#ARTHUR GETS TO EAT!! i think john would like to cook.

[summerof336bc]

thinking about my malevolent separate bodies au....

[multific]

Little You-s and I-s

Thomas Shelby x Reader

Summary: You and Tommy deal with the changes that come with your pregnancy.

Your pregnancy changed you a lot.

You became more sensitive to smell for example.

One evening, Thomas arrived home from the bar, and as soon as you caught the smell of drinks and smoke on him, you rushed to the bathroom.

Then there was the incident when you craved fish but before you could cook it, the smell of it caught your nose and again, rushing for the toilet you went.

Thomas was incredibly happy when you told him the news, having his own family with you was always a goal of his.

What he didn't like however is just how sensitive you became and one thing that set it off easily was his cigarettes.

Thomas smoked a lot, so for him to not be able to do that in his own home was a bit challenging, but he still found ways to smoke one or two in the furthest part of the garden. Even then, sometimes the wind carried the smell right back to you.

"No smoking and no drinks!" yelled Tom at John as he pulled out a cigarette.

"What? Why?"

"My wife is pregnant, she is sensitive to the smell."

"Oooh, it got that bad huh?" asked John as you entered the room with a tray, on the tray there were some cookies and tea.

"I'll appreciate if you can hold yourself from smoking just this once John, the smell of it just..."

"No problem, thank you for the tea."

"I'll leave you to it." you smiled at your husband who nodded before he turned to John, talking about business.

When lunchtime was approaching, both John and Tom found themselves in the kitchen where you were currently chopping up some carrots and crying.

"Darling, I'm sure the carrots don't mind us eating them."

"Tell that to the headless chicken in the oven, Thomas!" you quickly said back making both men take a step back, Thomas should have known not to argue with you.

Both headed into the dining room instead.

"Is pregnancy supposed to affect a woman this much?" asked John in a hushed tone.

"I think so? I'm no expert John. Arthur has children, he might know more."

"She is glowing though. She was crying but she still looked like a Goddess."

"Can't argue with that, John. But keep your wandering eyes to yourself, she is my wife."

"Does she always cry during cooking?"

"As of late, yes. Yesterday, she made salmon, cried her heart about as she was talking about the poor little fishies the one she cooked left behind. But then this morning, she cried when she made salad. Saying the potatoes didn't deserve to die this way."

"So, she is sensitive to smell, cries when the cooks, can't get worse than that, I'd say."

"She talks back like I have never heard before."

"Okay, I was wrong it can get worse. You mean to tell me, that my lovely shy sister-in-law talks back? The one who didn't dare to tell you she didn't like the ring you gave her?" Thomas made a face at John's confession.

"She didn't like the ring?"

"No, she said she wished you would have given her something more simple. But she didn't want to tell you because she would hurt your feelings."

"Well now, with my child under her heart, she is not afraid to talk from her heart. The other day she told me I should dress better, apparently my suits make me look old. Then she wanted to dance and when I said I don't have the energy she complained that I never have when it comes to her. This is true sadly, however, the latest one... oh Johnny, my boy just before you arrived, she told me to ask you not to smoke and when I told her that you will be free to do as you please, the look. That look I know well, it's the look of someone who is about to murder. She said I either tell you to not smoke or-" Thomas stopped as he felt a shiver run down his spine, both men turned towards the door only to find you with the food in your hands on a tray. 

You approached them and placed the food in front of them. The air was cold, John swore he could have cut the tension with a spoon.

"I told him he either asks you not to smoke or I will seriously question his position as the leader, as all leaders should be listened to and respected. And if he is not able to do so, then I shall take his place. So, you are not allowed to smoke John." John nodded, not even daring to look at you.

"Th-Thank you for the meal." John said.

"I know I can be a handful since I'm with child, I feel the change in myself, the doctor said it was hormones to blame, but I seriously hope you do not plan on talking our dear Johnny's ears off with my silliness, Dear Thomas. He doesn't have to know everything."

"Of course, Love. I apologize." Thomas grabbed your hand and placed a kiss on it.

John left soon after lunch and you were now washing the dishes as Tom was reading in the living room.

Once all dishes were done, you headed into the living room, a soft song playing as he was reading in his favourite armchair. He put the paper down when he saw you approach and you sat on his lap, your head on his chest as he continued to read with one hand as the other was now around you, comforting you.

"Am I really that annoying that you talk to John about it?"

"You are not annoying, Love. Odd, sometimes yes, but that isn't due to pregnancy." you giggled a little.

You were fine with 'odd'.

"I try to control it, you know?"

"Oh, God, is this the controlled version? I'm scared now for the uncontrolled one."

"It will get worse, I'm warning you because the doctor said last week that this will only grow as the baby does."

"It's alright, your body will change, I can take a few harsh words, I took bullets after all." he placed a kiss on your forehead.

"Do you want a girl or a boy?" you asked with a rather quiet voice.

"I don't really care, as long as both of you are safe and healthy."

"So you want a boy, got it." Tommy laughed you looked up at him, into his blue eyes. "I just want them to have your eyes."

"What if they don't?"

"Then we try until we have a child who does." you smiled at him as he looked at you.

"Just how many children my Missus want?"

"Oh, as many as my lovely husband would give me. We have a big house, it would be nice to have some life in it. Little you-s and I-s running around."

"I would like that. Honestly, I would like that very much. But let's see how you do after this one, then we will talk."

You hummed before you placed another kiss on his lips, letting him return to his paper as comfortable silence fell.

Taglist: imreadinggoaway @fleursirvart @v-2bucky ehsebastiancrunch-time-sports  @pxstelrainbow ablogbypeteparker liamssmilersmexylemony @greenarrowhead feelingsareharddd @thisismysecrethappyplace @sincerelyfan @theoneanna @aestheticsandmarvel @rororo06 @castellandiangelo @avengers-r-us @destynelseclipsa   @spilledinkindumpster celebsimagine @capsiclesdoll snoopy3000 @firstangeldragonranch @puknow @crazzyter  @alwayshave-faith @soleil-dor @alex12948 scream-kiwi79  @lxdyred  @imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl​ @liveforkarljacobs @anonymoussherlockandmarvelgeek @paola-carter​ @stunkbiggu @violet-19999​ @praline357​

~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

             DO NOT REPOST OR TRANSLATE ANY OF MY WORKS

[runnning-outof-time]

A (Debatably) Lovely Dinner | Tommy Shelby & Daughter!Reader

Request: yes by anonymous

Pairing: Tommy Shelby & Daughter!Reader

Summary: (Y/N) has her family over for a dinner that she worked so hard to prepare. Her father and uncles tell her that it tastes lovely...but are they actually thinking that?

Warnings: drinking, language

Word Count: 1773

A/N: this is the first daughter!reader fic I’ve written in a bit - I hope it’s good. I’m excited to be writing requests again! Enjoy! :)

I’D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! - YOUR COMMENTS & REBLOGS HELP ME WRITE!

Comment/Message me if you’d like to be tagged in future stories!

(Y/N) wrang her hands together as she looked over all of the pots that were currently boiling on the stove. She took a breath and let it out slowly, trying to compose herself and shake the nerves from her body.

"You're doing great, love. It's going to be a good meal," her husband, James, offered some encouragement as he came up behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the side of her head as he pulled her into his chest.

"Maybe I should have accepted the catering offer? There's a lot of people coming over," she expressed her worry, eyes still focused on the pots. She then began to wonder why she even agreed to hosting her family in the first place.

"This is going to be extra special because you made it all," he told her, kissing her temple once more before letting her get back to work. "And your cooking is wonderful," he complimented her, sending a smile her way as she turned to look at him.

She smiled back, although it wavered due to the nerves she was still feeling, watching as he exited the kitchen before she got back to work.

(Y/N) was bringing the final dish to the dining table two hours later. She smiled at everyone who was waiting patiently for dinner to start and took a deep breath as she moved to stand behind her husband's chair.

"James and I would like to thank everyone for coming tonight. I hope that you enjoy what I've prepared for you to eat," she gave a small speech, her nervous smile still present as she then sat down.

"Let's eat then, eh?" Tommy suggested, smiling at his daughter from the opposite end of the table. He was proud of her for this vast spread that she'd managed to cook up. It smelled wonderful to him.

Comments of agreement came from around the table as everyone began taking dishes and spooning helpings of the food onto their plates. (Y/N) watched as this happened, wanting to make sure all was well; filling her plate last.

Dinner began quietly, the sounds of forks hitting plates the only thing to be heard. (Y/N) couldn't help but sneak a few glances around the table, wanting to see if there were any problems. All looked fine to her.

Somehow, she didn't manage to catch her uncles, John and Arthur, throwing sideways glances at each other in between each bite they took. Something about the taste seemed off to them. Whether it was the seasoning on the roast, or the choice or cut of the vegetables, the food wasn't exactly pleasurable to eat.

But the pleased look on their niece's face told them that she was happy to have the family over, eating a dinner that she worked so hard to prepare. They couldn't even think of ruining things for her by bringing up the fact that her cooking was well under par.

And besides, Tommy seemed to be fine with eating it, and he never ate anything.

Dinner continued and small talk was made. The usual discussion of business between the Shelby family had been swapped for stories of the past and the men making arrangements for their annual hunting trip that was fastly approaching.

All was well until (Y/N) decided to ask the table for opinions on the food. "How has everyone been enjoying the food?" She wasn't sure if she was being too upfront in asking for opinions, but no one had offered any prior to her question, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't dying to know their thoughts.

"Lovely as always, darling," her husband, James, was the first to share his thoughts on it, sending her a smile as he cut himself another piece of the roast.

"Thanks, James," she smiled back at him before looking out to the rest of the table. No one else's eyes met hers; their gazes cast down on their plates. Maybe that means they really like the food, she thought to herself. "Dad?" she asked after a few moments had passed. Tommy looked up at her, his brows raised as if to say 'what?' "What do you think?" she asked, curious to know what his thoughts on the meal were.

"It's good, love," he told her, nodding as he grabbed his glass of whiskey, "really good."

"Thank you," she chirped in response, feeling extremely pleased with herself. She grabbed her fork and knife then and went to cut a piece of the roast.

"Well I think that..." another comment started to come out, but it was abruptly stopped. "What the bloody hell was that for?" the voice belonged to Linda Shelby, and she was now glaring daggers at her husband, Arthur. Arthur had his brows furrowed as he glanced between his wife and (Y/N), a bit of an uneasy expression present on his face. "Spit it out, Arthur," she snapped in a harsh whisper. Arthur said nothing of sustenance though, instead just shaking his head and muttering "don't," under his breath.

"Were you going to say something, Linda?" (Y/N) asked, her curiosity peaked as she focused on the blonde woman.

Linda shared one last look with her husband, who was still discreetly shaking his head, before she plastered a smile on her face and turned to look at the younger woman. "I was just going to say that...that...this is a lovely dinner, (Y/N)," she finally shared her opinion on the cooking, although it may not have been originally what she wanted to say. (Y/N) took it though, a smile breaking onto her features.

"Aww thanks so much, Linda. I was so worried about this dinner. I'm so happy to hear that everyone is enjoying it," (Y/N) expressed her previous worries with the group, earning a chorus of 'no it was good’ comments in response.

Overly pleased with herself now, (Y/N) was smiling from ear to ear as she continued eating her dinner. Just wait until they try the dessert, she thought to herself, pride flowing through her.

The Shelby men followed James into his study after the dessert plates had been removed from the table. (Y/N) had decided to take the women around for a tour of her new home, a tour which the men felt they didn't need to join. All five of them had a glass in their hand, and they were seated on the chairs that were positioned around the mantle.

"I don't know how you do it, James," Arthur said with a sigh as he brought his glass back to his lips. He took a drink and then let out a sigh after swallowing it.

"Do what?" James was confused by the older man's statement.

"Eat (Y/N)'s food daily," Arthur didn't beat around the bush. "I mean, she's me neice and I love her, but the food she cooks is fucking terrible."

James nodded slowly in response to Arthur's statement, a knowing look present on his face as he looked like he was fighting a smile. He then took a look at Tommy, checking the waters before sharing information about the daughter of a man who could do some nasty damage if he said the wrong thing. He wasn't surprised to see his father in law looking at him.

"Well how do ya do it?" John broke the silence, signaling to the other man that he'd been taking too long to respond.

"She's my wife," he began, a smile forming on his face, "I've learned to love every part of being with her."

"Ah you've gone soft, lad," Arthur couldn't help but chuckle at the response he got before he set his sights on his brother, "and you, Tom…how do you do it, brother?"

Tommy laughed to himself as he heard the question. He brought his whiskey up and took a sip, pausing for a moment longer before finally answering the question: "guess it grows on you." His response was simple, and he followed it with a shrug.

"You both have not a clue what you're talking about," Arthur commented with a shake of his head, "John, help me out here. It's nothing against (Y/N)...her food's just downright terrible, right?" he looked to his younger brother for some back up.

"Right," John nodded, raising his glass in agreement.

"Good man," Arthur praised his brother for answering in line with him.

"I think her cooking's good," Finn chimed in from where he was sitting by the fire.

"You wouldn't know what's good for ya, Finn," Arthur dismissed his youngest brother's opinion. Finn shook his head and looked at the fire, wondering why he decided to add his two cents in the first place.

Silence fell in the room then, and James couldn't help but keep thinking about his response to Arthur's question. It made him chuckle as he realized that maybe he hadn't been completely truthful with what he had said.

