Summary: (Y/N) has caught a cold after having had too much fun in the snow and our favourite gangster boss takes care of her, only to get sick himself: Just a bit of fluff
Warnings: none! Besides that English isn´t my native language and this has neither been proofread nor does my feverish brain take any responsibility towards any content of this, I hope you enjoy it anyways 😊
MY SHELBY BOYS MASTERLIST
A cough could be heard followed by a miserable groan.
(Y/N) felt as if all of her life was knocked out of her lungs, as she silently suffered in her bed, wrapping herself in all the blankets she had been able to find. She might have got a bit too engaged in the snowball fitt two days ago, but little Charlie had been so happy making it impossible for her to regret it.
Shuddering because of the coldness slowly spreading over her body, she sighed with relief when suddenly the door squeaked, opening as it revealed her husbands Thomas Shelby's perfect face. All illuminated by the lights of the hallway, he looked almost angelic, after all, he was her saviour!
Carrying a cup of tea in his hand, he looked like every caring, loving husband would look like, not like the mad man everyone made him out to be, normally she would tease him for it, even though secretly loving the look of domestic, caring, fluffy Tommy, but today surely wasn´t her day.
Silently putting the cup down on her nightstand, Tommy's cold fingers touched her forehead, slightly wincing at his cold fingers brushed up against her hot skin, (Y/N) dug herself deeper into the covers.
“Tommy…”
“Still as miserable I see.”
Too sick to respond to his unfunny trying to be funny cunt-Tommy antics, (Y/N) just looked at him, trying to sit up. Not having it, Tommy swiftly grabbed her gently and seat her up, giving her a pillow to rest her head onto, before finally giving her hot tea to her, that she had asked him for, a few minutes ago.
“Thank you.” She weakly smiled, taking a careful sip, enjoying the hot liquid, as it ran down her throat.
Tommy sat down beside her feet, silently watching her downing her favourite tea, before taking the empty cup from her, putting it back on the nightstand.
“Better now?” He carefully asked, getting a bit closer to her, before actually laying right beside her.
“Still a bit cold..” She mumbled, as she suddenly felt his arms wrapping around her, pulling her into his warm chest.
“Tommy…You shouldn´t be so close to me.”
“Why? Am I not allowed to cuddle my sich wife when she needs me?”
“That…That´s not it.”
“Oh, what is it then? Don´t tell me you´re not enjoying it. You always tell me I´m a good fucking heater!”
Sighing she actually pressed a bit further into him, clearly enjoying the warmth he provided her with, not to mention the fact that he was the one initiating the cuddling and close contact..oh if only his brothers would know! They would tease him into next year!
“Tommy…I don´t want you to catch something as well… bad enough that I am knocked out like this. But you have important business to attend to.”
Shifting her head a bit, (Y/N)´s gaze met his, and while her skin was a prominent more greyish undertone and her eyes looked dry and very tired, Tommy could still sense all her love for him radiating out of her beautiful orbs. He was still amazed at how someone like her, someone so kind and awfully sweet and considerate had actually fallen in love with him, going so far as to breath out the love for him with every fibre in their body.
Maybe she had truly changed him, at first not being able to believe in the human in him, in his feelings, in love, especially not after Grace…he had finally found meaning behind his life other than living ruthlessly, unhappy and constantly craving for more. Never getting satisfied, desperate to find the thing that would stop his endless search for a purpose like a mad man searching for water in the desert.
And with her he had finally felt like he had been successful, she was his purpose.
So it came to no surprise that he would not only die for her but try to keep on living! Just for her.
Everyone had noticed how the once carless Gangster of Birmingham had slowly but surely become more settled…maybe even more keen on not risking his life so often, not that he was any less fearsome or dangerous, just a bit more calm and collected. At least to his closest friends and family.
Much to Polly's delight, actually.
His only response to (Y/N)´s worries however was to simply pull her even closer, nuzzling his nose into her neck, trying to breathe in her love for him.
“Tommy I meant it…I love that you´re so caring..but please think about it. Who would make sure the maids are actually doing what they are paid for …you know how they are!” only half-joking, she tried to get away from him, not wanting him to catch something from her. Even though she loved being able to take care of him from now and then, she wouldn´t want to deal with Tommy denying he was sick only to end up in a bad situation, getting even worse.
Still cuddled up with her, Tommy decided to actually answer her, after having taken his sweet time!
“Oh, (Y/N) darling you know what? I´d rather spend all of me life puking, having a fever and coughing, than having to not be able to cuddle up to you!”
At this, (Y/N) was too stunned to deny him. Had he really just said that!? Tommy Gangsterboss of the fucking world had just said that!?
Taking a moment, she finally knew why.
“You already have, haven´t you?” Was all she managed to get out, once the shock had fallen off. Not waiting for an answer, (Y/N) reached out her hand, pressing it to his forehead, sighing with a bit of annoyance at the heat radiating from it.
She had been right.
“You little bastard.”
Was all she muttered while slightly having to smile, turning around to kiss his feverishly red cheeks, pressing her face into his chest, already too tired to keep her eyes open for much longer. That was the Thommy Shelby she knew.
