A DAY IN THE MARKET
Tommy Shelby x F!Reader
PREVIOUS — 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 :: 𝐈𝐈
𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒;— @briana-mishell24 @misselsbells06 @blueskyredrosegrey @user04049393 @darktrashsoulbear @lfdeinet @alreadybroken-ts @lkarls @nomnomnomnamja @kitsnoopy @skinny-bitch-juice @literishdegree99 @scarlettorch
𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘;— The only thing he has on his mind, is getting back the girl he lost and the son he found.
𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒;—angst, longing, Grace Burgess, mild age gap, ANGST, cursing, profanity,
𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒;—this is the final part of this short!
𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆;—T [teen]
All he wanted was to see her one last time, and it didn't matter that he would never get her forgiveness. He just didn't want her to leave him, leave them.
Grace stood up the second he walked in and she knew she had to ask.
"Is this it?" She whispered.
He took off his cap and coat as he set them down on the hook and he just looked at her.
"What do you want me to say? I chose you?"
"So everything we did-"
"It's always been her. Always. If I have to hurt you just to see her again, then so be it. I won't chose anyone over my son or her."
Her eyes went wide as she began to sob softly. He walked past her as she held onto the table for support.
"Did you ever... ever care? About me?"
He stopped and he couldn't meet her eyes.
"In some way.... I did."
She sat next to the bed looking down at Byron. His mouth was open as his nostrils flared with each breath as he slept. She stifled a quiet laugh and moved his body into a more comfortable position. If he was anything like his father, the boy would be a heartbreaker with the mere glance of his eyes.
She pressed the softest and most loving kiss on his forehead before heading to her room and getting changed. She set down the necklace he gave her, one of the only things she kept, and looked at the light blue color. She always carried his eyes with her. Whether it be in the form of Byron or his necklace, she had him with her. It wasn’t like she didn’t love him anymore, or she didn’t care about him.
Oh sweet heavens and stars, he was everything. Words could not describe the love they had for one another. It was… pure, spontaneous. And dangerous at best. Yes, at best.
She wasn’t going to do things this way with him. She was going to tell him, she just didn’t know how. In the market, she was going to prepare a nice dinner and send a note for him to stop by her place. But seeing him with someone else was painful. Painful in the sense that he had moved on and she didn’t. But she should have expected it.
Looking back at everything, she wondered if she had forgiven him. Would he have stopped cheating? Would it happen again?
She’d never know.
She couldn’t deprive him of seeing Byron, she wasn’t that mean. But Byron was now her world. Her funny little boy that was far too sassy for this world. He wanted to be a chef, and if Thomas knew about this-
Well…
Perhaps she was a bit curious as to what he would do with his own child wanting to be a chef or even just a pastry chef.
She fell asleep after tossing and turning about. Thomas was most likely going to see her tomorrow, but she needed to see some other people before they went forward with anything.
Polly Gray stood in shock. She was just as beautiful as the day she left. She held a hand to her lips and choked back a gasp.
“Hi, Polls.”
She went forward and held the girl close to her chest.
“You smart, silly, stupid girl. Why didn’t you come to me!” She sighed.
Byron looked up at his mother with the lady. Clearly his mother was fine with her.
‘….okay…. She’s good. I suppose,’ he thought.
“I didn’t want things to be messy. I just wanted us to get out and leave…” (Y/n) smiled weakly and stepped aside to put a hand on Byron’s shoulder.
Polly looked down at the boy.
“Sweet Mary and Joseph, he looks just like Tommy when he was a boy.” She gasped and eyed him.
“I don’t believe you. Mum says I’m a very handsome boy, if I’m anything like my father I’m not handsome.” He huffed and crossed his arms.
“Sweet boy, you may look like him. But it’s your mother that’s in you that makes you such a great child. Come in, you can have some biscuits and tea while your mother and I talk.”
Byron trudged past the woman and into the kitchen. Polly pulled out a tin and went to heat up some tea.
“I can do it. Mum let’s me make the tea in our household after she burnt the kettle.”
“It was one time!” (Y/n) sputtered and Byron smirked.
“One time enough! You two have important things to talk about, shoo!” He gestured to them and Polly stifled a chuckle.
“Bossy boy, he is.” She teased and they went into the betting den.
It was empty this morning. (Y/n) noticed almost everything was updated and they had installed more desks. She sat down at the main table that had many many family meetings and Polly sat across from her
“Tell me about his…wife.” She said gently.
Polly didn’t know what to say.
She never did like her.
“They aren’t married by law. He never filed papers.”
“I know… on some documents for Byron I have Thomas down as an emergency contact….” She looked down at her hands sheepishly, “I was going to tell him. I was. That’s why I came back, I was going to have a dinner and send a letter to him so we can discuss it over dinner. But then he had a woman with him. A woman with a ring.”
