Gun Metal And Daisies (Thomas Shelby)- Chapter 18

Gun Metal and Daisies (Thomas Shelby)- Chapter 18

What goes up must always come back down again.

Masterlist

She wasn't doing a

Singlething I could

see, except

Standing there,

Leaning on the

Balcony railing,

Holding the

Universe together.

Though the night was long and loud, it was also too short for comfort and boisterous. Thomas and Dorothy both walked away from each other with bowed heads, regretting instantly that they ever parted.

They both knew that it wouldn't be the end of their companionship, but leaving each other made it painful, if just for a few hours.

Darcy found the Shelby man charming and respectful. Dean saw him a man with no ill intent, only guilty of rumours.

Thomas walked away and found that the house felt more homely than the one he occupied.

Thomas hated small spaces, but for the first time, that small space was comforting and warm. For the briefest second as he sat in that kitchen, he let his mind wonder, he thought of his mother, and he saw her smile. He allowed himself that thought and treasured it for the rest of the night.

Only making it all the more sweet as he felt his mothers smile on his conscience.

The night went off without a hitch. The dinner continued as Dorothy asked about Deans day and he joked of his unemployment.

Dorothy only grimaced what she thought to be a smile at the joke. Her father had been unemployed due to having to look after his wife. Originally, Dorothy was going to stop working but after examining the income, they found that she was the main breadwinner of the family.

The night continued on as Thomas recounted stories from his childhood, he hoped that the more he spoke of old times the more he could figure out his Bonny.

He was aching to know her name, but out of respect he didn't look too deeply. The parents never once gave her name, only sweet pet names reserved for daughters.

As Thomas got up and decided that he'd best head back, Bonny was engrossed in conversation with her mother. Dean clapped him on the back and walked him to the door, chatting quietly as they walked and stood there for a few minutes, waiting for Bonny to come through the door to bid him goodbye.

——

Dorothy awoke tiredly, the events of the night before were tiring as she'd stayed up til the early hours of the morning, thinking of Bubs and how he just fell into the comfort of her home.

She left the house with thoughts of her Bubs as she made her way to the bakery, prepared to start the day.

——

It was safe to say that the day did not go as well as it could have. Though forever the undying optimist, even Dorothy struggled to see the light of her day.

Ms. P had come down with a terrible case of flu- or worse.

The bakery had become infested with rats, meaning all the produce was ruined and they had to close it for a few days as they gathered the money to get the problem removed.

Next, she finds out that the boys who had stolen from her the other week had been running around again after, in her opinion, very stern talking to.

And lastly to end the day she learns that her father had found work.

Now usually that probably would have been good. She was ecstatic at first. But when she found out that it was to be a part of Thomas' up and coming business; it was safe to say she almost stuck her fingers in her eyes.

Her father had desperately tried to explain that he was tending to the money banks, no razor gang stuff. He pleaded that she saw the desperate state they were in and that they SURELY needed the money.

But Dorothy was overcome with a sense of bubbling anger. She stomped out of her house in a fit of blind rage. She couldn't quite work out who she was angry at, but first she needed a walk.

Maybe she would have given in to the idea, had she not come across the one Shelby man she didn't want to see.

Though she was angry, she had no desire to lash out or hurt anyone, so she tried her best to keep marching. Though she forgot that the two had a habit of late night meetings so there was no way of him not seeing her.

"Bonny?" She heard a small smile in his voice. Had this been any other situation, she probably would have squealed and pulled him into a hug prodding for a story or the inner workings of his mind.

Dorothy kept on walking, at least she planned to. She planned to until her forearm was grabbed and she was rugged to a standstill.

"Where're you off to at this hour, eh?" Thomas chuckled, no quite noticing her foul mood, "'m I gonna find you in the middle of the streets again?"

"What do you want?" Dorothy snapped at him. Very out of character.

Thomas blinked slowly, only now recognising the look of anger on her face. "What's this all about then, huh?" He tugged her a bit closer.

He was trying his best to be close to her, he didn't know why he wanted it, but he just felt safe when she was in his arms or her hand on his. Something close. Something meaningful.

