#peakys6responsechallenge

She opened her book with the hopes of doing some quiet reading. But those hopes were shattered within the first fifteen minutes when she heard the sound of heavy feet hitting off of the room's tiled floors.

"Mind if I sit?" a man's voice cut through the silence. He had a British accent, and it reminded (Y/N) that not all people sailing from America were American. That not all of the people on this ship were getting away from something.

She looked up after he spoke, her eyes falling on a man dressed in a nice suit. His hair was dark and longer on top, the sides were shaved and had flecks of gray mixed into it. He had a prominent jawline and captivating blue eyes that were currently boring into hers. His full lips were pouted slightly as he stared down at her. After glancing him over, (Y/N) looked around the empty room

"I was asking you," the man spoke again after her eyes fell back onto him.

"Oh, I know you were. I was just wondering why...that out of all of the empty tables here, you've decided that you want to sit with me," (Y/N) responded to him, propping her chin up on her hand as she sent him an inquisitive look.

"It's best to have company late at night," he stated, not making a move to go to another table.

"And you think I want company?" (Y/N) raised her eyebrows.

"May I sit?" he disregarded her question, nodding his head to one of the many open chairs at the table she was occupying.

(Y/N) stared at him for a moment, trying to gauge what his angle might be. Why did he want to sit with her? A few moments passed before she let out a sigh. It didn't seem like he was going to be leaving, so she decided to give in. "You can sit here," she finally agreed to let him join her and he nodded before taking a seat so that two chairs were left in between them. She then focused her attention back on the book in her hands, ignoring the sounds of metallic clanking and the flick of a lighter that came from where he was sitting. The smell of smoke confirmed to her that he had lit a cigarette. She didn't need to look up.

"You going on holiday?" his voice broke through the silence that had fallen between them.

(Y/N) looked up at him again, seeing that he was sitting with his one leg crossed over the other, the cigarette dangling from his lips. "Excuse me?" she asked for him to repeat his question, not listening to it the first time around. She didn't expect to be entertaining a conversation with him.

"You're American," he pointed out, "but you're leaving America. So are you going on holiday?"

"I'm not," (Y/N)'s answer was definite, hoping that he'd get the gist that she didn't want to talk. Again, her eyes fell to her book.

"Going for business then?"

"Do you have a name?" she deflected his question with one of her own, her eyebrows raised as she looked at him again.

"Huh?" he seemed slightly shocked that she hadn't answered his question.

"I'd like to know the name of the person asking me all of these questions," she explained the reason behind her question, abandoning the book on the table so that she could sit back in her seat and cross her arms over her chest.

"Thomas Shelby," he answered her question, tapping some of the cigarette's ash off in the ashtray before he looked up at her, "is your trip for business?" he asked again.

"Not exactly," she responded, exuding a suppressed laugh.

A sliver of intrigue flashed in his eyes, and if (Y/N) wasn't looking at him, she would have missed it. "Then why are you sailing away from the land of opportunity?" he questioned.

(Y/N) took another moment to think about her answer. "I didn't want the opportunity that was bestowed upon me," she finally said after a short pause.

"Oh?" was all Thomas said. But (Y/N) knew what his 'oh' meant. It meant that he wanted her to continue; to tell him the reason why the opportunity wasn't what she wanted. And for some reason, she felt like she'd already trusted him enough to tell him.

"My father was going to marry me off to a man who cared more about lining his pockets than the well-being of others...which I guess makes sense considering that's exactly what my father does. He'd had enough of waiting for me to find my own suitor and decided to take it into his hands and find me one. He's afraid I won't bore him an heir before my time runs out," (Y/N) paused, another suppressed laugh leaving her lips as she shook her head, "so he gave me to the first man he could find. I was supposed to be married in three days," she finished with a slight nod as she looked over at him.

"And now you're sailing away," Tommy commented.

"And now I'm sailing away," (Y/N) affirmed with another nod of her head.

"How old are you, eh?" he asked then, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Thirty," the woman responded, "so you can imagine my father's concern about finding me someone," she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, shaking her head. "Would have never known what it was like to live a happy life had I stayed. All I would have known is money and greed." She looked away from Tommy as she said this because she didn't want him to see the sadness in her eyes. She had never known love. Never known what it felt like to be desired.

"And you're hoping to find happiness in England?" he asked her another question.

"Why are you taking this trip, Mr. Shelby?" she asked a question of her own.

"A family matter has come up," Tommy looked to the table as he said this because his eyes held secrets too. His head had been spinning since he stepped on the steamship that morning. He hoped this woman wasn't able to see through his façade. "What is your name?" he asked her, now noticing that he hadn't caught it earlier.

"(Y/N) (Y/L/N)," she responded with the smallest smile as their eyes met once more.

"Well, Ms. (Y/L/N), if tonight is to tell the tale of the next several that we'll have on this boat, I think we will be spending more time together," he said as he stood from the chair, extinguishing the cigarette in the ashtray before looking over at her.

"Where are you going?" she wondered, becoming slightly sad that she was losing the company that she didn't even know she wanted.

"I'm going to let you read your book," he nodded to the paperback novel that she still had in her hands. Before she could stop him, he turned and walked away. This wasn't the last time she'd see Thomas Shelby...she knew that much.

——

The music being played by the live band was loud, and the dancefloor was filled with other passengers as they lost themselves in the beat of the drum and the swing of the horns. (Y/N) was sitting at a table off to the side, by herself. She wouldn't be alone for much longer though. She was expecting someone.

The clearing of that very person's throat brought her out of her thoughts and pulled her eyes away from the band. "You've decided to come," she smiled as she looked up at the man standing over her.

"I did," Tommy nodded as he took the seat next to her, placing his peaked cap on the table beside the empty plate. "Nothing better to do on this boat," he commented with a grin then, his witty statement making (Y/N) laugh.

"What will you be having?" a waiter interrupted their conversation before it could go any further.

"I'll have a martini," (Y/N) smiled up at the man.

"Water, please," Tommy put his order in, his eyes still focused on the woman sitting to his side. The waiter nodded and left their side then.

"You don't drink?" (Y/N) questioned, surprise laced into her voice.

"No," Tommy shook his head, "not anymore." The woman nodded her head, taking his word and not commenting on it further.

Soon enough, the waiter returned with their requested beverages. (Y/N) sipped on her martini while Tommy pulled out his canister and lit a cigarette. "Listen to this music, Thomas..." she trailed off, a smile on her face as she closed her eyes and tipped her head back slightly, "it's the sound of the future," she commented, swaying her shoulders slightly to the rhythm. She felt so free at that moment. Like nothing could stop her or bring her down.

