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gretelshelby · 2 years

Text

Sweet Secrets

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Reader

Warnings: FLUFF hehe

Word Count: 2923

Summary: Reader originally works with Alfie but has plenty of running intos with Tommy as they begin to work together and the man can’t seem keep his eyes off her, and wait till he finds out she also has a daughter ;)

A/N: requested by sweet anon and we’re all gonna sit here and benefit from it.

🍃Moodboard here 🌸

"Alright Thomas, I am to make an appearance back in Camden Town this evening," Alfie said slowly lifting himself out of Thomas Shelby's divan in his office.

"Y/N, will you be joining me?"

You stayed seated on the opposite side of the cushions and kept to yourself. Your home was located on the outskirts of Small Heath, and you had promised your daughter to take her out to watch the sunset this evening, so accompanying Alfie would have to be left for another time.

"I should stay home tonight Alfie," you rose up yourself now. "I've got some family matters," you said a little more quietly dusting off your dress.

"Ah, 'f course sweetheart, suit yourself. If you run into any trouble, call my dear friend Thomas here, you know the man's just looking for trouble," you blushed as Alfie landed a pat of sizable strength onto the dark haired, blue eyed enigma of a man. He almost stumbled forward as he tried to hold himself upright but nonetheless, he stood in place.

You all had been working together for a few months now but as comfortable the two men made you feel, Alfie's new partner always rendered you a little too self-conscious about your appearance. You always felt his eyes on you and it scared you. You made an effort to keep your head down and finish all of what was asked of you. You've seen Tommy's eyes before. They're a beautiful pale blue that you only admired from a distance when he was too busy yelling at one of his employees or brothers. You were afraid what the effects of his eyes would be if you looked straight into them. Dangerous.

The man was dangerous. Thomas Shelby was not someone you needed to have on your mind every night. When you first met and he shook your hand, he made sure to catch your eyes, and kiss the top of your hand like a gentleman. Probably by Alfie's orders, but nevertheless, his touch took you aback. But you knew you shouldn't let yourself fantasize. Your four year old daughter, Emelia, was the only one that mattered. She didn't need to experience the departure of another man from her mother's life. Tommy was simply a perfect example of everything that you were not looking for.

"At your service Miss. Y/L/N," Tommy bowed his head in your direction after putting out his cigarette. He had been trying to catch your eyes all week but from his perspective, you were always so preoccupied. Whether it was work, filing papers, finding people, running numbers, taking phone calls, or vanishing back to your home every night, he just wanted to share a moment within your eyes.

He was infatuated with the way you worked, you spoke, you reasoned. You were smart and he could tell just by spending a few hours a day with you and Alfie. You would be invisible but yet completed everything that needed to be done. The more attention he set aside to watch you while you worked, the fonder he grew of you and the more desperate he was to see you look into his eyes. Why weren’t you looking at him? He was slowly losing his mind waiting for you to look back and he was very well aware that he was falling for you.

"Have a good evening boys," you waved in their direction, this time your eyes falling directly on Tommy's. Finally. His entire face lit up but you turned and headed out of his office in hopes he doesn't catch your smile, but he did. He saw the upturned curl carved into your reddening cheeks and he was ready to fall on his knees before you in gratitude.

***

"Common Mummy!" Emmy called back at you as she ran through the blooming green meadow around you. The piece of land you had found the other day taking a walk on your own truly looked like it was created out of a fairy tale. Ahead of you was a slope leading to an average sized creek running down pebbles and rocks creating a pleasant hum of trickling water against the birdsongs carrying on in the gentle wind. Both you and Emmy's dresses gracefully waved in the wind along with your hair. There were blossoming trees with pale pink flowers swaying on either side of you.

You tilted your head back to see the last bright rays of the sun disappearing behind the clouds as you slowly sat yourself down in the clover covered grass. Emmy ran down to the edge of the rocks taking a stick and dipping it into the running water of the stream.

Thomas Shelby as the man he was, did not trust in letting you go out on your own. He had once again followed you out into the meadow as he has for the past few days without your knowledge. He knew you came here often. Every time he went on his own evening rides, he would see you by the creek, walking and enjoying the evening alone. Never having enough courage to approach you, and too afraid to infringe upon your privacy, he watched from afar, longing to be the one walking next to you with his arm wrapped firmly around your waist, whispering sweet nothings in your ear. But nevertheless, he kept his eyes on you and your surroundings, knowing this place was good as any other for a pretty, young woman like you to get into trouble.

