Summary: You were nice and naive, and he didn’t need to be on his guard around you. Maybe that’s why he took you under his wing.
A/N: this is for @zablife ’s celebration! I was inspired by her headcanon. I usually don’t write modern AUs, but this was really interesting to write!
Warnings: smoking, drinking, implied drugging a drink (it doesn’t happen), some angst
The gif is not mine, credits to the owner
Standing next to the small table in a corner of the room, arms crossed over your chest, you cursed yourself for letting your friends convince you to go to that party - if it could even be called a party. Twenty people or so all gathered in a dorm, either drunk or high, or both. The music was so loud that you wanted to sit down and cover your ears.
It wouldn’t have been that bad, if only your friends hadn’t dumped you to go and make out with some guys. Maybe you’d be doing the same thing, if you were just a little bit more confident and much less serious.
Why couldn’t you just be like the other people?
You felt awkward, and incredibly out of place. You kept telling yourself to do something already, but you just didn’t know what to do. You didn’t know anyone, and no one seemed worth knowing.
“I’ve never seen you here.” A voice behind you spoke, making you turn around.
Your words caught in your throat as you found yourself in front of one of the most handsome guys you had ever seen. He was fresh-faced, but there was something behind his eyes that you couldn’t quite catch. You blinked, trying to articulate a complete sentence, but all your efforts seemed to be in vain.
“What?” You eventually spoke.
You could swear you had never felt more dumb. What. Out of all the things you could’ve said, what was all you were able to come up with.
He smirked at your reaction, but explained anyway. “I throw a party every weekend, but I’ve never seen you here.”
“I came here with my friends, they said they come here often.” You said quickly, as if to justify your presence. “But parties are not really my thing.”
“Yeah, I can see that.”
With the shadow of a smile on his face, he was clearly mocking you, but not in a mean way. The whole situation amused him and he found your embarrassment rather cute.
“I’m Michael, by the way.” He extended his hand.
“(Y/n).” You shyly shook it. He lingered with his hand in yours for some time, his eyes piercing through you.
As if awakened from a trance, he took a step back, looking around the room.
“So, where are your friends?”
“I don’t know.” You admitted. “They just disappeared.”
You let out a light chuckle, but it was just a way to pretend the situation didn’t bother you. Truth was, sometimes it felt like they only wanted you around so they could have someone responsible to look after them and make sure that they got home safe, while they had their fun. You pushed back the thought, not wanting to think badly of them.
“If you’re not having fun, why don’t you just go back to your dorm?” He asked out of curiosity, taking a cigarette out of his pocket.
“I promised I would wait for them.” You explained. “Our dorm is a bit far, and they’ll probably be too drunk to get there by themselves.”
“It shouldn’t be your problem, though.”
Silence fell between you as Michael lit his cigarette. He took a long drag, studying your expression. You didn’t reply, and the way you started fiddling with your fingers made him realise that maybe, deep down, you knew it as well.
It didn’t take long for Michael to recognise a feeling that he knew too well. A year before, he used to be just like you. Nice and helpful. Then he realised that being nice wouldn’t have taken him anywhere. If he wanted to be respected, he had to demand respect. If he wanted something, he had to take it, without giving anyone the chance to say something about it. Even if it meant to scare people, from time to time.
But for the first time in ages, he felt like he didn’t need to be on his guard. And maybe that was the reason why he offered to keep you company for the rest of the night.
After that night, you and Michael became friends. You soon learned that he could be cold and detached - especially with the other guys -, but that his grumpy demeanor was nothing more than a facade, a way of making sure that no one messed with him.
It was nice having him as a friend. You studied together from time to time, although he didn’t put much effort in it, and he listened to you as you rambled on about anything that came to your mind, whether it was university or a shitty movie you had watched on TV. You had even started to go to his parties more often.
However, he still had the same effect on you that he had that night at the party, and the more time you spent with him, the more you realised that he wasn’t just a friend to you. You tried your best to hold back your feelings, though, because there was no way you could have a chance with him. He was handsome and confident, he had lots of friends, and lots of beautiful girls eating out of his hand. Every weekend, at his parties, he took a different girl in his bedroom, just to kick her out as soon as the fun was over.
