The one minute. The soldier’s minute. In a battle, that’s all you get. One minute of everything at once. And anything before is nothing. Everything after nothing. Nothing in comparison to that one minute..”
— PEAKY BLINDERS S01E06
After the way some of you reacted to last nights episode can we all finally admit that some of you just hate Lizzie out of internalised misogyny? That you just view her as a prostitute and for some reason feel really done over that Tommy is with her?
Posts about how she should be happy she’s even on Tommy’s list (yes ik that was said in ep2) how she should’ve expected what happened to Ruby when she married Tommy, notice how nobody would say this if it happened to Grace and Charlie? Her daughters just died and yous act like she should smile and be grateful because at least Tommy’s still with her don’t you see anything wrong with that? You’re literally so far up the backside of a fictional male character you can’t see how stupid you sound. I usually don’t say mean stuff but it is so clear now that most of you have no valid reason as to why you hate Lizzie there’s like two or three accounts on here that genuinely criticise her the rest of you just have this blind hatred for her and it’s genuinely concerning.
Warnings: They're criminals, guys, they do bad things.
Tommy liked walking home from The Garrison sometimes. The cool air of a quiet evening helped clear his head. It also delayed the inevitable digging sounds from the walls and the disembodied breathing of the love of his life as he fought his memories to sleep.
Living in Arrow House made walking home near impossible, so instead he would park at the office and walk the blocks to the pub. Tommy liked walking along Small Heath, among the people he grew up with and now employed. It grounded him, a reminder of where he could be if his ambition did not urge him forward.
It also kept him fresh in the minds of the people he wanted to know him. They would not forget him or see him as unapproachable when he decided to stretch his legs into the political ring. They would see him as one of them; a man who changed his stars and wanted to help the people he grew up with. A man who still cared for the working class. That sort of image won races.
A night at the Garrison gave Tommy a chance to see how his brothers were and bettered morale for all the Blinders. The young ones saw their generals in the fields; his brothers felt like they were still heard. Still equal.
Everything was a means to an end. A scheme. Tommy never did anything that didn't have multiple purposes anymore. Every step was part of a plan since Grace had passed. His heart froze when hers had a bullet rip through it that was meant for him. He only allowed his heart to thaw around Charlie, the last piece of Grace he had to cling to. He loved his son more than himself.
The only other comfort he gave himself was his moments with Lizzie. He couldn't find any other reason for his meetings with her other than pleasure. In a way it drove him mad. Guilt seeped into the edges of his mind that he would find pleasure in anything. Even so, he would still find himself at her door late nights looking for comfort. She was familiar. She was safe.
The walk to the office from the Garrison was warm, with spring threatening to break the winter chill indefinitely. Tommy let his mind wander as his steps echoed into the night and he looked at the world around him. He stopped at his vehicle to light a cigarette, only to notice a faint light illuminating a window of the business.
The cherry of his cigarette burned bright as his brows dropped, gears turning in his mind as to who might be working this late. Polly had gone home hours ago. His brothers were still at the pub. No one had any reason to be burning midnight oil.
Tommy took a long drag before tossing the half used cigarette to his feet to stamp it out. He took to the steps of the building lightly, movements quick and quiet as he made his way into the building and up the stairs. Tommy knew every creaky board and squeaky hinge; he moved in the shadows around and past anything that could give him away. As he made it closer to his office, he heard the clack of a typewriter, unsteady in rhythm as if it's author kept pausing to find the words.
He stood in the dark doorway, watching Lizzie typing at her desk close to a small candle. She must have brought it with her so she did not turn the light on. The soft warm light put shadows along her knitted brow as she cursed under her breath and flexed her hands away from the keys. Her teeth worried her lip as she let out a soft sigh and flew back to the keys to write again.
"Lizzie," Tommy said softly, voice smooth and even as his jaw set. "Why are you here at this hour? I don't remember giving you any important business to do."
Lizzie jumped before going very still, like a deer caught in a light.
"Tommy, why aren't you home?" She said nervously. "No one comes in this late on a Saturday."
"So you've done this before, then?" Tommy said as he lit a new cigarette and exhaled slowly as he eyed her from the doorway.
He stepped forward. Lizzie fell into shadow with every thudding step.
"What? No, I just meant–"
"What you mean is that you never meant to be caught," Tommy said coldly as he towered over her. "So what is it, Lizzie? What are you typing up on Shelby Limited paper? What secrets are you selling to my rivals?"
"Tommy, no, I–"
Tommy grabbed her jaw and squeezed until she stopped. The cigarette quivered in the side of his mouth as he spoke.
