Gun metal and Daisies (Thomas Shelby)

However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.

We are here
To laugh at the odds
And live our lives
So well,
That death will
Tremble to take us.

Dorothy left around 8 o'clock. She hugged Thomas on her way out of the bedroom door and was pulled into a very abrupt hug from Polly and an unexpected one from John, just as he was heading out with Esme.

Thomas, for the first time in a while, had the morning to spare. He had no work and he only had a few things in the afternoon. He had nothing to do and was beside himself with boredom.

Thomas didn't do well when he was alone and by himself with nothing to do.
He found himself spiralling and unnerved. His mind tracing the steps of a ladder, cautious to not miss a step but falling none the less.

Thomas took a walk. He stalked around the streets of Small Heath. Lost in his head. He ignored people's greetings and fleeting stares as he marched in no particular fashion. No destination in sight.

Thomas found himself thinking of his death in the tunnels. His life underneath the battlefield. In certain religions, the place he occupied for four years would have been considered the literal town of hell.

Thomas heard calling behind him, distant and far off. When he jerked back to his senses he noticed that the calling wasn't far away from him, actually only a few feet away.

Charlie was stood in front of Thomas with a raised eyebrow and an impatient expression. "Orright Tom?"

Thomas stifled a stiff nod and walked on. He wasn't sure if he wanted company. Not sure if it would bode well with the spiral his mind had taken this morning.

But Thomas' wish was not granted as the 10 year old took his place with walking next to the brooding man. He didn't say anything, he only just walked along.

Thomas walked on the outskirts of the market and along the corners of Small Heath. Soon enough, the two came by the cut. Thomas sat down by the side of the river, by the arches and looked on at the opposite bank.

Charlie took a seat next to Thomas and thought of his words carefully, "what're you thinking about Tom?"

Thomas sighed and lit a cigarette, "mortality."
He didn't know why he was telling the young boy this. But Thomas already knew the boy understood the tribulations of life. The hard part of living.

"What about your mortality?" Charlie swung his legs back and forth.

"What the fuck I'm still doing here. Why the hell I'm still walking. I'm not a living man, Charlie. I've got nothing keeping me here, so why am I here?" He took another drag.

Charlie was quiet for a moment, "of course you've got something keeping you here. You have your family here. I don't know much about the Peaky Blinders, but I do know youse built that business from the ground up. You have that business to put clothes on their backs. You have that business so you can make sure they never go hungry again." Charlie huffed, "you can't say you've got nothing here if there are people here who consider you to be their everything."

"My family hate me, Charlie. Arthur could run the business just fine without me." Thomas scoffed.

"Well you have Miss. Dotty-Anne. You are one of the best things to happen to her. She's been happier with you around. She don't tell nobody that she's sad. But we know she is."

"Bonny didn't need me. I thought I was saving her, but I realise that she don't need saving. She never did. She doesn't need anything from me." Thomas was now feeling awfully sorry for himself which Charlie did not approve of in the slightest.

"Bloody hell, Tom. You have some nerve saying that. Don't build a wall around your suffering or it will get ya from the inside. Yeah, so what? The people around you could go without you always being there. Your family never really need you and Miss Dotty-Anne doesn't care. Yeah? What if?" He waved his hands around exasperatedly, "that shit doesn't matter now. Cause you are here. The war didn't ice ya, even though it felt like it did. You are working on borrowed time now, and you just got lucky. You found an angel who is going to make your life heaven on hell. Your mortality will only matter when you realise she won't always go with you."

Charlie stood up and brushed off his trousers, "she will go with you to the end, but the moment you give up on her is the moment you lose her. Don't fucking lose her, Tom." Charlie walked away.

Thomas sat for a moment and was around eighty percent sure that he just had a premonition visit him, but he wasn't exactly sure. Thomas laughed at himself for taking a child's advice, even though the kid had a point.

Thomas' life had been a rollercoaster since the war ended and it just flipped over all of a sudden when Bonny arrived.

Thomas couldn't believe himself when he considered Charlie's words and found himself agreeing with the boy. That kid never ceased to amaze him.

Thomas checked the time and trudged to the bakery.
Maybe there was something here for him?

——

As Thomas waltzed into the bakery, he was swiftly greeted by Dorothy and a small greeting from Ms. P who had accepted the friendship between Thomas and Dorothy.

Without many more words, he was whisked away out the door, and everything was okay again.

Thomas thought long and hard as he walked with her. There was a future with Bonny. There had to be one. Thomas kept her close, he kept her tucked under his arm where no one could take her. To her it was an endearing invitation for a warm hug, but for others it was a warning signal. Weather he intended it or not, people knew to back off.

When he held her close, she smelled like home and felt like warm hugs and kisses of the ones you missed. Thomas hadn't been dead since the war. He'd been lost. He'd been homesick; and here he was- home.

——
This was kinda short, but I really like Thomas' and Charlie's friendship. It's just one of those things y'know?

I ALSO HAVE A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
I've started to plan the rest of this book and the plot is set. I'm predicting about 19 more chapters to go, but I'm not sure.

I've also got plans for another Peaky Blinders book I want to write after this one!

Finally, on Tumblr I have a request box for Peaky Blinders stories. If you ever want to send in a request, you can go to my Tumblr (the link is in my bio) or you can comment on any of my stories chapters. All stories will get posted here and on my Tumblr.

Thanks for the love.
Feedback and comments are wanted.
See ya next time!