his mouth, his seed shot inside of her cunt as curses and praises joined the moment. She could feel it and she was sure that it would have caused consequences as well as a drastic change in their life.
Y/n Shelby... was Tommy's wife.
Only his, his damn property and.. woman. Not anyone else's and he had just proved his point.
Tumblr media
843 notes · View notes
princessofmarvel · 8 months
Text
Runaway
Tumblr media
summary | thomas has made a deal with a man to help his business. thomas’s only condition? to marry the man's daughter. except she doesn’t want to marry him. 
pairing | thomas shelby x fem!reader
word count | 1.98k
 genre | fluff with some angst?
requested? | yes! i had so much fun writing this! especially since i have never written anything like this before! thank you so much for requesting! please let me know if you like it!
warnings! | arranged marriage? darkish thomas? (not really, i’m just not great at writing dark characters sometimes, lol) not proof read yet!
author’s note! | hey everyone! this main character was written with poc in mind, i have tried my best, but since i am not a person of color please let me know if there is anything i can change to make it better! i hope you enjoy your request! please know that if you have requested something, i promise that i will get to it soon! And as always, I do I have really bad OCD that causes me to write in some random capitalization, and punctuation, But I think that we don't have to worry about that in this fic lol. And let me know if there are any mistakes, but please be kind!
Tumblr media
Thomas knew what was happening today, hell his whole family knew. His future bride was coming to birmingham. He struck up a good deal with her father about helping her fathers business about a week ago, then he saw a photo of the man's daughter. The only condition Thomas made? To marry his daughter. Once they agreed, the man said he needed a week to get his family there. By the time they got there, Thomas had already got everything set up to make damn sure the man would be successful in birmingham. Which included a few fights, but Thomas would do it all over again if it meant he could have her. 
They weren’t to meet until the wedding, something her father insisted on. So Thomas stood in a room of the church getting ready, when his brother John busted in. 
“They can’t find her Tommy” was all John said as he huffed as if he was out of breath.
Thomas’s mind began to race. What did he mean they couldn’t find her? Has something happened? Had one of his enemies found out about today and took her? 
“She was getting ready, and asked for a moment to herself, when her mother came back in to check on her, she was gone.” John added as he leaned on the closest chair. 
Thomas stood and took in his brother's words for a moment before he left the room. His future wife was out in Birmingham in her pretty white dress, with no protection and no one was doing anything about it. Her family may not know this city, but Thomas did. He knew what could happen to her if she stayed out there too long. This won’t be an issue when they’re married, and she has his last name. She could kill someone and get away with it then, but right now no one in Birmingham knows who she is. All they know is that she is a pretty girl in a white wedding dress, and the thought of what could happen to her made him sick.  
Thomas looked everywhere he could think his fiance would be. He couldn’t find her anywhere, the only place he hadn’t checked was the Garrison. 
He walked in to see his bride to be, standing behind the bar making herself what looked like her fourth drink. He walked in slowly, making sure not to scare her. 
“(Y/n)?” He asked as he walked up to the bar. She looked up at him as she continued to make her drink. “I’m Thomas Shelby, your future-”
“I know who you are.” She said, cutting him off. 
“Well, we're supposed to be getting married right now.” He said matter of factly. “So what are you doing here?”
“I’m not marrying you, thought you would have figured that out by now.” She said as she took a sip of her drink. 
Thomas looked at her, making sure to not show how shocked he was that she was speaking to him that way.
“And, why not?” He asked her, now intrigued. 
“I don’t want to, I don't know you.” She said as she finished her drink. 
Thomas moved to be behind the bar where she was. He took her drink from her hand and placed it on the bar. 
“(Y/n)” He said as he towered over her. “Your father has already given me your hand.” 
“I know, I don’t care.” She said as she grabbed her drink back from Thomas.
Thomas just took a moment and stared at the girl as she took her drink back. It was the first time he truly got to look at her. He got to take in the color of her eyes, and the curl of her hair, she truly was beautiful.
“Why exactly are you so against marrying me?” He asked as he stared at her. 
“I want to be my own person, not defined by my father or my husband.” She said not missing a beat. 
“I think I can help with that.” Thomas said, starting to get closer to the girl. “I have a certain reputation, if you’re married to me, you’ll be untouchable.”
“That's still me being defined by my husband.” She said, cutting him off with a small eye roll. 
Thomas took the drink from her and set it back down, but this time, she didn’t turn away from him, she just stared up at him, waiting for him to continue. 
“As I was saying, you would be untouchable, and if you wanted a role in peaky blinder business, you wouldn’t just be “Thomas Shelby's wife”. You would be “(Y/n) Shelby, most feared woman in Birmingham”. You have an opportunity here, the choice is yours.” Thomas said, staring her in the eyes. Normally he would never offer this to someone he just met. But there was something about (Y/n), just the look in her eyes, the way she wasn’t scared of him, how she held herself, how she looked at him with the same amount of intensity he looked a her with, how she didn’t care she was defying the most feared man in birmingham. "Don't let your pride get in the way of a smart decision."
Thomas watches the girl stare at the wall for a moment, him taking in her side profile. Until she finally looked up at him.
"I won't be reduced to just your little wife?" She asked with a small glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"I'll let you take care of anyone who says you are" He said with a serious look on his face.
The girl gave him a small smile, it was obvious that no one had ever believed in her the way Thomas was right now, that they all thought of her as some weak little girl and nothing more.
"Fine, I'll marry you" She said as she looked up at him with a small smile. 
Thomas wrapped her arm in his and led her out of the Garrison. He held the bottom of her white dress up away from the dirt as he walked them back to the church. 
“You know, you’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding.” She said to him with a small laugh. “It’s bad luck.” 
“I won’t let anything ruin this marriage, trust me.” He said as he opened the church door for her and let her walk in first. Thomas watched as her family whisked her away, knowing that this girl was truly something he had never expected her to be, and he loved it.
1K notes · View notes
queenshelby · 11 months
Text
Business As Usual (Part Three)
Pairing: Dark!Thomas Shelby x Wife!Reader
Warning: Dubious Consent, Reluctant Smut, Loss of Virginity, Arranged Marriage, Religious Themes, Angst, Termination, Pregnancy 
Words: 3,500
NOTE: THIS IS MUCH DARKER THAN WHAT I USUALLY WRITE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Tumblr media
*** The Consummation of Marriage***
“Alright Love. Why the fuck not” Tommy said as his gaze dropped.
“You will give me the US division of the business?” you ought to clarify before retreating slightly and placing your half empty glass onto the nearby study desk.
“What fucking choice do I have, eh?” Tommy then asked and, by this point, he was already awfully close to you.
“Okay. Right. Now, should I get myself ready so that…” you then stammered a little nervously, causing Tommy to furrow his eyebrows.
“Ready for what?” he wondered and, again, you nervously stammered out an explanation.
“We just talked about this, Thomas” you began to say but he interrupted you.
“We did, and I do not want to draw this out for any longer than I have to. Let’s just get it over and done with, eh?” Tommy asked and, of course, you agreed.
“That’s perfectly fine by me” you thus said, trying to appear confident whereas, the truth was, that you were not.
“Good” Tommy said. “Now, turn around” he ordered and this caught you by surprise.
“Excuse me?” you asked as you weren’t sure what he wanted you to do.
“Turn around. It will be quicker that way” he then said and, again, you nodded, this time more reluctantly than before.
“Sure” you said almost nervously before turning around and placing your palms on to the large desk now in front of you, waiting for what was to come next.
But, what came next surprised you as, suddenly, you felt your husband’s hands on your back, pushing your upper body down until your clothed breasts laid flat against the cold oak.
And then his weight was against your back, his hands on your hips, and you began to wonder how someone so lean could be so strong when you felt it.
“Are you sure about this Love?” he then asked again and affirmed that this was indeed what you wanted.
“I am sure, although I didn’t expect it to happen quite like this” you then told him and Tommy chuckled slightly.
“Listen Love, you asked me to make it quick and I can assure you that it will be quick, but only if we do it my way. I have no desire to make love to you. I will simply fuck you and then I will be on my way. Now, do I have your consent?” Tommy then asked and you, again, gave your consent.
“Yes. You have my consent” you said, holding back your tears just as your husband bunched your skirt up in his hands and pulled it up.
“Your ass is actually not that bad” Tommy then said almost cheekily while you gasped at the sudden feeling of air on your upper thighs as he flipped the fabric over your back, exposing your lace covered panties.
“Just shut up and do what you need to do” you responded while still fighting your tears. You were glad that he couldn’t see your face like this as, clearly, you had no intention of appearing vulnerable to him.
“I was just giving you a compliment Love” Tommy chuckled before, in one hard move, he pulled your underwear all the way down your thighs.
“I don’t need compliments from you, although a warning would have been nice” you gasped as you moved away from him slightly but Tommy quickly grabbed your hips and adjusted your position again.
He brought you further back towards him and yanked your legs apart slightly before instructing you to stay still.
“Don’t move” he growled just before his hand went right in between your legs and he ran a finger through your slit.
You winced at his touch and, whilst it felt interesting to be touched by someone else other than yourself, you were not aroused and were not quite sure what he was looking for but whatever it was, he did not find it.
“You're barely wet at all, Love” Tommy then said just as you heard the clink of his belt being undone.
“Am I meant to be?” you asked as, by now, your heart threatened to fly out of your chest.
“Considering the circumstances, probably not” Tommy then said while undoing his zipper and pushing down his pants and brief in go.
Unlike you, he was aroused but then again, getting aroused was not exactly difficult for him. He was a sex driven individual and visited local brothels quite frequently for easy and problem free relief.
Thus, he was also rather experienced and knew what needed to be done for a woman to enjoy herself although, with you, he seemingly couldn’t be bothered as, without loosing any time, he licked his fingers before applying his saliva onto your somewhat dry core so that he could penetrate you more easily.
It was at this time that, finally, the tears came in full force and, after Tommy removed his hand from you, you felt something hot and hard parting the lips of your slit.
It felt strange to say the least and you always expected your first time to be different and romantic in a way. You might have never been with a man, but you were a woman grown and had touched yourself before which, too, felt different.
At times, you even slid your own fingers inside of your body, but nothing compared to this as your husband pushed against your opening.
Now, all you could feel was burning until, eventually, your pussy gave in with a surge of pain.
You bit your tongue, teeth clenching, as Tommy penetrated you from behind and the tears did not stop, which luckily for you, he couldn’t see.
“Fuck Love, you are tight” Tommy said as you felt every painful centimetre of his cock being forced into you. The sensation was like sandpaper against your insides as, unceremoniously, you felt him ripping through your maidenhead.
The pain was a stab all the way from the innermost parts of you and, just as you swallowed your gasp, your knees began to give way.
There was no getting out of this now so you closed your eyes, clenched your jaw, and tried to just get through it.
Eventually, you felt Tommy’s hips touch your rear while, at the same moment, you felt him reach something deep inside your core.
“Please, just hurry up. I am not exactly enjoying this” you pleaded as Tommy ground his hips against you while the head of his cock nestled against your cervix, sending another wave of pain across your abdomen.
“It would be easier if you were stop moving around” Tommy then told you as he pulled out slightly and then pushed back in, hitting that spot inside again.
Every time he bottomed out inside of you, Tommy groaned but all you could register was the hard wall against your front and the burning ache in your privates growing momentarily sharp every time he thrust, even though he was not rough or too fast. In and out, in and out, dry drag and burning push, until a few minutes later the pain began to dull just the slightest bit, which you supposed meant your body had finally caught up and decided to help.
After a while, Tommy had picked up a little speed, with the new aid of your wetness. The pain in your entrance dulled slightly and left your vividly aware of the pain of that spot inside, low in your stomach.
“Just a little bit more Love. I am almost there” he groaned and panted behind you but you could not say anything and simply tried to focus on something else.
Somewhere in the pain and the shame, you felt lost. You just wanted this to be over and, luckily for you, after just a few minutes of thrusting in and of you, Tommy was close. The sounds he made were growing more and more heated and, by what you could feel inside of you, Tommy had began to really pick up speed now.
"I'm close” he eventually said. His voice was hoarse by now, near a pan and, with all the pain, you had no words left.
Eventually though you cried out inadvertently as, with one deep thrust, Tommy groaned loudly and hilted himself all the way inside. He forced his cock into you hardly and the force pushed you on your toes, stabbing that spot inside of you with all his might.
“Fuck” he groaned as he came and you knew that had spilled himself inside of you as you felt the wicked warmth of his cum spreading across your burning walls.
When he was done, he sighed. He was content and spent and, after a few moments, he rocked his hips. And again. Slowly, gently, a little thrust, then another, pushing his seed deeper inside of you.
You whined. The pain might have dulled, but it hadn't stopped and, when he finally pulled out of you, you sighed with relief whereas Tommy, on the other hand, was met with shock and regret.
“Fuck Y/N! Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked almost angrily as he noticed the streaks of blood that had mixed with his cum, covering both his cock and your pussy.
