Subtle Invitation [Thomas Shelby]

Floating

Lily stepped out into the cold breeze and admired how quiet the street was this late at night. It was completely different from the bustle of the day and she suddenly felt a lot calmer.

Tommy had finished locking up when he gently touched her elbow.

"Come on"

"I should go back to my hotel. It's late and my car is just"

Tommy grabbed her by her elbow and walked her impatiently around to the passenger side of his car without a word. Lily bit her lip as she tried to remember how calm she felt a few minutes ago. 

"Can I ask you a question?" Lily asked as she watched him get into the car, his large hands grabbing the steering wheel.

"Yes" he replied back, his voice void of emotion.

"I saw a picture of you smiling in Polly's house. Did you stop smiling after the war?" She asked so bluntly that she even took herself by surprise.

Tommy looked at her, envying the way she could stun him with such innocent questions. Lily was unafraid of getting to know the dark parts of him, or so he hoped that's what it was.

"There was nothing left to smile about after" and he shrugged and pulled the car away, the headlights illuminating their path.

"Where you a lot nicer back then?" She asked, her eyes straight forward, too scared to gauge his reaction to her question.

Tommy scoffed "A lot of people would say yes"

Lily smiled softly "I don't understand you sometimes" she started "you're the most complicated person I have ever met but then again, I don't have much to compare you too"

"And I don't you Miss Adler" and he sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly in his seat.

Lily couldn't lie, she felt a little smug at his confession. It was nice to know that underneath his icy cold exterior there was a human man there.  It also helped to know that he was just as confused about her as she was him.

"Where are we going?" She asked suddenly as Tommy took a left turn instead of the usual right. They where heading towards the local canal that had grey bridges over it.

"I'm showing you a side of Birmingham that you haven't seen"

—-

Lily stepped out of the car and walked over to the body of water, she could of easily dipped her heels in from where she stood. As she looked up the canal she saw the brilliant lights reflecting off the body of water. Even the moon was shining down on them. There was no smoke of smog here. It was beautifully serene.

As Tommy stood at her side, his hands firmly in his pockets she let her mind wonder to him, she wondered what he was thinking and why he had bought her here.

"I used to wait here for a girl" he spoke, his voice lost in remembrance. "There was times when I would wait for hours hoping that her parents hadn't kept her in. There would be hours where she would wait for me"

Lily looked at him under her eyelashes in complete awe as he opened up a piece of himself and willingly gave it to her.

As they stood in silence Lily tried to picture a young Tommy Shelby waiting for a young love here, imagined him tossing stones into the water on a hot summers day.

"What happened to her?" She asked softly as she stepped closer to him, their shoulders nearly touching.

Tommy looked down at the water before he answered "She died before we went to war"