A week had passed since his discharge from the hospital. Seven days since he'd asked for her address with the unspoken promise that should he need her, he would find her. Now, a week was a long time to wait for something that had never been guaranteed in the first place and Elsie had eventually realised that the chances of Tommy Shelby seeking her out for anything other than medical help had been practically non-existent right from the moment he'd taken that little scrap of paper burdened with her address. Yet still, every time there was a knock on the door, her heart skipped a little and her breath caught in her throat, and despite knowing it would not be him, she was still saddened each time she was proven right until eventually, she began to dread the thought of him standing on the other side of her door. And as the days passed, the expectations of his visit lessened, and she began to focus her time on other, less emotionally dissatisfying, aspects of her life. Currently, Elsie sat curled up on her couch with an old, knitted blanket of her mother's wrapped around her body to keep her warm. In her hands she held a worn edition of 'The Good Soldier' that had also belonged to her mother. This was the first and only novel she had ever read in completion, and it was the only novel she ever cared to read for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, a knock on the door distracted her from her prized novel and with a huff, she set the book to the side and got to her feet. Keeping the blanket wrapped tightly around herself, she made her way to the door, pulling it open lazily only to lose all control over her own body, dropping her blanket to the floor at the sight of Thomas Shelby on her doorstep.

"Hello, Elsie." he spoke.

Unable to keep herself from staring, she trailed her eyes all across his form standing in her door way. Although his wounds had healed a little further from what she could tell by his face, he seemed unchanged. Clothed in his typical tweed suit with his long, heavy black overcoat shielding him from the drizzling rain, his hat pulled low so that it almost hid those crystal blue eyes from her completely. In his right hand he held an almost burnt out cigarette, his other hand tucked into his coat pocket as he leaned against the wall to the side of her door frame. After a moment or two of her staring, he cleared his throat and asked if she planned to invite him in or leave him standing in the rain. Rather than speak, she simply stepped to the side, watching in silent awe as Tommy swept passed her and into the house. Closing the door slowly behind him, she took a moment to collect her senses before wandering back down the hallway to find him standing in her living room with his back to her.

"You look surprised to see me." he spoke, removing his cap and pushing it into his coat pocket in place of his hand.

"I am." she responded as he finally turned to face her, removing his overcoat as he did so.

"Is that why you've still to offer me tea?" he asked, his tone somewhat playful.

"I don't have tea." she answered.

At that, he stopped half way through bending to take a seat on her couch. His eyes raised to her's and for a moment, she almost thought he looked equally as shocked as she still felt. Lips slightly parted and brows furrowed, his eyes flicked towards the small stove hidden away at the far end of her living room before returning to her as he slowly finished his descent into the couch.

"You don't have tea?" he questioned.

"No, I don't like it." she explained quietly, suddenly feeling very embarrassed.

"Well, what do you have instead of tea?" came his next question.

"I have coffee?"

The way she answered sounded almost like a question and she frowned a little at herself. With a subtle nod, he asked for coffee and Elsie made her way slowly towards the stove. Behind her, she could hear him strike a match and after a moment or two, the smell of smoke drifted towards her. They both remained silent, him smoking as she made coffee, until they had both completed the task at hand.

"What are you reading?" he asked, nodding towards her book as she took a seat next to him on the sofa, setting two cups filled with coffee on the table.

"It's called 'The Good Soldier'. It's the saddest story ever told." she responded, raising her eyes to meet his.

Rather than making a reply, he simply nodded and moved forward to take hold of one of the coffee cups and she couldn't help but watch as he raised it to his lips, sipping lightly before setting the cup back down. Afterwards, he reached into his pocket to produce a small cigarette case. Flicking it open, her eyes glanced down as he held it towards her.

"What are you doing here, Tommy?" she asked, taking a cigarette from his little case.

"I told you I'd visit." he answered, taking his own cigarette before returning the case to his pocket.

"You said you'd come to me if you ever felt like you were about to stop breathing." Elsie retorted, watching as he struck a match.

