To Be Alone | Tommy Shelby

In Secret

Summary: It's only been two months since Tommy asked Celia to marry him, but he can't wait any longer. This on the whim decision angers some family members once they find out it's been done. Then, Tommy honors a promise he made to Celia back in America.

Set in between Season 2 and Season 3
———

The bells to the shop clanged together, letting Celia know that someone had entered the front room. She rushed to set down what she was working on, and was still putting pins back into their holder as she walked out to greet whoever it was that had arrived. "I'm sorry about that, how can I help you?" she asked, her eyes still focused on the pin holder.

"'S no need to rush, love," the voice made her look up, her heartbeat quickening.

"Tommy? Why're you here?" she questioned him, more out of curiosity than anything. "You know I bring your suits home with me now."

"Yes, I know," he nodded his head before he placed his hands on the counter, leaning in slightly like he was looking around Celia and to the back room. "Is Walter or Edith in?" he asked when his own search turned up nothing.

"No. They had personal matters to deal with."

"Fuck," Tommy sighed at her response, making her furrow her eyebrows at his reaction.

"Something wrong, love?" she asked him now, confusion and a slight bit of worry filling her body. She wondered what he'd gotten himself into now.

"I can't wait much longer," he said then, his response not giving any clues to what was going on.

"...for what?" her question came after a moment of silence.

"I want to marry you right now, Celia," he told her then, making her jaw go slack and drop slightly.

"Wha...Tommy, what?" she asked as she searched his eyes. Surely this had to be a joke, right? She was even more confused when she realized that he was being serious. "Why? We're making arrangements. My family's coming over from America. The whole thing's being planned," she started to ramble, fiddling with the loose ring that he had put on her finger just two months ago.

"I know. I know that your family's not here, or that the arrangements aren't completed, but I can't wait any longer," he was shaking his head as he spoke. "I can't wait any longer to make you mine...make you a Shelby."

"I've been a Shelby since the first time you kissed me," Celia remarked, her eyebrows raised slightly as her eyes bore into his. God, she was starting to act more and more like them with each day that passed.

Tommy only laughed at her quip, looking down at the floor as the door to the shop opened. "Shop's closed!" he called to the person that was standing behind him now.

The bells were clanging once more, "sorry, Mr. Shelby," a man's voice squeaked out before the door was closed again.

"Can I marry you, love?" he asked then, his eyes meeting hers once more.

"You are marrying me, Thomas."

"You know what I mean," he didn't care for her call to technicality, his eyebrows raising as he waited for the answer he was looking for. Celia was hesitant to give it to him. She was torn between wanting the wedding she'd been dreaming up since she was a teen — the wedding that every woman pictures herself having, and wanting to give into what Tommy was proposing — to accept it as just another adventure that came with being the partner of Thomas Shelby. "Celia...?" he prodded for her answer after a few silent moments.

"What would you want me to wear?" she asked him, watching as a smile broke onto his lips. She'd agreed.

"I'd say that what you've got on now is perfect, but wear whatever you'd want, love...this is your wedding," he grinned at her, making her glance down at the older blouse and skirt that she always wore to work because didn't mind getting dirty. Sometimes she wondered if he was blind.