Peaky Blinders. One shot and imagines

School teacher - Part 20 - Tommy x Arthur x Reader

Tommy placed the phone receiver down, as he saw (Y/n) and Charlie make their way back up to the house, hand in hand, with Arthur following close behind. His older brother appearing like a faithful hound on the heels of its mistress, ready to jump into action, at the slightest hint of a threat. (Y/n) looked happy enough, she, Charlie, and even Arthur were covered in a slight dusting of snow; it seeming that his older brother had managed to join the former school teacher and his son on the walk, without ruining thing. It appearing that when he told Arthur not to fuck it up, that for once, he had actually listened. Tommy not sure whether to feel happy about that or not. Not sure if he would have preferred if the walk had led to (Y/n) running back to the house and straight into his arms, to be comforted after Arthur had said or done something wrong.

Suddenly, the front door burst open; Tommy shaken from his thoughts as his cheery, red-faced son came rushing into the office. Charlie not caring that his boots were still covered with snow, and now, so was the carpet. The boy starting to tell his father all about the snowman that he and his uncle had built in an almost incoherent excited gabble.

"Charles..............!" (Y/n) exclaimed, as she came into the room. Her own shoes and coat having been discarded in the entrance hall.

"Come out of there, your boots and coat...........I'm sorry Tommy, he wanted to tell you about the snowman and the snowball fight................."

"Snowball fight..........?" Tommy interrupted, smiling at his son, as he helped Charlie off with his coat.

"Yeah, we had a fight and (Y/n) hit Uncle Arthur lots of times..............."

"She did, did she................?" Tommy chuckled, as he looked over at the chilly looking beauty.

"Well, in my own defence, Arthur did start it; I was merely defending myself. I am not to blame for being a good shot..............."

"Aye, ya are a good shot..................." Another voice came. The others present turning to see Arthur come into the room and brush his very wet hair back over his head. Tommy doing his best not to laugh, as it appeared obvious that it wasn't just (Y/n) that had been enjoying pelting Arthur with cold balls of snow.

"With an arm like that, ya could fast ball for England. You'd be deadly on the wickets..............." The older Shelby added, giving (Y/n) a quick wink. Tommy not sure whether the flush to her cheeks was due to cold, or his brother's gesture.

"Charlie, why don't you take (Y/n) into the lounge room. See what one of tha boys just brought round..........I have ta talk ta your uncle..........." Tommy finally said, as he took a seat behind his desk. The young Shelby nodding enthusiastically, before grabbing (Y/n)'s hand, and pulling her from the room. The two older men, able to hear Charlie's delight, as he saw the Christmas tree that had been hauled into the home, before Arthur closed the door.

"Well.........?" Tommy asked, as his brother took a seat across from him. The younger brother taking a cigarette from the case on the desk in front of him, and lighting it, before sitting back in his chair.

"How did it go...................?"

"Well, she didn't say anything more about leaving. Though I think she was more interested in Charlie, than me.........." Arthur replied, suddenly realising that his socks were very wet, and that he probably shouldn't have gone out in the snow in a pair of his good shoes.

"I need a chance ta talk to her, by myself, without feelin that I'm playin gooseberry to your lad............." The older Shelby added, wishing that he could just walk over to the tantalus on the cabinet, and pour himself a very large Scotch. But sure if he did, he wouldn't be able to just stop at one, and then the former school teacher might just wash her hands of him completely. That, and it would probably spoil, what up until now, in Arthur's opinion anyway, had been a good morning. The memories of her in his arms for that, albeit brief moment, worth all the snowballs that he had taken to the head.

Tommy knew that Arthur was right; but he couldn't just tell (Y/n) that she had to spend time with his brother. It was a precarious position they were in, the former teacher had left once, so she could quite as easily slip away again. And even though this time he would know where she would be heading, Tommy had a feeling that if he had to go back up to the farm again, he might not get the same kind of response as he did the first time. Though he also knew that if he wanted to get (Y/n) to return to Small Heath properly, then it would take more than a walk and snowball fight to persuade her. And given all that, he was sure that she wasn't going be happy with him, for the conversation that he had been having on the phone, before the trio got back to the house. A conversation that meant that she was now not expected back up in Cumbria, until after the New Year. But, that was something that Tommy would wait to tell (Y/n) about. That he would prefer to give her a couple more days to settle in, before advising her of the plans that he had made.

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(Y/n) stood up on the tips of her toes, doing her best to reach the branch that Charles wanted the latest decoration placed on. An arm suddenly wrapping itself around her waist from behind and preventing her from falling into the huge green fir. The teacher finding the bauble taken from her hand, as lips brushed against her ear.

She and Charles had instantly begun to decorate the tree that now dominated the room; the young Shelby telling her that he was looking forward to having her join the family for the upcoming celebration; that Christmas would be so much better, now that she was back. (Y/n) not having the heart to tell him that she was still due to be back at the farm before the big day. That she had only agreed to stay for so long. The thought of seeing the happy smile on Charles' face fall, not something that she wanted to think about. The teacher instead just nodding slightly, and smiling, as she took the latest glass bauble from the boy's hands. Rolling her eyes, as the young Shelby pointed to a high branch. The strong arm stopping her from losing her balance, as she did her best to reach the required place.

"Looks like you need another pair of hands, beautiful............" Arthur said softly into her ear. The feel of his breath against her skin, making her legs wobble slightly. (Y/n) just glad that he was there to hold her up. That he was there, full stop. The room seeming to fall silent for a moment, until Charles was heard to ask his father to come and help too.