TROUBLE - peaky blinders

prologue

small heath, birmingham, 1914

CLARA SHELBY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY HER AUNT HAD BROKEN DOWN IN TEARS. She couldn't understand Ada's trembling lip or the weary, worn down look on her older brothers' faces. The younger girl tuned out everyone's voices, she wasn't completely naïve to what was happening. She knew of the war and the soldiers fighting abroad, she knew her brothers had enlisted, yet she chose to live in a falsity of naïve blissfulness.

It was better this way.

She couldn't have her brothers thinking she was a blubbering, little kid like one of John's young ones.

"And when are you boys expected to leave?" Pol questioned. Clara had to admit that she hadn't heard her this angry since the young girl had 'accidentally' stolen a stray duck and hid it in her wardrobe for a few days.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't even move a muscle as the door slammed shut while a saddened John left the house, presumably to spend the rest of his remaining time in Small Heath with his wife and kids.

Soon enough, another bang rang through the small house as Arthur left. Clara's eyes darted up, and it was only then that she realised she was the only one left in the living room, besides Thomas Shelby whose eyes had been trained on her for the past few minutes.

She avoided his gaze as she continued to stare down at her hands.

Clara didn't want to talk to Tommy. She didn't want to start talking just to sit and get sad. No. Clara Shelby didn't get sad around her brothers, especially not around Tommy Shelby.

To the family, it was no surprise that he was the closest to the girl. He'd practically raised her and it was a known fact that the girl idolised her big brother, Clara wanted to be just like him as much as she hated to admit it. She had him wrapped around her finger. Pol often said that she was too much like him for her own good, but Clara took that remark with pride.

"You should go to bed."

Clara looked up, her eyes flitting away from her brother as she shook her head.

"Not tired." She answered, her hands fiddling with her pyjamas. She could hear him sigh as he stood up from the armchair, lowering himself onto the wooden floor beside her. "Has Aunt Pol gone home?"

"She's gone until tomorrow morning, and then she'll be staying here for a while," Tommy explained slowly.

Clara nodded, her eyes actively avoiding her brothers.

"Clara—"

"Do you have to go?" Clara's voice was small— something Tommy thought to be a rarity.

"Yes...I have to go." He answered. "Can't leave John and Arthur on their own can I?"

"What if you don't come home?"

Tommy froze as the girl continued, her fingers fiddling with the thumb-sized small duck.

"It'll only be until Christmas." He stated, "And I promise we'll make it home."

"What if you don't—" she began.

"Have I ever broken a promise, ey?"

Clara finally looked at him, her blue eyes locking with their matching pair.

"No..." she finally whispered.

"Then this won't be any different, okay?" Tommy reassured her, "I'll be back in time for you to open your presents Christmas morning."

Clara hung her head before reaching out and grabbing Tommy's hand. He scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion as she placed the small duck onto his palm. 

"You won it for me at that fair when I was younger," Clara mumbled, moving his fingers so they enclosed the little toy. "Said it'd keep me safe."

Tommy stared at the girl in disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak, yet he found no words. Silently, he reached over the armchair and grabbed his cap. Clara watched curiously as he ripped the blades from the rim, before dropping them into his pocket. Dusting off the cap, he placed it on the girl's head.

"It's only fair that I give you something in return, ey?" He said, shooting her a weak smile.

Clara nodded and before Tommy could blink, the girl had wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder.

"'m gonna miss you." She murmured, as her brother welcomed the embrace.

"I know...I know." Tommy sighed, "I'll miss you too, but war doesn't last forever. We'll be home before you know it." Clara didn't respond, but she allowed herself to unravel from the hug. "You listen to your Aunt Pol and Ada, yeah? And keep the fighting with Finn to a minimum."

Clara nodded and looked down at her feet, stifling a yawn. Seeing this caused the older boy to chuckle softly under his breath.

"C'mon," he started, pushing himself to his feet as his hand outstretched for the girl to take. "It's time for you to go to bed." Too tired to complain, Clara stood to her feet, the feeling of sorrow and anxiousness eating away at her mind.

Tomorrow, her brothers would leave Small Heath, and unknowing to her, they'd never return the same.

☆

Okay, so I know I put out the first chapter already but I thought of this last minute and in a spur of inspiration I wrote it.

This is more of an insight into Clara, more specifically her and Tommy's dynamic— NEWSFLASH, I adore them.

Anyways, yeah, that's it, love y'all <3