When she opened her eyes and looked to the side, she saw Tommy looking at her with a slight smile on his face. "It's loud," he gave his opinion, its bluntness making (Y/N) giggle.

"It's freeing," she corrected him.

"And you want to feel free?"

"Who doesn't?" (Y/N) asked him, her eyebrows raised. Tommy didn't respond. He just stared at her with his mouth parted slightly. He didn't know what to say...didn't know the right words. So he let her have her moment. He let her be free.

—

"Do you not like jazz, Thomas?" (Y/N) questioned after they'd spent some time at the table. The band was still playing and the drinks were still flowing, although Tommy never touched one and (Y/N) stopped after her first. She knew all too well what too much alcohol did to her. Now, she only had one to take the edge off.

"I don't," Tommy shook his head, taking a sip of his room temperature water. It didn't have the same affect on him as the whisky did, but his head was clearer now...he was in a better place.

(Y/N) frowned slightly at his confession, tipping her head to the side before she spoke, "then why did you agree to come see the band?"

"Because I'd hate to see an opportunity to spend time with you go to waste," he responded, his words lacking filter. He didn't care that he'd just met this woman a mere twenty-four hours ago. He was drawn to her, and what Tommy Shelby was drawn to, he needed to pursue.

(Y/N) looked down at the table as she digested his words, her cheeks heating up. "You're making me blush, Mr. Shelby," she told him bashfully.

"Good. It was my intention to," he grinned as he looked over at her. She pursed her lips as she looked up at him again, as if she was meticulously calculating her next move.

"Well if you don't like jazz, what are we still doing here?" she questioned him as her eyebrows raised slightly, a suggestive glint in her eye. She hoped he'd get her gist.

Tommy let out a breath of a laugh, looking away from her for a moment. His eyes were back on her as he spoke, "that is a good question. Have you had enough of the band?"

"I have," she nodded, holding her hand out to him. Tommy took it as he stood, assisting her in standing before he kept hold of her hand and led her out of the music hall that the steamship had.

(Y/N) looked around in awe as they walked down the first class corridor. She'd booked a lower class ticket, as she didn't have much money to her name. She was even more awestruck when Tommy opened the door to his suite, but she didn't have much time to look around because he was pulling her into his arms as the door closed.

"You have money, Mr. Shelby," she commented, her eyes fixated on his perfectly set tie.

"I do," Tommy responded, his hands holding onto her hips.

"Are you also arrogant and greedy?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow as she looked up at him.

"Comes with the territory," was all he said. There was no point in lying. She'd see right through it.

"But you're not like my father?" she checked.

"I don't know your father, love," he shook his head slightly.

"Good," the woman affirmed, "because he's a terrible, terrible man."

"I can assure you that I'm no better."

"Oh, but you are better," she disagreed with his statement, her eyes still locked with his as she hesitantly brought her hands up to caress his face. She ran her hands down his cheeks and across the back of his neck before she hooked her fingers behind his ears. "I can see it in your eyes...in your face."

Tommy just stared down at her, his eyes and mind focused on her and only her. Then she spoke again, this time in a whisper: "we're not drunk, are we?" she asked him, moving her face closer so that she was centimeters away from him now.

"No," was all he said, his hot breath now fanning across her face, smelling of mint and cigarettes.

"Then why am I about to make a drunken decision?" she asked, but it wasn't a question for him to answer. Even if it was, she didn't give him the time to, because her lips were on his a second after she finished speaking.

His hold on her tightened as their lips meshed, their teeth clashing and tongues fighting for dominance. And that night, for the first time in her life, (Y/N) felt free — in all senses of the word.

——

(Y/N) opened her eyes to the same sight as she had been for the past two days. The ornate ceiling, the four-poster bed. It really was like you were in a different world in the first class quarters of the ship. She stretched her arms out to find the bed empty and then sat up. She saw only her clothes strewn about on the floor, and the vanity chair that she remembered them knocking over in their blind stumbling the night prior was now sitting upright. Of course he was out already.

So she rolled out of the bed and went to grab her clothes, but stopped when her eye caught a piece of paper sitting on the vanity. She moved closer to examine it, seeing that it was a note:

(Y/N),

The maid is set to come in to clean at noon. Be out of the room before then. Come visit me tonight at 7:30. I left a key. Take it with you for later.

Thomas Shelby

Glancing over at the clock, she saw that it was 11:30 now. Luckily she'd woken up in time. So she gathered her things, got dressed, took the key from the vanity, and exited the suite for her lower class room.

They were four days into the five day voyage now. They'd arrive in Liverpool tomorrow afternoon if all went alright. Most would be elated by that news, but it made (Y/N) feel sad. What she felt the last three days was unlike anything she felt in her life.

She was starting to feel things for Thomas Shelby. He made her feel like no other man has, and she was sad that she had to leave him tomorrow. She hoped that they'd find each other again somewhere down the road, or that he'd ask her to come with him to wherever it was that he was returning to.

But for now, she just had to kill time until 7:30. She decided to go to the dining hall to get some food. As she sat at her table, she hoped that she'd catch a glimpse of the man she'd come to desire greatly over the past few days. She tried not to take it personally when she didn't. Then she returned to her room, thinking that it would be best to take a mid day nap since she figured that she wouldn't be sleeping much that night. She and Thomas never did when they were together.

It was only four when she woke from her nap, so she decided to go to the communal baths and get a shower to feel more fresh. The salty air that surrounded the ocean made her skin feel dry and her hair feel stiff. And she wanted to feel beautiful for tonight.

(Y/N) entered the first class corridor ahead of schedule, turning the key to his suite at 7:15. She figured that he was out and she’d surprise him by lying on his bed, naked, for when he came back. God, she hated that he brought out this side of her. But at the same time she felt so free.

But she didn’t even get to remove the blouse she was wearing because her eyes fell on two things that were sitting on the bedside stand. And when she realized what they were, her smile fell as well. Next to the lamp sat a picture of a woman who had her arms around two small kids. She was striking, her beauty was evident and radiating even though the picture was black and white. The children were smiling widely and looked adorable. Sitting next to the photograph was a small, gold band that was undeniably a wedding ring. (Y/N)’s stomach dropped at the sight.

And then she heard him clear his throat, as well as the sound of his footsteps coming from the bathroom that was attached to the suite. Shit.

