#garrisonfest2020

“I’m really not sure about this, my love…” Luca murmurs, picking at his tie. He looks just as nervous as Tommy feels. “Surely there’s a more… casual… way of doing this?”

Tommy shakes his head. There’s no gentle way to break the news to his family, so getting it over and done with in one shot is probably for the best. Before they left, Luca finally voiced a concern that seemed to have been eating at him for a while.

“Your brother, the fiery one-”

“Arthur.”

“-he’s got every reason to shoot me in the face before I even say anything… but carrying a gun – even if just to defend myself – would come off as too aggressive, I think.” He’d said cautiously, watching anxiously for Tommy’s reaction.

“It would.” Tommy agreed. “But he won’t shoot you. He knows that if he does, he’ll immediately have to face me, and that’s a lesson he learned long ago.” Luca looked relieved.

“It’s Polly and Ada you need to watch out for - they don’t answer to anyone but themselves.” He’d added, only half serious. The look of fear on Luca’s face was almost comical, and Tommy would have laughed, but he’d still felt bad. The vendetta had been over for months, but the bad blood was just as sour as ever. They both know John’s death will be weighing heavily on the minds of the Shelbys today.

After pulling up outside the Garrison, he places his hand on Luca’s leg and twists to look him in the eye.

“Relax, okay? If you go in there looking as scared as you do, it’ll be open season.” He says, leaning in to press a chaste kiss to his lips.

“That’s not exactly reassuring, darling.” Luca replies dryly. Tommy shakes his head in exasperation.

“Take a deep breath and don’t panic.”

“I’m not panicking!”

“I know, love.” Tommy smiles softly, brushing his knuckles over his partner’s cheek. Luca leans into the touch and shuts his eyes for a moment. He hums something under his breath that sounds like a prayer.

“Come on. Let’s go round the back, so I can kick everybody who’s not family out.” Tommy says, giving his leg a final pat before hopping out of the car. They’ve not taken three steps when a loud bang echoes from the factories behind them. Luca flinches. Tommy snorts despite himself. Luca gives him a dirty look, but doesn’t say anything.

Tommy leads him to the back doors, edgy and snarling at anyone who stares. As much as he tries to be calm for Luca’s sake, his stomach feels hollow. He’d tried to prepare for the inevitable onslaught of difficult questions, but it wouldn’t be out of character for Polly to throw a few curveballs just to watch him squirm. Nothing for it now but to cross his fingers and wait it out.

As they round the corner, he walks straight into Johnny Dogs, who almost drops his cigarette into the mud in surprise. He was chatting with Charlie Strong, but they both fall silent when they see Luca. To his credit, he doesn’t shy away from the scrutiny. Charlie meets Tommy’s eye questioningly but mercifully only takes another drag on his own smoke. Johnny looks back and forth between them warily.

“What’s goin’ on, Tom?” He mutters quietly. Tommy sighs.

“It’s alright.” He says, loud enough for Charlie to also hear. “Come inside and I’ll tell you.” He turns and walks into the backroom, Luca following close behind.

Once inside, Charlie crosses his arms.

“Doing business with animals again?” He asks snarkily, giving Luca a disdainful look. Luca opens his mouth to respond but Tommy puts his hand out, placating.

“Like I said, I will tell you. Just give me a moment.” He answers. He walks into the main area of the pub and begins shooing people out.

“Sorry, folks! Family business!” He calls. There’s some grumbling, but when he promises it won’t take too long, the other patrons leave with minimal fuss. Across the room, Michael catches his eye. The whole family have somehow managed to more-or-less contain themselves to one table and are looking at him expectantly. Tommy takes a deep breath and goes to fetch Luca. He, Charlie and Johnny are silently facing off. Rolling his eyes, he motions for the latter two to go and sit down. Once alone, he takes Luca’s hands in his own and kisses him deeply. He’s a little paler than usual but he isn’t shaky or sweaty, which is a good sign.

“Ready?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“It’ll be fine.” Tommy says gently, letting go of his hands to wrap his arms around his waist. Luca swallows thickly and nods. As they step out of the shadows, Tommy suddenly grabs his hand again. He isn’t entirely sure why he did it, but it’s done. This is not how he had planned to tell his family. There’s a beat of dead silence wherein they process the action and its implications. Ada’s the first to react. She lets out a shrill bark of hysterical laughter and throws back the rest of her drink in one go.

“Oh, of course!” She cries. “Tommy ‘Why-Not’ Shelby does it again!” Luca tenses but before he can ask the question no doubt on the tip of his tongue, Arthur stands up. His chair screeches loudly across the floor. His fists clench and unclench, and a vein is starting to throb in his forehead.