“Tell you what?” you asked after wiping your tears away.
“That I am your first! Fuck! I would have been…” Tommy yelled after cleaning himself off, pulling up his pants and slamming his fist onto the desk just before you interrupted him.
“You would have been more careful or little bit gentle perhaps?” you chuckled, wiping away the tears that you were unable to hold back.
“Yes. Obviously” Tommy sighed before handing you his handkerchief. Let’s talk about this” he then said but you shook your head.
“Talk about what? There is nothing to talk about Thomas! It had to be done and I didn’t want you to have pity on me. This is a business transaction now. No more and no less” you told him and this comment you made irritated him even more.
“Fine” he said before walking towards the door. “You are fucking insane, you know that? Perhaps Pol was wrong about you” Tommy then spat and slamming the door behind him as he left.
Just as he had left however, you just cried against the wall, trying to ignore the warm wet feeling inside of you and trying to ignore his words.
Did he actually care about you? Did you, just perhaps, push him too far?
*** Backflash to Wedding Reception ***
For some reason, you despised him and it was your new aunt Pol who had given you hope just after you told her that you may as well be dead. Obviously, she spoke with your husband as well and this made you wonder.
Polly Gray was her name and she assured you during the wedding reception that Thomas was not as terrible as you had thought. According to her, your new husband was known to do bad things to a good end and him marrying you was just that.
He tried to look after his family and the business by making this deal and, according to her, he offered your family many things in order to get out of this marriage, all of which they refused.
“It must be a mafia thing” she said as she knew that your mother and uncles wanted him to marry your older sister but ended up marrying you instead. You wanted to protect her after all she had been through in the past and you knew that, even though you were the youngest sibling in your family, you were also the mature and smartest.
Your father had always called you a “gifted fighter” and told you that, unfortunately for your family, neither your brother nor your cousins or uncles possessed what it took to run this business.
He wanted to take his drug and liquor empire to another level and this was exactly where Thomas Shelby came into the picture.
Unbeknownst to you, Thomas and your father had worked together for more than six years after Thomas killed a man by the name of Luca Changratta.
Luca Changratta was a rival business man who did what Tommy was doing now, and it was your father who had put the mechanisms into place to unite the families following his death. It was a smart thing to do as the Shelbies weren’t Italian and, just like your father, aunt Polly told you that Thomas was a man of his word.
“You will see that he won’t bother you much Love. He will not touch you unless you want him to and you will have all the luxuries you can imagine” Polly said before realising herself that this is not what you wanted.
“I don’t like being reduced to someone’s wife and I certainly don’t care about diamonds and pretty dresses” you explained before telling her outright that it was your father’s business that you were after.
“Then make this marriage work to your advantage. Tommy is a business man and you may work well together” she told you but you shook your head.
“I doubt that very much. The sheer fact that he married me for financial gain means that our values do not align” you explained while taking yet another sip from your glass of champagne.
“That may not be true Y/N. Unlike your family, my family likes to empower women and, if you go about it the right way, then perhaps you can work with us as part of our company as well as your father’s company” Polly explained but, again, you shook your head.
“My uncles won’t allow that” you chuckled, seeing that, at least in your family, women were frowned upon.
“With Tommy being part of your family now, they will soon realise that they have lost all authority over their businesses. He has his ways of making people bend to his will and, if you play your cards right, they will bend to yours also” Polly then suggested and you wondered why she was being so nice to you.
“Why are you telling me this?” you thus asked and she explained.
“Because you are smart and us women need to work together in order to conquer the world” she told you and this well and truly made you smile for the first time that night.
“Well Miss Gray, you are quite unlike any other woman I have met”
“Call me Polly, Love. We are family now”
“Not quite yet. There is still one thing that has to be done which I am not looking forward to”
“Tommy wouldn’t lay a hand on you Love”
“If he want’s this marriage then, I am afraid, he will have to” you told your new aunt just as the clock stroke nine and the announcement was made that the ceremony was about to come to end.
It was now time for you to consummate the union with your new husband while the guests had the option to leave the party or stay in the function hall of your new mansion, which was located just outside of London.
“You must be joking?” your aunt asked as your mother asked her elected witness to come forward and you quickly managed to down a glass of whiskey at this point.
“No, I am afraid not. It’s a tradition that came to fruition a few hundred years ago and for some fucked up reason it is still practised by my family and their congregation to this day” your explained a slightly tipsy state, knowing that you needed alcohol to get through this.
“That’s ironic really, considering that your very own family uses the churches in Boston and Chicago to store their cocaine. Surely, they can’t be that fanatic” Polly exclaimed just as Tommy came by, followed right by the woman who was your long standing family doctor.
“What is going?” Tommy asked, causing Polly to grin.
“Apparently you get to consummate your marriage now, so have fun” she joked, but Tommy simply rolled his eyes.
“Funny” he said before trying to walk off again, which is when you reached for his hand.
“She isn’t joking I am afraid” you sighed before making Tommy follow you to your material bedroom.
*** The Present Day ***
And there you were, crying again, as the memories of recent weeks came crawling back into your mind.
You recalled your rather painful wedding night and how your husband left the house for an entire week thereafter without even bothering to introduce you to his son.
You recalled how your very own husband then decided not to keep his promise to you. He took away the import and export division of your business and, instead, he put a woman called Laura Manning into charge. Now, he was even sleeping with her and, whilst you did not mind him sleeping with whores, this was the ultimate betrayal for you.  
And then, finally, you recalled that horrible morning two weeks ago, when you woke up nauseous and unable to eat.
It was that same awful morning that you found out that you were with child and you never told anyone, not even your husband.
There was only one person who knew and this was the man you trusted more than those in your own family. He was a doctor in London and you had worked with him on several charity projects downtown, including a new hospital that had been sponsored by the Grace Shelby Foundation.
Charity work kept you sane as it was the only kind of work your husband permitted you to do and it was now also the kind of work that made you befriend this stranger named Frank.
But even Frank refused to help you now and you knew that, what you were asking him to do, was illegal.
You had asked him to terminate your pregnancy. You could not bear carrying Thomas Shelby’s child after all he had done to you but there was no one who was willing to take the risk and carry out this dangerous procedure.
In the same vein, you also wanted a divorce but there was also no lawyer who was willing to take the case and your husband was very well aware of that.
You were stuck and wondered whether, somehow, you could go away and leave this life behind after just a few weeks but then you thought about it again.
You were much stronger than that and you knew that you would not allow a man to ruin you.
You were a “gifted fighter” and putting up a fight was what you were going to do.
***
With that in mind, you made your way to London and, in London, you sought out a woman who you knew nothing about. Her name was Elizabeth Stark and, just a year ago, she divorced your very own husband.
You wrote to her after finding out about your pregnancy and she agreed to meet with you after having had a letter delivered to you through Frank’s address.
She was cautious, of course, but she also knew that you needed her help and possibly some guidance.
When you met her in a café, you were rather surprised. She was dressed nicely and looked incredibly attractive. She featured dark curly hair and her skin was white as snow.
“I am Y/N” you said, having recognised her from the photographs which you found in Tommy’s office.
“Call me Lizzie” she said after offering you a seat.
“You are much younger than I had expected. I am truly surprised that Tommy…you know…never mind…” she then acknowledged and, of course, it was at this point that you told her that your marriage to Tommy didn’t came about out of love. It was a marriage that had formed part of a business deal and this information made Lizzie sigh deeply.
“It’s never love for Tommy. He loved Grace but he isn’t going to love anyone else and the sooner you realise that, the happier you will be. Tommy is all about business and money and fucking whores. He won’t ever care about you just as he never really cared about me” Lizzie then explained with great frustration and you couldn’t help but feel a little relieved about hearing this from someone else. According to her, he married her because she was pregnant with his child and felt as though it was the right thing to do for his political image.
“What happened to your child?” you asked and, as you did, Lizzie broke out in tears.
“Our daughter died of consumption and fucking Tommy…” she began to say before gathering her thoughts. “Don’t ever have children with him. He loves them, but wherever he goes, there will always be danger” she then warned you and you immediately shed a few tears as well.
“I am pregnant” you admitted. “I don’t want to be, but I am. I don’t know what to do” you then sobbed and Lizzie took your hands into hers.
“Do you want to terminate?” she asked gently and you nodded.
“No one will do it. They are all too afraid of Tommy” you explained, crying.
“I know someone who will do it, but you can never tell Tommy, understood?” Lizzie asked and, of course, you nodded again.
To be continued…
Please comment and engage. I love getting comments and predictions pretty please!
Tag List
@fastfan
@elenavampire21
@dolllol2405
@allie131313
@cilliansangel
@coldbastille
@kpopgirlbtssvt
@cdej6
@kathrinemelissa
@landlockedmermaid77
@crazymar15
@damedomino  
@lauren-raines-x
@miss-bunny19
@skinny-bitch-juice
@odorinana
@cloudofdisney
@weepingstudentfishhorse
@allexiiisss
@geminiwolves
@letsstarsfalling
@ysmmsy
@chlorrox
@tommyshelbypb
@chocolatehalo
@music-lover911
@desperate-and-broken
@mysticaldeanvoidhorse
@peaky-cillian
@lelestrangerandunusualdeetz
@december16-1991
@captivatedbycillianmurphy
@romanogersendgame
@randomfangirl2718
@missymurphy1985
@peakyscillian
@lilymurphy03
@deefigs
@theflamecrystal
@livinginfantaxy
@rosey1981
@hanster1998
@fairypitou
@zozeebo
@kasaikawa
@littleweirdoalien
@sad-huffle-nerd
@theflamecrystal
@0ghostwriter0
@stylescanbeatmyback
@1-800-peakyblinders
@datewithgianni
@momoneymolife
@mcntsee
@janelongxox
@basiclassy
@being-worthy
@chaotic-bean-of-smolness
@margoo0
@vhscillian
@crazymar15
@im-constantly-fangirling
@namelesslosers
@littlewhiterose
@ttzamara
@cilleveryone
@peaky-cillian
@severewobblerlightdragon
@dolllol2405
@pkab
@babaohhhriley
@littleweirdoalien
@alreadybroken-ts
@masteroperator
@stevie75
@shabzy96
@rainbow12346
@obsessedwithfandomsx
@geeksareunique
@laysalespoir
@paigem00
@lkarls
@vamp-army
@luckystarme
@myjumper
@gxorg
@eline-1806
@goldenharrysworld
@cristinagronk16
@stylesofloki
@faatxma
@slut-for-matt-murdock
@tpwkstiles
@myjumper
@cloudofdisney
@look-at-the-soul
@smellyzcat
@kittycatcait219
@theliterarybeldam
@being-worthy
@layazul
@lyn07
@kagilmore
@50svibes
@mainstreetlilly
@ourthatgirlabby
@bitchwhytho
@takethee
@registerednursejackie
@sofi128
@mrkdvidal1989
@minxsblog
@heidimoreton
@laylasbunbunny
@laylasbunbunny
@queenshelby
@camilleholland89
@forgottenpeakywriter
@vintagecherryt
@indierockgirrl
@mrkdvidal1989
@bluesongbird
@dudde-44
@gasolinesavages
@kissforvoid
@bluebird592
@1eugenia1isabella1
@esposadomdp
@lulunalua23
@lovelace42
@bookklover23
@iwantmyredvelvetcupcake
@moonmaiden1996
@marlenamallowan
@cyphah (cannot tag)
@majesticcmey
@cleverzonkwombatsludge
@throughgoeshamilton
@alessioayla
@elenavampire21
@justforfiction
@cilliansangel
@alannielaraye
@satellitelh
@pandoramyst
@duckybird101
@snixx2088
@kylianswag
@alessioayla
@pono-pura-vida
@iraisbored69
@howling-wolf97
@aesthetic0cherryblossom
@weirdo-rules
@lovemissyhoneybee
@dazaiscum
@esposadomd
@etherealkistar
@ur--mommy
@throughgoeshamilton
@celverzonkwombatsludge
@cyphah
@atomicsouldcollecto
2K notes · View notes
brummiereader · 8 days
Text
Uptown Girl
(Masterlist)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Summary: A woman from high society, never needing or wanting for anything. Your world of jewels and silk gowns comes crashing down around you when your father's mounting gambling debts catch up with him, and he is forced to relinquish your home Arrow House before his untimely death to his biggest creditor, Tommy Shelby. But with your name on the deeds, and the land of your childhood home your only bargaining source of income to escape the union arranged since your birth to a monster of a man from your own class. You make your intentions of staying put stubbornly known to the Birmingham gang leader, as you clutch to your only remaining hope of freedom from the inevitable chains of a violent marriage. With neither one of you willing to budge on the matter until the iron clad documents of Arrow House are reviewed, you are both begrudgingly left without any other choice but to live together. What will become of your unusual living situation with the notorious gangster, and the arranged marriage you want to be free from? A way out, friendship, lust...love? One thing is certain. Tommy Shelby's abrupt appearance into your life will open your curious eyes to a whole other world that had been shielded from you since the day of your noble birth.
