Nicotine // [michael gray / peaky blinders]

Twenty-Two

"Our first weekend in this place." Michael says, walking into the small cottage.

"Our first weekend away from Thomas Shelby's shit." I say, taking a step towards him.

"And what a weekend we'll have." He kisses me.

"Who the fuck could that be?" I ask as the phone rings.

"If it's Tommy, tell him to fuck off." He says as I walk over to it.

"Hello?"

"Florence-" I hear Thomas' voice and hang up, just for the phone to ring again a minute later, right as I get back to Michael.

"It's important if he's calling. You know that." He says and I scoff, going to the phone.

"Don't hang up!" I hear Thomas say as I pick up.

"What, Thomas?"

"I need your help. Gypsy help. I need you to meet the Russian's I'm working with and tell me what you think about them. I really need you to meet one girl, actually. She's fucking mental."

"Cant his not wait until I'm back from my weekend off?"

"I suppose it can. Sorry for interrupting you two having sex for the millionth time this year."

"Thanks for finally apologizing for it." I say and hang up. "Needed Gypsy help." I shake my head and walk back over to Michael.

"Gypsy help?"

"Yeah." I shrug. "I'm good at reading people. I've got good luck, and I somehow managed to get a fiancee who doesn't even know that."

"I knew you were Gypsy royalty or whatever, but I never knew what you were skilled in. I know my mum is good at knowing when people are pregnant, never knew if you had a skill."

"Your mum is also a fantastic tea leaf reader. And you're Gypsy royalty as well."

"Are we related?"

"Different clans." I pat his cheek. "Now, should we go into a deep talk about being Gypsies, or do you want to get back to shagging?"

"Back to shagging." He smirks and kisses me.

-

"Alright, Thomas? What the fuck do you need from me?" I ask, walking into his bedroom at around 6 AM, the Monday I arrived back from my weekend away.

"What're you doing up?" He asks, looking at me with tired eyes.

"You ask what I'm doing up instead of what I'm doing here?" I shoot back as he walks towards me, pulling me out of his bedroom.

"What are you doing here? Why are you at my house? How did you get here?"

"I drove myself, thank you very much. I couldn't sleep, so I got up and came here." I say and he nods.

"You couldn't sleep?" He asks and I nod. "How long did you sleep for?"

"All weekend?" I ask and his eyebrows furrow. "Last night, then. Two hours."

"Why did you ask all weekend?"

"Because I haven't slept well all weekend."

"Are you pregnant?" He asks in a lower voice. "Your mum never slept when she was pregnant with you or your brothers." He says and my eyes widen. "You have to see Pol. Now. I'll drive you." He says and I nod, a bit shellshocked. "Let me just say goodbye to Grace." He says and goes back to his bedroom.

"Fo!" I hear Charlie say and I peek into his room and see he's standing up in his crib.

"Hi bubba." I smile, walking over to him and giving him my finger, his favorite toy, and he let out an adorably loud laugh before taking it and whipping it around.

"Thought you'd be in here. Let go of her finger, Charlie." He kisses the top of his head and Charlie does as his father requested, and I give the top of his head a kiss before following Thomas to let the maids know that Charlie was awake before heading to his car, that was running and waiting for us.

"You're good with Charlie." Thomas notes as we go down the driveway.

"I know I am. I'm good with kids, Tom. I'm prepared to have one, it's just that I just got jobs, you know? I don't want you to be worried about me because I'm pregnant. Potentially."

"I'm overjoyed that I'm the one that made the connection. I can't wait to see Polly find out she could be having a grandkid."

"I was shitting a brick when I had to tell her that Michael and I were engaged. I'm properly freaking out right now, Tom."

"Alright." He nods. "We don't have to talk about it anymore. Would you like to know why I called you this weekend?"

"Yes."

"I need you to meet this Russian girl. She's probably around your age. I just need to you get a feel for her, you know? Gypsy feeling."

"I can do that." I nod. "But we'll go to Pol's first."