“I really mean it though (Y/N)...”
Tommy grunted, not knowing if she still heard before he too was embraced by sleep warm arms, pulling him into the blackness of deep dreamless rest.
Summary: A sad story with actually no real plot, just felt like it. Reader and Thomas had a stillborn baby and now have to deal with their loss, blaiming themselves (This fic is in no way meant to shame who ever had this happen to them, it is purly fiction if you know someone or who had to go trough this or maybe you had to go through something like that yourself, you have my condolences and I wish you the absolute best in your future babes. ❤❤)
Warnings: As just mentiond above, a stillborn baby, so death of an infant (Nothing is described in anyway) just a short reminder that english isn´t my native language
MY SHELBY BOYS MASTERLIST
The Rain was dazzling down on the rooftop as (Y/N) sat in the armchair.
Staring into the burning fire right in front of her.
It was so unbearably hot but so shivering cold at the same time.
She didn´t know what to do anymore.
Just don´t leave me...please just don´t leave me!
She didn´t even try to make any noise as she heard the front door cracking open.
What good would it do her? No one could bring her back.
Just stay forever...I beg you! Stay, don´t leave me!
“(Y/N)” She would normally have heard. But this day? Nothing.
He just silently stood in the hallway. Eyes dull just like hers. Their faces drawn of any colour and emotion.
Oh God had she cried. But all of those tears had dried up long ago.
Leaving the bitterness of the salty taste for her to endure as the only cruel reminder of her sad reality. If she would have been able to feel it, it would have made her furious.
They both knew who was to blame.
And it hurt him, it hurt him so much. He knew she was right, he couldn´t even be angry with her.
And it hurt her, it hurt her so much. She knew he was right, she couldn´t even be angry with him.
He had cried as well, he had seen her and she had seen him.
They both had cried.
But not out of happiness as they actually should have had on this oh so wonderful day. No. They had to stare at the innocent live lost, how unbearable.
And she knew who was to blame.
And he knew who was to blame.
They once had promised each other,
until the world falls apart we´ll dance upon rubble and ashes, forever together. She had promised to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. He had promised he´d love and honour her all the days of his life.
And here there were now, in bad times and sickness, love and honourless.
Just sitting there, being shells of themselves.
(Y/N) silently looked at the prominent wedding ring on her finger. It sat there, silently mocking her with all of its glamour and innocent purity. It reminded her of better times.
Oh how happy she had felt! The Queen of Small Heath!
She had risen from ruins, she had defeated cruel fate!
The King of Small Heath had chosen her!
He had actually chosen her to marry him! To spend all of eternity by his side!
Oh how happy she had been! Ignoring all the warning signs.
She marched up into this life of cruelty and she had just sat there. In her golden Palace, ignoring the ones suffering for her to have what she had.
She truly was a selfish witch!
Oh God had she been deaf and blind to all of it. And now God punished her for it.
Oh how happy he had been!
Having the sweetest, the kindest the most beautiful, the smartest and the most loyal of all standing by his side.
The true Queen of Small Heath.
And now God punished her for getting married to the Devil himself. To him. He truly was one selfish Arshole!
He had taken so many lives. So many lives of Fathers and sons. It was only fair! But why did it have to be her? Why had he been so blind!?
Oh, how he hated himself for being the one to do this to her.
Oh, how she hated herself for being the one to do this to him.
Silent tears ran down her icy cheekbones again, as she looked back into the fire.
Face as expressionless as cobblestone.
Her Immortal soul would never be pure again. And it had been all his fault! The Devil corrupted her with his frivolous ways. And he knew what people called him, and he began to think it was true.
And now she had to pay! She had tired eyes...tired hands. Seeing so much sin through all of the cigarette smoke and shed blood.
No one would come to save her now, would they?
In the days without laughter
Between passion and pain
When we make a thousand mistakes
Our hearts will turn to stone
Maybe it was better that way. No angle deserved to walk upon a world with monsters. Just like her father was.
He spoiled it, she was deaf and blind! Chained to the weights that were her dreams.
They had long been immune to the plagues of doubt.
They forgot, they had lost now
They had lost the one thing special to them.
The only thing that would ever be worth more than life itself to both of them.
(Y/N) had rather died herself that day and to be honest? A big part of her did. A part of her will do so for the rest of her life. The rest of her life as only a third of what she was used to be.
But just upon touching her, she had known. Angels weren’t meant for a world like this.
The Angels will rise, they will rise and return home.
And she was no angel, she would never be.
And he was no angel, he would never be.
But she had been. Their daughter had been.
What were they to do? They wanted their child back. But all was gone now!
She didn´t love him anymore, right? He took her baby from her.
He didn´t love her anymore, right? She took his baby from him.
Silently stepping closer, Thomas finally reached her armchair.
He stood right there, right beside her… But it still felt like he was miles away.
“(Y/N)”
It had been such a silent, such a fragile whisper, so soft, but she still had heard it.
And it pained her so deeply...they would never hear their daughters voice.
“(Y/N)” He called out again. Stretching out his arm, to softly lay his hand on her shoulder.
