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WARNINGS: LIGHT SMUT AND ANGST

1914

SOFT lips pulled Tommy away from his never-ending thoughts.

Confined in Eden's room, the couple were wrapped up in her light sheets, she adorned his overshirt and Tommy couldn't look away, even after just waking from his slumber.

Thankful for her mother's night shift and her father helping Jeremiah with carving little Isaiah a new toy, Eden didn't have to sneak Tommy into the house for once, so they spent hours between her sheets.

The February weather was a nightmare, so they had no choice but to get naked... for warmth of course.

Tommy made sure to take his time with Eden, he knew her body, the moans that escaped her whenever his fingers glided against her delicate skin, how she trembled beneath him, the whimpers she let out in response to his praises, or how she gasped for air at the slow and steady pace he went just for her comfort. Although he usually tended to her desires she knew he could never be completely gentle for long, driving her to shudder and scream under the moonlight, no doubt waking the street.

His hands, like whenever they were out never left her, nor did his eyes as he pleasured and brought to light her darkest fantasies. His moans were the source of her undoing, just like his twisted tongue, compelling her and lapping up every nectar that emitted from her. I love you, oh saying that only pulled Eden deeper into his grasp.

"Y'know you twitch in your sleep?" she asked against his lips. Throughout the night, she woke up after thinking she had an intruder, but no it was just Tommy twitching beside her.

"I was dreamin'," he mumbled, turning away from the skylight creeping past the curtains and trailing his finger over the black madonna, resting on her cleavage.

And she traced over the Romani sun that decorated his skin, "Of what? Were you gettin' tickled or somethin'?"

She could've sworn she heard him mutter something in his sleep, kařo, fi, nivă, presumably rokker so she didn't understand a word.

He snorted, "Just dreamin'."

"Is that all I'm getting out of you?"

Tommy didn't reply, instead, he just stared at her, with his half-open eyes, completely enamoured by her being. Even in the morning, she looked so effortlessly beautiful, her scarf that protected her hair, slid off, leaving her hair slightly muddled and frizzy, but he didn't care. He spent that last hour or two dreaming of her and it wasn't often he dreamed, he left that to his aunt, but the images of the future flashing through his mind were enough for him to stay asleep.

He leaned over, caressing Eden's skin, peppering kisses over her jaw, worshipping her like the very saviour he proclaimed her to be. His lips found her neck, occasionally nipping at it, only to be soothed by his tongue after.

Torturously slow, the bloody bastard was teasing her.

"We gotta stop," she breathed out, trying to push off of him, but he didn't relent, still kissing her neck and letting his fingers wander between her legs, grunting when she slapped his hand away, "Tommy."

"Yeah, you said that a lot last night... Tommy, oh Tom," a deep chuckle escaped him when he received a glare from her.

"You and your fucking voices," rolling her eyes, she touched her neck, feeling a small ache, "there better not be a mark there."

"And why not, it's never bothered you before," he said, throwing his arms behind his head, watching when she got out of bed, wobbling slightly and picked up her handheld mirror, that rested on her desk.

Her room might've been small, but she knew how to make the most of it; bed, dresser, desk and even a small space for a rug for when she wanted to read. Tommy liked it, it was so...Eden.

"Because no one can usually see 'em," before he could retort, she rushed to the peak out of the curtains, "You have to be out of here in twenty. Mum'll be back by then and no doubt Dad will be round soon to get his packed lunch just before leavin' again."

He reached down to pick his pocket watch off of the floor, "I thought you said we had until seven."

It was only six.

"Remember last time when they caught us? Dad threatened you with his revolver and Mum chased me through the house with a slipper, got a mean bruise on my arse because of that."

A ghost of a smirk tugged on his lips, "Yeah, you had a matchin' one from me."

Eden whined, "I mean it, Tommy."

"I'll come to find you later, it's your day off," he got off the bed, reaching for his undergarments, letting Eden sneak a peek at him just before he put them on.

"I promised I spent it with Enzo and Dotty," she hesitantly uttered, watching as he tensed upon hearing her comment.

"Where?" he snapped his head towards her, awaiting the dreaded response.

"At Enzo's...don't be mad." she nervously bit down on her bottom lip knowing exactly where this conversation was about to go.

Tommy slowly cocked his head to the side, "And you can do that here, no?"