"What's funny?" John asked, catching the other man's laugh.

All eyes were on him in an instant. He could tell by their intent gazes that he wouldn't be able to get out of this one. "Nothing...it's just that," he paused, letting out a breathy laugh as he shook his head, "I will admit that her cooking has been harder to learn to love than the rest of her," he shared what he'd been thinking.

John and Arthur immediately began laughing, both happy that they'd gotten the young man to break and share his actual thoughts on their niece's cooking. They knew that he felt the same as they did just by the vague response he gave earlier, but hearing it cemented the victory.

"It took me a while too. You'll get there," Tommy cut through the laughter of his brothers to offer his son in law some advice. James smiled at Tommy, happy to know that maybe he'd be able to get used to it, just like his father in law had.

(Y/N) was sitting with the rest of the women in the front room. She'd become quiet, letting the others continue their conversation about the latest fashion trends. She had too much on her mind.

A smile was present on her face as she thought back to the dinner, and all of the lovely comments she received from her family. Giddiness bubbled up inside of her as her mind went to thinking about what she would cook for their next family dinner. She couldn’t wait to have them over again!

Tagged: @mystcldydrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @elenavampire21 @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @notyour-valentine @shelbydelrey @theshelbyslimited @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @emotionalcadaver @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder @cillmequick @dandelionprints @letal-y-poetica @garrison-girl-08 @insanitybyanothername @depxiety @raincoffeeandfandoms @dragons-are-my-favorite @forgottenpeakywriter @cljordan-imperium @brummiereader @red-riding-wood @everythingelseisextra @little-diable @thomashelbyswife @shaddixlife

MASTERLIST

[themultifandomgal]

Shelby Sister- Bonnie Gold

Trigger warning- talk about throwing up and pregnancy stuff

Loosing John was hard for the whole Shelby family, but specially Johns twin YN. She felt like a part of her died along side her brother. No Shelby funeral would go smoothly, so when YN heard gun shots she wasn't surprised. However she was surprised by the men behind the gun shots, specifically one man in particular. His name Bonnie Gold. He rode on horse back that day, eyes locking one another and from that moment on YN and Bonnie were infatuated with one another. He helped her through the grieving process. Of course YNs brothers weren't to happy about the developing relationship, but they also knew they couldn't control their sister.

Bonnie wakes up to a cold bed and the sound of retching. Sitting up he wipes the sleep from his eyes and looks around his eyes finally land on his girlfriend who's throwing up in to a bucket

"Love?"

"I'm fine" YN breathes out but then gags once again. Bonnie gets out on their shared bed and holds YNs hair back while rubbing her back "this baby best come out looking like me after all of this" YN jokes making Bonnie laugh

"Do you think your finished?" Bonnie asks and YN nods her head in response "ok I'll deal with this and you get back into bed"

"You don't have to"

"Of course I do. Go on get into bed and I'll heat up some tea" YN knows there is no point in arguing with her boyfriend so just heads back into bed.

Not to much later Bonnie returns holding a cup of hot tea. Sitting up YN takes it from Bonnie and hums at the warmth in her hands

"I've put in some mint leaves and washed some for you to chew on. I've been told it helps with the sickness"

"Thank you" YN sighs smiling at how caring her boyfriend is, how did she get so lucky?

Once YN finishes her drink she settles back down in bed, yawning as she does so. Knowing YN needs sleep, but can't without his arm around her he also settles down next to her. He wraps his arm around her waist, rubbing his thumb on her stomach even though there is no bump there yet.

When YN wakes again she smells something so amazing it makes her stomach growl. Getting out of bed she gets dressed and then walks out to the rest of the camp. Scanning around she finds Bonnie cooking something over the fire

"Morning YN" Bonnies father greets

"Morning Aberama"

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"Very sick when I first woke. Im feeling much better now though"

"Good. You best go grab some breakfast, don't want my grandchild to get hungry" just then YNs stomach growls

"I think they're already hungry" YN laughs

"Off you go then" YN walks over to Bonnie. Just as she sits down the sound of hooves can be heard coming closer. Bonnie protectively stands up in front of YN, but calms once he realises it's YNs brothers. Stopping in the camp Tommy gets off his horse, Arthur and Finn following behind

"Your just in time for breakfast. Would you like some?" Tommy passes because, well it's Tommy he barley eats anything. But of course Arthur and Finn join around the fire for some food

"So what are you doing here?" YN asks tucking into some eggs

"Just wanted to check on you" Finn shrugs

"Wanted to check to see if Bonnie and I got married in secret because I'm with child?" YN raises her eyebrows looking at Tommy

"I told you I would pay for everything"

"And I told you that Bonnie and I don't need to get married. It's just a piece of paper to say that I belong to Bonnie Gold. I don't belong to anyone other than myself"

"And don't we know it" Arthur mutters causing YN to throw some bread at him. Bonnie smiles watching the Shelby siblings interact with one another, hoping that his and YNs children will have the same kind of relationship and love for each other.

[outlaw-apologist]

Valentine’s Day with the Gang (RDR2)

Your favorite member brings you out on a special Valentine’s day date! Characters: Arthur, Charles, Josiah, John, Hosea, Dutch Warnings: NSFW themes AO3 Link Arthur - Arthur says he doesn’t believe in cheesy holidays like Valentine’s day - Leading up to the holiday he acts completely uninterested and won’t talk about it unless you bring it up - “Well… If you really wanna do somethin’ I guess we can,” He says reluctantly - However, Arthur is a secret hopeless romantic. Even though he acts this way he’s planning a special Valentine’s day for you the whole entire time!

- A nice gift he TOTALLY DIDN’T STEAL! Usually jewelry, a clothing item, or a little trinket that he thinks you would like. - Arthur also loves giving you fancy hairpins, he thinks they look cute on you - Alcohol in a unique/beautiful bottle. Think strawberry wine in a heart shaped bottle. Something like this. - Finger sandwiches… He LOVES an excuse to buy finger sandwiches. They are so tiny and he likes to 🤏  BUT he needs an excuse to buy them. A big outlaw like him can’t just go and buy little tea sandwiches for no reason. Well… Valentine’s day is the reason. - Once everything is prepared Arthur takes you to a place he found while riding around on missions. He’ll never tell you, but for 3 months he took note of every beautiful spot he could find that he thought you might like, slowly narrowing it down to a special place - He makes sure it’s in a place that’s pretty warm this time of year and spreads out a nice big blanket then plates everything neatly. - A romantic picnic! - Well…. He hopes you find it romantic. Because he sure does… - Arthur is kind of afraid that you might think his gifts are shallow or not considerate so he draws pictures for you - I mean /really/ draws. He spends HOURS trying to draw something perfect. If your horse is very special to you he will draw breathtaking pictures of your horse. If you have pets he’ll draw those pets stunningly. Or if there is a specific kind of landscape you love, like the mountains or the ocean, that will be captured wonderfully on paper. - He draws it on nice expensive paper too so you can frame it and use it as decor if you wish - Arthur is always very VERY shy when handing you this drawing even if he does this every Valentine’s day. He’s worried you won’t like it. - After you two eat and drink your wine he cuddles with you until it starts to get dark. Then he invites you on a romantic ride as the sun sets… to the hotel of course - Because after those little sandwiches Arthur feels frisky, and he LOVES having you as dessert - Believe me when I say this man will probably keep making you cum until you beg him to stop. ---- Charles - I genuinely don’t think Charles knows what to do on Valentine’s day - He’s never had a Valentine’s day before so this is all new for him - He hears about other couples exchanging chocolate or going out on nice dinners but he doesn’t feel as if that suits you two as a couple. If he brought you to dinner in Saint Denis that would probably be very weird. - Charles also doesn’t believe in frivolous gifts. If he gives you something it needs to be very personal and from the heart. - Because of this he decides to give you something handmade. Charles spends several months perfecting his wittling skills. - The end result is better than expected! He carves out a careful representation of your absolute favorite animal. He hopes you carry it with you everywhere you go to remember him by. It’s like a good luck charm - He asks Arthur and John what they’re doing for Valentine’s day while trying to make plans. He still doesn’t really know what to do. - Eventually he does choose to go the dinner route. Deciding to cook for you he searches/hunts for fresh ingredients and buys everything else he couldn’t find, storing them safely in his satchel before. riding back to camp to pick you up for your date - But first, the day starts lazy when you two wake up. He snuggles you, kisses you good morning and brings you coffee and breakfast in bed before he announces he’s ‘going to run some errands’ (this is when he goes to get the ingredients) - Late noon he returns and takes you out on a nice ride to an area full of active wildlife. -The day is filled with a wonderful nature walk. You each pick flowers to put into each other’s hair and talk or tell stories. - Charles sets up a nice camp for you both. He made sure to bring his favorite pelts for you to lounge on in front of the fire as he makes you dinner. - I think it’s important to include that he went and purchased your favorite baked goods for you to have as dessert. Charles didn’t think he could make a better dessert on his own and didn’t want to disappoint you. He only buys enough for you and none for himself, though he’s not opposed to sharing if you suggest it. - The night is spent with a great meal, wonderful company, and passionate love making. It ends with you laying on his chest as he draws circles on your skin. You both look up at the stars and tell stories or talk about the future, dreaming of all you could have. ----- Trelawny - Oh he’s soooo traditional! He’ll drop a nice dress or suit off for you to change into before returning with a stage coach, a large bouquet of roses, and of course chocolate. - “You look stunning mon amour…. That’s French by the way.” He purrs, kissing your hand as he helps you into the stage. - Fine dining has been arranged for you on this evening. Taking place on a high terrace overlooking the best view in all of Saint Denis. - He lets you order whatever you want. Steak? Lobster? Dessert? All yours! Eat your heart out!!! - Of course he orders caviar for the table and the most expensive wine they offer. - During dinner there’s live music and even a firework show! You watch the colors explode in the sky, shining over the ocean waves. It’s very very romantic~ - “I know I’ve been gone for a long time, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t thought of you. Here- I picked this up for you in a far away place called Blackwater.” He says, sliding a satin box across the table. Inside is a stunning necklace. Gold with a set sapphire. - After dinner he takes you for a walk. Telling you grand stories about his adventures. At one point he starts serenading you, dancing with you in the street. Oh it’s wonderful~ He twirls you around lampposts and picks a flower from the gardens to stick in your hair. - Once the night comes to an end he books a luxury room at the finest hotel in the city where you two get a little frisky before turning in for the night ------ John - His ass FORGETS it’s Valentines day - “Why’re you all dolled up?” After you glare at him and he realizes he’s forgetting something important he starts sweating. “Is it your birthday today or our anniversary?” - Once he figures out what day it is he’ll run out and get you flowers. - Then he’ll let you pick a local restaurant. But nothing too fancy, he didn’t make any reservations so he doubted either of you could get in a nice restaurant. - I’m gonna be honest, your Valentines Day with him isn’t great. He makes it up to you for the next two weeks. He’ll bring you chocolate and flowers almost every day, practically begging for you to forgive him. He even books a nice dinner and actually takes a bath for once. - Then of course he holds you in bed at night asking with those puppy eyes of his “Are you still mad at me, my sweet?” - The best thing about it is you can keep bringing up Valentine’s day during any arguments and he’ll immediately drop everything to take you on an apology date, even if this is your 50th apology date. - He does feel really bad about it. But he continues to forget important days. It just doesn’t cross his little squirrel brain half the time ---- Hosea - Oh he’s been planning this night for weeks! - Hosea has a new spiffy outfit he’s excited to wear just for you~ - Upon picking you up you notice right away not only does he look like a hundred bucks, but he bathed and applied expensive cologne. - “You look more ethereal than any god/goddess known to mankind, my love.” He compliments you, pressing a sweet kiss to your lips before helping you up onto a wagon - The evening starts off with you two getting ice cream and walking around town, talking while watching the sunset. - He then brings you to the theater to watch a show. He bought advanced tickets and reserved your favorite seats - The whole show, Hosea has his arm over your shoulders or is holding you. When something funny happens he laughs and looks to see what your reaction is. He’s just trying to make sure you’re enjoying yourself. - Once the show is over he takes you behind a nice restaurant, picking up food he had requested to-go. “I’m sorry if you rather eat inside, my dove. I thought it would be nice to do something a little different.” He explains, bringing you to a beautiful garden with a picnic table already covered with a table cloth and candles. - “What’s a romantic dinner without champagne and chocolate covered strawberries for my sweetheart?” He pulls a picnic basket out from the bushes after you two settled in to eat. He must’ve spent a lot of time setting this up for you in advance! - After a very sweet dinner where you two laughed about the past and discussed how you hope your relationship grows in the future, he finally slides forth a beautifully decorated present. “Open it.” He smiled wide, seeming giddy with excitement. - As you unwrap it you realize it’s your favorite book. You might be confused at first, but once you open the cover you realize it was signed by the author. This was a very rare copy, extremely hard to get and not to mention expensive.  “I know it’s not much. I thought jewelry might be too cheesy for you, I didn’t want you to think all of my gifts are obtained by immoral means.” Hosea gives you a knowing wink. “Yet I still wanted to gift you a token of my love.” -------- Dutch - You will be woken up by a hearty “Good morning my darling.” A cup of tea or coffee pushed into your hands and your face peppered with kisses. - The day starts off with a nice breakfast in bed, then a bit of sex followed by an afternoon nap. - Once Dutch is nice and rested after your nefarious activities, he washes up and puts on a nice outfit. Similar to Hosea, this is when Dutch wears his nice cologne. - “We’re going dancin’!” He exclaims, making sure you wear the right shoes with your outfit. - He lets you ride in front of him on The Count and once you both arrive in the city he’ll wave down a stage coach to take you rest of the way - The place he bought tickets for you to dance is beautiful! A huge building that looks very European and fairy-tale like on the inside. Many rich people are in attendance since it’s a Valentine’s day ball. - Dutch immediately hands you a glass of champagne before sauntering off to speak with the wealthy for half the night, leaving you alone. - “Oh, come on now. You know we need money.” He whispers to you upon return, gently pulling you against him, arms around your waist. - After this you two finally dance, and honestly it’s a lot of fun! Dutch is very attentive and isn’t shy about kissing you or getting a bit handsy with you in public. - Once you two are danced-out he takes you to a nice restaurant. It turns out he doesn’t have a reservation so he had you pretend to use the powder room so you can sneak a peek at the guest list. You give him the name ‘Dylan Freeman’ and Dutch approaches the waitstaff posing as that man. - You two have a very lovely dinner, on Dylan Freeman’s tab of course! Dutch orders you both the most expensive things off the menu. - After two hours you both are a little drunk off of $100 imported wine when Dylan Freeman shows up. Dutch notices the waitstaff point your way and he grabs your hand. “My sweet, I’m afraid it’s time for us to run.” You both make a mad dash through the busy kitchen and out the back door, running down the alley while giggling. - “A romantic getaway to end a romantic night!” Dutch muses with satisfaction while you two sit by the dock, staring up at the moon and stars. This is when he pulls out a small box. “Go on.” There’s a glimmer in his eye as you look at what's inside. It’s a queen chess piece. “This is who you are to me. To the gang. We couldn’t do this without you.” He leans down, giving you a deep kiss.