"Oh I don't know!" She three her hands in the air, forcing Thomas to let go of her, "maybe it was the fact that I came home today, from a VERY hard day at work, only to find out my father has signed his death warrant away to your administration. At this rate, dad's gonna be dead before Mama."

Dorothy only blinked at her words, so blinded by her rage that seeing red turned into dark stormy colours that clouded her vision.

She was worried for her father and his safety, Thomas got that, "Look, he's going to be protected, as a matter of fact, your whole family will be protected. He won't be going around slashing people to pieces. He's very good with money so I've seen to it that he watches the books. Your father will not come to any harm while I'm looking."

He steadied his hands on her shoulders, trying to level with her.

She looked up at him through her eyelashes that had tear drop residue still sitting in between them.

"Can you promise that, Bubs? Can you promise that my father will not come under any harm while he is under the protection of Thomas Shelby?" She made sure that it wasn't the Peaky Blinders who were going to watch out for him, but Thomas himself.

"I promise. I promise that you will still have your father for as long as I can provide for you. As much as I want to Bons, I can't shield you and your family from everything, if I knew I could get a cure for your mother from Comptons chemist, I'd be down there before sunrise. If I could ever stop you from shedding another tear in your life, I would bring the sun closer to dry your eyes."

Thomas wasn't used to emotional speeches. They made him feel vulnerable. But Dorothy made him feel vulnerable, she made him relax and enjoy life. She made him able to stand himself.

After Thomas' words she only then caught up with her own. She brought a hand up to her mouth as she shed more tears, "Oh my God, Bubs. I'm so sorry!" She grabbed onto his elbows as she sobbed in front of him, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Thomas pulled her close, taking the chance to be near her, "I'm so sorry Thomas, I didn't mean it, I'm so sorry!" It was safe to say she was ugly crying now and was getting tears and all kinds of things on Thomas' shirt, but he didn't mind.

He pulled back for a second to look her in the eye after she calmed down a bit, reduced to only small sniffles now, "my Bonny-."

"Oh so I'm your Bonny now?"

"Shut up- My Bonny, you have too many smiles left in you to be sad."

Dorothy cracked a smile for the first time that evening, the final tears escaping her eyes as she still clung on to the lapels of his jacket and dug her head into his chest again.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry about your shirt. Tell you what, I've still got the shirt you leant me so I'll exchange it for the one your wearing now and I'll clean it." She didn't give him much of a choice as she grabbed his hand, still wiping her face with her other and lead him away to her house.

She called out behind her shoulder, "Don't worry! I cleaned it! I promise!"

——

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Gun Metal and Daisies (Thomas Shelby)- Chapter 16

“You have shoes that need lacing up and you don’t know how to tie a shoelace?”

Masterlist

Mama bore a girl with a gun for a mouth.

Teeth dripping lead,

And lips bleeding red.

Lashes curled for war,

Onyx armour for my eyes.

Tongue waxing lyrical

Of both beauty and battle cries.

Dorothy awoke to the immediate smell of coal, smoke and whiskey. It reminded her of the days when she hung around the cut with her friends as they smoked and drank. Though she didn't, she enjoyed the memory all the same.

It reminded her of the smell of the meadows on a rainy day. It reminded her of the days when you walked past the factories and listened to the sound of the men working. It reminded her of peace. It reminded her of home.

Dorothy, still in her bleary warm state, nuzzled closer to the smell, digging her nose into the gorgeous scent.

It was only when she heard the sound of amused chuckling did her brain decide to start waking up.

Dorothy felt a hand draped around her waist, holding her back and another on the back of her head, stroking her hair slowly.

"You alright there, Bon Bon?"

Dorothy still didn't open her eyes, only snuggling closer to the bed warm feeling that she had.

"Mhmm. 'Mells nice" her voice had a slight lisp which Thomas found himself cooing at.

"That was so fuckin' cute." Thomas' mind screamed at him.

"Thank you, very kind." Dorothy could hear the teasing in his voice.