She rapidly shook her head, "Enzo said his mum is making us some food and I couldn't pass that up."

"You could but don't want to," he pointed out, putting on his trousers with haste, feeling his anger boil.

"It's not like that."

He scoffed, "It never is."

Tommy walked up to Eden, too irritated to care and pushed his overshirt off of her shoulders, leaving her exposed.

"Tommy!"

He grabbed her robe and tossed it at her, continuing to get ready to leave, knowing if he didn't he would say something he would regret.

"The fuck is wrong with you?!" she tied up her robe quickly, becoming uncomfortable with his abrupt mood swings.

She understood why he was upset, but he didn't have the right to do what he did.

"Oh I don't know, perhaps it's the fact you questioned my friendship with Gretta, whilst knowin' full well that you spend your days off routinely meetin' up with your ex," he ranted, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Don't be like that, he's my friend and Dorris will be there."

"Doing what, swapping spit with Angel Changretta and what will you be doing? Having a catch-up with the other one?" he snapped, slipping on his shoes, and grabbing his waistcoat and shoulder holster.

Her face twisted up, "Luca won't be there, at least I think, besides he knows I'm with you."

Tommy strode past her, slipping his gun into the holster and reaching for the door, ignoring the hurt breaching her face.

"Like that matters to the likes of him," he retorted.

She blinked rapidly, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Not sparing her a glance he grabbed the handle, "I'll meet you later."

"Tommy–"

"Bye Eden."

He left without so much as a kiss on the cheek.

She heard the front door slam shut and it's wonder that the whole street didn't wake up.

"Until we meet again Eden," she mocked and fell back onto her bed, "Fuckin' git."

–

"Porca miseria!" Enzo cursed and immediately received a smack to the back of his head from his mother. There were a lot of things Audrey Changretta would abide by, but using the lord's name in vain was not one of them. "Ma!"

"Lorenzo, what did I tell you," Eden tried helping Enzo, but one look from Audrey made her raise her hands, "next time I hear you use the lord's name in vain I'll drag you through the town by your ankles, you hear me?"

"Yeah."

"What did you say?" she asked, holding her hand to her ear, Dorris and Angel had to suppress their laughter.

"Yes mother," he gritted out.

"Watch your tone when you're speaking to our mother," Luca nudged him, leaning back in his chair as Audrey laid out more food for them just before she headed to work.

"Now, I'll be back at four, Luca keep your brothers in line and girls, make sure the house stays clean."

And with that, she took her bag and coat and left the house.

Audrey Changretta loved three things in life, her sons, her husband and their safety. She liked to know where they were just as a precaution, it wasn't too much to ask in her eyes, but clearly, it was to them. Luca made sure his brothers stayed in line, especially when their father was out on business and most of the time, he was.

"Honestly 'Renzo, do I need to wash that mouth out with soap?" Luca spat, with his American accent slipping slightly.

"You ain't my father."

"Jesus Christ," Angel muttered into his hands, tired of his brothers constantly fighting.

Luca scoffed, "Well he ain't here, so I am, stay in line."

Enzo leaned forward, "You know what —"

"How 'bout we go to your room?" Dorris interrupted.

"Yes, to avoid whatever this will turn into," Eden gestured between the brother's irked faces and stood up.

"You hate me that much Cara?"

Eden sighed at his question and ignored how effortlessly Luca's Italian accent rolled off his tongue.

"It's Eden Luca, Eden."

"I'm aware...Eden," he elongated her name, annoying her further, but what caught his eyes was the pendant dangling from her neck and a couple of purple blotches to go with it, "when did you become religious?" he jabbed his finger towards in, catching everyone's attention,  "Last time I put the cross anywhere near you, you screamed."

"I remember that too," Angel laughed, "thought it burnt you or somethin'."

Enzo tutted, "No brother, you got it all wrong, she ain't religious, she got that as a gift from Shelby."

"For Christ's sake Enzo," Dorris shoved him and he received a pinch from the Dawkin's woman.

Angel turned to Luca, seeing the sneer on his face.

The two things the three brothers had in common were their hate for Small Heath and the Shelbys.

