god is a woman (arthur shelby.)

fifteen.

2 YEARS LATER

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Rain was absolutely pouring, and Finn had no umbrella or coat, not even a hat. His hair was stuck to his forehead and he was shivering like a victim of flu. He expected that the two minute walk from the betting den to the gym would be enough to go without a coat, but he was very quickly being proven wrong.

He cut through the back streets and the houses to try and shorten his journey. Mothers were manically trying to collect in the laundry before it got soaked, and he weaved in between the washing lines. Children ran between his legs and tried to trip him up, irritating him even further. He finally managed to make it out of the alleyway and back on to the main street, realising that the rain was getting heavier and the air was getting colder.

As he stepped around the corner onto the dead and empty street, he saw a lonely and disheveled figure hunched under their coat. They were sat upon a large suitcase and had a hand bag swung over their shoulder. Light brown hair was being dyed darker by the rain and he managed to make out that it was a woman.

"Hello?" He called out, feeling ever so slightly unnerved by her being the only person in the usually crowded road.

"Hello!" She shouted back, her voice Irish. "Oh my gosh, hello!"

"Are you okay?" Finn asked politely.

"You've grown up so much!" She squealed and ran over to him, wrapping her short self around him in a hug which Finn was hesitant to accept. 

"Who the fuck are you?" He panicked and pushed her away as she pulled her coat off her head.

Large brown eyes, an innocent smile and an Irish accent. Of course it was Rowan, the object of his brother's obsession for the past two years. Her name never left Arthur's mouth and any opportunity he could, he brought her up.

She looked a little older, but absolutely no different. Finn however, had had a growth spurt and an overhaul. The once scrawny and scrappy little boy was developing into a well dressed young man with beautiful freckles and a ginger mop of curls.

"Bloody hell. Where the fuck did you get to?" He asked in shock. "We all thought you'd died."

"Please, I've had a whale of a time." She rolled her eyes so hard she almost gave herself a headache. "Getting kidnapped and shot by my own father really was the highlight of my year."

"Sorry?" Finn was in utter disbelief.

"Look, I need a favour. Can you take me to Arthur and let me explain why I left him? I've felt so guilty for the longest time and I feel he deserves to know." She pleaded. "So does Mariah."

"I don't know." Finn sighed and hesitated. "He hasn't been himself lately and I don't want to make it worse."

"Please!" She begged. "I've run away from my father and travelled 300 miles to tell Arthur that I fancy him."

"Fine." Finn gave in. "I was on my way to go and see him anyway."

"I love you." She hugged him tightly once more before grabbing her suitcase.

Finn lead the way for the rest of the journey, which turned out to be just mere meters. Her bag was weighing her down relentlessly, which Finn so kindly offered to carry for her but struggled just as much as she did.

"Where were you planning on staying? When did you get here? I've got so many questions." Finn strained.

"Give that here, still as useless as ever." Rowan smiled and took her case back. "On the street and this morning. I've been traveling all night."

"Right well there's no chance you're sleeping on the street, you can stay with Mariah and John. She'll be over the moon." He told her.

Finn lead her into what looked like a warehouse but was actually the gym. The sawdust on the floor and strong smell of sweat was off-putting enough, but the thought of Arthur being there was enough to push her through.

There he was. In a room, alone except for a man reading the paper, skipping on a rope, counting and glaring at the wall as he was lost in a trance. His hair was longer and his body was musclier, but the venom in his eyes was the most startling of all. He was dead behind the eyes and looked ready to murder.

"Arthur." Finn shouted but failed to get his attention. "Tommy's called a family meeting. Arthur!"

Rowan placed her bag and coat down before leaning against a wooden pole, hidden from his view by Finn. She watched his every move and waited for him to notice her.

"He just beat the shit out of an apprentice. Has to take half the kid away in buckets." The man reading the paper told Finn.

Rowan felt sick. When Finn said that he hadn't quite been himself as of late, this wasn't what she was expecting.

"Two thousand." Arthur deeply breathed and stopped skipping.

Arthur's eyes fell on the girl hidden behind his brother. The girl he resented. The girl he wanted to fuck so badly. The girl he had missed more than he could ever have expected. The girl he wanted to hate, but couldn't bring himself to.

"You." He pointed at her and started walking towards her.

Finn and the man stopped him and held him back, much to his anger.

"I ain't gonna hurt her!" He shoved them away angrily. "I ain't gonna hurt her." He repeatedly, much calmer. "Just leave us for a second."

Finn and the man shared a look of panic, but didn't dare want to strike up a fight with Arthur so left him to it. Finn whispered to Rowan as he left that he was just outside if he needed her, but she was too focused on Arthur to even notice.

"So." Arthur spoke, still out of breath. "Where the fuck do you think you've been?"

"Please, let me explain." Rowan pleaded.

Arthur slowly stalked up to her, but she had no where to back off to as she was pinned up against the pole.

"You made a promise to me." He said and leant his arm on the pole.

"Please don't hate me, please I can explain." Rowan held back her tears.

"You promised me a blowjob." He whispered softly.

"You remembered that?" She stifled a laugh.

"Don't think I forgot, you haven't left my mind since the second you vanished."

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a/n: so I have 600 followers now?? big oof and a big thank you x