[notyour-valentine]

Dance with me ~ Tommy Shelby x Reader

Summary: Three little words, with a lot of meaning and implications depending on how and where they are said (Angst)

Note: This is the version with Tommy. Those with John and Arthur can be found here. Here is my [Masterlist].

I do not consent to my work being translated, copied or posted elsewhere on this platform or any other. This hasn't been beta'd so I apologise for typos or mistakes

Warning: PTSD, Depression, low self esteem, period confirming misogenistic thinking, possible infertility. Some swearing. It's Peaky Blinders. As I am an adult, all my writing I share is unless explicitly stated for adults (18/21+). Your media consumption is your own responsibility. 

Wordcount: 2858 words

If she hadn't been so tired, she would have been ashamed. 

She had every reason to be, after all she had failed, failed in the single greatest task bestowed upon her. The only task, really.  

In the eyes of God and men. 

Being a wife was the pivotal role in her life, after all, she was not a mother. 

Nor likely to become one anytime soon. 

Because she had failed. 

(Y/N) must have done- no, she knew she had failed. 

Something somewhere had gone terribly, horribly wrong and every attempt, she started to try to somehow fix it, had come and gone without even the slightest hint of an effect. Or it had made things worse. 

When she noticed that Tommy didn't eat much, she had tried first cooking his favourites and then new recipes, even if they were always those with the most expensive ingredients. She had been content with eating something else to balance the cost, if only he'd eat. But still, he either came late and said he didn't want to eat anymore, or he was on time and claimed a lack of hunger. The sandwiches and tea she brought to his office when he missed the meals once more often only resided in his office until she cleared them the next morning or were eaten by the others. 

When she noticed Tommy had trouble sleeping, she offered him tea which he never drank, and put lavender under the pillows, which he chucked out, while brushing off any attempt at a soothing touch after his nightmares. 

When she noticed Tommy no longer sought out her company the way he used to, she tried. She tried coming to him. She wore the things he used to like seeing on her and did the things that used to work, only to be rebuffed before she got far. She then  tried putting in more effort, bought makeup to hide the changes the last four years had made on her, even bought lipstick because that was what the other women said did the trick, only to be met by irritating gazes that made her cheeks burn with shame. 

When the sunsets came and went without any trace of him, she waited up, even if her eyes threatened to fall close- only to be met with a gruff remark that it wasn't necessary. 

She had spent four years missing him, praying for him, fearing for him and his brothers, and yet she had never felt his absence more prominently than in his presence. 

They had, of course, tried to reassure her- the women from work, Polly, John, even Arthur and Ada- had told her to give him time, that she was a good woman and that one day everything would be fine. 

Once upon a time she had even believed that. 

But every plate of food or cup of tea that had stayed untouched, every attempt at affection which had been shut down, every question he had refused to answer, every gentle touch he had shrugged off, every night she had waited up only to be met by stoic silence- bit by bit they had worn her down. 

And somewhere along the way (Y/N) Shelby had become too tired to care. 

Ironically that was what Tommy noticed, after all these weeks and months of trying to get his affection, his attention, his anything. 

Not that it was enough to prompt much more than lingering looks when she no longer got up in the mornings with him, or didn't bother asking if he too wanted some tea, or when, in the rare instances where they went to bed together, she did so without making conversation, or trying to help him, or hold him, or kiss him goodnight. 

Then, when she just silently went about her business, picking up his clothes as well as her own without a word, only to lie down on her side facing the wall- then, she could feel his eyes. 

The truth was, that (Y/N) no longer knew where she was headed. It would be foolish to still believe there was a 'they'. But she had been so drained by four years of war, and three months of trying, she didn't even have the energy left to think about the future. If there even was one. 

She just went about her day, day by day, hour by hour, going to work, doing her chores, keeping Finn entertained, and going back to sleep in an icy cold bed despite the warmth of the person, who was lying right next to her, and yet worlds away. 

The doors of the church squeaked slightly as they were pushed open. By the time it had slammed shut again, without any attempt to stop the force of the impact, she already knew who had entered the otherwise deserted church at this late hour. 

She knew the rhythm of his steps the way she knew that of his heartbeat, the way she knew the lines of his palm and the freckles on his cheeks. Well enough to tell them apart from thousands. 

But (Y/N) did not turn. 

The realization made her heart clench. 

She must've forgotten something, some family event, some big night at the betting shop. A cold spread through her, as if a thin layer of ice sought to cover her skin from the inside. It hurt, but it would make the few barked words thrown in her direction more bearable and the sharpness of his tongue less biting.

In the end, she knew she won't get more than a sentence or two- an order, a demand. 

But she could only feel his eyes, and hear the distant sound of his breathing as he watched her. Then, to her surprise and confusion, he sat down in the pew right next to her, leaning forward and staring at the gilded altar room. 

The old wood creaked as if knowing that the person it now supported saw no value in this building and what it represented. 

"Polly says you used to come here every day to pray for us to come back.", Tommy told the figures at the altar. 

By now she was used to being stared at without being talked to and being talked to without her presence being acknowledged. 

"I did.", She admitted, seeing no point in denying, even if she hadn't come to pray today. Or yesterday. Or the day before that. 

"We are back."

To that, she had nothing to say, which only made him sigh. Then, he reached up and ran a hand through his hair. 

"Look,", he began, taking a deep breath and still refusing to look at her. "I know things aren't good between us, not the way they are supposed to be and not the way they were. But I need you to know that it's not because of you."

(Y/N) almost smiled at his words, at his meek attempt to cushion his request. But she had already felt its force. 

"It's alright.", She told him. "I have been expecting this."

How could she not? 

But it was ironic that he did it here, in the church of all places where they had become man and wife all of five years ago. Half a decade since the day she had felt so close to the pinnacle of happiness, after which had only come a lifetime of misery. 

They had stood right there, in the golden glimmer of the candles and the morning sun, and had said their vows. 

Until death do us part. 

Death had parted them- a thousand times over. All the loud and screaming death he had seen in France, all the quiet and suffocating death that occured here. Somehow they both had died along the way, at least a little bit. 

"I'd prefer it if you wouldn't use infidelity.", She asked. "We could use impotence on my part. They might try to make us wait a year with the war in between, but I don't think they won't believe you, especially if I don't try to argue against it."

As much as that reason hurt- and it did hurt- there was still some truth in it. While she had never, even once, wavered in the loyalty to the man sitting right next to her. He could acknowledge that at least, that even if she had failed to become a mother, had failed to be a good enough wife, she had been a loyal one. 

"What are you talking about?", Tommy demanded to know. 

"Divorce."

She had expected that saying it would hurt, like ripping out her heart with her own bare hands and tearing it to shreds herself, and maybe it would have done once. Now, she felt nothing. 

"What?", He snapped. "Why would you think I want a divorce, eh?"

In his anger, or his surprise, he had finally turned to look at her and (Y/N) met his eyes. She was impressed by how unaffected her voice sounded when she spoke. 

"Because you don't want me to be your wife anymore, Tommy."

His lips parted slightly as his eyes, his bright summer sky blue eyes burned into her. 

Then, he dropped his head and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. A few strands of hair fell into his face but he made no attempt to push them away again. He just sat there, his head low, and his hand shielding his face from her eyes. 

Tommy made no sound, but she could sense the turmoil inside him, feel the screaming of emotions, even if she had no idea what they were, as not a muscle betrayed him. 

His other hand was braced against the back of the row ahead of them, his knuckles turning white from the pressure he applied to it. 

Then, after half an eternity, he took a sharp breath. 

"I don't want a fucking divorce, (Y/N).", He hissed through clenched teeth. "I don't, alright?"

Now that did come as a surprise to her. 

He ran his hand through his hair, making even more strands of his hair come loose. 

Shaking his head, he looked away, somewhere to the empty rows behind her. His eyes shone and his jaw muscles worked. 

"I still want you…I still need you to be my wife."

Those are two very different things, she thought. And it wasn't like she hadn't been useful, to him and the family. Undoubtedly Polly would have told him that. 

Yes, divorcing her would be very inconvenient indeed. 

"Look, I know. Alright? I know.", He continued, his voice trembling. "I want to-"

He broke off and shook his head again, fighting for words. 

"I need more time, (Y/N). To get used to…used to this again."

"This?", She asked. 

He sighed and forced his eyes shut. 

"When you do what we did…what we had to do for four fucking years-,", he began, his voice dangerously low, and quaking with something between sorrow and rage. 

"It doesn't just stop because someone somewhere decides it's over. You can't just stop. It's not- it's not that simple."

Shaking his head, he looked away again, and she could see his hand muscles coiling and uncoiling into a fist. 

"I want this, you know,", he mumbled, staring at the hand which was still marked by the ring she had put there. "I want…I want us."

His voice broke on the last word and so he took a deep breath to steady it. 

"I just need more time."

And I have nothing left to give. 

It almost made her sad, and that was the most heartbreaking thing of all. 

Almost. 

A small, lingering part of her wanted nothing more than to reach out and dry his tears, to wrap him in an embrace and sooth his words away with gentle touches and softer words, but she had tried that, had tried time and time again, only to be pushed away in more ways than one. 

Tommy noticed too, and he nodded solemnly. Running a hand over his face, he gathered himself once more and then stood up. 

"C'mon. It's late.", He said. 

Slowly, with the aching joints of an old woman, (Y/N) stood and followed him out of the pew. But he just stood there, his back turned to her and the altar, without any attempt of moving. 

Then, slowly he turned, his hand outstretched. 

"Would you dance with me?"

"What?", (Y/N) asked, not sure if she had heard him properly. She can't have. Not truly. Why would he ask her that now?

But he repeated his request. 

"Dance with me."

"Why would I do that?", She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. 

His own arm was still outstretched in the no man's land between them, attempting to bridge a valley of darkness. 

"So I know that it's not too late. That there's still a chance."

(Y/N) swallowed hard. 

What a coward you are, Thomas Shelby, she thought bitterly. 

After all this, after everything he still put it on her, and for what? To ease his conscience? To tell himself he had tried everything? 

It was almost laughable, but she no longer remembered what it was like to laugh. 

She should have told him no, but somehow the words didn't pass her lips. 

Somehow ending something outright seemed infinitely harder than to let something wither and die in the absence of care.

"It wouldn't be appropriate. This is a church, Tommy.", She reminded him. 

"I don't care."

"We can't dance in a House of God. It's not proper.", She argued. 

Still his hand was outstretched. 

"Do you remember what I said to you when we got married?"

"You said a lot of things.", She said. 

He nodded slowly, seemingly lost in the memory of times past. 

"And I said I don't believe in God. But I told you that I made those vows to you. I meant it then and I still do now."

There was a determination in his voice now, a certainty she hadn't heard all day. 

"For better, for worse, eh?"

She scoffed as she glanced up to meet his eyes. 

"And this- is this better or worse?"

"Better than France.", He admitted. "Worse than before. But a lot worse than we will be."

He seemed so sure of it, as if saying it out loud made it true. 

"Please.", Tommy whispered, nodding towards his hand. 

What good will it do? 

But then again, he was talking, listening, acknowledging her for the first time in weeks - maybe even months. 

Perhaps this was her chance, perhaps it was her last chance to experience a glimmer of what they had once been. 

One final chance. 

One final dance. 

As soon as she slipped her hand into his, he closed his fingers around it and drew her closer. His hand found the back of her shoulder while she leaned into his arms. 

They stood so close now that she could feel his breaths in her forehead. 

For a while they just stood like that- closer than they had been in years, both equally familiar and foreign with the sensation. And both frightened. 

