Tommy Shelby x fem! Reader
Warnings: age gap (set in season 1 era – reader is 20, where tommy is 29), soft! tommy, slight violence, smut
Summary: In which Tommy Shelby seasonally falls for a younger woman – you.
word count: 2.1k
this is different from my usual writing style and idk how i feel about it but anywhore enjoy!!
He truly saw you for the first time in the Winter.
With a frost bitten nose and coat wrapped tightly around your figure as you stepped into the betting shop – pure, was the only word that came to his mind. As pure as a fucking angel.
He watches as you are immediately cornered by his aunt Polly – the older woman's laugh echoing through the halls at something you say. You're young, he knew that from the moment you walked into his office, determination behind your innocent eyes as you asked him for a job.
A blinder, is what you asked to become. You wanted to be a fucking blinder. He immediately shut the idea down, offering you a place in the betting shop working with his aunt. You settled for it, slightly defeated.
He watched you as you walked through the multitude of men in the room, their eyes following your figure as you passed. You were an effortless beauty, one that didn't know her graces – he wanted to tell you, but he couldn't.
So he settled on letting his gaze flicker from the papers on his desk to you – watching you from afar. He followed as you stopped at the desk of his younger brother, John's eyes lighting up when you began talking to him about something that he couldn't decipher from so far away.
Someone young, he thinks. She deserves someone young like her.
He watches you place a kiss upon his brothers cheek as you round his desk before walking away – the young Shelby boy staring after you with what can only be described as lovestruck affection.
He unintentionally groans as you pass by his office door, the sight of your stockings from under your skirt causing heat to cover every square inch of his skin – igniting it like a fire, that only you could put out with your touch.
Your steps pause as you look into his office, Tommy's head in his hands as he tries to stop his mind from racing with countless thoughts of you – reminding himself of what he can't have.
He can't see the conflict that happens between your head and heart. He doesn't see your hand reach out to knock on his door, you wanting to ask him if he was okay. He doesn't see your figure physically deflate as you decide against it, quickly walking away before anyone catches you.
Too young, you remind yourself. Too young for a man as mature as him.
~~~~~~~~~
He speaks to you, for real, in Spring.
You're standing behind him at the cut, none of his family being available to come along as backup for the business deal with a Scottish gang – so he resorted to his last option which was you.
"Stay behind me," he mumbles as a boat begins its decent towards you. There's a gun in the hem of your skirt – for protection, he told you.
"If they try anything just shoot 'em," he instructed, placing the cold metal weapon in your shaking hands; holding them with his warm ones.
"Shoot them?"
"Politely," he chuckled, offering you a reassuring grin. He knew if it came down to it, you would do as he asked – no questions. But he still couldn't stop the hatred that was bubbling in his chest for having to put you in danger.
"Politely," you smiled right back, tucking the gun into your waistband, before leading him out of the building.
You watch as Tommy keeps a cold expression, his features never giving away what he was thinking or his next move. Blank. Stoic. Completely professional, as both men introduce themselves and begin the deal – Albert Kline's eyes meeting yours past Tommy's shoulder.
Tommy remains stern until the redhead man begins to speak to you.
He doesn't hear the question you ask, too focused on trying to calm down his racing heart at the predatory look the enemy was giving you – but he hears the mans response as clear as day.
"A nosey little bitch aren't ya?" Albert's accent was heavy, as he looks back at his men who were laughing at his response.
"You're one insult off starting a war," Tommy interrupts, stepping in front of you. "The deal has been made, take your leave."
Albert doesn't say much else as he nods and jumps back onto his boat; moving his fingers into the shape of a gun – pretending to shoot both you and Tommy as they move past.
He waited until they were out of his sight before swivelling on the balls of his feet to look at you – his features returning once again to an unreadable expression.
"What did he say to you?" He grunted, tone signifying for you to not lie to him. Your eyebrows furrowed – not expecting the question.
"He asked if I was apart of the deal," you responded, voice barely above a whisper.
You waited for his response, watching as he rubbed a hand down his face before pulling a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of his coat pocket – offering you one, which you took. He cupped his hand around the flame as he gestured for you to move forward; lighting yours before his.
A gentleman.
"He's not going to lay a hand on you," he finally spoke up, deep eyes intently studying yours. "I'm not going to let him near you, to even get a hand on you."
"I know."
A pregnant pause settled over you both as you smoked, before his arm pulled you into his side – wrapping across your shoulders as you both watched the small waves in the water.
"My mum always told me to marry a soldier," you spoke, staring out into the distance. He let out a hum at your words.
"What'd you say back?"
"I told her that I was a soldier."
He chuckled at your words, a genuine smile growing upon his lips before he pressed them to the crown of your head. So right. It felt so fucking right.
You both stayed standing in each others embrace until the sun went down and he walked you home – declining your offer for him to come inside.
He couldn't. Not yet.
Instead he offered to take you to the pictures the next night.
~~~~~~~~~
He kisses you for the first time in Summer.