Tommy didn’t expect to see (Y/N) standing at the side of his bed when he walked into the main room from the en-suite bathroom, but he wasn’t opposed to seeing her. That is, until he saw the expression on her face. “(Y/N). What are you...what are you doing here?” he asked her, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Thomas?” she asked, her voice coming out in a broken whisper, tears already stinging her eyes.

“Tell you what, love?” he asked, completely confused now. (Y/N) winced at the pet name. A day ago, hearing it made her fill with butterflies, now it was like a knife to the heart.

“That you’re fucking married, Thomas,” she hissed, her eyes turning cold as she tried her damnedest to hold back the tears, “and that you have children,”

Tommy’s stomach dropped at her words. He must’ve left his wedding band and the picture he kept with him on the nightstand. Fuck. Immediately, he went into damage control. “I...I told you about them, (Y/N),” he said, then holding his hand out in front of him as a way to non-verbally tell her to calm down because he could see the anger rising in her.

“No, you did not. You told me you were returning because of a family matter. Not because your wife and fucking kids missed you!” she exclaimed, unable to hold the tears back now. There were too many and the levee was breaking. “Oh my god...” she whispered then, looking past him to the wall before she tipped her head back slightly, “I can’t believe...I can’t fucking believe that I trusted you,” she let out a laugh, more in spite of herself than anything.

“Let me explain...” Tommy tried after a few moments of silence, but (Y/N) wasn’t having it.

“No. No, you don’t get to fucking explain now. I was nothing but transparent with you. I told you about my sad, pathetic life in confidence because I trusted you. You made me feel like I was safe...you made me feel. And I thought that what I felt was real. Maybe it was for me, but for you...for you, it was a way in. You used my feelings and played on my emotions because you couldn’t keep it in your pants for five more days until you were back with your wife!” she ended her monologue by wiping the tears from her cheeks with the backs of her hands. She hated that she was crying. She felt angry and used more than she felt sad, but the tears wouldn’t stay back.

Tommy only shook his head, a sigh escaping his lips as he thought about what to say. What was there to say? How could he redeem himself from this? “I felt something for you too, (Y/N).”

“Don’t fucking say that!” she exclaimed, choking out a sob before she covered her mouth with her hands. “You don’t get to say that when you have a family at home! Don’t you understand that?!” she covered her eyes then, not wanting to see him any longer. Her breathing became shallow as panic set in. Realization had hit her that she was now standing in front of the very situation that she was supposed to be running away from.

“Calm down, (Y/N),” his voice was soft as it came from right beside her now. He reached his hand out to place it on her arm, but she flinched away.

“Don’t fucking touch me, Thomas,” she hissed at him, sending him a pathetic attempt at a glare. “I was running away from my father, but it seems I’ve found someone worse than him.” And with that, she was walking to the door. Before reaching for the handle, she turned to face him. He was still standing by the bedside, a stoic expression on his face. “Oh...” she paused, breathing out a laugh as she shook her head, “and fuck you,” her words were like knifes as she hurled them in his direction. But she didn’t care if she’d hurt him, because nothing she could say or do would amount to what he’d done to her.

She then opened the door to the suite and exited Tommy’s room, and life, forever. Trying her best to put on a straight face, she made her way out of the first class quarters and down to the lower decks.

She spent the final day of her trip in misery, barely leaving her cabin other than to eat or use the lavatory. Thankfully, she didn’t see Tommy after she left him in his suite. She didn’t know what she would have done if she would have seen him again.

(Y/N) took this trip to run away from the marriage she was being forced into. A marriage in which she wouldn’t feel anything. So, in a way, she boarded this boat in hopes to feel. And she did feel. She now knew what it felt like to be desired. She still didn’t know what it was like to be loved, although she thought what she had with Thomas could have been.

But she realized something as the steamship docked in England. She realized that she'll always just be that woman on the boat. That woman who’ll just keep sailing away in hopes of finding something to make her feel, only to be met with the cold, emptiness that the open ocean offered. And maybe she’d be stuck on that lonesome boat for the rest of her life.

———

Tagged: @alreadybroken-ts @magicalxdaydream @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @golden-hoax @elenavampire21

Masterlist

Jo was a spirited child, she was clever and strong willed much like her father, but had her stubbornness and social intellect from you. She stretched her little arms out as she made her way towards her father who caught up to her and lifted her into his arms. He sighed as he lifted her up even though you could see that he had no problem lifting her weight.

“You’ve grown”, he chuckled and Jo gave him a proud smile.

“I missed you”, she told him and he smiled at her, glancing at you for a second before answering.

“I missed you too, and I missed your mum”, he said with another look in your direction, and you gave him a sympathetic smile.

It wasn’t like you weren’t happy to see him because you were, you had missed him, but the fact that he had been away again for so long gave that smile a melancholic touch.

You couldn’t be angry, though. And when Jo said “welcome home” you shouldn’t have felt that stinging pain in your heart because this life had been your decision. You had known from the very beginning what you were getting yourself into. It was not his home and you were not his wife. You were a woman on the side. The other woman. A whore.

There were days when you despised yourself for it but there were also days when Tommy would finally come to Boston to visit you. And those days were filling you with so much happiness that they were worth risking everything else.

You knew that he didn’t love his wife and she didn’t love him either but they were children and his reputation involved. He couldn’t divorce Elizabeth just like that. At least that was what he kept telling you when you were getting angry at him.

Tommy Shelby had promised you that in the end it would be you and him – when his children were grown and he retired. But why would you have to wait so long to have him by your side? Why did you have to waste the best years of your life on yearning and feeling not good enough?

“I missed you, too,” you told him after tossing all those thoughts and feelings aside.

The drive to your house was short and mostly silent except for Jo’s excitement about the presence of her father, who was too engrossed in his own thoughts to be able to react to her properly. Jo was seated in his lap, she hadn’t let go of him since she had laid eyes on him, but Tommy was absent minded, sitting beside you while you tried your best to entertain your daughter.

Once you got home you asked her to go play with her maid while you talked to her father, which she begrudgingly did. Tommy was silent for a while as he settled into the place his daughter had called home, resting on the sofa and lighting a cigarette as he went.

“Business is going as expected”, he chose to start a conversation that you immediately weren’t keen on, your anger building as you once again realised that Tommy Shelby only knew two things, business and sex. “I’ve actually come to see my cousin, he’s married to an American”, he went on when you didn’t say anything. “I haven’t seen him for a while now, but I’ve been keeping track on him”, he continued, nodding to you as he did so as if his cousin meant anything to you.