Slowly, he began to move, with soft, small steps in the narrow space of the aisle. Each soft step echoed in the empty church, bouncing off of the tall ceilings. 

"I have plans, you know.", He whispered. "For the business. For us. Had four years to think about them."

When she didn't respond, he took it as the incentive to continue. 

"I'll make us legal. Then, with the new money, after a year or so, I'll buy us a house. A big one, with lots of rooms and running water. And a fireplace, a proper fireplace in every room."

She allowed her eyes to flutter close, as his heartbeat became the rhythm she could move to. 

"There'll be a garden, with fruit trees. And when we have children, we can hang swings from the branches for them. One for each child."

"If.", She said softly. 

"Hm?"

"If we have children."

It wasn't for lack of trying in the time before the war, and by logic, she should have gotten pregnant then, ten times over. Martha had gotten pregnant after barely a month. But nearly a year hadn't been enough for them. And the years since wouldn't have done anything to help with their changes. 

"We will.", Tommy said, his thumb brushing over her fingers which he held in his hand. "One day, we will."

He seemed so sure, but that wasn't a luxury (Y/N) allowed herself. 

She had spent years hoping and had gotten nothing for her efforts but pain. She wasn't foolish enough to start again, to believe him and his big plans, to let his own certainty become her own. 

No, she wasn't foolish enough to hope, but perhaps she was foolish enough to doubt- to doubt the knowledge that had built up over the last weeks, that whatever they once had, and might have had, was completely and utterly lost. 

Maybe, just maybe, she could allow herself a little doubt. At least for the moment. 

End.

Thank you for reading. I'd be very grateful for comments or feedback of any kind.

[scarfacemarston]

Can you do c-d-m for charles? I luv ur writing btw 😘

Thank you! : ) Prompt here. If anyone sends a request, please check the Charles x reader tag to see if the letter has already been completed. Arthur Morgan x Charles (Charthur) tag has been added by request. C - Cuddling (do they like to cuddle? And how would they do it?) Charles loves to cuddle. He had a lovely mother growing up who used to cuddle him growing up while his father remained distant. While some of his friends were physically affectionate, it was not the norm for him. Cuddling required him to become close to him and while he was open to it, it was simply never a priority. Then he fell in love and simple romantic gestures like a hand holding, or a more intimate hug suddenly became more normal for him, causing him to remember his past. Of course, this was now towards a romantic partner and nothing to do with his mother. With that, he tried to discreetly experiment on what he liked and what you responded to, h however, he sleeps on his stomach so he had to consciously fight against that urge………and was not always successful. Yes, he is absolutely the big spoon, but don’t under estimate the power of hte little spoon! It is sometimes slightly awkward maneuavering, but he absolutely loves being the little spoon.  THe only problem is he sometimes gets overheated and is trapped under you. He also likes to drape his arm on top of your waist like you’d hold a teddy bear. He’s a light sleeper or else you’d be trapped like you sometimes trap him.

D - Domestic (do they want to settle down? How good are they at cooking and cleaning) Charles never really thought domesticity was for him. He wasn’t against domesticity. He loved tribal culture and what family meant in many Native American tribes, it was completely different from how his father viewed domesticity. However, he grew up rather isolated and wandered for many years of his life, never truly belonging anywhere until he met the Van der Lindes. While on the run, what purpose would there be dreaming of domesticity?  The most he would do is pick up someone at the saloon or visit a sex worker. Joining his gang was the first sense of stability that he had in ages until it all fell apart. Yet it wasn’t until he reunited with John Marston in 1907 that he truly began to think about domesticity. It was helping John fix his life that made him realize how the life he wanted to live would look like. Building a house with his own hands and tools, laughter and camaraderie, taking turns cooking ---charles was the best cook by far with John being so-so and Uncle being awful. It was listening to John sometimes half drunken lamenting Abigail leaving him that made him realize how much a good romantic partner can change a man. He knew before on the surface level, but watching John? He really knew. When Abigail came back with Jack, Charles felt the most at peace than he ever had in his life. It was watching Abigail greet John with a kiss on the cheek, or the way she served them breakfast, her gentle chiding of him to eat more. It was watching Jack grow, awkwardness and all. It was watching John try to bond with his son, John and Abigail rocking on the poarch together that realized that was all he wanted. The Marstons and Uncle were crushed when Charles left. Him leaving left a big hole in their heart, but they understood that Charles was more independent and wanted something to call his own. So yes, he absolutely wants domesticity and everything that comes with it. He doesn’t really view tasks as masculine or feminine. He will do half of everything as long as his partner does the same. As I said, he's a decent cook and has always been pretty tidy. He hopes to build a family the same as the Marstons. That would be perfect to him.

M: Mornings (How are mornings spent with them?) Charles loves and hates mornings. He HATES actually being woken up by someone. If you have breakfast for him, then MAYBE he’ll roll out of bed faster. However, he enjoys them if he gets to pick the time to wake up. He loves the quiet of the morning. Some days he’s up before the sun is fully out. Other times, it’s ‘late’ as 9 for him. Some mornings he loves to forage or hunt before the forest is fully awake. Sometimes he has a better chance of catching certain types of animals. It’s the quiet and the crisp air. Other mornings, he likes to lounge in a blanket pile in t he middle of the bed, a blanket cocoon if you will. Yes, you as his partner might be in the middle of cocoon as well. Sometimes it’s a good morning, other times it’s spent quietly cuddling or talking about the day’s events.

[lili-1899]

Headcanons

Hi there, here's a headcanon of how different camp members react to you saying: "I'm pregnant" and how they'll act during your pregnancy.

Characters included: Arthur Morgan, John Marston, Charles Smith and Lenny Summers.

This is just how I think they would react.

Arthur:

He would probably be very happy, but also a little worried, cause the camp isn't the best place to raise a kid.

If you try to do chores, he would immediately tell you to rest and he would do your chores for you.

He'll always be checking on you, asking how you are; and if you need anything, he'll go get it right away.

John:

Uuuh, how can I say... 💀 I mean he already has Jack, and now he's gonna have another one? Good Lord.

After what happened with Jack, I think he wouldn't deny that he's the father (and won't run away).

He'll probably do little things, like dropping some gifts in your tent, so you know he cares. He's not the best father, but he'll try.

Charles:

He'll probably be happy and very caring.

With his knowledge of plants, he'll prepare you medicines for morning sickness and cramps.

He'll always make sure you eat enough, so he'll go hunting every day, and he'll cook for you.

Lenny:

He'll be happy, but very panicked, with tons of questions in his mind.

He'll always reassure you: "It'll be fine." (Even though you don't know if it's for you or himself).

He'll go on even more jobs to have money for you and the baby.

[weeny-mcbitch]

Red Dead Redemption character Headcanons!

LONG POST WARNING!!! (I have john and arthur sad ones i'll put into a separate post as well as writing a whole bunch)

This is, so far all John, Kieran, and Arthur. but anyway, oh also some of these will be sad:

John Marston

Eats rocks when nobody’s looking. He also licks the ones that are too big to swallow 

Greasy af. Absolutely stinks. 

It's a wrestling match just to bathe this man. The bathroom gets destroyed afterwards. 

Smells like wet dog lol

Will try and fight the concept of bath time like a dog would 

Even though he fights you on it, he’ll apologize and help you clean up.

When cuddling, he curls up in a little ball while holding you, nuzzling into you. 

Will fall asleep when watching/listening to something calming/boring

May accidentally scratch you when sleeping bc he has long-ish nails. Will be apologetic about it

When defending you, he’ll be confident about it and then hype up the story to make it seem cooler than it really was. 

Worm time enthusiast  

Whore.

Also loves Thigh Time. (Basically just has you or anyone he trusts with thick thighs smush his head with your thighs, not in a sexual way but in a calming compression way to help with stress and headaches and stuff)

Isn’t allowed near the stove. 

Writes like a 1st grader. 

An absolute attention whore and will happily drink up the attention you give him when he’s sick. 

He constantly is outside getting dirty so, naturally, injuries are an inevitable event for John so it’s not surprising to see him with a band aid or some other form of wound dressing on his body at any point.

Unless the injury is really bad, such as a broken leg or something, then he’ll just keep on going but will tone it down if he gets asked to. “Doctor’s Orders!” he’d say. 

Kieran Duffy (his are mostly sad)

Has very high anxiety/separation anxiety

Has to be holding something as an anchor for his anxiety 

Gets nervous in large crowds. On bad anxiety days, the poor guy won’t even leave the house.

WEIGHTED. BLANKETS. 

Also has a fear of the dark.

Is always down for a cuddle sesh at a moment’s notice.

Is constantly apologizing for any and everything.

Is the type to wear really baggy hoodies bc they make him feel safe.

Kieran is as scrawny as he can be so he’s cold 99.99% of the time so one way to get around that is to stick a hoodie of his in the dryer for a few minutes so it’s nice and warm. 

When he can’t sleep, just hold him, rock him a little bit and softly talk him to sleep. It usually works. 

Has frequent nightmares. 

Unlike John, Kieran smells like flowers and hay 

If he has to defend you in public and it’s successful, he’s bashful about it but blushes harcore if you kiss and say “My hero!” 

Only trusts you for thigh time.

Has low self esteem.

Is too nervous to cook. 

Writes poetry. 

Will appreciate the care you show him when he’s sick and will think of ways to repay you for it.

Often believes that someone is out there to get him. He’s not sure why.

Is very jumpy bc of that fear.

Kieran is always on the verge of tears and will start crying at the rise of a voice. It doesn’t have to be directed at him, if isn’t bc of something funny, he may start crying.

Has dark circles under his eyes from crying/loss of sleep/ sleepless nights  

Due to being so jumpy, Kieran has a tendency to hit or bump into things and has a result, has near constant bruises on his body at any given moment 

Arthur Morgan

Doesn’t show his feelings (Unless it’s happiness, anger, or doubtfulness) until he’s either alone or with you in a quiet place before letting his emotions out and crying it out.

Draws in his journal as a calming thing.

Is a walking space heater so Arthur is the center of any cuddle piles that he’s available for. If he can’t be there, Charles takes over for him.

Is the most responsible one but will laugh at the occasional bout of dumbassedness and even laugh really hard, depending on what happens.

Smells like whiskey and tobacco

Has to help in the process of giving John baths.

Worm time enthusiast 

Is one of the ones John trusts for Thigh time 

Thigh time enforcer. 

Has low self esteem

Doesn’t have mirrors in his room bc he’ll just talk himself down when he’s alone with a mirror.

Uses The Joys of Painting with Bob Ross to study more art before falling asleep.

He can cook since Hosea taught him how to. He’s also tried to teach John how to cook but after a thanksgiving disaster, John’s not allowed near the stove. 

Writes his journal entries in glitter pens.

 Very stubborn when he’s sick. Still appreciates the care but doesn’t think he deserves it. 

Is pretty clumsy but can be stone faced whenever he hurts himself. 

Usually can take care of himself pretty well when it comes to injuries, however, if he hurts himself pretty good, such as a pretty nasty cut or something, he’ll come and see you for medical attention 

Is always working so if he has be down for anything he deems to be ‘not a big deal’ (like being sick or a leg injury where it’s clear he shouldn’t be moving all that much), he’ll be stubborn about it but will still lay low until he’s better, even if he doesn’t like it 

[bloodyknucklesforme]

Carnal | Interlude I | My Fate is At the Hand of My Mistakes

Nina has dinner with her boyfriend

| CH 1 |

TW: domestic abuse, violence,

It wasn’t abnormal for him to yell. Raving around the house like the world was ending and she was the one that flipped the switch. She swirled around her wine, a particularly sweet Moscato whose bottle needed finishing off. She didn’t know why she dressed up for this. He never said anything about how she looked. Light blue satin was wasted on him.

Arthur was mad about the steak. It wasn’t cooked enough. He’d just taken her plate by mistake. Now she was left prodding at the well-done cut on her plate while he burnt her meal back in the kitchen. 

“I don’t know how you can eat something that’s still cold in the middle, Nina. It’s absolutely disgusting.”

She should pick up smoking again. She had a cigar tucked away under her bed, a treat she’d stolen from her godfather the last time she saw him. It was a cheaper one so she didn’t feel bad about it and he never mentioned it. Arthur had thrown out all her cigarettes when he found them. ‘Disgusting’ he sneered. That seemed to be his favorite word of late. Her godfather had been trying to get her to dump him for a year now.

“If he treats you so poorly, leave him,” John had said as he took aim at a buck. It was their annual hunting trip up in the highlands. Arthur traveled for work so she didn’t need to worry about his complaints that weekend. 

“It’s nice to have company,” she shrugged. It was a partial truth. He was nice to have around when he was quiet. It wasn’t like she needed his money, her father left her more than enough. It was simply easy. Her ‘condition’ didn’t allow for many suitors. He was actually her first relationship. They met in London a couple years prior. He was nice and treated her well at the time. She didn’t know any different. She wasn’t actually allowed to leave the house until her father died. Not that she left much now. 

“Don’t bullshit me, Nina. He’s a prick,” John grumbled. “I know plenty of good men from work. You deserve better, love.”

“I love him.” A partial truth. One that John sighed at. It was a good defense. He wouldn’t argue too much. Despite the war experience he was never up to a fight with her. Not worth the bloodshed. 

He fired and the deer crumpled. He always let her keep most of the meat. She had a freezer in the basement to store it all. 

“Call me if you need anything,” he said, as he always did. He kissed her forehead and left. She wandered the garden that night eating rare venison off the bone. 