“Thomas” She silently answered as she looked him in the face, for the first time in days.
“Oh (Y/N)”
“Oh Thomas!”
Quickly reacting, he bent down to her height, wrapping his arms around her. She nuzzled her head into the crave of his neck.
“I am so sorry!”
And there they sat, softly sobbing into each other’s bodies.
Both realising what they had lost.
Both realising that they had lost their daughter.
Never to hear her first words, see her first smile, see her beautiful eyes shining on her birthday, witnessing her first love, witnessing her wicked shelbyness… They had lost a part of themselves.
They would never know whose looks she got. They would never know whose character she got.
She would never be.
Because she was too good for them.
She was an angel never meant for this world. Never meant for them.
They never had deserved. That, they were both sure of.
And (Y/N) had it all written down in the most beautiful letter she had ever written.
For her special child. For her baby. For her oh so dear, dearest child she never got to meet.
...My dearest, oh my dearest child. I will never forget you, never not love you. Oh please forgive my faults, my mistakes. Oh please oh please just give me one smile. Take me with you...
Summary: A short John Shelby x Reader one shot, in which their youngest daughter may or may not have tried their talent as a hairdresser
Warnings: None, just remember english isn´t my native language (maybe not prrof read I´ve wrote this around roughly 2-3am).
Have fun and stay safe darling😙🥰
MY SHELBY BOYS MASTERLIST
It had been a normal morning in the Shelby Household.
It had actually been quiet the beautiful morning.
But it HAD been.
Because as (Y/N) Shelby had finally finished getting all the Shelby kids out of bed and ready for breakfast she wasn´t able to find Mary.
The youngest daughter.
She had only turned four a couple of weeks ago and was only to be described as Johns apple of the eye.
The little girl had a truly stunning smile and beautiful hair, framing her face that resembled her mothers so much, it could have been a copy.
John always had said that she looked like an angel… but had the personality of the devil himself. After all, she was a clever little wicked Shelby.
And exactly that had been the reason for (Y/N)s worry when she wasn´t able to find the little girl.
Asking Marys sisters first, they all didn´t know where she had gone either, neither did her brothers. So desperate, (Y/N) asked one of the nannies, who immediately freaked out as well, so they didn´t know either! Like mad women the three raided the house, already having bad thoughts and anxiety climbing up her spine, (Y/N) finally found something.
On the bathroom floor, right in front of the mirror laid her sowing scissors, almost gleaming mockingly at her.
Perfectly placed at the edge of the countertop in front of which stood a little chair. All around lay, what (Y/N) could only prescribe as a battlefield like scene, a dozen of little Marys beautiful locks.
Scattered around and torn to shreds.
(Y/N) looked around in shock finally spotting her youngest daughter, who stood in the midst of all, smiling at herself being completely proud of her handiwork.
Finally noticing her mother, the little girl turned around. “Mommy Mommy!” She beamed up at her, throwing her arms around in the air, all excited.
“Look look what if done!”
John would literally have a heart attack once he´d see this!
“Oh, Mary!” Not yet able to decide whether she should scold the little girl, or laugh at the situation, she had to slightly snicker and picked up most of the hair.
As she picked up most of it, she went out into the hallway again, telling the nannies that she found out what had happened. So they wouldn´t worry anymore.
Mary followed her mother curiously and (Y/N) was finally able to examine the work of her daughter in the daylight.
It looked hideous!
One side was completely shaved off, while the hair at the back of her head had almost stayed the original length and the one on the left was only half cut off.
It was truly a shame what happened to Mary's hair, but (Y/N) couldn´t stop herself from slightly grinning. She could very vividly remember the day she had done exactly the same thing to herself...and her little sister as well.
Her parents had been furious but it was one of her core memories of joy. Nearly every girl goes through something like that after all.
Carrying the little girl on her hips, she walked past the two nannies, who immediately gasped in shock! They definitely had expected something bad… but this? They silently stared in shock for a couple of minutes, before they were able to look at their mistress...would she be angry with them?
But when they saw her slightly smiling, they had to snicker themselves. It definitely was funny!
Especially the way Mary herself was so absolutely obvious to what she had actually done.
“What’s so funny here? Do you mind sharing the joke?” Suddenly a voice beamed behind them and /Y/N) turned around. “John!” She exclaimed and smiled at him.
“Dada! Look look!” Little Mary began to struggle in her mother’s arms, who finally let her down.
John, not expecting what would come, held out his arms, lifting her back up.
But then it hit him. “What the fuck!?” He immediately looked at his wife, who was silently scolding him for the swearwords.
“What happened here!?”
“I cut my hair daddy! I look beautiful now! Just like Momma says when you cut yours!”
Mary happily ruffled her hair and smiled at her Father lovingly, who in return couldn´t stay angry at a sight like that.
“Don´t worry John...every father of a little girl has to go through this...and oh so much more!”
(Y/N) had to grin again, as she ruffled his own hair. “And besides….we will always love our little Mary. Whatever haircut she chooses next… right love?”
“Next!? Why would there be a next time! I´ll ban all these scissors out of this god damn house meself if I have to!”
