hope || michael gray

- SIX -

TW - mentions of SA
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"mickey! hurry up the party's starting!" finn called from beside her as she walked down watery lane with the youngest members of the blinders, all around her age - finn being the youngest.

"where you going finn?" one of their friends asked as finn headed towards the houses.

"to talk to arthur." he replied, giving matilda a comforting smile telling her to carry on with the boys. she gave a small nod in reply.

the boys and tilly carried on down the street, laughing and joking as they headed towards the garrison. probably every single one of the boys she was walking with and tried it on with tilly over the last few years, each receiving a punch from one of the shelby brothers or tilly herself. they were all strictly friends now, although some of them were still brave enough to give a flirty comment or make a move occasionally.

they neared the garrison, matilda pulling her thick fur coat tighter round her shoulders as flakes of snow fell around them.

the boys opened the doors, entering the pub cheering and shouting as they looked around at the fancy new decor.

matilda slipped off her coat to reveal a sliver flapper dress, which reached just above her knees. it had a low v-neck cut with little sleeves covering her shoulders, and was paired with silver heels. she refused to cut her long wavy hair even with polly insisting it would make her seem more mature and business-like, and left it down around her shoulders.

the group were greeted by many of the people in the pub as they walked towards the bar, ordering drinks as matilda went to stand next to lizzie stark. since tommy had hired her as a secretary, the two women had grown closer by the day.

arthur and finn walked in a bit later, both with big smiles on their faces as arthur went behind the bar.

"take that! take that!" arthur said loudly as he placed bottles on the bar.
"tilly come 'ere and give us a hand, your barmaid days are back for tonight!"

matilda laughed and slipped behind the bar, placing glasses on the side and pouring people drinks. tommy appeared and grabbed one, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"look at the place!" arthur roared as tommy raised his glass to him.

"are you alright?" he replied.

"the busier we are, the faster time passes!" arthur replied.

matilda's smile fell as she heard the brothers conversation. tommy then went to speak in his brothers ear, meaning the girl couldn't hear the conversation anymore.

she plastered on a smile and darted round them and the other barmaids, pouring drinks and taking money in from customers. arthur then joined her again, smiling and shouting.

she watched as tommy went round the pub, taking a glass of whisky off finn as he went and downing it, before walking out to the back room of the pub.

he missed grace, matilda knew he did. she hadn't seen him like a woman like that since before the war. matilda had always had an odd feeling about the woman, and when she started acting weirdly, she couldn't understand how tommy didn't see it. but it was love, it blinded the negatives in the relationship.