Tommy Shelby x fem! Reader
Warnings: violence, swearing
Summary: you have always loved tommy, and tommy has always loved you - sometimes love just needs a little push.
word count: 1.9k
I made some changes to Tommy and Grace's relationship for the sake of the fic
You were running around the school yard the first time he saw you. Your hair in two tight pigtails that swung with every step you took, you pretty white dress flowing out around you as you picked up little daisies on your way. A soft hum echoed from your throat - an indistinguishable song that he was sure he had heard before.
In that moment, he knew you were the one for him.
With an unusual pep in his step on the way home from school, he rushed into his home immediately exclaiming to his aunt Polly, and brothers; Arthur and John that he had met his future wife.
"She's beautiful aunt Polly, has the voice of a... a songbird!"
Polly cooed at the young boy, his blue eyes bright with wonder as he tried to form words to describe the girl. His brothers were teasing him relentlessly, causing Polly to huff and tell them to sod off.
With a gentle smile, she patted her knee as she sat on the couch - causing the eleven year old to grin before taking his rightful place on her lap as he had done for years.
"What's her name, Thomas?"
A small frown settled over his soft features, eyebrows creasing as realisation set in. "Well... I didn't get the chance to talk to her."
The sound of Arthur and John's roaring laughter and comments of 'you don't know your wife's name?' had Polly immediately scolding them and sending them to fetch her tea.
Placing a kiss on her nephews forehead, she tilted his chin with her pointer finger so he was looking up at her. "Why don't you find the lass tomorrow at school and talk to her, yeah?"
So that's exactly what he did.
The next time he saw you, you were dancing around the yard without a care in the world about who was watching you. Tommy knew that if your teacher saw you, she would scold you for letting your skirt flow up in the wind and tell you to be "more lady-like," but you were enticing.
With a racing heart, Tommy picked a few daisies from the patch beside him, before walking over to you. You hadn't noticed him, too caught up in your daydreams to see the timid boy with a handful of crushed flowers.
A poke to your shoulder caused you to abruptly turn around, causing Tommy's eyes to widen at the sight of you up close. You were so pretty, Tommy had confirmed his thoughts in that moment – the prettiest girl in the world.
"...Yes?" You questioned after a beat of silence, voice smooth like honey.
"I, uh – got these for you," Tommy shyly replied back, opening his hand to reveal the definitely ruined flowers. "I saw you pick some yesterday."
A smile grew on your face as you took a couple of the flowers from him – leaving one in his hands. Before he could stop himself, Tommy was tucking it behind your left ear.
"How does it look?"
"Absolutely breathtaking."
From that moment, you and Thomas Shelby were inseparable. People knew that when they saw Tommy, you usually weren't too far behind - and vice versa. The pair of you worked in perfect sync, always knowing the others next move before they had even thought of it themselves.
You were there by his side through thick and thin - from the moment that his father left to when he got back from the war. You were there. You were his safe place - the one person he could count on no matter what. Until he met her.
Grace was lovely, truly a perfect woman and Tommy felt himself falling for the Irish beauty, but neglected to tell you. So it came as a surprise when you had caught them kissing upon entering the Garrison with Finn and Arthur.
A sharp sting blanketed your heart and chest at the sight, a glistening tear sliding over the apple of your cheek and you quickly wiped it away, but not before Arthur had caught sight of it.
It hurt because no matter how much you tried to deny it, you had fallen for the boy who had given you squashed daisies the first time you met. The boy who learnt how to braid just so he could do you hair when your mother was too drunk to stand; the boy who was vulnerable enough to cry to you when the nightmares of France became too much.
You were in love with Thomas Shelby.
Arthur's arm tugged you to his side to shield you from the sight of them, pouring you a glass of whiskey before pressing a soft kiss to your head.
"He's daft Y/N, too blind to see that he's in love with ya."
Downing the rest of the drink in your cup, you sent Finn a half-hearted smile as an apology for dampening his night, before grabbing your purse and standing on wobbly feet. The freckled boy quickly placed his hand on your back to stabilise you, Arthur immediately raising to his feet to wrap his arm around your waist.
"Let me walk you home, yeah? Don't want someone to see a pretty, drunk girl and take advantage of that."
"I'm basically an honorary Shelby, Arthur. I grew up with you – nobody is going to mess with me out of fear that you'd kill 'em," you muttered, head lulling onto his shoulder as he walked you both out of the bar.
Tommy's eyes immediately lit up at the sight of you, ready to wave you over – he hadn't seen you all day which was extremely unusual for the pair of you, but with one sharp glare from his older brother, his hand dropped back down onto his lap as you both walked out.