Today however, Tommy very quickly noticed that you were not alone. There was a little girl running up and around you as you made your way to the little hill in front of the water. He slowed his mare to a walk and dismounted landing softly on the fresh grass beneath him. He was utterly intrigued and peered over in your direction again while he pat his horse's neck. He never knew you had a daughter. The thought had never even skimmed his mind, but it made perfect sense now why you were never caught wasting around time and always hurried home.

"Go on girl, go 'head," he soothed pushing his mare's hindquarters forward and watched as his horse slowly made her way to the water some distance away from your daughter. He leaned back against the tree and crossed his ankles a wide smile playing across his freckled face.

Emmy was the first one to spot the horse. She caught her out of the corner of her eye as she was kicking up water from beneath her favorite boots. She started her way to the white grazing animal then the moment she saw her, her eyes began twinkling in wonder of the beautiful beast. There was no saddle. no bridle - just a rope around her white wavy mane.

Emmy, just like you, was fascinated with the animals which only led you to believe that the passion ran throughout the family. You had promised her a horse when she got a little older and when you were able to support the both of you as a mother.

Too busy with watching the clouds in the sky, you were completely unaware of where your daughter had gone until you noticed the absence of kicking rocks.

"Emelia!" you immediately called out jumping to your feet. Tommy slowly made his way to his horse, carefully observing your little girl as she was reaching her arm out to his favorite mare.

"Her name's Maria," Tommy spoke out to Emmy making himself known so he wouldn't startle her. "Maria 'cos she was born in March," he smiled and patted her along the flank.

"Hi Maria," Emmy said as you watched in bewilderment when the horse bent its neck down to your daughter's head level, almost knocking her over.

"Emelia! Come back here," you yelled again, panicked now not knowing how or when the horse got there. It could have been anyone's, and knowing you weren't here in the forest alone terrified you.

But just as quickly as your heart began pounding, it subsided as Tommy's familiar face appeared when he walked up from behind the horse to your daughter. He leant down and put his arm around Emmy's shoulder, pointing up to a flower in the horse's mane, and whispered something to Emmy before peering back at you. He was fully enjoying himself.

But then it hit you again. This man was a living hand grenade. And he was currently holding your giggling daughter in his arms. You decided it would be better if you just took her away. But he was being so gentle with her, you couldn't understand how such a serious and anger ridden man could handle a child so well.

"You wanna make one, eh?" you heard Tommy ask Emmy as you approached them and she nodded giggling once again. Tommy stood back up as your little girl shot her little hand through his and pulled forward, the poor man stumbling after her letting out a sweet chuckle - a noise you had never heard before. Was it really even coming from Thomas Shelby?

"Hold on, darling, hold on, I'll be right there," he assured Emmy as he turned back to you, slugging off his suit jacket and straightening his white dress shirt that was wrinkled at its sleeves. He tossed his jacket to the ground and walked over to you, ushering his mare in your direction.

"Look after her, will you? Here, take me lead," Tommy handed you his horse's lead rope with a gentle brush of his hand over yours, suddenly flooding you with an unbearable warmth and you were certain your cheeks had turned red as your ears began to burn.

"Her name's Maria," he nodded at you pretending not to notice your sudden flustered breath and change in color. All he thought about was how stupidly gorgeous you looked standing there with his horse. You made him feel like a shy and smitten young boy again from his childhood but he was afraid to admit it to himself. And with that, he was gone before you could respond, jogging after your daughter.

Running your hand repeatedly over Maria's neck and back you you couldn't keep your eyes off of the pair of them, your daughter and the vicious gangster, whispering to each other, and gathering flowers while they laughed along the way.

***

After about half and hour of living out your own fantasy of petting and soothing the white mare grazing next to you, Tommy and Emmy were finally making their way back. It was an image of the two of them you wanted burned into your mind. The little girl's smile was lit up like it was Christmas morning when your family was still together, before it was just you and her alone.

She held a flower crown in her left hand while her right was wrapped around Tommy's thumb.

"We're back!" he announced finding your eyes again and stopping in front of you. He kneeled down, and effortlessly lifted Emmy into the air with an exaggerated grunt making you giggle like a little girl yourself.

Very carefully, Emmy placed the custom-made flower crown she and Tommy made gently atop your head and leaned back into Tommy, ready to go down.

"Mummy, you're so pretty!" Emmy exclaimed as Tommy lowered her down and she took ahold of your dress.