"I've got to say, Lizzie, whoever turned you into the black cat was smart," he said as he took his cigarette out of his mouth. "You've been loyal for so long, I wouldn't think it would be you."
Lizzie's eyes widened as he played with the cigarette between his fingers as he blew smoke directly into her widened eyes.
"Tommy I wouldn't–"
"Who is it, Lizzie?" He rumbled, his voice getting gruffer as he grew impatient. "I can just as easily burn you as you've burnt me."
Lizzie grabbed his wrist as she tried to pull away.
"Thomas Shelby if you burn me without reading the paper so help me God I will shoot you myself," Lizzie smacked the cigarette out of his hand.
He let her go and grabbed the paper, squinting in the low light to read.
"Mr. Wilkes is both an inspiration and a martyr for his cause," Tommy read perplexed. "Too bad he is not also a martyr for the women of his life. He might have an heir if he spent more time with his wife and less time at the shipping docks with the promising young men of tomorrow."
Lizzie worked her jaw as she glared up at him. Any fear she had shown dissolved as the gears in Tommy's brain churned.
"This is –"
"For the Londoner's Diary, yes," Lizzie said as she grabbed the paper back to place in the typewriter. "I did not threaten your precious empire. You've never been mentioned in a bad light in the months I've been providing the gossip. You're welcome. Asshole."
"You've been sneaking in for months to type up swill for the London gossip column?" Tommy said, chuckling in disbelief. "I nearly burnt you for gossiping about bloody politicians."
Tommy brought his hand to his mouth, dragging his face down for a moment before his eyes darted back to Lizzie.
"How do you know all of this?" Tommy asked, voice gaining an edge again. "Are you back to selling yourself? I told you–"
"You weren't my only customer, Tommy," Lizzie spat back. "You've successfully retired me, don't you worry. The only one visiting my bed is you. I still have plenty of stories. And the stories I don't have, I can easily get."
Lizzie looked up at Tommy, suddenly looking very tired.
"I still know girls that do," she said softly. "We're always good to warn others of bad men. I've heard plenty."
Silence was a warm blanket between them.
"Lizzie–" Tommy said as he reached to touch her face.
"Don't–" Lizzie said as she smacked his hand away. "I've not crossed you before and I won't any time soon Thomas Shelby. I'm not your black cat."
"No," Tommy said as he looked away, eyes scanning the dark. "But you could be of use."
"You have some gossip to publish?" Lizzie scoffed.
Tommy slowly reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet before his hand grazed her cheek softly.
"You're brilliant as always," he murmured before he pulled her close and kissed her softly.
Lizzie melted into the kiss for a moment before she opened her eyes and looked at him quizzically as he pulled away.
"Are you talking to me or yourself?" She asked, searching his face. "What are you scheming now?"
"The past months the Londoner's Diary has linked me with several well-known women of London," Tommy said as he pressed Lizzie backward until she met with the desk. "You've been setting me up slowly. Opening doors that only gossip can do."
Lizzie watched him closely as he sat her on the corner of her desk, slowly pulling her skirts up higher and higher as his warm hands found skin.
"Opening doors so the London snobs open their wallets," he continued before he kissed her neck.
"Opening opportunities," he murmured as he pulled her skirts higher.
"Tommy–" Lizzie said breathily.
"You, Lizzie," Tommy said as he undid his trousers. "Are going to win me a race."
Tommy crashed his lips into hers as he fumbled to enter her. He leaned back as they both gasped in pleasure.
"You," he chuckled as he picked up rhythm. "Are going to make me a member of Parliament."
Summary: Tommy is feeling sentimental and thinks about the first time he met his wife and the things they have been through together.
Word Count: 3103
Warnings: just some injuries, nothing too harsh, but if I missed anything please let me know and I'll add it.
A/N: Hey loves, this is the first fic I have worked on in quite a long time. I just ran out of motivation and felt like everything I wrote wasn't worth anything. I read through it for mistakes but I might have missed something so I apologize. I feel really good about this. Fluffy Tommy is my favorite and loved-up Tommy is needed every once and in while, so I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think! <3
No one ever believed Thomas Shelby of Watery Lane would ever get married, let alone himself. He thought he would go through life alone with only his horses, money, and sometimes his brothers by his side, and he had come to terms with it, swallowed that fate, and decided to meet it head-on. But as he stood in the doorway and watched his wife rock his newborn daughter to sleep, he now couldn't imagine his life going any other way.
He vividly remembers the first day he met you. It was three years ago, and you looked like a fish out of water standing in the middle of the arena’s horse stables in a pretty light pink dress. Your hair was windswept and mud-covered your shoes.