Warnings: Language, angst, fluff, mutual pining, smut, domestic violence, mentions of suicide, violence
Authors Note: I basically took Alfie's passing statement of how Tommy acquired Arrow House and the trope "One bed, two people" and turned it into "One house, two strangers" and ran with it! The idea for this series and it's storyline, is loosely based off the lyrics to the well known song "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel.
Teaser Trailer
Part One Coming soon!
Gif credit: @mushroomseb. Go check out their wonderful works of art!
209 notes · View notes
writerunblocked · 8 months
Text
Bullet Proof Heart: III. Acceptance
Synopsis: Anya accepts her fate as Tommy Shelby's future bride as the Rosenthals get even worse news on their patriarch's condition sending the local Jewish community into a frenzy to help make his incoming death easier. Anya finds out something about herself and about Tommy. Maybe being Tommy Shelby's fiancée isn't the worst thing in the world.
Trigger Warnings: Death and dying, cancer, allusion to smut, but no actual smut.
WC: 4426 
Bullet Proof Heart: Read Part 1: The Arrangement here. Read Part 2: Out of the Bag here
Tumblr media
Anya was staying after school to get some grading done before she went back to her place to pack. She’d found out that she’d be leaving her parent’s house and moving in with Tommy, much to her family’s horror. 
The conversation that her family had when Abe got back before heading back to his place. He’d come clean to everyone about the shortchanging and how their dad had taken the fall for him, unfortunately, Anya's fate was sealed. She would be Mrs Thomas Shelby, and that made her sick to her stomach. 
But what scared her the most was that she loved Thomas Shelby, and had since the moment she’d opened up to him about her ex. How he held her and let her talk about it, how he told her of the war and what happened in the trenches and how that on the nights she wasn’t here in his bed sleeping soundly next to him, he was brought back to France and the memories of the tunnels. She knew that a man like him wasn’t capable of love, but here she was madly in love with one Thomas Shelby. He was the first thing he thought of when she woke up and the last thing she thought about when she went to sleep at night. She wished it didn’t have to be like this, unfortunately, it did. 
“Anya,” she heard her friend and colleague Emma say. “Are you alright?” 
Emma and her and known each other since they were children. Emma was the daughter of Irish immigrants from Dublin and the two women grew up right next to each other and had squealed in delight when they got the job at the school together. They always said that they’d be at each other’s weddings, but they both didn’t realise that Anya's would be so soon. “I’m moving into Thomas Shelby’s home,” she whispered. “I need to pack, I move in this Saturday.” 
“You’re brother couldn’t get you out of the marriage then?” She asked. Anya shook her head ‘no’, tears in her eyes as she thought of what was in store for her for the rest of her natural life. Even when he died, and it would most likely be before her, she’d still be known as Thomas Shelby’s wife. “When Tommy Shelby says ‘it’s you’, then it’s you. I knew what I was getting into when I took that job at the Garrison, I just didn’t realise it would go that far.” 
The staff at school looked the other way when it came to her second job at the Garrison. They knew she was sleeping with Thomas Shelby, but no one said anything. Now, her after-hours activity with Thomas Shelby was a bit too difficult to ignore. Especially the days he came to pick her up in his fancy car that none of the staff would be able to afford. 
“Parents won’t even talk to me unless they have to. The kids don’t laugh and joke anymore, it’s so terrifying for everyone,” Anya sighed. 
“Do you love him, Anya?” Emma asked. Her green eyes looked into Anya's blue ones. 
Anya nodded her head. “I do,” she said. “I have since that night,” Anya told Emma what that night was like. Emma was in amazement at what she’d just told her. 
She saw a side of Tommy that no one ever saw. A man before the war, a man before Grace’s betrayal. “I wonder what he was like before the war,” she sighed. “I’ve never asked. I don’t remember what Abe, Dan, Jakob, and Asher were like before the war.” She was fourteen when they came back, and fifteen when they got the medals for their service to the Crown. However, they never understood why there was a Monarchy in this day in age. Russia got rid of theirs ages ago. 
The two women grabbed their stuff and walked out of the building, Anya looked around to see if anyone was following the two of them. A wave of relief washed over her when she realised no one was there. “Where are you headed?” asked Emma. 
“The Garrison,” Anya sighed. “Tommy asked me to meet him there.” 
“Good luck, Anya,” Emma said. 
In fifteen minutes, Anya was able to get to the Garrison only to find that it was only Tommy sitting at the bar. “Hello, Anya,” he said. 
“Hi, Tommy,” she said. She put her things in Tommy’s office and went behind the bar. She poured the two of them a glass of whisky. “What do you want.” 
“Your brother visited me last night,” Tommy said. 
“And you heard the full story,” she said. “And yet my fate’s still sealed. I’ll be Mrs Thomas Shelby by the end of the year.”
She shivered at the thought of it. She knew she was older and needed to get married, but she’d always hoped that it would be to someone not like Thomas Shelby. Even though she loved him, the man wasn’t able to be in a monogamous relationship. He’d be cheating on her for the length of their marriage. “And is that a bad thing?” He asked. 
“Seeing as you’re not the type of man to stay with one person and that I’m being forced into this marriage—you can see why I have reservations about this,” she sighed. 
“You seriously think that?” He asked. 
She nodded her head. “Though you might not be seeing Lizzie Stark anymore, I’m sure there are other women that you’re seeing besides me.” 
“Believe it or not, Anya, I’m not seeing anyone besides you,” he told her. 
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “I highly doubt that,” she said. “You’re Thomas Shelby after all. You have a bit of a reputation for sleeping around.” 
“Not since that night,” he said. 
“What night?” Anya asked, hoping that it was the night she fell in love with him. The night she told him about her ex who was stalking her. 
“The night you told me about how your ex followed you around town. I’ve sent men looking for him and he’s to be brought to me when found,” Tommy said. “Something changed that night and I realised I love you.” 
Anya sat there in shock. ‘I realised that I love you.’ She took a deep breath and tried to speak, but she was speechless. Anya didn’t know what to say. “I love you too. Since that night as well. I thought you couldn’t love me back, but—” 
Tommy got up from where he was and passionately kissed her. She kissed him back as well. The two of them looked at each other and smiled. “I love you, Anya,” he whispered. 
“I love you too, Tommy,” she laughed.
Anya was led into Tommy’s office. He shut and locked the door, but they didn’t think Arthur would come in. He took off her dress, bra, and panties, and she ripped off his clothes. He pushed he onto the desk and wrapped her legs around him. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “You’re mine, Anya,” he said. “You belong to me.” 
“Yours,” she whispered. “I’m all yours, Tommy. Make me yours.” 
After they were through with each other. Anya sat on the settee in his arm. He covered her up with his jacket because he realised she was cold. She laid her head on his bare chest, something she’d done many times before. But this time it was different, they had told each other how they felt. 
“How are you, love?” He asked her.
“Amazing,” she smiled looking up into his blue eyes. “You?” 
“Amazing,” he whispered. “I love you, Anya.” 
“I love you too, Tommy,” she whispered. He leaned down to kiss her. “But what are you going to do with my ex?” She asked. 
“Kill him,” Tommy responded. “The fact he follows you around’s something I know bothers you.” Tommy wrapped his arm around her and she didn’t protest. “Go get yourself a nice dress.” He said. 
“Why?” Anya asked. 
“You and I are heading to the races,” he said. 
“The races?” She asked in shock. 
“Yeah,” he said. “Buy yourself something nice.”
“I don’t have the money,” she said. “We’re saving up for my dad’s funeral.” 
“I’ve got it,” he said. He handed her over £20 and she was amazed. “Buy something red.” 
“Why red?” She asked. 
“Because it brings out your eyes,” he said.  
She went to leave for the door, but Tommy stopped her. “You’ll be staying with me for tonight.” 
“I need to get back to my parents,” she stated. “My dad’s doing worse.”
“How bad is he?” asked Tommy. 
“Most likely the end of the month the doctors say,” she said. “Thank you, by the way for paying for him. It means a lot to me that you’re doing this for me. 
Tommy nodded his head and the two of them walked out together. People made way for the two of them on the street. “Hello, Shelby,” someone said. 
Anya kept her head down as she looked at the pavement. She could feel all the eyes on her, and even though she was used to it by now, she still felt nervous. And that was because she was with Tommy. He wrapped his arm around her when she ran into one of her kids. 
“MS ROSENTHAL!” Henry called. He ran up to her. “Ms Rosenthal, my mum wants to talk to you.” 
“Is everything okay, Henry?” She asked. 
“It’s about your father,” he said. He looked at his rundown house, he didn’t live too far from where Anya lived. “Wait a moment, let me get her.” 
The twelve-year-old friend of her nephews ran into the house and brought out his mother, a small woman by the name of Dorothy Levi came out. “Oh, Anya, glad I caught you. Can you come in?” 
“Uh, I needed to get home to see my father,” she said. “My fiancé also needs to be getting back.” 
Mrs Levi looked at Tommy and gulped. Her face turned white and she muttered a silent prayer in Hebrew. Henry looked up at Tommy and also gulped. He stood by his mother, hoping that she would protect him from the most powerful man in Birmingham. “S 'iz ams. Di shmueus zenen ams!” (It’s true! The rumours are true!) She quickly regained some of her composure though. “You both can come in, it’ll be quick.” The four of them quickly went inside where her fifteen-year-old daughter Rachel was sitting at the table doing cross stitch work. 
“Rachel,” her mother asked. Rachel got up from her needlework and looked at Tommy and Anya. “Will you put the kettle on for Mr and Mrs Shelby?” 
Rachel quickly nodded her head, quickly moved her needlework out of the way, and then put the kettle on. She grabbed the tea bags and the cups and waited. Henry gathered around as well. “It’s Ms Rosenthal for now,” Anya smiled sweetly. “We still haven’t settled on a date.” 
“Oh,” Mrs Levi said. “Well, congratulations then.” 
“Thank you,” Anya smiled. No one needed to know how her engagement came about. She still wasn’t wearing a ring yet. 
“When did it happen?” She asked, eyes still on Tommy. 
“Two weeks ago,” Tommy said. 
“Mazel Tov to both of you,” she said, though her expression screamed to her that she was in pain and feared for Anya’s life. Both women knew that no one was safe once they became entangled with the Shelbys. Both women knew that Anya would most likely die in the crossfires of a war that the Shelbys had either started or had gotten dragged into the middle of. 
Tommy was confused as it what it meant. Anya budded in. “It means congratulations,” she said. “It’s Hebrew.” 
“Oh,” he said. “And you speak that.”
“Yeah,” she said. “It’s my second language. What we all speak around here is Yiddish.” He nodded his head. 
“How’s your father?” Rachel piped. Everyone looked over in the direction of Rachel who was sitting on the stairs with her brother fiddling with her needlework. “He’s a nice man, I’m sorry for what’s happening to him. Do you know what it is?” 
“Cancer,” Tommy responded. “He was hit hard in the War and the gas got into his lungs. He doesn’t have much longer.” 
Rachel and Henry seemed visibly upset. Everyone loved her Dad, he was a nice man. “He’d always give us sweets,” Henry sighed breaking the silence. Tears stained his doe-brown eyes. “He’d play with us and he was always a good listener.” 
One thing that everyone knew about David Rosenthal was that he was willing to be a surrogate dad to all the kids who had fathers who died in the War. He had known these men and wanted to make sure that his friend’s kids were okay. Mrs Levi’s husband Aaron had died in the War, leaving behind a six-year-old daughter and a one-year-old. A nice man all around, so it was no wonder everyone was distraught when they found out that Mr David Rosenthal was sick. The look on the Levis’s faces showed that finding out the man had cancer was even worse than saying that he was sick. At least if he was sick he could recover, with Cancer, not so much. It was a death sentence. 
“That damn gas,” Mrs Levi muttered. “How much longer.” 
“Doctor’s estimate around a month,” she said. 
“How’s your mother?” Mrs Levi asked. 
Anya went through the routine questions after this and answered the same answers as she did with everyone. ‘Her mother was holding up as to be expected.’ ‘It still hasn’t sunk in to Gal and Noam that their grandfather was dying’. The lie of ‘My brothers and I are doing as well.’ And the final answer of ‘If we need anything, we’ll let you know.’” The same monotonous answers to those questions on repeat daily. It was getting draining to them all. 
She hated how people handled her with kid gloves ever since they found out the news about her father. There would be a new layer to that when people found out who she was engaged to.  
“Oh,” Mrs Levi said. “Before I forget, Anya.” She handed Anya some rugalach, a crescent-rolled pastry that she could only assume was filled with chocolate. Something that was her father’s favourite.
“Thank you, Mrs Levi,” she smiled. “My father will love these.” 
She nodded her head and pulled Anya into a hug. She whispered in Anya’s ear, “es iz gelt far ir takt avek in dort. loyft, loyft azoy veyt fun dan vi du kenst.” (There's money for you tucked away in there. Run, run as far away from here as you can.) 