“You murdering motherfu-!” He starts venomously, but Polly grabs him by the back of the shirt and pulls him down. He doesn’t stay put. He’s on his feet again in a flash, waving her off. He stalks toward Luca, his gun already in his hand, but Tommy steps between them. He gives Arthur his best “you’ll-have-to-go-through-me-first” glare and it’s enough to make him pause. However, it’s not quite enough to make him lower his weapon, which is still pointed dangerously at Luca’s face. They stare each other down like alley cats. Arthur’s hand is trembling slightly. Tommy slowly lifts his own and carefully pushes the gun to the side. At least now if Arthur loses control and pulls the trigger, they won’t be scrubbing blood off the walls. Again. But he looks livid enough to tear Luca apart with his bare hands if need be.

“Arthur…” He cautions. “The vendetta’s done. No one would thank you to start it up again.” After another excruciatingly tense moment, the gun is lowered and Arthur backs away. He’s obviously still itching to get his fingers around Luca’s throat, but at the very least there’ll be no bullets flying. Linda catches his arm and drags him back into his seat. Out of the corner of his eye, Tommy sees Finn take advantage of the distraction and down the rest of Johnny’s whiskey while he isn’t looking.

He slowly steps out from in front of Luca and shoots him a tight smile. When he turns back to face his family again, Johnny and Michael’s mouths are hanging open. Polly smirks.

“I knew there was something happening between you two.” She says triumphantly. “Right from the start.” She adds, examining her nails in a show of false nonchalance. Luca clears his throat, and Tommy shifts his weight uncomfortably. They couldn’t possibly have been that obvious, could they? He feels cold when he thinks about what would happen if this were to hit the press.

“Well, uh. That’s that. I suppose.” Charlie remarks into the silence. It does nothing to alleviate the awkwardness. Arthur is still glaring daggers at Luca, but the vein in his forehead is gradually disappearing. He pours himself another drink, almost missing his glass altogether as he refuses to look away. Ada leans forward and motions to Finn to fetch two more chairs. Michael slowly shakes his head.

“I had no idea…” he murmurs, half to himself. “How long…?” He asks, finally addressing Luca directly.

“A few months.” He replies, looking a bit like a startled hare at being spoken to so unexpectedly. Arthur chokes.

“Months?!” He cries hoarsely. “A few months you’ve been-?” Tommy nods, not liking where he thinks the conversation is going. He’s saved from having to come up with a means to distract when Finn comes back with the additional chairs. Polly stands up wordlessly and beckons to Luca with one curling finger. He glances at Tommy, who has no choice but to shrug and watch him go. She walks pointedly out of earshot and drops gracefully into a booth. Luca follows obediently. No sooner are they gone than Linda rounds on him.

“Is that or is that not the man who killed your brother in his own backyard?” She says sharply. It’s not really a question, but Tommy doesn’t see how it’s any of her business. She barely knew John, and even then only through Arthur. But she’s unrelenting.

“So – let me get this straight – you invite him not only into your bed-”

“Linda!” Arthur interjects, looking scandalised and slightly sick.

“-but also into the heart of the family? The very family he tried to have destroyed?” She continues, undeterred. Tommy sits in one of the empty seats and twists his rings.

“You’re not exactly family yourself.” He bites out. Ada huffs and goes to get another drink, taking Finn along with her. Charlie looks skeptical. “Besides, we did some serious damage to his side, too.”

Linda scoffs. Before she can say any more, Johnny pipes up.

“He’s right, y’know. And I don’t see how it’s any of our business who Tommy does and doesn’t want to sleep with.” He says, giving him a small smile. Although he is deeply averse to discussing his sex life, Tommy is grateful for the support. Arthur really does look like he’s going to be sick.

“Right, well, if there’s no more shocks to be had today, I’m off home.” Charlie announces. He shakes Tommy’s hand solemnly before turning to leave. Michael and Johnny also stand. Johnny clasps his hand, looking anxious.

“Please be careful, Tom.” He says, glancing over to where Luca is no doubt getting chargrilled. He opens his mouth as if to say something else but seems to think better of it. He smiles and pats Tommy on the shoulder. Michael just inclines his head slightly and walks out.

“Linda, can I have a moment?” Tommy asks, giving Arthur a look. She glances between them, torn, but eventually concedes. As if she had a fucking choice in the matter. As she leaves, she bends to whisper something in her husband’s ear. Tommy looks over to where Luca and his aunt are talking. Polly hasn’t drawn her gun or stabbed him with her hatpin yet, so he assumes it’s going alright. Arthur sighs heavily, also looking over at them.

“So…” he says uncertainly. Tommy waits. Arthur traces the rim of his glass, gathering his thoughts.

“Why him of all people?” He asks plainly. “If it has to be a- a man, why him?” Tommy realises he doesn’t have an answer. He bites his lip, trying to come up with an honest (or at least semi-honest) reply.