"True," he replied, holding the match out to let her light her cigarette, "but that was not to say that would be the only reason I might visit."

"True." she mimicked.

Holding the cigarette between her index and middle finger, Elsie inhaled deeply, drawing the smoke into her lungs in an attempt to calm her nerves. Thomas fucking Shelby was sitting on her sofa, lighting a cigarette and making conversational small talk. Never in a million years could she have possibly imagined this moment, not even in her wildest dreams.

"Although there is a purpose for my visit." his voice shattered the silence and her hopes that perhaps he had just wanted to see her.

"Is that so?" she asked, taking another long draw of her cigarette. "And what can I do for you, Mr. Shelby?"

"Stop calling me that." he replied with a roll of his eyes, causing her to smile and duck her head before he could notice.

"My brother owns the Garrison, although I assume you know that." he then stated.

"I'm aware." she confirmed.

"I'll also assume you know it's been closed recently." he paused, and she nodded softly. "Tonight is to be grand re-opening of The Garrison." he continued.

"Yes, I heard."

"And I'd like you to be there." he concluded.

For a moment, she was simply stunned. Tommy was inviting her to The Garrison. Why was he inviting her to The Garrison? He obviously wanted her to be there for the re-opening but did she want to go? Even if she did want to go, what would she wear? Nursing was not a particularly highly paid profession and she struggled to make ends meet at the best of times. Then again, how many chances does a girl get to go out with Tommy Shelby?

"I appreciate the offer, Tommy but I couldn't possibly go." she spoke softly but he fixed her with a look of annoyed confusion. "It's just that, I wouldn't have anything to wear." she continued, finding that she didn't want to disappoint him or give the impression she was turning him down.

"Ah," he spoke, stubbing his cigarette out in her ash tray, "that bring us to the second order of business."

He paused and leaned forward for his overcoat, fishing around in the inside pocket. After a moment or two, he drew back with an envelope in his hand. Reaching out for her with his free hand, Elsie let him take hold of her wrist and pull her arm towards him and her eyes lowered to watched as he placed the heavy brown package in her hand.

"What's this?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.

"I told you I'd match your wage for the month. From what I'm told your average wage for a month is somewhere around twelve pounds so," he leaned back into the couch and pointed at her hand still holding the money, "I matched it."

For a moment, she could only stare at the envelope in her hand. What was she supposed to say? Should she thank him? No; she didn't need his money and she'd made that quite clear. Still, it was a rather kind gesture, even if he had chosen to ignore her previous defiance. And it would certainly help with more than just buying a dress for the re-opening of the Garrison. Not that she was definitely going to go, of course, she was still a little undecided on that topic. Although, he was beginning to win her over.

"I can't- " she tried again but he interrupted her just as before.

"Now it's only eleven so you've got plenty time to go out and buy a nice dress for the night. The doors will be opening back up at seven and I will expect to see you there."

Without another word, he got to his feet and she could only pull her eyes from the money he'd given her to watch in awe as he pulled his overcoat back on and fixed his cap on his head. When he appeared to be pleased with himself, he stepped past her and disappeared from her view, leaving her sitting there still completely amazed but secretly thrilled by his actions.

"Oh, and Elsie!" she heard him call.

Setting the money on the table carefully, as though afraid it would disappear, and turning towards his voice, she found him standing by the living room door with her forgotten blanket in hand. Getting to her feet in an almost day dream, she crossed the room and took it from him delicately before raising her eyes to meet his but he wasn't looking at her directly. Instead, he seemed to be looking over her head.

"Wear your hair down."

Elsie flinched slightly as he mimicked his actions from that night she'd woken him from his nightmares, reaching up to pull free one of the pins from her hair, causing a few stray waves to escape their confines and fall across her shoulder. Slowly, she turned her head to watch as he tossed the pin towards the couch, staring for a moment as it landed softly on the cushion before turning back to him, this time to find him staring at her expectantly.

"None of those stupid pins."

It was obvious by the tone of his voice that this was not a suggestion but rather, a firm request. Once again, without knowing why but lulled by his commanding voice, she nodded in agreement. And then, just like that, he was gone.


