Thomas Shelby Imagines

The Book Collector

Tommy shook his head when he went to knock on your door and it swung open. Despite his insistence to lock it even during the day you never did, the only people who associated with you knew the Shelby's well, so naturally you assumed no one to troublesome would bother you.

"(Y/N)?" He called and removed the whistled kettle that sat on the oven.

"Tommy what're you doing here its only ten... three o'clock." You smiled sheepishly as he glanced to the almost finished book he'd brought for you the last time he'd been in London.

"Come on let's get you something to eat." He sighed and motioned for you to go and fetch a coat before leading you to the bakery.

"I've almost finished my book, it's very... well it's not your sort of thing but it's very good." You chirped as he slowed down so you could keep up with him.

"Well you'll have to hold off on the ending, won't be getting any new ones for a while." He payed for what you usually asked for and handed it to you, taking the book for your other hand, knowing you'd forget the food in favour of the book.

"You know it'd be cheaper for you to tell her you love her." Ada sighed as she handed over the books Tommy had told her to collect for you.

"I don't know what you mean." He muttered and started to leave but she stopped him.

"Oh really, her favourite author just happened to suddenly find enough money to continue writing without having to work?" She asked and he shrugged.

"Who knows, these rich Londoners throw money around, maybe it was one of them." He offered before saying goodbye and heading to his car, waiting for her to settle Karl into the back with her before driving off.

Ada rolled her eyes as Tommy hurried off to deliver your books, she hadn't expected him to come back so soon, still carrying the books with a furious look on his face. She left Karl with Finn and hurried after him as he began banging on one of the doors.

"Mr Shelby." A man muttered and swallowed as Tommy pushed his way in and found you wide eyed and staring up at him from an arm chair with a book sat in your lap.

"I go away from the weekend and the first thing you do is start dating a man you don't know." He shouted and jabbed a finger at the man who was backing away from the three people that now seemed to dominate his home. "You need to stay away from her."

"Tommy!" You objected as he tugged you out into the street by your arm and marched you home, ignoring the stares he was receiving from passers-by.

"(Y/N) ... will you stop... let me in." He sighed when you slammed your front door and refused to open it again.

"He liked my books Tommy and he listened when I talked about them." You said through the door and immediately felt guilty despite the jealous flush that had creeped down the back of his neck.

It took Ada three days to get Tommy to admit he had feelings for you, it took an entire week for her to crack his stubbornness, which was why he'd travelled around finding specific books for you. There was one thing the book loving gentleman, as Pol had dubbed him, didn't know about you and that was your distaste for flowers.

You'd once told the Blinder that you don't understand why people bought each other flowers, they'd die and wilt away and be forgotten, an odd choice to use as a representation for someone's love. So, Tommy would travel as far as he had to if he ever upset you and collect books with names of flowers for titles.

Each silent protest ended the same way. An exhausted looking Tommy presenting you with a new book. You had no idea that under his bed was a stack of books so high he was sure the legs no longer touched the floor, and that his sleepless appearance, was purely the fact that having you ignore him drove him out of his mind.

"Will you open up (Y/N), I have your book and lunch." Tommy sighed as he knocked gently.

"Fine." You sighed and opened the door despite looking half asleep and wrapped in a robe.

"One book and, a body guard." He jerked his head to the Peaky Blinder who was sat a few doors down from your house.

"Why is he there?" you asked and crinkled you nose before taking the book from tommy and adding it to the pile beside the arm chair that stood close to your fireplace.

"Because I'm going to look at a house in the country." Tommy muttered and removed the whistling kettle again and decided it would be safer to put it outside until it cooled. "If you came to live with us you'd have a while library to yourself."

"Thank you for my book Tommy." You mumbled and reached up on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek, a sign that he'd flattered you and you wanted to spare him the awkward openness his fondness of you left him with.