Neither of you knew when it happened, but somehow you became tangled in a web of nothing but each other. You both knew it was wrong – you should be with a younger man, he often told you. Someone who you can be seen freely with.
But neither of you wanted that.
You wanted Tommy Shelby and Tommy Shelby wanted you. Nobody else competed.
You both knew that his family understood what you two got up to when he invited you into his office during lunch hours – but nobody brought it up. They didn't have to with the looks you both gave each other across the room during meetings, or the hands that lingered on each others bodies a little too long for just friends as you had told them.
Because friends don't look at each other like that.
"Y/N," he calls, voice gruff as he leans against his office door – catching the attention of everyone in the quiet office. "I need your help. Follow me."
Ignoring the looks everyone was giving you, you rushed to catch up with Tommy who was already out of the door – almost tripping over your own feet when you catch sight of Polly who is shaking her head at how obvious the situation was.
Exiting the building, Tommy was waiting patiently for you, offering his arm to you – you immediately taking it. Neither of you said anything, walking in a comfortable silence – the only sound being the click of your heels against the gravel.
You were halfway down the street when it seemed like Tommy had enough, his actions weren't thought out or planned like usual; instead they were purely based on instinct as he pulled you into an alleyway. His calloused palms grasped your soft cheeks, quickly pulling your lips to his, as your hands grabbed the lapels of his black coat.
It was a messy, teeth-clattering against each other as you both couldn't get enough of one another. One of his hands moving from your face to grasp your hip as he walked you backward until your back hit the brick wall – neither of you wanting to pull away to catch your breath.
"Couldn't wait any longer," he muttered against your lips, his eyes still closed as you tried to steady your heavy breathing.
You smiled as he moved to rest his forehead against yours, your hand running though his hair – gently brushing through it; twirling a few strands around your fingers.
You shuddered as he began to pepper kisses down your neck, his voice a ghost on your skin. "I'm going to kiss you again."
You only had to nod once before his lips were back on yours.
~~~~~~~~~
He made love to you in the Autumn.
Rough hands on soft skin, his head in the crook of your neck as his hips rhythmically thrust into you. Sensual. Yours. Your head fell back, mouth parted as soft gasps left your lips. You were encased in him, nothing but him and you never wanted to leave.
You shuddered when the crisp autumn air flowed through the open bedroom window, but it didn't seem to affect the man who had flipped you both around so you were riding him – your hand pressed against the headboard to steady yourself as his hands rested on your hips.
"So pretty," he grunted, eyes not leaving the sight before him – yours the same. His hand moved in-between your thighs as his thumb padded your swollen clit, a small moan passing your lips that made him groan.
He looked so beautiful, almost as if he were a Greek God, as the sun illuminated through the frosted glass window. From the small freckles that coated his skin – reminding you of the stars that littered the night skies, to the tiny scar that rested on his hip that you kissed each time you got down on your knees.
He was so beautiful, and all yours.
You could feel him, every inch, as you fell into bliss – him not too far behind you. His fingers digging into your hips - sure to leave marks of where they had been in a few hours, your body falling to a slump against his.
"I love you."
It was a breathless declaration of love that left his mouth, muffled into the crook of your neck. You didn't remove your legs from their position around your hips as he gently moved you both onto your sides, his hand trailing from your forehead, across your neck and down your left arm.
"I love you too."
You could've sworn that his heart skipped a beat – maybe two at your declaration.
~~~~~~~~~
He proposed in the winter.
A whole year of love that was innocent compared to the jobs that the two of you did. A relationship that was never official to everyone around you until the ring was on your finger and you both admitted it to his family and everyone in the betting shop.
He didn't care about the sharp looks that were shot his way from the men who had spent years trying to catch your attention, and you paid no mind to the jealous sneers of the women who had their eyes set on the Shelby man.
Nobody else mattered when you had each other.
You both fell in love through small touches and quick confessions. Through tough realities and ignorant bliss.
You fell in love through the seasons – with how they looked against his features. From the way the snowflakes landed upon his eyelashes to the way the sun added an angelic glow to your skin that Tommy couldn't get enough of.
~~~~~~~~~
You got married in the spring.
In a meadow not too far from Small Heath. Where the grass was green beneath your feet and the blossoms fell from the trees around you – coming to rest in your hair.
His family watched with admirable smiles on their faces; the couple in-front of them so wholeheartedly in love.
You couldn't remove your eyes from the way the sun added a shimmer to his crystal blue eyes, even as Jeremiah Jesus spoke the wedding sermon – and he couldn't take his gaze off you.
It was a short reception that was followed by a giant ceremony for anyone in the town who wanted to attend. Everybody congratulating the pair of you as you walked around – past the tables and dancing bodies, until you were alone.
His lips were feverishly on yours before you had the chance to ask him to kiss you – nothing but passion and love being expressed between the both of you.
"I love you, Mrs. Shelby," he grinned through the kiss – all of your senses being sent into over drive as you pulled him closer.
Mr and Mrs. Shelby.
A seasonal love that was born in the winter and lasted through the changes of the year.