“Are you lost?” He had asked you.
You jumped at the sudden appearance of another person. You looked up at him, a blush slowly painting your cheeks. “Is it that obvious?”
Tommy had laughed and walked over to you. He could now see the remnants of horse feed on your hands. It’s no wonder the horse was staying close to you, patiently waiting for more. “Only a little.”
Turns out your father had told you to go to some office and ask for paperwork regarding one of your father's new horses and expected you to find it with little to no direction. It was your first time at the arena and you had walked yourself into a circle. After giving up, you decided to just stay with the horses. Months later you told him he was your knight in a well-dressed suit that without him you would still be there living amongst the horses, sleeping on hay bales, and eating sweet feed.
"I'm (Y/N)." You jutted your hand out in the space between you. Your nails were a glossy pink proving you were a woman who kept up with the latest fashion trends. Ada talked endlessly about the girls in London with their red nails and ever-shortening dresses.
"Tommy." He replied, shaking your hand.
“Nice to meet you, Tommy.”
Tommy remembers that your hand was freezing even though it was unnaturally warm that day. He also recalls that when you said his name, it would never sound as sweet coming from anyone else.
He helped you find the office and retrieve the paperwork for your father. The ladies in the office wanted to brush you off telling you it would take at least three hours to get there because of some nonsensical reason they made up on the spot. Their tune changed quickly when they realized who you were with; the paperwork somehow magically appeared under a stack of folders.
"Who exactly are you again?" You asked him when one of the ladies all but shoved the papers into your hand.
Tommy shook his head," No one important." He placed his hand on the small of your back guiding you in the direction of the bar. "Let me buy you a drink."
One drink turned into three and small talk turned into a deep conversation getting to know each other, the paperwork had long been forgotten about and was serving as a placemat for sandwiches and a foundation for a relationship that means more to Tommy than anything in the world.
"Darling, I didn't know you were home."
Tommy's attention snaps from his memories back to you. Even though you greeted him with a bright smile, he could see how tired you are. You're standing with your shoulders curved inwards as if the lack of sleep is weighing you down. He tried to take over tending to the baby as much as he could to allow you the rest you desperately needed and deserved, but there's only so much a father can do compared to a mother.
"I just walked in." He walks over to his wife and gently takes his daughter in his arms, careful not to wake her. She is so small and at just a month old, she already looks just like you with the same color hair and big eyes. He smiles down at her and places a small kiss on her forehead before laying her in her crib in the nursery.
He follows you to your room and immediately pulls you into him and you respond by wrapping your arms around his waist and burying your head in the crook of his neck. He can feel as you start to plant kisses along his neck and up to his jawline. Turning his head, he captures your lips with his letting a quiet moan escape as he deepens the kiss. He cups your heated cheeks with his hands and walks you to the rocking chair by the window where he sits and pulls you into his lap. Every kiss he shares with you always feels as good as the first, and no matter how many times he kisses you, he will never grow tired of it. It's like he is dying of thirst and you're a never-ending spring.
"Tommy, why are we still out here?" You tugged on his hand trying to get him to move his feet towards the door. "The film is about to begin. Let's go."
He huffed a breath of laughter and told you, "Give me a second, woman. I need to finish this cigarette."
You pouted and stood in front of him blinking up at him as though staring at him will make him smoke faster. "I don't want to miss the beginning. Emma said it's the best part."
Tommy dropped his cigarette on the pavement and snuffed it out with his shoe. “Sweetheart, if the beginning of the film is the best part, I don’t think it’s going to be worth watching.”
He laughed as you rolled your eyes and drag him inside the theatre.
The film, Tommy remembers, was as bland as expected. There were a couple of moments when Tommy looked over at you, and it seemed as though you had dozed off. You held his hand throughout the entire movie never once letting go.
“Okay, you were right. That film was horrible.” You blurted out. The film was finally over and the two of you were sitting in his car while the radio quietly played a song he didn’t recognize. It had just finished raining by the looks of the wet pavement and humid air making the car windows foggy.
“I told you.” Tommy leaned over and pinched your cheek.
“Oh hush.” You swatted his hand away but he caught it and kissed the back of it, and you watched him as he kissed each individual knuckle. “The company was worth it. I have to admit that."
“Glad to hear I was up to your standards,” Tommy whispered and continued his ascent up your arm with his mouth. He stopped at your collarbone, looking up to gaze into your eyes, and being met with your eyes shining bright as though they were lit on fire.