It was only when her mind caught up with her did she snap her eyes open.

She slowly lifted her head to look up at the voice, and seeing Bubs' face, only inches away from hers gave her a bit of a fright, "Jesus H Christ!" Dorothy's head jolted back, her body falling with her, it was only when she felt the feeling of falling did she realise the full extent of their positions.

Before she fell too far, the arm on her back and her crown, stiffened slightly and she stopped falling a bit, it was a bit useless though because she was already halfway down, though she appreciated the attempt.

It was only when she heard the howl of laughter did she fall completely as the grip on her back softened and she fell to the floor with an "oomph."

"Ah shit, Bonny!" Thomas cackled with laughter, his head thrown back, "I didn't mean to let go of you!" Thomas continued to belt out long roars of laughter and soon Dorothy found herself laughing as well.

After they had finally sobered you, Dorothy wiped her eyes, giggling slightly, "what's the time, Bubs?"

"Uhhh, 6:30." Thomas soon found himself dreading the fact that she was going to have to leave soon.

He knew he could see her again, of course. But a part of him still told him to let her go. She would be safer without him. But Thomas Shelby was nothing if not selfish.

And Bonny was his. And Thomas did not share.

"Ah, well I should probably get a move on!" Dorothy also found herself a bit melancholy about the fact that she had to leave this small house of bliss and peace. Though she knew she'd see Bubs again. They were friends still, right?

She didn't care who he was.

"I'll walk you back then, don't want you toppling down Hampton Lane. People might get the wrong idea seeing you passed out in the streets." Thomas tried to convince her.

"You don't need to walk me, I'm very capable, I'll have you know. But I'll let you just because I like you so much." Dorothy grinned stubbornly.

Thomas would never admit it, but his heart swelled a bit at her words.

"Ah. I just realised how weird it's going to be, walking home like this." She gestured to her attire.

"Here, I'll give you my coat so no one will notice, hopefully."

Dorothy stared outside and saw the blustery wind, "I don't think so, have you seen how cold it is out there? I'm not letting you get wind chill burns or nothin'"

Thomas, apparently, didn't care about her concerns as he took his coat off the hook and draped it over her shoulders. He sat down and tied his boots, glancing up at Bonny, she stared down at him confusedly.

"Something on me face?" Thomas quirked.

"I've never figured it out.”

"Figured our what?"

Dorothy smiled sheepishly and looked at her feet, "how to tie laces..." she traced the patterns on the floorboards with her sock clad foot.

"Isn't that like the first thing you girls are taught in school? Like sewing n' shite?"

Dorothy's glare at the floor deepened, "you think I listened to that stuff? Let alone attended?" She grinned at him, rather proud of her childhood rebellion.

Thomas only shook his head, "I'll have to teach you sometime then." Thomas patted his thighs and stood up, he stared at Dorothy, she stared back, confused.

"What?"

"Where are your shoes?"

"I thought you had them."

"Oh they're upstairs."

Dorothy darted up the stairs, tripping slightly on the second step.

When she stormed back down the stairs, she leaned against the wall to slip on her small shoes. Thomas noted they had laces holes on them.

"You have shoes that need lacing up, and you don't know how to tie a shoelace? So you're only logical solution was to take them out instead of learning?"

"Yep" Dorothy states, popping the 'p'.

Thomas shook his head again. Strange girl.

Once Dorothy got the heels to sit straight, she skipped over to Thomas and grabbed his hand (even though he offered his arm) and made headway for the door.

Once Thomas had locked the door and Dorothy had marvelled at the nifty contraption; she grabbed his hand and tugged him across the field, "hurry up, Bubs! The rain'll start if we're not fast enough!" Thomas finally managed to keep up with her jogging at a brisk walk.

Once they got closer to the darker side of Small Heath, Thomas pulled her closer to him, his arm now on the small of her back protectively.

"Why do we keep going weird ways down back alleys?" Thomas looked around at the slightly unfamiliar area.

"The noises. They're quieter here."