A maid came and went again after shooting Tommy a subservient look and bringing him a glass of water he hadn’t even ordered, while you usually had to do almost everything on your own. It didn’t actually bother you but it was so typical that it annoyed you at least a little bit, in addition to the fact that Tommy clearly didn’t know what to talk to you about. That hurt you as well but you tried not to let it show, not wanting to break out into a fight straight away.

“That’s nice”, you sighed and sat on the edge of the sofa, trying to change the subject. “I was shopping yesterday, you have no idea how fast Jo grows! I need to buy her new clothes every two months! I’m thinking about finding her a tutor, too. Jo should start learning foreign languages as soon as possible, that’s what I’ve heard from my friends”, you batted your eyelashes and caressed Tommy’s arm.

“Yeah, good idea”, he nodded and cleared his throat. “Anyway, tomorrow I’m going to meet with him, then I’m meeting with a business partner and–”

“Tom”, your jaw clenched as you interrupted his rambling. He blinked a few times and looked at you questioningly. “You care more about the business than your own daughter?”, you gritted your teeth, wondering if he had been the same with his British children.

“You have told me what you wanted to tell me, I told you it was a good idea. What else am I supposed to do?”, he asked.

“Why are you even coming here, Tommy?”, you jumped out of the sofa and crossed your arms, standing in front of him. “You’re here to have a place to sleep, a woman to fuck whenever you’re dealing with business but you’re not here to spend time with your family”, you snapped.

“Come on, (Y/N)”, he shook his head and chuckled which had only angered you further.

“Honestly”, you rolled your eyes and left his side to approach the table with many bottles of alcohol. Tommy wasn’t drinking anymore but that was not the case for you. “I know that people were warning me about you but I’m still disappointed, you know? Because my friend Gina, her husband’s a man like you and he cares about his kid. Very deeply, he cares very deeply even now when he’s in jail because some asshole ratted him out”, you poured yourself a bit of wine and kept shaking your head.

“Wait… What Gina?”, Tommy froze.

You sent him a funny look but only raised your eyebrows, realising that the interest might have only been because your friend was female. “Gina Gray, she’s actually married to an Englishman. He’s nice, I’ve just seen him around a few times, not my type, but…”, you began but Tommy’s face that was even more serious than usual stopped you dead in your tracks.

“What is it?”, you asked him as you watched some kind of realisation dawn on him.

“Gina Gray”, Tommy repeated in a low voice, almost like a sigh, capturing your attention immediately at how usual the name sounded on his tongue. “Gina fucking Gray”, he growled, his eyes raising to your face.

“So you know her as well. You’ve fucked her, too?”, you asked him, but Tommy stayed level headed like always.

“She’s my cousin’s wife”, he answered without really answering your question, but you hoped that you were wrong. He was a little agitated, nervous even, but Tommy always hid it well. “You should have told me you are friends with her”, he told you, and you grimaced at that. Tommy never liked defiance and he interpreted your grimace as such.

“You can’t know everything about my life, Tom, that’s not how a relationship works, especially not one where you’re gone off to your family for almost all year”, you tried to defend your actions.

“You know how important I am, and you know that through you people can get to me”, he sighed, the initial anger at your ignorance replaced by disappointment. “What did you tell her?”, he asked, sitting up straighter in his seat, far less relaxed than before. When you didn’t answer as fast as he would have liked you to he repeated the question with a lot more urgency.

“We’re friends, we talk, Thomas!”, you replied to him, your heart picking up speed as Tommy pressured you to go on. “I trust Gina, I always have, we’ve been friends since fucking boarding school”, you answered him, getting agitated quite quickly.

“She’s a good friend, and she’s there for me, even in the times you asshole pretend I don’t exist”, you went on, and Tommy simply watched you in silence. “Honestly, you ignore my existence and the existence of your daughter for most of the time but when you come to America you pretend that you’ve never been away, no apology or anything for the fact that while you claim you love me you treat me like a whore, and Jo like an accident”, you raised your voice, but Tommy didn’t even flinch.

“So this is how you feel, eh?”, he asked sternly. You blinked a few times, taken aback by such a question. Like he hadn’t known.

“How would you feel, Tommy?”, you asked, a bit calmer now. “You don’t even have to wonder because you’re a man. It’s so easy for you men…”

“You know that I love you”, Tommy squinted his eyes and approached you to put his arms around you, but you flinched. “Not Lizzie, not any other woman – you”.

“If that’s how you treat the woman you love, then I feel sorry for Elizabeth”, you whispered and Tommy took a step back, hurt by your comment. “So, you’re Michael Gray’s awful cousin”, you smirked and left his side. “She told me a lot about you. I should have known her words were about you”.

“What do you mean?”

“She told me her husband’s cousin was old and delusional. Heartless and greedy. Power hungry and unstoppable in his sick ambition. It all sounded so familiar indeed”.

“This is not who I want to be for you, (Y/N)”, Tommy swallowed thickly.

“Then prove it. Leave the office and file for a divorce. I can take Jo to Great Britain so you don’t have to leave your children, but I won’t do it for a man who’s not giving me any guarantee. I can’t do it for the man you are now”, you sighed, defeated.

“You would?”, Tommy asked surprised and raised an eyebrow at you.

“If you prove that you care and want us to be together, then I can prove the same thing but… But you won’t, right?”, you turned around and approached the door. “Now, take a rest, you must be exhausted after the trip and you should prepare yourself for the business tomorrow”, you pointed out bitterly and left him alone in the living room.

Tommy Shelby was left by himself pondering, as usual, but nothing would ever really change when it came to you.

tagging: @flowers-in-your-hayr @smallheathgangsters @geekandbooknerd @osferth @supervalcsi @peakyrogers @iccyyyybitch @gracethegeek9902 @for-bebbanburg @finantheagile @lovemissyhoneybee @kasaikawa @the-makingsofgreatness @milshelbs @scarletmeii @skinny-bitch-juice @idalinette @misselsbells06 @a-lil-bit-nuts @calums-betch @davinaschouten

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With Lizzie still grieving Ruby, dealing with his own grieving and now an illness that would leave him in fucks knows what state… Tommy couldn’t help but think, about his life, the things he had done right and wrong. He couldn’t give Charlie the attention he needed and now he wouldn’t have enough time with his eldest son, Duke.