“aun hot meyn mshpkhh gehrget? di eyntsike vos shpirt zenen di kinder, ikh ken nisht loyfn, s'zenen aumetum aoygn,” Anya responded softly. (And have my family killed? The only ones spared are the kids, I can't run, there are eyes everywhere.) 
But she took the money anyway. She had her hiding place so that she did have some extra money to escape if she did need to. Anya and Tommy walked out of the house and Anya politely nodded to Mrs Levi. She could see the neatly tucked envelope disguised as a note to the family, but she was now worried for Mrs Levi, who could very well be next on the Shelby fit of rage. She didn’t want that to happen to Rachel and Henry. She didn’t know how she’d deal with having to look Henry in the eye every day in school knowing she was the one who caused his mother to be murdered. 
“Everyone around here’s worried about you,” Tommy pointed out. Anya nodded her head in agreement. 
Anya sighed. “And can you blame them?” She asked him. “You’re Thomas Shelby after all.” 
“You’ll soon be Mrs Thomas Shelby,” he said. 
“And some people think it’s my downfall,” she quipped. Opening the door, she was greeted by her mother who was slaving over a pot of chicken soup. Gal and Noam were engrossed in some game, and her brothers were in their father’s office talking in hushed tones. 
Her mother was the one who greeted them first. “Mr Shelby,” she said. “Come take a seat, I bring out vodka for you.” 
“Do we have any whisky?” Anya asked. She knew that they probably wouldn’t, but it was still work the ask. Tommy preferred whiskey to vodka. 
“Yes,” she said. “It’s Irish.” 
Mum probably bought it because of Tommy. Anya thought. 
Tommy nodded approvingly and took a seat. Anya quickly got up and looked at the soup, instead of noodles mazoh balls were in it. Her mother must’ve really been stressed if she made matzoh ball soup instead of chicken. Stirring it, she looked over at her father’s office where hushed voices speaking Yiddish were to be heard. The men were speaking in hushed and hurried tones as if they would be overheard. 
“Auntie Anya?” asked Gal. Gal looked exactly like her late mother. She’d inherited her mother’s curly blonde hair and light blue eyes that were the same colour as Tommy’s. She and small eyes, thin lips, and a small stature. Every day she looked more and more like her mother who had died of Influenza three years previously. She also inherited her mother’s sweet nature and disposition, but there was a mischievous, rebellious, and loyal streak that her father Abe had in his youth. 
“Yeah,” Anya responded looking down at the little girl who also bore a striking resemblance to her and her mother as well. 
“I’m hungry? When’s supper?” She asked tentatively. Her eyes went to Tommy.  
“Mr Shelby?” She whimpered. She bolted behind Anya who looked at Tommy and sighed. Gal was also scared of meeting new people, something she’d also inherited her father’s side of the family. “What’s he doing here? Please don’t kill my daddy.” 
“What gives you that impression?” Tommy asked. 
“You’re a ‘ganger’,” she said. 
“Gangster, Gal,” Anya corrected. “He’s a gangster. And he won’t hurt your or your dad. I won’t let him.” 
“I don’t hurt kin,” Tommy assured the girl. “Your wonderful Aunt here is my fiancée.” 
“I don’t see Auntie Anya getting married,” she announced as a matter of fact. Anya scoffed. 
“You’ll see me in a wedding dress by the end of the year,” Anya said. “And maybe one day you’ll do the same thing when you’re a bit older than me.” 
“I’m thirsty,” she said. 
“I’ll get you some water,” Anya smiled. 
“I want vodka,” she said. 
Anya looked at Gal and sighed. She was exacerbated. “Gal, I love you, but with dinner.” 
“Uncle Isaac gave me some!” She grumbled. The little girl pouted and crossed her arms, obviously annoyed that she couldn’t get the clear liquid that traumatised every Eastern European when they were younger. 
“Uncle Isaac’s Uncle Isaac,” Anya said. 
Her mother’s head peaked out from the other room. “Anya, can you help me for a moment.” 
Gal looked at her grandmother and then back to her Auntie, horrified that she’d be alone with Tommy. Anya leaned down to Gal’s level, “He’s not going to hurt you. He doesn’t hurt kids.” Gal nodded reluctantly, trusting her Auntie. Anya turned to Tommy and asked: “Will you watch Noam and Gal while I help my mum with a few things.” 
“Of course,” Tommy said. 
Anya walked away and into the room with her mother where the alcohol and a few other things were kept. 
Tommy had to admit that it had been awhile since he’d had to do something with a little kid. Sure, he’d helped raise Finn with his Aunt Pol and older brother Arthur, but it had been a while since he had to deal with kids. Noam, a boy who was the spitting image of his father, with jet-black curly hair yes, olive skin, and brown eyes that screamed ‘trouble maker’, looked at Tommy with distaste. “You’re the one marrying, Auntie Anya,” he said. 
“Yes, I am,” Tommy responded taking a seat next to the boy who was playing cards. Noam glared at him and Tommy had to do everything in his power not to shiver, that was the same glare that his father, Abe, had that sent many people shivering from the iciness of it. “What are you playing?” Tommy asked. 
“Poker,” he said. “My cousin Ben taught me how to play it. I was going to play with Uncle Asher”   
“I like poker,” Tommy said. He hadn’t played in a while, but he’d normally play with his brothers. Maybe a few other higher-ranking gang members or his uncle Charlie would play with them as well. But due to business, they never got the chance. But he missed playing. Tommy remembered back to the Trenches where one night he played the game with Asher, who had learnt it from his American cousin named Ben. He would later go on to meet Ben briefly when his unit arrived in France. 
“You know how to play?” Gal asked sitting down beside Tommy. 
“Yeah,” he said. “Your Uncle Asher taught me how when we were in the trenches.” 
Noam and Gal looked at Tommy in shock. “You served with your uncle?” 
“I served with your uncles and your dad,” Tommy sighed thinking about how lucky he was to have made it home. Home to see his Aunt Pol and little brother Finn. Back home to meet and get married to Anya. “We were all kids then.” He sighed. 
“Dad doesn’t like to talk about the war,” Noam sighed. 
“Do you want to start a game while we wait for your family?” Tommy asked. 
Noam nodded his head and dealt them in. Gal sat beside them playing with a stuffed tiger he saw Anya have one day after they were done having sex and watched them interestingly. 
“Why doesn’t Daddy talk about the war?” Gal asked. 
Tommy hesitated to answer her. Tommy had spared Finn the details of the war, being only Gal’s age when he came back from France. “We saw a lot of things,” he sighed. He thought of the cannon fire, how men no older than him lay among the wreckage of the French Countryside. The Somme and Verdunne were littered with the bodies of men who had their entire lives ahead of them. His Aunt Pol had told him one night that ‘it was a miracle that you all made it back from France.’ And she was right. He remembered on the train ride back to Birmingham from London and how the five Rosenthal men and the three Shelby men all came back alive and David voicing it. The rest of them nodded. He remembered coming home and seeing men changed by war and the shell shock that came with it. 
He thought of how Arthur often acted out while Tommy and Finn had flashbacks in their sleep. How Tommy used Opium for years and then switched to Cannabis later in life. He thought of Danny Whizz-Bang, real name being Danny Owen, who would later be killed because of a flashback. The flashbacks were so violent that he’d cause damage to property or people that he got the cruel nickname.
He closed his and took a deep breath, thinking of telling them how in France Abe had held off a group of German soldiers, killing them in the process while Tommy was able to get word to the others in the tunnels that there were soldiers and to alert the commander. When the group came back, the German soldiers lay dead on the ground. Abraham Abel Rosenthal looked exhausted, but he’d fended off a group of soldiers. He’d saved their lives in the Trenches. Tommy returned the favour a year from then, also saving thousands of allied lives in the process like Abe had done before him underneath the tunnels. 
“I’ll tell you guys when you’re older,” he said. “I’ll also let your father tell it in his time.” 
Noam muttered and continued dealing in, placing wooden blocks between the two of them. The concentrated look on his face reminded Tommy of his late mother Sarah, who died three years before. He remembered losing his mother at a young age as well. And he could see the toll that it took on Abe every time he’d interacted with the man. 
“They always say that,” grumbled Gal. 
He remembered the same conversation he had with Finn all those years ago about this very same thing. He knew that Abe had this conversation with them before. “When you’re older,” Anya said. “You playing Poker?” She asked. 
He nodded his head. “Asher, do you want to join in?” 
“Sure,” Asher said, stunned at how good he was with the kids. The way Tommy was acting with them, it stirred up something inside her that she hadn’t felt before.  
Anya had always loved kids, other people’s kids mind you. She loved her niece and nephew and she loved being a teacher. She had never felt the inklination to have them though. Now, looking at Tommy, she thought differently. Maybe she could have a family. Now, that inkling was now coming through. 
“They’ll have to come over,” Tommy said looking at Anya. 
“Where?” Anya asked. 
“Our place,” he said. “You spend a lot of time with them. My place is closer to school, they’ll be able to get there quicker.” 
“We get our own room?” asked Noam in shock. 
“I’ve never had my own room before,” Gal whispered. 
Abe looked into Tommy’s blue eyes. Tommy could tell then and there that he had the oldest Rosenthal sibling’s approval. As well as her entire family’s approval. “And now you will with…” Abe trailed off. 
“Your Uncle Tommy,” Tommy said without thinking. He felt confident being ‘Uncle Tommy’ to Noam and Gal. He cared about them because Anya cared about them. He always smiled at their names and saw them around town with Anya who would often sneak them sweets and other treats. He remembered throwing the ball back to Noam when he was playing in the streets with a few boys from school with a couple months to go. He smiled when Gal would be around town with Anya, clinging to her and hanging on to her every word. Anya smiled and nodded as she complained about her brother. 
“Do you want to stay for dinner? We have a lot,” Chaya asked. 
Tommy nodded his head, happy knowing that this would go as smoothly as it could possibly be.
13 notes · View notes
shelby-fangirl00 · 1 year
Note
Hi I'm new to your blog❤️it's nice to see more peaky blinders fans.
I see you're taking request:
Tommy Shelby has a wife who's very shy. The family is still very mind blown about it
Tumblr media
Hi there! thank you so much for the request! I hope this is alright, I'm a little unsure of it but I gave it a go!
Word Count: 1231
Shy
‘They don’t like me Tommy…I just know it.’ You expressed to your new husband as you rode into Small Heath. 
You and Tommy were on your way to meet the rest of the Shelby’s at the Garrison tonight. It was Tommy’s birthday and Polly had planned a party at the Pub. 
You and Tommy had been married now for just a few short months. You had been arranged to marry Tommy when your family, the Lee’s, and the Shelby’s needed to join forces and end a long feud. You and Tom’s marriage was very much an economic proposition. You had always understood this. You hadn’t planned on marrying someone you actually loved and cared for anyways. 
Your mother, Zilpha Lee, had prepped you for this day. Marrying someone you family had chosen for you. When you first met Tommy on the wedding day, you were quite intimidated by his presence. 
Now, you and Tommy had been married for a few months, and to your surprise, you both had grown quite fond of each other. You didn’t know if he was someone you could fall in love with, but he was the closest you had ever gotten to that feeling. He took care of you and spent time with you. You felt safe with him. You had shared interests, so it wasn’t hard to be around each other. It meant the world to you, but it also surprised you as well. He seemed like a cold man at first, but he had much more to offer under the hard exterior than what you expected. 
‘Love, what would give you the impression that they don’t like you? They barely know you. Just be yourself…like how you are around me, eh? I like you, so why wouldn’t they?’ He asked you as you both stood outside of the Garrison doors. 
He made it sound as if it was no big deal that you were going to be spending time with his family. It was a big deal to you! You weren't good at talking to people really. You were quite shy and unsure of yourself sometimes, which was odd since you were now a Shelby. None of them were like you. They knew who they were and weren’t afraid of anything, it seemed like. But you tried to trust your husband, he usually proved you right.
You inhaled deeply and exhaled, straightening out the tight pink dress you had worn, worried if it was too much to for the Pub. Tommy eyed you down, seemingly knowing exactly what you were thinking. 
He turned to face you and took your hands to hold in his, forcing you to face him. He was so beautiful that it was almost annoying. His dark brown hair fluttered in the cool breeze. His sharp features softened under your gaze.
‘Let’s go in, have a drink, and if my sister doesn’t snatch you away from me immediately, we will stay together. Relax, love. These people are your family too now.’ He said to you, making you feel a bit more heard. You gave him a reassuring smile.  
Suddenly, John drunkenly stumbled through the double doors, giggling. 
‘Oi, Brother! Happy Birthday Tommy!’ He huffed out, trying his best not to fall over. 
‘Yes, thank you John boy!’ Tommy chuckled, giving him a firm pat and grip to his shoulder. John then turned to you and smiled widely.
‘Well good evening Mrs. Shelby! We’ve been waitin’ for ya’ all night! May I? He asked you loudly as he extended his arm out as a gesture for you to take it and allow him to escort you inside. 