Only laughing (Y/N) nodded her head, returning to setting the table so they could finally have breakfast.
Sure he would. But they all knew how well keeping a Shelby from what they want works. And their kids definitely were Shelbys.
Summary: How would our dear Arthur react to the reader coming home totally wrecked because she got herself into a fight? For once it isn´t Arthur who is utterly reckless but his beloved kind of lunatic wife. Maybe other people think they're crazy and don´t fit into society standards. But who cares about that when you got your perfectly imperfect partner at your side? Just a bit of Arthur fluff, we wouldn´t have it any other way now, would we?🤭
Warnings: English isn´t my native language. This hasn´t been proofread because it is currently nearly midnight and I got an exam tomorrow thooooo... Enjoy my friend 🥰❤
MY SHELBY BOYS MASTERLIST
It had been awfully quiet as Arthur had gotten home, way too quiet for his liking!
But he had to deal with it. Slowly taking a slice of bread into his hand he began to chew on it. Why wasn´t (Y/N) already home? She knew how bad he was at cooking! Could have something have happened to her?
Restless he looked out of the window. Not a single soul in sight. The sun had already begun to set when he got home but now it was absolutely pitch black outside.
He slowly sat down, facing the door, trying to distract himself by reading the newspaper he had already read this morning.
Normally they would sit down at the dinner table by now, slowly eating dinner and talking about their day… Never had (Y/N) ever missed getting home on time! Not in all those years they had been together.
But Arthur knew how reckless she could be, normally (Y/N) was the voice of reason in their relationship. But then again compared to him that wasn´t all too hard.
So (Y/N) was a little firecracker herself, always getting herself in trouble and way too stubborn to let anyone or anything get her off her track. Much to the annoyance of the rest of the Shelby family who had hoped that Arthurs wife would bring him back down a little...But the mess they had caused at their own wedding had shattered their hopes rather violently pretty quickly.
Arthur had to grin at the thought of their wedding and had managed to get his thoughts somewhere else when suddenly the front door flung open.
Startled Arthur sprung up, nearly taking the whole chair down with him trying to grab the nearest thing that could help defend himself against the attacker...Only to realise that the unrecognisable figure in the doorframe was actually (Y/N).
“(Y/N)!?” Still a little bit shocked, Arthur let go of the fucking frying pan in his hands and looked up at the figure still kind of cowering in the open doorframe.
“In the fucking flesh!” Moaned (Y/N) into his direction before finally kind of stumbling into their house, closing the door behind her.
Arthur sighed in relief, that was only short-lived. What the hell had happened to her?! A bloody nose, an eye that was beginning to bruise, a cracked lip and a very strange posture… all in all, she was an utter mess!
“Who the fuck did you run into?”
Kind of annoyed at him (Y/N) only hung her coat over one of the chairs before flinging herself down on it.
“Just some douche I have pissed off last week…”
Trying to make it sound like not that big of a deal, she tugged some loose hair strand behind her ear.
Her beautiful arranged Hairstyle was completely torn apart anyways.
Sighing again Arthur slowly approached her, putting a hand on her shoulder, only to hear her wince and have her turn away from him.
“That´s fucking dangerous! Why didn´t you tell me about that!? I was fucking shitting me pants over here waiting for you to finally come home! God knows what else could have happened to you!?”
He exclaimed while flinging his arms around in the air trying to get his point across, which caused (Y/N)to only roll her eyes.
“Oh don´t bother Arthur! It´s not the only time that ever happened!”
“Bad enough! I want fucking names...gonna pay them a visit meself” Still angered he glared at her waiting for the perfect excuse he knew she didn´t had. Or had she?
“....You see how that feels Arthur?” Sighing defeated she let her head rest on her arms looking him in his eyes, voice cracking a bit. “Coming home to nothing but silence? Not knowing where the fuck you are? Not knowing what the fuck has happened to you!? Only for you to march in here covered in blood and cuts and bruises only to play it down!? Why should I be any different!?”
Now it was Arthurs turn to sigh while walking over to the sink, getting a bowl of freshwater prepared to clean her up. just like she had done for him so many times before.
“Because I love you...It´s different because I fucking love you (Y/N) I can´t let anyone hurt you! I can´t stand seeing you like this.” His voice got quieter at every word before he finally turned back around, looking her in the eye while wringing his little towel out, pressing it to her cracked lip.
“I love you too Arthur. It hurts me just as much when you are hurt.” Looking into his eyes she smiled a bit, even tho it hurt every fucking muscle in her face, especially the wound on her lip.
Arthur had to blush a little at that which he tried to hide of course, but the reddening of his ears was impossible for (Y/N) not to notice. She giggled a bit, before putting her bloodied hand on his cheek.
“Love we both know this won´t be the last time, for neither of us, don´t we?” Slightly grinning at her, he set the towel down, pressing his forehead carefully against hers.
“Wouldn´t want it any other way darling, I wouldn´t have married an absolute lunatic if I had any other plans. I just want you to be a bit more careful.”
“So do I, so do I” Falling back into a fit of laughter, Arthur and (Y/N) managed to clean her up, before getting ready for bed.
