Red Lips
Notes: Oh my God, this story has been sitting in my computer for over two years. I've never finished editing it and then completely forgot about its existence. Until now! After two years, Prue Morris is back!
For the context it’s better to read Bad Fortune first.
Warnings: abusive mother and mentions of physical abuse
Word count: 2.1K
—–
She hated how the whole situation made her feel. Prue knew very well her mother won’t change. She tried everything but there was always something wrong. So, she decided it’ll be best she just lives her life as she wants. Even though arguments still hurt, especially today.
But now there wasn’t much time for contemplation. Tommy’s been invited to a party with some influential people and since Prue’s a “Shelby’s girl” now, she’s coming too. Tommy was picking her up in two hours and she was just entering her place with two bags of things she brought from her mother’s house. It should be just enough time to make the puffiness of her eyes and swelling go away.
She didn’t cry in front of her mother when she called her a disgrace and disrespectful, she kept her face. But the night had already fallen at 5 pm in the dark winter and no one noticed tears rolling down her cheeks as she was leaving her childhood home and making her way back to her flat. She hated that it still bothered her. She knew it’ll never change but the pain of a parent demanding respect without seeing their offspring as a person on their own, it still hurt.
No time for that now. The dress she got ready for the evening hung on the bedroom door, shoes clean, coat by the main entrance. Prue hoped the evening, no matter how boring according to Tommy’s words, will keep her mind off things.
And just as the clock stroke 7, she heard the car outside. Eyes still puffy, she didn’t want Tommy to see. No need for the conversation to start there. Hopefully the winter air would calm her skin until they arrived. She quickly grabbed her coat and purse and ran down the stairs before he could come up to her. The air was chilly and she found Tommy standing by the car, door opened. She smiled.
* * *
“I promise this boring evening won’t be long,” he whispered to her when they entered the venue and had their coats taken by butlers. “We’re here to test the waters, nothing more.” “No enemies I should know about?” Prue took a glass of champagne off the waiter’s tray as they entered the main hall. The room was full of fancy dressed people, drinking and having their small talks. She could see the fake polite smiles plastered all over their faces.
“Some. But you’re safe as long as you stay with me.” Tommy’s eyes roamed the room as he pulled Prue closer to his side.
“And you? I hope you don’t plan to ruin the evening by getting shot,” Prue teased him as she sipped the champagne but with the other hand, she instinctively clenched her purse with a hidden gun. The last thing she wanted was to be taken by surprise. Tommy shook his head.
“No, no conflicts tonight. We have a brief conversation and we’re on our way.”
Prue was sceptical about the brief conversation because she knew how long could the business take with Thomas, especially-
“Prue, what is this?” his voice took her out of her thoughts, as he was looking right at her. For a second, she was confused but then noticed the red lipstick stain on her champagne glass. She realized what he was talking about. She looked away but Tommy took her chin to his hand and turned her back to him firmly. He was staring at her bloody lip she tried to hide under the lipstick, which was now on the champagne glass.
He quickly looked around before pulling her to the side, entering an empty balcony. Then he took her by the chin again.
“Who did this.” It wasn’t a question. His voice was low and deep and despite his rather calm expression, she saw his jaw clenched as anger was slowly creeping on him.
“Don’t worry, none of your enemies had guts to put a finger on me yet,” she said, pushing away his hand holding her chin a little rougher than he’d wanted.
“Let’s just say my mother doesn’t agree with my life choices and she lets it be known.”
Tommy blinked slowly as he does when information strikes him like a train and his expression changed ever so slightly – his jaw was no longer clenched, his face read pure disbelief. He took her face into his hands and pulled her into his chest for a hug. “It was because of me, wasn’t it,” he said, holding her tight.
“It was everything and nothing, Tom. As it always is with us for quite some time now.”
“When did this happen?”
“Today. I went to pick up some stuff from home. So, we were faced one on one again.”
“Prue, this is unacceptable behaviour.”
“It’s not like I live there anymore. I officially took all my stuff. I don’t need to go back if I don’t want to.”
He finally let her go as Prue started shivering. It was winter after all and standing on the balcony with no coats was not the best idea.
“Let’s go inside,” said Prue but Tommy was already removing his suit jacket and putting it over her shoulders. “Tommy- “
“Tell me.”
“Here? Now? Cannot it wait?”
He said nothing. He was looking at her with the same expression.
“There’s not much to be said. It is how it is. It’s my mother, same old. End of story.”
It was one of those situations that may not make her upset on their own but by the association with everything her mother ever told her, even though she tried very hard to fight it, made her upset. And Tommy’s unchanging expression, waiting for her to spill it all out, right here, on a balcony on a freezing night, when there are people inside she will have to go to and talk to like nothing happened, she didn’t think she’s that strong.
“Well, goddammit, Tommy, I cannot cry now, I’ll ruin my makeup, we have business to attend!” She blinked quickly to stop the burning and tossed his jacket back to him.
“We can talk later. Now let’s get this over with. Cover that gun unless you want to trump my mother’s insults with your funeral as a reason for me to cry.” Without a second of hesitation, she opened the balcony door.
“I’m going to fix my lipstick now.” And off she was.
Tommy put his jacket back on and with a sigh he followed her inside.