He has never been scared of death, no, all his life he knew his demons and learned to make peace with them a long time ago. And now, he was running out of time.

But one thing he had never been able to forget was her.

Y/N.

The one who had been with him when his mum drowned, the same one who hugged him when his horse won the first race, she was also the one who warned him about Grace and also held him when she died. Y/N scolded him as soon as he told her about Lizzie being pregnant and that he would marry her. She had been the one suggesting he should become a politician to slap those bastards showing them how a gypsy boy from Birmingham who was born on a boat could make it to the top.

After that they never saw each other again, he had been busy with his business. She had her own family to look after.

Deep down, he knew he loved her. Would even get a bullet for her.

And why is that he isn’t with her? You may ask yourself.

Easy, because he can’t give himself the luxury of hurting her like he’s hurt everyone else.

Clearing his throat, he looked at the phone on his desk. Moving his hand to pick it up while the doubts make him move his hand away.

As if calling her with his mind, the phone rang, pushing his thoughts away.

“Tommy?” Her soft voice invading his ears.

Honey, why you calling me so late?

He heard her take a deep breath. He knew that tone.

It's kinda hard to talk right now

Honey, why you crying, is everything okay?

“I was about to call you Y/N… is everything alright?” He asked leaning his back against his chair.

I gotta whisper 'cause I can't be too loud

“Tommy are you coming to bed?” Lizzie appeared opening the door without knocking first.

“I’m busy, Lizzie.” He replied in an annoyed tone. “Close the door.” Without another word, he saw her left the office.

Well, my girl's in the next room

“I just kept thinking about you, it’s been days like this…”

Sometimes I wish she was you

“How is Joseph? And the kids?” He threw his glasses over his desk and started rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

The thought of Y/N being married to a good man, made things easier for him, just in case anything happened.

He always wondered if any of her four children were his, after all they never stopped sleeping together during that time. But he never dared to ask the question, what was the point? They weren’t meant to be together. It was better this way.

For Joseph, for Lizzie, especially for Y/N.

I guess we never really moved on

“They are alright…” A short pause followed. “I want to see you, Tommy.”

It's really good to hear your voice saying my name

It sounds so sweet

Coming from the lips of an angel

Hearing those words, it makes me weak

“See you in an hour? Midland Hotel, our old suite.”

The excitement growing in him as if this was the first time. Or the last one.

And I never wanna say goodbye

“I have missed you.” He could hear her smiling.

It's funny that you're calling me tonight

And, yes, I've dreamt of you too

”Think you can get out of the house?

And does he know you're talking to me?

“Don’t worry about it.”

Will it start a fight?

“See you then.”

No, I don't think she has a clue

***

Pacing the room while smocking a cigarette, he had enough time to think about this.

He surely had made many mistakes, some on purpose, some others were a collateral damage of the decisions he took.

He will forever regret Polly’s dead as a consequence of such decisions, Ruby was another story, she was cursed and there’s nothing you can do against a curse.

But as the door to the suite was slowly being open, he confirmed what he already knew; this was the one thing he would never regret.

Discarding the remaining cigarette he looked at her.

“Tommy.”

It's really good to hear your voice saying my name

It sounds so sweet

Coming from the lips of an angel

Offering Y/N his hand, Tommy pulled her, making her collide against his tight body.

Not wasting a second on a hello, or chatting, their mouths kissed hard, just what they both wanted, what they needed after all this time.

Her lips tasted like a shot of whiskey injected straight into his veins.

Quickly removing the clothes that hindered them. Placing one hand on her jaw, he pushed her face slightly away. Y/N took her time to open her eyes, his lips started going south, stopping on her neck where he could feel her pulse going faster than ever, his hands roaming the rest of her body. Slowly, over the fabric of her one-piece lingerie, his mouth took all the time to kiss her breasts, earning the first moans of the night.

“Look at us.” He pleaded moving behind her, their reflection in the mirror. Y/N fixed her gaze on Tommy’s eyes through the mirror. “All of this time… it was always you.” His hand outlining her curves until his fingers found what he was looking for, in the middle of her legs. She couldn’t help her eyes from closing again, the intense pleasure surpassing what she could bear. His fingers circling the sensitive skin over the fabric, her hips moving backwards to meet his thrusts.

Turning around, unable to hold it longer, Y/N pulled Tommy by the neck to taste his lips one more time, while his hands discarded the only barrier that was separating them.

Guiding her to the bed, Tommy kissed her neck while his fingers worked wonders on her center, not long after that, he pressed his hand on the small of her back to bend Y/N over the bed making his way back home inside of her with one hard thrust.

A loud moan leaving her mouth and her body reacting, gave him the guideline to start moving again after a few seconds.

His own body made him let out a deep grunt.

After a few hard, deep thrusts, Tommy stopped and withdraw from her body. Only to turn her around and gently place her in the center of the bed.

“I want to see you.” He admitted softly giving up to the armor he had been wearing in front of everyone else.

The smile that appeared on her lips and her tender gaze made him come undone. Kissing her lips in the gentlest way, he entered her one more time, all the way in, only to move again almost all the way out. His hips finding the rhythm they knew so well, hers dancing away with his.

Tommy placed a quick kiss in the middle of her chest, and his mouth followed the way up until it reached her lips while her hands moved away the fringe on his forehead and her legs locked around his waist.

Both of them reaching the highest place of pleasure at the same time, whispering each other’s names, feeling fireworks explode around them, inside as well.

As his moves stopped, Y/N caressed his face, while his eyes were fixed on hers, finding the answers to their lives.

Still as joined pieces, one of his hands went to her hair spread on the pillow, while hers stroked his shoulder. Their lips colliding together as an extension of their union.

It was clearer than ever, that he found what he had been looking for.

You, the unconditional.

You, the one.

This was the Angel kissing the Devil himself after all.

Because in the end, every devil always comes out from hell looking for an angel.

Even that this might only last one night, a few moments, he was the happiest he had ever been.

He didn’t know how much time he had left.

But if he were to die tonight, he wanted to do it in her arms.

***

As you helped her remove her coat, she began wailing loudly she didn’t want to take a bath. She kept crying which was unusual for you daughter who was always agreeable. You assumed a day playing with Johnny Dogs’ children had been overwhelming for her. She had just stopped taking naps and could still be grumpy in the evenings.

Then you realized she might be ill. You placed a gentle hand to her forehead to feel for a temperature, but she was cool to the touch. Without reason for further concern, you had a maid take her upstairs for a bath while you finished dinner preparations. You were eager for your nightly ritual of reading at her bedside. You had begun a book of poems recently which you both enjoyed.