They had known what they would get themselves into when getting married to each other. The worlds biggest buffoons.
Smiling to herself (Y/N) brushed her hair, looking at her reflection. After all, fighting was how they met.
Any other husband would have already divorced her by now.
But Arthur was different.
He understood her thought process, her desire for ridiculous messes and her somewhat childish and reckless demeanour. They were really made for each other.
Maybe not a match made in heaven, but even the Shelbyclan had to admit, to their great annoyance, that the two complemented each other perfectly.
And dear Arthur had never been happier before, so they were more accepting of their love than ever, even if that meant that family business wasn't necessarily any easier. But honestly, who of the other Shelbys was easy?
After all, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
Yawning she laid down beside her imperfect perfect husband, slowly and carefully cuddling up to him, getting ready to drift off into dreamland, when suddenly a very awake voice rung through to her ear.
My apologies for any historical incorrectness! I just wanted to write something cute and kinda sad for long lonely nights ❤️
Summary: A short Story in which Thomas thinks back to his young war days to one of his biggest secrets. Of his one true love, he was never meant to find, because we all know that our boy got no luck in the Lovegame.
TW: mention of death, blood kinda everything that's related to WW1 and well the Hotmess that is our boy Thomas
MY SHELBY BOYS MASTERLIST
gifs are not mine
They were never supposed to meet.
Their worlds were never meant to collide... Hell, their worlds were so different that their both knew that they would never ever function.
Not in this life not under those circumstances...definitely not in a thousand years. All because they were supposed to be enemies.
Life was cruel, life was mean, life would never care for a pair of star-crossed lovers.
They both knew.
But neither one of them seemed to care as his rough fingers caressed her soft skin. Their ragged breathing the only sound that rung through the night. The moon seemed to be the only witness to their unholy actions.
Those were all the memories that mattered now.
That was everything that would remain of them.
The tender touch that would linger on her skin for years to come. The soft hitch in her voice that would forever live rent-free in his mind.
They both knew, but they just didn´t care.
They both knew, but they just couldn´t care.
They both knew, but they just didn´t want to care.
Silent love declaring under the stars. Only meant for him and her. Their little safe space under the stars. Far away from Riffles, shouting, pain and Death. Far away from everything they had before that, everything they now had and everything they would have in their future.
Because they knew they weren't meant to have meat. They had no past, they had no current and they would never have a future.
Shortly after Tommy and his brothers had enlisted and were shipped off to France, he had stood in the middle of what hundreds of men would later describe as utter hell.
There was no way out of it. They all knew. They all were so fucking utterly terrified. They all had hoped to someday be rid of those memories, but they would all be haunted by them for the rest of their lives.
He would have never ever deemed it possible that he could have found something like her, a literal angel, in this place. In this literal hell.
But sometimes life likes to play games with you.
Even after many years, he could still remember that day as if it were yesterday.
And this time not because the faces of his dead comrades appeared in his dreams, not because the screams of the desperate men reached his ears, and not because the voices of his enemies pursuing him echoed in his head, all out there to haunt him until god finally decides to set him free, not until God had finally thought Thomas Shelby was punished enough.
No, he remembered so well because he had met her.
Tommy had already had experiences with women, he definitely was no saint. No, more on the contrary even ... but the moment he had laid his eyes on her? Just like in the good damn fucking movies.
His heart had almost slipped into his pants and his mouth had felt awfully dry.
How was that even possible? In all the rubble and dirt? At first, he was sure he was dead. An angel had come to fetch him, to finally put an end to all this hell. Maybe God was indeed real and maybe even gracious to him, even after he had taken so many lives.
Tommy was trying to stay calm as he clutched the rifle in his hand, shit he wasn’t prepared for this now! But before he could do anything else but wonder how to get back, a bullet slammed into a wall just a few meters away from him. Fuck, he was trapped!
A few minutes ago he had been sitting with his comrades in the camp, in the middle of the village, before they had gotten attacked out of nowhere. Seeking protection, he had run and run and run, right into looming darkness only to no longer know where exactly he had run off to... was he still in their fields? or already on enemy territory?
He crawled further out of the line of fire, not worrying about how the already dirty uniform got even dirtier. Maybe the dirt would dye the Bloodstaines a calming brown, not that it would matter anyway, but the smell and the color of fresh blood was something Tommy had learned to despise, and having it on his own close didn’t really help.
But as soon as he had found a new hiding spot, he started to hear hushed voices. Alarmed he stood still and pressed his body into the small cavity behind a wall. Was he in enemy territory? Or where those voices of his men?
“Es… es tut.. es tut so weh bitte… bitte Hilf mir!”
(it...it...it hurts so much! Please….please just help me!)
He couldn't make out the words, but it was definitely not English nor was it French.
“es wird alles Gut… alles wird gut!”
(everything’s going to be just fine….everythings going to be just fine!)
Suddenly he heard a second voice, this time female, and he withdrew further behind the wall.
“ich muss das nur abdrücken, dann bringen wir dich zurück… wir bringen dich nach Haus, ja? Du wirst es nachhause schaffen, ja?”