"She's right, you are beautiful," Tommy confirmed taking a step closer as he delicately brushed the back of his fingers to the side of your face, letting his thumb rub right on your cheek. Meanwhile Emmy had now wrapped her arms around your legs, and buried her face in the skirt of your dress.

"Mummy, can we take Tommy home with us?" she pleaded as the man was smiling into your eyes.

"Emmy, he's not an animal, we can't just take him home," you explained darting your eyes left and right between the two of his. He chuckled lightly running his thumb over your lip now.

"But Mummy, I think he likes you," Emmy now tugged on your dress as she looked up to observe the both of you.

At this, Tommy couldn't help himself and leant forward pulling you towards him. You were finally in his arms, and your daughter was pressed against his leg. He could smell the sweet perfume he had told Alfie to gift you on your birthday about a month ago. He didn't want to gift it you himself since you didn't know you so well and he didn't want to embarrass himself. Nonetheless, Alfie made sure you knew who the perfume was truly from when he gave it to you. You wore it ever since.

"Yeh, Y/N, I think I like you," he smiled like a young school boy tightening his grip and melting you slowly, piece by piece. You stood in his arms speechless, still lost in his blue eyes. You were right to be afraid of them. You couldn't look away. Your face had moved closer to his without your noticing as you tried to steady your uneven breathes. It was as if your own lungs were trying to suffocate you as you were drowning in his knowing gaze. He was a dangerous man but his touch made you feel safe - contradiction of the century.

But Tommy had other intentions as he suddenly let go of you and stepped back leaving you like a falling leaf from an autumn tree. You gasped in response watching him as he knelt down to your girl.

"Emmy?" he asked tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear while she looked back at the man in his eyes, ready for him to continue.

"I wanted to ask you - since you're a very important girl to your Mum," he explained like he was waging an important business deal with her while brushing out her puffy skirt.

"Do I have your permission to kiss her?" he whispered holding her close to his chest but you could still hear his deep voice travel through the air clear as day.

A giant grin spilled across Emmy's face as she nodded her head yes and bounced up on her toes. Then suddenly she grabbed Tommy's hand and pulled him back to her before he could stand back up.

"What is it, love?" he asked as she stretched up to his ear and cupped her hands so only he could hear.

"I'll look away and you do what you need to do so we can take you home with Maria, okay? I won't look Tommy, I promise," Emmy whispered seriously to the grown man. He nodded and reassured her that he would definitely do what he needed to do.

You on the other hand could not hear the sayings of your own mischievous daughter but watching the unlikely pair bent down together whispering to each other swelled your heart. All you wanted to do was bend down and hug both of them to your chest.

"Alright, Y/N" he said raising himself back up to you as Emmy let go of your legs and skipped away.

She occupied herself with finding more flowers to place in Maria's mane and tail. She was going to keep her promise to Tommy, as much as she wanted to steal a glance of you together. She didn't miss her father, but she missed having one. She wanted Tommy to be that man that made her mother smile, the man who would take care of them and play with her every night.

"Yes Tommy?" his name slipped seamlessly off your tongue realizing it was the first time you had called him that. He smiled to himself looking back at Emmy. You were too engrossed in watching him wink at your own daughter to realize his large hand slip through your hair to the back of your head for support as he planted his hungry lips fully on yours. He took hold of your bottom lip, sucking on it gently with a new passion slowing him down. He held your face firmly to his refusing to let go of your lips. He wanted all of you, your lips, your time, your love. He wanted to be the one responsible to protect you and your daughter. He wanted to be there for you but mostly at that moment he wanted to implant his body to yours.

"Tommy," you gasped out of breath still unable to believe the man you were afraid of falling for was the only thing keeping you upright.

"I don't want you keeping any secrets from me Y/N," he breathed out resting his forehead on yours, gasping for air just like you.

"I like you, I fucking like you, so be with me," he admitted letting his voice get high and gripping you tighter. You chuckled softly opening your eyes back up to be met with his that were shut tight, and those freckled cheeks and clenched jaw you always wanted to run your fingers over.

"Alright Tommy, no secrets," you said watching his jaw unclench as he opened his eyes.

"Lets go home," you whispered smiling and Tommy's head fell down in your soft chest, his hair whisping down your bare neck and chest in silent victory. Emmy looked up and jumped up, cheering and ran to the two of you. She hugged Tommy's leg, Tommy hugged your chest, you hugged Tommy's head; and nobody was letting go anytime soon.

Tag List: @runnning-outof-time @kittycatcait219 (couldn't tag) @bat-luna-cat @theblushinglittle @julkaamazing @clown-princesa

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