You looked at Tommy for some type of approval. He smiled softly and nodded, throwing you into the lions den.
Without thinking, you wrapped your arm around John’s and he grinned with satisfaction.
Tommy followed behind you as John led you into the bar and to the room on the right to you. As you entered, you were greeted by all of Tommy’s siblings and his Aunt Polly. You suddenly felt dread creep up your spine as all of the intimidating faces studied you and Tommy. 
Along with family, you were approached by several men you didn’t really know, but they were around Tommy often. The swarm of people had you feeling overwhelmed. You didn’t expect all of these people to be here. You tried to keep your eyes down in order to avoid conversation with any of them. 
' love! Come’on, let’s get you a drink, yeh?’ Polly asked you over the loud voices that surrounded the both of you. Before you could respond, she took your wrist and pulled you gently to the table away from the crowd of men. Ada was sitting there too.  
You slowly sat down in the booth by Ada. 
‘Uhm...thank you, I felt a little out of place over there.’ You chuckled, looking at Polly for the first time tonight. She had very smart eyes. You had met them both just once before at the wedding. 
‘You’ll get used to having the load of fucka’s around. They’re not so bad though.’ She smiled out as she poured you a glass of whiskey. You thanked her and threw it back quickly, needing to relax.  
You tried to think of something, anything to say, but you couldn’t think of anything. Thankfully, Ada chimed in. 
‘You’re quite shy, aren’t you?’ She asked and you shuddered. 
Sighing loudly, you took it upon yourself to pour another drink and down it again.
‘Its that obvious then?’ You laughed. 
‘Oh no, course not! Well…yes, actually. We just aren’t used to the women in this family to be soft spoken, love. We sure as hell aren’t. But don’t ever feel like ya need to be either, alright?’ Polly said as Ada smiled in your direction, extending a soft squeeze to your hand as a gesture to reassure you.
You immediately started to soften, feeling a bit more at ease now that the elephant in the room had been addressed. Yes, you were quite shy and soft spoken at times, but now you felt a bit more understood, in a way.
‘Thank you both…I’m sure I’ll find my voice soon enough around all of you, yeh?’ You asked them, half-jokingly. 
They both smiled at each other and then back at you. 
After a little while longer of getting to know Ada and Polly, Tommy came to finally join you at the table. You were having such a good time that you nearly forgot Tommy was in the room with you. He slid into the booth gracefully, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. He looked in your direction and gave a devilish grin, a cigarette hanging from his peachy lips. His two brothers followed behind, sitting in the chairs across from you both.
‘Having fun?’ Tommy looked down at you, tilting his head.
You responded by stealing the cigarette from his lips to plant a soft kiss onto him. This left a surprised look on his face. He wouldn’t have ever expected you to be so affectionate towards him in public, but you felt much more comfortable than before. Maybe it was just the whiskey though. 
By the end of the party, you forgot all about the nerves you felt at the beginning of the night. John and Arthur made you laugh harder than you ever had before. You were louder than usual, more talkative than you ever thought you could be. It all started to just feel natural, like they really were your family. You felt a bit more like yourself after that night.
2K notes · View notes
Text
Making Arrangements Part One
Masterlist | Part Two
Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Reader
Rating: Explicit - 18+ Only. Any minors interacting will be blocked.
Length: 6.1K
Notes: It's a two-shot! Part two will have explicit content.
No beta, we die like Billy Kimber
Warnings: Arranged marriage; mentions of prostitution; canon-typical attitudes toward sex; slow burn; enemies to allies to lovers; Reader has a brother and an aunt; no physical descriptions of non-canon characters; Reader gets drunk
Summary: If you’d been involved with anyone, if there’d ever been a hint or a whisper of a beau recently, you might’ve been able to plead differently for your future. 
But you knew as well as your family that this was your best move, and with no great love waiting in the wings, there was nothing to be done but to marry the man. You secured your interests, the interests of your family. You gained a powerful ally—but you also gained powerful enemies. 
Tumblr media
“D’you think you could bother to give them a smile?” 
On the face of it, it seemed a fair question, but all things considered, it made you want to punch Thomas Michael Shelby squarely in the jaw. You didn’t, of course—that conduct would be unbecoming of a bride in front of her new family. 
You’d been getting knowing looks from the women all night—pursed lips from Ada and Polly, and a wide smile from Esme. It was almost wolf-like, the way she watched you—welcome to the pack. 
“I could,” You conceded, nodding, casting your gaze around the party. The revels had only just begun. It was early enough that nearly everyone was coherent, on their feet, but you knew that in just a couple of hours, the party would likely turn to shit. These people would be drunk, coked out of their minds, dancing, and flirting…Probably fucking. You had no doubt that you would be expected to do your wifely chore that evening. 
Maybe that was why a permanent frown had been fixed on your lips from the time you’d put on your wedding dress, as you’d walked down the aisle, all the way through the fucking I Dos. 
“You’re still frowning.” 
You didn’t bother to hide your eye roll before you turned your head fully to look at him. He didn’t give you the same courtesy. He watched the revelers with the same bored speculation as you’d given them just moments ago. 
“And this is what your fucking grin looks like?” You snipped. He raised his cigarette to his lips, drawing in a deep drag that sank his cheeks. He managed to cast you a knowing glance, his brow raising. 
“It’s the most that you’ll get of me tonight.” 
“And of me. Don’t ask me to stoop to something that you won’t bother with. I’m your wife now. At least pretend to respect me in front of them,” You insisted, nodding toward the others. It took him a moment, but Tommy nodded. 
“And behind closed doors?” He asked. 
“That’ll be none of their concern. And you’ll have to take it up with me later.” 
“I intend to.” 
--  
You sat on the edge of the bed, and watched. All Tommy did was light up another damn cigarette. You weren’t sure if you married a man or a chimney. 
You could hardly believe that you had married the man at all. 
Your family had never been a big player in Birmingham, or Camden. You’d kept your head down, stayed out of the way, operated cleanly. When the Shelbys had come to you with a proposition, it hadn’t been for your minor operations in the UK—it had been for your connections in America. They were looking to expand, offered you a good deal, and a union between the two households. 
When it had first been brought to your attention, you’d thought that it was a pretty good idea. But when it came down the line that Thomas Shelby had specified an interest in marrying you, well—the thought had become less and less appealing. If you’d cared less for your family, or known less about the mounting tensions that they were facing overseas, you would’ve laughed the idea off. If you’d been involved with anyone, if there’d ever been a hint or a whisper of a beau recently, you might’ve been able to plead differently for your future. 
But you knew as well as your family that this was your best move, and with no great love waiting in the wings, there was nothing to be done but to marry the man. 
You secured your interests, the interests of your family. You gained a powerful ally—but you also gained powerful enemies. 
Tommy had spoken to you only once before your wedding day. The meeting had been brief, and he’d done all of the talking. He’d promised to protect you, sworn to never raise a hand against you. 
“You know as well as I do,” He’d insisted, “That this is the best way forward for our families. And I know,” He’d leaned in a touch, “That you want what’s best for your people.” He’d reached into his pocket and drawn out a small velvet box, setting it on the table before he stood, straightening his waistcoat. 
“You have until tomorrow night. I need an answer.” 
You’d sent him your reply—a single slip of paper sent with your brother Lewis that simply read: Yes 
“...It was a nice party,” You offered now, unable to stand the silence any longer. 
“You didn’t seem to particularly enjoy it.” 
“No one left with a bullet wound. In my family, we consider that a successful bash.” 
Tommy’s lips quirked just a touch as he nodded. 
“Our brothers seemed to get on,” You hedged, desperate to draw this out. You worried that once you stopped speaking, he may…Want to consummate the marriage. You weren’t sure how you felt about that. You’d heard rumors, whispers that Tommy was a good lover, but you weren’t sure that you were ready to find that out yourself. 
“They did,” Tommy nodded again. “Lewis and John already seem thick as thieves.” 
“Yes.” 
The two of you fell into quiet again, and it was a harrowing few moments before Tommy pushed himself off of the dresser. Your hands dropped instinctively to the bed, grasping at the sheets—but Tommy turned and went for the door. 
“G’night, then.” 
Your brow furrowed as you glanced around. Goodnight? But—
“Where will you sleep?” 
Tommy stopped in the open doorway, nodding behind himself. “I’ve a room down the hall.” He turned away, adding, “Shout if you need something.” 
You hesitated a few moments longer before you sprung up, darting forward and shoving the door closed before locking it. You drew in a deep breath, closing your eyes and letting your forehead rest against the dark, cool wood grain. 
He didn’t take. 
You had gone into the room expecting shoving hands and a quick coupling, but Tommy kept his distance. You weren’t sure if you were more relieved or insulted. You turned away from the door, leaning back against it and peering around your dim new living quarters. 
Relieved, you decided. 
--  
Insulted, you decided. 
Tommy had the gall to lean in and peck your cheek when he’d come down to breakfast that morning. 
It took everything in you not to shove him away.
Polly made no comment on how wane you looked the next morning, nor did Ada or Esme cast you knowing grins or teases. They all watched Tommy, and the little slip of a shadow that you’d met last night—a birch-pale, dark-haired woman named Lizzie. 
You didn’t think that the news had made it back to your family—the fact that your husband had just spent his first night as a newly-married man with a prostitute-turned-secretary while you slept alone in an unfamiliar room wearing the lacy nightie that you’d bought specifically for your honeymoon. 
Esme and Ada excused themselves as quickly as they could, but Polly lingered, and offered,
“He’s a prickly sort, and these things take time. Men have their needs and urges.”
“...Right,” You pronounced crisply as you stirred some sugar into your tea, “And I’m a novice in a nunnery.” 
--  
“You should’a seen the girls at the party last night,” Lewis groaned.
For all of your irritation during the last few days, you’d been happy, truly happy to see your family enjoying themselves. Carving out your space in the literary scene of London and running a few underground print shops wasn’t exactly a serene existence. You constantly had to move operations, vet workers, stop-up leaks in production cycles and deal with snitches. Your entire family was dedicated to the business, but your brother was the most determined of the lot. Lewis had become the man of the house at a young age, after your father had been hauled into prison for treason. 
So to see him let loose a little—well, more than a little, truth be told—was a heartening sight. 
“I don’t think I would’ve quite enjoyed them the way you did,” You raised a brow, smile widening as he ducked his head bashfully, “But I’m glad you had a good time.” 
“And you?”
The pointed question came from just behind you. You didn’t dare turn to look at your Aunt Pearl. She knew you far too well. You could hide your feelings and concerns well enough from Lew—you had plenty of practice. But Pearl had been a motherly figure, a guiding hand in what would’ve been an otherwise rudderless life. She learned to read you like an open book when you were young, and you had been powerless to change the way that she understood you, even as the seasons of your life had passed. 
You turned your head back toward her just a touch, biting the inside of your cheek as you waited for her to go on. It was a few moments of quiet before she urged: “Lewis, go get some air.” 
You drew a deep breath in through your nose, fighting to steady yourself, and giving Lewis an encouraging smile and nod before he stood, pushing away from the kitchen table and heading outside. You saw him tipping his head back toward you, trying to catch on the line of questions that Pearl was about to level—as if neither of you knew any better to wait until he was fully out of earshot. 
“Who’s Lizzie?” She finally asked. You weren’t sure how to answer at first. You scrubbed your hand over the back of your neck, making sure that you heard the door shutting behind Lewis. 
“It’s just…Growing pains,” You finally offered, gaze set stalwartly on the table. “Every couple has them.” 
“Where was he last night?” 
“How should I know?” “He’s your husband. You’re supposed to know.” 
You didn’t have a chance to argue before she strode closer, her hand resting on your shoulder. You didn’t flinch, or draw away. You were used to her hand on your shoulder, her nails digging into your skin. She didn’t dig her nails in just now—she merely rested and waited. 
“Growing pains,” You finally offered again as you looked straight ahead. It was as if Polly had her hand on your other shoulder, and was staring you down in warning. 
“Pains?” Pearl repeated. “Physical?” 
You don’t want to answer, but—
“Emotional,” You blurted. It was another moment of quiet before she hummed. You stopped yourself from turning to look at Pearl—to catch the no doubt heavy judgment in her dark eyes, and the twist of displeasure to her small mouth. 
“I see.” 
“It’s early,” You insisted. She hummed again, stepping around you to walk toward the window. It didn’t take much to glance over, to see where Lewis was playfully fighting with John and Finn. 
“Do they know?” Pearl asked. 
“About where he was?” You shook your head. “I’m sure his brothers do.” 
“And?” 
“And what?” You scoffed. “It’s no business of theirs. Our marriage is between myself and Thomas.” 
Pearl turned to face you with a crisp smoothness, her eyes narrowed as she cocked a hip.
“And that’s all you have to say about it?” She asked. You pursed your lips. You had plenty to say about it, but it would land on deaf ears. Any of Pearl’s meddling would spell trouble, and you weren’t about to sic the dogs less than twenty-four hours into wedded bliss. 
