To Be A Shelby

Chapter Seven

MARIE

She looked his way as she was flipping the omelette but he was quiet and distant, probably thinking about something that had to do with business. "Are you considering your next move?" she asked, hoping to break the silence that lingered for long enough to turn into awkwardness.

"Why do you ask?" he returned, lighting a cigarette and putting it to his mouth.

"It just seems like you were thinking about something serious, and nothing ever gets Thomas Shelby in a brooding mood, nothing except business," she replied as she placed the omelette in a plate and set it down on the table before sitting across from him.

"Wish I could say it was business, but it's a far more peculiar thought that I do not wish to discuss," he dismissed and she took this as a sign to stop prying.

"Where are we going later?" she asked again and he looked up at her while he was eating.

"You'll know when we get there," again with dismissing her.

Maybe he wasn't a morning person so she chose to be quiet and focused on eating instead. She noticed that something was missing and she realized she didn't make coffee so she got up to do so.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Making coffee," was her brief answer.

"Yes, I can see that. What I meant to say was you don't have to," Thomas put his elbows on the table, hands clasped together as his chin rested on his knuckles.

"I don't have to, but I want to. You don't have to be so stubborn over a cup of coffee," she blurted and mentally scolded herself afterwards for speaking too casually.

"You're the one being stubborn," he shot back coldly but accepted the mug anyway when she handed it to him. This made her smile but it disappeared the moment he averted his gaze as if her smile was the most repulsive thing he's ever seen.

***

Arthur and John met them at the Garrison. As usual, Arthur was a bit drunk. Finn came running to them when he saw them.

"I haven't seen you last night, Marie," he said, hugging her by the waist.

"I was taking care of Tommy, did you need anything from me?" she asked gently as she knelt down to talk to him face-to-face.

"Was Tommy mean to you again?" Finn asked, glaring at Tommy which made Arthur and John laugh.

"Nobody was mean to anyone, Finn. Now, why don't you be a good lad and help Aunt Pol while I'm away," Marie put her hand on Finn's head and gently ruffled his hair.

"You'll be back tonight?" he asked again, this time with puppy dog eyes which she's seen many times but could never seem to be immune to even if she tried. Resistance was futile.

"I'll be back earlier, and we'll play, and I'll sing you to sleep," she raised her pinky for a pinky swear which he took and then he went home running like the usual, happy boy that he was.

"He hardly ever listens to anyone, good thing he listens to you," John pointed out which Arthur seconded by saying, "I had to bribe him lots of times just to do me small favors."

The three of them laughed and Thomas simply stared at them with a small smile plastered on his lips. She had noticed that he was looking at her so she smiled at him but he looked away again.

***

The place where Tommy said he'd be teaching her to shoot was an open field of dry grass. Arthur set up a table while John was lining some cans in equal distances from each other which she concluded was for target practice. Tommy was busy loading the weapons.

When John finished, he went to stand beside her. "How was dinner at Tommy's?" he asked.

"It went great, you were right about the pasta, too," she replied happily. She looked at John but he seemed like he had something he wanted to say.

"Is something wrong?" she clarified.

"No, it's probably nothing," he replied, looking at her first, then deciding to look down.

"Probably?" Marie focused her attention to what Arthur and Tommy were doing from a distance.

"Thomas has never looked at anyone that way before," he blurted out which caught her full attention.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know if I'm reading too much into things but he was hostile towards you, I'm sure you know that," he kicked a pebble as he said the words.

"I do know that," she simply answered, failing to grasp what he had meant.

"And suddenly here you are, joining us. He even promised to take you to Billy Kimber's party. I think he's leaning towards the tendency of falling in love with you," he said, looking at her to see how she reacts.

"That's... unlikely to happen," she denied, but unconsciously, she blushed at the thought.

Marie scolded herself mentally, knowing full well it was wrong on so many levels. And she knew Thomas would never fall for her, she wasn't the type of woman he'd be falling for. But then again how would she know what he was looking for in a woman.

"I'm just saying, but I'm not judging. It's not like you're blood related or anything," John gave her a pat on the back before heading off to join Arthur and Tommy.

While deep in thought, she noticed Tommy looking her way, locking eyes with her.

"Do you want me to teach you or not?" Thomas called out, still holding onto their eye contact.

Taking a deep breath, she ran to where they all were. When she was there, Johnny pretend to be swatting insects and said, "Fucking lovebugs everywhere," and smirked at her.

She blushed at his teasing and looked at Tommy and Arthur to make sure they hadn't heard him. It was going to be a long day for all of them.

***

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