(I just have to press down here ...then we’re going to bring you back… were gonna bring you home, ok? you will make it home, ok?)
Tommy was startled by the desperate sound of the voice the shear hurt it was displaying.
“wie heißt du Soldat? Wie alt bist du..? Nenn mir ...nenn mir deinen Namen.”
(What’s your name Soldier? How old are you? Tell me….tell me your name.)
the hushed voice mixed in with the wind and the rattling gunfire in the background, the voice had become so quiet, that Tommy had already thought the voice would never sound again until it suddenly croaked.
“E….Eli….Elias. Sieb….Siebzehn...Ich..ich will doch nur nach Hause gehen...nach Hause….nur nach Hause.”
(E....Eli...Elias. Seve….Seventeen...I ...I just wanna go home now...Home ...just home)
“Hey! Hey! Elias! Bleib bei mir! Bitte!”
(Hey! Hey! Elias! Stay with me! Please!)
After that, all that Tommy heard was silence, just the sound of ragged breathing and a quiet sniffling sound was coming from around the corner, as he tried to scoot closer. Finally assured that there was no one else around he peaked around the Corner. He would be able to deal with just one woman!
But nothing could have prepared him for this sight.
There, in the midst of the blood-stained red dirt. Sat an angel.
Wonderful shiny hair shimmering in the moonlight, nice smooth skin was drawn over a beautiful body frame wearing a white nurse's dress. It almost looked like a fucking dream! Had God finally decided to be kind to him? Sending him the most beautiful creature from heaven? It couldn´t be...right? It seemed bizarre, perverse even.
Here in the cruelty and bloody mud sat the purest creature of them all!
He couldn´t believe his eyes, so he had to close them.
But as he opened them again, nothing had changed. She still sat there, pressing her Hands over the soldier's wounded leg, desperately trying to get him back.
Slowly the reality of the situation seemed to dawn upon her. She was on her own in the middle of a dark foreign village, a blood-smeared corpse lying right in front of her.
Tommy took a step closer as if enchanted, without realizing that he was defenseless.
He stepped right on a branch, which immediately broke with a soft crack. But that was all it had taken to shake her out of her state.
“Hallo!?” (Hello?)
Startled, the woman looked up and panicked at the sight of the British soldier.
Fearful, she tried to get to her feet as quickly as possible.
"Nein ... nein bitte!" (No…..no please!)
Begging for her life, she looked right up into his eyes, her own slowly filling up with water once again.
Tommy suddenly understood how he must appear to her, he himself was bloody and dirty, he held his gun tightly in his hand and stared down at her! He must be looking like something those fucking people tell their kids the bloody barbaric Brits must look like! Like some sort of monster! Everyone would be scared by that. He quickly raised his arms and shook his head. He wouldn't just shoot a defenseless woman like that!
“I...I won’t hurt you!”
He was able to finally speak to her and tried his best to look as harmless as an enemy with a weapon was able to look.
But the woman only looked up to him questioningly before pointing to his weapon. “du….no? Not bum bum?” She tried to mimic the sound of a riffle and slowly stood up.
Now Tommy could see her real beauty and was even more stunned. “No...No...I won't bum bum” He repeated her motion before he sighted. This was definitely not what he had expected.
“Do...Do you know where we are?” He didn’t know if she was even able to understand him properly...but trying couldn’t hurt, right?
He expectantly looked at the girl in front of him who just awkwardly smiled while raising her shoulders “I...I not sprechen Englisch..so gut?”
(Y/N) didn´t really know what to make of that strange English soldier in front of her. He looked like he had gone through hell and back, but that was something she had seen around every corner in the past two months she had been here. Maybe you would think she would have gotten used to it by now. But she really wasn´t. She wished for nothing more than for this stupid war to be finally over.
No one in camp was still in for Volk and Kaiser...hell rumor had it that all those letters they were sending home had never been delivered because of their contents, the truth. no one wanted to hear the goddamn truth! No one wanted to believe that they were stuck. Not one single day had they been able to make progress… they were dying like flies out here for nothing and no one even cared. No one fucking cared about the soldiers losing their lives over some fucking royalties’ pain in the ass!
“Fuck the war, fuck the King.” Was all Tommy mumbled when reaching for a cigarette in his pocket. He finally had found one and stuck it in between his lips, not missing how the Nurse right beside him was eyeing him up.
“Want one as well little missy eh?” He couldn´t help himself but smile a little. The irony was just too much to take.
Here he stood. Offering a stranger, let alone an enemy a fucking cigarette while the constant background sound of gunfire was blasting in their ears. Quickly and wordlessly reaching in her own pockets, (Y/N) got out a little steel lighter and held it to his Lips. “Hier.”
She whispered and watched as Tommy took a long and desperate drag of his cigarette, before holding it out for her to take.
Slightly smiling she put her lighter back and took the cigarette between her own lips, mimicking him ever so slightly, before she leaned back against the cold Wall of this French Building.
“Ja...Fuck the king...fuck the war” She copied his words with a thick accent which made it sound kind of funny. So much so that Tommy had to hold back a laugh.
