sabrina. peaky blinders

𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑇𝑤𝑜

❤︎

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑇𝑤𝑜: 𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦

"Just go Sabrina." Betty whined, as she tugged on her arm.

Sabrina had finished her shift at the Garrison without any further embarrassing encounters with the Shelby's. Upon returning home she had also been intercepted by Mary, who held a message for her. Someone wanted to meet her at the Garrison. Of course, she told her sisters that she would refuse.

"What's the worst that can happen?" Betty said, again trying to convince her.

Sabrina could imagine it. It could be John. But maybe it was Polly? Though she knew that it would most likely be Tommy.

"No, I'm not going. What if it's Tommy?" She said, before quickly adding, "or John."

Betty rolled her eyes and moaned in annoyance. Before she could say anything, Mary spoke.

"You always told me to be kind and considerate to everyone- to be the better person, as you should now." She said sweetly, as she placed a hand in Sabrina's side, moving her toward the door swiftly. "Just go and if you don't like it, turn straight back and come home."

Sabrina paused for a moment, before rolling her eyes with a smile. "Okay."

Betty helped her pull on a coat, giving her a peck on the cheek as Sabrina reached for the door. She looked back with a playful glance, before shouting behind her as she left. "I love you both."

Sabrina waited in the private room. The pub was still filled with the regulars, laughing a cheering at the bar as they spilled their drinks. It was busy, and so both Grace and Harry were working.

She heard the door open and turned. Her suspicions had been right, she faced Tommy, biting her lip, before finally shaking her head.

"I can't do this right now Tommy." Sabrina said, her voice coming out in no more than a soft whisper. She moved toward the doorway.

She looked defeated, tired. Sabrina had finally felt like there was no need for conflict: it could never get you anywhere.

"Please, Sabrina. Just wait." Tommy said, as he placed an arm out to gently block her, his hand meeting her waist. He begged, "Just a moment. Please."

If it was possible, Tommy looked even more tired and sick. Sabrina nodded her head slowly. "Okay."

From behind him, Tommy pulled out two glasses, filling them both with him. Sabrina attempted to pull back a smile as she shook her head and sat at the table.

"You're trying to sweeten me up." She said.

"I think it's needed." Tommy teased. Sabrina didn't say anything.

"You look very nice." He said, looking up to her with a hint of a smile. "Grown up."

"You're only saying that because you're old." She joked back, rolling her eyes slightly. "So why are you here?"

"I don't know what you've done to him but I haven't seen him in such a state since Martha." Tommy said, getting straight down to the point.

"John?" Sabrina asked, surprised by the topic and Tommy nodded.

"But the thing is, amnesia has set in." He said, placing the glass down in front of her finally. "He's forgotten who you are."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She asked, unsure of whether to be offended or not.

"He doesn't deserve you. As his brother, I would know that better than anyone else." Tommy said, and Sabrina stooped from where she was raising her glass to her lips and stared at him.

"If not John then who else?" She asked, but Tommy didn't answer. Instead he asked his own question.

"Do you love him, Sabrina?"

"I've fancied him since I was 8!" She exclaimed, before finally taking a drink of her gin. Tommy shook his head.

"But do you love him? After all this time."

Sabrina stopped and let out a rattled breath. She actually thought about the question. Did she still live John? Surely she did? But lately it hadn't been John who had filled her thoughts like the many, many years before. She no longer felt the need to blush or even run when he said a single word to her.

That could be down to maturity, she thought. Paris had changed her, for the better, of course. But she knew it wasn't. She felt that it wasn't the right answer.

"I don't know." She breathed out her unsure answer with a deep breath.

Nothing was said for a few more moments. Sabrina ran the question through her head, searching for the answer. She wanted to know what Tommy was thinking- why he had asked. But he stood staring at her as she thought.

"I'm sorry that John isn't here instead of me." He finally said, breaking the quietness between them.

Sabrina looked up, her look distant. She shook her head hesitantly and slowly, until she became sure of her self and shook it firmly.

"At this moment, I'm not." She said.

"You know when you walked in here, I thought you had come to pay me off." She said.

The singing in the pub had started up. Thanks to the new allowance it had become frequent. Much more than the Saturdays that were initially allowed. On some weeks it happened daily. She stood up, her hand behind her back as she stepped.

"Pay you off?" He asked.

"Like in an Italian Opera. The young man falls in love with the commoner. The aristocrat acquaintance is sent to send her off." She said, as she walked around him, his head following her as she turned. "He offers her 5000. But no."

"10000, no." She stopped, finally looking back at him as he spoke.

"I don't want to pay you off Sabrina."

"I want to apologise." He said.

"I'm sorry, for what I did- for what I said."

Sabrina smiled. "There it is." She whispered. "The music we asked for."

"Whatever made you agree?" She asked, moving to stand in front of him, the gin glass in her hand.

"I don't know." He breathed out, staring down. She took a sip from the glass slowly.

"I didn't get my dance at the races. I'll take the next best thing." She said, placing the glass down and taking his hands in hers.

Tommy held her hands back, pulling her close enough so they could dance. Sabrina was grinning as they twirled around, quickening they pace as the music began to grow more rapid. She laughed, noticing how Tommy couldn't keep up. She laughed so much, that her knees grew weak, and she was forced to stop.

As her chest heaved with light chuckles, her hands remained in his. Tommy was still looking down at her as she laughed. And as she cooled down, she looked up too, noticing his soft gaze and ghost of a smile.

Tommy was the one to lean in first. Their lips meant, enveloping together softly and gently, as he was scared to hurt her. But she kissed back, a smile on her lips as her hands removed themselves from his, instead moving to wrap themselves around his neck. She felt his hands tenderly reach her waist. She wondered, when did Tommy Shelby get so soft.

They pulled away, looking into each other's eyes.

"It's all in the family." He whispered.

❤︎