And there she was, his last girl, walking out of the bathroom with disheveled hair and smudged lipstick, on a Friday night like the others. You shook your head, turning your attention back to the guy you were talking to. His name was Josh and he was one of Michael’s friends, but he had never introduced you. He was cute and outgoing, and he had managed to make you talkative as well. But maybe it was also thanks to the drink in your hand.
You weren’t used to drinking, but you were trying to let yourself go, at least on weekends. And the drink that Josh had made for you tasted really good.
“How is it?” He asked you, pointing at the glass in your hand.
“It’s good!” You exclaimed, sounding more surprised than you intended to.
A chuckle escaped his lips at your reaction. “I usually work as a barman on summer break.” He explained. “I know how to make a good drink.”
You took another sip, enjoying the fruity taste on your tongue.
“So…” He changed the subject, flashing a smile and leaning a bit towards you. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”
Before you could answer, Michael appeared behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He was smiling, but it didn’t take long for you to notice that his smile didn’t reach his eyes. It was forced, fake, and he seemed more upset than happy.
“Michael!” Josh exclaimed. “You never told me your friend was so funny.” He said, not taking his eyes off you. “Seriously, she’s lovely.”
“Josh.” Michael warned him, suddenly serious, and took a step back.
“Come on, mate.” He replied, rolling his eyes.
You frowned, confused by their exchange. The air was tense and at that point you just hoped Josh would go away, to avoid any kind of confrontation. Something told you that it wouldn’t have been pacific.
Micheal pointed a finger at him, raising his eyebrows. “Not her.”
He stared deep into his friend’s eyes, a silent warning not to argue about it any further. Josh nodded and before any of you could say another word, he left.
“Don’t be too friendly with him.” Michael said. “He’s a dick.”
“Do you always talk about your friends like this?”
“He’s not my friend.”
You watched as he took a beer from the table next to you and uncorked it, before taking a long sip. His brows were furrowed and he was gripping the bottle so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
The glass in your hand caught his attention, and in a matter of seconds he took it from your hand and placed it on the table with a thud, before doing the same with his bottle.
“I was drinking that.” You protested, raising your voice.
“Not anymore.”
Tired of his behaviour and not intending to put up with it any longer, you tried to take back the glass, but he grabbed your wrist before you could do it. He cupped your face in his hands, looking in your eyes as if he was looking for something.
“Are you drunk? Did he get you drunk?” He asked you. “You watched him as he made the drink, right?”
You blinked, taken aback by his apprehension.
“I’m not drunk, Michael.” You said, although you couldn’t deny you were a bit tipsy. “And yes, I watched him.”
He nodded, taking a step back as if he had burned himself. “I can’t fucking stand this music anymore.” He mumbled. “Let’s go somewhere quieter.”
You followed him in his bedroom, alarmed by the way Michael was acting. You had never seen him show so much emotion before, and it was concerning.
“What was that?” You asked him, closing the door behind you.
He sat on the small couch, avoiding your gaze. Realising attacking him wouldn’t take you anywhere, you sat next to him, trying to understand what was wrong in a nicer way.
“Michael,” you said softly. “What was that?”
“I’m sorry.” He whispered. “It’s just… I heard bad things about him. And I got worried.”
He still didn’t look at you as he explained himself. “You’re too nice, and naive. And I…” He sighed, shaking his head. “I worry about you all the time.”
Eventually, he turned towards you, and you could see it in his eyes that he was being completely honest. Your heart skipped a beat at his words, and you could swear that your knees would’ve abandoned you if you hadn’t been sitting.
“I can take care of myself, you know.” You said, but there was no bitterness in your words.
Michael smiled softly, lightly pinching your cheek. “I know.”
You sat there in silence for a long time, just enjoying each other’s presence as all of the tension disappeared.
“So you started drinking, eh?” He teased you after a while, unable to hold back a grin. “What are you going to do next? Smoke? Or are you going straight to snorting cocaine?”
You let out a laugh as you pushed him with your shoulder. “Shut up.”
For another five minutes or so, the only sound that could be heard in the room was the muffled music coming from the other room. Michael lit himself a cigarette and started smoking it in silence. Then a question you had wanted to ask Michael for a long time came to your mind, the doubt eating you alive even more now that you had seen how worried Josh seemed at the thought of getting on his bad side. The alcohol in your system finally gave you the courage to ask it.
“Is it true what they say about you…? About your family?”