Tossing the coin was a sacred act that could very easily determine the course of life, with heads leading one way and tails another. A little nudge in the right direction. It had been two years now since Tommy had tossed the coin that kept him away from her, away from Grace. Truthfully, he had been utterly devastated by the decision of the coin as, before he had even thrown it into the air, he had known he wanted to follow her. Yet still, he respected the outcome and he had let Grace leave alone. Perhaps the coin knew something he didn't. Two years it had taken, two whole years of loneliness and misery in her absence, of hating that fucking coin, before he had realised that maybe, just maybe, it had been right to keep him home. However, he couldn't be certain, not yet, and so he would have to bide his time. Elsie was a very strange girl, he had decided. A complete contrast to the girls he typically found himself attracted to. This girl was passionate yet controlled, powerful yet humble, opinionated yet quiet. It seemed that for every quality he admired in a woman, she had a counteracting quality he had not yet experienced. Unfortunately for her, this only made him want to experience more of her. Tommy Shelby did not like what he did not know or understand, and so he had made it his mission to both know and understand Elsie. For this reason, he had burned Grace's unopened letter. He hadn't needed to open it to know that's who it was from, her handwriting had changed little over the years and ruined what he imagined she had hoped would be a surprise. As he watched the remainder of the letter shrivel and burn, blackening as the flames licked at the remnants of the paper, he heard the door open. Turning his eyes upwards, Tommy watched as Polly entered through the back door, stumbling a little, making it clear she'd already had a drink or two. In the silence, she turned, her dark eyes meeting his and he could see the desperation and fear for her son that she was trying to disguise with hatred for him. After a moment or two, he spoke her name but, indignant as ever, Polly merely lifted her chin and moved past him, heading for the party. With a sigh, he followed her, determined to make her see sense but something else, someone else, caught his eye before he could catch up to his Aunt.

Beautiful, was the only word that came to mind as his eyes trailed over her, the entire room seeming to grow dark in comparison to her blinding smile. Apparently she had taken his advice and had bought herself a new dress. Thin silver straps held the royal blue dress in place on her body, an equally thin silver belt tied around her waist so as not to disguise her shape. The dress fell just below her knees but was cut very low at the back, making it clear that, at least on her top half, she wore nothing underneath. The fabric itself shimmered in the light of the pub, glinting subtly as she moved this way and that. Long waves tumbled all the way down her back, almost reaching her waist which made him smile, having never been a fan of the short hairstyles that had become fashionable for women. Threaded through her hair was a blue headband which rested across her forehead and a silver headband which was pulled a little way into her hair, holding most of it back but letting a few short strands lay free to frame her face. These ribbons must have tied somewhere beneath as the ends hung loosely over her shoulder. After a good few minutes of staring at her, Elsie seemed to have noticed his attention and Tommy did not miss the blush that rose to her cheeks, an odd colour on her otherwise wintery skin. Wasting no more time, he made his way over to her.

"I see you took my advice." he commented upon reaching her.

However, it seemed she was far too fascinated by her surroundings to respond to him and so, he cleared his throat and held an arm out for her. Immediately, those dusty grey eyes turned up to meet his and she turned those red wine stained lips into a smile, slipping her arm through his lightly. Taking that as consent to lead her away from the door, Tommy did just that, leading her instead towards the bar.

"I feel extremely overdressed." came her voice from beside him.

Before he could reply, Arthur was stood before them, asking as many questions as loudly as always. Elsie was smiling, trying to keep up with his brother's barrage which was sweet, as not many women paid much attention to Arthur unless they wanted to fuck him in hope of gaining some kind of favour.

"What d'you drink, love?" he asked.

"Uh, vodka tonic please, Arthur." she responded politely.

Nodding his head in a surprisingly gentleman-like fashion, his brother marched along to the other side of the bar, leaving the pair alone again. However, before he had the chance to respond to her previous comment about feeling overdressed, Tommy noticed Ada's arrival and couldn't help but cuss under his breath. Of course, he had hoped his sister would make an appearance, particularly because he needed her help with Polly but he suddenly wished she would've made her appearance a little earlier. Excusing himself and simply receiving a smile and nod from Elsie, he made his way towards Ada with business on his mind.