“Yes,” You nodded firmly. Pearl’s eyes narrowed further before she hummed, turning back toward the window. 
“...This is good for us, Pearl,” You reminded her. “The Shelby’s are strong, they know what they’re doing. I just have to hold up my end.” 
“And what end is that?” 
“That of a doting wife.” 
“And mother?” 
Doubtful. Thomas couldn’t even be bothered to touch you as it was. But it was early, you reminded yourself. Things could still change. Things would change. They had to. 
“Perhaps,” You leveled evenly. “Someday. Time will tell.” 
“Time,” Peal repeated, nodding as she rounded you. “Well, if we’re going on time, so far, you’re not managing it particularly well.” 
You slid down in your seat a little as Pearl finally left the dining room. Your interest in the day’s paper had been sapped; your tea had gone cold. You didn’t want anything to do with Thomas Shelby, or with his family, not anymore. If you were going to make it through at least one year of marriage, you needed to nip this in the bud. 
-- 
“I need to talk to you.” 
Tommy didn’t so much as glance at you, his gaze trained steadily on a horse. You waited a moment, shifting from foot to foot, but perhaps you shouldn’t have waited. You’d spent nearly two weeks waiting. Maybe he hadn't heard you? You stepped a little closer and raised a hand to touch him. You couldn’t bring yourself to make contact, and your hand curled in on itself just before it could brush his waistcoat. 
“Thomas?” You pressed. 
“I’m busy.” 
“When can we speak, then?” 
“Tonight.” 
Certain that he meant it earnestly, you turned away and left.
But the evening came and went, and you found yourself sitting alone, stewing in front of your uneaten dinner and eyeing his empty plate. The house was too quiet, and your thoughts were far too loud. You needed to clear your buzzing head—you wanted a drink, and some fun. 
-- 
“You can’t let them push you around.”
The warning was spoken knowingly. You knew that she was right, but you couldn’t bring yourself to meet Esme’s eye. Her gaze was so heavy, so all-knowing—nothing like the bright, uninterested gaze that Thomas often offered you. But Esme was having none of it. She dipped her head into your field of vision and clapped her hand over yours where it rested on the table beside your drink. You shook her hand away lightly, reaching for your drink instead. Maybe coming to the office to nip out of the bottle Polly kept in her desk had been a bad idea. But you couldn’t bring yourself to just sit in that house and rot in your anger. 
“No one is pushing me anywhere,” You grumbled.
Esme let out a soft, cruel chuckle. 
“I know what it is,” She insisted, “To come into this family and feel on the outside, feel that you don’t have a voice. Becomin’ a Shelby doesn’t erase who you were before.” She reached out again, taking up your drink and drawing in a deep pull before you could argue. As annoyed as you were, you knew that she was right. You nodded slowly, topping the glass up when she set it back down. 
“...Should I not bother replacing Polly’s alcohol, then?” 
Esme’s smile grew as yours did, and the two descended into quiet giggles. 
-- 
“We need to talk.” 
It was steely when it left you this time. Despite that, Thomas still paid you no mind. In fact, he went out of his way to take his time drawing on his cigarette before fishing into his waistcoat. He pointedly drew out his pocket watch, flipping it open and eyeing the time. The tick tick tick of the second hand passed for several long moments before he flipped it shut again, lifting his gaze to the hustle and bustle of the office around him. 
“Later,” He offered. 
Later, always later. Weeks of later, of hearing Lizzie’s footsteps and the creaking across the floor as she left the house before you were up and about for the morning. Weeks of sitting alone in that empty house, putting on a brave face for Pearl and Lewis. Weeks of anger and shame eating through your gut. 
“Now,” You spat.
He turned his head toward you, brows ticking up. You could feel the pace of the others in the shop around you slow just a bit, and speeding up again as Thomas shot them a glance.
“Alright,” He murmured, resting his hand on your lower back. You let him steer you toward his office, resolute in your irritation. He opened the door for you, waving you inside and shutting the door behind the two of you. 
“What is so urgent that you pulled me away from my work?” 
“Your work of watching other people count your money?” You quipped in irritation. 
“...What is it that you want to discuss.” 
“You need to keep your whoring private.” 
Thomas’s brows jumped with intrigue, his chin tipping down toward you.
“Explain.” 
“I understand that we went into this with our eyes open and a mutual understanding that the actions that we were taking were for the good of our families, but to the rest of the world, we are husband and wife. I will not ask you to stop your carrying on, as I can't imagine that you’d abide by it if I did, but keep it private. I will not step out on you publicly, and I expect to be given that same respect.” 
Thomas blinked before he straightened, pushing away from the door and stubbing out his cigarette in an ashtray on the desk. He muttered something that you couldn’t hear, and you frowned. 
“Pardon me?” 
“Publicly,” He repeated firmly. “You said that you wouldn’t step out on me publicly.” 
“I did,” You nodded. 
“Do I get to know the lucky man’s name?”
Your face went hot with indignation. Was he trying to embarrass you? Whether he was or not, it was working. You folded your arms across your chest. 
“You’re missing my point.” 
“I take your point. You want me to treat you as my partner, and as my wife, you have that right.” 
“And will you?” 
“You can trust me to be discreet.” 
“I don’t trust you to do anything.” 
Thomas’ expression closed off, his eyes narrowing a touch, and your stomach twisted with nerves. 
“And might I ask why.” 
“What have you done to earn it? In our, what, two weeks of marriage, I have hardly seen you. You’ve made no point to acquaint me with your family or your business, and you’ve spent your nights down the hall with another woman. I’m not your wife, I’m a boarder.” 
Thomas considered for a moment before he gave a short nod. 
“I understand. I will make changes.” “Thomas—” 
“I will.” 
You pursed your lips together, pushing a sigh out through your nose before you gave a small nod of concession. 
“Alright.” 
“Anything else?” 
“...No.” And, just to seal the deal, “Thank you for your time. And for listening.” 
Thomas nodded, straightening up and opening the door for you. You strode toward it, and were nearly through before he rested a hand on your shoulder. You went still, turning your head toward him just a touch. Before you could get a good look at him, Thomas leaned in, brushing a kiss to your cheek. It was the most that he’d touched you since he’d kissed you the morning after your wedding. You thought that he may be making a show of affection for the office, but Thomas turned his head, brushing his lips against your ear.
“If I ever find out that another man has touched you,” He murmured, “I’ll take off the bastard’s hands and give them to you as an anniversary present.” 
You balked, shock wracking your chest as he placed a final kiss to your temple before he gave your ass a pat, spurring you into action and sending your scurrying back into the office, and out of his reach. 
--  
“It’ll be nice for you to fix up the place and make it your own,” Polly commented. 
“She was always going to get around to it of course,” Pearl insisted. You didn’t dare look away from the row of dressers. The one that you had in your bedroom was fine, but it was a bit small. You’d ordered several new pieces of clothing on Tommy’s account—well, on your joint account. Giving the name Mrs. Shelby had incited stunned, wide eyes from the shop keeper’s assistant and prompted fawning and a healthy discount. 
Still, as much as you were trying to bring your families together, you realized belatedly that in this case, it was an awful idea. Polly and Pearl had taken every opportunity to take digs at one another, leveling backhanded compliments with smug smiles and drags of their respective cigarettes. The two of them were so painfully similar, and perhaps that was why they seemed to hate one another so much. 
“Of course,” Polly echoed placidly.
“I want this one,” You pointed to the one in front of you.
“I’ll find the assistant,” Polly offered, brushing past you. You sighed heavily, shaking your head. 
“Please pull it together,” You muttered.
“I’ve nothing to pull together,” Pearl pronounced.
“Please,” You bit out again. “I can’t make any of this work if you and the others don’t, either.” 
You heard a deep sigh, chased by the tapping of her cigarette ash beside you. 
“I will be myself.” 
“I don’t need you to be yourself, Pearl. I need you to be pleasant.” 
A little knot of tension unwound as Pearl chuckled. 
“Becoming a missus really has given you fangs.” 
“I’d rather not use them, if possible.” 
“I understand.” 
“Thank you.” 
“...Are you going to give Miss Sourpuss the same talking-to when she gets back?” 
“Lord above.” 
--  
“You look like you’ve had a marvelous time.” 
Bringing Pearl and Polly to a somewhat peaceful place had been shock enough for that evening, but this took the absolute biscuit.
You might’ve yelped in fear at the sound of his voice if you hadn’t spotted the burning cigarette in the ashtray mere seconds before he spoke. As it was, you didn’t answer right away. You plastered yourself against the backdoor, your hands curled around your key and your purse. Thomas just arched a brow, expectant and silent. He wasn’t supposed to be there. You’d been told that he had business, and you had figured that once that had concluded, he would take care of other…Matters. You'd thought you’d have the house to yourself and have a nice cuppa before going to bed. 
You finally managed to push yourself forward, away from the door, your face hot with drink and embarrassment. 
“I didn’t think you’d be in,” You admitted. 
“You didn’t think I would be spending the evening in my own house?” 
“Esme told me there was a family meeting. She said that they can run late.” 
“You were misinformed.” 
“Clearly.” 
You watched Thomas warily as he drifted closer, going tense as he stepped around behind you. You hardly dared breathe for a moment, then let it out as you felt him slide your coat from your shoulders. 
“Thank you,” You mumbled as he stepped away with it.
“Were you with Esme?” He asked, tossing your coat over the back of a chair. 
“Mhm,” You nodded, taking a few steps deeper into the kitchen. “And Ada, Polly…And Pearl.” 
“Where were you?” 
“Polly’s house.” 
“Mm.” 
You watched Tommy round the counter, taking up a clean glass and a bottle of whiskey. You nodded, stepping closer. “Please.” 
He poured a good amount before setting the glass on the table. You sat down, watching him do the same. The light in the kitchen was low, casting an orange glow about the room. You felt almost like you were being interrogated as Tommy tucked his cigarette between his lips for another drag. You took your drink up in turn, giving your hands something to do. Besides, finding your husband at home had harshly staunched your blissfully tipsy mood, and you were desperate to get it back. Tommy made no comment as you took a deep swig, and you fought away a wince at the taste and burned as you gulped it down greedily. 
“How was the meeting?” You asked.
“Fine…Would you like to know what it’s about?” 
“If you’d like to tell me.” 
You figured he would let it go there, but he gave a short nod, offering: “We’ve reached a trade agreement with your man in New York.” 
“I’m glad to hear it.” 
“Lewis can fill you in on the particulars later.” 
Your brows jumped. “Lewis was there?” 
“The business concerned him, I made sure he was in attendance.” 
“I’m sure he appreciated it.” 
He hummed, leaning back in his seat. You took another deep swig from your glass, but you couldn’t bring yourself to draw your gaze away from Tommy’s. He seemed so relaxed—though, maybe it was absurd to find a man relaxed simply because he had removed his suit jacket. Still, he looked irritatingly dashing in his waistcoat. 
“Tell me about yourself,” He ordered as you lowered your glass to the table. You cleared your throat, shaking your swimming head to try and clear that, too.
“Pardon me?” 
“Well,” Tommy plucked up the bottle again, topping your glass up. “As you have reminded me, you are my wife. I ought to know something about you.” 
“...Are you drunk?”
His lips quirked with a small smile. “No. But if you keep on like that, you will be.”
“I’ll be fine.” 
“If you say so.” 
“I do say so, thank you.”
“I have to be drunk to want to learn about my wife?”
My wife. It made you feel oddly warm as he said it…Though perhaps that was the whiskey. 
“We didn’t exactly have the most conventional courtship, or wedding,” You reminded him.  
“All the more reason for me to learn about you now.” 
“I don’t know where to start.” 
“How about with the things you like.” 
“I will tell you,” You nod slowly, “But only if you tell me about yourself in turn.” 
Thomas seemed to purse his lips before he sat up in his seat. He held his hand out, the gold of his wedding ring glinting in the light. 
“You have a deal.” 
You hesitated for a few moments, certain that he was putting you on. But when he didn’t draw it back, you raised your hand in turn, grasping his and giving it a shake. 
--  
The first hint of light made you wince and turn away. Your mouth was obscenely dry; your head was pounding harshly. You groaned, rolling away from the window. Oh…You did not feel good. Your head felt like it was going to burst; your stomach rolled like you were taking a rocky transatlantic crossing. Oh, god…Were you going to be sick?
You peeked an eye open, then squeezed it shut again. Oh, no. You weren’t sure which was worse, having your eyes open or keeping them closed. You hesitantly opened both eyes, then groaned more loudly, tucking your head beneath your pillow. No. Having your eyes open was definitely worse. 
You heard a harsh thudding, as if a giant has managed to get into your room. What on earth—
The pillow lifted away, and you tipped your head up into the cool brush of fingertips against your forehead. 
“How’s our Sleeping Beauty?” 
You weren’t sure what flustered you more: the teasing tone of Tommy’s voice, or the way the word beauty sounded coming out of his mouth. 
“Right as rain,” You mumbled. “Or I will be, once you stop yelling.”
His chuckle brushed your forehead. 