That was the only explanation Thomas got and he supposed it was either the noise of the whore houses or her tinnitus. He didn't know exactly.

After a few more weird turns and one fence, they finally reached a doorstep with a battered door and a worse for wear door frame.

Without warning, the door flung open, "Ah sweetheart, there yer are! Darcy's in th-. Is that Thomas Shelby, Sweetness?"

Dorothy shrunk into herself a bit at the question, "yeah, Bu-Thomas, meet my dad, dad meet Thomas." She winced at her slip up.

Dorothy didn't like calling him Thomas.

Thomas didn't like her calling him Thomas.

"You two friends?" Dorothy's father smiled widely at his daughter. Seemingly not deterred by the fact he was a Shelby, only that his daughter had someone other than Ms. P.

"Yeah, Dad."

He threw open the door fully,"Well invite him in then. Tonight's a night of celebration!"

——

A slightly shorter one!

I'm thinking that when this book is done, I'll start a one shots book series of Thomas and Dorothy in different scenarios that I couldn't put in this one. So please, please, PLEASE send in some cool scenario ideas I can put them in. I want to get a list going so you can get a taste of it all!

Thanks for the love.

Feedback is always welcome.

See ya next time!

Gun Metal and Daisies (Thomas Shelby)- Chapter 19

“Family means bullying the shit out of your silblings until they try to stab you.”

Masterlist

He stole a day dreamers heart with a handful of clouds.

Things weren't good.

But things weren't bad either.

Ever since Dean had gone to work for Thomas, Dorothy found that she could give her family more than a slice of bread or porridge for a meal. She could cater a pie once a week or maybe Toad in the Hole if she got to the butchers at the right time.

But her father, no matter what Thomas promised, could only be as safe as Thomas could afford. She didn't like the work, but she saw the upsides. Dorothy for the first time managed to get remedies from the local pharmaceutical, but that came with the price of her father being in danger.

But nonetheless, the days moved forward. It had now been around a week and a bit since the night where Dorothy invited Thomas back to her house for another night to get his newly stolen shirt for him. She'd be lying if she said she didn't miss him.

She thought about him day in and day out. She thought of the smile that she only just started being able to coax out of him more often. She thought of his warm embrace despite cold hands, that didn't really make sense but she revelled in the feeling.

——

Thomas was the same. He thought all about her, all the time. At least this time though, he was on top of his work.

He thought back to the moment when she cried her eyes out in front of him and he leant down to her level and for the first time, he looked deep into her eyes

He saw her blue/grey eyes that were harsh shades of grey with dark lines around the edges. He saw the stormy grayscale and saw an oxymoron on her face as her smile brightened the room but her eyes displayed a cold feeling to the heart.

Her pale and slightly gaunt face made her grey azures stand out among her delicate features.

"Delicate." Thomas thought. She was delicate, though he would never say it out loud to her because she would probably clap him upside the head. But she was. She was fragile in his arms and he held her together as he encircled her in his embrace.

He missed her. Terribly.

And that's why he decided to go see her.

After contemplating reasons for justifying a visit, he decided he didn't need one.

He was Thomas Shelby. He did what he wanted.

She was probably on a lunch break of sort around now.

Perfect.

——

Dorothy didn't look up when the entrance bell chimed, "Sorry, Ms. P is sick and I need to take a break to watch the ovens. Please come back in an hour, and I can serve you then!" She tried her best to be sweet about it, but if she was honest, she was tired.

She didn't actually have to watch the furnaces, it was actually her lunch break, but Dorothy didn't have lunch.

Things had been better. She tried her best to make them look better.

She decided that as gratitude, she'd try her best to make at least one full meal for her parents per day. And if by doing that, it meant that she couldn't eat a lunch, then she didn't worry. She'd eat in the evening anyway.

"Not even for me, Bons?"

Dorothy took a moment to register the voice before her head snapped up and she let out a squeal and clap at her guest.

"Bubs! Oh I've missed you!" She ran around the counter to stand in front of him.

This was really their first encounter in daylight, when any of the public could be watching. She understood that he had a hard reputation to uphold so she held back from attacking him into a tight hug and squeeze.