"Hello, Ada." he greeted, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as Polly walked away upon his arrival.

"Tommy." his sister responded, taking the drink he held out for her.

"What d'you think, eh?" he asked politely as they turned to walk through the Garrison.

"It's very uh- "

"Gold." he finished for her and she simply laughed in response.

At that moment, John appeared from somewhere amongst the crowd, pushing his way towards his sister. He smiled a little as his siblings greeted each other. Although he would never admit it, he was hurt by his sister's decision to stay in London, especially after everything that had happened but unfortunately, it was her choice to stay and he knew she would only resent him if he forced her to return.

"Guess what, our brother's got a girl with him tonight."

Immediately, Tommy turned to face his brother and sister, the latter seeming amused whilst the former now appeared to regret having said anything. No words were spoken but still, John excused himself, leaving Ada with a smile on her face that he knew meant she was about to start asking questions.

"Not now." he spoke quickly, shutting her down before she could even start.

"So, what d'you want me to say to her?" she asked, turning to business instead.

"Just talk to her. No one can get through to her. Tell her I had no choice." he spoke, a nod from his sister signalling that she was happy with his words.

"Appreciate this." he thanked.

"Don't thank me yet," she responded with a sly smile. "I have questions about this girl." she teased before making her way towards Polly.

Rolling his eyes, Tommy made his way back towards the bar only to find Elsie engaged in deep conversation with Arthur. Now sitting on a bar stool, an empty glass sat between her elbows, which rested on the bartop with her hands laying flat. Arthur had mimicked her pose only he was resting his chin on his clasped hands. For a moment or two, he simply admired her and the way she spoke to his brother. This seemed to be another quality he hadn't experienced before: she actually gave a fuck about other people for no reason other than kindness. Safe to say, she was a fascinating woman.

"What are you two talking about?" he asked, leaning against the bar as he stood beside her, lighting a cigarette.

"Just telling the pretty lady to run while she still can." Arthur spoke.

At his words, Elsie laughed loudly, a beautiful sound unlike anything Tommy had heard before. Reaching up, he watched as she swept her hair to the side, tugging it away from the nape of her neck and pulling the waves over her shoulder to tumble down her front. As she did so, she looked up to him and smiled wide, pinching his cigarette from between his lips and taking a draw herself, shaking her head in disagreement with Arthur's statement.

"Do you think I'd run from you, Mr. Shelby?" she asked, returning the cigarette to his mouth with an exhale of smoke.

It was clear her tone was meant to be playful and sarcastic but it stirred something deep inside Tommy that he hadn't felt in a very long time: longing. Suddenly, the thought of her running from him was just a little horrifying and he subconsciously stepped a little closer to her, as though he could trap her beside him with his presence alone. Normally, he always had very good control over his emotions, always careful to keep them buried but at her teasing words he felt his skin grow unusually warm and he had to fight from reacting to her any further.

"I certainly hope not." he responded as coolly as he could possibly manage.

Once more, an awkward blush coloured her pale skin and she ducked her head in an attempt to hide it. A chuckle came from Aruthur at her reaction before he turned away, taking her glass with him as a sign that he intended to pour her another drink, once again leaving the two of them alone.

"You're very good with him." he spoke as soon as his brother was safely out of earshot, snubbing out his cigarette at the same time.

"What d'you mean?" Elsie asked in response, turning her eyes back up to his.

"Arthur can be very," a pause as he considered the right turn of phrase, "full on. Often he makes people uncomfortable. Not you." he explained.

"Of course not, he's lovely. Even if he is high as a kite." she laughed lightly.