She wished she could do that now. She choked down a bit of steak. Disgusting

“I’m going to bed,” She said, scrapping her dinner into the bin. 

“What? Why?” Arthur slammed a hand on the counter. She’d stopped flinching months ago. He’d never hit her. She suspected that John had something to do with it. The shadow of an SAS Captain always behind her. “Don’t be fucking child, Nina.”

“Do adults not sleep?” She rinsed off her plate and set it in the sink. She’d clean it tomorrow. 

“You’re throwing a tantrum over steak.”

“I offered to switch plates. You came back in here to make a mess.” One she would have to clean up. He always had the heat on too high and it splattered oil and juice everywhere. “I don’t want to break my jaw eating.”

A plate shattered on the floor. She didn’t want to turn around. His hackles would be raised, ready for a fight that he wouldn’t get. She’d have to act out an apology before going upstairs. He’d follow shortly and apologize in turn before climbing on top of her for a maximum of five minutes. They’d sleep and the next night have a similar argument and repeat the cycle until he kissed her and left for another week long work trip.

He grabbed her arm, a change to the script. 

“Look at me.” He barked. She flinched that time. He was close to her face, spittle landing on her cheeks. He was drunk, that’s why. He never drank much. “You think because you own the house you can just act like a brat?”

He wrenched her upwards, pulling her up to the tips of her toes.

“Let go of me.” She tried to embody John’s confidence. She was scared. He’d never touched her before. 

“Did the worms you ate finally reach your brain?” He poked the side of her head hard. “You think I don’t know about the raw meat? Who does that? I don’t mean the steak. I’ve seen you eat ground beef!”

Her eyes got wide. She never ate it raw when he was home. She pulled against his arm.

“I set up cameras. Had to see what you were up to when I was gone. Thought you might be cheating on me but no. You’re just a disgusting little girl. You’re going to get sick!”

Anger burned up from her stomach. How fucking dare he. How dare he spy on her in her house. HER HOUSE. He lived here because she let him. The more he yelled the more he began to smell like food. 

‘Just breath’ john’s voice echoed in her head. She was holding rifle, staring down the scope at a doe. ‘Fire when you’re ready’

She slapped him across the face.

“Get out of my house!” She screamed. “Get out! Get out!”

She shoved his chest hard and ran out. Their bedroom had a lock. She’d call John first. He was only half an hour away on base, if he was still there. God, let him still be there. 

His feet thundered behind her. She threw her body against the door to close it. He was stronger and she fell to the floor to avoid being slammed against the wall. She was crawling toward her phone. It was charging on the nighstand.

“Get up!” He yelled, grabbing her by the arms and lifting her up. He pinned her arms to her side. “You think you can tell me to leave? Are you fucking stupid, Nina? John’s not even in the country half the time. I’m the only person you have. I’m the only one who loves you! I’m the only person who can!”

Her ‘condition’ is what her father called it. An insatiable craving only subsided through iron supplements and raw meat. She’d never indulged. Her mouth still watered and she could still hear his heartbeat. The blood pumping through his body and bulging through his veins smelled like sweet Moscato to her. 

It tasted the same as well.

Tag list: @gogh-with-the-flow @queen-ilmaree

Comment or DM me if you want to be added

[obscure-imaginations]

Inspired by another writer! (Forgot username, I am so sorry)

Would the VDL gang caramelize an onion?

Note: Caramelizing an onion takes upwards of an hour, on low heat.

Dutch: Too impatient. He also doesn't like onions because of the after scent on his breath.

Hosea: He can caramelize an onion to perfection. They're delicious. He'll take a whole day to make lots of onions.

Arthur: He's decent at it. He enjoys that it takes a lot of attention, so people will leave him alone. "No, I can't run your errands. Can'tcha see I'm caramelizing my onions?"

John: Too impatient. Willing to eat a raw onion so he doesn't care.

Javier: He can, but he'd prefer a different activity, or at least cooking something different.

Bill: You'd think he'd be too impatient, but he's actually good at it. Give him a beer during the process and he'll make some decent onions. They might be a little burned, though, he puts the heat on too high.

Lenny: He'd rather do something else, but the potential is there. If he ever attempts it, he'd get too distracted by his book and would ruin the onions.

Charles: The best damned caramelized onions you've ever had.

Sean: He gets impatient and turns up the heat. Now the onions are on fire. Oops.

Micah: Nope.

Swanson: If he was sober, he'd be okay at it. They'll never be quite right, though.

Strauss: He has much more important things to do than fuss over "women's work", as he puts it.

Pearson: He knows how, but would prefer to cook the onions a different way, such as in his stew.

Grimshaw: She makes someone else do it. If she tried, they'd be either completely underdone or completely burned.

Karen: No thanks, she'll find something else to eat. Too much pressure.

Mary Beth: Like Lenny, she'd get distracted by her book. If she was without a book, though, she'd still somehow get distracted.

Tilly: She can, but she'd rather cook something different. Something without onions.

Molly: She loves caramelized onions but can't do it. She'll settle for being a taste tester.

Trelawney: He thinks caramelizing an onion means putting caramel on an onion.

[daimonclub]

Quotes and aphorisms on food

Quotes on food Quotes and aphorisms on food by various and famous authors and writers, ideas and thoughts to a well balanced diet and food philosophy to eat and live better. I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead - not sick, not wounded - dead. Woody Allen We live in an age when pizza gets to your home before the police. Jeff Arder A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart, who looks at her watch. James Beard Unbought feasts.  (Lat., Dapes inemptae.) Latin Proverb An anonymous man from the 16th century always used to say: "There are many important things in life, the first is eating, I don't know the others." Carl William Brown Hunger is a good cook. Author Unknown Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good. Alice May Brock Eating is touch carried to the bitter end. Samuel Butler One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. Virginia Woolf I would like to find a stew that will give me heartburn immediately, instead of at three o clock in the morning. John Barrymore Only the pure in heart can make a good soup. Ludwig Van Beethoven

Aphorisms on food Yogi ordered a pizza. The waitress asked How many pieces do you want your pie cut? Yogi responded, Four. I don't think I could eat eight. Yogi Berra Edible. Good to eat and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm. Ambrose Bierce The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star. Anthelme Brillat-Savarin I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid, and my mother made me eat it. I am President of the United States, and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli. George H. Bush The healthy stomach is nothing if it is not conservative. Few radicals have good digestions. Samuel Butler I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants. A. Whitney Brown What most moved him was a certain meal on beans. Robert Browning I just hate health food. Julia Child Life is too short to stuff a mushroom. Shirley Conran Anybody who believes that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach flunked geography. Robert Byrne A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands. Lord Byron The right diet directs sexual energy into the parts that matter. Barbara Cartland

Aphorisms and quotes on food It is a difficult matter to argue with the belly since it has no ears. Cato The Elder For its merit I will knight it, and then it will be Sir-Loin. Charles II Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat. Marcus T. Cicero Although there is a great deal of controversy among scientists about the effects of ingested food on the brain, no one denies that you can change your cognition and mood by what you eat. Arthur Winter Food = joy ... guilt ... anger ... pain ... nurturing ... friendship ... hatred ... the way you look and feel.... Food = everything you can imagine. Susan Powter Bread that must be sliced with an axe is bread that is too nourishing. Fran Lebowitz Food is an important part of a balanced diet. Fran Lebowitz Inhabitants of underdeveloped nations and victims of natural disasters are the only people who have ever been happy to see soy beans. Fran Lebowitz More die in the United States of too much food than of too little. John Kenneth Galbraith Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly. M.F.K. Fisher Food was always a conduit in our family for storytelling, and it was a way for us to keep in touch and remember things. We're people that use food to keep each other together and to always cheer us up and make all of our days better. Rachel ray My favorite food city is wherever I happen to be eating. You know what they say, love the one you’re with! Pamela Anderson A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety. Aesop The soup is never hot enough if the waiter can keep his thumb in it. William Collier The one way to get thin is to re-establish a purpose in life. Cyril Connolly

Salami Italian typical food To eat is human, to digest divine. Charles T. Copeland Square meals often make round people. Joseph E. Cossman I found there was only one way to look thin: hang out with fat people. Rodney Dangerfield Let the stoics say what they please, we do not eat for the good of living, but because the meat is savory and the appetite is keen. Ralph Waldo Emerson When a man's stomach is full it makes no difference whether he is rich or poor. Euripides Cheese is milk's leap toward immortality. Cliff Fadiman Roast Beef, medium, is not only a food. It is a philosophy. Seated at Life's Dining Table, with the menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrees, the hors d'oeuvres, and the things a la though you know that Roast Beef, medium, is safe and sane, and sure. Edna Ferber I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is two weeks. Totie Fields Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly. M. F. K. Fisher Food has it over sex for variety. Hedonistically, gustatory possibilities are much broader than copulatory ones. Joseph Epstein I am not a glutton - I am an explorer of food. Erma Bombeck Food ... is the topmost taper on the golden candelabrum of existence. Donald Barthelme He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. Bible, Psalms The food here is so tasteless you could eat a meal of it and belch and it wouldn't remind you of anything. Redd Foxx One should eat to live, not live to eat. Benjamin Franklin More die in the United States from too much food that from too little. John Kenneth Galbraith God comes to the hungry in the form of food. Mahatma Gandhi It isn't so much what's on the table that matters, as what's on the chairs. W. S. Gilbert Meat eaten without either mirth or music is ill of digestion. Sir Walter Scott Mellow nuts have the hardest rind. Sir Walter Scott

Thoughts on the art of food Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast. Oscar Wilde We ought to know about our culinary past. Food and identity is terribly important ... I don't mean we should go out and eat historic dishes, but we should know what makes us different ... self-confident nations have that sense of where they come from. Tom Jaine What is food to one, is to others bitter poison. Lucretius Food is much better off the hand than the fork. Mario Batali You can't just eat good food. You've got to talk about it too. And you've got to talk about it to somebody who understands that kind of food. Kurt Vonnegut We need a quarter of the food we eat to live, the rest is used to fatten industrialists, advertisers, doctors and undertakers. (obviously for those dying of hunger the situation changes.) Carl William Brown Food - what is chosen from the possibilities available, how it is presented, how it is eaten, with whom and when, and how much time is allotted to cooking and eating it - is one of the means by which a society creates itself and acts out its aims and fantasies. Margaret Visser There is such a thing as food and such a thing as poison. But the damage done by those who pass off poison as food is far less than that done by those who generation after generation convince people that food is poison. Paul Goodman A gourmet is just a glutton with brains. Phillip H. Haberman Jr. As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it, or leave it. Buddy Hackett A store of grain, Oh king is the best of treasures. A gem put in your mouth will not support life. Hitopadesa First rule of Economics 101: our desires are insatiable. Second rule: we can stomach only three Big Macs at a time. Doug Horton Most of us are either too thin to enjoy eating, or too fat to enjoy walking. Edgar Watson Howe A lot of Thanksgiving days have been ruined by not carving the turkey in the kitchen. Kin Hubbard A man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner. Samuel Johnson He who does not mind his belly, will hardly mind anything else. Samuel Johnson He who cannot eat horsemeat need not do so. Let him eat pork. But he who cannot eat pork, let him eat horsemeat. It's simply a question of taste. Nikita S. Khrushchev Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may diet. Harry Kurnitz I judge a restaurant by the bread and by the coffee. Burt Lancaster The most dangerous food to eat is a wedding cake. Author Unknown

Quotes on food and wine Food is our common ground, a universal experience. James Beard The fact is that this generation - yours, my generation ... we're the first generation that can look at poverty and disease, look across the ocean to Africa and say with a straight face, we can be the first to end this sort of stupid extreme poverty, where in the world of plenty, a child can die for lack of food in it's belly. Bono The act of putting into your mouth what the earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the earth. Frances Moore Lappe Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he's buying. Fran Lebowitz Food is an important part of a balanced diet. Fran Lebowitz If you're going to America, bring your own food. Fran Lebowitz Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat. Fran Lebowitz I told my doctor I get very tired when I go on a diet, so he gave me pep pills. Know what happened? I ate faster. Joe E. Lewis If there were only turnips and potatoes in the world, someone would complain that plants grow the wrong way. Georg C. Lichtenberg Everything you see I owe to spaghetti. Sophia Loren Choose rather to punish your appetites than be punished by them. Tyrius Maximus It ain't what you eat, but the way how you chew it. Delbert McClinton You can travel fifty thousand miles in America without once tasting a piece of good bread. Henry Miller Never eat more than you can lift. Miss Piggy We are digging our graves with our teeth. Thomas Moffett Lunch kills half of Paris, supper the other half. Charles De Montesquieu No man is lonely while eating spaghetti; it requires so much attention. Christopher Morley You needn't tell me that a man who doesn't love oysters and asparagus and good wines has got a soul, or a stomach either. He's simply got the instinct for being unhappy highly developed. Hector Hugh Munro He that eats till he is sick must fast till he is well. Hebrew Proverb There is only one thing harder than looking for a dewdrop in the dew, and that is fishing for a clam in the clam chowder. New England Proverb

