Forbidden Alliances // Alfie Solomons Peaky Blinders

(95) Scorpions

*edited 03/26/23*

Tommy was blinking rapidly, staring off into the distance as smoke filled the air from his nose. He was contemplating and he wanted to find the right words to use against his family's decisions.

"John," Tommy addressed with regret. "You cut Angel Changretta even though Arthur told you to apologize." Tommy pointed at his older brother as his younger sat with his back to him, shifting in his seat uncomfortably and fiddling with his chewed nails under the table.

"And when Polly and Freya told you to compromise you still cut him," Tommy continued.

"Mmhm," John hummed dissatisfying.

Tommy rounded the side of them, taking up residence at what would appear to be the head of the table. Even though he was wanting John's attention, it was the other side that gave him their attentive eyes.

Blue, brown, blue.

That was what Tommy saw.

Arthur's grey-blue eyes focused on him with a gruff masculinity to him.

Polly's warm brown eyes fixed on him with a restless eloquence to her.

And Freya's glacial blue eyes directed back at him with a vexed expression written across her face.

It was just like old times and Tommy hated it.

"John," he repeated nonchalantly, finally earning his other brother's guilty side-eye. "You chose not to listen to Mr. Apologize and Miss and Mrs. Compromise," he addressed forebodingly, causing John to look straight up at him. "And now I've got an Italian walking around my backyard saying he's going to kill my brother." Tommy furrowed his brows, a simple consequence of John's upbraiding.

"So what do we do, John? Do we apologize or do we compromise?" Tommy asked calmly, managing to pluck the strings of his emotions in ways Freya's passionate outrage never could. It was how Tommy managed to make him feel insufficient while he stayed calm, making John feel unworthy of his easy anger. Because that was what anger was: easy. So for Tommy to show just how seemingly easy it was not to be made John feel even worse.

John puffed out his cheeks as he was forced to consider the outcome of his actions and the ones to follow.

Everyone seemed to let him think, eyes and heads turning every which way in suspense. But it was taking John an awfully long time to answer and it was Arthur who grew uncomfortable in the expectant silence.

"It was just something John said as a joke."

It was odd. Not that Arthur wanted to defend his little brother, but it was odd that Freya did too. She sat in silence wanting to be the one to deprive him of his dignity and treat him like a child because she knew she would forgive him and she knew he would still walk with respect in front of everyone else. But with Tommy, she knew he would be more affected.

It was odd.

After yelling and hitting him, she still wanted to protect him.

"Yeah, but he's your brother as well," Tommy drew out inconclusively, keeping a steady stare on Arthur before bringing a lit cigarette to his lips.

Arthur nodded his head. "I know. I didn't want to start a war over something John said without meaning it."

Then there was silence. But there was something about this silence that made Freya's eyes move sketchily over her brother's faces.

Something felt off about the silence. It must have been like the first solar eclipse the human race ever experienced. Everything seemed fine and bright until it wasn't. The sun disappeared and a black hole appeared in its place. It was terrifying and the sudden darkness didn't make any sense. She didn't know what was going on but she didn't take it easily.