The Blood War, Peaky Blinders

𝟎𝟔𝟎 Somewhere in the haze got a sense I've been betrayed

The blood war
chapter sixty, Somewhere in the haze, got a sense I've been betrayed———————————————————————————

-1929
Birmingham, England

Apollo thought it wasn't safe for Paige's coronation to get the go ahead but she insisted. She attended the funeral of Polly and Sirius but she was still hellbent on this coronation. "And what if you get killed?" Apollo asked. "Make sure they write good things about me in the papers" Paige smirked, taking a sip of her whiskey. "Paige, I'm serious" Apollo said. "And so am I" Paige said, setting the glass down, "I don't want my kids reading shit about me in the paper that isn't true. I won't go through what my father went through when he was in France." Paige then scoffed, "'Cowardice. Cowardice my ass, did you see the way he fought in France? He fought hard to come home." Paige then took a pause before continuing, "I'll change this country, Apollo. By myself."

"I'm sure Arthur will chip in, you're on good terms again are you not?" Apollo asked. "He wants no part in this. I don't blame him." Paige sighed then looked over at Apollo, "Why are you asking me all this?" Apollo doesn't respond. "You and Tara still not speaking?" Paige asked, her face softening. Apollo nods, "Yeah..." "Pol..." Paige said, "She'll come around." Apollo looks up at Paige when he feels her take his hand, "I hope so... I can't lose her over something as stupid as this." "Tara's petty, not stupid. You two will be fine, if you weren't because of something as stupid as this, me and Arthur would have been permanently separated ages ago" Paige said.

James then appears in the doorway, "Paige, Nathalia was looking you to see what you're wearing tonight for your gala." Paige sighs, pushing herself off the chair, "Duty calls. You'll be okay without me?" Apollo nods, "Yeah, I'll be fine, you go." Paige nods and walks out of the room, James taking her place in the chair across from Apollo, "Tara still not talking to you, huh?" "Don't start with me, James" Apollo sighed, head going to his hands. "Who's more pissed, you or her?" James asked. "I don't see how that's any of your business." Apollo said. "Well put it this way, she kissed Fascist politician and you fucked your ex fiancè. Who has a right to be more pissed?" James asked. "She doesn't know about Celia..." Apollo sighed. James's face dropped, "What?" "She's pissed at me because I didn't defend her against Tommy and in her words I more or less blamed her for letting the kiss happen with Mosley, which I did not." Apollo said.

"This is why I liked men. Women are too complicated" James said. "James, what the fuck am I supposed to do?" Apollo groaned, raking his hands through his already messy hair. "I say you go and talk to her like proper married couples do when they're pissed at each other" James said, "Just a thought." "You're an asshole" Apollo said. "Thank you, I try to be" James smirked, "Seriously, if you don't talk with her now then this will only get worse." Apollo sighed, sinking back into his armchair, whiskey glass still in hand, "Fuck..." He then takes a minute, weighing his options, "Alright fine. I'll go and speak to her." Apollo then pushes himself out of the chair, finishing the contents of his glass before slamming it on the table and walks toward the door.

"And Apollo!" James calls out, "When I say talk, I mean fucking talk! Your cock doesn't fix all the world's problems you know!" Apollo hearing this scoffed and rolled his eyes, giving James the finger at he walked out. "Fucking horny bastard..." James muttered, pouring himself his own glass of whiskey. 

ˋ°•*⁀➷

As Apollo was about to enter his and Tara's bedroom, he's greeted by the sound of Cerys playing at her mother's feet with her teddies. Apollo takes a deep breath before entering the room, seeing Tara sit on the window seat in their room, knees to her chest. "Daddy!" Cerys shouted out of happiness as she made her way over to her father. Apollo let her hug his legs as he patted her head, Cerys wasn't his priority right now. Tara was. "Cerys, darling, I think uncle James was looking to go on a horse ride and he needs a partner. Why don't you go with him, hm?" Apollo offered softly, it was the only way he could think that would get her out of this room.