He must be looking like an utter mad man. Dirty, bloody, sweaty, smoking and lost with a strange but goddamn gorgeous girl he just met.
But it gave him a kind of strange comfort, he didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt weirdly calm and the adrenalin in his Blood didn´t feel like poison rushing through his veins. for once he felt at ease. Even still standing on the battlefield, he was feeling calm and put together It was a strange feeling he hadn´t felt since he had left home.
They both seemed to enjoy the somewhat relaxed atmosphere as they kept smoking in silence, right next to each other, two different worlds, complete strangers but yet so familiar with each other.
Tommy was sure, if he ever would have told Ada about it, she would have told him about how movie-worthy this was... But thank god he never did.
Shortly after they had finished their cigarette, the young woman started to giggle, maybe she saw the irony of the situation as well.
Slightly looking back down at her, Thomas couldn´t help himself but smile a little at her caring face.
"What´s your name love?"
He suddenly heard himself ask. How stupid he was...Fraternization with the enemy. Sighing he looked up in the pitch-black cloudy night sky.
"name?" he heard her soft voice repeat after him...her brows cutely furrowed before her face light up. "Ahh, Name....mein Name ist (Y/N)" She proudly stated while looking at him, expecting him to tell her his. "Thomas....Or Tommy. But you got a much more beautiful name (Y/N)" He playfully grinned down at her.
You could easily tell both of them were in their own little world, completely forgetting the world around them. Completely enchanted which one another.
Tommy still asked himself if maybe, maybe if they had met back home in small heath... would they have lived a different life? Would they have had a future together there? He would never know. He could only dream.
Both of them, despite having difficulties understanding each other's languages, engaged in a real conversation, small talk nothing important really. It was just a slight break from their hard normal. But as is with all good things, nothing ever lasts. Just like their little escape from reality.
(Y/N) was the first who heard.
"(Y/N) Wo zur Hölle steckst du!? Bitte sag mir nicht dass du drauf gegangen bist!?" whispered a voice around the corners.
((Y/N) yhere the hell are you!? Please tell me you didn´t just got killed!?)
"oh, scheise..." (Y/N) whispered more to herself than to anyone before looking back at Tommy, while his own stare lingered on his weapon, which as of now was laying on the dirty ground. Quickly (Y/N) stud back up straight and wiped her Hand over her Face. "Tommy." She slightly smiled while saying his name. "Geh" quickly shushing and shoving him around the corner he seemed to understand. "Will we....will we see each other again?" He blatantly and somewhat sheepishly asked. Again she just shrugged him off, seemingly in a hurry. "I don't know either (Y/N)" He whispered to no one, as the girl already hat disappeared into the direction of the other voice.
Tommy sighed again before he tried to find his own way back before those German bastards would come to collect their dead.
That night he wasn´t able to sleep, not that sleep came easily around the terrified soldiers. But just this time it wasn´t because of the gunshots, the screaming, and the pain. But because of her face, beautiful little Angle... she didn´t belong here.
After a week Tommy still wasn´t over his little crush and the others started to notice that something was up with him but thought it was just something they all had to go through, they never spoke to him about it. And god was he thankful for that.
He actually had given up hope, that he would ever see her again, but after one very straining day, he stumbled across her once more.
Wanting nothing more than spending a few seconds in private, he had made his way a few alleys away from their current camp. The Germans were far away enough to do so, or so he had thought, when he heard a few laughing voices from another ally. Could it be?
"Oh hör auf damit (Y/N)!" (Oh stop it (Y/N)!)
YEAH! It definitely had been her voice...but who were the other ones? Some other nurses?
Just before he could think about his next move, the voices seemed to get quieter and quieter as they supposedly made their way back.
But when he thought he was alone again, he heard her voice clear as day. "Tommy!" She whispered as she rounded the corner and stared him straight in the eyes before putting on a somewhat friendly smile.
"(Y/N)" He breathed out, a little shocked that he hadn´t heard her approaching. "I didn't think I would see you again!" He exclaimed surprised but nonetheless happy.
And just like that, they seemed to find their way to each other more and more often. Even going as far as clumsily setting up times and places to meet at. It was ridiculous how they seemed to forget the world around each other every time they met.
And as time passed, they learned a lot more about each other, even going as far as learning a little bit of each other's languages. Both of them knew that this wouldn´t last. That this would never work out.
But everyone deserves a bit of happiness, don´t they? At least that's what they thought as they sat upon this hill. The moon shining down illuminating their faces.
"Can I kiss you again?" Tommy whispered to her, as she sat on his lap, forehead pressed against hers, totally lost in her eyes, as she giggled and slightly nodded. "Ja, of course, mein Liebster"
and just like that, he pressed his lips against her once more. Fingers slightly gracing her skin. Just as hers made their way to his collar.
That's how he found himself craving her touch, her voice, the over joyful smile she had put on display for him once. He hated himself for every fucking day back in France when he could have just scooped her up and run away with her. Start over completely new. But he never did. And just like that, he had been send back home. To his real life. To his real Family, with a hole in his heart, never to be filled again, and Tommy knew, from the day he left he would be missing her until the end of his pathetic life.