* * *
The evening was a blur of bright chandelier lights and cigarette smoke, mixed with champagne and talk with a couple of men. Prue listened to what they were talking about but if someone asked her what the topic or main points of the conversation were, she wouldn’t be able to answer.
Tommy held her close, one of his hands always either holding her elbow or shoulder when talking to potential business partners. She hoped to be distracted by the evening but now all she did was dreading the conversation that will inevitably come. There was nothing to say, as she stated before and now she just hoped Tommy would understand.
She was pleasantly surprised when after around two hours they were on their way to the car, silent. It wasn’t until Tommy started the engine up, he spoke.
“So, now the business is done, let’s talk.”
“As I said, Tommy, there’s not much to talk about. Nothing new.”
“It’s worth talking about if it made you upset.”
“It didn’t make me upset.”
For a second, he turned his gaze from the road with a lifted eyebrow. Prue’s lips formed a thin line and she was sure he can see her clenched jaw in the dim glow of headlights reflecting off the road.
Silence fell between them. For a while, Prue watched the landscape passing behind the window. The sky was dark grey and it started snowing.
“Fine, it made me upset. But there's nothing I can do about it. She won’t be different.”
“But she’s still your mother,” finished Tommy. Prue looked at him with a hint of anger seeping through the cracks but she knew, from the tone of his voice, he was not scolding her.
“And the closest ones especially know how and where to strike.”
She could feel her eyes burning but remained silent. Only when they approached a familiar crossroad and Tommy took a different turn, she got confused.
“I think you missed the turn.”
“Maybe.” One-word answer. What?
“Tommy, where are we going?”
He gave her a brief look and she’d swear she saw a small smile on his lips.
“I guess I’m stealing you from your mother as foretold by prophecy,” the pompous way he said that made Prue sigh deeply.
“Please, just take me home. You can steal me any other day.”
“I think today’s a perfect day, actually.”
“Tom.”
“Hm?”
“Where are we going.”
“We’re almost there.”
They drove for a few more minutes until they reached a small hilltop. Tommy exited the car and walked over to the other side to open doors for her.
“If I were your enemy, I would’ve sworn I’m going to die here.”
“Good thing you’re not an enemy”, he gave her a small smile as she took his hand exiting the car.
It was freezing cold and snowing but she realized why Tommy took her here. They were overlooking the entire Birmingham.
“I thought we could enjoy the city without the smoke and mud a little,” Tommy said, as if he was reading her mind’s questions. It was silent and calm. Prue haven’t even realized how the loud evening and her mother’s risen voice affected her. For the first time today, she felt like she could just stop and enjoy the moment.
“It’s so peaceful,” she said, watching the smoke rise from factory chimneys in the distance. “Do you come here often?”
“Sometimes. When I need to think.”
Prue inhaled cold winter air and it made her shiver down to her spine. The snow was falling slowly and she felt the entire world had stopped. She looked at Tommy, overlooking the skyline and couldn’t help but to step closer and gently wrap her arms around him, burying her face in his coat. He pulled her closer, wrapping his hands around her in turn. They stood there in an embrace for a while, until they slowly started swaying and Tommy took her hand to his.
“Are we dancing?” Prue mumbled still into his coat, eyes closed.
“We’re dancing,” Tommy’s voice reverberated in his ribcage as she slowly detached herself from his chest and faced him with a smile.
“Did you take me here to dance, Mr. Shelby?” she teased him with a smile as they continued to sway in the freshly fallen snow, puffs of warm breath escaping their mouths.
“That’s what we're doing," he smiled.
“We could’ve danced in my living room, I’d even put some music on.”
“It’s not as peaceful as here.”
He was right. At the beginning of the day, she wouldn’t have thought she’ll end up dancing in the middle of nowhere overlooking Birmingham. Tommy gave her a little spin and she ended up in his arms again.
“Maybe you should steal me more often,” Prue teased, holding his hand.
“What if I stole you and never returned you?” Tommy looked into her eyes, suddenly serious. His eyes were full of uncertainty. She gave him a gentle look.
“I’d be okay with that.”
And just like that, the uncertainty melted away.
“Well, I guess that’s settled then.”
Before Prue could’ve asked any more questions, Tommy let go of her hand and reached into his pocket. At first, she thought he took out a lighter but only when the item in his hands opened, she became speechless.
“Prue Morris, are you willing to be stolen by a Gypsy for the rest of your life?”
A ring glistened in the box, reflecting the headlights of the car. She could feel her eyes burning again.
“Will you marry me?”
Only when he repeated the question she realized how long she left him hanging with an obvious answer.
“Yes, yes I will,” she managed to say without her voice breaking. With a gentle touch, Tommy removed her glove and put the ring on her finger. Her hands were shaking. She was shaking. He noticed.
“Regretting the choice already?”
“Shut up, Thomas,” her voice finally broke and tears started rolling down her cheeks. She brought her hands to his face as he pulled her close.
The kiss was long and tender. His soft lips brushing against hers, feeling the heat radiating from his cheeks despite the freezing weather. Coats covered in snowflakes on both of them, as they stood on a hilltop, lost in one another.
When they finally parted, he brushed the tears off her cheeks.
“I love you, Prue.”
“I love you too, Tommy.”