You started to lean forward and Tommy met you halfway closing the distance between you. The kiss was soft in the beginning, and you tasted like heaven and mint. His rough hands brushed your cheeks and slowly found themselves buried in your hair while yours were fisted in his jacket. He let out a small moan when you deepened the kiss with your tongue. He had been dreaming about kissing you since he met you in the stable all beautiful and lost.
Never breaking the kiss, you slid closer and somehow ended up in his lap causing you to be pressed against his chest because of the close quarters of the car.
Hands were everywhere teasing and taunting as the seconds ticked by. One second they were in your hair, around his neck, or under his shirt scratching thin lines onto his stomach, and then the next second they were somewhere else entirely.
When you finally parted for air, you rested your forehead against his trying to catch your breath, and after a moment you kissed his nose and muttered, "I dare say the company exceeded expectations."
After that first kiss, Tommy would find any excuse in the world to see you, touch you, kiss you. Anything as long as you two were together. Now He is watching as you try to reach the bottle of whiskey stored on top of Tommy's wardrobe. He tries to hide his laugh when he has to resort to standing on your tip-toes.
"Don't laugh at me!" You quip even though Tommy can see you're smiling. You almost had it in your hand but your index finger hit the bottle and pushed it back an inch. He heard you mutter a curse under your breath. This time he couldn't hide his laughter. "You know you could help me instead of laughing at your poor wife."
"But you're doing so good, Baby."
The look you gave him could whither a thorn bush but it makes him laugh more. When you finally get your hands on it, you pour him a glass and all but shove it in his face. "I should spit in it."
He takes the whiskey, letting his fingers brush yours, "It would make it taste sweeter."
You shake your head and sit on the edge of the bed. Normally, you would have a drink with him, you never being one to turn away whiskey, but since you're nursing, the strongest thing you partake in is tea. "How was the office? Did Arthur come by? Polly is really worried about him and frankly, I am too."
Tommy takes a small sip and shakes his head, "He hasn't and probably won't be for a while. Says he is hearing fucking voices again, and Linda spouting shit about how the Italians are coming back to kill them all."
No matter how many times Tommy tells them Luca Changretta is dead and not coming to seek revenge on the Shelby Family, there will always be that fear it will happen again. He went to the ends of the earth to ensure your safety and he will continue to do so.
You nod your head agreeing but he doesn't miss how you always tense up at the mention of the Italians, the Black Hand, and the havoc they brought to Small Heath. Sometimes he will catch you rubbing your shoulder where there is a scar to remind you and him of that trauma and the vow Tommy made to never let it happen again.
He still has nightmares about that day. There are many mornings where the sun will rise and you have been long awake from holding him and reassuring him that you are alive and safe, not back in that hospital room or trapped in a random house being beaten black and bloody.
"Where is she!"
“Tommy, she’s in here.”
He turned at the sound of his Aunt Polly’s voice. He stormed towards her ready to shove her aside so he could see you. He needed to lay eyes on you, touch you, anything.
“Wait a minute, now.” Polly put her arm out, stopping him before he could even get to the doorway. “I want you to be prepared for what you’re gonna see. They messed her up good, Tommy.”
He could see the sadness and worry in her eyes and when he gripped her arm, giving her a comforting squeeze, tears gathered and threatened to fall but she stepped away before he could see it fall.
The first thing Tommy saw was the sun. The curtains were pulled as far apart as they would go leaving no darkness.
Later he would learn that was one of the first things you asked for when you woke up. All you wanted was your husband and light. The doctor suggested it was because you were kept in a dark room that it triggered a need for bright light and to be able to see everything. Long after the incident you always had to have a light on, even when you were able to finally sleep. Sometimes he would find you in the middle of the night sitting in Charlie’s room, with as much light on so he wouldn't wake, just watching him breathing and sleeping while tears absentmindedly ran down your cheeks.
The second thing he saw was your back facing him. You were laying on your side curled into a fetal position. Your hair was tied up allowing him to see a bruise forming on your neck. Anger began to fill Tommy as took stock in other bruises along your arm that was peeking out of the blanket. You also had a large bandage wrapped around your shoulder. He took a cautious step forward to not wake you if you were asleep which he figured you were because you didn't acknowledge anyone had come into the room. His heart moved up into his throat as he got closer. He was torn between wanting to wrap you in his arms and keep you there forever and going to finish the job he started before coming to the hospital, but he knew he wanted to take his time with the bastard who did this to you, so he walked over and sat in the chair by the bed.
After a few seconds, he heard you whisper his name. Your voice was cracked and dry sounding as if you hadn't drunk water in a week. “Tommy?”
He looked over and saw you were still facing the window. “Yes, Baby, it's me.”