“I don’t know.” He finally says, quiet and unsure. Quite frankly, he was expecting him to be more hung up on his sexuality than he actually seems to be. “Would you have preferred it to be someone like… Alfie Solomons, perhaps?” He teases, making Arthur wince.

“No! That’s the only way this could be worse.” He shudders. Tommy chuckles, making a mental note to invite Alfie over for dinner sometime. Arthur opens and closes his mouth a few times, clearly at a loss for words. Tommy guesses that once he’s gotten over the initial shock he’ll become a bit more shouty and like his usual self. At that moment, Polly saunters into his field of view. She folds her arms across her chest and gives Tommy the eye. He tries not to fidget. Suddenly she snorts, causing Arthur to jump and swear.

“You really know how to pick ‘em, don’t you?” She grins. “I told him that if he even thinks about hurting you, not only will I know, but I’ll rip his balls off with a fork.” Tommy shakes his head to clear it of that horrifying image, glancing over at Luca. He’s still sitting at the booth, obviously having been instructed to stay there. Polly turfs Arthur out of his seat and waves him away.

“Leave your gun here.” She commands. He grumbles but obeys, laying it on the table. She turns to Tommy, taking out a cigarette and lighting up. For a few minutes, neither say anything. Ada returns, having sent Finn home with Johnny Dogs. She comes to sit with them, glass in one hand and cigarette in the other. Polly exhales and her gaze sharpens.

“A few months?” She asks. Tommy nods. It’s both the truth and a small lie. He and Luca have been dating for a few months, but their relationship actually goes back far longer. He’d remembered him from before he left to take over his father’s businesses in America; remembered how they’d sort-of been friends as teenagers, despite the age gap. He’d first become interested in Luca at thirteen, when Luca had been seventeen. It had never been anything more than a private, secret crush, but apparently hadn’t quite fizzled out after Luca left. His return had brought it back full force – despite the circumstances – and during their first meeting Tommy had barely been able to look him in the face for fear of blushing like a schoolboy. He didn’t seem to recognise him, and so Tommy hadn’t acknowledged him either. Not until later, when Luca had, unprompted and rather unexpectedly, told him that he still had “the same beautiful eyes as when we were kids”.

“He seems quite enamoured with you…” Polly muses, breaking through the memories like a pebble through the surface of a still pond. Tommy feels his cheeks warm and looks away. Across the room, Arthur is having his own go at Luca. He appears to be coming back to himself, if the wild hand gestures, raised voice and red face are anything to go by.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Ada questions. Bluntly and directly, as usual. Tommy nods again.

“I do love him, and I know he loves me.” He answers. No need to beat around the bush. The women exchange a meaningful look.

“And if he doesn’t?” She says, her eyes kind and worried. “If this is just a ruse to get to you? It wouldn’t be unheard of…” Tommy raises an eyebrow archly. Rationally, he knows she’s only looking out for him as she has absolutely no reason to trust Luca. Still, her lack of faith irritates him. Polly wisely keeps her mouth shut. Tommy makes eye contact with his sister, but she’s immune to all his tricks and tactics. She gazes back unflinchingly. Finally, he sighs in defeat.

“He won’t do that.” He murmurs. “But if he does-” he adds, seeing the looks on their faces. “If he does, I’ll be the first to dice him up.” Polly snickers around her smoke.

“And then you’ll hand him straight on to me, yes?” She smirks. Tommy rolls his eyes.

“Fine.”

The three of them sit for a little while longer, as she and Ada wring as many details out of him as possible. He does his best to humour them, knowing their curiosity will only grow if he doesn’t, but he draws a line in the sand when Ada only half-jokingly asks what Luca’s like in bed. He can’t help the flush that creeps up his neck when he thinks about it, though. She giggles and winks lewdly.

At some point, Arthur seemed to have finished his long-winded rant and the two men make their way over. Luca sighs softly as he sits down next to Tommy, draping an arm around the back of his chair. Then he sees Ada, who raises an impeccably plucked eyebrow, and tenses up again.

“Relax.” Tommy murmurs to him. The atmosphere is far more comfortable now, although Arthur still looks a bit ruffled. Luca leans in to press a quick kiss to Tommy’s cheek, as if to prove the credibility of their relationship. He twists around to return the kiss properly. Arthur makes a strained noise and Polly rolls her eyes theatrically.

“A room, Thomas.” She scolds. “Get one.” He just laughs and pats Luca’s knee. And even though he wants to, he dares not move it any higher than that for fear of giving his poor brother heart failure.  

All things considered, he thinks contentedly as they chat together, it could have gone worse. His gaze drifts to Luca’s face. He seems to have finally relaxed – all the tension has gone out of his shoulders and he no longer has the expression of a man walking to the gallows. Yeah, could’ve gone much worse.

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