“I’ll be honest with you, darling. The marriage was out of lust. She worked as a spy and your man was just blind to the truth.”
“My man… you say it as if that’s true.” She scoffed.
“It is. Everything he has done is to make up for you. Grace is just one of his mistakes.”
She pressed her hand against the necklace, “I do love him. I really do. But everything is just messy, so mess-“
“OI! POLL! THERE IS A CHILD IN THE KITCHEN- OI DON’T-“
“MUM! THERE IS A MAN IN MY KITCHEN!” Byron called back and both Polly and (Y/n) sighed and came over.
“YOU GET OUT OF HERE!”
“NO! I’m making tea, you ninny!”
“NINNY!?! WHO ARE YOU CALLING A NINNY, YOU…YOU!”
“Arthur!” (Y/n) said unexpectedly and the man that was pointing a finger at Byron froze at the voice.
His eyes went wide then he had the biggest smile.
“(Y/n)! You’re back!” He swooped her up and (Y/n) chuckled.
“Down, you mongrel. Polls and I were just having a conversation. And you made Byron annoyed!”
He looked her in the eyes and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Byron aye? Strong name…Take him back, would ya? You’re the only one for him.”
(Y/n) just smiled and sighed, “I can’t just take a married man away from his wife.”
“Meh. You can if they aren’t legally married. I’ll take Byron around the town! Meet everyone! If…if that’s okay with you.” He pulled back and looked at the boy who was eyeing him with curiosity.
“It’s fine with me. But ask him. He has a mind of his own.”
“Mum. This man wanted to kick me out of the kitchen. What makes you think I want to go with him?”
Arthur chuckled, “He has your fire, that’s for sure.”
(Y/n) just sighed, “He is your uncle on your fathers side. Go on, you might like this shit town if he shows you all the best places to go.”
Byron frowned and set down a dish towel he had in hand, (Y/n) only assumed he was going to use it to hit Arthur. But the two left and (Y/n) looked back at Polly.
The older woman just pulled her close.
“If you don’t want him back. Please just stay here. You’ve been gone far too long. Aye?”
Byron and Arthur walked down the street with the older man occasionally glancing at him.
“You are the spitting-“
“Image of my father. That’s what Mum always says.” Byron sighed.
Arthur chuckled, “Aye…”
Byron looked up at the kind man, “Did they love each other?”
He just nodded, “Very very much. Sometimes when you love someone, you hurt them. And that’s what my brother did to sweet (Y/n). I won’t say it was an accident, he knew what he was doing. But that never meant he never loved your mother.”
Byron huffed, “He thinks he can just walk back here and take Mum back. He doesn’t know she’s a strong woman. Scary too…”
This made them both laugh.
“Come on, kid. We have other people to meet.”
“More! Do I have grandparents? Mum never talks about her family.” His eyes seemed to light up.
“No grandparents, my boy. But Polly might as well be. Aside from me you have an Uncle John and his wife Esme and Uncle Finn. Auntie Ada who has a boy your age, and an Uncle Michael and his wife Gina, they have a baby on the way.”
Byron’s smile widened, “Wow… that’s a lot of family members! For so long it was just Mum and I….”
When they walked into the Garrison, everyone was still slow since it was the morning. But they were meeting here first before going to a race at the derby. Arthur had a feeling they would be missing it.
“Oi! You didn’t bring Pol?” John huffed and leaned against the counter.
“Pressing matters, Johnny boy! Tommy’s son and I are painting this town!”
“Tom’s son? I didn’t even know he had a son?” Michael’s eyes furrowed.
“You’re hers?” Ada stood up and came over.
Byron just smiled, “I am.”
Ada looked at Arthur with wide eyes, “Please don’t tell me your kidnapped him!”
“No! Gods no! I could take this old man if he tired. Mum let him take me around Small Heath while she talked to Miss Polly…er…Aunt Polly?” He looked up at Arthur and he chuckled.
“Already part of the family. We will have to cancel the derby. I have a feeling everything will just get bigger from here.”
Byron looked at all the happy faces watching him. His mother was definitely someone special to them.
“Aye. Well, might as well spend the day with the boy. I’m Ada, this is John and Finn. Esme, Michael and Gina. This here is my son Carl.”
The boy came forward and he looked just as excited as him.
“Come on! Uncle John’s kids are in the back!” Carl pulled him away and Arthur looked at Ada.
They just hoped that Polly was telling (Y/n) that like would be better if she was here.
Grace packed up her things and waited and waited for him to say something as she did so. He didn’t say anything. He just smoked his cigarette and watched her. Perhaps this was even worse than anything in the world. He didn’t even try.
When she got her bags finished he stood up and came over to her. He was quiet for a minute before he pressed one kiss to her lips and sighed.