Tommy saw as you tried to roll over and sit up, all the pain and concentration painted on your face. Knowing you weren't likely to ask for help, he shot out of the chair and guided you as gently against the pillows as he could. Your skin was hot but dull like all life had been sucked out. You had a black eye and your lip was cut, making a thin, jagged line across your cheek. Changretta was going to pay for that too. He’ll feel every bruise and scratch tenfold.
When you got settled and comfortable, he smoothed the hair out of your eyes, and careful of the bruises and cuts, he kissed your forehead. You shifted over so he could sit on the edge of the bed and be as close as possible.
His left hand made its way into yours, your wedding bands clinking at the contact, echoing in the too-quiet room. You hadn’t been married for long; your wedding flowers were still drying on the kitchen counter because you refuse to get rid of them because one of the housekeepers told you of a way to preserve them.
Tommy remembers thinking that it’s a strange feeling to know that even though his world was at a standstill in this hospital room with his wife who was shot, cut, and bruised essentially because of him. He could still hear the hustle and bustle of the hallway and the chatter of the nurses and the rest of his family. He is sure your family is on the way from London. Polly said she would call them after talking to him.
After what felt like an eternity of silence but could really have only been a few seconds you whispered, “They had Charlie, Tom.”
“I know.”
Changretta called you while you were at work telling you to meet him outside the Garrison, and if you told anyone, especially him, he would hurt Charlie. He put Charlie on the line proving that he was serious. You dropped everything and left without a second thought.
He saw the flash of fear in your eye when the fact settled over you. “Where is he?” Your voice was coming on in a panic. “Is he here? Please tell me he’s okay.”
Tommy pulled you gently into his arms to try and calm you down. He felt you flinch as his arm grazed your shoulder bandage but you melted into arms and rested your head in the crook of his neck. “Baby, he is just fine, all safe and sound at the house with Ada and Johnny Dogs.”
You nodded and gripped his shirt tighter, and he could feel hot tears soaking through his shirt.
Even though Charlie isn’t biologically yours, you have always treated him like he is. On the side of your bed, you keep a photograph of the three of them taken at your wedding. Charlie had his arms around your neck smiling with cake smeared across his mouth and nose, Tommy was actually smiling for once, and you were laughing because Charlie tried to smear the icing on Tommy’s suit jacket. You always say it’s your favorite photo because it was a time where everyone was truly happy, and it was a day full of love.
From the first time you met his son, you welcomed him with open arms, and Charlie did just the same, now even calling you mom. You try to keep Grace’s memory alive and even though you never met her, you talk to Charlie as if you were best friends telling him that she loves him and always will and her photo is still up in the house so Charlie and he could see her. You said her picture deserves a place in the home because if she means a great deal to him and Charlie, she means a great deal to you.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Mr. Shelby?” You nudge him with your bare foot trying to get his attention. “You got quiet on me for a second.”
He laughs, leaning down and catching your foot and massaging it. “Well Mrs. Shelby, I happen to be thinking about my beautiful wife and how much I love her.”
“Wow. She’s a lucky lady.” You lay back, letting your head hit the pillows while he drops your leg and makes his way over to you. “Tell me about her.”
Tommy kneels over you, placing his arms beside your head, and kisses your lips after each word. “Well, she's beautiful.” kiss “funny.” kiss “Smart.” kiss “caring and kind.” kiss “wonderful with my children.” kiss “and somehow she puts up with me and loves me.”
He ends with a deep kiss and when you break apart, he rests his head on your forehead.
“She sounds truly wonderful.” You reach up and brush a piece of hair out of his face. “You know, her husband sure is lucky to have a gal like her.”
Tommy laughs and intertwines your hands, kissing your hand. “Indeed he is.”
I stumbled upon this fic again and I completely forgot how STINKIN’ CUTE it is!!! 😩😍
Every little detail of it is just perfect! I loved how you moved back and forth from their past to their present to show how their love was formed...you did it so effortlessly and it was so beautiful to read.
My heart fluttered multiple times when reading but I think the sweetest part had to be with her and Charlie and how she keeps Grace’s memory alive because: “if she means a great deal to him and Charlie, she means a great deal to you”. It’s obvious that she’s got a big heart, and I think that that’s definitely what Tommy and Charlie needed after what had happened to Grace. And don’t even get me started on how sweet that picture of the three of them is 😩🥺😍
Beautifully written. Thanks so much for sharing! 🥰💕
Thank you so so so much❤️ it means the absolute world to me that people love this story. It’s one of my favorites. Thanks for taking the time to read it ❤️