That day soon turned into a week, which pretty soon turned into a whole month of not seeing you. Tommy wanted to talk to you about the deals he was making, he wanted to offer you a job as a secretary – his secretary.
He wanted to rant to you about how Grace had told him that they couldn't be together, that he was in love with someone else - you - and she was moving away; but he couldn't because you weren't there.
Every time he called for a family meeting, he would feel a sense of excitement bubble in his chest at the thought of you possibly being there in your chair next to his - only to be let down when he found it empty.
The room silenced upon his entrance, Polly's eyes looking at him with what he could only describe as pity as he walked over to the head of the table - not even bothering to look at your vacant seat.
Tommy's eyes glanced around the room, noticing the lack of his older brothers presence. "Where the fuck is Arthur?"
"Haven't seen him all morn-" John began, only to be cut off by the topic of their discussion slamming open the door. His disheveled appearance and bloody hands sent everyone to their feet as he jerkily ran over to Tommy and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
"Tom! You have to come with me, quickly! Pol, grab your med kit!" He pointed to the older woman before looking at Ada who had Karl resting on her hip. "You still want to play nurse?"
The girl spluttered, looking towards Tommy with wide eyes causing him to grab the back of Arthur's neck and place his forehead on his own - grounding the older boy.
"Arthur I need you to take a breath and tell us what's happening, aye. Why is there bloody on yer' hands?"
"Y/N," the boy whispered, barely audible enough for him to hear his own words. Clearing his throat, Arthur shakily placed his palm on Tommy's cheek making sure the boy understood his next words. "Y/N's been shot."
Tommy swore his heart almost broke out of his chest, panic instantly setting in as he took a few steps back - everyone's eyes on him.
"Is she?.."
"She's alive Tom, Curly's got 'er by the cut- we need to go quick though."
Tom's pleading eyes met his aunts who sent him a nod, and muttered a hasty "Ada and I'll meet you there - John stay with the kids. Thomas, go!"
Not wasting a second, Arthur grabbed his brothers wrist before tugging him out of the house and down to the canal. His eyes immediately caught sight of Curly whose hand was pressed down on your shoulder, your back pressed against his chest - tears sliding down your cheeks as you gritted your teeth in pain.
"Y/N," Tommy hushed, knees hitting the grass beside you as he took your hand in his. Your head snapped towards him and a relieved expression crossed your features.
"Tom!"
Shaking his head, Tommy gently pulled you out of Curly's lap and replaced his hand with his own. "Polly and Ada are on their way, I just need you to hang on until then, yeah? Can you do that?"
With a firm nod from you, Tommy pressed down harder on your wound to stop the bleeding - ignoring the way that your blood was staining his hands and new suit in crimson.
"Who did this to you, love?" He whispered, lips pressing kisses into your hair. "I swear, you tell me and I'll give 'em hell for you."
"No need, I already did that myself. Called me a whore and blamed me for my mothers death, I don't even know him."
With your uninjured arm, you pointed to the body of a man twice your size laying face down, blood seeping from the wound in his head. "Finally used the gun you gave me."
"Bloody hell."
Tommy didn't leave your side, even when Ada tried to pull him away as she pried the bullet out of your flesh and Polly attempted to stitch and dress your wound. His hand was clasped tightly around yours, allowing you to squeeze so tight that he thought you might break his fingers.
When it was all done, Ada tossed the bullet into the river, while Arthur and Curly said they'd take care of the clean up. Polly gave you her coat after removing your blood soaked shirt, her hand gently running through your matted hair before cupping your cheek.
"You did so well, darling. Get some rest, you're a proper Shelby now."
With that, she raised to her feet, gesturing for Ada to follow along, the both of them sending a wave your way.
It felt like you and Tommy were sat in the same position for an eternity, his hand not leaving yours, your head resting in his lap while Arthur and Curly had come and gone with their cleanup.
Giving his hand a squeeze, Tommy looked down at you as you moved so you could meet his concerned eyes.
"What is it? Are you in pain?"
"No Tom - I mean yeah it fucking hurts, I was shot!" You exclaimed before a breathless chuckle escaped your lips. "You're just squashing the daisies again."
With furrowed eyebrows, Tommy looked down to the grass beneath you, it was coated in your blood - but he couldn't help the boisterous laugh that echoed around you at the realisation that he had, in fact, squashed the flowers.
A timid smile crept upon his face, reminding you of the day you both met as he plucked the only white flower that was surrounded in a sea of red. His hand moving to place it behind your left ear.
"Well, how does it look?" You grinned, a blissful sense of deja vu spreading through your body.
"Absolutely breathtaking." Cupping your cheek, Tommy leant down and placed his full lips upon yours, both of you sighing at the euphoric sensation.
This was it. A love made from soul – and daisies.