Tommy couldn't help but smile at her response, finding himself amused by her. It became clear to him then that she was far too kind and genuine to be involved with a man such as himself. Without ever meaning to, he would ruin her like he ruined everything. Yet, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her, from her dusty grey eyes or her red wine smile, from her coal black hair or her lily white skin; she was like a rose in winter, a defiant but gentle flower made all the more beautiful by the harsh surrounding. Perhaps that was why he was so drawn to her - he never had been very good at leaving a pretty challenge alone.

"Would you like to dance, Elsie?" he asked without thinking.

"I'd love to."

Smiling lightly, he took hold of her hands and pulled her gently to her feet before leading her towards the much more open area of the Garrison. Even as they walked, the crowd seemed to part, making way for them until he finally stopped, twirling her under his arm as he pulled her towards his body, noting the matching smile on her lips. They stood as close as possible without touching, his hand on her waist and her's on his shoulder, their free hands linked together. Music boomed throughout the pub as he began to move, enjoying the wide smile on her face and the light in her eyes as he danced her through the crowd.


It was long after two in the morning when the pub finally closed down, bodies leaving in dribs and drabs, stumbling into the dark streets in search of the safety of a warm house and bed. After having consumed an excessive amount of alcohol herself, Elsie too was ready for bed and, although she had initially tried to protest, had agreed to let Tommy personally walk her home to safety. Truthfully of course, she was thrilled at the idea that he wanted to be sure she made it home but she knew that, in her drunken state, it was an an idea as equally dangerous as it was kind. Nevertheless, she stood outside the Garrison, a cigarette perched lightly between her lips as Tommy said goodnight to his family. Smoke floated around her as she listened, their voices loud as they quizzed him on her sudden appearance in his life. Of course, she was not completely deaf to the gossip of Birmingham's streets - she knew about Grace, and she knew that since the pretty blonde had left, the Peaky Blinders' boss had, had little interaction with any woman who didn't charge. It was stupid to assume that he would have interest in her other than the interest he had, had in these women beforehand but still, Elsie couldn't help feeling a little hopeful. After all, he had spent the night focused solely on her, not on Lizzie Stark or the like. The clanging of the Garrison door closing caught her attention, pulling her from her thoughts. Taking the cigarette from its perch between her lips and flicking it aside, she turned to find Tommy approaching her, already removing his overcoat. A frown came over her as he slipped the heavy black fabric behind her, pulling it around her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" she asked, laughing slightly as he fussed with the position of the jacket on her tiny frame.

"It cold, silly girl." was all he replied.

When it appeared he was finally content with the way in which she was engulfed by the overcoat, he stepped back with the hint of a smile on his lips. There was a soft glow to his skin, suggesting that he too was drunk. With a smile of her own, Elsie reached out to take hold of his arm, pulling him into step beside her as they began to walk down the street with the intent of making it to her little flat. Conversation was minimal but pleasant as they talked about the night, him stating that she was a terrible dancer and her declaring that he made a poor socialite. It was surprising to her but she found that she had actually rather enjoyed the company of Tommy Shelby and it was for this reason that, as they stopped outside her door, that she found herself scrambling for words, for anything that would make the night last a little longer.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked, reaching up to brush her hair away from her face nervously.

"For coffee?" he asked with a genuine laugh, leaving her slightly amazed.

"No," she laughed in response, pushing lightly on his chest, "I have vodka. And I think there's rum." she retaliated.

"Bet you don't have whisky." he remarked plainly, a smirk growing on his lips as she shook her head in the negative.

"Well, open the door." he responded after a few moments.

Unable to hide her smile, Elsie ducked her head and turned to the door, unlocking it with ease before entering and stepping to the side. Following right behind her, Tommy immediately made his way towards her living room and for the second time in just twenty-four hours, she had to take a moment to fully come to terms with the fact that she had the company of Tommy Shelby in her own home. It wasn't until she vaguely heard him call out about lighting the fire that she snapped back into focus, locking the door before making her way into the living room to join him. As she entered, she found him standing before her fireplace, the soft beginnings of a fire smoldering. He had discarded his suit jacket, leaving it draped neatly across the arm of the couch, his cap settled on top. One hand was tucked into his trouser pocket, the other raised to hold a cigarette to his lips. For a moment, just one, brief moment, it was hard to believe he didn't belong there.