"I haven't seen you in a week and I don't even get a hug? The worlds truly fallen to pieces then, eh? C'mere." Thomas gestured by opening his arms, awaiting the force of her body slamming into his chest as she collided with him, momentarily winding him.

She rushed forward and embraced him in a tight hug, one that you'd give to a friend when they have to move away or when you'd just seen someone for the first time in years. It surely felt like years.

"I missed you..." Dorothy mumbled quietly, so quietly that Thomas almost missed it.

He hummed quietly in agreement, just enjoying the moment the two had together.

"Now what's all this about watching those ovens? I woulda' thought Ms. P would have at least given you a lunch break?" Thomas leaned back to look down at her.

"Don' have 'ny." Dorothy mumbled as she dug her face further into his chest, if possible, as he leaned back slightly, refusing to let go of him.

Thomas leaned forward again, chuckling a bit to himself at her actions, "I thought I paid your father enough to give you a lunch at least."

"Needed it for other things."

"Ok, well I can pay Dean more, business is getting better so 's no trou-."

"Don't give us special treatment. We're not a charity case, Bubs." Dorothy for the first time leaned out of his embrace, not fully letting go, but just enough so she could stare up and glare into his eyes to show she was at least a bit miffed.

Thomas momentarily let go of her as he held his hands up in surrender, "I know. I'm sorry! I just wanted to make things better." He hooked his arms back around her as he rested them on her back again.

"Well don't. You're doing fine just being here. Don't need none of that extra shit." She muttered back.

"So if you don't eat a lunch, when do you eat?"

"I'll eat this evening with my parents." She sighed, wanting to change the conversation, starting to walk around the counter towards the kitchen.

"Do they know you ain't eating lunch?"

Dorothy was now halfway into the kitchen and Thomas had no choice but to follow her, "what they don't know won't hurt them." She waved a hand in his direction, dismissing the conversation from going any further.

"Well we can't have that, now can we?"

"Come on. You came at the perfect time. Thought I was gonna be alone for an hour or so." She held a door open that Thomas hadn't noticed before.

Going through, he realised it was just the back entrance to the store for staff. When going out, he found crates of God knows what that hid in the alleyway of the bakery and other building. Dorothy nestled herself on one of the crates in the corner. Going one way, there was a dead end as the crates stacked so high, you couldn't get over, and the other had a clean but secluded view of the busy market in front.

Thomas sat on a crate, opposite her. It wasn't that he was worried about about people seeing him with her and having fun. He just wanted to create space so she was comfortable.

The two sat and chatted for as long as they could. Thomas laughed and sighed at all the things they talked about.

He felt like he only spent a minute in passing when she had to get back to the bakery after only an hour and a bit.

They parted ways again, Dorothy waving furiously at him as he smirked slightly, stalking away.

She went through to back door and he went down the alley, connecting once again to the market place, scaring a few unsuspecting buyers as he seemed to just have appeared out of nowhere.

His short daydream of thinking about Bonny was interrupted by his older brother clapping him on the back.

"Oh hello Tom! We's thought you'd gone wondered off. No ones been able to find you, yeah, for the past hour. My, my, I wonder what you get up to." Arthur laughed as John joined them.

"You reckon he finally got a bird, Arthur?" John 'swaggered' on their general direction.

"Aye! I do! 'E's been softer more! Reckon it's one of those pretty new barmaids!"

Thomas stayed silent through the whole exchange, rolling his eyes at his brothers assumptions and stalking off in a different direction, shaking his head slightly; trying to clear his thoughts or Dorothy.

——

It was now dinner in the Shelby household. Polly insisted that everyone came back from wherever they were living to go back to the Old Shelby household for one night for a 'family meal'.

The family crowded around the table, digging into the food. It was slightly tense at first but as soon as John and Esme arrived with booze, the happy family got back into full swing, laughs and potato's passed around the table.

Thomas, always the quiet observer, just sat and smiled occasionally. He didn't show it much, but his family knew that he was content and not brooding.