Vegetarian food pyramid Want to learn to eat a lot? Here it is: Eat a little. That way, you will be around long enough to eat a lot. Anthony Robbins We know that ever woman wants to be thin. Our images of womanhood are almost synonymous with thinness. Susie Orbach We may find in the long run that tinned food is a deadlier weapon than the machine-gun. George Orwell Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody. Samuel Pepys Make food a very incidental part of your life by filling your life so full of meaningful things that you'll hardly have time to think about food. Peace Pilgrim He who eats alone chokes alone. Arabian Proverb It's better that it should make you sick than that you don't eat it at all. Catalan Proverb Don't dig your grave with your knife and fork. English Proverb A good meal ought to begin with hunger. French Proverb Appetite comes with eating; the more one has, the more one would have. French Proverb There is no such thing as a pretty good omelette. French Proverb Coffee should be black as Hell, strong as death, and sweet as love. Turkish Proverb When one has tasted it he knows what the angels eat. Mark Twain He who is a slave to his stomach seldom worships God. Saadi I have found it to be the most serious objection to coarse labors long continued, that they compelled me to eat and drink coarsely also. Henry David Thoreau There is nothing to which men, while they have food and drink, cannot reconcile themselves. George Santayana To eat is to appropriate by destruction. Jean-Paul Sartre Eating is not merely a material pleasure. Eating well gives a spectacular joy to life and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship. It is of great importance to the morale. Elsa Schiaparelli He jests at scars that never felt a wound. William Shakespeare There is no love sincerer than the love of food. George Bernard Shaw

Ideas and quotes on food Seven's a banquet nine a brawl. Author Unknown Worthless people love only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live. Socrates For much of the female half of the world, food is the first signal of our inferiority. It lets us know that our own families may consider female bodies to be less deserving, less needy, less valuable. Gloria Steinem Lunch is for wimps. Oliver Stone Man shall not live by bread alone. The Holy Bible Put a knife to thy throat, if you're a man given to appetite. The Holy Bible Much meat, much disease. Author Unknown Fang drops so much food on his ties we keep them in the refrigerator. Phyllis Diller Do not arouse disdainful mind when you prepare a broth of wild grasses; do not arouse joyful mind when you prepare a fine cream soup. Dogen A good, honest, wholesome, hungry breakfast. Izaak Walton Our lives are not in the lap of the gods, but in the lap of our cooks. Lin Yutang Find out more visiting these links: Good food for your diet (With Videos) Vegetarian food diets (With Videos) Thoughts and reflections on food Aforismi e citazioni sul cibo International and Italian recipes Enogastronomia e turismo Italian recipes, fashion and travels https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/easy https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes http://allrecipes.com/recipes/1947/everyday-cooking/quick-and-easy/ http://www.sjana.com/blogs/lifestyle/food-for-the-soul Cooking traditions in Lombardy, Italy Read the full article

[xxblackballoonxx]

The Heart Underneath: Chapter 28

***This fic is being posted simultaneously on FanFiction.net and Ao3. I originally began it in 2016, and then life was life, and now I’m bringing it back because it deserves to be finished! Rating M as of Chapter 10 ***

Chapter 27 Chapter 29 THU Masterlist

The Heart Underneath

Chapter 28: J&M Letters 7 (20 and 21)

February 23, 1917

Dear John,

Tommy’s been home for a few days now on leave. I didn’t feel right sending this particular letter along with him. I’m worried about him, John. I’m sure you’ve seen it as well, the look in his eyes, so far away. I remember that look in the weeks after Greta died, and it’s been there ever since, but in the background. It seems like his mind is always somewhere else now. I can’t even begin to imagine how awful it has been over there. Even with the small things you’ve told me, it’s hard to picture that amount of devastation in my mind. 

I’m not sure what, if anything at all, can be done except to watch him and let him know that we’re here for him. He’s so worried about making sure that his men get home safely, that you and Arthur get home safely, I’m concerned he may do something drastic. Perhaps he already has.

The children are well, Will asks for you all the time. We look at your pictures and I try to explain that you’re helping your country. He’s too little to understand that, of course, but he knows you’re doing something really brave. Katie is starting to get underfoot now, not as rambunctious as Will, but she’s a devious little thing. I think we’re going to have to watch her when she’s older. I know you’re already worrying about boys, and probably a good thing.

The baby is starting to move around more, I can feel him or her kicking quite a bit. I was thinking if it’s a boy, we could name him Eamon, after my brother. And if it’s a girl, Margaret? After your mother. I so look forward to when you’re home and you can feel the baby, too. We all miss you, and I miss you most of all. Especially at night. You’ll have a lot of making up to do when you are home for your next leave. 

I’ll end this here so I can get it in today’s mail. We love you so much, please stay safe. 

Love you always,

Mar, Will, Katie, and Baby #3

Martha slipped the sealed envelope in her apron pocket and made her way down the stairs, Katie on her hip. Will was in the kitchen with Ada, who was watching over the oven for Martha. It had been a silent agreement between the Shelby women that they would scrimp and save what they needed to for the boys to eat well when they came home. Martha had taken over the daily cooking from Polly (much to everyone’s secret relief), and she’d roped Ada into being useful as her assistant.

She handed Katie off to Ada and pulled on her coat. The post box was at the far end of the street and she took her time walking down the block, trying to picture John, hoping he was at least warm. Sometimes she could feel him holding her hand or touching her hair. A slight breeze and she could smell the cigars he occasionally smoked. She was desperate to have him back home, to be wrapped up in his arms, the safest place she’d ever known.

Instead, she stood in front of the post box, taking a deep breath. She made the sign of the cross and closed her eyes, sending every ounce of warmth and safety possible into the letter. 

“Come home soon, love.” Martha whispered, dropping the letter in the box.

From a distance, Tommy watched Martha’s hair blowing in the cold breeze, her face a rosy pink. He noticed a few other men watching her, men he knew who were home on leave as well, and they all turned their heads as she walked home. A beautiful creature in the coldest and darkest time they’d ever known. They all knew she was mailing a letter to John, yet not one held jealously in their hearts. Just a dim hope that they would have that someday. Someone who loved them that much.

“Your brother is the luckiest man I know.”  Scudboat commented as he walked up next to Tommy, momentarily entranced by blonde hair as well.

“That he is. And he knows it, trust me.” Tommy replied quietly.

He turned to walk down to the Garrison with Scudboat, only to look back one more time. Martha was opening the front door of the Shelby house, looking back at the post box, hand to her middle.

I have to get you back to her, John. To all of them.

************************************************************************

John sat scrunched up in a corner of a trench wall, sitting on his pack and blanket around him, Martha’s letter in his hand. A corner spot was gold, and him and Arthur had been trading off for several days, trying to rest. For what, exactly, John wasn’t even sure anymore, but any chance to just sit down was a godsend.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he read the beginning of Martha’s letter. He had noticed it as well, that Tommy seemed to be sinking further and further into the mud, and wasn’t coming back out as easily. Arthur seemed hardened to it, even though John knew it bothered him. John himself had his personal mission of getting home to his wife and children, which had wrapped a protective layer around his heart. Just enough to concentrate on what he needed to do.

But Tommy. He was going deeper and deeper into a dark place that neither John or Arthur could totally understand.

“Letter from Martha, John boy?” Arthur said as he sat down, with two cups of hot tea.

“Yeah.” John sighed and took his cup.

“Baby alright? The little ones?” Arthur asked in concern, picking up on the tired note in John’s voice.

“They’re all well. Martha though, she’s worried … about Tommy.”

Arthur nodded and stared down the trench for a minute, sipping his tea slowly. He’d learned to savor the boiling hot water with little flavor that was called tea. Because it was something hot and something to do that wasn’t killing or avoiding death himself.

“I understand her concern. I’m worried, too. He’s not handling it well. All this.” Arthur commented quietly.

“What do we do?” John asked.

“We look out for each other, protect each other, get all three of us home. And then we deal with it.” 

John nodded and sipped from his cup, thinking about how for his entire life, he’d turned to Tommy for strength. For protection. For advice. And now his brother was sinking in a slow quicksand of hell and he didn’t know what the hell to do.

“Do you ever wonder … if Greta was still alive, what he’d be like now?”

Arthur looked over at John, a fair question that they’d both thought but hadn’t said out loud. John and Martha’s deep soul bond scared Arthur to his core, mainly because he knew if he had that and lost it, he wouldn’t be able to go on. Greta and Tommy, finding love and losing it in such a heartbreaking way, that was something that would stay with his brother forever.

“I think, if Greta were still alive, Tommy would be the most terrifying soldier a German could ever meet.”

John nodded and looked up at the waning sunlight. He had a little time to write to Martha.

February 28, 1917

Dear Mar,

I’m so glad to hear that the baby is doing well. News like that is what gets me through the days here. It’s still freezing cold but Arthur and I are holding up well, all things considered. We’ve talked about Tommy, and we’ll do our best here. I know he’s struggling with all that’s happened and sometimes I get caught up with thinking about my own survival. I’ll pay closer attention.

I think the names you’ve chosen sound wonderful. I like Maggie if we end up with a Margaret. It’s a position in the family I know well, the third child. I hope they all grow up to be close. And never have to go through what me and my brothers are going through now, what you all are going through at home.

I always miss you, Mar. If I let myself, I’d just lay on the frozen mud and think about you every second until this war is over and it’s time to come home. I hate that I’m missing every day with you, every day with the little ones. I want to be with you every night, holding you to me, feeling the baby move inside you. To touch your skin, your hair. To see your eyes and just lose myself to you altogether.

Looks like my next leave will be in April, around my birthday. Know that every moment until I see you again, you’re with me. I hear you speaking to me, holding my hand. Sometimes I see your hair across a field and I wish I could just run until I’m back home to you.

I love you forever and ever,

Johnny/Daddy

Taglist:

@mariaenchanted

@lovemissyhoneybee

@holidaywishes

[21witnokidz]

IN THE GHETTO

Chapter 14

Despite having changed into dry clothes, Arthur and John still caught fevers, meaning y’all had to postpone the ambush on the O’Driscolls.

“Just eat the damn soup!”

Bessie was trying to get John to eat some soup Pearson had made to get over his fever. Despite being an orphan John was a picky eater and didn’t like anything too chewy. And all that was in the soup was just soft mushy vegetables.

Arthur made a fuss too but when you promised to feed him every bite he promised to eat every bite. So here you were holding his head while feeding a grown man his soup.

“I shouldn’t have to do this y’know?”

“But you are and I’m so grateful for it”

Arthur took the spoon in his mouth and swallowed all of it.

“I feel bad for John. When I refused to eat when I was little, Bessie would force a prier down my mouth and shove the food down my throat”

“That’s kinda traumatizing Arthur”

“Oh please.. despite all that I still turned out just fine. No trauma here!”

He finished all his soup and wanted to take a nap. He wanted to take a nap with you on top of him though.

“I have chores to do Arthur”

“And I have sleep to get. I can’t sleep without you. You know that”

“And you know Bessie is just gonna come in here dragging me out to help”

“Just tell her you’re still helping me out which you are by helping me get some sleep”

He pulled you into his arms and didn’t let you go for the whole 3 hours that he slept.

-

After a week the boys finally got over their fevers and were back in action.

“Dutch can we go now I’m tired of sitting around”

“All in due time y/n. In due time”

Dutch shooed you out of his tent to give him time to think. You knew he just wanted space to go and screw Annabelle. Speaking of screwing, Arthur came behind you smelling like alcohol.

“Y/n come on sugar let’s go- let’s go into the woods. You wanna go into the woods with me?”

“How many have you had to drink?”

“Too many sweetheart. Come on girl let’s go wild”

“Go sit down”

“Well what’s gotten into you darlin’? Thought you loved me. Nobody love me no more. Not Dutch. Not the old man. Not even my own girl. Sad enough to make a grown man cry”

You grabbed Arthur’s shoulders to try and get him to sit down and he leaned on your shoulder and put his face in your neck.

“Tried to drown him y’know? I was jealous he was taking up all of our time. Didn’t even know he couldn’t swim. But you know what? I saved him. Did a good thing didn’t I? You think I’m a good man?”

“You tried to drown John? God what is wrong with you the kid’s like 12!”

“I was just- I don’t know what got over me”

“That boy is 10 whole years younger than you and you think he’s gonna steal me away from you? Grow up Arthur”

You got up and walked over to Hosea to see if he had another scheme cooking up in that clever head of his. Of course he came up with the same old house robbery theme. You didn’t care much though, you were just happy to leave camp. You changed out of your camp dress and into your ‘bandit clothes’.

John and Arthur came along too once Arthur sobered up. They seemed to be getting along now even after the whole drowning incident. Maybe that was what helped them.

Hosea thought this would be good for Johns first official job so he was glad he decided to come along.

You all climbed on your horses and you saw John get on the one Arthur had brought back from the O’Driscoll camp.

“Arthur taught you how to ride?” You asked

“No actually Hosea did”

“Oh that makes sense. Now that I think about it. Every time Arthur tries to teach someone something bad always happens. When he tried to teach me how to ride a horse I busted my head”

“Sorry for that by the way” arthur muttered.

“Yea and when he tried to ‘teach me how to fish’ we almost ended up drowning. Maybe you just got bad luck with teaching people” John added.

“Can we just go rob this house please like damn” Arthur grunted.

-

You guys made it to the house and got off your horses.

“You sure this house is empty Hosea?”

“I never said it was empty but I’m sure everyone’s asleep at this hour”

Y’all went inside the house and checked every bedroom extremely quietly.

“Aw man there’s no jewelry here”

“You sure about that y/n?”

Turned around to see Hosea dangling a necklace from his finger.

“Oh my god it looks so nice!” You gasped.