“Pearl is on her way to look in on you. Apparently Esme is doing just as well as you are this morning.” 
“I don’t wish this on my worst enemy.” 
“Rest up.” 
“I wasn't planning on doing anything else.” 
“Good girl.” 
Before you could ask, or argue, or throw a hand out to slap him on the shoulder, he brushed a kiss to your forehead, then drew away fully. You listened to the retreat of his footsteps, a pause, the scraping of the curtains being drawn closed, and the gentle scruuuuuuh—thump of him shutting your bedroom door behind himself. You only dared look around after a few minutes, when you were certain he was gone. You rolled onto your back, sighing and trying to ignore the thud-thud-thud behind your eyes. 
You feel like hell, but last night was sort of…Nice. 
Drinking with the girls and breaking down some of the barriers before your families had been a success, but coming home to Thomas was…New. It wasn’t unpleasant, as you would’ve previously thought. You scrubbed your hand gently across your eyes, trying to recall your conversation. You had it in bits and pieces—his love of horses, his devotion to his family, his worries for Arthur and John. You wondered if he told you those things because you’d been spifflicated that he didn’t think you’d remember a damn thing. But you remembered. 
You remembered the almost kind way that he’d smiled at you a couple of times. You remembered the way he’d taken your hand and led you up the stairs, steadying you when you’d wobbled and taken uneasy steps. You remembered him turning his back as you’d gotten undressed, waiting for you to get into bed before bidding you a goodnight. 
A knocking on the door drew you up from your recollection, and you winced at the sound. 
“Yes?” You croaked. The door opened, and to your surprise, two heads poked through. 
“You’re in a state,” Polly chuckled before Pearl opened your door the rest of the way. The two entered your room, each eyeing the furnishings that were soon to be replaced. You pushed yourself up, wincing as your head spun. 
“Had a night, did you?” Pearl settled onto the bed beside you. 
“Could you lower your voice, please,” You grumbled. 
“Did you go right to bed when you came home?” 
“I meant to.” 
“But you didn’t?” Polly chimed in. 
“No.” You winced as you raised your voice just a touch. “I…I had a conversation with my husband.” 
Polly and Pearl cast one another curious glances, so unlike the cutting looks they’d leveled at one another just a couple of days ago. 
“It was fine,” You added. “It was…” Nice? Enlightening? Something you would be happy to have again? “Cordial.” 
“Was he drinking?” Polly plied.
“We both were.” 
Polly and Pearl each hissed, chased by sympathetic tuts.
“You should’ve quit while you were ahead,” Pearl admonished. 
“I certainly know that now.” 
Polly took another look at you before she patted Pearl’s shoulder, offering, “I’ll put the kettle on.” 
“You’re a saint,” Pearl smiled. You sagged back against the headboard, scrubbing a hand over your brow as Polly disappeared.
“Since when are the two of you so friendly?” You asked. Pearl shrugged. 
“We’ve come to an understanding…As you have with your husband, apparently.” 
“I think it may be a very different kind of understanding.” 
“D’you mind if I smoke?” 
“...I don’t mean to sound harsh, but if you smoke, Pearl, I will be sick.”
“Better out than in.” 
“Please, no.” 
-- 
It wasn’t every night—it wasn’t even most nights, but you began to spend time with Thomas. It started with him coming home just as you finished dinner, and progressed to Thomas making it home just in time for dinner. Conversation wasn’t always freely flowing, and a few of those first dinners were a little quiet, and awkward. But as you spent more and more time together, those silences became more and more rare, and when conversation wilted, the quiet was comfortable. 
You still slept apart, but for the life of you, you couldn’t remember the last time you’d heard Lizzie creeping out of the house as you awoke. Maybe she’d managed to work out which floorboards didn’t creak; maybe Thomas had stopped having her in the house…Or having her at all. 
You were certain that the second possibility was the most likely. It still wasn’t the ideal situation, but you appreciated it all the same. Not only had Thomas kept his promise and been discreet, but he was taking the pains to distance you from his romantic liaisons. It was…Almost sweet, all things considered. 
--  
“...What are you reading?” 
You jolted at the question, sucking in a gasp and dropping the manuscript that had been in your hand. Thomas’ brows rose as he walked deeper into the sitting room. 
“You scared me,” You grumbled. “How long have you been here?” 
“A few minutes. I called out twice when I came in.” 
“Oh,” You frowned. “I’m sorry, I must not have heard you.” 
“Clearly.” 
He walked deeper into the room, taking up the fallen manuscript and sitting on the green velvet settee beside you. You let your gaze linger, sweeping over him. His jacket had always been removed, though his waistcoat was still intact. His cool eyes swept over the page, brow furrowing a touch as he took in the content. His head began to turn toward you, and you hurriedly stood, rounding to the bar cart. 
“Would you like a drink?” You asked. 
“Sure.” 
You plucked up the bottle of whiskey, uncapping it and pouring a good amount. You rounded back to him, holding the glass out. He crossed his legs, resting the manuscript against it before he took the drink with one hand, patting the seat beside him with the other. You lowered yourself back down hesitantly, acutely aware of the way your thighs brushed. 
“What is this?” He asked, nodding toward the pages. 
“A book that was sent to us.” 
“Topside?” 
You smiled a little. Topside was how your family had always referred to the legitimate side of your publishing operations. You were certain that you and the others had said it around Tommy and his family before, but you were surprised he remembered. 
“Yes,” You nodded. 
“D’you like it?” 
“Ah…” You considered before you blew softly between your lips. “I’ve read worse.” 
“I’m not sure if that’s an indictment or praise.” 
You chuckled. “It’s got a good frame, but the writing is unpolished. Could be good, with a little bit of work.” 
“Will you work on it yourself?” 
“I may. Need something to do with my time.” It felt like the wrong thing to say as soon as you said it—but Thomas simply hummed, turning the page as he lifted his drink to his lips. 
“Redecorating hasn’t been enough of a challenge?” He asked after a moment. 
“Well it was, but I’m nearly through. The only room in the house that I haven’t touched is yours.”
“And why is that?” His eyes slid toward you, and the sudden shock of blue made your stomach flip. You shrugged a little, shaking your head. 
“I didn’t think you’d want me to.” 
Thomas nodded before he turned back to the pages. The two of you fell into silence, and you leaned in a little, reading over his shoulder.  
“...Dinner’ll be ready soon,” You told him after a few moments. He nodded, blowing smoke out of the side of his mouth, away from you. 
“What’re we having?” 
“Roast chicken.” 
“Vegetables?” 
“Potatoes and carrots.” 
“Gravy?” 
“Of course. I’m not an animal.” 
Thomas huffed a soft laugh through his nose. He turned his head toward you a little, his lips brushing your temple. The touch made your eyes slide closed, your stomach fluttering at the sensation. You were so caught up that you nearly missed what he said next:
“We’re going to London tomorrow.” 
You frowned, glancing up toward him. “Why?” 
“I’ve a meeting.” 
“A meeting that involves me?” 
“I want you with me.” He turned his head a little more, nuzzling lightly against your hair. “Besides, it’ll be good for you to get out of the house for a bit.” 
“I get out enough.” 
“I think you could do with a bit more.” 
You hummed thoughtfully before you leaned away, patting his thigh lightly. 
“I’ll go check on the bird.” 
You only managed to get up and take a single step before Thomas caught hold of your hand. You glanced back as he raised it to his lips, brushing a tender kiss to your knuckles. The action was so small, yet so intimate that it made your breath catch in your throat. He gave your hand a squeeze before letting go of it, letting his arm drift up to rest on the settee. You turned away, hurrying toward the kitchen. 
Once you were alone, you braced your hands on the counter, drawing in a deep breath and pushing it out again. Your skin seemed to tingle where he kissed it, and you glanced down, as if you could see some discernible change. You shook your head, shaking your hand before you turned to the oven. 
Dinner, get dinner together. You could worry about Thomas’ touch and the trip to London later. 
Next Part
Tag list: @missredherring ; @fantasticcopeaglepasta ;  @paintballkid711 ; @massivecolorspygiant ; @blueeyesatnight ; @amneris21 ; @ew-erin ; @youngkenobilove ; @carbonated-beverage​​​ ; @lorecraft ; @moonlightburned ; @milf-trinity ; @millllenniawrites ; @chattychell ; @dihra-vesa; @videogamesandpoorlifechoices ; @missswriter ; @thembosapphicclown ; @brandyllyn ; @wildmoonflower ; @buckybarneshairpullingkink ; @mad-girl-without-a-box ; @winchestershiresauce
437 notes · View notes
hllywdwhre · 15 days
Text
Long Time Coming
Tumblr media
Pairing: Tommy Shelby x fem!reader
Summary: When each of the family members noticed you and Tommy falling for each other
Warnings: arranged marriage, mentions of heroin (talks about how Tommy used it and the Chinese selling it - nothing graphic, only mentions), let me know if I missed any!
Word Count: 1.7K
Notes: THANK YOU for all the love on Revenge! After many comments and requests asking for more of the pairing, I decided to delve deeper into the development of Tommy and her’s relationship. Up next is moments reader and Tommy fell for each other!
Can technically be read as a stand-alone, but is meant to pair with this Tommy fic I wrote.
Polly
Tumblr media
Polly was the second to catch on. She knows her nephew far too well to not notice the small changes. Grace’s death changed something deep inside of Tommy and she didn’t think she’d ever see the day when Tommy, not only fell in love but allowed himself to love again.
Then you came along.
He started smiling more and drinking less. You got him to stop using dope to self-medicate. He also didn’t look nearly as tired.
She always said Tommy had his mother’s smile when he truly smiled, and it had been a long time since Polly had seen her sister’s smile on his face. You made a sarcastic comment in the private booth at The Garrison once though and there it was.
She noticed you falling for him when you came to her with way too much anxiety over an innocent, and adorable, request.
You were picking at your nails as you sat on her sofa while she lit a candle in her living room,
“Tommy mentioned you were the only one who had ever been able to replicate his mother’s raspberry tart recipe. I was wondering if there was any way you could teach me to make them?”
Polly froze for a moment, surprised at the request given your anxious state. It was then that she realized why you were so nervous. Even if you hadn’t realized it, you were falling for Tommy.
You two spent the rest of the day in her kitchen perfecting the recipe.
Arthur
Tumblr media
Arthur, bless him, can be pretty blind when it comes to romance. Like. Really blind. Lust? He can spot it a mile away. Hell, he was the first to notice that you and Tommy were sleeping together. But love? Gods help him.
It took until you killed Sabini for him to notice the two of you were in love.
The next day neither you nor Tommy wanted to leave your bed, but an emergency family meeting with the Shelbys and your father had been called because of your actions.
When you told everyone what you had done, Arthur was the first to break the shocked silence.
“Why the bloody ‘ell would you ‘ave done that?” He’d shouted in a mix of shock and anger.
“He’s been intimidating my father and me for over a year now, and then yesterday I learned what he had done to you lot… My anger got the best of me and I was tired of him,” you’d replied with a deep crimson blush spreading across your face.
The rest of the family and your father wore knowing smirks at your explanation, but you could see the moment it all clicked in Arthur’s eyes. His smirk spread across his face and his tone went from shocked and angry, to proud.
“Well, love, remind me not to piss you off.”
John
Tumblr media
Since he’d had an arranged marriage of his own, John knew better than most what you and Tommy were going through. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Tommy had actually come to John for advice before the wedding on how to help things go more smoothly and make sure that you were comfortable.
After a couple of months of being married, John had gotten Tommy alone and checked in on how he and you were doing. It was when Tommy had seemed surprised that things were going so well that John noticed his brother was becoming fond of you. He didn’t question Tommy on how he felt, he knew better than to think his brother would spill his heart to him, but he could see that Tommy felt something for you.
Esme & Ada
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Once again, since Esme’s own marriage into the Shelby family was an arranged one, she went out of her way to make you feel included and make sure you knew that she was an open, non-judgmental, and private ear you could turn to.
Ada walked in on you and Esme having a more vulnerable conversation when you were first married and you and Esme both immediately changed the topic. When Ada later asked Esme in private what the two of you had been discussing, Esme answered as honestly as she could without giving away details.
”I know what she’s going through, to an extent. I got lucky with how quickly I was accepted since John and I immediately clicked. Not to mention the way I saw every inch of you on our wedding night,” Esme said, both her and Ada laughing lightly at the memory of Esme not seeing her own husband naked on their wedding night, but instead his sister as she gave birth to Karl.
After that, Ada made sure to include you in any shopping trips she went on and opened her house in London to you in case you ever needed to get away.
”I know how my brother is. He can be a right twat when he wants to be. Just let me know if you ever need an escape. We’ll call it a girl’s night.”
The two women noticed you falling for Tommy when you were included in one of the shopping trips and they asked how things were going. You’d tried to brush the question off far too quickly, and when they couldn’t pry out of you that anything bad had happened, they quickly pieced together that you were catching feelings.
