angel | the peaky blinders

5. don't fk w a mikaelson

     MALAEYA WATCHED GRACE SING to the folks in the Garrison pub as she dried some glasses. The blonde woman stood on a makeshift stage near the pubs piano, her voice reaching the patrons ears softly to the point some even sung along.

"She's a good singer Milly you've got to give her that." Harry said to the girl knowing Malaeya's last comment to Grace about how the Original was a better singer than her was down right petty.

Malaeya shrugged, placing the glass down. "Sure she's a good singer. It's just I'm better."

Harry laughed at the honest brutality coming from his dead friend. "Why don't you get up there then?"

The sound of strangled cats mixed with Grace's singing flooded her ears which made her scrunch up her nose as she cringed. Before she could say a reply the doors to the pub flew open, causing everyone to look at who came in. The singing became non existent as soon as everyone saw who it was.

Grace continued to sing despite the harsh look Thomas Shelby was giving her as his brothers flanked his side. Malaeya hummed to herself, admiring Grace's courage and confidence to carry on singing despite the look Tommy was giving her.

But it still didn't mean she liked the girl. Just a speck of respect shining through for standing her ground.

Malaeya flicked the rag onto her shoulder and grabbed a bottle of Irish whiskey ready to give to Tommy but he subtly shook his head, not wanting the whiskey right now.

After their chat the evening prior they hadn't seen each other until now. The Original's mind always ran back to what had happened to the shell-shocked man but she tried to keep herself calm because she knew Danny was safe. There was nothing for her to get riled up about.

     Not yet anyways. Her instincts are never wrong.

One thing she's come to realise that actually did help her get her mind off of Danny was the fact that the more time she spent with Tommy, the more she opened up and allowed herself to relax around him.

"We haven't had singing in here since the war." Harry shakily said to the Shelby man, finding the courage to talk to give him an explanation.

Tommy gave the bar owner a pointed look, his eyes like ice as he gazed back at Grace before returning to the Fenton man. "Why do you think that is Harry?"

The middle born Shelby man led his brothers into the private room of the Garrison, the room the Shelby family always occupied. Before he closed the door he stepped back out and glanced back over at Malaeya, ignoring the curious look Grace was giving the pair once she made it behind the bar.

"Bring that bottle and a couple glasses please Milly." Tommy closed the doors to the snug and the atmosphere in the room suddenly began to disperse and the customers voices filled the air again.

Malaeya grabbed the bottle of Irish whiskey she had picked up not long before and grabbed a couple glasses. She walked over to the door of the private room, knocking three times before entering.

She smiled at the brothers', John and Arthur returning the smile while Tommy grabbed a cigarette out of his tin. "Here you are." She placed the bottle down and the glasses in front of each brother.