“Expensive too. Let me put it on you”

You turned around and Hosea clipped the the necklace on your neck.

“How do I look?”

Hosea picked up a mirror from the nightstand and held it up so you could see it.

“You look beautiful as always. This makes me wonder. Have you ever thought of marrying Arthur?”

Hosea remembered the time he had that conversation about marriage with Arthur. That was a long time ago though. He thought he would’ve asked the question by now.

“Of course I have. I think about it all the time. I’m just waiting for him to ask me”

“Well if he does. Who’s going to walk you down?”

He said leaning towards you with a smile.

“Ok fine you are”

“Well don’t say it like that. Makes me think you don’t want me to at all”

“No seriously you were the one to find me all alone that day and I appreciate you a lot. Dutch is great and all but I don’t know. Sometimes I think he doesn’t always have the gang in his best interests”

“Yea Dutch is a tricky one but if you ever asked him to walk you down he’d do it with no complaints. You’re not gonna ask him though right?”

…

John was trying to search for money clips, jewelry, anything that meant anything but couldn’t find any.

He was so focused he couldn’t even hear Arthur sneaking up behind him. Arthur tickled John’s neck making him scream.

“What the fuck!”

That scream woke everyone in the house up finding outlaws in there home.

The room Arthur and John were in was the son’s room. The son woke up and immediately knew his family was being robbed. He grabbed his shotgun from under his pillow and shot at the boys but missed. John aimed his gun but Arthur pulled him back and ran out the room.

“That guy has a shotgun! Our pistols are no match against that in short range”

You and Hosea ran downstairs being chased by the father and mother with shotguns also in their hands.

“So did your guy also have a fucking shotgun just lying under his pillow or what?” You asked

Everyone ran outside and onto their horses.

“That bitch stole my necklace!”

The mother emptied her whole clip into the air and just stood on her front porch watching you ride off.

“Never seen a family full of hunters” Arthur laughed.

“Wooh that was so fun! Wooooooh!!! Don’t mess with the Van Der Linde gang Yea!”

John fired his gun into the air screaming.

“John shut the fuck up you wanna lead bounty hunters and O’Driscolls to our location?” Arthur hissed.

“Oh let him have his fun Arthur. We don’t get much of that nowadays”

[witchthewriter]

Hiii love thank you for this opportunity ❤️. I choose level 4 .

Also , I didn't know about the shot out so I made you a moodboard on Eddie Munson 😅 . Hope you like it 🥰 ( I see he's your bias ...it's cute ☺️)

Nevermind , I'm just copying my previous ask 😅

Personality :- I'm a very down to earth person with a tint of fierceness. I'm an Aries afterall 🤌. I kind of had a rbf . I can be sweet as honey and bitter as bittergourd. Depends on how the other person treats me . I can be your biggest supporter and best friend if you treat me right but if you backstab me then be ready to face your worst enemy . Haha I hope I didn't intimidate you too 😅. Yeah basically this .

Hobbies :- Reading ( I'm a harry potter fan since 2 yes old hahaha) , dancing , researching , Acting , listening to music ( I can't live without it ) , cooking and eating .

Pronouns :- She / Her

Fandom :- PEAKY BLINDERS , HARRY POTTER , GRISHAVERSE

Want one? Here be the rules 🦋

Thank you!!! I love it <3 Okay so I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to ship you with someone new or do more headcanons with the people you were already shipped with so I did a mix of both for each fandom. Love ya!

Also I do apologise that my headcanons are all over the shop - I jump from when you are in a relationship to before, to really later on. So yeah I do apologise xx

What your ships have in common:

⋆ Aren’t afraid of much ⋆ Intimidating ⋆ Courageous ⋆ Loyal ⋆ Tragic backstories (they really do??)

𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I ship you with with Arthur Shelby!! I think you two would get along so well. Definitely friends > lovers > soulmates. You would be so good for him, it would be a healthy ASF relationship.

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・  Calls you ‘dolly,’ ‘sweetheart,’ ‘pumpkin.’ He isn’t afraid of showing PDA either, neither is he afraid of calling you sweet names

・  I think you guys met because he was a constant visitor of a shop you worked at. Maybe you worked for your family, or family friends? He noticed you there a lot and would strike up conversations. 

You didn’t know he was a Shelby until months later. But still, you weren’t intimdated.

・ You like that Arthur is a man who wears his emotions on his sleeves. And I feel like you wouldn’t be the type of person to take advantage of that. (You’d be surprised by how many people DO.)

・ Making each other tea, sitting by the fire. You would definitely have a rocking chair and I can see you taking up knitting omg (remember this is the 20s or whatever so basic hobbies would be popular and common)

・ I can also see you guys living on a farm with cows, chickens, a rooster who wakes you up at 6am. Oh and heaps of dogs, barn cats etc. (Aw I want to come live with you guys....)

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢

How calm you make him feel. Because of your down to earth nature, even just your presence makes Arthur feel at ease. Not many people take the time to listen and actually care about what he feels, so he knows he can feel at ease with you. Rather than be shouted at by Tommy or riled up with John. 

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑

Polly! I think you two would be such a fun pair. Listening to the stories about the Shelby’s growing up, childhood memories. You would definitely have tea together and hang out for hours and hours

𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I already shipped you with Kaz, you didn’t say your sexuality so I would ALSO ship you with Nina! I think you and Nina would be chaotic, messy and absolutely wildfires together. You would definitely take on the world and everyone would know who you guys are. 

With Kaz, I definitely you aren’t scared of sir dirty hands (is that his nickname I literally cannot remember for the life of me!) He is taken aback when you don’t shudder or show your fear of him. 

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・  Buys you ALL the stuff, and/or steals it. Jewellry, clothes, scarves, weapons, art etc. 

・ The relationship would take time ... slow burn ... he doesn’t want another liability ... doesn’t want to care about another person. 

・  But you make it so easy to love you. And he can’t stop himself

・  So he falls. And he just hopes you’ll catch him

・  When he falls in love. HE. FALLS. IN. LOVE. LIke you will be his WORLD; if anyone touches you, or even breaths near you, he’s like “What, WHAT DO YOU WANT,” and would totally hit them with his cane (I am NOT being overdramatic at all...)

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢

Your fierce nature. He is astonished by you and how much passion you possess (Aries coming out there). 

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑

inej! I think you two would totally be badass together. Train, tell each other stories about childhoods and be real. Always have each other’s backs in a fight and the loyalty ... man oh man ... she would take a bullet for you

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I SHIP YOU WITH SIRIUS BLACK <3 I was going to say Draco, but I actually don’t really like Draco that much. Too me he’s a bit of a piss baby - but pls don’t be offended if you do like him. I just don’t know when to keep my mouth shut. ANYWAY- 

I think you would be so good with Sirius. He’d tease you, rile you up and secretly you’d love it. He’d always keep you one your toes, but be real with you. I think because of your particular traits such being either really sweet or really bitter (I’m taking that as you either really like someone or really hated them) it would be such a good ass match man.

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・  You guys have your own song, movie, radio station. Like I think relationships were based on you and Sirius - like you’re the blue print. Everyone looks up to you guys and wants to be like that. 

・  Play fighting - you guys definitely wrestle for fun. I can so see you flipping him onto his back, and he’s like, “WHAT. Show me how you did that!” 

・  Definitely best friends and everyone was like, “that’s an old married couple right there.” And it just naturally shifted into something romantic

・  Pillow fights as well. Not too rough tho!!!

・ Would absolutely do ANYTHING for you. I mean it. He’s like a lovesick puppy when it comes to you. Protective like you’ve never seen before dude

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢

Your loyalty. He only has a handfull of friends, but those people - he would die for. So his favourite thing is your ability to feel that same passion and care. 

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑

Lily (if Marauders era) or Molly (if present). Both are kind, motherly and would do anything for their children. Loyalty, compassion and empathy are big parts of your friendships. 

[ijustwant2write]

Disappointments-Male!Gay!Shelby!Reader x Shelby Family

(GIF credit to @frillmag​)

Tags: @captivatedbycillianmurphy​ @bloodorangemoonlight​ @haphazardhufflepuff​ @mzcrazy2​

Requested by anonymous : 'Hey, do you write for male readers? If so, could you write a fic about either one of the Shelby brothers having a gay son, or being one of the Shelby brothers and being?? Maybe being Finn’s twin brother and being gay? If not, that’s okay. It’s just hard to find male reader fics. P.S. your writing is amazing! 😙’

Characters: Finn Shelby x Reader (brothers), Polly Shelby x Reader (aunt), Thomas Shelby x Reader (brothers), John Shelby x Reader (brothers)

Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name

Warnings: Homophobia, swearing, mentions of sex, violence, guns, fluff

                                 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You're getting worse at sneaking in you know. It's just sloppy now." Finn startled his brother who had been doing just that. 

(Y/N) sighed as he shut the backdoor that lead to the kitchen. Finn was sat at the table, a cup of tea in his hand, already finished with his breakfast. He was loving this. But what person didn't enjoy seeing their sibling potentially get into trouble?

“Is Polly about?" (Y/N) asked, still staying quiet. 

“Going behind her back once again?” Finn didn't lower his voice, smirking at his brother's distress. 

“Shut up you prick! Just help me out here, please. It's not like you're a Saint round here.”

Footsteps coming down the stairs panicked (Y/N), desperately trying to think of a way out of this. He had been out on a long night out, meaning he was still wearing his fancy clothes and his head was throbbing with a hangover. The smell of Finn’s cooked breakfast still lingered in the air, which made (Y/N) feel both sick and starving. As Polly got nearer, (Y/N) grabbed a towel drying in front of the stove, wrapping it around his shoulders before trying to comb his hair down with his fingers. Finn tried to hide his sniggering as Polly entered the room. 

“Eh, where have you been?” Polly immediately asked.

“I've been down here, with Finn.” he lied. 

“Why have you got a towel around your shoulders?”

“Left my dressing gown upstairs.”

“You Shelby boys think you can blatantly lie in front of me and get away with it. Where were you?”

(Y/N) groaned, flinging the towel off his shoulders.“Out, enjoying myself for once.”

“You know you should tell us where you are, in case-”

“-in case anything happens, I know. But whenever Finn goes out, he doesn't get questioned!”

Polly glanced at the floor."We've been through this." 

“Because I let men fuck me?” 

Polly's head whipped up, her eyes wide.“(Y/N)!”

Finn ducked his head slightly. This was all fun and games at first, but it always lead back to this. His brother was right. They wanted to know where he was to make sure no one recognised him as a Shelby when he went there. And if anything broke out, he could be taken away from the scene before someone used him to mock the Peaky Blinders. 

“Just don't mention this to your brothers. They've got enough on their plate at the moment.” Polly snapped.”

(Y/N) stood from his seat, scoffing as he left the room.“Not that Finn or I would know anything about that. We're the disappointments of the family, remember? They don't want us anywhere near them.”

(Y/N) held back his frustrated tears as he washed his face in the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror as the droplets ran down his face. This was who he was, but sometimes he wished he could be like his brothers, any of them. Over the years he had desperately tried to ignore that side of him, tried to find a girl he could put up with. At first, he thought it would be easier than he thought; he easily spoke to girls, he could be flirty if he wanted, and he was Shelby so it wasn't hard to convince them to coke home with him. However, as he thought about a life with a woman, he found himself turning up his nose at it. He just couldn't bring himself to go through with it, even the thought of a small kiss made him uncomfortable. 

As he left the bathroom and headed to his room, (Y/N) smelt a cooked breakfast again. This time it didn't make his stomach churn so much. Entering his room, he realised the smell was coming from there, and his confusion was resolved when he spotted Finn perched on his bed, a plate of food on his lap. 

“Pol left hers. So, thought it shouldn't go to waste.” Finn said, holding the plate out to (Y/N). 

A small smile graced (Y/N)'s lips as he took it.“Thanks.”

He sat up against the headboard of his single bed, starting to eat as Finn made himself comfortable. 

“I'm sorry about what I said earlier. About us being the disappointments.” (Y/N) rudely spoke with his mouth full. 

“It's the truth, innit?” Finn shrugged. 

“They'll take you on, Finn. You'll soon be running around doing jobs for them.” 

“What about you?”

“Let me outside into the public, letting people see the homosexual Shelby brother? I don't think so.”

Finn knew he was right. He hesitated before asking his next question.“(Y/N)...how did you know that you...liked men?” 

“I just...find them attractive, the same way you like women, I guess. I always thought that maybe I was jealous of how they looked. Maybe it was the way they held themselves. But at a party one night I...”

“You told me about this. You kissed a boy.”

(Y/N) sadly chuckled.“Yeah. In the moment it felt right, I could tell that this was who I was. But as soon as we stopped, I felt sick. I mean, could you blame me? I was fifteen and still terrified of our brothers. I just started imagining being kicked out, left on the streets, people would come after me because I like men, thinking that cause I'm a Shelby that it would effect the family. Our family doesn't give a shit about us.”

Suddenly the door opened, Polly stood there with a hand on her hip.“Right, you, get dressed. Your brothers want to see you.”

She swiftly closed the door, leaving the boys in silence. (Y/N) was the first to make noise as he bit into a piece of toast. 

He swallowed before speaking. “Guess I was wrong about what I said before.”

The boys were suited up before meeting their brothers at Charlie's yard. They were gathered around a fire pit, Charlie and Tommy smoking, no one noticing the boys until (Y/N) cleared his throat. They felt nervous, they always did when summoned by their older brothers. For so long they had both wanted to please them, make the family name proud; Finn still did, (Y/N) on the other hand couldn't give less of a damn.