Michael
Tumblr media
Michael noticed as Tommy’s jealousy and protectiveness over you grew. The Shelby family knew you were capable of handling your own, but that didn’t mean Tommy wasn’t going to be protective. Especially after Grace.
Michael watched the way Tommy went from simply glaring at any men who tried flirting with you, to approaching the men and wrapping his arm around you while questioning whatever unfortunate man had angered him if "he had spotted the ring on your finger and was simply stupid, or if he was blind."
Jealousy was what gave it away for Michael.
Finn
Tumblr media
Finn noticed after a particularly dangerous job involving you didn’t go according to plan. You and Finn were the only two who wouldn’t be immediately recognized, so it was up to you two to find out if the Chinese had been selling heroin even after Tommy had threatened them with a bomb.
The two of you had been separated and you hadn’t returned yet when Finn made his way to the betting shop where everyone was waiting.
Tommy’s rage when Finn dared show up without you was something Finn never wanted to be on the receiving end of again.
Charlie
Tumblr media
Charlie was the first to notice. Granted he didn’t realize what he was seeing, but he had noticed.
You had convinced Tommy to build a stable at The Arrow House. He, Charlie, and you all loved horses, and it would be a fun way for you and Charlie to bond.
Tommy was away on business and you and Charlie had decided to take the horses for a ride. Charlie sat in front of you and you were letting him guide the horse as he hammered you with various questions about the world.
“Why do horses eat grass? Where do horses come from? Why can’t they eat human food?”
It was during this conversation that he pointed out that Tommy liked you.
“When will Daddy be back?” Charlie asked you.
“In two more days. He’s handling some business in London,” you answered easily.
“I miss him,” he said wistfully.
“I’m sure he misses you, too,” you reassured, “but he has to work so we can have our house and horses,” you told him, hoping to comfort the child some more.
“Do you miss him?” Charlie questioned, turning his head to look up at you.
“I do,” you answered easily. It wasn’t a lie.
By this point, you had grown to care for Tommy. You thought it was only as a friend and nothing more, but Charlie seemed to notice it was something different. You and Tommy didn’t feel the need to explain to Charlie what an arranged marriage was. The two of you had talked about how you were going to explain your marriage to Charlie, and you had both come up with a way to explain it to him without potentially causing any insecurities in the child or exposing him to what an arranged marriage was. It was a delicate balance of lies and truth, but neither of you wanted to tell Charlie “Well, sometimes marriage isn’t love, it’s business.” He was going to deal with enough at the truth of his mother’s death, and neither of you felt it was necessary to add a potential insecurity about whether the new mother figure in his life actually cared for him.
“He misses you, too,” Charlie said, breaking you out of your thoughts.
Your eyebrows furrowed together and you looked down at him,
“I’d hope so since we’re married, but what makes you say that?” You were still walking that delicate line of truth and lies, but his comment had piqued your interest.
“He watches you a lot and smiles a lot.”
His simple explanation could easily be explained away and you explained it away internally, but Charlie had noticed what you and Tommy hadn’t noticed yet.
Alfie
Tumblr media
Alfie and you had always had a cheeky and joking relationship. You got on like old school friends more than sometimes-ally-sometimes-pain-in-the-ass.
However, when Tommy and you came to him to see if you could rally his support in the inevitable war that was going to break out with Sabini’s men, he noticed the dynamic had changed. Typically meetings with Alfie were tense with the atmosphere only broken by your sarcastic comments and Alfie’s borderline flirting with you.
Alfie was taken aback when you shot down his flirting and Tommy sent a glare his way.
He recovered quickly though and soon went on to teasing the two of you about your “newfound happiness”.
”Was wondering when the two of you were going to pull your heads out of your asses and smell the roses.”
326 notes · View notes
kadwrites · 9 months
Text
deja vu | T.S
Tumblr media
previous part | next part
or check out the series masterlist
summary; how well do we really know the people we love?
warnings ; dark!tommy, minor character death, description of violence , mentions of murder, arranged marriage!trope , slow burn, fem!reader
a/n ; please let me know what you think!
-
you tilted your head and frowned , you're both standing at the garrison.
"tommy..." you mumbled in protest
"i know" he nodded "it'll be very short."
you clicked your tongue and then huffed "if you take longer than ..... 30 minutes i'm leaving."
"ya won't."
"get out of my sight." you muttered , taking a sip of your drink.
you sighed, looking over at the place. it was fairly busy, but not stuffy. sounds of chatter and men laughing echoing around, the lighting is dim. you made your way to the booth you were in, sitting down , eyeing your drink.
"when i heard tommy was marrying again, i would've never thought it's celest's little sister that he's trapped."
you recognized the voice before even processing the words, you look up, your brows raised and smiling in disbelief "lizzie?"
she's standing there, looking over at you. her blue eyes studying every inch of your face, a face she hadn't seen in a long time. and you hadn't expected to see her here , of all places.
"what are ya doing?" she speaks softly. you know the tone, you get the meaning; what are you doing with someone like him ?
you stand up, your gaze never leaves her , still smiling. "lizzie... i've not seen ya in so long..."
since she got involved with tommy , that is. lizzie and celest knew each-other , went to school together. lizzie would sometimes stay over , whenever your mother felt she wouldn't be safe otherwise. until the war.
she chuckles, "ya 'ave your mother to thank for that."
you chuckled too, still looking at her. "how did ya know about it?"
she gives you a look, her dark brow raised "everyone knows. i just didn't know it would be someone like *you*"
you lick your lips, "lizzie i know ya two share.... a history"
she scoffs , a bitter smile on her lips "i don't resent ya for this, i wouldn't." she shakes her head "i 'ave given up on 'im... a long time ago." her eyes look away for a moment before landing on you "whatever ya think of 'im, whatever ya believe he is , he's not." she speaks with conviction.
you don't reply to that, you're just trying to know what she means by it.
"thomas shelby doesn't know love like we do, what he knows is ownership." she chuckles bitterly, "learned what that meant the hard way. but ya shouldn't go through what i did." she shakes her head softly
"i don't understand...."
she stays silent for a moment "consider this a warning from a friend, this man , *will ruin you* , and when that 'appens ya will not recognize who you've become but he.... he will remain the same, unchanged not matter how hard ya try. he will always be what he always was, no love in the world can heal whatever is broken in 'im."
"ya don't understand, lizzie." you speak finally, "this isn't simple, for either of us. i can't leave"
"ya can't or ya won't?"
"i..." you pause for a moment, letting out a chuckle "i can't."
she studies your face , nodding "what does celest think? what does oliver think?"
"they're not thrilled."
"i know 'im more than most." she adds "and if i
knew what i do now when i first met 'im....." she looks away "i came here because i knew you'd be here and to tell ya that ya can come to me... if ya ever need help."
she places a hand on your arm, looking at you one more time before turning and making her way out of the garrison.
"she was always a nice girl" your mother sighed, taking a bite of her food
you and celest look at eachother before looking back at her,
celest knew why lizzie talked to you , and so did the rest of your family
"where's abraham?" you nod towards anna
she shrugged , "he had to do something before coming here"
"ya knew who i dreamt of?" your father pointed his fork at you "that teller boy, jeremy was it?. it was the strangest thing , i tell ya"
all the women at the table tried to stay neutral, keep their reactions to a minimum, you try to hide your uncomfortable reaction behind your glass of water "it is strange"
the whole table looks towards the front door, the sound of the door slamming open and not slamming back closed, and the heavy rushed footsteps
"i need to talk to ya," he appears in the living room doorway. he puts his hands on his hips, breathing heavily as if he ran to the house. he's disheveled, he pushed his glasses back on his nose with a shaky hand
"jeremy teller is dead." he speaks in a hushed voice, looking around to check that no one is listening, both of you standing in your parents bedroom. he didn't want anyone to hear , especially not renee or she might just give birth on the spot.
"what? no he's not." you laugh, looking at him. waiting for him to finish his joke
he looks at you, wiping a hand over his face. he looks at you "he's fucking dead."
your laugh falters slowly as you look at him, your face twitching with different emotions "how ? when? how do you know about it?"
"i heard. they found 'im murdered," he tries to not speaks too loudly "his throat was slit"
you can feel your blood go cold "do they know who killed 'im?"
he tilts his head, his hands still shaking as they rest on his hips. "ya know who killed 'im."
"no....no." you shake your head, laughing again in disbelief "no no no, no" you look away and step back, putting a hand over your forehead "that's impossible."
"listen to me" he grabs your shoulders, turning you to look at him "he did it, all of small heath knows he did and ya do too."
"no , he wouldn't." you shake your head again, your heart beating so fast you can hear it. "why would he do that? he wouldn't ."
he moves you gently, sitting you down on the chair in your parents room. he kneels , his hands move to your face "what do ya wanna do now ?"
the room feels so stuffy, you can hardly breath.
"i don't know." your chest feels like it might collapse. you try to stand up, but you can barely feel your legs, you try to blink away the darkness that takes over your vision.
but you knew it was coming, the darkness does take over.
here you are again, staring at that portrait that hangs opposite of your bed. you're filled with dread , fear and even anger , your eyes trace the portrait that you've already memorized.
your head on the pillow, your sister sniffling is another reminder, like a deja vu of that cursed night.
but you can see someone else in your peripheral vision sitting in the chair , those cold blue eyes cannot be missed. its as if his presence filled the room with a cold sort of air.
you try to get up,
"lay down"
"i don't want to." you mumble, letting out a breath as you lean your back against your bed frame. your eyes still on the painting, you don't even glance his way.
"feeling better?" his voice sounds colder than you ever remember it being. the smell of the cigarette smoke making you close your eyes shut, making your head spin. you reach for the glass of water on your bedside table, your hands quiver as you bring it to your lips
"yes" you put the glass back down
"ya look pale"
"hmm"
you can't shake that feeling, you're scared of looking at him and seeing the same view you did that day, the blood on his hands.
"ya killed 'im." you're almost muttering to yourself,
he doesn't answer you, and you don't ask again. you finally peel your eyes off of the old painting, glancing at him. the look on his face gave you the answer that you already knew.
he looks so calm , so collected , almost wicked. "are ya scared now?"
and it was your turn to not answer his question, but your eyes never leave his.
"did ya do it yourself?"
"yes" he looks right back at you "you're already aware of what i can do"
you just shut your eyes, your hands shake as they grip into the covers
"forgetting it is your fault, not mine." his voice sounds again
you don't even remember the rest of that day, his words were replying in your head.
you snap out of that trance a day later, you're in the living room on the chair by the window. you look straight at the window as your mind tries to make sense of everything, and then a figure down the street catches your eyes and you feel a switch go off in your head.
i have eyes around here.
and you realize , probably ears too.
your clothes swish as you run out of the living room towards your parents' room, your mother running behind you. the old wooden floor cried under your rushed footsteps
"what happened?"
you don't even hear her, you don't process what she's saying. you pull out the box from under their bed, you rummage through it , pulling out your dad's revolver.
the cold metal of the gun feels like it's burning through your flesh
"what the fuck are ya doing? where did ya get that?" oliver yells , his eyes opened wide as tries to run after you too.
the whole house freezes, all of them just still as if the slightest movement would set that gun off
you push that door open , it slams against the wall beside it. your feel take you towards the man standing in the street , a figure you've seen lurking around too many times to chalk it up to coincidences
you cock back the hammer, your hands are steady for the first time since yesterday.
"ya tell tommy fucking shelby that if he doesn't get ya fuckers away from me , i'll start shooting."
you move the revolver and point it to the pavement , missing his foot by a hair.
-
taglist ; @tardisloverz , @optimisticsandwichgladiator , @theshelbyslimited , @illuminwtesz , @goldensunflowe-r , @gruffle1 , @warrior-of-justice , @mgdixon , @babayaga67 , @goblinjnr , @justaproudslytherpuff , @budugu , @twlegit , @amberpanda99 , @aesthetic0cherryblossom , @capswife , @lets-turn-and-burn , @affabletimelady , @edencherries , @globetrotter28 , @eg-dr3amer3 , @sadroses98 , @fairytale07 , @hakudaru , @swordofawriter , @esposadomd , @blogforficslol ، @bearchermer , @n1c0t1n4 , @dreamy-caramel , @dragonsondragons , @charli123456789 ، @bunny24sstuff ، @butterfly-lover , @my-tin-can-mans , @powellssaturn , @vlryexsworld , @h0neylemon , @citris-runaway , @swinginmusicalfunnydragon , @babyspice6 , @oatmealisweird , @yuki254 , @ce1iat , @thelastemzy , @queenofshinigamis , @bai-wuxiangs-mask , @knmendiola ، @bethexo07 , @geeky-politics-46 , @dawnzzzz , @probablypossesedbysatan , @n0vaj3an , @oscarisdaddy69 , @nadloves , @ay0nha , @whoreforaz , @starrystormwritings , @hml2918 , @bloodywickedvamp , @ajmiila02 , @torrie421 , @queen-bunny , @febris-amatoria , @verycollectivecreator , @mutareadastra ,
1K notes · View notes