There was it. Deep down, you already knew the answer. You just wanted to hear it from him.
Michael inhaled the smoke, taking his time to answer.“What do they say about my family?”
There was a strange light in his eyes as he asked you that question, and you could tell that he knew exactly what you were talking about.
“They say that you’re all gangsters.”
He pondered for a few seconds, taking another drag. “It’s true.” He eventually confirmed.
He studied your expression, looking for some sort of reaction. Truth was, you didn’t even know how to react. For weeks, you had thought about how you would act if you were to find out that he was indeed a gangster, but right now all you could think of was that he was still your Michael. He was still the guy you had met a little over two months ago. The guy you were in love with.
“Are you scared?”
“No.”
It was true. There was something exciting about that knowledge. That side of you scared you, but you couldn’t help feeling like that.
He smirked, putting out his cigarette. It was just like he could read your thoughts. He carefully moved closer to you, not taking his eyes off you. He grabbed your chin with his hand, not tightly enough to hurt you, but firmly enough to force you to look at him.
“Not even a bit?”
“No.”
Your throat was so dry that it was all you could say. Your heart was pounding in your chest, the smell of smoke mixed with his cologne filling your nostrils.
“Good.” He said in a low voice, running his thumb along your lower lip. As if he couldn’t restrain himself anymore, his lips crashed against yours.
You ran your hand through his hair, your head spinning in a mix of thrill and excitement. You melted into his embrace as he brought you closer to him, his other hand resting on the couch behind you for support.
When he moved away, you were both breathless. His hand moved to caress your cheek, and he lowered himself to whisper in your ear.
Summary: You’ve known Tommy all your life, but when your boyfriend starts stealing from him, how will he react to the betrayal?
Author’s Note: Requested by the lovely @runnning-outof-time with the prompts slow burn, moment of jealousy and friends to lovers.
Warnings: language, mention of domestic assault
“Tom, do you have the books for me?” You asked politely, even though he’d been a complete arsehole all day.
“And how would I, y/n? Arthur hasn’t been sober for one fucking minute today,” he said shoving the filing cabinet closed with more force than necessary.
You didn’t try to reason with him, turning on your heel to go retrieve your coat from your desk. As you whisked past Polly, she could tell something was wrong. She knew Tommy had been treating you poorly recently and she knew why. He had feelings for you, but was too proud to show it.
She reached for your arm gently saying, “Go home, love, it’s been a long day. I’ll sort this.” You nodded in appreciation, stomping toward the front door and dropping the keys by her desk.
“Tommy, what’s wrong now?” Polly asked, plopping down in the chair opposite his desk.
“Nothing, Pol. Leave it,” he said massaging the bridge of his nose.
“Like hell, why have you been so hard on y/n, eh? She’s loyal, a good worker and she’s been a friend of the family for years,” Polly pointed out, pulling a cigarette from her pocket and lighting it with a match from Tommy’s desk.
“She’s seeing a man from the factory we’ve been watching. Someone whose…untrustworthy,” Tommy said spitting out the last part as though it were the dirtiest word he knew.
“So ask her about him and get it off your mind,” Polly advised. Studying her nephew carefully she added, “But that’s not all is it? You’re jealous of her new relationship.”
Tommy rolled his eyes in response to Polly’s inquiry, a telling reply she thought. “She’ll think I don’t trust her,” Tommy said picking up some papers on his desk and tossing them back down again.
“You’re already treating her like shit so what’s the difference? Get to the bottom of this and soon,” Polly said standing to leave.
When she reached the door Tommy’s words stopped her. “And what if she’s involved? Have you thought of that?”
Without turning Polly spat back confidently, “She’s not, but you’ll find that out soon enough. She cares for you too, you know….you ignorant git.”
———————————————————————-
The next day...
“Come,” Tommy yelled out and you entered in a few quick steps, shutting the door behind yourself in one swift movement. You knew if you didn’t show any signs of unease you had a better chance with Tommy. He fed on people’s fear and you weren’t about to show any weakness in front of him. He’d bullied you long enough.
“Y/n, how’s your man? What was his name?” He pretended not to recall.
“Samuel,” you replied in a clear voice.
“Samuel, that’s right. Samuel’s been at the factory for one year now and he’s done an admirable job. In fact, I’d like to give him a raise,” Tommy said leaning forward at his desk to gauge your reaction.