"You can sit down, y'know." she teased.

Making her way across the room, Elsie pulled two glasses from the cupboard, filling both with vodka, listening to his footsteps as she did so but still, she waited until she knew he was seated before turning back to face him. Both glasses in hand, she crossed the room once more, handing one glass to Tommy before setting her own on the little coffee table. Reaching up, she slipped his overcoat from her shoulders, not missing the the spark of interest in his eyes as he watched her. Carefully, she lay the jacket over his own previously discarded suit jacket before moving to sit beside him, much in the way they had earlier in the day.

"I'm glad you had a good night." he spoke suddenly, leaning forward to snub out his cigarette.

"I did." she smiled. "Although I still maintain that you make a terrible socialite." she added with a laugh.

"I just have very little patience for people I don't know." he responded, sipping from the glass whilst simultaneously turning his eyes to meet hers.

"If that's true, why did you invite me?" she asked teasingly, leaning a little closer to him with a smirk.

"You interest me." he answered after a moment or two.

"Interesting is not a word I would use to describe myself." she laughed, shaking her head and leaning away again.

"And how would you describe yourself?" he asked in turn.

"I think," she paused, pursing her lips and furrowing her brow as she sought the right description. "I would say I'm quite plain." she concluded finally.

Rather than respond, he simply nodded and turned his eyes away from her but she noticed the little clench of his jaw and found herself immediately curious. Whilst he was no longer paying attention to her, Elsie took a moment to study him: his eyes were focused dead ahead, unblinking, his lips pursing slightly each time he sipped from the glass of vodka. As always, his expression was completely blank but every few seconds, he would clench his jaw. Perhaps he disagreed with her? With alcohol fuelling her confidence, she spoke.

"Do you think I'm interesting?" she asked quietly.

"I think you're beautiful."

Tommy's answer was immediate despite the fact his eyes never strayed from the wall in front of him. At his words, her breath caught in her throat and within seconds she could feel that familiar burning sensation in her cheeks as she blushed profusely. God, he had just called her beautiful! All common sense left her and it seemed her brain could focus on nothing other than his words, on the way the word beautiful sounded coming from his mouth. Only a handful of people had ever called her beautiful without then immediately trying to sleep with her. Maybe it the way he refused to meet her eye, the respect this suggested he had for her but suddenly, she found herself focusing very much so on the prospect of sleeping with him. Almost breathlessly, she whispered his name and slowly, he leaned forward to sit down his now empty glass before leaning back and turning his eyes to finally meet hers.

"You think I'm beautiful?" she asked, repeating his words back to him as though she didn't understand the meaning.

"That's what I said." he responded plainly.

Carefully, worried she might frighten him in his newly vulnerable state, Elsie moved to sit a little closer to him. The way in which his eyes flickered down across her body did not go unnoticed by her and when he raised them once more to meet her's, she could see the desire that lurked there. Gingerly reaching up, she brushed her fingertips against his cheek, smiling lightly when he tilted his head ever so slightly into her touch. After a moment or two, she dropped her hand to rest on his thigh, her smile becoming a smirk as she felt his fingers toy with the thin silver strap of her dress in response.

"You look very beautiful in that dress." he spoke.

A hum sounded from her as he spoke with a voice as seductive as the satin of her dress but his attention was no longer focused on her reaction to him. Instead, his eyes were trailing all across her body, his free hand reaching up to find the knot of the headband hidden by her hair, untying it gently before tugging it free, leaving black wisps to fall across her face. This only seemed to encourage him however, and he then moved both hands to toy with the silver belt around her waist.

"Thank you." she whispered, catching his attention.

"Elsie," he spoke softly, his eyes meeting her's. "I'm going to kiss you now."