"So Thomas, when were you going to tell us, you finally had a girl?" Arthur started.

From there it only went downhill, for Thomas.

The family gasped and started speculating who she was. Only laughing in his face as his jaw clenched. He couldn't get a word in, not like he wanted to. The conversation only ended when he threw his fork, like a dart, right next to Arthur's head, clattering against the wall behind his head.

Arthur only held up his hands in mock surrender and changed the subject as Thomas glared daggers into the side of his head.

The dinner ensued all the same. Only now, the conversations were weighted with subtle jokes and prods at Thomas' love life.

He would never admit it, but he did find some of the jokes funny. Only because of the kind of girl they envisioned Thomas was supposedly with. Thomas could only laugh harder when he thought of the girl Thomas was really with.

Well he wasn't with her, was he?

Thomas froze in that moment. Maybe he wanted to be with her. Thomas smiled sheepishly to himself.

He was surely in trouble now.

——

I'm having far too much fun with this book.

I really just enjoy any kind of domestic fluff and I need MORE Shelby family fluff where everyone's just okay and happy. I NEED IT.

Thanks for the love.

Feedback and comments are wanted.

See ya next time!

Gun Metal and Daisies (Thomas Shelby)- Chapter 15

“I wish you well on your pursuit of being.”

Masterlist

He looked at her

The way she needed to be looked at

Like the whole world could crumble

And he wouldn't blink.

After Dorothy cleared away the bowl and spoons, she turned to Thomas, "well, I best be heading off then. You've got a business to run, Bubs. Doubt that you'd want to waste anymore time here?" She put her hands on her hips.

"Waste! Waste?" Thomas thought. "How could any of this be a waste?"

"Nah. Besides, I want to make sure you don't go falling over when I'm not looking. At least not 'til the end of the day."

Dorothy, if she was honest, had no desire to leave. So without any fight, she only grinned and strutted off to the living room.

She plopped down on the sofa and got herself comfortable, "you're lucky it's my day off, Bubs. Or Ms P would have wrung my neck.

"Not to mention it's my Sunday off. I don't have my camera with me, so you're stuck with my incessant rambles."

Thomas didn't mind. He rather liked her rambles. They kept him out of his head.

"Well, I doubt you'd actually want to be outside anyway. Looks like rain's coming." He gestured out of the window to the blustery weather.

Thomas liked the fact that he had her to himself for the day. Just a day to escape and enjoy life. With her. His Bonny.

——

The two talked continuously as the day moved ever closer to night. They hadn't moved an inch off the sofa, except the two of them leaning in towards each other as time wore on.

Dorothy now sat with her legs, thrown over his lap, as he rested his hands on the trousers she was wearing.

"Y'know what? I rather like the trousers. I think it would do me good to find some women's trousers to wear. Would make clear-out day a helluva lot easier."

Thomas thought for a moment and nodded. He liked the trousers on her, she looked nice with them on.

——

"So anyway, I told him to fuck right off! I wasn't having any o-."

"Did you just curse?" Thomas leaned closer, chuckling at her in disbelief.

Thomas never thought he'd hear her curse. She looked far too doe-eyed and innocent for that.

"Yes... what about it?" She squinted her eyes at him.

"Oh no nothing. I just thought you'd be too good and kind hearted for all that, but I've learnt not to be surprised by any of your plot twists."

"You can be a good person with a kind heart and still tell people to fuck off when needed, Bubs."

Thomas nodded his head, satisfied with her answer.

——

It was now mid-afternoon, the house had gotten slowly more chilly without the two noticing, so now they were curled up quite close to each other, trying to preserve body heat.

Thomas had his arm around the back of the sofa which she leaned her head on. Her knee was touching his thigh as she curled closer.

Dorothy yawned slightly. She definitely was not used to this much social interaction in one day. She thought Bubs was great, but all the talking really took the energy out of her.

Thomas raised an amused eyebrow, "tired?" He cocked his head, mockingly.

"Alright, just 'cause you don't sleep, doesn't mean the rest of us have to be practically narcoleptic." She glared back at him.

