Gun metal and Daisies (Thomas Shelby)

"Are we really going to make this into a habit?"

What good are wings without the courage to fly?

Thomas and Dorothy had both developed small habits with each other as of recent days.

For example; when the two greet each other, the following actions must occur:

1) Whoever spots the other first must make it their absolute mission to get their attention in the most subtle way possible.

2) If after three attempts to get the others attention continues to fail, that person is obligated to try and ram over the other person in a very tight hug and greeting.

3) Thomas learned the hard way that she is incredibly easy to topple over.

4) He will be more gentle next time.

Weather Thomas liked it or not (he really liked it) he always had to greet her with a hug, or at least hug her back when she initiated the embrace. No matter where or when.

Lucky for him, most of their encounters always seemed to occur in the early hours of the morning, or late nights when she'd be locking up.

There was one incident though, when Dorothy managed to catch him on the street and tackled him into a very sudden side hug. Thomas gripped her arms in what seemed a friendly way, but was really a ploy to try and move the two mid-hug into a side alley, away from public view.

Another habit they had developed was when Thomas realised that he no longer accepted only meeting her once or twice a week.

He'd never felt the need to be this close to someone as much as possible, he couldn't explain it, but he just knew he wanted it.

So it was this way that Thomas resolved to visiting her at her lunch breaks.

The first time he showed up nearly gave Ms. P
a heart attack as the Shelby man stepped through the door. She was all flustered and blubbering until Dorothy popped her head around the corner, clapping her hands as she rushed around the counter to greet him in a hug.

Ms. P was thoroughly confused when Dorothy wrapped her arms around the very dangerous man, she was even more confused and scared when he reciprocated the action.

Ms. P was perplexed, confused, bewildered, when the dangerous Shelby man rested his cheek on the top of her head as they greeted each other with names that DEFINITELY were not the correct ones.

If she furrowed her eyebrows anymore they probably would have popped off, until Thomas Shelby looked up and told Ms. P that he was going to whisk Dorothy away for the remainder of her hour and a bit long lunch break; to which Ms. P nodded, "Of course, Mr Shelby, go ahead!"

It was only moments like these when Dorothy remembered that her best friend was a very scary man and had a large amount of influence over the area she inhabited. But she did not dwell on those thoughts because she knew who he was, and that's all that mattered.

——

Thomas linked his arm with hers, something she understood he was more comfortable doing in public view.

He gently led her to the entrance of the bakery and pulled her down the streets and markets of Small Heath.

People stared, people always stared. But Thomas didn't care. Though this time he knew they'd go home and talk about it, making speculations what the two were doing together and what they were.

Dorothy knew people were watching, but she didn't particularly care. Dorothy once again forgot who the man she was walking with was. She figured they were just nice people who stayed out of the way or greeted them because they knew her and Thomas.