And here starts the journey through 1920's Birmingham. In which we meet some unscrupulous gangsters, some powerful women and a baker who doesn't exactly sell bread. Find me on Archive at: its_all_fine_and_dandy
This served as a draft/inspo for Rooftop Blues. I personally liked Rooftop Blues more but this came out as a neat little half story on its own. Lemme know what you think xx
You sat on the rooftop next to Ada, smoking your way through a pack of cigarettes and drinking your way through a bottle of whiskey. The winter air was cold and sharp, it cut through the thick fur blanket you'd wrapped around yourselves with ease but you didn't mind.
"Do you think money corrupts you Ada?" You ask, blowing out a lungful of smoke through your teeth.
It was funny, you thought, how all deep questions are asked in the nighttime.
"Your asking me that - of all people." She laughed, grabbing the cigarette from your fingers. You smiled at that - of course, Ada the communist's wife.
"Not really the money though is it." You continued "Ye hand a man who lives in a tribe in the wilderness a million pounds and it won't mean anything to 'im. You give 'im power over every other person in that tribe and then that's when you see the corruption right?"
"Hmm..hypothetically yes." Ada said lighting another one. You watched the cherry of the smoke dance as she talked around it. It took you back to the days when you and Ada did this almost every night. Your mind wondered to memories of your youth.
"How long 'ave we been friends ay?" You said resting your head lightly on her shoulder.
"We practically came outta the womb holdin' hands." She chuckled, laying her head on top of yours.
"We ain't like we was." It came out as a whisper but the night was silent and Ada straightened as she heard it. You were sure that the alcohol must have loosened your tongue because you never would have said it sober.
"You dated my brother. Not one a the nice ones neither." Her lilting voice held a slight edge.
"Tommy's Tommy and I love him for it."
"I fucking hate him for it. Coulda chosen any other guy, ye still got men at yer feet. Ye chose 'im though. Over me. Over better judgement. Fuck, even Pol told you to watch out."
A little ditty about some Shelby conflict. I got a prompt not too long ago about an ‘Ada vs Tommy’ fight and I wrote a few versions. This is one of them, I hope you all enjoy xx
It was always calm on the Shelby roof. You smiled, soft and pretty, into the big fur coat. Ada passed you the ciggie, blowing the smoke into the deep blue night. It was the kind of cold that cut through your clothes and into your skin. Neither of you minded though, you were the same that way. Wrapping your hand around the bottle of whiskey and taking a swig you asked,
"You remember Billy Walker from school?" Your voice barely above a whisper.
"Didn't you date 'im?" She laughed. "That kid was a funny bugger."
"Yeah. Blew his brains out two days ago 'e did." The smile dropped from her face.
"Shit."
"Yeah."
The two of you collapsed back into a comfortable silence. You weren't sure why you asked, maybe the booze or the quiet or both.
"Why ain't we friends like we used to be?" Really, you knew the answer. She never could get over it, not really.
"You dated my brother." She said, the cigarette still in her mouth.
"Thought that'd make us family." You tried to smile but it came across as more of a grimace.
"It's him that ain't family." The ash from the cigarette fell onto your hand.
"Tommy's Tommy."
"Tommy only loves people when it suits 'im." She said throwing the fag off the side of the rooftop. To that you had no reply. Secretly you hoped you'd be enough for him, that if he lost it all he might still...
The window open and Tommy climbed through it.
"Ada." He greeted his sister curiously.
"Well if it ain't the king 'im self." Ada replied, lighting up another smoke.
He turned to you, ignoring his sister. "Thought I might find you up here. Come down, there's business."
"That's right Tommy. Don't fucking ask 'er. Just order her about like she's some kind of fucking lapdog ey." Ada sneered
"I'll be in my office." Was all he said in reply. You jumped a mile when the whiskey bottle smashed against the window right near Tommy's head, glass fragment flying everywhere.
"Tommy Shelby, ye fuckin bastard." He turned slowly - climbed onto the roof and it was almost as if the ground shook beneath him.
"That's enough Ada." He said his voice tired.
You put a hand on her arm and gave her a pointed look.
"Ye know he's never gonna love ye, not like ye deserve. That's why I never told ye when we was young, cause I knew he'd destroy ye. That's what he fucking does."
"Watch yer tongue." You hissed grabbing her hand.
"Ye always defend him." She said snatching her hand back. "He ruined my Freddie, all that time we could have spent together. We were so happy, the wedding and the baby. But Tommy had to send him running. Didn't you?" She said her cold eyes fixed on him.
"Ada your drunk, lets go down." You said. There'd been enough goddamned fighting between the two of them to last a lifetime and you didn't want there to be another. She got to her feet, her legs shaky and stumbled toward him. He grabbed her shoulder to steady her but she shook him off, pointing a finger right in his face.
"That man," She said turning from his toward you. "Is the goddamned fucking devil."
You looked into his face and saw the pain that flashed behind his eyes replaced quickly by a mask of indifference.
"That man." You replied "saved us more times than I can count. He is the man I love, he is the man I chose. If you can't call him brother then don't you call me friend."
You pushed past the both of them and climbed through the window, your heart pounding in your chest and tears stinging your eyes.
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