“A raise?” you said caught off guard by Tommy’s sudden generosity.
“Yes, but first I’d like to know something from you. Do you think he prefers to be paid in cash or booze.” A confused look crossed your face before Tommy continued his speech, “Because it seems to me that he prefers the latter and high quality stuff at that,” Tommy said resting his jaw against his knuckles.
“Excuse me?” you said, not understanding the question.
“Now you’ve been a friend of the family for some time and since Samuel is your beau, we’ll call him family as well. After all, he does intend on marrying you doesn’t he?” Tommy asked pointedly. You looked at your shoes, feeling yourself grow more uncomfortable by the minute under Tommy’s icy stare as he continued, “Faith in family is a fine thing and I wouldn’t even be counting if 25 becomes 24, 24 it is. But if 24 ever became 23, then that’d be tax. And I don’t pay tax,” he said narrowing his eyes at you keenly.
You could tell when Tommy was setting a trap and you’d walked right into this one. “What is it you want from me, Tommy?” you asked on a low breath.
“Keep your man in line, y/n. I’m sure a smart girl like you can manage that, can’t you? Tell him nobody steals from Tommy Shelby,” he said standing from his desk abruptly. You knew you were being dismissed, but you sat rooted to your chair feeling stunned.
How were you supposed to tell a grown man what to do? In truth, you’d been unaware of your boyfriend’s activities until this moment and now you’d be faced with confronting him. Your stomach churned with the anticipation of the conversation you’d need to have with him later.
You managed to stand on shaky legs saying, “Alright, I’ll speak with him. I’ll do it for you Tommy.” He nodded at you calmly, showing you the door and your heart beat wildly against your chest, wishing there was an easy answer to fix this.
—————————————————————————————
Two days later…
“Tom, she’s not been back to the shop. You should send someone round to her flat to check on her,” Polly advised. You were a good employee and never missed work even when you were ill so your sudden absence worried her greatly. Tommy nodded in agreement, calling Finn and Isiah into his office and ordering them to go find you.
Within an hour they had returned with the news that you were nowhere to be found. “Keep looking,” Tommy growled at the junior Peaky boys. He paced his office chain smoking, trying to think where to look for you. His men had told him Samuel hadn’t reported for work either and he began to wonder if the two of you had left town together. He clenched his fists at his sides, jealous anger coursing through him. He couldn’t stand the idea of another man having you. The thought of you disobeying his orders and betraying him was even worse. However, Polly’s words echoed in his mind. Something about all of this wasn’t right.
As he turned the corner, he nearly ran into you. Looking up at your hunched frame, his face crumbled at the sight of your bruised face. He threw his cigarette to the ground and took your shoulders in his hands gently asking, “Y/n, what’s happened?”
“I did as you asked, Tommy. Told Samuel he had to stop because you knew about him stealing from the shipments. Then he attacked me,” you said looking away in shame, tears beginning to fall silently. Tommy pulled you into him to comfort you and hushed you as you cried.
“It’s all my fault. I’m sorry, love,” he said feeling his guilt weighing heavily on him. “I should never have asked that of you,” Tommy said quietly, realizing his grave error.
“It doesn’t matter. He’s gone now. Your problem is solved, isn’t it?” you sniffed.
“How could you think that? This isn’t over until I find him and make him pay for what he’s done to you,” Tommy said forcefully. “No one touches a Shelby,” he added without thinking about the words coming from his mouth.
You looked at Tommy with a puzzled look. “Is that how you think of me?” you asked. You watched Tommy’s face flush as he realized what he had said.
“I do. You’re one of the family….at least I hope you will be properly one day. I love you, y/n. I’ve wanted to tell you that for a long time,” he said finally confessing what he felt. “I’m sorry I’m not much good at showing it. I promise to do better if you’ll let me.” You nodded eagerly.
Polly stood in the doorway watching your exchange. Tommy was a good businessman, but a fool when it came to matters of the heart. Perhaps with you by his side he could manage to be successful at both.
Requested by @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie for my 600 follower celebration.
John meets a lovely, mysterious painter at uni. They encourage each other's recklessness, eventually deciding to steal a priceless painting from the university archives and run away together.
fanfiction is so unbelievably stupid you’ll be like oh i want to write about some finctional dudes and suddenly you’re knee deep in two hundred year old inheritance laws