“Right, we can start.” Tommy cleared his throat as he put out his cigarette. 

“Lovely greeting as always, Tom.” (Y/N) muttered. 

“Leave it (Y/N).” John warned. 

“You're all here to execute the plan.” Tommy started.“You've all been given your instructions, today is the day we carry them out.”

“Tom,” Finn interrupted,“we haven't been given any instructions.”

Everyone looked towards the youngest, but Arthur smirked.“Don't you two worry, we've got something for you.”

The boys had to stand there and listen as Tommy went over everything, ensuring that everyone knew what they were doing. None of it made sense to them, they were trying to figure out where they fit into all of this.  

“You two,” Tommy finally referred to them,“you're going to go to the family's house, make sure they stay there.” 

“How?” (Y/N) asked. 

“You'll come up with something. But make sure none of them leave, do what you have to do.” 

Everyone was dismissed, immediately knowing what to do. (Y/N) and Finn glanced at each other, obviously annoyed that they were left with the task of stalling. What on earth were they supposed to say to keep them from leaving the house? 

As they walked down the street address they were given, (Y/N) and Finn huffed, shoulders slumped as they approached the house. 

“We're really moving up in the ranks, aren't we?” Finn moaned. 

“I don't give a shit about ranks or impressing Tommy.” (Y/N) scoffed. 

Finn glared at his brother.”Yeah, well, some of us are expected to carry on the family business.”

(Y/N) just rolled his eyes, stopping in front of the door. He knocked on it, shoving his hands in his pockets as he stood beside Finn. The door opened to reveal a middle aged woman, quite plump with her hair in a (once neat) bun, cheeks red and she looked out of breath. 

“Oh, Mr Shelby...and Mr Shelby.” she panted out, the sound of screaming children answering why she looked tired. 

(Y/N)'s body tensed up as he recognised her. He was here last night, this was the house he was brought back to with that man...she obviously didn't know about that, but (Y/N) silently panicked at the thought of his one night stand seeing him here. 

“We're here to talk about your protection payment.” Finn started. 

She shrugged.“We don't pay for that anymore.”

“We know. That’s the problem.”

“Look, the kids need feeding, I don't have time to chat.” 

She started to shut the door, but Finn stopped it.“We're in no rush. We can wait inside.”

The woman knew it wasn't a suggestion, it was a demand. She didn't hide her anger as they walked in, scurrying off to her children in the kitchen, shouting for their food. 

“She must know her husband is going to die today.” Finn whispered.“He's been an arse hole for months now, to us and her.” 

(Y/N)'s heart was racing.“Finn, I might wait outside-”

“What you talking about? We're fine here.” 

“Just to cover more ground.” 

“We only need to be here. Stop messing around.” 

“For fucks sake Finn, I was here last night!” (Y/N) harshly whispered. 

“What?”

“I came back here with a boy last night. This is his family!” 

Finn chuckled, trying to keep quiet.“Oh this is brilliant.” 

“Shut up, no it's not!” 

“Is he still here?”

“How the fuck should know?!”

“Look boys,” the mother returned,“I don't get involved with this side of things. This is all to do with my husband.”

“Then you don't know what he's been up to?” Finn alluded.

“No?”

“Finn, don't say anything.” (Y/N) whispered.

He sighed.“Got any tea?” 

(Y/N) couldn't relax at all, hardly touching the tea the woman was forced to make. Finn seemed to be relishing in the small power he had. The children were outside playing, their squeals, giggles and bickering echoing out. Finn made the woman stay in the kitchen with them, not trusting her to somehow rush off and save her husband, not that she would be able to find him. (Y/N) had scenarios racing through his head, wondering if the guy he slept with would be home at any minute. It was killing him thinking that he had been here already, and the woman didn't even know.

“I'm back. Could only get a small loaf today, baker's struggling. Something to do with having the wrong flour?” an all too familiar voice rang out as the front door opened. 

(Y/N)’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets, loathing the menacing grin on his brother’s face. He scanned around the room, wondering if there was someway he could hide his face; he even thought about leaving through the back door, but (Y/N) knew he couldn’t leave Finn behind. It was too late anyway, because his one night stand was right in front of him. He too froze in the doorway, rustling the paper bag as he gripped onto it.

“What do you think you’re doing boy?” his mother scolded him, snatching the bag of bread out of his hand as she stood.“We have to make this last the week!”

He didn’t respond, his eyes still on (Y/N).“What are they doing here?”

“Your father is ruining our lives again.”

“That still doesn’t explain why they’re sat in our kitchen.”

“Here on business.” Finn piped up, glancing at his pocket watch.“Shouldn’t be here much longer.”

“What have you done with my dad?”

He wasn’t in shock so much, it had turned to anger, and it was directed at Finn’s cockiness. But Finn loved this, he felt like his brothers did when they had the power. Sipping on his tea, he took his time to answer, only making the son impatient.

“Dunno. Our brother’s are dealing with that.”

“You son of a bitch-”

The son swiftly moved towards Finn, but (Y/N) instinctively lunged in front of his brother, holding the man back. The woman screamed, grabbing a rolling pin and hitting (Y/N) on the back. He yelped out every time he hit her, until Finn easily took it out of her hands, giving her a fierce glare that made her shrink.

“He needs to stay outside. (Y/N), make sure he stays there.” Finn ordered.

“And if I don’t comply?” the son quipped back.

Finn opened one side of his coat, revealing his gun.“There doesn’t need to be anymore death today.”

The woman gasped, backing further into the counter away from Finn. (Y/N) just sighed, rolling his eyes.“There’s no need for that. Put it away before you give her a heart attack.”

The man shoved (Y/N) away, glaring at Finn as he made his way outside where his brother’s and sister’s were. (Y/N) followed, panicking slightly as he left through the gate and into the back alley that lined the small yards.

“Don’t worry, I’m not running off. Just didn’t want to argue in front of my siblings.” he huffed, leaning against the stone wall and crossing his arms.  

“Understandable.” (Y/N) muttered.

“So, you’re killing my dad today?”

(Y/N) didn’t answer, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Oh, so now it’s the silent treatment? You’re doing a better job of that than last night-”

“Alright! Look, I don’t actually know what my brother’s are doing.”

“You going to shoot all of us after they’re done?”

“No! You lot haven’t done anything. My brother’s wanted me today, they never usually do, and as usual, I am never involved with any planning.”

“But you go along with it anyway?”

“When you have a family like mine, you do as you’re told. It causes less drama.”

“Fuck having a family like yours.”

“That’s something we can both agree on.”

The man scoffed a laugh.“So, last night, you had no idea you would be here today?”

“No.”

“You weren’t using me to get information for your brothers?”

“I would never do that.”

“Thought you said you do as you’re told?”

“Oh, shut the fuck up! I liked you last night when I was drunk but now you’re just really fucking annoying.”

“Good thing we didn’t want to take this further. Bet you don’t even remember my name.”

“Obviously not worth remembering.”

“It’s Jack!”

Their bickering was interrupted by a woman’s scream coming from the house. This caused silence over the children too, who after a few seconds started screaming themselves or crying out of fear. Jack tried to rush past (Y/N), but the Shelby boy held him back, pinning him against the wall. Jack was strong, but (Y/N) had the upper hand of wielding a gun. Jack hesitated, thinking about how he could get out of this, though he didn’t know how ruthless (Y/N) could be. 

They stared at each other, frozen in that position with the gun digging into Jacks’ neck. (Y/N) wasn’t sure what to do. On jobs like these, they would usually be done by now, but this was a mess. As he was trying to come up with a plan to calm the situation down, the sound of a door slamming startled them, luckily the safety was still on the gun. Finn burst through the gate, a scowl on his face as he saw the pair.

“Having a repeat of last night?” Finn spat.

“What have you done to my mother?!” Jack writhed under (Y/N)’s hold.

“She’s fine, unharmed. The children are inside with her. (Y/N) we can go.”

“So he’s dead then?” Jack pushed (Y/N) away as soon as his grip loosened.

Finn turned around, ready to start walking away.“Thought you would be happy. He sounded like a terrible person.”

“I am. I’m angry that you came here and terrified my family, you peaky scum.”

That made Finn halt in his steps. He loathed anyone disrespecting the family name.“What did you just call us?”

“Finn, it doesn’t matter. Let’s just get back to the others-”

Finn spoke over (Y/N).“He’s being disrespectful. That was a very stupid thing to do, especially since there’s two of us, and one of you.”

“Finn, we don’t have to do anything. Let’s. Go.”

(Y/N) quickly walked away, leaving Finn behind. His mouth dropped open in shock at his brother’s actions. How dare he leave him behind?! Finn turned to deal with Jack, only to have him spit on the floor before returning to his home and family.

Finn had a go at (Y/N) the whole time they were walking back to the shop. He kept going on about holding up to the family name, making sure that no one stood up to them. (Y/N) didn’t respond. He didn’t want to follow in his brother’s footsteps. Who would want to be part of this dynasty? If he had to hurt people like that again, he would tear his hair out. He hadn’t done anything directly to that family, however, being a part of the problem was still bothering him. As they entered the shop, Finn was still rambling on, catching the attention of the rest of the family.

“Oi!” Tommy yelled to shut up Finn.“What’s going on?”

(Y/N) lowered his head.“Nothing-”

“(Y/N) walked away from someone who deserved a beating.” Finn frowning.

Tommy rolled his eyes.“Did you do the job?”

“Tom, you’re not going to do anything? You always lecture me about-”

“No, Finn. Now is not the time. Answer my question.”

“Yeah. It’s fine. She stayed put.”

“Good.”

Finn just huffed at Tommy’s dismissive attitude, slumping into a chair as the eldest brothers started talking with Polly. (Y/N) stayed put, crossing his arms over his chest.

“So why didn’t you throw a punch? Scared to hurt your pretty little face?” John cruelly teased (Y/N) as he split from the group.

(Y/N) didn’t respond.

“Come on, (Y/N). Why so quiet?”

“John,” Polly warned,“leave your brother alone.”

“He’s no brother of mine.” 

John had always made his opinion about (Y/N) known. The young boy wasn’t stupid. He knew his older brothers didn’t like him, though John was the only one that said it out loud.

“Don’t worry Pol,” (Y/N) started,“they’re not my brothers either.”

“Stop it, both of you.”

“Why should I? I get this shit from them everyday, but the moment I stand up for myself, I’m the one who’s in the wrong.”

“Because you’re wrong. It’s not right what you...what you do with men.” John argued.

“What I do is none of your business!”

“It is when you’re a fucking Shelby and a Peaky Blinder!”

“I didn’t want to be either of those things! I always stay out of the way of you guys, but for some reason, you always want me to be a part of it! To keep up with your image? I don’t think so.”

(Y/N) wasn’t going to stay a moment longer. The arguments always ended up the same, he would always be outnumbered, and he wasn’t going to deal with it again. As he left, only Polly and Finn called out to him, not surprising. He made a beeline for his home, rushing upstairs to pack everything he could into a case. Small Heath was never his home. He never felt right here. He would get on a train tonight, find somewhere to go, anywhere but here, it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t be known anywhere else. (Y/N) could make somewhat of a start to his life. No more links to the Shelby name, no more links to the Peaky Blinders.

People stared at (Y/N) as he lugged his suitcase through the streets. They were all wondering where the young Shelby was headed to. His breathing was heavy as his heart beat raced. He was only young, he didn’t have much planned past getting on a train. This was crazy, it didn’t make sense to do this, yet it felt right to (Y/N). He knew he had to leave this place and his so called family.

“(Y/N)!” He heard Finn scream out.“Wait!”

(Y/N) turned to see his brother running towards him. He was probably sent to bring him back. Well, he wasn’t going easy.

“Where are you going?” Finn breathed out as he stopped.

“Anywhere that’s far from here.”

“You...you don’t know?”

“It sounds crazy-”

“It is!”

“But you know I can’t stay here much longer. I’m miserable. I can’t keep tiptoeing around our brothers, or face their judgement any longer.”

“Then, you’ll be needing this.” 

Finn dug into his jacket, pulling out wads of cash rolled up. He pushed it into (Y/N)’s hand.

“Finn, no, I can’t take this.”

“Yes you can. Besides, it’s not mine.” he smirked.

(Y/N) chuckled in shock.“You took this from the shop?”

“Anything to help my brother out.”

(Y/N) tucked away the cash, sighing as he looked at his brother.“You’re the one thing I’m going to miss.”

They hugged, patting each other on the back.“I love you brother. I know I’ve not always...agreed with what you...what like, but I’ll always be here for you. If you ever need any help, just call.”

“Thanks Finn. And if you ever need to get away from this place, you can come stay with me. Wherever that is.”

“So, what are you going to do, once you’re settled?”

“I don’t know. But whatever I do, it will be better than the future Tommy had for me.”

“You’re braver than I am.”

“No, I’m not. I’m just smarter.”

He winked at his brother as he picked up his suitcase, both of them laughing as (Y/N) started to walk away. (Y/N) wished he had longer with Finn, a proper goodbye would have been nice. But if he stayed any longer, his brothers would somehow force him to stay. He was on his own now, he had to be an adult if he was to make it on his own and never come back. (Y/N) just hoped that this really was the right choice, and that he wouldn’t come crawling back. The only way from here was forwards.