Without ever being able to satisfy this craving, he knew there was no other woman for him. he tried. He really did. Just like she had told him to do. But it never worked. All he ever did was hope for her to just appear again one day, to just walk into his life again as she did once before. but it was just like they loved to say.
They were never supposed to meet.
Their worlds were never meant to collide... Hell, their worlds were so different that their both knew that they would never ever function.
Not in this life not under those circumstances...definitely not in a thousand years. All because they were supposed to be enemies.
Life was cruel, life was mean, life would never care for a pair of star-crossed lovers.
~ Stranger that's all I see when I look into your eyes,
A soulmate who wasn´t meant to be,
Stranger, who knows all my secrets can pull me apart and break my heart
I had this lil´ idea while visiting a small early Christmas market in my town. ( I might or might not have put some very European Christmas market traditions into this because… Well I just love it, reminds me of the good old times spending Christmas at my grandma’s house with the whole family.)🥰🤭❤
Summary: John and his wife take their twins out for a short Christmas market shopping tour. And maybe Reader has to reveal a somewhat pretty early Christmas present to John.
No real plot, just some very much needed father John fluff and a somewhat outlet for my Christmas spirits.
Warnings: Non really, just a little reminder that English isn't my native language😘😉
MY SHELBY BOYS MASTERLIST
Children’s eyes beaming, loud voices singing, bells ringing men and woman walking by hand in hand. It surely was beautiful as he walked by, and maybe he would have even been able to enjoy it if it wasn´t for the two way too cold hands grasping at his own, as they pulled him through the streets.
Ben and Ally laughed as he nearly stumbled over his own feet while trying to catch up with their fast steps.
(Y/N), a few steps behind them could only laugh as she held the warm Mulled Wine in her hands, trying to heat herself back up.
It was a truly heartwarming sight to see. They didn´t usually spend much time like this together.
Finally being able to let go of his overexcited kids, John let himself fall into step with his wife, taking one of her hands in his, letting her head rest on his shoulder.
“Oh, John. It´s wonderful here...a bit cold. But soooo beautiful.” She pointed to all the flickering lights in between the freshly fallen snow as the smell of freshly baked Crêpes rose to their noses.
John could only silently agree as he squeezed her hand slightly, listening to the voices of some choir singing a truly beautiful Christmas jingle. Looking over at his wife, whose eyes were gleaming, he had to smile brightly.
She was so beautiful like that, the cold flushing her cheeks and making her nose turn red. Moments like these made him fall in love with her all over again.
(Y/N) herself had to smile as well as she watched her babies run around in the snow, chasing some of their friends around the place. She had to grin slightly at the thought of next year. They would have a new Baby to share all the wonderfulness of Christmas with, placing her free hand over her coat she looked over at Johns calm and for once relaxed face and prepared to tell him, now.
She had waited for the perfect moment the whole week! And now it was finally time to-
“Mommy? daddy!?” Suddenly she was shaken out of her mediated state, as two small angelic voices called out to her. Still slightly smiling she and John looked down into the grinning faces of their children. “What do you little fuckers want now?” John teased as he straightened up a bit. “John..!” playfully warning him, she turned to face him.
“Yeah yeah ´right sorry. But what do you want!?” Looking at each other, Ben and Ally smirked and simultaneously pointed towards a stand with very amazing smelling good old sugar canes, candied almonds, gingerbread, speculoos and many many more treats of every colour and form.
“please please, please! We promise we will behave the whole week!” Ally exclaimed dramatically as Ben just nodded his head exaggeratedly.
Laughing (Y/N) had to shake her head. Them behaving for a whole week straight? That was unheard of. “Okay...you´re allowed to get three things...Each!” She looked at them sternly before beaming herself. Their cheeks having turned the same reddish colour as their parents, they looked like little angels. At least to (Y/N) who was just feeling so excited all over again. It was wonderful seeing them hurrying off as fast as possible to make sure they would get the best treats they could get their hands on.
“How gracious of you.” John laughed as he put his arms around her. Laying his hands on her stomach. “When did you plan on telling me, love?” He nuzzled his face into her neck while smiling and planting a small kiss on her slightly exposed neck. “That next year we´ll have to deal with another Shelby graving all the sweets of this goddamn place?”
Smiling herself (Y/N) put her gloved hands over his. “How do you know John?” Curious she looked over her shoulder to look him in the eyes. “Oh, you know darling...Just because you’re in the next room doesn´t mean I won’t hear you when you practise your little speech…” Laughing he hid his face in the crook of her neck again, pulling her a bit closer into him. “Wouldn´t be too bad, eh?” they both grinned at each other. “Oh, it really is the most wonderful time of the year.”
“On that, I will have to agree on, my dear.” chuckling again, they started to look for their current children again, of course finding them stuffing their faces with more than just three pieces of candy.
But who would have guessed any different...They were John Shelby´s kids after all. And next year, they would have to deal with one more.
But they were over joyous at the news, love and warmth filled their hearts at the pure thought, they couldn´t wait for the most wonderful time of next year.
