Chapter Text
Thomas Shelby~Why Did You Leave?
Thomas Shelby. The name rang fear into most people’s heads. And, you couldn’t blame them… Tommy had done things that lived up to his reputation of Birmingham’s most feared gangster. You couldn’t say you were exactly scared of the man, though. You supposed that was because you knew him before he was Thomas Shelby, before he was this violent, tortured soul: when he was just little Tommy who you played out with in the street when your mothers wanted some peace and quiet.
He had been everything to you. Your first love, first kiss, first… everything. It seemed that you and Tommy spent the first part of your lives together. You experienced everything together and you felt unstoppable with little Thomas Shelby by your side. Nothing could ruin your mood when you were with Tommy; he had a way of making you feel better no matter the situation. Of course, he had been teased about this- how soft he was for his little sweetheart. He paid no mind to his friends and family telling him this. Thomas would just protest and tell them that they were just jealous.
And, some were.
You and Tommy had what looked like the perfect life.
For a while, it was perfect. You were happy. Thomas has grown up with you, and you were both madly in love. He was a young man now, smart and handsome, and talented beyond his years. And, you- you were now a young woman in your own right. Smart, sharp, just like Tommy. Though, you insisted to Polly that you were the smart one: he was the pretty one.
And you had all laughed, Tommy included. Little did you know that you wouldn’t hear that laugh for a long time… The War. The War had come to disrupt your happiness and change everything you thought you knew.
Thomas sat on the bed, the bed you frequently shared. He was quiet, more quiet than usual. You knelt behind him, and gently wrapped your arms around his neck and nestled into the back of him. You lifted your head after a moment and leaned your chin on his shoulder and breathed in the moment. As far as you could tell, he didn’t react.
“We’re going to be okay, Tommy,” you muttered to him, “They haven’t been conscripting yet- we still have a few more months together-“
“-I enlisted.”
You couldn’t breathe.
“What?”
“I enlisted, Y/N.”
Thomas’ voice was strong and unwavering but you could barely speak. Your arms fell from around him and you jerked backwards. Tommy… Your Tommy was leaving you.
“When-“
Your voice broke as you tried to swallow.
“-When do you go?”
You dread the answer.
“I ship out on Tuesday.”
“Tuesday?!” you all but yell, “Thomas, that’s in two days!”
“I know.”
He finally looks at you. Your arms are folded and you’ve since got off the bed and are now standing firmly. The bed acts as a barrier between the two of you.
“Y/N… I had to.”
“No! No! You didn’t!”
“Would you rather me be a coward?!” Tommy snaps at you, his voice slight raised.
“I’d rather you be alive!”
You storm out and Tommy, for once, doesn’t follow you. He lets you leave and sighs: he had his head in his hands.
Maybe, just maybe, if you hated him then it would be less painful when he went. There was only one flaw in his plan: you didn’t hate him. You couldn’t hate him.
The very next day, you came back to him. You woke him up late at night and snuggled to his side. He was surprised to see you, though, every part of him had hoped you’d come back.
“I’m sorry,” you murmur.
“So am I…”
“I love you,” you tell him, “You better come back to me in one piece.”
“I love you too,” he kisses the top of your head as he holds, “I’ve got to come back to my wife in one piece, don’t I?”
“W-wife?”
“As soon as I come back, I’m going to marry you.”
“Oh, Tommy,” you sigh contently, “I could think of nothing better.”
Of course, when the War had broken out, the government had promised that it would be over by the end of the year, that the troops would be back for Christmas dinner. This had not been the case.
Four long years later, and the War finally ended. You were practically a grown woman now. The Shelby business had become your business too. Polly had employed you shortly after Thomas had left. She needed someone smart and good with numbers to help her and you had been more than eager to do something to take your mind off of Thomas’ absence.
As soon as you heard of Germany’s surrender and the Allied victory, all you could think about was Thomas returning: he was coming back to you. Of course, you didn’t expect the same innocent, cheeky young man to come back to you. War changes men, you knew that. But, some part of you hoped he would still be the same. Still love you the same. Still want to marry you as he had before…
Polly drove you both, along with Ada, to the station: now all you could do was wait.