FLAMES ━━ 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐲

𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩.

𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 | 𝘈 𝘛𝘈𝘓𝘌 𝘖𝘍 𝘋𝘌𝘈𝘛𝘏𝘚 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘋𝘌𝘊𝘓𝘈𝘙𝘈𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕𝘚

｡･:*:･ﾟ✧ ｡･:*:･ﾟ

ANNABEL LEE was awoken by a violent pounding at her door.

With her hair in a mess, she wrapped herself in one of the fine silk robes she had brought with her when she came from London and rushed down the stairs, reaching her door and opening it to find the first and only thing she expected.

Thomas Shelby, at her door, like a kicked dog, at 6 AM.

Annabel rolled her eyes and went to close the door but Tommy held it still. Pushing through the doorway, he entered the living space as if he owned the place and Annabel sighed. This was the man she loved. It still felt bizarre admitting that to herself and every second that had passed since Freddie Thorne had been dragged away to jail by the police was a second she found herself regretting that she did.

"I didn't do it."

"Okay, I've heard enough. Out! You're out!" Annabel said, taking him by his arm and pushing him out to the door.

"Bel, I swear." Annabel froze. Bel. She had been Bel to her parents, to her siblings, and now she was Bel to Tommy.

"Please, don't call me that."

"Annabel, I need you to believe me. You, only you, out of all the fucking world, is who I need to believe me." Tommy turned around to face Annabel and raise a hand to behind her head, and ran it all the way to her cheek. He pressed his forehead to hers and Annabel breathed him in. She wanted to believe him, but nothing else made sense. She had seen the pain in Ada and Freddie's eyes as they dragged him away to what one could only assume would be his death.

"Who did it then, Tommy? Who gave him up?" Annabel asked softly, practically murmuring, trying to not be affected by his proximity.

"I don't fucking know, love." Annabel could have sworn she became putty. "I don't know. But I'll find out."

Annabel took a step back and decided that  she would give him the benefit of the doubt. She knew that he was capable of the betrayal, yet her gut told her that someone else was responsible for taking Ada's happiness away. If she knew anything of Tommy, was that despite his coldness, his family to him was the closest thing he held to sacred. She looked into his eyes and brought a hand to his cheek, and Tommy closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

"You need to make this right, Tom."

"I will. For you."

"For me?" She asked, surprised.

"Everything I do from now on, will be for you, Annabel Lee." Tommy murmured, stepping towards Annabel and nuzzling his face into her neck. Annabel felt tears prickle in her eyes, but she decided she was no weak woman, and brought Tommy's face up to look at her.

"Alright, out you go, go run the world! I need sleep!"

Tommy laughed and headed out, and Annabel decided there was no more beautiful sound.

✧

"Alright, Shelbys, I need every single one of you to entertain me from the existential dread I am feeling from the void left by Ada's repeated absen—" Annabel yelled as she entered the Shelby family home, only to be met by silence as she entered the kitchen.