Tonight did not go as you anticipated, however. Ruby came down for dinner without tears, but she insisted on plate after plate of food. She was demanding, almost greedy in her behavior. She was still eating long after Charlie had finished. This was strange because Ruby rarely ate all her food, preferring to be excused from the table early to play. You wondered if she was going through a growth spurt. Finally, you coaxed her away from the table with the promise of your nightly reading.

In her room, she settled comfortably and smiled at you. It was a relief to see after the difficult evening with her. You sat in the chair beside her and began reading from the book of poems. At some point you must have drifted off because you awoke suddenly at the sound of your daughter’s petrified voice.

“Get away! Get away from me! You’re hurting me. Stop!”

You jumped up from your chair and switched on the light by Ruby’s bed. Your poor little girl was thrashing around in her covers fighting someone or something very real to her. You placed a hand on her back gently to wake her slowly just as you did with Tommy when he had his nightmares.

“Ruby, darling, it’s mummy,” you stated quietly.

Ruby stopped moving for a moment, breathing heavily. “Where is he, mummy? I saw him.”

“Darling, there’s no one. It was a nightmare." You continued to stroke her back soothingly.

Ruby’s eyes were open, but she was staring as though still in a dream. “You know, don’t you? You know the devil, mummy. I saw you with him.” She said accusingly. She turned to look at you, now fully awake. You pulled your hand away as though it were burned. You moved away from her frightened by the eerily calm look in her eyes.

You watched her for a moment before deciding to change the subject asking, “Ruby, darling, would you like some water?” You stood on shaky legs, making your way downstairs slowly. You took a few deep breaths to steady yourself. You wanted to ask Ruby more about what she saw, but when you returned with the glass of water, the light in her room was off. She had been terrified minutes ago and now she was sound asleep. You didn’t understand.

You were sure you were overtired. You hadn’t been sleeping well yourself, often catching a few hours of sleep in a chair before waking to start the day again. You constantly had Tommy’s business on your mind. Despite his best efforts to keep you out of it, the only thing you saw when you tried to sleep at night were threats of bodily harm and kidnapping. The safety Tommy promised you as a wedding vow was evaporating along with any faith you had in yourself to protect your children’s innocence. It was in that awful cycle of thought that you grew tired and succumbed to a light slumber.

The next morning, you awoke in your bedroom with the glass of water by your bedside table. You suddenly remembered the events of the night before. You dressed quickly and headed downstairs for breakfast. The maids informed you Charlie and Ruby were in the stables helping Curly.

“We thought it might be best for you to rest ma’am after all the shouting last night.”

“Yes, we had a difficult night, but everything is alright now. Would you bring some tea, please?” you asked.

The maid nodded. You thought you detected a look of pity in her eyes before she left. You tried not to think of it and enjoyed the quiet time to yourself to read the newspaper.

When you finished, you headed toward the stables where Curly greeted you.

“Good morning, Curly. How are the horses today?” you asked with a smile.

“Fine and well, ma’am. Just goin’ to get Miss Ruby’s horse for her,” he said kindly.

Ruby ran up to you and hugged your legs. She looked pale and her cheeks were gaunt. You ran your hand over her hair protectively wondering what was making her ill. You suddenly felt a little dizzy yourself, but remembered you hadn’t had breakfast yet, just your tea. You gave her a squeeze and headed back toward the house for some toast.

You hadn’t gone more than a few steps when you heard a shrill cry and the loud neighing of Ruby’s horse. You turned and ran back to the stable where Ruby was sitting on the ground crying. The horse was stomping the ground and snorting, tossing it’s head violently. You rushed to move Ruby away, frightened by the horses’s sudden change in demeanor.

“Curly, what happened?” you asked.

“I don’t know, ma’am.” He answered looking confused. “He’s real gentle around her normally.”

Charlie was helping Curly hold the other side of the bridle, calming the horse. He looked from the horse to his sister and after thinking for a moment, “It’s like he doesn’t know who she is.”

“Its true if they smell something strange or someone they think is gonna hurt ‘em, they can get upset. But it don’t make no sense. She’s just a little girl.” Curly scratched his head.

You started to have a sick feeling again, so you scooped Ruby up in your arms and carried her away to the house. “No riding today, Ruby,” you said.

“But, mummy, it’s not fair, Charlie gets to ride.” She whined and cried all the way to the house. You assured her that you would play with her in the nursery and that seemed to cheer her up a little.

In the nursery she didn’t seem to feel much better. She was solemn and didn’t want to play any of the games she usually liked. Eventually she became defiant. She threw her dolls out of the dollhouse and smashed a tea cup from her small tea set. Frustrated, you scolded her and went to get a broom to sweep up the pieces.

When you returned down the hall you stopped, blood running cold as you heard a cheerful, high-pitched little voice singing. You peered through the crack in the door to see her jumping and dancing in front of the fireplace, eyes shining darkly with a devilish gleam. You were unnerved by her sudden display after she refused to smile in your presence all afternoon. Your hands began shaking and you called for a maid to clean up and watch Ruby.

You ran down the corridor, locking yourself in your room. You didn’t understand what was happening to your child. You wondered if you should call Tommy, but you immediately dismissed the thought. How could you tell him without sounding like a crazy person?

As you debated what you should do, you heard a knock at your door. It was Frances asking about dinner. “No, Frances, Mr. Shelby won’t be home this evening. I’ve told you he’s very busy in London. I don’t know when he’ll return to us. I’m so tired, can’t you see that?” You lashed out at her.

Frances was a kind woman and she could tell you were having a difficult time with the children recently. She offered, “I can take care of things this evening, ma’am. Why don’t I draw a bath for you and then you can lie down?”

You nodded, “Yes, thank you, Frances.”

Things continued in this manner for days on end. Ruby would have terrible nightmares and cry out in the middle of the night. She was restless during the day as well, throwing horrible temper tantrums. You had become too upset to let her ride her horse, afraid she would be thrown so she stayed in the house more than usual. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but the energy in your home had shifted with the change in Ruby. It was as though the house was getting colder and dimmer. Worst of all, you no longer took joy in anything.

Soaking in the tub one evening, you began to feel guilty for taking time away from your children. They needed you and you were hiding from them. You thought you would join them for dinner so you pushed yourself up from the cooling water and blew out the candles around the tub.