Luca hated Small Heath, he wasn't born there so he didn't care for it. New York is where he belonged and only came back to help out his family. Angel was different, cooking distracted him from his hatred, one day he hoped to open a restaurant, it wouldn't be long until he did, but until then he worked in one of the restaurants south of Digbeth. But with Enzo, he was born in Birmingham, he didn't have much of an accent compared to his brother's, but also wanted to get out of what he called 'the town worse than hell.'

And another reason why he and his brothers believed that Small Heath was worse than hell was all because of the Shelby family, not like their mother agreed with them.

Leaning over, Luca asked Eden, "So Shelby huh, that's still going on?"

He didn't know what he was more annoyed by, the love bites that she didn't bother to cover up or the pendant.

"None of your business," Eden moved closer to Enzo, "now let's go and eat."

"Come on Enzo," Dorris nudged the boy who took his time getting up, finding himself too comfortable sitting down.

Angel scoffed at how Dorris was trying to avoid him, "Dotty, amore, talk to me, you still can't be mad."

"I will because I am and I am because you haven't apologised for goin' to that whore's house," she referred to Lizzie Stark once more, still angered over the events that she saw taking place a couple of weeks ago.

"I helped her with her bags," Angel exclaimed, standing up.

Dorris tilted her head, "So if I let another man help me–"

"You wouldn't dare," he sent her a pointed look then picked up his glass of whiskey.

"You see Edie," Dorris stressed and argued with him.

Eden slowly regretted spending her day off at the Changretta's and Tommy was already mad at her for doing so and honestly, she didn't blame him.

"Thinkin' 'bout lover boy?" Luca taunted, his eyes hadn't left her for a second.

"She always is, now move on," Enzo thought it was pathetic how his eldest brother was behaving.

"Move on?" Luca turned to him with a coy smirk, "how 'bout you go and get a girl, you're around 'nough of 'em."

Enzo gritted his teeth but had nothing to say, which only amused his brothers more. Eden and Dorris turned to them in irritation.

Angel chuckled as a wolfish grin grew on his face, "That's true Enzy, I wonder if you're still a virgin, have to be with the lack of girls comin' round."

Dorris frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"And I'll have you know, he's been with plenty of girls, some with more grace than you Angel," Eden snapped back. 

Luca cut in, with a devious smirk, "More grace than you with that black madonna 'round your neck, bet he painted it on or stole it."

Glaring at him, Edie gritted out, "What's your problem?"

Luca sauntered around the table and towered over her, his thick strands got in his eyes, but she didn't miss the rage swimming in them.

"You think Shelby knows you were with me first? Or did you fake it for him?"

"Stronso," Enzo yelled.

Eden was quick to push him away, "Fuck you."

Her patience went out the window and her anger was stinging her eyes.

Angel was starting to get annoyed by the whole ordeal, "Leave it alone Luca." He reached for Dorris' hand, seeing the way she wanted to charge at his older brother.

"Why? —" Luca lunged forward, accidentally knocking over a glass, smashing it across the floor, with some pieces launching around, and unfortunately hitting and piercing Eden's hand, "Merde."

She hissed in pain and everyone went to check the damage.

"Cara, I never meant to... are you okay?" Luca panicked, whilst his youngest brother pushed him away.

Eden gulped at the sight of her hand, parts of the glass dug into her skin, Dorris was helping her pull it out but she just continued to hiss in pain.

Tears pooled in Eden's eyes but she wouldn't let them fall, not in front of Luca.

"I'm just gonna go," she whispered, taking the cloth that Angel gave her to clean up some of the blood.

Enzo shook his head, "We can bandage it up, Angel, get the first aid kit, the fuck is a tea cloth gonna do?"

Eden waved them all off, "It's fine, I have my own at home okay? I'll be alright."

Dorris watched as she reached for her coat, "Edie the quicker we clean it, the less chance of an infection."

"I am a nurse Dotty," the small smile Eden sent was to reassure her friend there was no malice behind her words, "I'm fine, it's only a cut... or a couple. Give me a sandwich and I'll be on my way."

Enzo quickly grabbed her favourites from the table, then made a mental note to get Angel to make her favourite soup so he could bring it over. 

"Are you sure, pretty girl like you bleeding and leaving our house? Not a good look," Angel stepped back at the glares he received.

Eden said for the last time, "I'm fine."

Luca stared at her longingly and disregarded his youngest brother's side-eye.

"Eden..."

