It had been around two weeks seen I had come back to Birmingham, Spending most nights working in the Garrison, Didn't give me a lot of time to see Ada or Polly, so I started seeing her in the day rather than later in the night then usual. Although she had been acting off, Going missing for a few hours a day, Of course I didn't mind she was her own person as I am mine, Just confused on where she was going, nevertheless as was well and we would botch occasionally go to the pictures together gushing over the unrealistic standards of men.
I though spending Most of my time at the pub would of taken a toll on me, But the atmosphere is rather quite amazing. My co-worker Grace is so friendly, Although she has her odd moments, where she was deep in thought or going weirdly close to doors or walls as if she was some secret agent listening for clues. The thought made me giggle, Grace was such a simple women and thinking she could be apart of such a big lie I was certainly going mad, we grown rather close in a short amount of time and the perks is knowing she was growing rather close with a certain Shelby. I must add it was quite an unusually connection the pair had but still, I warned the blonde of Thomas and his doings but she insisted she was okay.
It was normal evening, but was quieter then usual, the rain stopping people from wanting to come out. I had insisted I would close up and that she could go home early, she tried to argue with me but soon have in, a said her goodbyes, it wasn't long until the pub was still, So I decided to close up.
I was drying some glasses when the fire to the pub opened quite forcefully
I
"We're closed" i sigh turning around
I was cut off when a soaking wet Thomas Shelby come storming in right over to bad looking visibly distressed
My head falls to side staring for a moment, then pull out his usual whiskey and a glass. Whilst doing so he had seated himself in a chair and table in the middle of the room.
"What's up with you then" I say poring his drink
Tommy completely ignored my question "where's harry, grace even?"
I sit in the seat opposite him
"Both took the night off, Harry went to the pictures"
He didn't say anything but looked away.
The awkwardness began to rise
"Heard you got a new horse, grace said it was rather beautiful" i smile and look away , i had always been intrigued by horses, always wanted one of my own
"Well, I've just put a bullet in its head"
He claims, he didn't seem to flinch at the thought, Whereas my smile dropped just as fast as it came
"Was he lame Thomas?"
"He looked at me the wrong, it's not a good idea to look at Tommy Shelby the wrong way" He pours himself another drink
"What a waste" i say with the sadnesses he had caused visibly showing
"Yep" sarcasm lacing through that one worse
"A waste is what it is" he takes a sip of his drink
He chuckles to himself
"You know in France"
Tommy pauses, looking away, my stare still fixated on him
"In France, I got used to seeing men die"
"Never got used to seeing horses die"
"They die badly"
He pulls out a cigarette from the box, the silence becoming hard to handle
"Grace told me to tell you she picked out a dress"
He hands me a cigarette and I take it
"Thanks" i give a small untruthful smile
"Said something about Cheltenham"
He lights the cigarette for me
"The king will be there" he takes a drag
Unsure of why he is telling me, I still go on with the conversation
"King George?" Confusion taking over me
"Nope" he says slightly popping the p
"King Billy Kimber and all his men" he sits back on his chair
"And what will grace be doing" i copy his movements
"She'll do what I ask her to do"
I flick my cigarette, and he begins to stare, most people are and would be frightened of this, but I know Thomas Shelby, I'm not scared of him
My head cocks to the side and I smile
He gives a fake side smile and disappears just as quick
He takes another drag from his cigarettes till not breaking the eye contact
"What" I say getting sick of the stare
"Doesn't matter"
"Then stop staring"
He chuckles
"Don't flatter yourself Elizabeth"
I scoff
"You don't intimidate me Mr Shelby"
"I'm not trying to"
It goes silent once more
"So what do you write"
My neck cracks I moved it so fast to look at him
Nobody's has asked me that since my mother died, since I stopped
My mother was a writer not a successful one I must add but she was good better then the books you do see and read
I supposedly inherited of off her, and turned it into poetry but since she died I couldn't even hold another pen I've been told I was dramatic and being pathetic, but once your in the position you'll understand it hurts awful lot more then you would think it does.
"Who told you that" I say bluntly
"Ada" he looks amused
"I don't write anymore"
"Ada tells me your good"
"I told you, I don't write anymore" I grow irritated
"And whys that Elizabeth"
"Non of your concern" i sigh
"Just one story"
"I write poems" i look at him
"Right then, a poem"
I sigh again, as a sign of defeat
He suddenly smacks the table making me jump
"Right, get up on a chair"
I drag a chair along the slowly so it makes a noise as it goes along, all he does is a raise an eyebrow at me
I clap my hands together
"Happy or sad?"
Our eyes connecting once more, he's looking up at me for a first as he is much taller than my petite structure
After a pause, staring at each other, he answers.
"Sad"
"Okay"
I smirk
"But I warn you, it will break your heart"
"Already broken" the sadness breaking through
For a split second I felt bad, just for a moment I felt sorry for the Person in front of me, who you wouldn't think has feelings, but he's human, its normal. Even for Thomas Shelby
I come from my thoughts and begin.
"The teardrops fall down, and fall of his nose"
"He cries in dark corners where nobody goes"
I stop, we stare, i begin again
"You can follow the tracks, from his eyes to his chin"
"Years upon years, of letting them win"
His head drops, his thoughts consuming him
"And his eyes tell a story, of anger and pain"
"You think that he's happy, but just look again"
"And the scars of his past, hidden under his clothes"
"Are a roadmap to places that nobody knows"
"His smile is now painted, he's a master of disguise"
"And you can see it all, just look into his eyes"
We stay there for a moment, his head down I'm still standing on the chair.
It's peaceful
He looks up at me, and I look away, beginning to get off of the chair and move it back
"It's getting late Thomas I should really lock up"
I begin putting the glasses away he used
"Yeah" was all he says and goes out from the pub into the rain that had had left him dripping wet
I smile to myself, not because of Thomas, not a man, not yet at least.
Because of my courage
_________________________
please tell me if you like it or what would make it better ty my lovelys <33