Before her brain could even formulate a response, Tommy had moved forward and pressed his lips to her's in a very light kiss, his hands abanonding their fascination with her belt in favour of taking hold of her waist. It was a sweet but short kiss and as he began to pull back, Elsie found herself acting without thinking. Placing one hand on the nape of his neck, the other on his chest, she tugged him back towards her, meeting his lips again but this time much more forcefully. Immediately, the action escalated as leaned into her, the two of them slowly reclining until they lay across the couch. Firm in his grip, he grasped at her thighs, pulling her legs apart to settle between them, her own hands tugging at his shoulders to keep his mouth on her's. Quiet, breathy gasps escaped her between lust-filled kisses as his hands roamed, untying her belt, tugging at the straps of her dress, trailing up her thighs in search of lingerie. Eventually, he pulled back, his dark hair a ruffled mess from where her hands had trailed and tugged.

"Do you want this?" he asked, his lips moving to her neck before she could answer.

"Yes, Tommy, God, yes." she replied anyway.

In an instant, he had his hands placed firmly on her waist, sitting upright and pulling her with him so that she straddled his lap. Unwilling to waste even a single second, she found his lips once more, her hands already beginning to tug at the buttons on his shirt, unfastening them one by one, tracing the exposed skin with her fingertips as she went. As they moved, their kisses became much more hurried and frantic, fuelled by a lust Elsie hadn't known existed within her and as he tugged harshly on the straps of the dress, signalling that he wanted it off, she couldn't hide the smirk that caressed her lips. Pulling back from him, she took her time unfastening the rest of the buttons on his shirt, avoiding him each time he leaned forward to kiss her until he gave up, leaning back to let her continue. When she was done, she let her hands slowly trail up and across his chest, pushing the shirt from his shoulders, getting to her feet as he leaned forwards to remove it fully. With his eyes focused on her, she then trailed her hands upwards across her own body until her fingertips finally landed on the thin silver straps he'd almost torn in his attempts to remove her dress. Slowly, carefully, she pushed the straps off of her shoulders, letting the dress fall for the floor, leaving her standing before him completely naked. As the fabric hit the ground, Tommy's eyes widened appreciatively and after a moment or two of simply staring, he got to his feet. Elsie stood completely still as he stalked towards her, one hand gripping her waist to pull her closer whilst the other trailed through her hair, gathering a handful at the nape of her neck and tugging harshly. A hiss left her throat at the action but he only smirked as their eyes met. He stared for a few moments more, remaining silent but studying her with desperate eyes before he crushed his lips to her's once again.


Soft morning light cast a subtle golden glow in the room, creating a peaceful world Tommy had only ever experienced in his dreams. A few hours now he had been awake, simply recounting the events of the previous night. Sex had never been his intention with Elsie, at least not so suddenly. This girl was still practically a stranger to him, a mere passing fancy that he couldn't seem to stop thinking about no matter how hard he tried. Of course, he couldn't deny that she was beautiful and that he was certainly attracted to her. It was that fucking dress that did it. All night, his intentions had been pure - invite her out, show her a good time and walk her home, a kiss goodnight or whatever; it had been his intention to be a gentleman, or at least, as gentlemanly as he could possibly be. And then, oh God, then she had to go and show up looking like that. It was no secret that Tommy was not religious but he could have sworn that girl was an angel right then and he wanted nothing more than to watch her sin. Still, he tried to behave, to fight the urge to rip her damn dress clean off, and he'd done well, he thought, but all innocence left him when she simply placed her hand on his thigh. Flashing memories raced through his mind, the look on her face when he first slipped inside, the way she moaned his name when he pulled on her hair, the way her breasts bounced as she rode him, the way her legs shook and her eyes screwed shut and she tightened around him when she came. Just thinking about it had him ready to go again and the way her naked body was still wrapped around his was doing little to silence the desire. Also, there was a part of him that didn't want to disturb her, not when she appeared to be sleeping so peacefully. He supposed that was why he had yet to leave her. That, and he couldn't quite stomach the thought of letting her wake up alone - he would at least try to salvage any gentlemanly qualities he had left. Elsie stirred beside him, drawing his attention to her. Waiting patiently, he watched as she blinked several times before raising one hand to swipe through her hair, brushing it back from her face.

