Rose traded her rich, lavish life of luxury for one of simplicity and peace. After changing her name and moving to London, everything is going as planned. That is until she gets involved with the Shelbys...
Tommy x oc
Set in season 2
Highest rank:...
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xxi. 10th June 1922 ~
Everyone on Watery Lane noticed the peculiar spring in Tommy Shelby's step as he crossed the road to Polly's house the morning after the party.
He made no effort to disguise the slight hint of a smile that played on his lips and for good reason too as today was an important day.
Entering Polly's second home, the sound of muffled voices sounded from the kitchen.
"Tommy? Is that you?" Ada called out.
"Good morning everyone." He greeted as he stepped into the doorway, leaning against it.
His eyes flickered over Ada, Finn, Michael and Karl. They paused for a second on Rosie (of course) before eventually landing on Polly, who's head was dropped back and eyes were closed.
"Someone overdid it." Despite Polly being her elder, Ada spoke of her like a mother spoke of a rebel child.
"I can see that." Tommy said, earning a groan from his aunt. "Rosie, get your stuff together."
"Pardon?" The young woman furrowed her eyebrows as her gaze finally fell upon the eyes of the man in front of her.
"I've got something to show you." He smiled.
Excitement and curiosity overcame Rose as she gathered her things and said her goodbyes to the family that had made her feel so welcome.
Tommy drove them out to the country himself, only the two of them occupying the car.
"Can I ask where you're taking me?" Rose eventually asked as they ventured further away from the filthy streets of Birmingham.
"No you can't." Tommy spoke bluntly but with a soft expression.
Rose was confident that whatever he had to show her would be pleasant from the smile that was yet to leave his lips.
After a short while, the couple pulled up to a large stately home. The estate was grand but in disrepair with overgrown gardens and a weathered exterior.
As they emerged from the car, Tommy noticed how Rose looked at the surroundings analytically. She didn't seem impressed but more critical, exactly what he had been hoping for.
"You like what you see?" He called over to her.
"Hmm. Why have you brought me here?" She questioned, walking back over to him.
"Well, Rosie." He took a cigarette from his case, offering one to her which she took. She had been smoking a lot more recently which hadn't gone unnoticed. "As of this morning, Arrow house and surrounding estate is all mine."
Her head snapped to him as he stood nonchalantly lighting his cigarette.
"Are you serious?"
"Would you like to see the inside?" He asked with a smirk, pulling the keys from his pocket.
Tommy Shelby was always full of surprises.
As they entered the house through the grand entrance, Rose's eyes instinctively moved to observe every element of the room.
A few pieces of furniture had been left behind by the previous owners but the place was mostly empty, leaving the building's flaws uncovered.
Once again, Tommy watched intently as the woman's eyes darted to each corner of the room.
"What do you think?" He asked, sitting on the only sofa in the grand room.
"From what I've seen, it has potential." Her eyes shifted to the man who had already made himself at home. "But it needs a lot of work."
The grandeur of the house suited him. It was marvellous and impressive and yet needed maintenance to prevent it from falling apart. A smirk worked its way onto Rose's face as she thought of how Tommy Shelby was the perfect personification of Arrow House.
"That's what I need you for." Tommy stood from the sofa, moving over to where Rose stood by one of the many large windows.
"What could you possibly need me for?"
"I have a business proposition for you." Rose noted how they had both been avoiding each other's questions all day, their stubbornness subtly fighting for dominance.
"Go on." She prompted.
"You can see things that I wouldn't notice. Your knowledge on houses and maids and cooks and everything else is something I don't have. I have no clue how to run a house like this."
"So you want me to teach you?" Rose smiled, observing how the sun beaming in through the window bounced off his sparkling eyes.
"Exactly." He nodded. "I'll pay you, of course."
"Don't be stupid, Mr Shelby. You know I wouldn't take money from you." He was slightly taken back by her harsh words but expected nothing less given what he knew about her.
He followed her as she moved through the various rooms, observing the work that needed to be done and sizing it up for staff.
Tommy couldn't help but notice how at home she appeared waltzing through a building of this size as though it were her own. He, on the other hand, looked like a boy who had broken in through the window.
"Start with three maids. You'll need to hire work men to fill in all the cracks. Some rooms are in desperate need of redecorating, others you can probably leave for now. Two or three cooks depending on how often you'll be here. Garden will need a complete do over and then two full time gardeners to maintain it. Oh, and chuck in a couple of stable hands for your horses." Rose rambled as she moved through the house, finally coming to a halt at the top of the stairs and turning back to the man following her. "Are you writing this down?" She teased.
"So you'll help me?" He smiled back.
"Of course." She moved back over to where he was stood a couple of steps down from the top. From here, she was slightly taller than him, allowing her to experience his beauty from a new angle.
Excitement rose in her stomach as her mind wandered. They were in this huge house all alone...
"I'll need to repay you in some way." His voice came out barely above a whisper as she moved closer to him.
Draping her arms over his shoulders, she dipped her head so that it was resting on his. His heart sped up, unsure of how to interpret her sudden actions.
"Teach me how to drive." She said simply, causing Tommy to snap out of the slight daze she had put him in.
"Teach you to drive?"
"Yeah." She broke the tension by parting their foreheads. "My parents never taught me, they always said it was un-ladylike."
Moving past him once again, she began making her way back down the stairs.