As you reached for your towel, the shadows on the wall closed in on you. You felt as though someone was watching you nearby. You wrapped the towel around yourself quickly, overcome by a sudden chill. You stood motionless, shivering on the cool bathroom tiles. Looking around cautiously, you called out “Who's there?” You searched for someone in the dim light, but no answer came from your bedroom.

You tip toed to your closet and dressed quickly, bending down to find your shoes. Suddenly you heard a faint shuffle and a thud behind you. You whipped around to find an empty room. “Who’s there?” You asked again, voice shaking.

Piercing giggles rang out from the far corner of the room startling you. Your body jumped at the sound and you placed a hand to your forehead to steady your nerves. You began searching the room for your daughter feeling somewhat relieved to have found the source of the noises you'd been hearing. You exhaled trying not to sound cross before calling, “Ruby, darling?”

Your daughter suddenly appeared in your doorway smiling. “I’m not Ruby,” she said a little too sweetly.

“Ruby, please don’t play games,” you pleaded.

“This isn’t a game!” She said yelled angrily, stomping her foot and running away down the hall.

You ran after her confused. You kept running through the house, looking in every room only to find each one empty. It was difficult to see as dusk was falling and the house was dark with shadows lurking everywhere. You were becoming disoriented. You found yourself tripping down the staircase and out the back door toward the lake, chasing the red of Ruby’s coat.

It was the same coat she had gotten covered in mud. Now freshly laundered, it was a bright blood red, like a tiny droplet amongst the grassy hills and brown mud. As your heart beat wildly in your chest, you were reminded that your baby girl was in danger. As she got further away from you, a piece of your heart went roaming outside of your body. You had to find her to be made whole again.

Your legs were aching and your lungs were burning, but you didn’t stop. You reached the river bed and you spotted Ruby. She was standing so close you could grab her. She didn’t look out of breath or even afraid. The look in her eye was a challenge to you. You realized this couldn't possibly be your daughter. She had told you inside moments ago, she wasn't Ruby.

As you looked out over the water, you realized you'd been sent a changeling to punish you. You thought of the poem you read together the night before she went to the river.

“While the world is full of troubles And anxious in its sleep. Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Away with us he’s going…sing peace into his breast.”

“Oh, Ruby. Where are you? You came here to play with the fairies because mummy couldn’t protect you anymore and they took you.” You began to cry. You had to think of a way to get her back...

As you stood in the river holding your daughter, you heard a commotion of shouting from the bank. Frances and Tommy were standing watching you with concern.

“Y/n! Bring Ruby to me and everything will be fine,” Tommy coaxed.

“Tommy, you don't understand. Ruby is lost.” You tried to explain looking around helplessly.

“That doesn’t make sense. She’s in your arms, y/n," he tried reasoning with you.

“This isn't Ruby. She’s a changeling. We have to find our daughter before she’s taken from us forever,” you cried out distraught.

Meanwhile, Tommy was unsettled at the picture in front of him. You were shaking from the cold, legs wobbling under the stress of Ruby’s weight and the strong current.

“Alright, love, I believe you. I’ll see to it,” he said trying to find a better angle to enter the water.

“Give her to me,” Tommy said looking deep into your eyes, cool water rushing over his expensive shoes as he waded deeper to get to you. He moved slowly so he didn’t startle you. When he got within reach, he pried your hand away and Ruby clung to one side of him tightly, scared and shivering.

“You’re alright, Ruby. We’re going home” Tommy said. He offered his other hand to you and pulled you from the water with him. Frances took Ruby from Tommy, patting her gently and hushing her cries. Meanwhile, Tommy removed his coat and wrapped it around your shaking body, carrying you home through the fields in silence.

When you reached the house, Frances called for a doctor. As you changed clothes in your bedroom, you heard Tommy speaking with Frances in the hall.

“What the hell has been going on here while I’ve been away?” Tommy asked angrily.

“Mrs. Shelby’s been agitated and very overprotective of the children recently. Won’t let Ruby ride her horse. Mrs. Shelby doesn’t sleep well. She shouts out waking the children..."

Your head was swimming, hadn’t Ruby been the one with the nightmares? You were sure she had been the one yelling.

Soon after Dr. Baker arrived and administered a sedative. “Your wife is suffering from nervous exhaustion, Mr. Shelby. She’s been having delusions regarding your daughter, Ruby. These will go away, but only if she is allowed to rest. I advise you to keep an eye on her. Call me if you need anything more.” He said as he left the room.

“The world’s more full of weeping than you can understand,” you whispered as the sedative took effect.

“What’s she on about, eh?” Tommy asked Frances as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“It’s this book, sir. The poem on page 34. She reads it over and over again.” Frances handed Tommy the book you’d been reading Ruby.

“Stolen Child by William Butler Yeats…I see. Thank you, Frances.” Tommy sighed, excusing her with a wave. He read the poem and closed the book softly placing it on the bedside table. He didn’t quite understand everything you’d been saying, but he knew your fears.

Tommy took your hand in his and renewed a vow to you, “Y/n, I know you weren’t born to be with a man like me, but I love you. I promised you when we married, I would make us safe and I will. I know you have trouble trusting that promise. Have faith in me, love.”

How easy it was to do both of those things, how easy it was to feel like himself again, now that he was in the presence of his lover once more.

It had been a long time, but they had been apart for long times before today as well, and they always found a way to find themselves back in each other’s arms. There was no other way for this to go. They were tethered to each other, and Tommy had spent enough time trying to avoid that when they had first met. He was too old, and too tired to do that anymore. As was Alfie.

As these thoughts wove themselves in and out of Tommy’s brain, Alfie was surveying him. He looked handsome, at least to Tommy. Dangerous in the half-light (but then again, Alfie was always dangerous).

“I cannot see you Thomas.” Alfie said slowly. “I see you sitting there, but you’re not fucking there are you? Where are you?”

“My wife has been wondering the same thing.”

“Right, I would prefer, as you very well fucking know, for you to not mention your wife in front of me.” When Tommy nodded and smiled gently, Alfie sighed, continuing. “You haven’t slept. I can see that fucking much from here.”

Tommy did not say that his wife had said that too. “A man like me is too important to sleep.”

“Humility is fucking lost on you Tom, as is common sense.” Alfie ran a hand over his eyes again. Tommy didn’t move, though he wanted to. But he stayed put until Alfie put his hand down and he sighed. “Come on then.”

