It's always been you- Tommy Shelby

11 - he's back

A loud banging that echoed through the house woke Tommy and Lydia up. She was momentarily confused as to where she was; until her eyes met Tommy's. As Tommy stood he groaned due to his stiffness from sleeping with his head resting on a table. 

"I'll get the door." Tommy said as he rubbed his eyes in tiredness. 

"I'm going upstairs, I need to get dressed." Lydia replied as she stretched and made her way from the kitchen and up the stairs. As she changed her dress from yesterday into clean clothes, she recalled the events of last night. A weight had been lifted off her shoulders after telling Tommy her deepest secret.

 Lydia heard John and Tommy mumbling downstairs, from what it sounded; something wasn't quite right. Lydia ignored it at first and instead walked over to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She fixed her hair in the small mirror Tommy owned and left to return back downstairs. 

The voices from below became louder and it sounded to Lydia that more people have arrived. As she stepped out of the bathroom, she was taken back by a figure in her way. Tommy stood directly in front of her in the doorframe, not allowing her to move forward. 

"Tommy, what are you doing?" Lydia asked attempting to get around him. He stepped to the side; again blocking her path. 

"I need you to stay upstairs, don't leave your room until I come and get you. Okay?" Tommy blurted out in slight panic. 

"W-What?...I-I" Lydia attempted to say. They now shared the same air. Lydia's heart quickened at the small distance between them. Tommy's eyes didn't avert once from her enticing green eyes. 

"Lyds for once, please just do as I say." Tommy whispered, practically begging her as their faces inched closer. 

"Tom, just... just tell me what's going on." Lydia said between her shallow breathes. 

"I'll explain everything after, just please stay up here." Tommy replied, leaning in closer to Lydia's face. 

At that moment Lydia wasn't sure if time had stopped. His lips met hers in a blip of passion. Her senses were invaded by Tommy Shelby. Their lips moved together in solidarity. There was raw emotion in the way his hand traced from her face to her neck. Tommy's other hand gripped around her waist as she traced her fingers along his bicep. 

As his tongue traced along the inside of her lower lip, they both became vulnerable under one another's touch.

In that moment of infatuation, Lydia's knees weakened as he raked his fingers through her brown locks. The kiss was something that the pair of them had desired for a prolonged amount of time. It was something the pair could have no longer prevented. 

After their lips parted, Tommy rested his forehead on Lydia's. His blues met her greens. They both attempted to catch their breath after their instant of impulse and desire. Tommy promptly left without saying a word and walked downstairs. 

Lydia was left incredulous after what had occurred. She remained upstairs and followed Tommy's instructions for as long as she could. She relived their kiss in her head over and over again, remembering how their lips moved in sync, how his hand felt around the back of her neck and how his strong scent intoxicated her.

Lydia couldn't take it any longer, she had heard a group of male voices downstairs and decided to follow her curiosity. 

Before walking down the stairs she applied her nude lipstick, as her previous layer had been removed by Tommy's kiss. Lydia cautiously walked down the stairs still listening out for Tommy's voice. 

As she opened the door to the front room, all eyes averted to her. Tommy and John's eyes widened when as they noticed the girl in the door frame. Lydia quickly realised why Tommy had wanted her to stay upstairs. Kimber was here. 

He leant forward and allowed his elbows to rest on his knees as he took a drag of his cigarette. Kimber looked up and watched Lydia attentively. 

"Ah well if it isn't the whore with the clap. Why don't you come in and take a seat darlin'" Kimber said inviting Lydia over. She didn't know what to do with herself.

"She was just leaving. Isn't that right?" Tommy quickly interjected. He stormed across the room and grabbed Lydia's arm firmly, taking her into the hallway and closing the door behind him. 

"I told you to stay upstairs. Do you ever do as you're told?" Tommy gritted through his teeth, clearly annoyed at Lydia's disobedience. 

"No, and you know I don't. But I am sorry, I didn't know Kimber was here." Lydia explained herself. 

"It's fine, It's fine. He's leaving now anyway. Kimber was just giving us our first legal betting license. I just didn't want you to get upset about seeing him again." Tommy replied, trying to comfort Lydia by holding the sides of her arms. 

"I'm sorry Tommy." She repeated. 

"I'll leave, I'll go to the betting shop and out of the way of Kimber." Lydia added, calming herself. 

"Okay okay, I'll see you later alright?" Tommy said as he kissed her cheek.

"Don't do anything stupid until I get back Thomas." Lydia said smiling up at him. 

"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you." Thomas joked back. Lydia hurried out of the door and down the road leaving Tommy frustrated with his feelings towards her.

Lydia entered the betting shop and avoided the group of factory men placing bets, walked past Scudboat who was counting coins and headed straight to Polly's desk. Yet something caught Lydia's eye before she got there. It was the blonde Irish barmaid who sat at a desk with open books in front of her.  

Their eyes met and Lydia stared her down. Grace quickly put her head down and continued to scribble down notes. Lydia stormed over to Polly's desk. 

"What the hell is she doing here?" Lydia gritted quietly, pointing behind her to Grace. 

"Don't ask me, I've got absolutely nothing to do with it, ask Thomas he was the one who hired her." Polly replied as she watched the blonde girl behind Lydia. 

"Men and they're cocks eh?" Lydia added slumping in the seat opposite Polly. 

"Absolutely Lydia, absolutely" Polly said, lighting a cigarette and offering Lydia one. 

The women of the business gossiped, drank whiskey and smoked cigarettes for the rest of the day as the betting shop emptied leaving just the pair. That was until Arthur stumbled in barely able to speak a full sentence. The smell of alcohol radiated off of him. 

Polly and Lydia were quick to hold him up, they draped his arms over each of their shoulders before taking him to the sofa in Tommy's office. Arthur almost immediately fell asleep without saying a word. 

"Pol, you go home. I'll watch Arth for a while and sober him up." Lydia explained taking a seat at Tommy's desk to watch over the eldest Shelby brother.

"Okay dear, I'll see you in the morning eh?" Polly replied leaving the office. 

Lydia sat in Tommy's office for another hour, occasionally nursing Arthur every fifteen minutes or so. He eventually started to sober up after not being allowed to drink anymore whiskey, much to his dismay. 

In the meantime, Lydia thought about her kiss with Tommy and how in that moment she felt completely elated and shocked that he was feeling the same way she had felt for nearly the past five years. 

Then she thought about how Tommy had hired Grace to work in the shop, and how he probably did so, so he could sleep with her. And how much prettier she was than her. 

Thoughts of jealousy clouded her mind until a loud pair of footsteps coming from inside the shop interrupted her pondering. Lydia instantly panicked and grabbed the gun from Tommy's desk draw. Arthur was back asleep on the sofa as Lydia edged closer to the door, prepared to shoot the person who had broken into the shop after closing times. 

Lydia could hear the footsteps becoming closer, her heart was pounding through her chest for the second time that day, her hands trembled as she held the gun tightly in both hands. The floorboards creaked beneath her feet as her kneecaps shuddered. Lydia was afraid they wouldn't hold her up.