“Someone is out there for you. It’s not a bad man like me.”
She swallowed thickly, “Why can’t it be you?”
“Because. We are too different. You know it.”
She looked into his eyes and bit her lip.
“Aberama can take you anywhere you want to go, just tell him. If you want me to know where you are, just tell me. But you know what I’m going to do now.”
She scoffed and clenched her jaw, “Fuck you, Thomas Shelby. I hope she never takes you back.”
She grabbed her luggage and left Arrow House and he stood watching her leave. It was a possibility that getting rid of Grace would not end up well. He was cruel. A year of their…love… gone within hours. Maybe even seconds, the seconds he used when he saw her. Part of him was hurting and a larger part of him felt relief. He needed her back. He needed his salvation back, and his future back.
When the car drove and turned right to head into the city instead of turning left to head to Birmingham, he got in his own car and went back to the small town where she would be.
The hour drive was long. Possibly even longer than normal due to: cows passing through, a bridge being worked on, a sink hole manifesting itself smack in the middle of the road. It was a sign of sorts. It made him think twice about what he was going to do.
It left him annoyed and tired. By the time he got to Small Heath, it was noon. He went to stop by her place first, but there was no one there.
Where else would she have-
Oh.
It clicked. He scurried over to Watery Lane and burst open the door. Ada, Arthur, John and Polly were laughing with (Y/n) as Byron and Finn attempted to make bread. Really, Byron was throwing flour at Finn for messing up a loaf.
He stood in the doorway shocked. She was here.
This scene…it looked like something right out of his fantasy. (Y/n) home with him, his family happy, a child of his young and healthy-
“Thomas.” (Y/n) said as her laughter died down.
“I…I went to your place to see you…”
Polly gestured for everyone to clear out and they did so. Even Byron trailed after Ada with Carl. When she closed the betting door, silence came over them.
She looked at him. Just watching him.
“She’s gone. Grace…she left.”
"And you let her?" She said with surprise, she didn't even know it came out of her mouth. He too was surprised with it, and he was speechless. Didn't she want him to be devoted to her?
"I..."
"I-I just thought it was serious. Tommy-" She sat down at a chair and looked at him.
"I will say it a million times if I have to." He knelt before her and held her hands, "Its you. It has always been you and will always be you. I spent ten years without my twin flame and life was never the same. Grace... I cared for Grace in a way that would never compare to you. I wouldn't have been happy in that marriage and she knows it too. I travel through hell just to even get a second of your time-“
“Please…stop.” She said and held back tears, “Just stop.”
She pulled her hands away and sobbed into her hands. Her chest hurt.
“Why didn’t you say these things all those years ago? Why did you do those things?”
“I made a mistake. I was a shite husband, but I promise you… I promise Byron, it’s always been you.” His voice was just as broken as she was at this point.
He grabbed her hands again and pulled them down to look at her face, “You think I won’t care just the same as I did with Grace. Is that it?”
She nodded and bit her lip, “I can’t let you destroy me again. I fear it’ll ruin Byron.”
“One chance. Just one. We can start slow, try again from the beginning.”
This made her chuckle slightly, “I hated your fucking guts in the beginning.”
“I bet you do now, right?” He said lightly with a smirk.
(Y/n) just looked at him fondly, “I don’t. I don’t think I could ever hate you. Disappointed and hurt, yea. But hate? Not anymore.”
He looked at her hand and pulled out a ring.
“I still carry this with me everywhere. It’s been a lucky charm for me, always leading me to something good. Will you wear it?”
She looked at it. The ring was nothing flashy or special. White gold with two small diamonds on either side of an emerald-cut sapphire with floral like engravings on the side.
She nodded and he put it on. She felt the same as she did the day they got married. Their wedding bands were special, yes, but this ring was the second piece of jewelry he bought her. First was the necklace. This was their engagement ring. It was the beginning of a new life with one another, and same as it was back then… this would be a new life.
Both of them looked at it before he placed a soft kiss to her finger.
She forgave him a long time before she came to Small Heath. If she didn’t forgive him, then she wouldn’t have loved Byron. She was just wary of him. But it was a year since the date she wore her ring again. And a year since she came back to town.
The market was filled with even more people as Byron ran down each aisle pointing out only the freshest ingredients. Thomas had a small smile on his lips as (Y/n) looked her arm through his.
“Ah! Mister and Missus Shelby! Beautiful day today, innit?” A stall man smiled.
“It is, really. Beautiful for a day in the market.” He nodded and glanced back at (Y/n).
She just beamed.
“DAD! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE CARRYING MY STUFF! NOT FLIRTING WITH MUM!”
shit guys. its been a while. sorry for the rushed part two! i really just wanted this to be two parts, i never expected so much support in this one!
