poison • thomas shelby

fifteen.

this is the dress i picture thailiana in (just imagine it a bit longer, like knee length rather than mid thigh):

-

THAILIANA WILKINSON

"Your sister was here." Thailiana watched Thomas remove his jacket, taking in the sight of his clenched jaw. He sat in the wooden armchair that seemed reserved for him and her eyes followed his hand as it pushed back his hair. "She was worried, you and Freddie. It made her sick. She's alright but in her condition, she needs peace. Women talk."

"That is something they do." Tommy confirmed, taking a cigarette from his packet. He placed it between his lips, his eyes not once glancing over at the brunette.

"She talked about you, she said you keep everything locked up." The barmaid had been confused when the Shelby woman had told her that he rarely shared everything, she was aching to tell her that he didn't keep to himself when he was around her yet she didn't know if he'd appreciate her speaking about their private talks with his sister.

"Well, that's what men do."

"Your sister's nice, I like her, like you told me I would." Thailiana smiled, remembering the night Thomas had joined her in her home where they'd spoken about their siblings. "It can't be easy for her, her brother and her husband fighting over the same thing. Men should talk, too."

Tommy drank his whiskey that the woman had offered to him when he'd arrived. His eyes, that had remained on the wooden table in front of him, finally turned to the brunette.

"To you?" He inquired, the blunt edge to his tone worried Thailiana. Maybe he didn't want to talk to her anymore.

"Why not? I'm a barmaid, it's my job. Men always tell their troubles to a barmaid." She stated, adding the same amount of coldness that he had to her voice. If he wanted to be blunt, she could to. "Besides, it's not like you've never done it before."

Thomas ignored her, deciding to keep his comments to himself. He wanted to tell her everything, all the small things about him, yet he couldn't bring himself to say the words. He grabbed the newspaper, opening it as he cleared his throat.

"I'll meet you here at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Did you buy a dress?"

"Yes, I bought a dress." Thailiana nodded weakly, playing with the material of her black skirt. What if he didn't like the dress she bought? Maybe he'd find her ugly, seeing her for who she truly felt like.

"How does it look?"

The brunette smiled softly at him, nodding her head once again before turning her back on him. A smirk played on Tommy's lips, he was amused at the shyness of the woman. She didn't seem to find herself beautiful, he'd noticed when she looked at herself in the mirror and her grin had faltered slightly. He couldn't see why, she was most definitely the prettiest woman he'd ever seen in Small Heath and he was determined to get her to realise it.

-

The next morning, Thailiana woke up at seven o'clock in the morning. She knew it'd take forever for her to prepare herself, so she got up earlier than necessary to make herself perfect. She drew herself a bath, relaxing in the water as she cleaned herself off.

Once her hair and body were washed and dried, she slipped on her underwear and then the dress she'd bought for the specific occasion. The brunette looked herself in the mirror, smoothing down the material after having zipped it up. She smiled slightly, her hair fell around her shoulders in natural waves.

Thailiana applied her usual amount of makeup, lightly tapping the powder onto her skin before she coated her lips with a red lipstick to match her dress. She slid her heels on, giving herself a once-over in her mirror.

"You look beautiful!"

"Thanks, Jade." The older woman smiled down at her sibling, who'd entered her room without her noticing.

"He's going to fall apart when he sees you!" The redhead gushed, grabbing her sister's hand and twirling her around. Thailiana grinned at her words, hoping they were true. Glancing over at the clock, she frowned, she had fifteen minutes left before it struck nine o'clock.

"Jade, you're not leaving the house today. Alright?" The woman ordered, kissing her sibling's head. "It's safer that way. I won't be here to help you if you get arrested."

"Fine." Jade huffed, she'd already planned to go out in the dark corners of the city in hopes to find an occupation.

"Good girl," Thailiana laughed at her deception, caressing her head. "I love you."

"Love you too." The ginger muttered as she embraced her older sister, her only family. She kissed the woman's cheek before placing her coat over the brunette's shoulders and gently pushing her out of the room. "Now fuck off, go join that criminal of yours."

Thailiana rolled her eyes, walking down the wooden stairs. She fixed her hair as she passed the mirror that hung on the hallway wall, making sure everything looked perfect for the races. She waved goodbye to the fourteen year old that had followed her down, before making her way out of her house and to the Garrison. The young woman let out a breath, preparing herself to face Thomas. It was that man who made her feel strong yet fragile at the same time, beautiful yet insecure at once. She felt weak in the knees when he looked at her, an overwhelming wave of emotions swimming in her stomach at the sight of his blue eyes.

It was safe to say that Thomas Shelby was going to ruin her, to destroy her with the words and hopes he'd promise. Thailiana knew that- she was well aware of it in fact; she just didn't care. She wanted him, every part of him. The danger that came along with the man, the evilness clawing at the back of his mind, she wanted it all.

There she was, five to nine in the morning, waiting for the very man who would break her to pieces, the same one who'd also easily make her whole again after the pain was caused. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make if it meant she could have Tommy all to herself.

-

i'm pretty sure none of this makes sense but i've spent five days writing this without really knowing how to end it and i'm not even sure if i like it or not:(