Tommy got up slowly, trying not to appear too eager, and removed his jacket, laying it down on the chair, going inside the coat pocket and removing a vial that he had brought with him, just in case this exact situation would arise. He walked over to Alfie and climbed on his lap, putting the vial under the lamp, placing his hands on Alfie’s face.

Alfie shut his eyes for a second, putting his hands over Tommy’s holding him in place. When he opened his eyes, they were not that much lighter even up close, the lamp next to them did little.

Tommy murmured, “Do you still dream of me? Of me on my black horse?”

“I dream of your big fucking blue eyes actually.” He ran each thumb under each of Tommy’s eyes, lining the thick circles that showed signs of the sleep he was not getting. “They haunt me even in my fucking dreams. Your pale skin, your fucking frightening visage. In my dreams you’re a fucking ghost Tom, yeah, and you die before I do.”

“They are only dreams.” The words tasted sour as they came out of his mouth. They both knew that wasn’t true. “I’m here now, let that be enough for you.”

“Ain’t ever fucking enough, treacle, is it? Ain’t never enough. Never enough time, never enough money, never enough, never enough, never fucking enough...” he waved his hand around dramatically before it landed on Tommy’s hip, his other one following, squeezing him. “Do you really want to fuck a dying man?”

“It’s never stopped me before, has it?”

Finally, finally, Alfie grinned. “I was talking to myself.”

Tommy smiled and leaned forward, kissing Alfie to shut him up, certainly, but because he could no longer resist the pull. Being here, after so long, was all too much. He just wanted to feel safe, because he so rarely felt that, and allow himself the liberty of losing himself. Tommy was desperate, hungry for him, aching for him, and he tried to show that with his kiss, but every time he tried to make it quick and dirty, Alfie slowed it down. Every time Tommy tried to bite at him, Alfie pulled away and then gave him a soft peck.

“What’s the problem?” Tommy asked.

“I have the most beautiful man in the whole fucking world on my fucking lap, mate, I don’t have a fucking problem.”

“I’m trying to kiss you and you’re—”

“Taking my time? Excuse fucking me for wanting to savour the fucking moment, yeah, after not having been allowed to touch you in how long?”

“Okay,” Tommy rolled his eyes, kissing him gently, chuckling as he did, “okay, Jesus, okay.”

So they continued to kiss, and it was soft, gentle, and everything that people thought these men weren’t. They kissed and kissed until Alfie was moving Tommy’s hips over his, rubbing their groins together, before the hunger was too much even for him. His lips moved down to Tommy’s neck, breathing heavily, his hands desperate and rough.

“I’ve missed you.” he whispered. If Tommy’s skin could tell stories, much of it would be the things Alfie whispered into his skin.

Tommy’s lips brushed the top of Alfie’s head. “I missed you too.” He got off of Alfie only to remove his trousers and shoes quickly, Alfie grabbing at the vial and coating his fingers, leaving some behind for his erection that would follow. Tommy undid Alfie’s pants and took his erection out, not bothering to push his pants down at all. He would be doing all the fucking work anyhow. With each of them panting heavily, Tommy got back on top of Alfie, and Alfie gently pushed one finger inside of him, a desperate kind of look in his eyes as Tommy let out a loud sigh, pleasure and relief washing through him as Alfie moved his finger in and out of him.

“Did you think about this?” Alfie asked, already trying to push in another finger after only a few strokes. “Hm? Did you think about me when you were gone?”

“Yes. Did you?”

He kissed Tommy harshly. “You’ve infected my brain the same way this fucking disease has infected my body.”

Tommy grinned, moaning as Alfie pushed his second finger in, slowly, gently, careful not to hurt him. “That isn’t the romantic notion you think it is.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Shocking.”

"Always gotta have the last fucking word, don't you?"

They both smiled stupidly at one another and went in for more kissing, Tommy content with the fact that all it took was kissing Alfie for him to quiet the voices in his head, for him to leave reality behind him for a few moments and find himself in a space that seemed to exist outside of reality altogether. Was it possible that the gods, the universe, whatever or whoever it was that arranged their lives, allowed Tommy to have some piece of heaven, no matter how cracked and damaged it was, here on earth? Was it possible that he found it not only in the laugher of his children, but in the arms of Alfie Solomons?

Tommy was so distracted by Alfie’s skilled tongue, his soft sighs, their noses brushing, that he made a shocked sound as he felt Alfie begin to enter him, pushing in gently, oiled and hard and ready. Tommy ripped his lips away to moan, his hand coming behind Alfie’s head to land on the chair, clutching it hard, the other on Alfie’s shoulder. He pushed down as Alfie pushed in, mouth falling open. The feeling was exquisite. Christ, there was nothing better than this feeling. Nothing better than having Alfie fucking Solomons inside of him.

“Do I look like a ghost to you now?” Tommy asked as he started to move. “Do I feel like a fucking dead man now Alfie?”

Alfie’s hands were back on Tommy’s hips, moving with him. “Nah mate, you look like a fucking angel.”

Tommy almost stilled, but he kept going, trying to move faster, doing the best he could considering the chair they were sitting on.

“Maybe I have died after all.” Alfie leaned his head back, crushing Tommy’s hand behind him.

Tommy surged forward to kiss him hard, overwhelmed by the implications of what that meant. He would never have imagined, not in a million years, that he would be someone’s idea of a perfect afterlife, much less Alfie Solomons’ idea of a peaceful afterlife, whatever it may be. Tommy didn’t want to talk anymore, they would talk more after, when they were done. He just wanted to continue feeling this, feeling the sweet, hot slide of Alfie moving in and out of him. Tommy’s hips were moving fluidly over him, riding him quick, searching for the sweet release he had not found in the arms of his man in so long. Their pants and moans filled the air around them between kisses, and Tommy decided then and there that there was something very sensual about kissing someone as they moaned.

Once Tommy was close, he brought one of Alfie’s hands to his erection, tucking his head into Alfie’s neck as a few strokes later, he came all over Alfie’s clothes. That too, he found over the years, was incredibly sensual. Tommy reaching his climax always made Alfie find his own not too long after, and after a few hard thrusts inside of him, he came. Tommy shivered, clenching as he did, making Alfie groan.

For a moment, Tommy stayed put, regaining his breath. When he lifted his head, he found Alfie's gaze on him already, looking at him softly. "We're in our final act, Tom." he whispered, sadly, kissing the side of his mouth. 

"Don't worry Alfie," Tommy said, hoping his voice sounded strong, certain, "everything will be all right."