She ignored Luca and pressed kisses to her best friend's cheeks as Enzo placed two sandwiches in her bag.

"Bye."

–

"Stevie right?" she ran into the man as she walked past to the Marquis of Lorne pub. She hated the bar because she could never get served even with Enzo by her side.

Catel Road was a place she and many other women avoided for their safety, despite it only being nine in the morning.

A cheeky grin spread on his face, "Surely you didn't forget my face after school?"

Eden thought he was a looker, even if he was covered in various fruit juices from the stool he ran. He was fair-coloured, quite stealthy and of average height.

"Of course not, what did you need?" he stopped her abruptly from making her way home and she didn't know why.

"The Shelbys are on their way," he informed, glancing behind him, causing her eyes to widen and grip the cloth wrapped around her hand.

"What?" she almost screeched, all the colour practically drained from her face when she saw their silhouettes approaching. What's Tommy gonna think when he sees my hand?

Stevie's face filled with worry when he caught her injury, "Is your hand okay –"

"Eden!" they jumped at Tommy's voice.

John yelled, "Edie girl..."

"Shut up John." they heard Tommy say.

"Thanks, Stevie, but you might need to go."

"You sure? I can handle them if you need me to," he recalled a conversation he had with Enzo they had a few days ago about him needing to protect his best friends, especially from trouble.

Eden winced at Shelby's loud voices and shook her head, "Don't take this the wrong way but they'll handle you, now go, I need you alive."

With one last nod and cheeky smile, he took his leave and left her to the herd of men coming her way.

"Fuck sake," Eden muttered.

"Who the bloody 'ell was that?" John was the first to reach her, nodding to the man she was talking to, but before she could respond, Tommy's crazed eyes landed on her hand as did his best friend Freddie and older brother Arthur.

Tommy roughly grabbed her hand, "What the fuck is that?"

"Have you been drinkin'?" the stench of booze almost took her out, she nearly choked on the aroma when they all neared closer, It was barely ten in the morning. When he squeezed her injury, she grunted and reeled back, "Christ's sake, that hurts."

She pulled away the cloth, only to see the damage, the pressure he'd applied made only made the blood trickle down her hand, fortunately, she took all the glass out of her hand but that didn't stop them from asking questions and making assumptions.

"How did it happen, who bloody cut you?" John pressed on, adjusting his cap and looking around at all the people who passed by. "Weren't the nutter you were speakin' to was it?"

"No one's cut me," she murmured, dismissing the insult spewing out of his mouth and confused yet not entirely surprised that they reached that conclusion.

"One of the men you love talkin' to?" Tommy no longer had a filter when he drank.

"Thomas..." Eden warned, but he didn't seem to care.

John's gaze darkened, "Look's like someone cut you, Edie."

Freddie rolled his eyes at the boy, "John."

He was the least intoxicated, only due to the amount of venting Tommy was doing when they were in the snug of the Garrison, for once he couldn't keep his mouth shut about his relationship troubles, Freddie wished he took the drinks out of his best friend's hand.

"What, there's a fuckin' gash on her hand, she needs those to work y'know?" John's protectiveness of Eden was evident, ever since school he was the one who constantly made sure she was alright.

"Think she's aware of that Johnny," Arthur spoke lowly, resting his hand on his shoulder, "you alright Eden?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Eden nodded, "I'm fine, it was a mishap."

"A mishap? We'll cut 'em a smile each..." John was blinded by his rage.

"...then it's off to the cut with the fuckers," Arthur was all for it.

"Tell me what happened," Tommy demanded, ignoring his brothers.

Eden took a step back, "It was nothing."

"Then tell me!" Tommy suddenly yelled, startling her.

"Don't scream at me!"

"I'm not screamin'!" he said... screaming.

Tommy had the type of rage that only took a match to light which was funny because smoking tended to keep it at bay.

Eden hated to look in his eye, it was like he saw her as an enemy, something needing to be eliminated, even John, in his drunken state could see and took a step forward.

"Tommy," Freddie and Arthur hushed him after seeing the look on Eden's face.

She looked scared.

Eden tried to explain, "He just... it was a glass and it dropped –" When his hands came in contact with her face she early flinched at the suddenness.

Tommy's eyes erratically darted over her face, demanding to know an answer.

"Who did that to you? I'll find out, you know I bloody will."

