Gun metal and Daisies (Thomas Shelby)

Tea and gossip

I'll plant a row of daisy seeds,
In the space below each eye,
So they'll remind you of your beauty,
When they bloom each time you cry.

It was a warm morning on the streets of Birmingham. The heat had crept in and settled nicely on ones skin. The sound of heels clicking on the cobbled road, sounded across the dirty looking street.

The knock that sounded on the door was firm. With small shuffles coming from the inside, and the sound of clattering China- the door was only opened after a long moment of waiting.

"Hello Darcy."

"Hello Polly."

The two women stared at each other, faces impassive and emotionless, until Polly threw her arms wide with a matching grin, "how you doin', love?"

The other woman leaned into the welcoming embrace with a smile.

"I've been orright. Dot was out the door this morning at God knows how early."

Polly chuckled, "that's because she went to the Betting shop. Payed a visit to everyone, then whisked Tommy out the door before anyone could get a word in."

"They are quite fond of each other, aren't they?" Darcy smiled knowingly. She gestured for Polly to make her way inside the quaint house.

"Thomas adores her. You can see it on his face. 'E's never liked a girl as much as he likes her. It's understandable though, she is a literal ray of sunshine in this industrial city."

"She is. Got that from 'er father." Darcy smiled lethargically.

The two women had been having these meetings ever since the week after Dorothy visited the Shelby household for the first time.

Polly originally went there to meet the parents who created such a girl- and shortly enough the two women met and got on like a house on fire.

Polly was silent for a moment, "I miss 'im, Pol. He was the love of me life. Now all I got is Dotty. She has his eyes. His deep grey stormy eyes..." Darcy teared up as she stared in to space, only snapping out of the dream when she heard the sound of the kettle boiling.

Polly waited until the lady sat down before staring intently into her eyes. "I know you do, love. I know how hard it is to forget someone who gave you so much to remember. Life is a prideful existence and we forget that death can come any day."

"I just remember always thinking that I'd have forever with Dean. God- what I would give to just have another day. I was too busy doing fuck all that I forgot he wasn't forever, and now he's gone forever." Her hands trembled as she poured the tea into the cups.

Polly took a long sip of her tea before she placed it back on the table. "The world, Darcy, is just as fantastical as it is horrific. And it's just as arbitrary to lose hope, as it is to find it. If everything was forever, would it really change so much?"

Darcy cursed quietly under her breath as she ran her hands through her brown curly locks.
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right Pol. We 'ad a good run. I don't think I'll find another man like him- but I also don't think I'll want to find another."

Polly smiled and reached over the table to grab Darcy's hand, "then it's just you and me, love. Let's grow old together, and become hags who tell fortunes on Wednesday afternoon. We'll sit right outside the Betting shop til Thomas loses his mind and kicks us out."

Darcy squeezed her hand, "yeah. Just us two. Dean taught me how to read tea leaves, y'know."

——

The two women sat for hours. They had cracked open a window and bathed in the sun that streamed in.

"What do you think Tom and Dot are doing on their date right now?" Polly asked.

"I'd they aren't confessing their love for each other, then Thomas is probably racking up the courage to do so. I've seen the way he looks at 'er. I'm almost tempted to just lock em in a room til he finally makes a move."

Polly chuckled, she had also seen the way Thomas looked at her. His eyes were warm and a smile settled on his features in a way that made it seem like his brow had never creased. "I remember when they first met."

Darcy furrowed her eyebrows, "I thought it was only them two at the safe house?"

Polly's grin widened with mischief. "Do you not know? Did Dotty never tell you?"

Darcy leaned forward, her eyes were wide, "What? No! Oh go on Pol- don't hold out on me!"

Polly sighed, "you remember the winter of 1897?" Darcy nodded. "There was that great big snow storm- but then it finally settled. You see, when all the kids went out to play: The boys-unbeknownst to me- went out as well. When they got back, Arthur was alright, just damp really; John was shivering violently; and Thomas was beyond sick.

"Of course after giving them all a good whack, I put them all in front of the fire to warm up. I talked to Thomas that evening, while he had a raging fever. He said he met a girl who had white ribbons in her hair and was selling homemade baked sweets. She offered him one for a very small price, but he took it anyway without paying. Greedy little bugger. In turn- she rightfully pelted him with snowballs. Then soon after she had gotten her anger out, she went back to her stall and sat there for the rest of the day.

"Apparently Thomas kept trying to apologise and start a conversation, but she was having none of it." Polly finished with a big sip of her tea.

"Oh come on, Pol. That girl could have been anyone!"

"Oh really? It just happens that two different girls in Small Heath, gave my nephew the same dark chocolate sweet twice- the same recipe- just twenty apart; who still wears the same white ribbons?" She leaned back in her chair defiantly.

"I swear, if you're right- I'm going to kick Thomas into next Sunday. No one steals Dotty's sweets. Then again, I also don't doubt she gave him her own beating."

Polly smiled into her tea cup, "well he was sick for a week afterwards. But he said it was worth it because he really liked the dark chocolate melted sweet."

"You think they'll remember it if we told them?" Darcy smiled deviously.

"Let's save it for their wedding day. It'll give her a shock, and Thomas a whack- most likely from her."

The two women laughed hard as they secretly planned the ceremony for these two cluelessly in love, useless individuals. They reminisced of the old times.

Polly snorted slightly, "did I ever tell you 'bout the girl who back in 1914, came on to Tommy while he just completely ignored her?"

——

I NEEDED THIS FRIENDSHIP. Honestly, forget Thomas and Dorothy- this is the new power duo.

Thanks for the love.
Feedback and comments are wanted.
See ya next time!