Thomas only cracked a grin.

Dorothy, quite suddenly got up and headed straight for the bookcase. She scanned the shelves for one that interested her or one she had already read.

She pulled out an old book that was dog eared around the corners and had the spine crackling at the sudden movement.

Thomas didn't question her, he only watched her movements. It seemed she had a lightbulb moment in her head when she scanned the cover.

"'The pursuit of being.'" She smiled at the book.

The title reminded Thomas of a conversation they'd had earlier.

——

"Is your goal to have a purpose, Bubs?" She sniffed quietly.

Thomas didn't honestly know the answer. He supposed he was looking for purpose, or the things that came with it more like.

Money, power, whiskey sours, sex. The important things that made him strive for purpose.

"I suppose, why do you ask?"

"The pursuit of being always baffled me." She put a hand on his arm, Thomas now looked her in the eye, "look, years from now, you will find all the things you held dear, were all trivial to the core.

"All those silly little things you cared about meant nothing. And the naïve quest for perfection was a giant fucking waste of time. So I don't know, Bubs." She sighed a bit, and patted his arm before retracting her hand, "I wish you well on your pursuit of being."

Thomas didn't know what to say. He had no idea where that came from. Dorothy had never said anything like that.

"You speak from experience?" Thomas cautioned a bit.

"You can't change things by loving them harder, Bubs."

——

The nature of that conversation startled him. It seemed that the more he spent time with her: The more sides he saw.

Ever since she had opened up the night before, their conversations ran deeper and darker.

Though Dorothy never lost her innocent charm that she carried.

It seemed that she decided that being cold and stand-off-ish by the things she'd been through was pointless and only caused worse suffering.

Thomas admired her for that. To take ones demons and turn them into a lesson, an example; is something he couldn't do with his.

Dorothy sat back down with the book, only this time, she placed a pillow in his lap and laid her head down on it. Wriggling a bit to get settled.

"Comfortable?" Thomas peered down again her, amusedly.

"Very." She hummed.

Dorothy went to work with reading the book aloud. Thomas rested one hand across the back of the sofa and the other one, he took to fiddling with her hair. She didn't seem to mind as long as he didn't pull her curls out.

"I grew those curls myself, thank you very much! I'll have no one ruin them!" He remembered her stating earlier.

It seemed after a while, she got a bit tired as her arms slumped a bit and her words got a bit lazier and slow.

Without warning, Thomas plucked the book from her hands and took it in his own, he picked up reading from where she stopped.

The two didn't exchange any more words than the ones Thomas was reading. The atmosphere was very peaceful and mind meltingly warm.

Dorothy shifted a bit, she turned on her side and faced Thomas. He didn't say anything.

As time wore on, she found herself leaning closer to his warmth. Very soon her nose was nuzzling his abdomen, she was slightly bleary eyed and Thomas almost, almost cooed at her.

Thomas had now taken to clutching the book with one hand and using the other to rub the centre of her back, slowly.

It was something he remembered his mother did when he couldn't sleep at night.

It put weights on his eyelids, showing him constellations of pin-pricked-porcupines, dipping their quills into ink bottles, writing 'sorry' letters for all the wishes they couldn't grant.

It wasn't before long that he heard small kitten snores coming from under the book. Thomas also found his eyes dropping slightly.

He leaned forward carefully, placing the book on the coffee table.

He shifted a bit so he was lying down a bit more.

"This is getting very close. Almost too close." Thomas thought. But Thomas didn't care.

He realised that here, he was going to be selfish. This was his Bonny and it was going to stay that way. He'd keep her safe. He'd keep her close. He was scared that if he let her go then she'd fly away. To a great mind, nothing is little; and though she was small in stature, she made up for it in all the ways that mattered. A heart three times too big for her chest.

Thomas, with those thoughts, shut his eyes slowly, and drifted off to the land of Nod. Thinking of his Bonny.

——

I WARNED YOU THIS SHIT WAS FLUFFY.

Thanks for the love.

Feedback and comments are wanted.

See ya next time!