"It was an accident, alright."

"Who... was... it?"

"Luca —"

Tommy started to laugh, making her reel back. Freddie made sure his best friend was pulled back because the brothers wanted him to fight Luca Changretta for the fiftieth time and only needed the smallest reason.

"Luca fuckin' Changretta done that?" John screeched, spitting out his toothpick, coming to softly grab Eden's hand but she backed away.

Eden pinched the bridge of her nose out of frustration, "It wasn't on purpose, Christ, will you lot calm down?"

"Suppose he did that after you let him have another go?"

Tommy's question rendered them all shocked.

None of them was expecting him to speak to Eden like that, the woman who had his heart before she even looked his way. All that effort to get her, just to be thrown away in a matter of seconds. All that love he proclaimed for her, was washed away with half a dozen glasses of whiskey.

John turned to him in mild contempt,  "Fuck sake, Tommy..."

"The fuck did you'd say?" she yelled, tears pooling in her eyes at the accusation. Twice, her virtue was brought into question, but this time it cut deeper than the blades stitched into their caps.

Eden was finally a victim of the blinder but his weapon of choice was words, which was typical for Tommy.

Arthur sighed, sobering up slightly, "Tom leave it."

Eden choked up, hating that she was induced to tears, "Fuck you."

"He's been drinkin' Edie," Freddie excused his behaviour, all while trying to calm down Tommy, but he was never too good at it, he tried his best, but it was Greta's job,  but she was at home sick, had been for a few days leaving him to reign in the unstoppable force that was Tommy Shelby, "he's speakin' out of his bloody arse."

"You don't say," she snapped, rolling her teary eyes. "I don't care if he's drunk."

Tommy was truly like a horse, with a set of blinkers on, eyes narrowing onto Eden, not letting him see anything else, or even hear any reason.

He wanted to hurt Luca in ways he hadn't even thought of, but that would only provoke some sort of war.

He had to be smart about it, but the whiskey flooding his veins prevented that, so the only person he could take it out on was Eden...because in his mind he warned her about going to the Changretta residence.

"Bet you'd care what Changretta has to say ey?"

"Fuck you, Thomas."

Only this morning they were laying in silence, enjoying the breeze that cooled over their warm bare bodies and now... she didn't even know what the fuck he was.

"What 'ave you gone and said that for?" John shoved his brother, who shoved him back.

"Bye Thomas," Eden mumbled, ignoring Freddie's attempts at walking her home and just leaving the men to their madness, not wanting to be subjected to any type of abuse.

It was her bloody day off.

It's not like Tommy seem to care that she was in pain, physically or emotionally he just wanted some sort of reaction.

He claimed that she was his haven, but what was he? Her hell... she wouldn't be fucking surprised if he was.

"Tom, come on," Arthur stepped between his brothers, but it didn't help.

"Get the fuck off of me," Tommy pushed them all away, yelling as his woman was disappearing from his vision, "Eden!"

Sliding his hands down his face, Freddie muttered, "Well you're fucked."

Tommy glared at him, "Shut it, Freddie."

John scoffed, "Truly fucked it you did. Martha's gonna 'ave my fuckin' balls for this."

"As if she doesn't already, John boy," Arthur lit a cigarette, which John took off him.

"Well you just upset her friend," John sneered at his older brother, "mine an all or did you forget that?"

Ignoring his words, Tommy glared at the spot where Eden was previously standing.

"What are you gonna do?" Freddie questioned his best friend, wondering how he was going to get out of the grave he dug.

Tommy stared in silence, blocking out all the noise around him, it's all noise, the Changrettas were just noise, the whole fuckin' street was full of noise and he needed it silenced, all of it.

He didn't care when or how he was going to do it, just as long as Eden was still his and only his.

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a/n:

al pacino as 𝗮 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝘂𝗰𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮
ken wahl as 𝗮 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮
vittorrio gassman as 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼

obviously, my man al pacino is smaller than luca but just imagine him to be taller.

tommy's jealousy is becoming a problem i can understand why he was mad that eden was spending time at the house where her ex lives, but he was out of line for the comments he made in the last scene. in canon you all know he's a possessive man, i had to tone it down for the story because it's pre-war tommy, but his true colours will peek through.

overall, how did you find this chapter and all the dynamics?