"Good morning, Mr. Shelby." she spoke without looking up.

Having only just awoken, her voice was thick with sleep and her cool grey eyes were glazed over. The light of the sun brushed across her skin, giving the pale white an angelic glow that was contrasted only by the darkness of her hair. Without a doubt, she was positively stunning.

"Good morning, Elsie." he responded.

After a moment or two, she readjusted her position beneath the sheets so that she was lying on her front, pushing herself up to rest on her elbows before meeting his eyes. A wide smile came across her lips and Tommy couldn't help but move quickly to place a chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth. As he settled back comfortably in her bed, he placed one hand behind his head, reaching up to tangle the other in her hair, toying with the strands delicately. Silence descended upon them as she tilted her head and let her eyes drift to a close, releasing a soft sigh as she allowed him to play with her hair. They stayed like that for what felt like a very long time before she spoke.

"So last night- " she trailed off, leading him.

"Yes?" he goaded.

"We uhm-" she trailed off again, a blush attacking her pale skin.

"We did." he confirmed.

At his confirmation, she ducked her head and laughed softly. Dark waves fell around her face and he absent-mindedly brushed a hand through her hair to push them back, allowing him to see her face again. When she finally returned her eyes to his, it was clear that she held no regrets with regard to the night they'd spent together. A weight seemed to lift from his chest and Tommy only then realised that he'd been worried about what she might think about their little tryst. After all, they barely knew each other. Although, it was likely that she knew more about him than she was letting on, which only made it more frustrating that he knew so little about her. Perhaps even more frustrating was that he actually wanted to know more about her. He had said himself that he wanted to both know and understand Elsie and so it was only right that he made a conscious effort to do so.

"I must admit, I was expecting to wake up alone." her voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I told you last night, you interest me." he responded.

"That does not mean you would stay." she countered, her smile bearing the slightest sadness.

"I want to stay," he admitted after a moment, "but I have business to attend to."

No answer came from her but he could tell that this is what she had expected. Moving quickly, Tommy knocked her shoulder, pushing her onto her back and grabbing her waist to pull her beneath his body, laughter erupting from her as he did so. Hovering over her, he waited until her laughter subsided, one arm flung haphazardly up beside her head whilst she traced her fingertips across his chest with her free hand, his own hands still holding her waist.

"What's your surname?" he asked, and she giggled

"We've already had sex, does it matter?" she asked, her giggling increasing.

"What is it?" he asked again, rolling his eyes at her answer but fighting a smile of his own.

"Macintyre." she answered finally.

"Right," he began with a nod, "well, Miss Macintyre," he continued, making her giggle again, "this is not the last we shall be seeing each other."

Moving away from her, he settled himself so that he was sat on the edge of her bed and began to search for his clothes, redressing himself. From behind him, he heard the rustle of sheets and he paused, glancing over his shoulder to watch as she wrapped her blankets around herself, resting on her side, albeit propped up on her elbow.

"Is that so, Mr. Shelby?" she asked, eyeing him suggestively.

Unable to help himself, Tommy adopted a wicked smirk as he turned his body, leaning across the bed to bring his lips to her ear, brushing his fingertips against her collarbone as he did so, delighting in the feel of the shiver that passed through her at his touch.

"I much prefer when you call me Tommy."

The soft sound of her breath catching in her throat let him know he'd had the desired affect on her. As he pulled back, he took note of her furious blush and the sheets clenched tightly in her grip, her knuckles turning white. He merely watched her as she attempted to calm herself, avoiding his eyes as he finished redressing himself and when he was done, he cockily leaned across the bed again to press a gentle kiss against her lips. She responded immediately, using her free hand to grab at his upper arm, attempting to pull him closer. With a playful roll of his eyes he pulled back from her, chuckling slightly at the sight of her unamused expression.

"I'll see you soon, Elsie."

Once more, he pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of her mouth before pulling back completely, amused by the dramatic way in which she threw herself back on the bed. A few moments passed before she finally conceeded, although her tone was still comically unamused as she bid him farewell.